Time Processes Research Articles

Markov State Models: To Optimize or Not to Optimize.

Markov state models (MSM) are a popular statistical method for analyzing the conformational dynamics of proteins including protein folding. With all statistical and machine learning (ML) models, choices must be made about the modeling pipeline that cannot be directly learned from the data. These choices, or hyperparameters, are often evaluated by expert judgment or, in the case of MSMs, by maximizing variational scores such as the VAMP-2 score. Modern ML and statistical pipelines often use automatic hyperparameter selection techniques ranging from the simple, choosing the best score from a random selection of hyperparameters, to the complex, optimization via, e.g., Bayesian optimization. In this work, we ask whether it is possible to automatically select MSM models this way by estimating and analyzing over 16,000,000 observations from over 280,000 estimated MSMs. We find that differences in hyperparameters can change the physical interpretation of the optimization objective, making automatic selection difficult. In addition, we find that enforcing conditions of equilibrium in the VAMP scores can result in inconsistent model selection. However, other parameters that specify the VAMP-2 score (lag time and number of relaxation processes scored) have only a negligible influence on model selection. We suggest that model observables and variational scores should be only a guide to model selection and that a full investigation of the MSM properties should be undertaken when selecting hyperparameters.

A configurable mining approach for enhancing the business processes' performance

AbstractBusiness is a war to get the attention you deserve from your enemies, and many competitors strive to gain a prominent position. Organizations are constantly seeking innovative ways to work to stay in a competitive business environment. Business process reengineering (BPR) is one of the most management approaches that are adopted by many organizations in order to achieve a dramatic increase in performance and cost reduction. Since the risks enfolded and failure rates related to BPR projects are very high, it is necessary to find ways to support success of BPR in a systematic approach. The major target of this article is to find the implementation of the proposed model to reengineer business processes (BPs) successfully via integrating critical success factors (CSFs) of BPR and BPs' performance. It is created to detect the inefficiencies and bottlenecks in the business process, decrease costs, time and increase quality of business processes, enhance financial environment and make an effective and efficient performance of the business process. It also applies a mining technique of association rule to examine the link between CSFs and several BPs and measures business processes' performance (intended BPR success) by process time, cycle time, quality and cost pre and post reengineering BPs. Thus, it uses a way to select the appropriate model for each business process. The proposed model will be implemented using a real world the Egyptian tax authority case study in order to prove its usefulness and efficiency. Then, inferred CSFs were applied according to each process, which proved the validity and success of the proposed model.

Prediction of Remaining Execution Time of Business Processes With Multiperson Collaboration in Assembly Line Production

Prediction of Remaining Execution Time of Business Processes With Multiperson Collaboration in Assembly Line Production

ВДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ ДИНАМІЧНИХ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИК ВИНЕСЕНОГО ПРИВОДА ПОДАЧІ З ЕЛЕКТРОМАГНІТНИМ ГАЛЬМОМ КОВЗАННЯ ВИДОБУВНОГО КОМБАЙНА

Purpose. It consists in increasing the speed of the speed control of the remote feed drive with an electromagnetic sliding brake by reducing the time of current transients in the excitation winding of the electromagnetic brake. Reducing the time of the transient processes of reducing the excitation current is achieved by using a bipolar controlled rectifier, which controls the excitation current of the brake, instead of a unipolar one. In addition, the implementation of a new drive control system requires the installation of an excitation current sensor. Methodology. Due to the significant nonlinearity of the mathematical model of the drive with the electromagnetic sliding brake, the synthesis and research of the automatic speed control system has been performed on a simulation model built in the Simulink environment of the MATLAB system. The evaluation of the obtained results is performed by comparative modeling for identical conditions of the existing industrial system and the synthesized one. Results. The synthesis and model study of the proposed control system with a remote drive with the electromagnetic sliding brake with a bipolar controlled rectifier and the logic of the latter's operation have been performed. Comparative studies have shown the high efficiency of a new structure of the drive speed control system compared to the existing industrial control system. Scientific novelty. A new structure of the control system by remote feed drive with an electromagnetic slide brake with better dynamic and protective characteristics has been proposed. Practical significance. Reducing the time of reduction of the EGC excitation current provides a faster response of the feed drive to overloading of the drive of the executive bodies and, therefore, a decrease in the probability of overturning of the electric motor of the drive of the executive bodies, as well as a reduction of peak forces in the traction chain when the combine is stopped. Keywords: mining shearer, remote feed drive, electromagnetic sliding brake, automatic control system, transient processes.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ЦИФРОВЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ В ВЕТЕРИНАРИИ И ВЕТЕРИНАРНОМ ДЕЛОПРОИЗВОДСТВЕ: АНАЛИЗ ЧАСТНОГО И ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО СЕКТОРОВ

