Upgrade Program Research Articles

High brilliance beam investigations at the universal linear accelerator

The more than 45-year-old GSI-UNILAC (universal linear accelerator) as well as the heavy ion synchrotron SIS18 will serve as a high-current heavy ion injector for the new Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) synchrotron SIS100. UNILAC will serve together with the SIS18 as FAIR injector for short intense pulse operation; the newly developed heavy ion linac Helmholtz linear accelerator shall deliver cw beams, still required for the comprehensive research program at GSI. In the context of an advanced machine investigation program in combination with the ongoing UNILAC upgrade program, a dedicated beam investigation campaign has been carried out in order to characterize front-to-end high-current medium and heavy ion beam behavior at GSI-UNILAC. A very high beam brilliance at the end of transfer line from UNILAC to SIS18 was achieved recently for medium heavy ion beams in a machine experiment campaign. This is an important step paving the way to fulfill the FAIR heavy ion high-intensity beam requirements. Results of high-current uranium beam measurements applying the novel technique of pulsed hydrogen gas stripping (at $1.4\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/\mathrm{u}$) will be presented as well.

A Low Energy H Beamline for the ALPHA Antihydrogen Experiment

The CERN ALPHA experiment makes precision measurements of antihydrogen atoms, confined in a superconducting magnetic minimum trap. Recent measurements of the antihydrogen spectrum have already provided high-resolution tests of fundamental symmetries, and ALPHA has now embarked on an ambitious upgrade programme aimed at directly comparing hydrogen and antihydrogen within their existing atom trap. One aspect of this upgrade will be the development of a low-energy (50 eV) hydrogen ion source that is compatible with ALPHA’s existing magnetic charged particle beamlines. PELLIS, previously developed at JYFL, is a 5 keV filament-driven source that generates H- beams with low emittances and currents of up to 50 μA. Here, we explore the feasibility of a proposed electrostatic beamline design to transport H- ions from a PELLIS-type ion source into ALPHA’s various particle traps. We present SIMION simulations that were used to develop the beamline, focusing on components such as a quadrupole switchyard and drift tube deceleration stage.

Effects Of Business Upgrading Programs On Their Competitiveness: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis

The advent of free trade subjects' businesses in underdeveloped countries and economies in transition to the challenges of competitiveness and competition. To overcome these constraints, upgrading programs have been adopted as public policy. This review aims to identify the impacts of programs on their competitiveness and analyze the relationship between the variables of said programs and their effects. Sixty-three studies (63) are identified from online databases with arithmetic means as follows: Hindawi, n = 36, 0.22%; Google Scholar, n=33, 0.20%; Scorpus, n=33, 0.20%; and Google search, n = 31, 0.19% with specific Search terms such as "upgrade program + business + impact." Articles were selected using inclusion / exclusion criteria applied first at the title and abstract level, then at the full article level Data extraction for this review was safely done in Microsoft Excel, in order to identify the action variables of said programs and the effects. Through the analysis of the dimensions that determine the structural competitiveness index (ICS) of the countries, was carried out to explain the contribution of the variables of the contextual environment, to the variables of the upgrading program and the effect of impact in terms of intensity on the observed effects. The effects identified relate to to the variables of the upgrading program and the effect of impact in terms of intensity on the observed effects. The effects identified relate to to the variables of the upgrading program and the effect of impact in terms of intensity on the observed effects. The effects identified relate to 8 indicators of positive effects grouped into: financial performance, economic performance, organizational performance, social and societal performance, with nuances on the macroeconomic impact due to the differences in the context of each country. Intensity of these effects does not translate in the same way, certainly because of the initial conditions for starting upgrading in each country, which takes into account the level of development, resource capital mobilized both human and financial and the level of importance of reforms, both structural and infrastructural carried out. The review highlights the merits of this public policy as a bulwark for companies in developing countries and economies in transition in a context of liberalization, faced with competition and competitiveness. It is pointed out that the success of this policy depends in particular on the capacity of the public authorities to implement a sound macroeconomic policy.

