Principal Criterion Research Articles

IDENTIFICATION OF UNAUTHORIZED MINING FARMS USING SMART METERING DATA

Digital currency extraction has become a popular activity in many countries since the increase of digital currency value in financial and economical exchanges in the world. The illegal usage of the digital currency extraction device (called a miner) is a big problem for utilities in many countries. The high energy consumption of miners is another problem that is critical for hot days and peak hours. In this paper, an efficient algorithm is proposed to recognize the miner's consumptions using the smart meter data mining. For this reason, the current consumption, power factor and power consumption are considered as the main parameters. Accurate analyses are performed for the miner's behaviour and some principal criterion are proposed to identify miner's consumptions. Moreover, the proposed algorithm is implemented to recognize miner's consumptions in Mashhad Electric Energy Distribution Company (MEEDC). The final results show the applicability and proper performance of the proposed solution in energy management and providing a new source of earning money for the utilities.

Biomechanics of Lumbar Spine Injury in Road Barrier Collision–Finite Element Study

Literature and field data from CIREN database have shown that lumbar spine injuries occur during car crashes. There are multiple hypotheses regarding how they occur; however, there is no biomechanical explanation for these injuries during collisions with road safety barriers (RSBs). Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the mechanics of vertebral fractures during car collisions with concrete RSBs. The finite element method was used for the numerical simulations. The global model of the car collision with the concrete RSB was created. The lumbar spine kinematics were extracted from the global simulation and then applied as boundary conditions to the detailed lumbar spine model. The results showed that during the collision, the occupant was elevated, and then dropped during the vehicle landing. This resulted in axial compression forces 2.6 kN with flexion bending moments 34.7 and 37.8 Nm in the L2 and L3 vertebrae. It was shown that the bending moment is the result of the longitudinal force on the eccentricity. The lumbar spine index for the L1–L5 section was 2.80, thus indicating a lumbar spine fracture. The minimum principal strain criterion of 7.4% and damage variable indicated L2 and L3 vertebrae and the inferior part of L1, as those potentially prone to fracture. This study found that lumbar spine fractures could occur as a consequence of vehicle landing during a collision with a concrete RSB mostly affecting the L1–L3 lumbar spine section. The fracture was caused by a combination of axial forces and flexion bending moments.

Fatigue behavior and stress distribution of molars restored with MOD inlays with and without deep margin elevation.

This study evaluated the effect of deep margin elevation (DME) and restorative materials (leucite-reinforced glass-ceramics [C] vs. indirect resin composite [R]) on the fatigue behavior and stress distribution of maxillary molars with 2-mm deep proximal margins restored with MOD inlay. Fifty-two extracted human third molars were randomly assigned into four groups (n = 13): C; DME + C; R; and DME + R. Inlays were fabricated in CAD-CAM and bonded to all teeth. The fatigue behavior was assessed with the stepwise stress test (10,000 cycles/step; step = 50N; 20Hz; initial load = 200N). Fatigue failure loads and the number of cycles were analyzed with 2-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (p < 0.05) and Kaplan-Meier survival plots. The stress distribution was assessed with finite element analysis. The models were considered isotropic, linear, and homogeneous, and presented bonded contacts. A tripod axial load (400N) was applied to the occlusal surface. The stress distribution was analyzed with the maximum principal stress criterion. For fatigue, there was no difference for DME factor (p > 0.05). For the material factor, the load and number of cycles for failure were statistically higher in the R groups (p < 0.05). The finite element analysis showed that resin composite inlays concentrated more stress in the tooth structure, while ceramic inlays concentrated more stress in the restoration. Non-reparable failures were more frequent in the resin composite inlays groups. DME was not negative for fatigue and biomechanical behaviors. Resin composite inlays were more resistant to the fatigue test, although the failure mode was more aggressive. DME does not impair mechanical behavior. Resin composite inlays failed at higher loads but with a more aggressive failure mode.

