Related Problems Research Articles

Overview: Results of Snow and Ice Disaster Mitigation Conducted by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience

More than half of Japan’s land area experiences significant snowfall during winter, and the damage caused by various snow and ice disasters remains a dire issue, which also leads to decreased living standards. Simultaneously, the nature of snow and ice disasters has been transformed due to climate change and the increasing occurrence of extreme weather conditions. The National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) has been continuously conducting research to address these problems in relation to snow and ice disasters. This study presents the results of the project “Research on Combining Risk Monitoring and Forecasting Technologies for Mitigation of Increasingly Diverse Snow Disaster” conducted by the NIED over a seven-year period from April 2016 to March 2023. This project developed technology for conducting accurate observations of snowfall and snow cover conditions over wide areas as well as technology for areal prediction of snow and ice disasters through simulations. Based on collaboration with stakeholders, such as local governments, our study investigated how to optimize the use of our information products for snow and ice disaster mitigation. Through these insights, the NIED provides information for prompt and appropriate responses to snow and ice disasters, thus supporting safe and comfortable living in both snowy and non-snowy areas.

Feelings and Physics: Emotional, Psychological, and Other Soft Human Requirements, by Model‐Based Systems Engineering

ABSTRACTTraditionally, engineering encourages requirements statements that are objective, testable, quantitative, atomic descriptions of system technical behavior. But what about “soft” requirements? When products deliver psychologically or emotionally based human experiences, subjective descriptions may frustrate engineers. This challenge is important for products appealing to senses of style, enjoyment, fulfillment, stimulation, power, safety, awareness, comfort, or similar emotional or psychological factors. Automobiles, buildings, consumer products, packaging, graphic user interfaces, airline passenger compartments and flight decks, and hospital equipment provide typical examples. This paper shows how model‐based systems engineering helps solve three related problems: (1) integrating models of “soft” human experience with hard technical product requirements, (2) describing how to score traditional “hard” technology products in terms of “fuzzier” business and competitive marketplace issues, and (3) coordinating marketing communication and promotion with the design process. The resulting framework integrates the diverse perspectives of engineers, stylists, industrial designers, human factors experts, and marketing professionals.

Friars, physicists, and natural philosophers in medieval Oxford

Abstract This paper examines how medieval Europe became the birthplace of many technical devices, including the mechanical clock, the geared windmill, and other automatic and labour-saving inventions. It also examines how the mathematical sciences were cultivated in 14th-century Oxford with studies of the mathematics of accelerating bodies, number theory and related problems.

When Chilling Out Casts Doubt: Exploring the Temporal Associations Among Anxiety, Depression, and Cannabis Use in Emerging Adulthood

Research shows that both cannabis use and emotional problems (anxiety and depression) tend to peak in emerging adulthood. There is a relative paucity of research examining the temporal associations between cannabis use and emotional problems among emerging adults. Accordingly, this multi-wave longitudinal study examined three competing models of temporal precedence: the vulnerability model (negative emotions precede cannabis use); the scar model (cannabis use precedes negative emotions), and the reciprocal model (bidirectional associations between cannabis use and negative emotions). A sample of 299 North American emerging adults ( Mage = 23.69 years, 58% female) completed three waves of survey measures and cross-lagged panel models were run to evaluate how anxiety and depression were related to both cannabis use and related problems across the 1-month study period. Regarding anxiety symptoms, some support was found for the vulnerability model, in that anxiety preceded cannabis problems across some waves. No directional or reciprocal associations between anxiety and cannabis use were found. As for depression symptoms, there was support for reciprocal links between cannabis problems and depression across waves. However, consistent with the anxiety-related findings, no directional or reciprocal associations between depression and cannabis use were found. The scientific and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Interannual Magneto–Coriolis modes and their sensitivity on the magnetic field within the Earth’s core

