Control Rules Research Articles

Breaking the Cult of Masculinity –The Other Lamb, Midsommarand Empowerment on Screen

It is not only cult cinema but also the representation of the ‘cult’ on screen that can provide vital opportunities to de-centre destructive masculinity and ask questions about wider gender power struggles. Female characters that are at the centre of cult cinema, driving the narrative and breaking the rules of masculine control are not a new phenomenon. From Pam Grier’s ferocity in films such as Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown(1974) to Kurt Russell’s brutal takedown in Tarantino’s Death Proof (2007), cult film has long been a platform for destabilising the notion of traditional gender hierarchies. The notion of the ‘cult’ itself, however, has long been thought of and (represented on screen) as an all-male power trip with disastrous consequences for those that believe. As far back as The Seventh Victim (1943) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), there have been many manifestations of cult violence towards woman on screen but there is also a cannon of films that use cinematic representations of the cult to change the narrative and bring wider gender politics to the surface. Two such contemporary examples of this are Małgorzata Szumowska’s The Other Lamb (2020) and Ari Aster’s Midsommar (2019). Both films offer nightmarish manifestations of cult mechanisms and control that at first seem to once again place men and masculinity in pole position. This paper will examine how the narrative, character and cinematic language of both films offer a more complex and subversive discourse linked to female empowerment. They use the medium to offer cautionary, and often shocking, on-screen representations that attempt to disrupt traditional, male led power structures and can also be read as a commentary on wider society and not simply the cults that they portray.

A Risk Assessment Framework Based on Fuzzy Logic for Automotive Systems

Recent advancements in the automotive field have significantly increased the level of complexity and connectivity of modern vehicles. In this context, the topic of cybersecurity becomes extremely relevant, as a successful attack can have an impact in terms of safety on the car navigation, potentially leading to harmful behavior. Risk assessment is typically performed using discrete input and output scales, which can often lead to an identical output in terms of risk evaluation despite the inputs presenting non-negligible differences. This work presents a novel fuzzy-logic-based methodology to assess cybersecurity risks which takes attack feasibility and safety impact as input factors. This technique allows us explicitly model the uncertainty and ambiguousness of input data, which is typical of the risk assessment process, providing an output on a more detailed scale. The fuzzy inference engine is based on a set of control rules expressed in natural language, which is crucial to maintaining the interpretability and traceability of the risk calculation. The proposed framework was applied to a case study extracted from ISO/SAE 21434. The obtained results are in line with the traditional methodology, with the added benefit of also providing the scatter around the calculated value, indicating the risk trend. The proposed method is general and can be applied in the industry independently from the specific case study.

Input saturated [formula omitted] optimal control to mitigate DTMB 5415 combatant roll motion using anti roll gyro stabilizer

Despite technological advances, rolling motion is the most critical motion for the stability and survivability of ships. This study examines the possibility of using Anti Roll Gyrostabilizer System (ARGS) as a control actuation system to mitigate the roll motion of the DTMB 5415. In the scope of conceptual study, state space model of the DTMB 5415 Combatant Warship has been obtained. Then, ARGS dynamics have been integrated into the roll motion dynamics. Parameters of the DTMB 5415 and actuator are identified from the literature. Comparing experimental and numerical studies in the literature have also expanded the damping term parameters in the equation of roll motion. However, a Monte Carlo analysis is carried out to define the preliminary parameters of ARGS. An actuator-saturated Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) Full State-Feedback H∞ Optimal Controller is tested for this design iteration. The results are also contrasted with the requirements that military ships must meet. Ship roll amplitudes have significantly decreased (over 95% for various sea conditions) and have complied with STANAG 4154 standards. The 1 radian Precession Angle limit has not been overshot. Continuous and discrete-time control rules are implemented, thus demonstrating the applicability of this actuation and control method are shown.