Study on the Shear Failure of Reinforced Concrete Beams Using Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM)

This research concerns with the fracture behavior of reinforced concrete beams without shear reinforcement numerically. The software ABAQUS is adapted to simulate the crack propagation using the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM), taking into account materials nonlinearities using concrete damage plasticity CDP criteria. XFEM is used to solve the discontinuity problems in the simulation. The maximum principal stress failure criterion is selected for damage initiation, and an energy-based damage evolution law based on a model-independent fracture criterion is selected for damage propagation. The traditional nonlinear finite element analysis is used to specify the crack initiation position, which is required to specify the crack location in the analysis of beams using XFEM. Three-dimensional reinforced concrete beam models are investigated subjected to three and four-point loading tests. Simply supported beams under the effect of applied static load are investigated. An elastic perfectly plastic model is used for modeling the longitudinal steel bars. The main variables considered in the study are beam depth and the shear span with beam length. The numerical results are compared with the available experimental results to demonstrate the applicability of the model. The XFEM provides the capability to predict the concrete member fracture behavior.

Therapeutic effectiveness and safety of sintilimab-dominated triple therapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has shown promising results in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sintilimab, a programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) blockade, combined with sorafenib and transhepatic arterial chemotherapy and embolization in this patient population, compared with sintilimab monotherapy and sintilimab-sorafenib duotherapy. This was a 22 months single center retrospective cohort study in China. 80 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were included, with diagnosis confirmed by either histologic, cytologic or diagnostic imaging analysis. The patients were divided into three groups based on therapeutic regimen: sintilimab monotherapy (sintilimab group, n = 22), sintilimab-sorafenib duotherapy (duplex group, n = 23), sintilimab-sorafenib and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined therapy (triple group, n = 35). The principal evaluation criteria were overall survival and progression free survival in the population, assessed according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1). Secondary evaluation criteria were safety, objective response rate and disease control rate. From March 1st, 2019 to December 31, 2020, 80 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were included and divided into three treatment groups (22 received sintilimab monotherapy, 23 received sintilimab-sorafenib duotherapy, and 35 received sintilimab-sorafenib combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization). The median overall survival of all patients was 11.0 months (95% CI 7.7–14.3). Median overall survival was 13.0 months (95% CI NE–NE), 9.0 months(95% CI 6.3–11.7)and 3.0 months (95% CI 1.9–4.1, p < 0.0001) in the triple therapy, duplex and sintilimab groups respectively, while the corresponding median progression-free survival were 5.0 months (95% CI 2.9–7.1, p < 0.001), 4.0 months (95% CI 2.8–5.2) and 2.0 months (95% CI 1.7–2.3). Disease control and clinical benefits rates were higher in the triple therapy group (80%, 95% CI 63.1–91.6, p < 0.001; 54.3%, 95% CI 36.6–71.2, p < 0.01) compared to the sintilimab group. Median duration of disease control was 4.0 months (95% CI NE–NE, p < 0.01) in the triple therapy group, longer than that of the duplex group (2.0 months, 95% CI 0.9–3.1) and sintilimab group (2.0 months, 95% CI 0.8–3.2). Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 26.3% of 80 patients with hypertension was the most common event observed (38, 47.5%), however, other severe toxic effects were infrequent. Sintilimab combined with sorafenib and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization might have more beneficial effects on overall and progression-free survival and on the duration of disease control outcomes than both sintilimab monotherapy and sintilimab-sorafenib duotherapy in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. This triple therapy model might represent an innovative and effective option for inoperable liver cancer.