This study focuses on the use of digital technologies in veterinary medicine and veterinary records management, as well as analysis between the private and public sectors of this field. To do this, a review of the relevant specialized literature, inductive and deductive logical reasoning was conducted, relevant scientific publications from Russian and foreign sources were analyzed with a description and analysis of the functionality of existing digital technologies and proposals for the introduction of new ones, as well as programs for automating administrative and medical diagnostic processes of veterinary clinics became the subject of study (electronic cards, EDO, etc.) and FGIS "VetIS". The relevance of the topic is due to the need to optimize the processes of veterinary care, improve the quality of veterinary care, ensure effective control over animal health and quality control of agricultural products. The study analyzed technological innovations introduced into the work of veterinary clinics and state veterinary services, the level of development of digital technologies and the vectors of their development, as well as to assess their impact on efficiency in veterinary care. The results obtained can contribute to the development of the digital segment of veterinary medicine and clearly show the variety of modern digital technologies used to solve various problems of record keeping in veterinary medicine, as well as indicate their importance and irreversibility of implementation in every organization related to veterinary medicine. The use of the above digital technologies allows private veterinary organizations to reduce the time for administrative processes, improve the quality of veterinary care, ensure effective interaction with customers and increase the level of service. The introduction of these technologies contributes to the improvement of professionalism and competitiveness in the private sector of veterinary medicine.

Hitting times of hyperbolic Bessel processes

Hitting times of hyperbolic Bessel processes

Development of a route setting model in the dispatching centralization system

These days, automation and remote control technologies provide the foundation for the organization of train movement across several categories. At railroad sections and stations, dispatcher centralization systems are utilized to guarantee the security of train movement. However, in the railroad portions where high-speed train movements are organized, time limitations based on the human factor are being implemented. Consequently, this results in longer wait times for technological processes at stations and longer train intervals on some railway segments. Developing an automated route preparation procedure at stations in dispatching centralization systems will allow for the resolution of current issues. A dispatching centralized system model for route establishment has been created in this scientific study. Using a two-layer neural network, a mathematical model of route setting in the dispatcher centralization system was determined. Neural networks are employed in rail dispatch rooms for intelligent route comparison and in dispatcher centralized systems for tracking train routes at stations.

Improving Round Robin Scheduling with Dynamic Time Quantum (IRRDQ)

In the realm of real-time and multitasking environments, the Round Robin (RR) CPU scheduling algorithm is extensively utilized. Renowned for its fairness and avoidance of process starvation, RR allocates a specific time quantum to each process. However, the frequent context switching between processes during CPU scheduling, owing to the short time quantum, can adversely impact system performance by increasing average waiting time and response waiting time. To address these concerns, this paper introduces "Improving Round Robin Scheduling Using Dynamic Time Quantum (IRRDQ)," a modified version of RR aimed at diminishing turnaround time, average waiting time, and context switching. In our proposed approach, we arrange all incoming processes based on minimum burst time and dynamically assign an optimal time quantum to each process using the Shortest Job First (SJF) algorithm. The computation of time quantum is tailored to the burst times of individual processes. Through experimental demonstrations, we showcase the significant performance improvement of our algorithm compared to RR and other existing algorithms.