The role of the NPT in preventing further proliferation of nuclear weapons

The entire atmosphere created by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its presence in the world played one of the responsible roles, since after the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons were never used in a military situation (unless, of course, you take into account that the nuclear powers conducted more than 2,000 nuclear explosions at their test sites).
 It can be said that this is the result of a broad consensus reached by the international community on the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other types of weapons of mass destruction, as well as the result of the actual operation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons during its more than 50 years of existence. Currently, no bilateral or multilateral meeting on international security issues, including at the highest level, is held without a mention of nuclear non-proliferation, and it is often at the top of the agenda.
 The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is an international legal and ethical norm that has entered the minds of millions of people. Many countries have developed and adopted national legislation establishing export control rules for materials used in the production of weapons of mass destruction, as well as other laws (customs, etc.) to help ensure the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Extensive training of young experts in basic knowledge to support the international non-proliferation regime of nuclear weapons is ongoing.
 In the field of technology, scientists and experts in reactor engineering are working in many countries to build nuclear power plants that will not produce materials used to create weapons of mass destruction. Many scientists are working to prevent the construction of reactors that threaten the proliferation of technologies and nuclear materials capable of producing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
 The conclusion of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the establishment of an international non-proliferation regime contributed to a fundamental change in the world’s attitude to nuclear weapons. From the first impression in the eyes of the world public that nuclear weapons are a «genius» discovery, the latter is increasingly perceived as a mortal danger that threatens human existence, and this idea penetrates deeper and deeper into the consciousness of millions of people.

An exploration of linkage between green logistics and natural rents: Evidence from the global database

This article represents the inaugural effort to establish a connection between green logistics and natural rents within the European region. In order to gauge natural rents accurately, we employ five distinct metrics, encompassing mineral rents, coal rents, forest rents, gas rents, and overall natural rents. Our research furnishes evidence indicating that the adoption of green logistics (GL) is poised to curtail the consumption of most natural resources, with the exception of coal. While GL does not exhibit statistical significance in the short term, it has a negative influence in the long term, reducing reliance on natural rents. To illuminate the relationship between institutional quality and natural rents, we incorporate six different indicators of institutions: accountability and voice, absence of violence/terrorism, political stability, government effectiveness, rule of law, regulatory quality, and control of corruption. Our findings underscore that integrating green logistics with institutions serves to diminish activities associated with natural rents. Additionally, with time, it is anticipated that the tangible effects of green logistics will become more apparent. These results hold up well when endogeneity, fixed effects, and heterogeneity are taken into account.

A model transformation based security policy automatic management framework for software-defined networking

Software-defined networking (SDN) has been utilized to enforce the security of traditional networks. However, the existing SDN-based security enforcement mechanisms rely heavily on the security policies containing the underlying information of data plane, such as MAC address, IP address or switch ports. These security policies need to be specifically developed by network operators and loaded into the control plane manually. With increasing the scale of underlying network, the existing security policy management mechanisms confront more and more challenges. The security policy transformation for SDN networks is to research how to transform the high-level security policy without containing the underlying information into the practical flow entries used by Openflow switches automatically, thereby implementing the automatic management of security policies. To achieve this objective, we propose a model transformation based security policy automatic management framework for software-defined networking in this paper. Leveraging its functional modules, the framework can solve the problems of how to find a connected path for each access control rule of security policy model (SPM) in data plane, how to transform the connected path into the system model of flow entries, as well as how to generate the practical flow entries according to the system model of flow entries. In order to validate the effectiveness and performance of framework, we implement the framework by leveraging POX controller and Mininet emulator. The experimental results illustrate the framework can transform SPM into practical flow entries, synchronously perceive the modifications caused by cutting down one connected path or changing SPM, and continuously keep the data plane holding the security properties defined by SPM at runtime.

Optimizing Blood Glucose Regulation in Type 1 Diabetes Patients via Genetic Algorithm-Based Fuzzy Logic Controller Considering Substantial Meal Protocol

Effective management of blood glucose levels in individuals with type 1 diabetes, especially after meals, is crucial for diabetes care. Artificial pancreas systems (APS) perform automated insulin delivery in subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). In this study, an optimized fuzzy logic controller was designed to achieve a euglycemic range after a substantial meal intake. All in silico simulations were performed using the MATLAB/Simulink environment, leveraging control variability grid analysis (CVGA), and the performance of the controller was evaluated. The proposed controller is based on a fuzzy-logic control law designed in three stages. First, a nonlinear framework of the glucose-insulin regulatory system was identified based on the heavy meal protocol of three patients given as follows: for subject ID 117-1, a total of 295 gCHO; for subject ID 126-1, 236 gCHO; and subject ID 128-1, 394 gCHO over a day. Then, an iterative tree structure was employed to establish a stabilizing control rule for insulin delivery, integrating inputs from two Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) objects. Finally, a genetic algorithm refines the control system by fine-tuning the uncertainty of the fuzzy membership functions. Two scenarios were considered for three patients to assess the performance of the proposed controller. The results indicated its effectiveness under various conditions, achieving a time in the range of 61.25%, 71% and 61.10% respectively for the three subjects. The obtained results are analyzed and compared with IMC and multi-objective output feedback controllers. The findings of the study reveal that the proposed controller shows promising advancements in tailored strategies for type 1 diabetes patients, outperforming the other controllers in terms of blood glucose regulation.