P62.01 PREVALUNG: Evaluation of Lung Cancer Prevalence in Patients With Smocking-associated Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death in France and Worldwide. Lung cancer screening based on low dose thoracic computed tomography (low dose CT) in patients selected on age and lifelong tobacco consumption has proven to improve lung cancer related mortality. However, the definition and identification of patients eligible for lung cancer screening is a challenge that may limit lung cancer screening program implementation. Epidemiological data shows that 30 to 40% of patients with lung cancer present a history of cardiovascular disease, mainly atheromatous diseases such as peripheral arterial diseases and coronary artery stenoses. We hypothesized that patients with history of smoking who developed atheromatous disease could represent a population at high risk to develop lung cancer. Our main objective was to evaluate the prevalence of lung cancer among patients with atherosclerotic disease and history of tobacco consumption. Our second objective was to evaluate the lung cancer screening program implemented to measure the prevalence. We implemented a monocentric prospective epidemiological study to evaluate the prevalence of lung cancer among 500 patients with inclusion criteria i.e age 45-75 years old, history of at least 10 years of daily tobacco consumption preceding the onset of an atherosclerotic disease. Principal exclusion criteria were history of active carcinoma < 5 years, symptoms of lung cancer, follow-up for lung nodules and grade IV dyspnea. Patients with inclusion criteria are referred for an inclusion visit (V0) with a thoracic surgeon by adult cardiologists, vascular surgeons and adult cardiac surgeons in charge of the patient. After information and inclusion, a low dose CT scan is scheduled within 7 months and a smoking cessation visit is proposed in case of active smoking. Blood and gut microbiota samples are harvested the day of the low dose CT. Positive low-dose CT are discussed weekly at the multidisciplinary thoracic oncologic staff meeting and managed accordingly to the current European and national recommendations. A clinical follow-up is scheduled by phone at 3, 6 and 12 months after the low-dose CT to evaluate oncologic and cardiovascular events. Between November 2019 and April 2021 we included 487 of the 500 patients scheduled, 330 low dose CT were completed, 7 localized primary lung cancer were resected by minimally invasive lobectomy, 1 patient was treated by radiation alone without pathological proof for a lung nodule, 1 patient was related with systemic therapy for a stage IV primary lung cancer and 2 patients are waiting for surgical resection for clinically localized lung cancers. The implementation of a lung cancer screening program dedicated to patients followed-up for tobacco related atherosclerotic diseases is feasible and will allow to evaluate both lung cancer prevalence and short-term benefits of lung cancer screening in this population.

Ensuring the strategic focus of a corporate project management system for commercial real estate

Corporate trajectories ultimately determine economic growth or recession. They depend on the choice of development strategies selected for corporate management systems designated for commercial real estate projects. Strategic focusing tools of corporate management systems are used to select the best corporate development strategies.&#x0D; This article identifies the objectives and methods of strategic focusing of corporate project management systems for commercial real estate. The co-authors describe the algorithm of a foresight project and options of the criteria-based choice of the strategic focus for a corporate system. The principal criteria for a portfolio of commercial real estate projects are defined.&#x0D; The implementation of corporate management strategies by the company engaged in the construction of commercial real estate in Europe (France) is considered.&#x0D; The strategic focusing of a corporate management system, designated for commercial real estate projects, allows to make a statement that there is no universal solution to the general problem of multi-criteria optimization of strategic alternatives in the long run, but the very formulation of the choice problem requires a detailed quantitative description of the subject area. The solution allows to set the main strategic trend of a corporate management system focused on commercial real estate projects, taking into account the polycentric format of the interruptive-extended type of activity.&#x0D; In practical terms, this phenomenon means the need for:&#x0D; • the multi-criteria restructuring of a real estate portfolio by the type of real estate, its spatial localization, as well as by the steps and stages of the life cycle of commercial real estate projects;&#x0D; • the regard for the economic efficiency of the project cycle as a whole and its separate steps and stages, in particular, tempo-based drops in project capitalization broken down by the stages of its life cycle, the dynamics of the total cost of ownership, integration and outsourcing opportunities, social and environmental filters, etc.&#x0D; • ensuring high mobility of the corporate management organization structure, that is, a continuous type of organizational restructuring as a modern feature of corporate performance.&#x0D; Hence, a full-fledged solution to the problem of strategic focusing of a corporate management system for commercial real estate projects requires the clarification of scientific approaches and the development of an organizational model of the system, taking into account the continuous nature of its restructuring.

