Approximation algorithms for guarding holey polygons

Guarding edges of polygons is a version of art gallery problem.The goal is finding the minimum number of guards to cover the edges of a polygon. This problem is NP-hard, and to our knowledge there are approximation algorithms just for simple polygons. In this paper we present two approximation algorithms for guarding polygons with holes.Keywords: guarding, approximation algorithm, vertex guard, edge guar

Aspect oriented implementation of design patterns using metadata

Computer programming paradigms aim to provide better separation of concerns. Aspect oriented programming extends object oriented programming by managing crosscutting concerns using aspects. Two of the most important critics of aspect oriented programming are the “tyranny of the dominant signature” and lack of visibility of program's flow. Metadata, in form of Java annotations, is a solution to both problems. Design patterns are assumed as the general solutions for Object-Oriented matters. They assist in software complexity management and serve as a bridge among software designers as well. These properties have led the patterns to be introduced as a choice in order to prove new technologies. Successful implementations share a generic solution: the usage of annotation to configure and mark the participants, while the pattern's code is encapsulated in aspects. This loses the coupling between aspects and type signatures and between the code base and a specific AOP framework. Also, it increases the developer's awareness of the program's flow. In the present article, aspect oriented programming and design patterns are introduced and also taking the benefit of annotation equipment in java language is proposed as a solution to reduce tight coupling and increase program flow observation rate for aspect oriented programming. Keywords: aspect oriented programming, design patterns, object oriented programming, metadata

A Methodology for Performing Meta-analyses of Developers Attitudes Towards Programming Practices

Programming practices are often labelled as “best practice” and “bad practice” by developers. This label can be subjective but we can see trends among developers. A methodology for performing meta-analyses of articles discussing any given practice was created to determine programmers overall attitudes towards any given practice while accounting for factors such as whether they considered alternative approaches

The TU Wien Turbulent Water Channel: Flow control loop and three-dimensional reconstruction of anisotropic particle dynamics

A horizontal water channel facility was built to study particle dynamics in a turbulent flow. The channel is sufficiently long to produce fully developed turbulence at the test section, and the width-to-height ratio is sufficiently large to avoid the sidewall effect for a large proportion of the cross-section. The system was designed to study the dynamics of complex-shaped particles in wall-bounded turbulence, the characteristics of which can be finely controlled. A maximum bulk velocity of up to 0.8 m s−1 can be achieved, corresponding to a bulk Reynolds number of up to 7 × 104 (shear Reynolds number ≈ 1580 ), and flow parameters can be controlled within ±0.1%. The transparent channel design and aluminum structures allow easy optical access, which enables multiple laser and camera arrangements. With the current optical setup, a measurement volume of up to 54 × 14 × 54 mm3 can be imaged and reconstructed with six cameras from the top, bottom, and sides of the channel. Finally, the in-house developed reconstruction and tracking procedure allows us to measure the full motion of complex objects (i.e., shape reconstruction, translational, and rotational motions), and in this instance, it is applied to the case of microscopic, non-isotropic polyamide fibers

A new family of matrix product states with Dzyaloshinski-Moriya interactions

We define a new family of matrix product states which are exact ground states of spin 1/2 Hamiltonians on one dimensional lattices. This class of Hamiltonians contain both Heisenberg and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions but at specified and not arbitrary couplings. We also compute in closed forms the one and two-point functions and the explicit form of the ground state. The degeneracy structure of the ground state is also discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figur

An Entrepreneurial Tourism Project through Agro-Tourism Farm in Iran

This study aims to provide a mechanism that helps to achieve sustainable development through the implementation of Agro-tourism plans. Clustering theory employed to provide a technical guideline for execution of the project as a sustainable approach for improvement of welfare of marginal communities. A medium scale entrepreneurial project proposed "“ "Agro-tourism complex". Results of this research produced useful implications for both public and private sector. Study revealed that such projects have potential for job creation, inverse migration, sustainability, and land conservation. The study is based on conceptual research method (Shuang et al, 2013). The study revealed that the welfare of marginalized indigenous communities, where the clusters of potentially available tourism products exist, could be improved dramatically if government policies and rural communities involve in shared vision

The balanced scorecard as a strategic management tool in hospital pharmacies: an experimental study