Experiences in developing empirical harvest strategies for the Indonesian tropical tuna fisheries

Harvest strategies, also referred to as management procedures, are foundational to evidence-based fisheries decision making. Together with closed-loop simulation testing, termed Management Strategy Evaluation, of potential harvest strategies, they are considered to be best practice. However, the use of these approaches is still mostly limited to a small minority of high-value, data-rich stocks in developed economies. The Indonesian tropical tuna fisheries provide a rare real-world experience where formal empirical harvest strategies were being developed for data-limited fisheries within a developing economy as an operational management tool. The Harvest Strategy Framework is a departure from a previously open-access fishery for tropical tuna in Indonesian archipelagic waters. It outlines the necessary actions to operationalize the harvest strategy, including fisheries monitoring, harvest control rules, associated management measures to meet the management objectives, and immediate actions to reduce the levels of catch as a precautionary measure until the harvest strategy is fully implemented. It was developed over a 9-year national consultative process, commencing in 2014 and culminating in the official adoption of the framework in June 2023. This paper outlines key processes and challenges encountered in stakeholder engagement and technical capacity development within the intricate governance context of Indonesia. We argue that the engagement processes have cemented a future direction towards sustainable and best practice fisheries management in Indonesia and the effective co-production process has potential to show the way for other fisheries in coastal developing states who face similar challenges in managing their national and internationally shared stocks.

REFINEMENT AND ACCURACY CONTROL OF THE SOLUTION METHOD FOR THE DURABILITY PROBLEM OF A CORRODING STRUCTURE USING NEURAL NETWORK

Context. The prediction of the time until failure of corroding hinge-rod structures is a crucial component in risk management across various industrial sectors. An accurate solution to the durability problem of corroding structures allows for the prevention of undesired consequences that may arise in the event of an emergency situation. Alongside this, the question of the effectiveness of existing methods for solving this problem and ways to enhance them arises.
 Objective. The objective is to refine the method of solving the durability problem of a corroding structure using an artificial neural network and establish accuracy control.
 Method. To refine the original method, alternative sets of input data for the artificial neural network which increase information about the change in axial forces over time are considered. For each set of input data a set of models is trained. Based on target metric values distribution among the obtained sets, a set is selected where the minimum value of the mathematical expectation of the target metric is achieved. For the set of models corresponding to the identified best set, accuracy control of the method is determined by establishing the relationship between the mathematical expectation of the target metric and the parameters of the numerical solution.
 Results. The conditions under which a lower value of the mathematical expectation of the target metric is obtained compared to the original method are determined. The results of numerical experiments, depending on the considered case, show, in average, an improvement on 43.54% and 9.67% in the refined method compared to the original. Additionally, the proposed refinement reduces the computational costs required to find a solution by omitting certain steps of the original method. An accuracy control rule of the method is established, which allows to obtain on average a given error value without performing extra computations.
 Conclusions. The obtained results indicate the feasibility of applying the proposed refinement. A higher accuracy in predicting the time until failure of corroding hinge-rod structures allows to reduce the risks of an emergency situation. Additionally, accuracy control enables finding a balance between computational costs and the accuracy of solving the problem. KEYWORDS

Demystifying the Role of Governance Quality and Fiscal Space on Nonperforming Loans in Zimbabwe

Demystifying the Role of Governance Quality and Fiscal Space on Nonperforming Loans in Zimbabwe

Six Sigma driven QC management in hepatitis C serology

The Westgard quality control (QC) rules are often applied in infectious diseases serology to validate the quality of results, but this requires a reasonable tradeoff between maximum sensitivity to errors and minimum false rejections. This article, in addition to illustrate the six sigma methodology in the QC management of the (anti-HCV Architect®) test, it discusses the main influencing factors on sigma value. Data from low positive and in-kit control materials spreading over 6 months and using four reagent kits, were used to calculate the precision of the test. The difference between the control material reactivity and the cut-off defined the error budget. Sigma values were >6, which indicates that the method produces four erroneous results per million tests. The application of the six sigma concept made it possible to argue the choice of the new QC strategy (use of 13S rule with one positive control) and to relax the existing QC rules. This work provides a framework for infectious diseases serology laboratories to evaluate tests performances against a quality requirement and design an optimal QC strategy.

