338 research outputs found

    Advances and Applications of DSmT for Information Fusion. Collected Works, Volume 5

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    This fifth volume on Advances and Applications of DSmT for Information Fusion collects theoretical and applied contributions of researchers working in different fields of applications and in mathematics, and is available in open-access. The collected contributions of this volume have either been published or presented after disseminating the fourth volume in 2015 in international conferences, seminars, workshops and journals, or they are new. The contributions of each part of this volume are chronologically ordered. First Part of this book presents some theoretical advances on DSmT, dealing mainly with modified Proportional Conflict Redistribution Rules (PCR) of combination with degree of intersection, coarsening techniques, interval calculus for PCR thanks to set inversion via interval analysis (SIVIA), rough set classifiers, canonical decomposition of dichotomous belief functions, fast PCR fusion, fast inter-criteria analysis with PCR, and improved PCR5 and PCR6 rules preserving the (quasi-)neutrality of (quasi-)vacuous belief assignment in the fusion of sources of evidence with their Matlab codes. Because more applications of DSmT have emerged in the past years since the apparition of the fourth book of DSmT in 2015, the second part of this volume is about selected applications of DSmT mainly in building change detection, object recognition, quality of data association in tracking, perception in robotics, risk assessment for torrent protection and multi-criteria decision-making, multi-modal image fusion, coarsening techniques, recommender system, levee characterization and assessment, human heading perception, trust assessment, robotics, biometrics, failure detection, GPS systems, inter-criteria analysis, group decision, human activity recognition, storm prediction, data association for autonomous vehicles, identification of maritime vessels, fusion of support vector machines (SVM), Silx-Furtif RUST code library for information fusion including PCR rules, and network for ship classification. Finally, the third part presents interesting contributions related to belief functions in general published or presented along the years since 2015. These contributions are related with decision-making under uncertainty, belief approximations, probability transformations, new distances between belief functions, non-classical multi-criteria decision-making problems with belief functions, generalization of Bayes theorem, image processing, data association, entropy and cross-entropy measures, fuzzy evidence numbers, negator of belief mass, human activity recognition, information fusion for breast cancer therapy, imbalanced data classification, and hybrid techniques mixing deep learning with belief functions as well

    Transport Properties and Magnetoresistance of Cluster-Assembled Fe-Ge and Fe-Ag Nanocomposites