Strategic behavior for hotel standby upgrade programs: Empirical evidence and pricing implications

AbstractMany hotels have recently started to offer room upgrades digitally after the completion of booking to replace traditional front‐desk upselling during check‐in. Quickly becoming popular for upselling the premium rooms that may otherwise go unsold, standby upgrade—an availability‐based, discounted premium room upgrade—is a prominent example. However, customers, in particular loyalty members, may become knowledgeable about standby upgrades through repeated interactions with this technology, and act strategically, that is, initially choose a standard room with the expectation of being offered a premium room discount through standby upgrades. Consequently, while enjoying the benefits of this program, hotels may face the potential cannibalization of premium sales due to such strategic behavior and need to adjust their pricing accordingly. Using a major hotel chain's 16‐month booking and standby upgrades data, we empirically investigate the existence and extent of strategic customers in the context of standby upgrades. After showing preliminary evidence of potential strategic behavior, we develop a maximum likelihood estimator to estimate the percentage of customers who are strategic. This estimator captures the sequential nature of customer decision‐making for standby upgrades (booking decision, clicking the standby upgrades offer, and requesting an upgrade) through a Sequential Logit Model. We find evidence of strategic behavior in three (out of eight) hotels examined. Considering both a weak‐form and a strong‐form strategic behavior, our estimates suggest that 12%–42% of the loyalty customers act strategically in these three properties. We then propose a new pricing policy to help hoteliers maximize their premium room revenues from direct bookings and standby upgrade requests. This policy recommends a discounted full price, but also a higher standby upgrade price for loyalty customers, which can bring a revenue improvement of up to 19% over a policy ignoring the strategic behavior and 34% over a policy assuming that all customers are strategic—two reasonable benchmarks without an estimate of the fraction of strategic customers. Our research, thus, provides insights for technology managers on the potential customer behavioral challenges that a hotel may face with the adoption of a disruptive digital technology, and how existing policies may need to be adjusted for the technology to be successful.

Characterization technique of gases permeation properties in polymers: H2, He, N2 and Ar gas

We demonstrate a simple experimental technology for characterizing the gas permeation properties of H2, He, N2 and Ar absorbed in polymers. This is based on the volumetric measurement of released gas and an upgraded diffusion analysis program after high-pressure exposure. Three channel measurements of sorption content of gases emitted from polymers after decompression are simultaneously conducted, and then, the gas uptake/diffusivity as a function of exposed pressure are determined in nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubbers, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which are used for gas sealing materials under high pressure. The pressure-dependent gas transport behaviors of the four gases are presented and compared. Gas sorption follows Henry’s law up to 9 MPa, while pressure-dependent diffusion behavior is not observed below 6 MPa. The magnitude of the diffusivity of the four gases decreases in the order DHe > DH2 > DAr > DN2 in all polymers, closely related to the kinetic diameter of the gas molecules. The dependence of gas species on solubility is in contrast to that on diffusivity. The linear correlation between logarithmic solubility and critical temperature of the gas molecule was newly observed.

Policy Implementation of Slum Upgrading Program in Coastal Area, (Case Study: Slum Upgrading in Kelurahan Tanjungmas, Semarang)

Most of the slums are located in coastal areas because the coastal areas are close to the main livelihoods as fishermen. Agung Ridlo, from Sultan Agung University, conducted a study that concluded that North Semarang has a specific attraction for migrants because its location is the center of trade and industry. The migrants came and looked for places to stay near their factories or beaches. Thus, slum areas were formed gradually. This research is aimed to examine policy implementation of slum upgrading programs in Kelurahan Tanjungmas Coastal Area. The research method is a qualitative method by using qualitative descriptive analysis techniques. The study finds the Implementation process of houses improvement program in Kelurahan Tanjungmas coastal area reflecting based on the policy map in the policy model is a lead to the model of ‘top-down’. The top-down model is a pattern conducted by the government for the community and the community participation only more in mobilization form.
 Keywords: policy, implementation, slum, coastal area