Incorporating baseline covariates to validate surrogate endpoints with a constant biomarker under control arm.

A surrogate endpoint S in a clinical trial is an outcome that may be measured earlier or more easily than the true outcome of interest T. In this work, we extend causal inference approaches to validate such a surrogate using potential outcomes. The causal association paradigm assesses the relationship of the treatment effect on the surrogate with the treatment effect on the true endpoint. Using the principal surrogacy criteria, we utilize the joint conditional distribution of the potential outcomes T, given the potential outcomes S. In particular, our setting of interest allows us to assume the surrogate under the placebo, , is zero-valued, and we incorporate baseline covariates in the setting of normally distributed endpoints. We develop Bayesian methods to incorporate conditional independence and other modeling assumptions and explore their impact on the assessment of surrogacy. We demonstrate our approach via simulation and data that mimics an ongoing study of a muscular dystrophy gene therapy.

Outstanding Universal Value and Sustainability at Ban Chiang World Heritage, Thailand

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the success or otherwise of the prehistoric World Heritage (WH) of Ban Chiang, Thailand. The site remains an exception among the WH registered sites, as its heritage is buried under modern houses, while the early claims for remarkable antiquity were the principal criterion for WH inscription. The registration in 1992 aimed to protect the site from further looting devastation, which by then had spanned a couple of decades, through regulations and anticipated tourism income as incentives for heritage protection. Preceded by the tourists’ statistics of the site and an analysis of local stakeholders’ involvement in tourism and its activities, the study employs the Market Values/ Robusticity Matrix originally advocated by du Cros and McKercher, to determine the heritage and tourism strength and weaknesses. The Market Values/Robusticity Matrix of Ban Chiang reveals that only a wider modification of the site and relative promotion would improve the number of tourists. From the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) point of view, Ban Chiang does not meet the original criteria of its registration. Therefore, whether sites not responding to the original criteria of registration should be deleted from the World Heritage list is also discussed.

The potential of homeopathic phenomenon in plant growth

For over two centuries homeopathy has demonstrated its therapeutic properties, thus gaining more and more supporters worldwide. Many researchers opine that due to absence of a medicinal substance in a homeopathic preparation it is not necessary to study its healing effect. However, for the last few years our research was focused not only on understanding the mechanism(s) of homeopathic action in medical and veterinary practices but also on the effect of different homeopathic preparations on plants. The studies aimed to rule out the placebo effect from the homeopathic phenomenon, but also at identification of therapeutic effect on different plants. These studies allowed to extend the boundaries of practical use of homeopathy including its common use in the farming industry.&#x0D; The efficacy of various homeopathic preparations was assessed for their use in plant growth through application techniques such as watering, spraying, soaking and sprinkling etc. Growth dynamics, duration of fruit ripening, crop yield were monitored and compared to reference plants. Homeopathic preparations for agricultural plants were carefully selected on the basis of their effect on the crop yield – the principal criterion for the selection.&#x0D; Based on these criteria it was observed that the homeopathic picture of tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes is almost same within one variety, in all tested sorts, although, in case of fruit trees such as apple, pear the homeopathic similimum varied depending of the selection method.&#x0D; Our results showed that, in case of trees, one-time application of homeopathic preparation during a season is preferable and sufficient. In case of vegetable cultures, application may not be more frequent than once a month as more frequent application results in diminishing of yield. For root plants single treatment at the time of planting was sufficient.&#x0D; The performed studies showed that the growth and ripening indicators significantly prevailed in the vegetables, which had been treated with homeopathic preparations, as compared to common traditional way of plant handling (controls).&#x0D; Thus the performed studies suggest the following:&#x0D; a) Homeopathic effect on biological structures is not a placebo effect.&#x0D; b) Obtained data are a categorical proof of the homeopathic preparation effect on plants causing higher yield in agricultural crops and therefore, have good potential for their use on the industrial scale in agriculture.&#x0D; c) The potential of the homeopathic phenomenon practical use has not been fully explored yet and needs a follow-up study.