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    Granular nanocomposites are composite materials in which grain-like particles with dimensions on the order of nanometers form one of the phases. These nanoparticles are embedded in a second phase, the matrix. Such granular nanocomposites constitute a very promising class of materials with great potential for novel and tailorable properties, making granular nanocomposites especially interesting for scientific endeavor. In the simplest case, granular nanocomposites are synthesized via co-deposition of two immiscible chemical elements. In this approach, nanoparticles grow via incorporation of diffusing atoms of one of the elements forming the prototype material; the remaining atoms of the other element constitute the matrix. This phase segregation process may be assisted by thermal annealing. Another approach used to form granular nanocomposite prototype materials is to ion-implant nanoparticle-type atoms into already grown films or wafer surfaces. However, since these two approaches utilize the immiscibility of the combined materials, they can be applied to such immiscible material systems only. Furthermore, the range of achievable elemental compositions and particle sizes is limited. An interesting alternative strategy to synthesize granular nanocomposites is to deposit the matrix material simultaneously with preformed, spherical nanoparticles. In this approach, the nanoparticles are embedded into the matrix in a direct fashion. The preformed, spherical nanoparticles are called clusters, correspondingly, the created nanomaterials are called cluster-assembled nanocomposites. The great advantage of this special co-deposition approach is that it allows for the creation of nanocomposites out of elements that are at least partially miscible or that can form crystallographic mixed phases—that is, for the creation of so-called nonequilibrium compositions. Embedding the nanoparticles as preformed constituents instead of letting them segregate during the deposition process also increases the degree of control over the deposition process. An ultimate degree of control over the composition is achieved when the clusters are size-selected prior to deposition. This is the strategy pursued in the present thesis. Here, a cluster ion beam deposition system that features a narrow cluster size distribution of ±10% is used to synthesize films of cluster-assembled nanocomposites. Two different nanocomposites are prepared and examined: nanocomposites made of Fe-clusters embedded in Ge-matrices and nanocomposites of Fe-clusters embedded in Ag-matrices. The created Fe-clusters are only a few nanometers in size and, therefore, of superparamagnetic kind. The study of the physical properties of the prepared nanocomposites as a function of cluster size and cluster concentration, in particular, of their transport and magnetoresistive properties, is the central aim of this thesis. First, the Fe-Ge nanocomposites are examined. In this course, also the process of sample preparation and the various performed measurements are discussed. Embedding magnetic Fe nanoparticles into a semiconductor aims for a synthesis of the magnetic and the semiconducting properties, that is, for the creation of so-called magnetic semiconductors. Magnetic semiconductors define a class of materials whose properties can be controlled by means of a magnetic field in addition to—or even instead of—an electric field. For this reason, magnetic semiconductors represent an essential component for the emerging field of spintronics. Two series of Fe-Ge nanocomposites are prepared: one with clusters consisting of 500 ± 50 Fe atoms and one with clusters consisting of 1000 ± 100 Fe atoms. In the course of the analysis, Ge is found to grow in an amorphous structure under the conditions of the co-deposition experiments. A co-deposition sample layout that consists of a co-deposition mask and a complementing sample chip layout is developed. The deposited nanocomposite samples are studied by means of resistance and magnetoresistance measurements in a cryostat, by means of scanning electron microscopy including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and by means of SQUID magnetometry. Besides tunneling magnetoresistance, which is negative, of saturating kind, and observed with a magnitude on the order of 1% here, at least one other effect not saturating within the examined magnetic field range of |µ0 H| ≤ 6 T is observed. Several effects that may explain the observed non-saturating behavior are discussed, however, the origin remains unsolved. Furthermore, the resistivity of the Fe-Ge nanocomposites as well as the tunneling magnetoresistance are each found to be a function of the average distance between the surfaces of neighboring clusters rather than the average distance between their centers of mass. Finally, some of the Fe-Ge nanocomposite samples are thermally annealed in vacuum, under the presence of hydrogen gas, and at two different temperatures in various steps. Thermal annealing alters the structure of the as-deposited nanocomposites, which is reflected by changes in the measured physical properties. These changes are identified and discussed. Secondly, the Fe-Ag nanocomposites are examined. In comparison to the Fe-Ge system, the Fe-Ag system is represented in the literature rather well. In particular, it is well-known that the giant magnetoresistance effect can occur in layered as well as in granular Fe-Ag structures. Here, the aim is to confirm that the applied methods give results comparable to those found in the literature and to perhaps even improve upon existing data. Again, two series of nanocomposite samples with clusters consisting of 500 and 1000 Fe atoms, respectively, are fabricated. In addition, a third series of Fe-Ag nanocomposite samples with clusters consisting of 1500 ± 150 Fe atoms is prepared. Giant magnetoresistance of maximum −6% is observed. The giant magnetoresistance effect increases in magnitude with decreasing size of the embedded clusters. Furthermore, an optimum composition of clusters and matrix material for a maximum magnitude of the giant magnetoresistance effect seems to exist. However, no clear dependence of the measured properties on neither the Fe concentration nor the average distance between the surfaces of neighboring clusters is observed. Besides the examination of Fe-Ge and Fe-Ag nanocomposites, a setup that combines laser ablation and inert gas condensation is designed and assembled. In contrast to other techniques, laser ablation features a large fraction of uncharged output particles. Further, laser ablation also allows for the creation of nanoparticles made of electrically insulating materials. Accordingly, the original application considered for the setup lies in the field of matter-wave diffraction experiments. In principle, the setup may be used for the deposition of cluster-assembled materials as well. However, it has never been used for experiments in any of these fields. Nevertheless, the present state of the setup as well as its principle of operation are reviewed. The review is completed with a brief analysis of a test sample of collected Ag clusters prepared with the setup

    Data journeys in the sciences

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    This is the final version. Available from Springer via the DOI in this record. This groundbreaking, open access volume analyses and compares data practices across several fields through the analysis of specific cases of data journeys. It brings together leading scholars in the philosophy, history and social studies of science to achieve two goals: tracking the travel of data across different spaces, times and domains of research practice; and documenting how such journeys affect the use of data as evidence and the knowledge being produced. The volume captures the opportunities, challenges and concerns involved in making data move from the sites in which they are originally produced to sites where they can be integrated with other data, analysed and re-used for a variety of purposes. The in-depth study of data journeys provides the necessary ground to examine disciplinary, geographical and historical differences and similarities in data management, processing and interpretation, thus identifying the key conditions of possibility for the widespread data sharing associated with Big and Open Data. The chapters are ordered in sections that broadly correspond to different stages of the journeys of data, from their generation to the legitimisation of their use for specific purposes. Additionally, the preface to the volume provides a variety of alternative “roadmaps” aimed to serve the different interests and entry points of readers; and the introduction provides a substantive overview of what data journeys can teach about the methods and epistemology of research.European CommissionAustralian Research CouncilAlan Turing Institut