Energy-Saving Impact and Optimized Control Scheme of Vertical Load on Distributed Electric Wheel Loader

During the operation of a wheel loader, the external load acting on the bucket undergoes many changes, resulting in significant changes in the load ratio on the front and rear axles. For this reason, controlling a standard wheel loader is not trivial. In addition, in the case of a distributed electric wheel loader (DEWL), the operating control algorithm is often complex and is, therefore, the subject of optimization studies. This study compared the electric power consumption across different vertical loads, speeds, and travel directions for single-front, single-rear, and dual-motor configurations, both during transporting and pre-shoveling operations. The analysis led to the development of control rules based on energy-saving objectives. Under the shoveling condition, it was observed that vertical loads can lead to an insufficient driving force and skidding, necessitating the proposal of a new optimized control scheme. The results revealed that the optimal solution for transporting is the single-motor drive control scheme without a mechanical connection between the front and rear motor. With the single-motor control scheme, comparing the preferred controlled motor with the unselected motor under different loads, the average electrical power savings for forward, backward, and circling were at least 3.51%, 3.12%, and 0.34%, respectively. Under the pre-shoveling condition, the optimal control scheme was identified as the single rear motor control scheme, effectively reducing electrical power consumption. In response to the issues encountered during the shoveling condition, an economical solution involving the modification of the front axle transmission ratio has been proposed, along with an optimized control scheme based on vertical load variations.

Diversity, challenges, and opportunities of Fishery Improvement Projects in the Latin America and the Caribbean region

Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) have become a popular tool to drive sustainable management among fisheries. FIPs, guided by a private sector-led governance structure motivated by market-driven incentives, aim to reduce environmental impacts in fisheries, using the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fishery standard as a guide. The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region is a FIPs global hotspot. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of FIPs in the LAC region and highlights their potential and limitations in driving fisheries toward sustainability. We used information from the FisheryProgress website to analyze the main characteristics, and challenges concerning the MSC fishery standard, as well as actions, and outputs taken by FIPs. FIPs in this region are diverse, and face similar challenges related to defining stock status, establishing harvest strategies and control rules, and implementing fishery-specific management given limited fisheries information. Data collection and engagement through meetings to modify fishing practices and policies were the most employed actions to address these challenges. Although many FIPs are ongoing, improvements are evident as FIPs advance to later stages. Overall, FIPs are seen as a multi-stakeholder tool that encourages fisheries to enhance their environmental performance in pursuit of sustainability. However, more time is required to ascertain the true extent of their impact. This research offers insights into the main challenges and strategies when implementing FIPs in LAC. Our results should, be valuable for stakeholders looking to support sustainable fisheries management through FIPs where fisheries conditions are similar.

Property Institutions and State Capacity: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Agricultural Projects in Zambia

A long-standing literature argues that African states have weak capacity, especially in regulating land. Increasingly, scholarly work on foreign land acquisition in developing countries recognizes that the African states and subnational actors have played an important and diverse role in (re)structuring access and control over land and natural resources. I contribute to this scholarship by focusing on the role of African property institutions and propose a land tenure regime theory as the mechanism through which foreign agricultural projects and African state capacity interact. By process-tracing three Chinese agricultural projects in Zambia as typical cases, I show that Zambian state structures investment strategies of Chinese investors through different configurations of rule of land access, transfer and control in each LTR. Furthermore, Zambian state capacity in enforcing contract and projecting infrastructural power can be reinforced or tested through investing CAgriIs in different LTRs. My findings challenge the ‘weak state’ argument and raise important questions of how African governments should approach rural development on customary land.

Effective Hydraulic Head Control Rule Identification for Unrecoverable Subsidence Mitigation

Effective Hydraulic Head Control Rule Identification for Unrecoverable Subsidence Mitigation

Large Language Model for Chatbot

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) has led to the development of sophisticated Chatbots capable of mimicking human conversation and providing automated responses. In the context of the mining industry, which operates under a complex framework of Acts, Rules, and Regulations, there is a growing need for a comprehensive and easily accessible information system. This research proposes the implementation of a 24/7 available Chatbot, equipped with the ability to address stakeholder and customer queries regarding various legal aspects, including the Coal Mines Act, 1952, Indian Explosives Act, 1884, Colliery Control Order, 2000, Colliery Control Rules, 2004, The Coal Mines Regulations, 2017, and The Payment of Wages (Mines) Rules, 1956. Furthermore, the Chatbot's scope will encompass land-related laws, such as Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), Land Acquisition (LA), and Resettlement and Rehabilitation (RandR), thereby establishing a robust Management Information System tailored to the specific needs of the mining industry