Sacubitril/Valsartan as a Therapeutic Tool Across the Range of Heart Failure Phenotypes and Ejection Fraction Spectrum.

Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome caused by a variety of structural or functional cardiac abnormalities as a consequence of several involved pathophysiological pathways. In the last decades, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has represented the principal criterion used to stratify HF, to interpret ventricular function and to identify therapeutic strategies. However, this chimeric parameter oversimplifies the multiple pathways and mechanisms underlying the progression of HF. Indeed, HF should be more appropriately considered as the final stage of multiple disease states, characterized by distinct phenotypes on the basis of key clinical and molecular variables, such as underlying etiologies and conditions, demographic and structural features and specific biomarkers. Accordingly, HF should be viewed as a continuous spectrum in which the specific phenotypes need to be accurately identified with the aim to improve the disease management with a more tailored approach. In such a complex and heterogeneous scenario, the clinical benefits of an angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibition strategy, namely in the single pill sacubitril/valsartan (S/V), have been shown across the entire HF continuum, representing a fundamental therapeutic strategy, although with different magnitudes depending on the severity and the stage of the clinical syndrome. In this viewpoint paper we have reconsidered the role of S/V in the light of different HF phenotypes and on the basis of HF considered as a whole spectrum.

A Domain Adaptation Sparse Representation Classifier for Cross-Domain Electroencephalogram-Based Emotion Classification.

The brain-computer interface (BCI) interprets the physiological information of the human brain in the process of consciousness activity. It builds a direct information transmission channel between the brain and the outside world. As the most common non-invasive BCI modality, electroencephalogram (EEG) plays an important role in the emotion recognition of BCI; however, due to the individual variability and non-stationary of EEG signals, the construction of EEG-based emotion classifiers for different subjects, different sessions, and different devices is an important research direction. Domain adaptation utilizes data or knowledge from more than one domain and focuses on transferring knowledge from the source domain (SD) to the target domain (TD), in which the EEG data may be collected from different subjects, sessions, or devices. In this study, a new domain adaptation sparse representation classifier (DASRC) is proposed to address the cross-domain EEG-based emotion classification. To reduce the differences in domain distribution, the local information preserved criterion is exploited to project the samples from SD and TD into a shared subspace. A common domain-invariant dictionary is learned in the projection subspace so that an inherent connection can be built between SD and TD. In addition, both principal component analysis (PCA) and Fisher criteria are exploited to promote the recognition ability of the learned dictionary. Besides, an optimization method is proposed to alternatively update the subspace and dictionary learning. The comparison of CSFDDL shows the feasibility and competitive performance for cross-subject and cross-dataset EEG-based emotion classification problems.

Rheological characterization of sepiolite-vegetable oil suspensions at high pressures

Drilling operations performed on geothermal wells require the ongoing search for sustainable fluids that will offer maximum performance and minimum environmental impact. Therefore, studies on the replacement of traditional clay suspensions in mineral and synthetic oils with clay suspensions in vegetable oils have offered some promising results. These preliminary results suggest the need for more extensive studies, including those considering high-pressure/high-temperature (HPHT) conditions, to assess the real capacity of biodegradable oils as substitutes for mineral and synthetic oils in oil-based muds (OBM) formulations.This work analyses the structure and thermomechanical properties of commercial organo-sepiolites dispersed in vegetable oils, as a function of temperature and pressure. This serves as the principal criterion for the development of environmentally-friendly OBM for HPHT drilling applications. The results suggest that organo-sepiolites in vegetable oil suspensions have suitable thermal and mechanical properties to produce sustainable and environmentally-friendly drilling fluid for application at a wide range of temperatures and pressures.

Effect of occlusal anatomy of CAD/CAM feldspathic posterior crowns in the stress concentration and fracture load.