Iron-modified carriers accelerate biofilm formation and resist anammox bacteria loss in biofilm reactors for partial denitrification-anammox

The slow formation of anammox biofilms presents a bottleneck for resolving anammox bacterial loss and achieving stable performance in biofilm-based partial denitrification-anammox (PD-A) processes. This study utilized iron-modified (K1/Fe3O4 NPs) carriers, which were prepared and used for the first time in PD-A processes. Parallel moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) indicated that iron-modified carriers facilitated the formation of biofilms at a faster rate than K1 carriers, consequently improving the nitrogen removal performance of the process by over 40 %. 16S rDNA analysis showed that anammox bacteria were approximately four times more abundant in the iron-modified carrier biofilm than in the K1 carrier biofilm. XPS and zeta potential analysis suggested that the improved microbial affinity of the iron-modified carrier surface caused this. As a result, the iron-modified carriers facilitated the formation of anammox biofilms and enhanced PD-A performance.

Universal ion chromatography method for anions in active pharmaceutical ingredients enabled by computer-assisted separation modeling

Ion Chromatography (IC) is one of the most widely used methods for analyzing ionic species in pharmaceutical samples. A universal IC method that can separate a wide range of different analytes is highly desired as it can save a lot of time for method development and validation processes. Herein we report the development of a universal method for anions in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) using computer-assisted chromatography modeling tools. We have screened three different IC columns (Dionex IonPac AS28-Fast 4 µm, AS19 4 µm and AS11-HC 4 µm) to determine the best suitable column for universal IC method development. A universal IC method was then developed using an AS11-HC 4 µm column to separate 31 most common anionic substances in 36 mins. This method was optimized using LC Simulator and a model which precisely predicts the retention behavior of 31 anions was established. This model demonstrated an excellent match between predicted and experimental analyte retention time (R2 =0.999). To validate this universal IC method, we have studied the stability of sulfite and sulfide analytes in ambient conditions. The method was then validated for a subset of 29 anions using water and organic solvent/water binary solvents as diluents for commercial APIs. This universal IC method provides an efficient and simple way to separate and analyze common anions in APIs. In addition, the method development process combined with LC simulator modeling can be effectively used as a starting point during method development for other ions beyond those investigated in this study.

Application of international experience in solving problems of technical and logistical support of troops of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The article discusses the current problems of technical and logistical support of the troops of the Republic of Kazakhstan and ways to solve them, including the use of international experience of the leading developed countries of the world. It is strategically important for our country to study the world practice of modernization of the logistics support system on its preparation for actions during operations to resolve crisis situations both independently and as part of the OSCE coalition group. Despite the fact that the provisions of the Military Doctrine of the state on the use of military force are strictly defensive in nature, the military security of the republic directly depends on new forms and methods of using armed forces. The logistics system plays an important role in this regard. The article highlighted problems like national differences in approaches to the preparation and conduct of joint military operations; incompatibility of a number of national military systems; an underdeveloped network of transport infrastructure facilities and the complexity of logistics of supply transportation. As an option for their solution, the development of a logistics support system model based on cooperation with the civil sector of the economy under the Public-Private Partnership program is proposed. At the same time, digitalization and automation of logistics management processes, accounting and distribution of material resources should be highlighted as the main direction of modernization of logistics and technical support.

Dynamic Behavior Forecast of an Experimental Indirect Solar Dryer Using an Artificial Neural Network

This research presents the prediction of temperatures in the chamber of a solar dryer using artificial neural networks (ANN). The dryer is a forced-flow type and indirect. Climatic conditions, temperatures, airflow, and geometric parameters were considered to build the ANN model. The model was a feed-forward network trained using a backpropagation algorithm and Levenberg–Marquardt optimization. The configuration of the optimal neural network to carry out the verification and validation processes was nine neurons in the input layer, one in the output layer, and two hidden layers of thirteen and twelve neurons each (9-13-12-1). The percentage error of the predictive model was below 1%. The predictive model has been successfully tested, achieving a predictor with good capabilities. This consistency is reflected in the relative error between the predicted and experimental temperatures. The error is below 0.25% for the model’s verification and validation. Moreover, this model could be the basis for developing a powerful real-time operation optimization tool and the optimal design for indirect solar dryers to reduce cost and time in food-drying processes.