    Modelling bacterial biofilms in spatially heterogeneous environments

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    Biofi lms are communities of one or more species of microorganism which have adhered both together and to a surface. Biofi lms are ubiquitous in nature, with up to 80% of bacterial life on earth estimated to be found in a biofi lm. Bacterial biofi lms are far more resilient to both chemical and physical methods of removal than their planktonic counterparts, which presents numerous challenges in both clinical and industrial scenarios. Therefore, further research into the underlying mechanisms of how these biofi lms develop and survive is essential. This thesis aims to do so via the implementation of various computational modelling techniques. Currently, most computational modelling of biofi lms is done under somewhat idealised conditions, such as uniform antibiotic concentrations and mono-species bio lms, which do not always reflect the complex conditions found in vivo. This thesis therefore also aims to address this problem by using computational models to understand how biofi lms proliferate and resist methods of removal in spatially heterogeneous environments, such as chemical gradients of nutrients and antibiotics, or non-uniform flow fi elds. The thesis takes the form of three distinct projects, which are linked together by this common theme of spatial non-uniformity. Presented fi rst is an investigation into the coupling between nutrient availability and growth-dependent antibiotic susceptibility. This project uses a simple 1D Monte-Carlo model to simulate the advancement of a bacterial population along a spatial antibiotic concentration gradient. Bacterial replication consumes nutrients which in turn lowers the local growth rate, altering the antibiotic susceptibility. The results highlight the differing outcomes for antibiotics which target either slow-growing or fast-growing cells. Following this, the next project investigates the initial stages of biofi lm formation on a surface. This chapter involves a pair of complementary models, a deterministic one, involving a system of differential equations; and a stochastic one, where the individual bacteria are simulated using a modifi ed Γ-leaping algorithm, both again in 1D. By modifying the rates for certain actions which the bacteria undertake, the models predict that under certain conditions biofi lm formation is highly predictable, but for other parameter regimes, bio lm formation becomes more stochastic. In the third project, the stochastic biofi lm formation model described above is extended to develop a model for the formation of biofi lms on a surface which leaches an antimicrobial compound into the surrounding environment, similar to current antifouling coatings used to prevent marine biofouling in the shipping industry. A key difference in this model is the inclusion of multiple bacterial species, each with differing resistances to the applied biocide, intended to represent the biodiversity found in a typical marine environment. Finally, a computational fluid dynamics model is presented, which is used to model the interaction between a micro-structured surface featuring shark skin-like riblets and an enveloping biofi lm, when exposed to an external flow fi eld of various incident flow angles. These riblets are a contemporary solution to reducing hydrodynamic drag, e.g., on ship hulls, but are only effective when their physical shape is unobstructed. Investigating how misaligned riblets can impede, or even prevent, the sloughing of bio lm matter is therefore crucial to optimising their performance

    El microdesgaste dental como indicador de la dieta en grupos de la Prehistoria Reciente en la Península Ibérica: Una aproximación metodológica a través de diferentes técnicas microscópicas