ObjectivesThis study evaluated the effect of restoration occlusal design on the maximum fracture load and stress distribution of a feldspathic ceramic crown.Materials and MethodsTwenty dentin analogues were used to simulate a full‐crown preparation. Next, 20 feldspathic crowns were milled according to the occlusal design parameter available in the CAD database (Young or Adult). The crowns were cemented with dual cure resin‐cement and loaded until fracture at 1 mm/min crosshead speed. Data were analyzed by using one‐way ANOVA and Tukey tests (p < 0.05). The same geometry and experimental setup was modeled and exported to the computer aided engineering software and tensile stress concentration was calculated using the finite element method with 300 N occlusal load simulation.ResultsThe occlusal anatomy significantly influenced the load‐to‐fracture (p < 0.05). Adult design showed higher mean values (1149 ± 201 N) than Young design (454 ± 77 N). The maximum principal stress criteria showed similar stress pattern for both designs, however, the highest stress concentration was calculated for Young design (91 MPa) in the occlusal surface.ConclusionsAn anatomy design with reduced cusp angulation and less evident occlusal sulcus can reduce the stress concentration and increase the fracture load for feldspathic CAD/CAM posterior crowns.

Fatigue survival of endodontically treated teeth restored with different fiber-reinforced composite resin post strategies versus universal 2-piece fiber post system: An in vitro study

Statement of problemVarious strategies have been proposed to reduce the cement space of foundation restorations for endodontically treated teeth. However, they may add more operative steps, or the dentist must keep different sizes of drills and posts in stock. A 2-piece universal adjustable post system has been developed to overcome this problem, but whether the system has acceptable fatigue survival performance is unclear. PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the fatigue survival and stress distribution of endodontically treated teeth without a ferrule and restored with different glass fiber post strategies versus a recently introduced universal 2-piece fiber post system. Material and methodsBovine incisor roots were randomly assigned to 3 groups as per the post used (n=13): adapted glass fiber post with post space preparation of the same size, composite resin-custom glass fiber post (CTM), and universal 2-piece glass fiber-reinforced composite resin post (UNI). The posts were adhesively luted, the composite resin core was added, and a composite resin crown was produced with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM), and then adhesively luted to each core. A fatigue test was performed with the stepwise stress method (10 000 cycles/step; 20 Hz; load=100 N to 750 N; step=50 N) until fracture, and the failure mode analyzed. The stress distribution was evaluated by finite element analysis with the maximum principal stress criteria by following the parameters of the in vitro test. The solids were considered homogeneous, linear, and isotropic, except for the glass fiber post (orthotropic), and a load of 450 N at 30 degrees was applied. The fatigue failure load and the number of cycles for failure were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier and Mantel-Cox (log rank test) (α=.05). The finite element analysis results were analyzed with colorimetric graphs. ResultsThe highest fatigue failure load and the number of cycles for failure were found in the UNI system, whereas the lowest results were found in the CTM group. All groups exhibited repairable failures. The finite element analysis showed the lowest stress in root dentin in the UNI system. The CTM system had the largest stress regions at the dentin and dentin-core interface. ConclusionsThe use of a 2-piece universal glass fiber post system resulted in more fatigue behavior compared with composite resin-custom glass fiber posts.

Identification, Dimension and Evaluation of Catalytic Projects in Tehran, Iran

Since the 1980s, a wide range of physical and non-physical interventions, including megaprojects and flagships to small-scale projects and temporary usage, are prescribed as catalysts for urban regeneration. The strategy of utilizing urban catalysts as a tool for urban renewal has been encouraging by many city authorities through specific subsidization and privileges. However, there is no correct and precise definition of the tools and the qualities they should provide as their impacts. Besides, some criticize the catalytic projects due to their unsustainable, unjust, and destructive consequences. This paper intends to provide a more comprehensive definition of urban catalysts by reviewing the existing literature. The research has been done through a deductive and inductive approach to reach the principal dimensions and criteria for catalytic projects. It uses a series of potential projects and interventions in the City of Tehran (16 projects and practices) as case studies to check the dimensions and criteria and the quality of each project as catalysts. The quality of the selected case studies was ranked through expert judgment and checklist method. The findings show the cases' rank on how their catalytic impacts comply with sustainable development goals. According to the results, seven criteria (environmental sustainability, context-based development, pattern making, branding, social quality of life, economic prosperity, and market adaptability) are essential to ensure the sustainability of catalytic impacts of catalyst projects.