Smart grid optimization considering decentralized power distribution and demand side management

AbstractThe increasing integration of microgrids into distribution networks has highlighted the significance of evaluating and managing intelligent microgrids from both technical and economic perspectives. In this paper, a decentralized approach using agents is employed to optimize the operation of an intelligent microgrid within the telecommunications platform. The decentralized control method comprises two layers. The first layer represents the main microgrid, which includes loads and their controllers, as well as renewable and conventional resources. In the secondary layer, there is a telecommunication platform in which agents can operate as a control processor along with the means of communication. It should be noted that agents interact with the primary layer and neighbouring agents and exchange information with each other. This exchange takes place until the best state of optimization for the power supply occurs. In this study, the operation cost is calculated for decentralized control rules and considering telecommunication links. Also, the effect of performance on cost reduction is examined and compared with normal conditions and centralized methods. It can be seen that the operation cost of the network has decreased to 9.034% after the implementation of the mentioned method in comparison with the normal condition and it has decreased to 6.957% in comparison with the centralized method. Then, using a demand side management program, the cost will be reduced by 2.5%. In the next step, the uncertainty of available resources is taken into account where the uncertainties increase the cost by 7.8%.

Range-wide contrast in management outcomes for transboundary Northeast Pacific sablefish

Sablefish ( Anoplopoma fimbria) of the Northeast Pacific support a highly mobile, valuable fishery resource currently managed as three separate populations. Recent work has shown sablefish to be genetically mixed; have high movement rates; and have synchronous biomass trends, including recent declines. A management strategy evaluation was developed with stakeholders and scientists from three regions to investigate whether spatially structured management paradigms might result in better conservation and economic outcomes. The management strategy evaluation includes a transboundary operating model to represent spatial population dynamics including movement and a delay–difference estimation method with varying spatial complexities and potential stratifications, and harvest control rules. Mismatches in the spatial scale of management and the underlying biological units pose a crucial risk of localized depletion in the southern U.S. West Coast. This study presents one of the first transboundary, spatially-explicit management strategy evaluations conditioned to actual data. These results underscore the importance of spatial management strategy evaluation tools and implications when regional management is conducted in isolation. Future work should incorporate additional spatial hypotheses and investigate the drivers of recruitment patterns range-wide.

Stock assessment of rock lobster stocks: Past, present and future

The aim of stock assessment is to provide managers with an understanding of the biomass and age-/size-composition of a stock, stock status (ideally relative to target and reference points), and to support management decision making, often through projections and application of harvest control rules. Stock assessments are increasingly being used to form the basis for the operating models used to evaluate the ability of management strategies to achieve the goals of fisheries management. Stock assessments for rock lobsters were among the first to adopt size-structured population models as the basis for stock assessment, and population model-based stock assessments have been used extensively to evaluate management strategies for rock lobster stocks in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This paper identifies how closely population model-based stock assessments for rock lobsters satisfy the guidelines identified for best practices for conducting stock assessments during meetings of, for example, the Center for the Advancement of Population Assessment Methodology and papers identifying best practice guidelines for stock assessment. The paper highlights some key directions for stock assessment science for rock lobsters, including considerations related to environmental variation and climate change.

Many-Objective Hierarchical Pre-Release Flood Operation Rule Considering Forecast Uncertainty

Flood control operation of cascade reservoirs is an important technology to reduce flood disasters and increase economic benefits. Flood forecast information can help reservoir managers make better use of flood resources and reduce flood risks. In this paper, a hierarchical pre-release flood operation rule considering the flood forecast and its uncertainty information is proposed for real-time flood control. A many-objective optimization model considering the cascade reservoir’s power generation objective, flood control objective, and navigation objective is established. Then, a region search evolutionary algorithm is applied to optimize the many-objective optimization model in a real-world case study upstream of the Yangtze River basin. The optimization experimental results show that the region search evolutionary algorithm can balance convergence and diversity well, and the HV value is 40% higher than the MOEA/D algorithm. The simulation flood control results of cascade reservoirs upstream of the Yangtze River demonstrate that the optimized flood control rule can increase the average multi-year power generation of cascade reservoirs by a maximum of 27.72 × 108 kWh under the condition of flood control safety. The rules proposed in this paper utilize flood resources by identifying runoff forecast information, and pre-release to the flood limit level 145 m before the big flood occurs, so as to ensure the safety downstream and the dam’s own flood control and provide reliable decision support for reservoir managers.