Investigation of extraction phenomena in continuous circulation coffee brewing and comparison with other brewing methods

AbstractThis study investigated a continuous circulation cold brewing (CCCB) process using a modified single‐serve brewer that allowed recirculation of the brew within the single‐use capsules. The changes of total dissolved solids (TDS), titratable acidity (TA), caffeine and 5‐caffeoylquinic (5‐CQA) concentrations over time during the CCCB process were evaluated using two masses of coffee grounds (10 and 12.5 g). To elucidate the extraction process, Weibull distribution, pseudo‐first order, and pseudo‐second order models were fitted to the extraction kinetics data. The physicochemical quality of the brews produced from the CCCB process were also compared to brews produced though traditional cold brew steeping (separated by gravity and forced filtration) and single‐serve hot brewing processes. Significantly lower (p < 0.05) TDS, TA, and 5‐CQA concentrations than traditional cold brew methods were observed. This observation was due to flow channeling/detachment phenomena in the coffee bed which resulted in localized flow and reduction of coffee‐water contact area. In comparison, the 30 min full immersion processes resulted in approximately 70% of the TDS, TA, and caffeine levels during the first 30 min of brewing, suggesting that cold brewing processes may not have to be >8 h in length if these are the targeted brew quality indices.Practical applicationsThis study examined the kinetics and physicochemical quality of continuous circulation cold brewing of coffee and compared it to traditional full immersion cold brewing methods. The findings in this study indicated that: (1) The brew recirculation method explored was not on par with traditional full immersion cold brewing methods in terms of extraction yield due to flow channeling issues present in single‐use capsules; (2) The extraction time of traditional cold brewing processes can potentially be shortened on the basis of TDS, TA and caffeine content; (3) The choice of filtration mechanism is significant when considering the extraction yield of a brewing process.

GeoValueIndex map of public property assets generating via Analytic Hierarchy Process and Geographic Information System for Mass Appraisal

The aim of this study is to develop a value-based GeoValueIndex with AHP weights and GIS for the criteria of the Mersin University (MEU) Çiftlikköy Campus real properties, and it is referred to as the “GeoValueIndex” in this study. GeoValueIndex is a symbolic value that combines geographic and non-geographic features of real properties. The data of the real properties on the campus were collected and arranged for mass appraisal. One of the Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodologies, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), was used to weight the criteria. GeoValueIndex was calculated by multiplying each parcel’s geographic and non-geographic data by their weights and adding them. GeoValueIndex Map is obtained by associating GeoValueIndex and parcel in GIS software. GeoValueIndex of real properties save time, effort, and cost in mass appraisal processes. There are many techniques for doing GeoValueIndex operations, and the ones presented in this study are only proposals.

Ultraviolet-induced sensitivity enhancement of a fiber tip temperature sensor based on adhesive-TiO2 double-cavity composite Fabry-Perot interferometer

A composite fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) -based optical fiber temperature sensor is theoretically proposed and practically demonstrated in this work, in which the composite FPI is formed by covering the end face of single-mode fiber with ultraviolet (UV) adhesive and nano-TiO2 coating using the dip-coating method. With the superior thermo-optic characteristic of UV adhesive and the UV absorption of nano-TiO2, the sensitivity of the composite FPI temperature sensor can be effectively enhanced by UV irradiation. After five times of TiO2 dip-coating processes, the composite FPI has a higher temperature sensitivity of 75.3 pm/°C (R2 = 0.9754) under 365 nm UV light, in which the measurement range is from 25 °C to 130 °C and the detection accuracy is 0.66 °C. The proposed sensor has a simple structure and preparation process, competitive sensitivity, high linearity, and satisfactory repeatability and stability, which can be an appropriate candidate to realize high-precision temperature sensing in industrial, chemical, biological, and environmental applications.

