Local Code Research Articles

Seismic reinforcement of a linac installation.

The local building requirements to secure medical equipment in seismically active areas in the United States are based on recommendations of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In our institution we have recently acquired new linear accelerators, one of which had to be installed in an existing vault and one in a new vault. Since we are in a seismic active area, changes in the local code required us to start placing the new linacs seismically stable. Here, we describe the necessary steps taken to ensure a seismically sound installation of our linacs. For the linac installation to be seismically stable, the linac base frame has to be seismically fixed into the vault floor. The installation of a new linac into an existing vault requires verification of a structurally sound base frame. Knowledge of the previously applied fixation of such is needed and exploratory removal of grouted floor helped in the verification. Understanding the additional load requirements for the locality allows to account for the existing fixation and can potentially reduce the work needed to achieve seismic fixation requirements. For a prospective seismic installation the new linac base frame can be directly installed with the necessary strength. In addition the actual workflow is straight forward and vendor recommendations can be used. In both cases the vendor provided seismic calculations serve as baseline from which a facility should be work from. It is the facilities task to verify the correct installation of a linac in their specific location. An understanding of the seismic landscape can facilitate an appropriate installation at minimal additional cost.

Disparities in melanoma stage at diagnosis in Arizona: A 10-year Arizona Cancer Registry study

Disparities in melanoma stage at diagnosis in Arizona: A 10-year Arizona Cancer Registry study

Coupling performance-prescriptive based daylighting principles for office buildings: Case study from Egypt

This study reviews available guidelines and assessment methods for daylight performance for office buildings in Egypt to propose a Unified design guideline (UDG). Relevant literature studies are analysed, e.g. the local code for ‘improving energy efficiency for commercial buildings’ as well as a number of green building rating systems such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and The Green Pyramid Rating system. The UDG was tested for two local case studies using building simulation; a non-LEED building complying with a set of limited guiding principles of the local code, and a LEED-certified building with an additional set of guidelines, and compliance path using building simulation. The comparison showed that the integration of both prescriptive and performance-based guidelines and measurement criteria is necessary to develop the UDG tailored to address the particular requirements of office buildings in terms of daylight performance in similar climates.

Philippine Institutions and Complex Institutional Arrangements for Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture

Addressing climate change necessitates creating new, or building the capacity of old, institutions. Institutions are vital tools that determine the intensity by which climate change considerations are incorporated into the decision-making process, designs, and plans. This article aims to illustrate that it is necessary to understand the institutional environment where the CCA endeavors will be implemented such that local climate change adaptation (CCA) policies, plans, and programs can be implemented effectively. The paper also intends to demonstrate that, along with the scientific and technological discussions, institutional conversations should be among the initial vital steps in CCA planning, and that the institutional dimension should be the foundation of broader reforms toward an effective CCA implementation. The paper accomplished this by investigating the conditions in the local agriculture and CCA in the Philippines. The paper applied the Institutional Environment Matrix as the main analytical framework. The analysis showed that the existing institutional dynamics in the Philippines have impacted the effectiveness of the introduced CCA policies and efforts. The Local Government Code of the Philippines had counterproductive interplays with other institutional rules; first in agriculture, and afterwards, in CCA. The Code has devolved tasks to the local governments, provided local government units with extensive authority over their jurisdictions, and improved autonomy in local governance. However, it lacks the arrangements that would create (dis)incentives for individual and collective actions (i.e., rewards and penalties, payoffs on actions). Likewise, institutional mechanisms to support the devolution of government services are wanting. Such institutional environment in local governance has curtailed the effectiveness of local agricultural policies and the efficient implementation of new CCA policies. This article advocates that analyzing the institutional environment where the CCA endeavors will be implemented will enable policy makers and CCA planners to understand better and to have deeper perception of the interlinkages between and among institutional arrangements. In the case of the Philippines, if the local agricultural institutional environment was considered in the design and implementation of the CCA policies, institutional support mechanisms that can address the existing issues and concerns in local agriculture may have been incorporated into these policies. Such action may have helped implementers to avoid the same difficulties in operationalizing CCA initiatives. Accordingly, the paper analyzed how CCA is operationalized through an institutional lens, and presented how institutional analysis is important in policy making. It further demonstrated the complexity of institutional linkages and raised the conversation on the institutional dimension of CCA.