Design, construction and validation of MATELab: A novel outdoor chamber for investigating occupant-facade interaction

Testing of novel facade technologies with human volunteers is essential for improving occupant interaction with novel dynamic facade systems and to increase satisfaction with its modulation of light, sound, heat and mass transfer between the outdoor and indoor environments. In the past 10 years, there have been noticeable attempts to develop chambers that endeavour to assess the influence of facade technologies on occupant environmental perception and occupant-facade interaction. This paper firstly reviews existing state-of-the-art chambers for occupant-facade interaction and establishes the principal design criteria and performance characteristics required for such facade test chambers. The paper then demonstrates how this information is used to design and construct MATELab, a facade test chamber in Cambridge, UK, devised for capturing occupant environmental perception to, and interaction with, the facade in a realistic, yet sufficiently accurate manner. Finally, results from a preliminary measurement campaign in MATELab are used to validate the experimental setup, in particular its ability to capture high-resolution data for assessing: (i) the influence of facades on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ); (ii) occupant environmental perception and interaction with the facade and (iii) do so similarly to typical office spaces. It was found that MATELab can successfully identify the correlations between facade performance and IEQ and that occupant response can be captured with sufficient frequency and in a realistic manner. However, further work is required to improve the experimental setup, in particular, to monitor luminance and direct solar radiation within the indoor space in a non-disruptive, yet experimentally efficient manner.

A novel fractional order controller design algorithm for a class of linear systems

In this paper, a novel fractional order controller design algorithm is proposed for a class of linear systems. The proposed control algorithm is developed by employing Riemann principal sheet stability criterion. Oustaloup recursive approximation (ORA) method is used to implement the controller. The proposed controller is implemented in simulation. The results show that the proposed fractional order controller provides better results than the existing controllers in the literature work.

Comparison of Various Criteria Determining the Direction of Crack Propagation Using the UDMGINI User Procedure Implemented in Abaqus.

This paper describes a method of predicting the direction of crack propagation implemented by user subroutines in the Simulia-Abaqus FEA system with the use of the extended finite element method (X-FEM). This method is based on displacements and stresses according to Westergaard’s solution of Griffith’s crack problem. During the calculations, in each crack increment, the algorithm reads the stresses and displacements in the model around the crack tip, calculates the criterion values at the read points, reduces them to a unit distance from the crack tip, fits a polynomial to these points, and finds the minimum of the function closest to the last propagation angle. The algorithm also decides when the crack grows, depending on a chosen criterion. Four criteria have been implemented to predict the direction of failure propagation: the maximum principal stress criterion, the Ottosen–Podgórski criterion, the new criterion described here based on the minimum component values of the displacement vector, and the maximum circumferential tensile stress (MTS). These criteria were verified in two tests: the three-point bending test of the notched beam and the anchor pull-out test. For these tests, the criterion built into Simulia Abaqus does not correctly define the crack path, which causes the crack propagation direction to “rotate” when simulating the fracture. The criteria developed here, in most cases, determine the crack path and the maximum force very well compared to real laboratory tests.

Artificial Intelligence for Cervical Cancer Analysis

Substantial works exist related to cervical cancer that is generally caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). These works have reported important results related to cervical cancer disease and HPV. Artificial intelligence applications are essential to diagnose and treat cervical cancer and so combat this disease in time. The purpose of this re-view is to summarize the published studies in recent years on the use of Artificial intelligence technologies in cases associated with cervical cancer. 26 articles related to HPV were analyzed based on three principal criteria: contributions of the paper, techniques, and algorithms of artificial intelligence, and datasets used. Theanalysis realized would help health staff to make decisions in the management of this disease.