Sr–Nd Isotopic Evidence of a Heterogeneous Magmatic Source of Alkaline–Carbonatite Rocks of the Odikhincha Alkaline–Carbonatite Massif (Maimecha-Kotui Province, Siberia)

This study focuses on the igneous rocks composing the Odikhincha massif. The massif is typical ring alkaline–ultrabasic massif with carbonatites, second largest in the Maimecha-Kotui province. The Sr-Nd isotopic values of the traps of the Arydzhang Formation and the host dolomites were also determined for comparison. The Rb–Sr isotope system of phlogopite and calcite from the Od-16-19 carbonatite of the Odikhincha massif is disturbed; the obtained age on the mineral isochrone (245 ± 3 Ma) is close to the time of formation of the Siberian traps and rocks of the ultrabasic–alkaline Maimecha-Kotui complex, but the large scatter of analytical points (MSWD = 22) does not allow this date to be considered as reliable. The disturbance of the isotope system is probably related to the fact that the strontium isotope ratio in the fluid was not constant during autometasomatic phlogopitization of carbonatite. The U–Pb isotopic system of titanite and perovskite from the same carbonatite sample Od-16-19 also appeared to be disturbed, since data points formed discordia. The U–Pb age obtained for titanite and perovskite are 244 ± 5 Ma (MSWD = 1.8) and 247 ± 18 Ma (MSWD = 4), respectively. Apparently, the age values provided by the two isotopic systems (245 ± 3 Ma by Rb–Sr and 247 ± 18 and 244 ± 5 Ma by U–Pb) are consistent with each other and reflect the time of metasomatic processes, i.e., phlogopitization and iolitization. Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd isotope data for ultrabasic–alkaline intrusive rocks with carbonatites of the Odikhincha massif and volcanics of the Arydzhang Formation indicate an enriched, relative to the composition of the convecting mantle, isotopically heterogeneous source of their parent melts. This source could be a combination of ultrabasic mantle rocks and rocks of basic composition (basites). The latter played the role of an enriched component. No signs of contamination of the melts with the host sedimentary rocks in situ were found, however, variations of Sr and Nd isotopic ratios in the rocks of the Odikhincha massif may indicate that during the introduction of deep magmas their interaction and substance exchange with the surrounding rocks of the lithosphere continued up to complete solidification of the melts, as indicated by the nature of local isotopic heterogeneity within the Odikhincha intrusion.

Innovative technologies in supply chains

The article reveals the essential and substantive basis of supply chains, the main tasks. The main elements of the interaction of the material flow on the path of its movement have been studied. The relevance and necessity of using new information technologies in logistics and, in particular, in supply chain management is determined. Digital technologies are the basis of modernity, it is one of the promising areas of development of the world economy. The use of these technologies in logistics processes in the conditions of Industry 4.0 led to the emergence of the concept of "smart logistics". Thanks to smart technologies, the time of many processes in both marketing and logistics is reduced. You can reduce the speed of product delivery and its quality. The development of the digital economy in Ukraine is aimed at creating motivation, forming needs for the use of digital technologies to increase production volumes, increase competitiveness and national development in accordance with the "Concept of the Development of the Digital Economy and Society of Ukraine for 2018-2020" [1]. This concept notes the growing demand for the use of digital processes in various industries. The concept of "smart logistics" is equated with "intelligent logistics" or "intelligent logistics", which involves the optimization of information logistics flows that contribute to the automation of processes. That is, with the help of smart-logistics tools (information systems), efficiency increases in those processes where they are used. The movement of material flow in logistics chains requires the storage of certain stocks in warehouses. Accordingly, warehousing also needs to improve the efficiency of its activities, as well as the transportation system. The purpose of this article is to define the concept of smart logistics, its meaning and key elements. Key information technologies used in supply chain management are analyzed in the work, and the stages of their application are highlighted. The introduction of smart technologies in logistics determines clearer processes and priorities for the use of digital innovations in the company's activities.