Fractal measures of image local features: an application to texture recognition

Here we propose a new method for the classification of texture images combining fractal measures (fractal dimension, multifractal spectrum and lacunarity) with local binary patterns. More specifically we compute the box counting dimension of the local binary codes thresholded at different levels to compose the feature vector. The proposal is assessed in the classification of three benchmark databases: KTHTIPS-2b, UMD and UIUC as well as in a real-world problem, namely the identification of Brazilian plant species (database 1200Tex) using scanned images of their leaves. The proposed method demonstrated to be competitive with other state-of-the-art solutions reported in the literature. Such results confirmed the potential of combining a powerful local coding description with the multiscale information captured by the fractal dimension for texture classification.

The behavior of concrete‐encased steel composite column‐beam joints under cyclic loading

SummaryThis study outlines the cyclic loading response of a concrete‐encased steel profile composite column‐reinforced concrete beam connection. The experimental study performed for an interior joint. The column in joint was designed as a concrete‐encased I‐steel profile composite column according to Eurocode 4, and the beam was designed as a regular reinforced concrete beam according to local building codes. In order to emphasize the effect of the joint design, different steel core orientations were used. The numerical analysis was performed using ABAQUS to predict behavior of the joint. The performance of the samples compared the load‐carrying capacity, ductility, and failure type. Comparisons were made using load–displacement relationships and failure mechanisms. The analysis results showed that the failure was determined by the behavior of the beam, and the joint capacity depended on the shear capacity of the beam.

Optically thin circumstellar medium in theβLyr A system

The complex binary systemβLyr A has an extensive observational dataset: light curves (from far UV to far IR), interferometric squared visibility, closure phase, triple product measurements, spectral-energy distribution, high-resolution spectroscopy, differential visibility amplitude, and also a differential phase. In particular, we used spectra from the Ondřejov 2m telescope from 2013 to 2015 to measure the emission in Hα, He I, Si II, Ne I, or C IIlines, and differential interferometry by CHARA/VEGA from the 2013 campaign to measure wavelength-dependent sizes across Hαand He I6678. This allowed us to constrain not only optically thick objects (primary, secondary, accretion disc), but also optically thin objects (disc atmosphere, jets, shell). We extended our modelling tool, Pyshellspec (based on Shellspec; a 1D local thermodynamical equilibrium radiative transfer code), to include all new observables, to compute differential visibilities/phases, to perform a Doppler tomography, and to determine a jointχ2metric. After an optimisation of 38 free parameters, we derived a robust model of theβLyr A system. According to the model, the emission is formed in an extended atmosphere of the disc, two perpendicular jets expanding at ∼700 km s−1, and a symmetric shell with the radius ∼70 R⊙. The spectroscopy indicates a low abundance of carbon, 10−2of the solar value. We also quantified systematic differences between datasets, and we discuss here alternative models with higher resolutions, additional asymmetries, or He-rich abundances.

ЭКСПЛИЦИТНОСТЬ ВЫРАЖЕНИЯ МНЕНИЯ АВТОРА В НАУЧНОМ ТЕКСТЕ: Я/ МЫ/ ИЛИ НЕКИЙ ВСЕОБЩИЙ РАЗУМ (НА МАТЕРИАЛЕ РУССКОГО И АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКОВ)

The article deals with the comparative perspective on author’s self-representation in research papers in Russian and English. It presents both the results of studying recommendations on this issue from academic and scientific writing guides, and the analysis of the humanities (mainly, linguistic) research papers corpus. The study shows different means used for authorial self-reference in these texts. It claims that the authors’ choice in favor of an "impersonal" or "personal" text is associated not only with their local cultural and language codes, but also with the specifics of their individual style, their inclination to be more or less cautious in presenting their judgments.

Shifting Gears: Moving Colorado Away from Criminalizing Vehicle Residency and Towards Safe Parking