Mapping of Indices of Slum and Informal Housing Development in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

Slums and informal housing developments in Akure are growing at an unprecedented rate. It is on this basis that this work sets out to map out the indices of slum and informal housing development in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. High-resolution satellite data, as well as primary and secondary data, were used in the study. Based on collected data, ArcGIS 10.3.1 software was used to prepare a base map showing the existing land use, built up area in 1986, 2002, and 2018, and indices of slums, or informal housing in Akure. The indices were rated on a scale of 1–5 and the results obtained revealed that socio-economic indices [housing shortage, lack of affordable housing, high incidences of urban poverty, high incidences of rural or urban–urban migration and unemployment], institutional indices [poor enforcement of planning laws, unclear regulation and long procedures for building plan approvals, and lack of planning/development plans], political indices [inadequate provision of sites and services, tenure insecurity and eviction, and poor resettlement programme by the government] and environmental indices [high density of development and overcrowding, inadequate neighbourhood facilities and services, and inadequate sanitation] are most significant in the core and peripheral areas of Akure. The study recommends slum upgrading programmes oriented to the betterment of the current conditions of slum households and neighbourhoods and formal housing aimed at securing access to adequate housing for all, in particular the most vulnerable, promoting affordable and safe solutions and inclusive housing finance systems.

Mapping of Indices of Slum and Informal Housing Development in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

Slums and informal housing developments in Akure are growing at an unprecedented rate. It is on this basis that this work sets out to map out the indices of slum and informal housing development in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. High-resolution satellite data, as well as primary and secondary data, were used in the study. Based on collected data, ArcGIS 10.3.1 software was used to prepare a base map showing the existing land use, built up area in 1986, 2002, and 2019, and indices of slums, or informal housing in Akure. The indices were rated on a scale of 1–5 and the results obtained revealed that socio-economic indices [housing shortage, lack of affordable housing, high incidences of urban poverty, high incidences of rural or urban–urban migration and unemployment], institutional indices [poor enforcement of planning laws, unclear regulation and long procedures for building plan approvals, and lack of planning/development plans], political indices [inadequate provision of sites and services, tenure insecurity and eviction, and poor resettlement programme by the government] and environmental indices [high density of development and overcrowding, inadequate neighbourhood facilities and services, and inadequate sanitation] are most significant in the core and peripheral areas of Akure. The study recommends slum upgrading programmes oriented to the betterment of the current conditions of slum households and neighbourhoods and formal housing aimed at securing access to adequate housing for all, in particular the most vulnerable, promoting affordable and safe solutions and inclusive housing finance systems.

Financial Management Practices of Selected Agribusiness Enterprises in Marinduque

Financial resources, being the lifeblood of any enterprise, when utilized and managed efficiently result to optimal business performance and survival in times of financial crisis. Hence, the paper sought to assess the financial management practices of selected manufacturing agribusiness under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) and Grants-In-Aid (GIA) programs of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Marinduque. The study used descriptive methods in gathering and analyzing data with the aid of a survey questionnaire and interview guide. Out of the 35 participating enterprises, 13 or 42% are GIA and 18 or 58% are SETUP. Using non-financial descriptors, the analysis resulted to the following mean values interpreted as very satisfactory: record keeping and management (3.81), profitability (3,64), sales (3.65), and income (3.57) while mean values for liquidity (3.39) and leverage (3.15) are interpreted as satisfactory. The majority of the enterprises do not have regular bookkeepers. For GIA recipients, treasurers are assigned, while under SETUP, part-timers are hired occasionally or every end of the year to prepare Financial Statements. Financial management practices need further attention. Thus, beneficiaries of GIA need to: a) install a proper auditing policy for checks and balances, and b) increase sales to generate higher income. For SETUP, there is a need to manage receivables so as not to escalate and to avoid bad debts. The practice of applying credit to finance production and maximize government loans and grants is acceptable, but the use of credit to finance daily production can be used as a leverage to a) grow the business, b) increase available cash to finance other needs, c) increase trust relationship with the lenders to manifest positive firm performance in paying debts, and d) minimize the risk of bankruptcy.