Application of Methods of Decentralized Systems in Management in Lean Manufacturing

Abstract The emergence and subsequent popularization of lean manufacturing have become one of the most significant for improving the efficiency and productivity of operations. The use of lean manufacturing tools and methods leads to the elimination of waste in the organization. Traditional information systems that allow organizations to share information about resources while managing process performance and traceability have a number of disadvantages such as security, interoperability, and transparency. Currently, distributed ledger technology (block-chain) is widely used for this purpose. This article presents a study of decentralized management of the implementation of a distributed ledger infrastructure, which is selected based on the characteristics of the production system. This study proposes a framework that analyzes lean production methods using simulation and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to accommodate the underlying multi-objective decision-making problem. The current study examines the impact of the simultaneous application of RCA technology, lean manufacturing methods, and distributed ledger technology on the total time, costs, and time of production processes.

Electrokinetic and Microstructural Peculiarities of the Portland Cement Hydration with Microadditives

AbstractThe results of given studies included a comparison of changes in temperature, redox potential, OH‐ions concentration and pH values in the Portland cement‐water‐additive system depending on the hydration time and features of hydration processes in the microstructure of the cement stone. The studied additives were selected taking into account the prospects for their use in the complex modifiers compositions for cement‐containing building materials. The results of electrokinetic measurements are presented and regularities and features of the influence of each studied additives on the processes of hydration structure and phase formation in Portland cement paste in the early stages of hardening are determined. The microstructure and fracture surfaces of cement stone samples formed during cement paste hardening with the optimal content of additives and features of hydration processes of cement stone were studied. The features of the mutual arrangement of individual phases in crystalline hydrate aggregates of cement stone, as well as the nature of the porosity of its microstructure, were investigated.

Sr–Nd Isotopic Evidence of a Heterogeneous Magmatic Source of Alkaline–Carbonatite Rocks of the Odikhincha Alkaline–Carbonatite Massif (Maimecha-Kotui Province, Siberia)

This study focuses on the igneous rocks composing the Odikhincha massif. The massif is typical ring alkaline–ultrabasic massif with carbonatites, second largest in the Maimecha-Kotui province. The Sr-Nd isotopic values of the traps of the Arydzhang Formation and the host dolomites were also determined for comparison. The Rb–Sr isotope system of phlogopite and calcite from the Od-16-19 carbonatite of the Odikhincha massif is disturbed; the obtained age on the mineral isochrone (245 ± 3 Ma) is close to the time of formation of the Siberian traps and rocks of the ultrabasic–alkaline Maimecha-Kotui complex, but the large scatter of analytical points (MSWD = 22) does not allow this date to be considered as reliable. The disturbance of the isotope system is probably related to the fact that the strontium isotope ratio in the fluid was not constant during autometasomatic phlogopitization of carbonatite. The U–Pb isotopic system of titanite and perovskite from the same carbonatite sample Od-16-19 also appeared to be disturbed, since data points formed discordia. The U–Pb age obtained for titanite and perovskite are 244 ± 5 Ma (MSWD = 1.8) and 247 ± 18 Ma (MSWD = 4), respectively. Apparently, the age values provided by the two isotopic systems (245 ± 3 Ma by Rb–Sr and 247 ± 18 and 244 ± 5 Ma by U–Pb) are consistent with each other and reflect the time of metasomatic processes, i.e., phlogopitization and iolitization. Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd isotope data for ultrabasic–alkaline intrusive rocks with carbonatites of the Odikhincha massif and volcanics of the Arydzhang Formation indicate an enriched, relative to the composition of the convecting mantle, isotopically heterogeneous source of their parent melts. This source could be a combination of ultrabasic mantle rocks and rocks of basic composition (basites). The latter played the role of an enriched component. No signs of contamination of the melts with the host sedimentary rocks in situ were found, however, variations of Sr and Nd isotopic ratios in the rocks of the Odikhincha massif may indicate that during the introduction of deep magmas their interaction and substance exchange with the surrounding rocks of the lithosphere continued up to complete solidification of the melts, as indicated by the nature of local isotopic heterogeneity within the Odikhincha intrusion.