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    El microdesgast dental és una eina que permet determinar les propietats físiques i mecàniques dels aliments consumits, oferint evidències de les pràctiques de preparació de l’aliment. Els orígens i la posterior intensificació de les economies productores van contribuir a àmplies transformacions culturals, socials i econòmiques durant la Prehistòria Recent. La caracterització de diferents patrons de microdesgast dental ofereix, per tant, la possibilitat de interpretar les diverses pràctiques dietètiques de les societats del passat. El principal objectiu d’aquesta Tesi Doctoral és la caracterització de la dieta, mitjançant l’anàlisi del microdesgast dental, d’un conjunt de grups bioarqueològics holocens de la Península ibèrica, amb la finalitat d’aprofundir en les diferents estratègies de subsistència. Des d’una perspectiva més metodològica, un segon objectiu ha estat l’avaluació de les diferents tècniques microscòpiques aplicades a l’estudi del microdesgast dental i, així, plantejar els avantatges i els inconvenients de cadascuna d’elles. Els resultats obtinguts han mostrat l’existència d’un ventall d’especialitzacions multicausals dins d’un patró general de dieta mixta dels grups de la Prehistòria Recent estudiats. D’altra banda, des d’un punt de vista metodològic, s’ha constatat que totes les tècniques microscòpiques que s’han seguit per a l’anàlisi del microdesgast dental són vàlides per a discriminar entre una gran varietat de dietes. A més d’això, en aquest treball s’ha desenvolupat una alternativa per a establir els patrons de microdesgast mitjançant microscòpia òptica a augments elevats de manera eficaç i amb un cost econòmic reduït En síntesi, el present treball mostra que el microdesgast dental és una bona eina d’anàlisi per a interpretar les estratègies de subsistència dels grups humans del passat, oferint evidències de les pràctiques de processament previ dels aliments i de les propietats de l’aliment en sí mateix.El microdesgaste dental es una herramienta que permite determinar las propiedades físicas y mecánicas de los alimentos consumidos, ofreciendo evidencias de las prácticas de preparación del alimento. Los orígenes y la posterior intensificación de las economías productoras contribuyeron a amplias transformaciones culturales, sociales y económicas durante la Prehistoria Reciente. La caracterización de diferentes patrones de microdesgaste dental ofrece, por tanto, la posibilidad de interpretar las diversas prácticas dietéticas de las sociedades del pasado. El principal objetivo de esta Tesis Doctoral es la caracterización de la dieta, mediante el análisis del microdesgaste dental, de un conjunto de grupos bioarqueológicos holocenos de la Península Ibérica, con el fin de profundizar en las diferentes estrategias de subsistencia. Desde una perspectiva más metodológica, un segundo objetivo ha consistido en la evaluación de las distintas técnicas microscópicas aplicadas al estudio del microdesgaste dental y de este modo discutir las ventajas e inconvenientes de cada una de ellas. Los resultados obtenidos han mostrado la existencia de diferentes especializaciones multicausales dentro de un patrón general de dieta mixta de los grupos de la Prehistoria Reciente estudiados. Por otro lado, desde un punto de vista metodológico, se ha constatado que todas las técnicas microscópicas que hemos empleado para analizar el microdesgaste dental son válidas para discriminar entre diversos tipos de dietas. Asimismo, en el presente trabajo se ha desarrollado una alternativa eficaz y de menor coste económico para establecer patrones de microdesgaste dental con microscopía óptica a altos aumentos. En síntesis, el presente trabajo muestra como el microdesgaste dental es una buena herramienta para interpretar las estrategias de subsistencia de los grupos humanos del pasado, ofreciendo evidencias de las prácticas de procesamiento previo del alimento y de las propiedades del alimento en sí.Dental microwear allows to determine the physical and mechanical properties of the consumed foods, providing evidence of the preparation practices of the foodstuff. The origin and later intensification of farming economies contributed to major cultural, social, and economic transformations during the Recent Prehistory. The characterization of different dental microwear patterns provides, therefore, the possibility of interpreting different dietary practices of the societies of the past. The main objective of this Doctoral dissertation focuses on the characterization of the diet, through the analysis of dental microwear, of a set of Holocene bioarchaeological groups from the Iberian Peninsula, with the aim of deepening on the knowledge about the different subsistence strategies. From a methodological perspective, a second aim is the evaluation of the different methodologies applied to the study of dental microwear. The advantages and inconveniences of each of them will be discussed. The results obtained show the existence of different multi-causal specialisations within a general pattern of mixed diet of the Recent Prehistoric groups studied. Besides that, it has been noted that all the microscopic techniques employed here to analyze dental microwear are valid to characterize differing microwear patterns, and, thus, to discriminate between different types of diets. Furthermore, in this work we have developed an efficient and cost-effective alternative to document dental microwear patterns with the optical microscopy at high magnifications. In summary, the present work evidences that dental microwear is a reliable proxy for reconstructing the subsistence practices of past human groups, providing information about the techniques of previous processing of the foodstuff and the properties of the foodstuff itself. In addition, its complementation with other types of dietary approaches provides a wider perspective about the variability of the dietary practices of past human groups