An Economic-technical Method of Calculating Power Grid Reliability Improvement Scheme

A program to enhance the economic & technical grid reliability is proposed in the light of improving grid reliability, The economic model of power grid upgrade program is built up. The solutions to optimize efficiency are presented step by step based on the estimated investment program & minimum portfolio optimization program. Taking the real data of certain power supply company as example, the proposed method is proved to have certain practical value.

Is It All the Same? Mapping and Characterizing Deprived Urban Areas Using WorldView-3 Superspectral Imagery. A Case Study in Nairobi, Kenya

In the past two decades, Earth observation (EO) data have been utilized for studying the spatial patterns of urban deprivation. Given the scope of many existing studies, it is still unclear how very-high-resolution EO data can help to improve our understanding of the multidimensionality of deprivation within settlements on a city-wide scale. In this work, we assumed that multiple facets of deprivation are reflected by varying morphological structures within deprived urban areas and can be captured by EO information. We set out by staying on the scale of an entire city, while zooming into each of the deprived areas to investigate deprivation through land cover (LC) variations. To test the generalizability of our workflow, we assembled multiple WorldView-3 datasets (multispectral and shortwave infrared) with varying numbers of bands and image features, allowing us to explore computational efficiency, complexity, and scalability while keeping the model architecture consistent. Our workflow was implemented in the city of Nairobi, Kenya, where more than sixty percent of the city population lives in deprived areas. Our results indicate that detailed LC information that characterizes deprivation can be mapped with an accuracy of over seventy percent by only using RGB-based image features. Including the near-infrared (NIR) band appears to bring significant improvements in the accuracy of all classes. Equally important, we were able to categorize deprived areas into varying profiles manifested through LC variability using a gridded mapping approach. The types of deprivation profiles varied significantly both within and between deprived areas. The results could be informative for practical interventions such as land-use planning policies for urban upgrading programs.

Beam test results of silicon sensor module prototypes for the Phase-2 Upgrade of the CMS Outer Tracker

The start of the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) in 2027 requires upgrades to the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment. In the scope of the upgrade program the complete silicon tracking detector will be replaced. The new CMS Tracker will be equipped with silicon pixel detectors in the inner layers closest to the interaction point and silicon strip detectors in the outer layers. The new CMS Outer Tracker will consist of two different kinds of detector modules called PS and 2S modules. Each module will be made of two parallel silicon sensors (a macro-pixel sensor and a strip sensor for the PS modules and two strip sensors for the 2S modules). Combining the hit information of both sensor layers, it is possible to estimate the transverse momentum of particles in the magnetic field of 3.8 T at the full bunch-crossing rate of 40 MHz directly on the module. This information will be used as an input for the first trigger stage of CMS. It is necessary to validate the Outer Tracker module functionality before installing the modules in the CMS experiment. Besides laboratory-based tests several 2S module prototypes have been studied at test beam facilities at CERN, DESY and FNAL. This article concentrates on the beam tests at DESY during which the functionality of the module concept was investigated using the full final readout chain for the first time. Additionally the performance of a 2S module assembled with irradiated sensors was studied. By choosing an irradiation fluence expected for 2S modules at the end of HL-LHC operation, it was possible to investigate the particle detection efficiency and study the trigger capabilities of the module at the beginning and end of the runtime of the CMS experiment.