Linear modes for which the Coriolis acceleration is almost entirely in balance with the Lorentz force are called Magneto–Coriolis (MC) modes. These MC modes are thought to exist in Earth’s liquid outer core and could therefore contribute to the variations observed in Earth’s magnetic field. The background state on which these waves ride is assumed here to be static and defined by a prescribed magnetic field and zero flow. We introduce a new computational tool to efficiently compute solutions to the related eigenvalue problem, and study the effect of a range of both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric background magnetic fields on the MC modes. We focus on a hierarchy of conditions that sequentially partition the numerous computed modes into those which are: (i) in principle observable, (ii) those which match a proxy for interannual geomagnetic signal over 1999–2023, and (iii) those which align with core-flows based on recent geomagnetic data. We found that the background field plays a crucial role in determining the structure of the modes. In particular, we found no examples of axisymmetric background fields that support modes consistent with recent geomagnetic changes, but that some non-axisymmetric background fields do support geomagnetically consistent modes.

CONTACT INTERACTION OF AN UNDERGROUND PIPELINE WITH SOIL UNDER DYNAMIC IMPACTS

The interaction between a semi-infinite underground pipeline and the surrounding soil during longitudinal seismic wave propagation is examined in the article. The wave travels through the soil with its front perpendicular to the pipeline's axis, and the nonlinear laws of interaction (friction) on the surface of their contact, including the Amonton-Coulomb law, are used to solve related wave problems for the pipeline and soil. The method of characteristics and the finite difference method are sequentially used to solve these problems numerically. The implementation of the law of interaction (friction) processes is shown, depending on the parameters of the wave in soil and the mechanical characteristics of soil. It was determined that a wave in soil that involves the pipeline generates a powerful wave in the pipeline. The amplitude of this wave is many times greater than the amplitude of the wave in soil, and it propagates through the pipeline without attenuation. The dependences of the amplitude of this wave on the parameters of the law of friction, waves in soil, and the mechanical characteristics of soil are determined.

Impact of pharmacist-led interventions in identifying and resolving drug related problems and potentially inappropriate prescriptions among rural patients: A pilot study

BackgroundDrug-related problems are a major problem that can lead to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs due to heightened medical visits, hospital readmissions, or emergency room visits. In rural areas, new tools for clinical pharmacy services, such as medication review, could decrease this problem. ObjectiveTo analyze the prevalence of clinically relevant drug-related problems (DRPs) and potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) identified by new medication review software (Revisem®) in rural pharmacies. The effectiveness of resolving DRPs and PIPs in patients who received pharmacist-led intervention (PLI) was also evaluated. MethodsA prospective, multicenter, observational pilot study in 17 rural pharmacies from the Valencian region (Spain) was conducted over a period of 6 months. Revisem®, a type 1 medication review software, was developed and implemented to detect and resolve drug-related issues (DRPs and PIPs). The clinical history of 135 polymedicated patients was recorded, as well as the PLI conducted after the identification of incidences. The mean number of DRPs and PIPs before and after PLI were analyzed and compared. FindingsA total of 1545 drug-related issues were detected in 135 patients (86 women). 1166 were DRPs and 379 were PIPs. Interactions were the most common incidence (43.7 %), with furosemide and omeprazole being the drugs with the highest number of significant interactions. In the before-after intervention study, the mean number of incidents detected per patient by Revisem® decreased from 9.7 ± 6.9 to 8.8 ± 6.9 (p < 0.05) after PLI. Written reports were the most frequent means of communication between pharmacists and physicians (45.0 %). The acceptance rate of pharmacists' suggestions was 45.2 %. ConclusionThe impact of pharmacist-led interventions in rural pharmacies allowed the detection of a high number of drug-related issues and significantly reduced the number of DRPs and PIPs, preventing negative health outcomes.