Purpose: A balanced scorecard (BSC) is an applied tool for implementing strategic management in various organizations. Implementing strategic management using the BSC approach has not received much attention in pharmacy departments. This study aims to provide a model for the strategic management of pharmacy departments using the BSC framework. Design/methodology/approach: This experimental study was conducted from 2015 to 2018 in a 300-bed hospital and regional healthcare centers affiliated with the Petroleum Industry Health Organization in Tehran province, Iran. After carefully reviewing the organization's mission and vision, the strategic objectives were determined via the internal matrix and the external matrix (IE matrix), and the strengths–weaknesses–opportunities–threats matrix (SWOT matrix) were examined. Then, six BSC measures and interventions were identified, and each was examined from the perspectives of finance, patient satisfaction, internal processes and learning/growth. Finally, the proposed strategy was evaluated. Findings: Results showed significant increases in patient satisfaction and gross profit. The observed increase range, from 0.09 to 0.29, indicates more effective operational management for optimal resource utilization. In addition, the pharmacy department was able to save US $539,137 by implementing prepared protocols for expensive medications. Similarly, the pharmacy department saved$442,899 during the two years of our strategic management plan by implementing the standard mechanism for returning unused medications to the pharmacy department after patients were discharged from various treatment units. Originality/value: This study is among the first studies to demonstrate the simultaneous development, implementation and evaluation of the proposed strategy using the BSC in a pharmacy department in a public healthcare center. The BSC application improved the optimal use of resources and reduced costs while increasing patient satisfaction. It appears that the application of such an intervention may be as valuable to public pharmacies as it is to other private centers

Bound entanglement in quantum phase transitions

We investigate quantum phase transitions in which a change in the type of entanglement from bound entanglement to either free entanglement or separability may occur. In particular, we present a theoretical method to construct a class of quantum spin-chain Hamiltonians that exhibit this type of quantum criticality. Given parameter-dependent two-site reduced density matrices (with prescribed entanglement properties), we lay out a reverse construction for a compatible pure state for the whole system, as well as a class of Hamiltonians for which this pure state is a ground state. This construction is illustrated through several examples.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Global, Regional, and National Levels and Trends in Burden of Oral Conditions from 1990 to 2017: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study

Government and nongovernmental organizations need national and global estimates on the descriptive epidemiology of common oral conditions for policy planning and evaluation. The aim of this component of the Global Burden of Disease study was to produce estimates on prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability for oral conditions from 1990 to 2017 by sex, age, and countries. In addition, this study reports the global socioeconomic pattern in burden of oral conditions by the standard World Bank classification of economies as well as the Global Burden of Disease Socio-demographic Index. The findings show that oral conditions remain a substantial population health challenge. Globally, there were 3.5 billion cases (95% uncertainty interval [95% UI], 3.2 to 3.7 billion) of oral conditions, of which 2.3 billion (95% UI, 2.1 to 2.5 billion) had untreated caries in permanent teeth, 796 million (95% UI, 671 to 930 million) had severe periodontitis, 532 million (95% UI, 443 to 622 million) had untreated caries in deciduous teeth, 267 million (95% UI, 235 to 300 million) had total tooth loss, and 139 million (95% UI, 133 to 146 million) had other oral conditions in 2017. Several patterns emerged when the World Bank's classification of economies and the Socio-demographic Index were used as indicators of economic development. In general, more economically developed countries have the lowest burden of untreated dental caries and severe periodontitis and the highest burden of total tooth loss. The findings offer an opportunity for policy makers to identify successful oral health strategies and strengthen them; introduce and monitor different approaches where oral diseases are increasing; plan integration of oral health in the agenda for prevention of noncommunicable diseases; and estimate the cost of providing universal coverage for dental care

Phantom Mimicry on the Normal Branch of a DGP-inspired Braneworld Scenario with Curvature Effect

It has been shown recently that phantom-like effect can be realized on the normal branch of the DGP setup without introduction of any phantom matter neither in the bulk nor on the brane and therefore without violation of the null energy condition. It has been shown also that inclusion of the Gauss-Bonnet term in the bulk action modifies this picture via curvature effects. Here, based on the Lue-Starkman conjecture on the dynamical screening of the brane cosmological constant in the DGP setup, we extend this proposal to a general DGP-inspired $f(R,\phi)$ model that stringy effects in the ultra-violet sector of the theory are taken into account by inclusion of the Gauss-Bonnet term in the bulk action. We study cosmological dynamics of this setup, especially its phantom-like behavior and possible crossing of the phantom divide line especially with a non-minimally coupled quintessence field on the brane. In this setup, scalar field and curvature quintessence are treated in a unified framework.Comment: 25 Figures, To appear in MPL