A second chance in education: Upgrade teachers’ perceptions of tertiary education in Samoa

A second chance in education is becoming more and more infrequent in the region. The study is the first in Samoa and makes references to existing literature on teacher upgrade. This paper investigated whether the Teacher Upgrade programme in Samoa contributed positively to teaching and learning in schooling. The programme itself is a pathway for teachers to gain a degree qualification, a rise in pay and an opportunity to hold leadership positions of responsibility at the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC). Teacher upgrade programmes have made a difference in former colonised nations’ education systems. Samoa, for instance, started teacher upgrade five years ago and has witnessed improvement in its education system, particularly with students’ performance and engagement. The participants in the Teacher Upgrade programme included teachers, school principals, and senior officers from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC). Qualitative data was collected through the utilisation of an indigenous research methodology—talanoa and nofo—that aligns with the lived realities of the participants. The findings highlighted teacher upgrade has positive educational outcomes for teachers in the programme. This ranged from knowledge, skills, creativity in resource making, diverse pedagogical know-how, improvement in the use and application of technology, and improvements in higher qualification and salary.

Preferences for Infrastructure and Determinants of Decision to Live in a Makeshift House in Informal Settlements

The upgrade paradigm has been a widely accepted solution to informal settlements. However, implementing an effective upgrade program has been challenging for governments of most developing countries. This paper reports a study which examined informal settlement residents’ preferences for infrastructure provided by an upgrade project and factors influencing their decision to live in a makeshift house. It also examined how an informal settlement upgrade project can be implemented in an effective manner. The data originated from interviews with 231 residents of informal settlements in Port Moresby and was analyzed using mixed methods approach which includes descriptive statistics, qualitative content analysis and binary logistic regression model. The results show that all the residents would support the upgrade project and would pay for service charges associated with infrastructure and services provided by the project. Piped borne water and health care facility were the most preferred. In order for the upgrade project to be successful, residents should be fully involved in planning and implementing the project. Results from the logistic model revealed that decision to live in a makeshift house is influenced by factors such as house and land ownership, frequency of crime in the area, household size, occupation, access to toilet and number of years lived in informal settlement. There is a need to develop an effective mechanism for restricting the emergence of new informal settlements. The findings contribute to urban development planning by providing guidelines for upgrading informal settlements in an effective and efficient manner. The findings will be useful for policy makers, planners and urban development managers in the informal settlement upgrade process.

Two volumetric techniques for determining the transport properties of hydrogen gas in polymer

We report two different volumetric analysis techniques to determine the transport properties of hydrogen dissolved in rubbery polymers. This measures the volume filled by the released hydrogen from rubber by gas collection in a graduated cylinder and by gas chromatography after exposure a sample with high-pressure hydrogen and decompression. From the measurement results, the uptake (C∞), diffusion coefficient (D), and solubility (S) of hydrogen are quantified by employing an upgraded diffusion analysis program. These methods are applied to three cylindrical rubber samples. Dual adsorption behaviors with increasing pressure are observed for all rubber samples. C∞ follows Henry's law up to ∼15 MPa, whereas the Langmuir model applies up to 90 MPa. No size dependence are observed for C∞ and S, whereas pressure-dependent D shows Knudsen and bulk diffusion behavior below and above a critical pressure, respectively. The S and D measured in two techniques are consistent with each other within the expanded uncertainty evaluated. A COMSOL simulation is compared with experimental investigations.

Environmental and Social Sustainability of Urban Upgrading Programs: Lessons from Rio

Given that on-site upgrading is the “state-of-the-art” policy for squatter settlements and given that Favela Bairro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the most celebrated of these upgrading programs, this article addresses these three questions: how well did the infrastructure improvements hold up a decade after they were completed?; What happened during those ten years that reversed some of the positive impacts found in an evaluation study right after the upgrading was completed?; and, What can we learn from that?. Specifically, this paper assesses the state of the infrastructure of the 88 informal neighborhoods (favelas) improved by the Favela-Bairro-II (FB2) program between 2000 and 2008. The assessment found that, after a decade, the condition of the infrastructure in the upgraded favelas was no better than the infrastructure in the non-upgraded favelas. Climate change and lack of social cohesion undermined the sustainability of the upgrading. The improvements which deteriorated the most were street pavement, street lighting, drainage, and sewerage systems. Greatest deterioration occurred in larger favelas, those located on steep slopes and those with higher levels of violence and crime. No correlation was found between population density and deterioration of infrastructure.