Colorado is in the midst of a housing crisis, which has resulted in thousands of people experiencing homelessness. In 2020, the Point in Time survey recorded 9,846 individuals experiencing homelessness in Colorado. Of these individuals, 2,913 – nearly 30% – were unsheltered. Further, given the impending end of COVID-19 protections, such as the federal and state residential eviction moratoria and extended unemployment benefits, the number of those experiencing homelessness in Colorado is likely to rise in 2021 and 2022. Evictions from December 2020 to January 2021 were already on the rise, from 925 filings to 2,011 filings —a 218% increase.In response to the crisis, vehicles have become an affordable housing option for many. However, cities in Colorado have historically struggled to create sustainable solutions to aid those who are experiencing homelessness and living in their vehicles. Whether through misguided efforts to help, or pressure from housed communities and community members, cities too often have adopted new laws and regulations within their municipal codes that criminalize, rather than assist, these populations. This report focuses specifically on municipal ordinances that criminalize vehicle residency. This report undertakes a comprehensive review of the municipal codes in twenty cities selected based on their population and location: Arvada, Aurora, Boulder, Breckenridge, Broomfield, Colorado Springs, Craig, Denver, Durango, Fort Collins, Glenwood Springs, Golden, Grand Junction, Greeley, Lakewood, La Junta, Littleton, Longmont, Pueblo, and Thornton. These cities’ municipal codes were surveyed for key words relevant to vehicle residency and identified ordinances that were separated into five categories: (1) ordinances that prohibit the parking of large vehicles; (2) ordinances the prohibit inoperable, junk, or abandoned vehicles; (3) ordinances that prohibit parking for longer than 72 hours; (4) ordinances that outright prohibit sleeping or living in cars; and (5) regulations found in local zoning codes. Laws that prohibit parking large vehicles on public streets prevent individuals from living in an RV when they lose other forms of housing, which criminalizes vehicle residency. Laws that prohibit and impound junk, inoperable, and abandoned vehicles disallow individuals to create a home from a car that may not currently be operable, which criminalizes vehicle residency. Laws that prohibit parking on public streets for more than 24 to 72 hours force individuals to move locations frequently, which criminalizes vehicle residency. Laws that prohibit sleeping or living in vehicles prevent individuals from legally sleeping or living in their car, which directly criminalizes vehicle residency. Further, zoning codes frequently contain provisions that prohibit land uses not specifically permitted in a particular zone district, which, as may be interpreted, criminalize vehicle residency. This report analyzes identified ordinances from across the state, suggests how to change the laws to make them more amenable to vehicle residents, discusses the constitutionality of these laws, and concludes with a state-wide solution to vehicle residency through safe parking and the Colorado Safe Parking Initiative. Both municipalities within Colorado, and the state itself, must take action to ensure that the growing population of vehicle residents can find refuge and a safe place to rest.

Unequal Failure Protection Coding Technique for Distributed Cloud Storage Systems

In recent years, erasure codes have become the de facto standard for data protection in large scale distributed cloud storage systems at the cost of an affordable storage overhead. However, traditional erasure coding schemes, such as Reed-Solomon codes, suffer from high reconstruction cost and I/Os. The recent past has seen a plethora of efforts to optimize the tradeoff between the reconstruction cost, I/Os and storage overhead. Quiet different from all prior studies, in this paper, our erasure coding technique makes the first attempt to take advantage of the unequal failure rates across the disks/nodes to optimize the system reliability and reconstruction performance. Specifically, our proposed technique, the Unequal Failure Protection based Local Reconstruction Code (UFP-LRC) divides the data blocks into several unequal-sized groups with local parities, assigning the data blocks stored on more failure-prone disks/nodes into the smaller-sized group, so as to provide unequal failure protection for each group. In this way, by exploiting the nonuniform local parity degrees, the proposed UFP-LRC enables the data blocks that are stored on more failure-prone disks/nodes to tolerate a greater number of failures while suffering from less repair cost than others, leading to a substantial improvement of the overall reliability and repair performance for cloud storage systems. We perform numerical analysis and build a prototype storage system to verify our approach. The analytical results show that the UFP-LRC technique gradually outperforms LRC along the increase of failure rate ratio. Also, extensive experiments show that, when compared to LRC, UFP-LRC is able to achieve a 10 to 15 percent improvement in throughput, and an 8 to 12 percent reduction in decoding latency, while retaining a comparable overall reliability.

Evaluation of Seismic Site Amplification Using 1D Site Response Analyses at Ba Dinh Square Area, Vietnam

This study presents a case study on ground response analysis of one of the important cultural heritages in Hanoi, Vietnam. One‐dimensional nonlinear and equivalent linear site response analyses which are commonly applied to solve the problem of seismic stress wave propagation are performed at the Ba Dinh square area. A measured in‐situ shear wave velocity profile and corresponding geotechnical site investigation and laboratory test data are utilized to develop the site model for site‐specific ground response analysis. A suite of earthquake records compatible with Vietnamese Design Code TCVN 9386: 2012 rock design spectrum is used as input ground motions at the bedrock. A few concerns associated with site‐specific ground response evaluation are analyzed for both nonlinear and equivalent linear procedures, including shear strains, mobilized shear strength, and peak ground acceleration along with the depth. The results show that the mean maximum shear strains at any soil layer are less than 0.2% in the study area. A deamplification portion within the soil profile is observed at the layer interface with shear wave velocity reversal. The maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA) at the surface is about 0.2 g for equivalent linear analysis and 0.16 g for nonlinear analysis. The ground motions are amplified near the site natural period 0.72 s. The soil factors calculated in this study are 1.95 and 2.07 for nonlinear and equivalent linear analyses, respectively. These values are much different from the current value of 1.15 for site class C in TCVN 9386: 2012. A comparison of calculated response spectra and amplification factors with the local standard code of practice revealed significant discrepancies. It is demonstrated that the TCVN 9386: 2012 soil design spectrum is unable to capture the calculated site amplification in the study area.