On computing optimal temporal branchings and spanning subgraphs

We extend the concept of out/in-branchings spanning the vertices of a digraph to temporal graphs, which are digraphs where arcs are available only at prescribed times. While the literature has focused on minimum weight/earliest arrival time Temporal Out-Branchings (tob), we solve the problem for other optimization criteria (travel duration, departure time, number of transfers, total waiting time, traveling time). For some criteria we provide a log linear algorithm for computing such branchings, while for others we prove that deciding the existence of a spanning tob is NP-complete. The same results hold for optimal temporal in-branchings. We also investigate the related problem of computing a spanning temporal subgraph with the minimum number of arcs and optimizing a chosen criterion; this problem turns out to be always NP-hard. The hardness results are quite surprising, as computing optimal paths between nodes is always polynomial-time.

The Multiple Millionaires' Problem: New Algorithmic Approaches and Protocols

We study a fundamental problem in Multi-Party Computation, which we call the Multiple Millionaires Problem (MMP). Given a set of private integer inputs, the problem is to identify the subset of inputs that equal the maximum (or minimum) of that set, without revealing any further information on the inputs beyond what is implied by the desired output. Such a problem is a natural extension of the Millionaires Problem, which is the very first Multi-Party Computation problem that was presented in Andrew Yaos seminal work (FOCS 1982). A closely related problem is MaxP, in which the value of the maximum is sought. We study these fundamental problems and describe several algorithmic approaches and protocols for their solution. In addition, we compare the performance of the protocols under several selected settings. As applications of privacy-preserving computation are more and more commonly implemented in industrial systems, MMP and MaxP become important building blocks in privacy-preserving statistics, machine learning, auctions and other domains. One of the prominent advantages of the protocols that we present here is their simplicity. As they solve fundamental problems that are essential building blocks in various application scenarios, we believe that the presented solutions to those problems, and the comparison between them, will serve well future researchers and practitioners of secure distributed computing.

Совершенствование правового регулирования использования лекарственных препаратов при оказании первой помощи: проблемные и дискуссионные вопросы

Summary. Investigation purpose – based on the analysis of the range of medicines approved for medical use in the Russian Federation and their practical application in certain types of medical care, identify groups and a list of medicines for their possible use in providing first aid to victims by certain categories of first aid participants, as well as related problems requiring legislative regulation. Material and methods of the investigation. Research materials – normative legal acts reflecting the provision of first aid and medical, including emergency and primary health care, emergency and urgent care, namely: 5 federal laws; 4 Decrees of the President of the Russian Federation; 3 administrative documents of the Government of the Russian Federation; 26 administrative documents of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation; 1 administrative document of the Department of Health Moscow; 31 instructions for the use of medicines for medical use. Research methods: analytical, logical and information modeling. Investigation results and their analysis. Groups and a list of medicines that can be used in providing first aid to victims are proposed for consideration and discussion. Problematic issues requiring legislative regulation in the use of medicines at the stage of first aid have been identified. Groups and a list of medicines for first aid to victims are offered for consultations and discussions with representatives of scientific institutions of the medical community and government agencies that determine health policy in the Russian Federation in order to develop management decisions aimed at achieving a high level of preservation of human life and health in emergency situations.

Transcanal Endoscopic Management of Squamosal Type of Chronic Otitis Media.

Endoscopic middle ear surgery can be utilized to visualize and excise retraction pockets without the need for extensive bone work and removal of lateral bone. To evaluate the role of endoscope in the management of squamosal type of chronic otitis media. A total of 25 adults subjects (male = 12, female = 13) in the age group of 18-55years suffering with chronic otitis media were operated by transcanal endoscopic approach. High resolution computed tomography of temporal bone was done to help identify the anatomy and underlying extent of disease. All patients were operated by transcanal endoscopic technique. The study concluded that the endoscope gives a better visualization of the middle ear and its hidden areas. The extensive bone work and associated cavity related problems can be avoided and normal anatomy can be preserved with the help of endoscopic ear surgery.