Purely ropivacaine-based TEA vs single TAP block in pain management after elective laparoscopic colon surgery within an upgraded institutional ERAS program

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) with transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in post-operative pain management after laparoscopic colon surgery.MethodsOne hundred thirty-six patients undergoing laparoscopic colon resection randomly received either TEA or TAP with ropivacaine only. The primary endpoint was opioid requirement up to 48 h postoperatively. Intensity of pain, time to onset of bowel function, time to mobilization, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and patients’ satisfaction with pain management were also assessed.ResultsWe observed a significant decrease in opioid consumption on the day of surgery with TEA compared with TAP block (30 mg vs 14 mg, p < 0.001). On the first two postoperative days (POD), the balance shifted to opioid consumption being smaller in the TAP group: on POD 1 (15.2 mg vs 10.6 mg; p = 0.086) and on POD 2 (9.2 mg vs 4.6 mg; p = 0.021). There were no differences in postoperative nausea/vomiting or time to first postoperative bowel movement between the groups. No direct blockade-related complications were observed and the length of stay was similar between TEA and TAP groups.ConclusionTEA is more efficient for acute postoperative pain than TAP block on day of surgery, but not on the first two PODs. No differences in pain management-related complications were detected.

Development and characterization of a large area silicon pad array for an electromagnetic calorimeter

We present the research and development work of the first version of a 6×6 array of silicon pad detectors, carried out in India, for the proposed forward calorimeter (FOCAL) as part of the ALICE collaboration upgrade program at CERN. The primary motivation is to develop a large area silicon pad array realizing the challenging requirements of high-energy physics experiments such as low leakage current, high breakdown voltage and evaluate its performance as an active layer in the prototype silicon tungsten (Si-W) electromagnetic (EM) calorimeter. Towards these goals, a 36-pad silicon sensor with an individual pad size of ∼1 cm2 is designed on a 4-inch high resistivity N-type wafer and fabricated at Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore. The sensors have been used to assemble the prototype Si-W calorimeters and were successfully tested with high-energy particle beams. The design and development of the large area silicon sensor and its characterization using radioactive sources in the laboratory and high-energy particle beams are reported in this paper.

The Theoretical Proposition to Promote and Motivate Prison Labour in Ghana

The ultimate purpose of the prison industry over the years was for the incarceration of criminals to serve their custodial sentence, which was later fused with rehabilitation programs to reform criminals to become better citizens after being released from custodial sentences. However, the outcome of the reformation of convicts after released from the prison has been a sad story than expected success cases. Hence, the theoretical proposition of the paper with respect to the prison industry of Ghana is to resolve recidivism, promote inmates’ skill upgrade and labour reformation programs to become socio-economic beneficial during and after a custodial sentence.

ILT20 – an Upgraded Computer Program for Evaluation of Accelerated Leach Test Data of LLW in the Hungarian NPP Paks

Computer Program ILT15 was earlier developed to accompany a new leach test for solidified radioactive waste forms in the Hungarian NPP Paks. The program was designed to be used as a tool for performing the calculations necessary to analyze leach test data, a modelling program to determine if diffusion is the operating leaching mechanism (and, if not, to indicate other possible mechanisms), and a means to make extrapolations using the diffusion models. The program uses computational algorithm of ASTM C1308 standard. Now we have developed another computational algorithm based on a Partial Differential Equation (PDE) of a cylindrical specimen, solved the PDE by a Crank-Nicolson Finite Difference Method (FDM) and calculated by integration the eluted amount of a given component in time. The new solution more accurate method was integrated into the existing ILT15 computer program and the resulting new ILT20 program is able to calculate the Incremental/Cumulative Fraction Leached IFL/CFL) either by ASTM or PDE numerical solution methods.ILT20 program is written in C++ in the Borland C++ Builder programming environment. A detailed description of application of this upgraded modelling computer program is given.