QLOC: Quorums With Local Reconstruction Codes

In this paper we study the problem of consistency in distributed storage systems relying on erasure coding for storage efficient fault-tolerance. We propose QLOC - a flexible framework for supporting the storage of warm data, i.e., data which, while not being very frequently in use, nevertheless continues to be accessed for reads or writes regularly. QLOC builds upon (1) a generic family of local reconstruction codes with guarantees in terms of fault-tolerance, efficient recovery from failures and degraded mode operations, and can be instantiated with parameters customized to requirements such as storage overhead and reliability dictated by user needs and operational environments, and (2) quorum-based consistency mechanisms with support for read-modify-write operations without any underlying atomic primitives, providing deployment choices trading-off fault-tolerance, consistency and concurrency requirements. We carry out a theoretical analysis of the code properties, and experimentally benchmark the performance of the consistency enforcement mechanisms, demonstrating the practicality of the proposed approach.

Assessment of stirrups in resisting punching shear in reinforced concrete flat slab

ABSTRACT Punching shear is one of the critical concerns in the design of flat slab systems. This research is conducted to investigate the effect of different parameters regarding shear reinforcement on the punching strength of flat slabs. These parameters include yield stress of stirrups, extension of stirrups from column face along slab span, slab thickness, and the shape of stirrups whether multiple leg stirrups or closed stirrups. The experimental program in this research included testing eight slab specimens with dimensions of 1200 × 1200 mm and a thickness of 160 mm and 200 mm. The results of the experimental work were compared to those estimated according to local and international building codes. The results showed that using closed stirrups greatly increased the punching capacity of flat slabs even for a thickness of 160 mm.

Universalism and traditionalism in a post-globalist perspective: ways of dialogue

The article focusses on the comparative analysis of the leading socio-cultural projects of contemporary society development in culturological discourse: globalism, alter-globalism and anti-globalism. The research aims to reveal the ways of civilized dialogue of universalism as an attitude to the search for universal values and traditionalism as an attitude to the preservation of civilizational, national, ethnic, regional and local codes of culture. The methodological principles of the study are: culturological comparative studies, structural psychoanalysis, semiotics of culture and critical theory. Research methods are: cross-cultural, phenomenological, historical, hermeneutic and structural-functional ones. The scientific novelty of the study is that the author compares the project of regionalism inherent in globalism as a manifestation of glocalization and the civilizational approach inherent in traditionalism, and classifies regionalism as a postmodern post-globalization strategy and the civilizational approach as a premodern pre-globalization strategy both of which are conditionally opposed to classical modern globalism. Globalism is seen as a vicious circle of self-reproduction through the appropriation of surpluses. The way out of the vicious circle is seen in the removal from control of the total repressiveness of universalist (socio-ethical) and traditionalist (cultural-anthropological) ideas in the discourse of free (excessive) alter-globalism and anti-globalism. In conclusion, the author emphasizes the implementation of the principle of unity through diversity on the basis of the universal potential of tradition and specific historical forms of realization of universal meanings of mankind to be an effective mechanism for dialogue between universalism and traditionalism.

The symbolic space of northern cities of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) on the example of art objects

This article examines the symbolic space of northern cities of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), represented by art objects of modernity. The interpretation of landscape text, its symbolic transformation within the framework of transformations of the state structure contributes to broad understanding of territorial identity and determination of its new forms and projections. The authors consider the experience of Central Russia and Western cities. The article presents classification of art objects, murals and graffiti of the cities of Sakha Republic (Yakutia) by structural-semantic hierarchy in the monumental decorative art of urban space. Special attention is given to the bright examples with regional and local code components, as well to the objects created under the influence of Western culture. The novelty of this research consists the overview and analysis of the art objects of northern cities of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) from the perspective of semiotic approach. The peculiarities of creation of art objects, their symbolism and meaning are determined. The author highlights the main flaws in the concept of creation of urban spaces in the North, as well as offers possible solutions to the questions of formation of favorable urban environment, taking into account seamless adaptation to time and place. Emphasis is  made on the need for systemic approach in the search for own identity in erection of art objects, application of color and light, as well as on the need for functionality and environmental friendliness of art objects in northern cities of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).

Recent Development in Micropropagation Techniques for Rare Plant Species.