Research on accurate prediction of vegetable commodity pricing strategy and dynamic replenishment quantity based on optimization model

Based on the characteristics of timeliness, fast price change and easy loss, this paper deeply studies the automatic pricing and replenishment strategy of fresh suppliers, in order to maximize the profit of the supermarket. We propose and solve the number of related problems, and fit the linear and nonlinear models, and the results have limited effect. Therefore, this study translated the replenishment problem into sales volume prediction, using LSTM and predicting future sales by random forest model. At the same time, based on the periodicity of vegetable commodity sales, this study proposes the single product replenishment volume and pricing strategy. Finally, in view of the poor fitting effect of a single factor in this study, the improvement &amp;nbsp;method &amp;nbsp;of &amp;nbsp;collecting &amp;nbsp;data &amp;nbsp;from &amp;nbsp;multiple &amp;nbsp;dimensions &amp;nbsp;is &amp;nbsp;proposed &amp;nbsp;to &amp;nbsp;deeply &amp;nbsp;explore &amp;nbsp;the relationship &amp;nbsp;between &amp;nbsp;replenishment &amp;nbsp;and &amp;nbsp;pricing, &amp;nbsp;so &amp;nbsp;as &amp;nbsp;to &amp;nbsp;improve &amp;nbsp;the &amp;nbsp;accuracy &amp;nbsp;of &amp;nbsp;prediction &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;and supermarket revenue.

Machine learning for urban land use/ cover mapping: Comparison of artificial neural network, random forest and support vector machine, a case study of Dilla town

The ability to accurately classify land use/cover (LULC) is critical for environmental monitoring and land use planning. This study compares three machine learning algorithms: Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF) for LULC classification using Google Earth images from the years 2006, 2014, and 2022. The objective of this study is to evaluate and identify the best classifier for LULC classification and change detection. Four LULC categories (Built-up, Open area, Farmland, and Agroforestry) were identified. The evaluation criteria included overall accuracy, kappa coefficient, producer's accuracy, user's accuracy, computing time, algorithm stability, and visual quality. The results showed that the RF algorithm outperformed both SVM and ANN algorithms with an average overall accuracy of 0.97, kappa coefficient of 0.98, producer's accuracy of 0.99, and user's accuracy of 0.97, surpassing the accuracies achieved by SVM (0.96, 0.97, 0.98, and 0.97) and ANN (0.89, 0.81, 0.94, and 0.88), with corresponding computing times of 6.33, 15, and 30 s. All classifiers performed stably with different training sizes. Visual quality assessment revealed that RF had the highest precision. Consequently, the built-up change detection result shows, the net change in built-up area between 2006 and 2022 was increased by 0.74 Km2for ANN, 1.74 Km2 for SVM, and 1.66 Km2for RF. The comparison reveals that the RF algorithm showcasing high precision in detecting change, consistent with the data (increased by 1.65 Km2) obtained from Dilla town land administration office. To validate the results, the study considered field surveys, reference images, local experts, and previous studies. Based on the findings, the study concludes that using RF classifier with an object-based approach is an effective way to map LULC and detect changes in the study area over time. Future researchers are recommended to utilize this effective algorithm for addressing LULC related problems in the study area.

Interrogating masculinity, gender performance, and power dynamics in Indonesian society through Taylor Swift’s ‘The Man’

This article examines masculinity, gender roles, and power relations in Indonesian society through Taylor Swift’s song “The Man”. The lyrics and music video, which criticise the demands and double standards that society places on women in comparison to males, provide a framework for analysing related problems in Indonesia, a country where traditional gender roles are ingrained in the fabric of culture. The qualitative content analysis was employed to systematically evaluate the content of “The Man” within various forms of communication, such as texts, images, and videos. The analysis sheds light on the social forces that influence gender performance and the maintenance of male dominance, highlighting how Swift’s critique of gendered power inequalities may be utilised to comprehend the intricacies of masculinity and femininity in Indonesia. The article also highlights the idea of gender performance, taking into account how people in Indonesia either comply with or defy these social norms. Swift’s depiction of a society in which people would view her activities differently if she were a man is reminiscent of the experiences of numerous Indonesian women in both public and private settings. The article then concludes how these gendered expectations reinforce power relations and maintain disparities that most likely benefit men.