    PROCEEDINGS 5th PLATE Conference

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    The 5th international PLATE conference (Product Lifetimes and the Environment) addressed product lifetimes in the context of sustainability. The PLATE conference, which has been running since 2015, has successfully been able to establish a solid network of researchers around its core theme. The topic has come to the forefront of current (political, scientific & societal) debates due to its interconnectedness with a number of recent prominent movements, such as the circular economy, eco-design and collaborative consumption. For the 2023 edition of the conference, we encouraged researchers to propose how to extend, widen or critically re-construct thematic sessions for the PLATE conference, and the paper call was constructed based on these proposals. In this 5th PLATE conference, we had 171 paper presentations and 238 participants from 14 different countries. Beside of paper sessions we organized workshops and REPAIR exhibitions

    Z-Numbers-Based Approach to Hotel Service Quality Assessment

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    In this study, we are analyzing the possibility of using Z-numbers for measuring the service quality and decision-making for quality improvement in the hotel industry. Techniques used for these purposes are based on consumer evalu- ations - expectations and perceptions. As a rule, these evaluations are expressed in crisp numbers (Likert scale) or fuzzy estimates. However, descriptions of the respondent opinions based on crisp or fuzzy numbers formalism not in all cases are relevant. The existing methods do not take into account the degree of con- fidence of respondents in their assessments. A fuzzy approach better describes the uncertainties associated with human perceptions and expectations. Linguis- tic values are more acceptable than crisp numbers. To consider the subjective natures of both service quality estimates and confidence degree in them, the two- component Z-numbers Z = (A, B) were used. Z-numbers express more adequately the opinion of consumers. The proposed and computationally efficient approach (Z-SERVQUAL, Z-IPA) allows to determine the quality of services and iden- tify the factors that required improvement and the areas for further development. The suggested method was applied to evaluate the service quality in small and medium-sized hotels in Turkey and Azerbaijan, illustrated by the example

    Remote Sensing of Precipitation: Part II

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    Precipitation is a well-recognized pillar in the global water and energy balances. The accurate and timely understanding of its characteristics at the global, regional and local scales is indispensable for a clearer insight on the mechanisms underlying the Earth’s atmosphere-ocean complex system. Precipitation is one of the elements that is documented to be greatly affected by climate change. In its various forms, precipitation comprises the primary source of freshwater, which is vital for the sustainability of almost all human activities. Its socio-economic significance is fundamental in managing this natural resource effectively, in applications ranging from irrigation to industrial and household usage. Remote sensing of precipitation is pursued through a broad spectrum of continuously enriched and upgraded instrumentation, embracing sensors which can be ground-based (e.g., weather radars), satellite-borne (e.g., passive or active space-borne sensors), underwater (e.g., hydrophones), aerial, or ship-borne. This volume hosts original research contributions on several aspects of remote sensing of precipitation, including applications which embrace the use of remote sensing in tackling issues such as precipitation estimation, seasonal characteristics of precipitation and frequency analysis, assessment of satellite precipitation products, storm prediction, rain microphysics and microstructure, and the comparison of satellite and numerical weather prediction precipitation products

    ECOS 2012

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    The 8-volume set contains the Proceedings of the 25th ECOS 2012 International Conference, Perugia, Italy, June 26th to June 29th, 2012. ECOS is an acronym for Efficiency, Cost, Optimization and Simulation (of energy conversion systems and processes), summarizing the topics covered in ECOS: Thermodynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Exergy and Second Law Analysis, Process Integration and Heat Exchanger Networks, Fluid Dynamics and Power Plant Components, Fuel Cells, Simulation of Energy Conversion Systems, Renewable Energies, Thermo-Economic Analysis and Optimisation, Combustion, Chemical Reactors, Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Building/Urban/Complex Energy Systems, Water Desalination and Use of Water Resources, Energy Systems- Environmental and Sustainability Issues, System Operation/ Control/Diagnosis and Prognosis, Industrial Ecology

    HERITAGE 2022. International Conference on Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability

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    Vernacular architecture, tangible and intangible heritage of great importance to European and global culture, represents the response of a society culturally linked to its territory, in terms of climate and landscape. Its construction features are born from the practical experience of the inhabitants, making use of local materials, taking into consideration geographical conditions and cultural, social and constructive traditions, based on the conditions of the surrounding nature and habitat. Above all, it plays an essential role in contemporary society as it is able to teach us important principles and lessons for a respectful sustainable architecture. Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability will be a valuable source of information for academics and professionals in the fields of Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, Construction and Building Engineering and ArchitectureMileto, C.; Vegas López-Manzanares, F.; Cristini, V.; García Soriano, L. (2022). HERITAGE 2022. International Conference on Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/HERITAGE2022.2022.15942EDITORIA
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