The current investigation aimed to present an overview of the conservation of biological diversity of rare and endangered plant species. Methods of biodiversity conservation as well as several overview recommendations for the preservation of various rare species have been considered. An overview of the taxa included in the red book has been presented on the example of the Russian Federation. Global and local codes and classifiers of plant rarity were also presented. Future prospects for the conservation of biological diversity and the creation and development of bioresource collections have been considered.

Local Truncation Error-Informed Code Verification

Abstract The method of manufactured solutions (MMS) has become increasingly popular in conducting code verification studies on predictive codes, such as nuclear power system codes and computational fluid dynamic codes. The reason for the popularity of this approach is that it can be used when an analytical solution is not available. Using MMS, code developers are able to verify that their code is free of coding errors that impact the observed order of accuracy. While MMS is still an excellent tool for code verification, it does not identify coding errors that are of the same order as the numerical method. This paper presents a method that combines MMS with modified equation analysis (MEA), which calculates the local truncation error (LTE) to identify coding error up to and including the order of the numerical method. This method is referred to as modified equation analysis methd of manufactured solutions (MEAMMS). MEAMMS is then applied to a custom-built code, which solves the shallow water equations, to test the performance of the code verification method. MEAMMS is able to detect all coding errors that impact the implementation of the numerical scheme. To show how MEAMMS is different than MMS, they are both applied to the same first-order numerical method test problem with a first-order coding error. When there are first-order coding errors, only MEAMMS is able to identify them. This shows that MEAMMS is able to identify a larger set of coding errors while still being able to identify the coding errors MMS is able to identify.

The Quality of Healthcare System of Level 1 Hospitals in Northern Negros Occidental

Healthcare is a primary concern of everyone. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals recognize the importance of healthcare, ensuring healthy lives for all. Hence, healthcare organizations worldwide are interested in achieving better quality and performance. The Philippines supports this thrust towards achieving universal health coverage. The Philippine Health Agenda for 2016 to 2022 focus on recognizing the advancement and protection of public health. It has to discourse not just the universal and equitable delivery of health care but also the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of health concerns. The enactment of the Local Government Code provided that local government units deliver public health services with the national government's technical assistance through the Department of Health (DOH). Thus, this study describes and compares the level of quality of hospital healthcare system of Level 1 Hospitals in Northern Negros Occidental in the areas of hospital management, patient care management, and service delivery as assessed by implementers and patients' folks when they are taken as a whole and when grouped according to their designation. Likewise, it identified the challenges encountered by implementers and recommendations of patients' folks to improve the healthcare system of hospitals.

A sparse code increases the speed and efficiency of neuro-dynamic programming for optimal control tasks with correlated inputs

Sparse codes in neuroscience have been suggested to offer certain computational advantages over other neural representations of sensory data. To explore this viewpoint, a sparse code is used to represent natural images in an optimal control task solved with neuro-dynamic programming, and its computational properties are investigated. The central finding is that when feature inputs to a linear network are correlated, an over-complete sparse code increases the memory capacity of the network in an efficient manner beyond that possible for any complete code with the same-sized input, and also increases the speed of learning the network weights. A complete sparse code is found to maximise the memory capacity of a linear network by decorrelating its feature inputs to transform the design matrix of the least-squares problem to one of full rank. It also conditions the Hessian matrix of the least-squares problem, thereby increasing the rate of convergence to the optimal network weights. Other types of decorrelating codes would also achieve this. However, an over-complete sparse code is found to be approximately decorrelated, extracting a larger number of approximately decorrelated features from the same-sized input, allowing it to efficiently increase memory capacity beyond that possible for any complete code: a 2.25 times over-complete sparse code is shown to at least double memory capacity compared with a complete sparse code using the same input. This is used in sequential learning to store a potentially large number of optimal control tasks in the network, while catastrophic forgetting is avoided using a partitioned representation, yielding a cost-to-go function approximator that generalizes over the states in each partition. Sparse code advantages over dense codes and local codes are also discussed.

Reflections on accessing indigenous research settings: Encounters with traditional health practitioners and leaders in Vhembe district, South Africa

Conducting research in indigenous settings in rural villages, where traditional leaders are the custodians of communities remains a challenge. Traditional health practitioners have to adapt their protocols to the needs of the cultural setting. When gaining access to a setting, researchers have to follow a process that respects the autonomy of individuals, thus adhering to one of the ethical principles of research with human participants. In this paper, the researchers reflect on gaining access to conduct research with traditional health practitioners and traditional leaders in Vhembe district, South Africa. Researchers participated in sharing circles, and identified five reflective themes. The themes included initiating agreement and rapport, continuous negotiation and compromise, Them and Us, adhering to local dress code and ritual performance. Researchers planning to conduct research with traditional health practitioners and traditional leaders should consider these themes in the preparation phase.