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN THE INSPECTION OF BRIDGE STRUCTURES

Statement of the problem. In today's world, technologies are rapidly being introduced into various spheres of our lives, providing new opportunities and increasing the efficiency of various processes. One such technology is unmanned aerial vehicles, which are gaining more and more popularity in the field of engineering and construction. Drones prove to be extremely useful in surveying bridge structures, where safety and efficiency are critical factors. The purpose of the article is to consider the advantages of using unmanned aerial vehicles in the process of inspecting bridge structures and their impact on improving the safety and productivity of this process, photo materials of the state of some bridge structures on the territory of Ukraine are given Conclusions. Conclusions. In the modern world, one of the most relevant ways to obtain information is unmanned aerial vehicles. Their use, with artificial intelligence technologies, is one of the most effective tools in the inspection of bridge structures. Together, they can quickly inspect the object and accurately determine the possible dimensions of damage according to the built three-dimensional model. The data obtained from the object of inspection allow you to manage resources and rationally plan the maintenance and repair of bridge structures. The quality and pace of inspection of both underwater and ground parts of bridge supports are improving. The UAV is capable of inspecting more than 70 km of the flight route in an hour. Drones are a very effective tool for surveying bridge structures, but it is important to be aware of their limitations and solve related problems based on the specific conditions and requirements of the project. It is easier to analyze and evaluate damaged structures as there is a real picture of the survey, taken from a height of some meters.

Zbieg egzekucji i zabezpieczenia roszczeń

The confluence of enforcement proceedings and injunctive relief, as well as the confluence of injunctive relief in civil proceedings have not been regulated in principal. As there are more and more problems arising at the confluence of enforcement proceedings and injunction reliefs, the act of 9 March 2023 on amendments to the act on enforcement proceedings in public administration and certain other acts (Journal of Laws No 2023.556, as amended) regulates the confluence of administrative enforcement proceedings and injunctive relief, the confluence of administrative security and judicial enforcement proceedings (Art. 775 of the Code of Civil Procedure), and the confluence of judicial enforcement proceedings involving injunction relief and injunction reliefs (Art. 773(1) § 3(1), § 3(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure). This article discusses the regulations set out in the act to the extent specified herein, as well as related interpretation problems as a result of which various solutions at the confluence of enforcement proceedings and injunction relief and the confluence of different securities are likely to be applied. The comments are not limited to the discussion of problematic issues, but included proposals of rational solutions, as well.

Illicit drug use in Limerick City: A stakeholder and policy analysis using multiple streams model.

The changing drug situation in Ireland has led to the development of various drug policies. This paper aims to use Limerick City as a case study to examine approaches to policy development. The study is qualitative and uses a hybrid technique that combines document, content, and stakeholder analysis. Kingdon's multiple streams model underpins this study. In addition, guidelines for the systematic search for grey literature were adopted as the search strategy. Problem Stream: Illicit drug use and its related problems have changed. The increasing availability of drugs, increasing usage and changes in the types of drugs being used have led to increased drug-related crimes, adverse health outcomes and elevated demand for treatment services. Local drug policies and initiatives emerge by recognising drug-related problems in the region. Policy Stream: The current national drug strategy 2017-2025 which informs action plans in Limerick is the first to focus on a unified health approach. Some national policies have evolved to ensure that guidelines meet current service needs. However, these changes have occurred in some cases with no clear actions. Political Stream: Statutory, voluntary and community stakeholders provide drug addiction and drug addiction-related services, which have evolved rapidly since their first introduction. The Mid-West Regional Drug Task Force was identified as essential in coordinating stakeholders locally. One area for improvement is limited evidence of the voices of persons who take drugs included in service/policy development. This regional analysis also suggests that local implementation of policies concerning dual diagnosis and supervised injection facilities can be further expanded. Despite the challenges experienced by stakeholders in Limerick, a hands-on approach has been adopted in the creation of strategies to tackle the drug problem. The approaches to drug policy development have delivered continuous development of services. However, services remain underdeveloped in areas removed from the capital city of Dublin. Navigating the complex drug landscape reveals that inclusivity, adaptation, and ongoing research are critical components of successful and long-lasting drug policies.

The choice of algorithms for solving a multi-agent routing problem based on solving related problems

The paper considers the problem of reducing the complexity of $NP$-hard problems by using related problems for which an optimal or acceptable solution is already known. For multi-agent routing tasks, a technique is used based on network clustering consistent with traveling salesman routes on each cluster and constructing routes that take into account the limitation of delivery time windows. A mathematical model is presented that corresponds to a block of pseudo-Boolean conditional optimization with constraints in the form of disjunctive normal forms that allows polynomial solvability and a block of time constraints. The results of choosing metaheuristics based on related problems are used in a program for the delivery of goods by many agents to consumers located at the vertices of the regional infrastructure road network.

Shutdown dose rate calculation for fission reactors: An application of the MS-CADIS method to OPAL

There have been considerable advances of shutdown dose rate (SDDR) calculation methods for fusion related problems, however applications of these methods in the fission reactor field have hitherto been sparse. The present study attempts to bridge this gap by investigating the applicability of SDDR calculation methods for fission reactor problems. Specifically, we aim to assess and validate whether recent advances in SDDR methods can be successfully applied in fission research reactors. To this end, we estimate the shutdown dose rate distribution at the Open Pool Australian Light water reactor (OPAL) using the rigorous two step (R2S) computational method, and we compare the calculated results with the experimental data. This method utilizes a 3D reactor model implemented in the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) transport code, the AutomeD VAriaNce reduction Generator (ADVANTG) code for geometry discretization and variance reduction calculations, and the Oak Ridge Isotope GENeration (ORIGEN) inventory code for activation calculations. To ensure robustness, we employ two variance reduction techniques, Forward Weighted Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (FW-CADIS) and Multi-Step Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (MS-CADIS). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first MS-CADIS method implementation for fission reactor problems. The SDDR is estimated at ten locations within the experimental hall, all situated more than 4 m away from the reactor core.The paper shows that, the experimental observations are within the lower and upper bounds of the simulation results for 4 out of 10 locations, while the remaining observations are within a factor of 7, with one significant outlier. The calculated average dose rate is within 5% of the nominal values of the experimental observations for 3 locations. The computational results are within statistical uncertainty by using two different variance reduction techniques, with significant computational advantage of MS-CADIS over FW-CADIS for SDDR calculations. The results indicate that the combination of SDDR distribution maps, estimated dose rate energy dependance, and activation information are powerful tools in identifying the radioisotopes and reactor components dominating the SDDR. These results can contribute to better radiation safety practices in contaminated areas, by enabling the minimal dose path planning or by improving radiation shielding.

Spreading, flattening, and logarithmic lag for reaction-diffusion equations in $\mathbb{R}^{N}$: Old and new results

This paper is concerned with the large-time dynamics of bounded solutions of reaction-diffusion equations with bounded or unbounded initial support in \R^{N} . We start with a survey of some old and recent results on the spreading speeds of the solutions and their asymptotic local one-dimensional symmetry. We then derive some flattening properties of the level sets of the solutions if initially supported on subgraphs. We also investigate the special case of asymptotically conical-shaped initial conditions. Lastly, we reclaim some known results about the logarithmic lag between the position of the solutions and that of planar or spherical fronts expanding with minimal speed, for almost-planar or compactly supported initial conditions. We then prove some new logarithmic-in-time estimates of the lag of the position of the solutions with respect to that of a planar front, for initial conditions which are supported on subgraphs with logarithmic growth at infinity. These estimates entail in particular that the same lag as for compactly supported initial data holds true for a class of unbounded initial supports. The paper also contains some related conjectures and open problems.