Optimized Job Scheduling approach based on Genetic algorithms in smart Grid environment

The advances in communications and information technologies have been playing a major role in all aspects of our lives. One of those majors aspects that affect our daily lives is the power grids which lead to what we call Smart Grids. One of the major challenges in these grids is to optimize the consumption and resources. This paper presents an optimized job scheduling approach using genetic algorithm which provides a minimum cost for completing different tasks in a grid environment.  In grid environment different independent appliances are sharing the same resources depending on the availability of resources and the need of these appliances to run. There are different job scheduling approached starting from typical strategies, Ant Colony (AC) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). In this paper we present a cost optimized Genetic Algorithm approach for appliances job scheduling by considering different parameters like job duration time, the resources availability and the job priority to start. The proposed approach is tested using a simulator written in c++ programming language. The results show that the total saving in cost is better than the previous approaches

History-based consistency algorithm for the trickle-timer with low-power and lossy networks

Recently, the internet of things (IoT) has become an important concept which has changed the vision of the Internet with the appearance of IPv6 over low power and lossy networks (6LoWPAN). However, these 6LoWPANs have many drawbacks because of the use of many devices with limited resources; therefore, suitable protocols such as the Routing Protocol for low power and lossy networks (RPL) were developed, and one of RPL's main components is the trickle timer algorithm, used to control and maintain the routing traffic frequency caused by a set of control messages. However, the trickle timer suffered from the short-listen problem which was handled by adding the listen-only period mechanism. This addition increased the delay in propagating transmissions and resolving the inconsistency in the network. However, to solve this problem we proposed the history based consistency algorithm (HBC), which eliminates the listen-only period based on the consistency period of the network. The proposed algorithm showed very good results. We measured the performance of HBC trickle in terms of convergence time; which was mainly affected, the power consumption and the packet delivery ratio (PDR). We made a comparison between the original trickle timer, the E-Trickle, the optimized trickle and our HBC trickle algorithm. The PDR and the power consumption showed in some cases better results under the HBC trickle compared to other trickle timers and in other cases the results were very close to the original trickle indicating the efficiency of the proposed trickle in choosing optimal routes when sending messages

Matters may matter: The disclosure of key audit matters in the Middle East

The main objective of this research is to investigate the extent of the disclosure of key audit matters (KAMs) and the factors that affect the level of KAMs' disclosure in the audit reports of the Middle East (ME) region. A disclosure index approach is employed to consider eight KAMs generated from the International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 701 and a fixed effect regression run on a sample of 281 firms from four countries (Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan) for four years (2017-2020), comprising 1124 observations. The findings show that the overall KAMs' disclosure is approximately 56% across all countries. The study takes into consideration the positive and significant correlation between the leverage, audit committee characteristics, financial industry, audit firm, client size, profitability, liquidity, and KAMs' disclosure in most sampled countries. This research contributes to our understanding of the level of KAMs' disclosure and the factors specific to the ME region, which enhances policymakers' and decision-makers' knowledge of KAMs' disclosure in audit reports. 2022 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.The authors would like to thank the Qatar National Library (QNL) for their funding of this research as a part of the QNL's Open Access Program.Scopu

Nonlinear absorption and refraction of picosecond and femtosecond pulses in HgTe quantum dot films

We report measurements of the saturated intensities, saturable absorption, and nonlinear refraction in 70-nm thick films containing 4 nm HgTe quantum dots. We demonstrate strong nonlinear refraction and saturable absorption in the thin films using tunable picosecond and femtosecond pulses. Studies were carried out using tunable laser pulses in the range of 400–1100 nm. A significant variation of the nonlinear refraction along this spectral range was demonstrated. The maximal values of the nonlinear absorption coefficients and nonlinear refractive indices determined within the studied wavelength range were −2.4 × 10−5 cm2 W−1 (in the case of 28 ps, 700 nm probe pulses) and −3 × 10−9 cm2 W−1 (in the case of 28 ps, 400 nm probe pulses), respectively. Our studies show that HgTe quantum dots can be used in different fields e.g., as efficient emitters of high-order harmonics of ultrashort laser pulses or as laser mode-lockers. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Published under the CC BY 4.0 license.European Regional Development Fund (1.1.1.5/19/A/003), Latvian Council of Sciences (lzp-2020/2-0238). Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence acknowledges funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2

Bayesian Classifiers in Intrusion Detection Systems

To be able to identify computer attacks, detection systems that are based on faults are not dependent on data base upgrades unlike the ones based on misuse. The first type of systems mentioned generate a knowledge pattern from which the usual and unusual traffic is distinguished. Within computer networks, different classification traffic techniques have been implemented in intruder detection systems based on abnormalities. These try to improve the measurement that assess the performance quality of classifiers and reduce computational cost. In this research work, a comparative analysis of the obtained results is carried out after implementing different selection techniques such as Info.Gain, Gain ratio and Relief as well as Bayesian (Naïve Bayes and Bayesians Networks). Hence, 97.6% of right answers were got with 13 features. Likewise, through the implementation of both load balanced methods and attributes normalization and choice, it was also possible to diminish the number of features used in the ID classification process. Also, a reduced computational expense was achieved

Emerging pharmacotherapy of tinnitus

Tinnitus, the perception of sound in the absence of an auditory stimulus, is perceived by about 1 in 10 adults, and for at least 1 in 100, tinnitus severely affects their quality of life. Because tinnitus is frequently associated with irritability, agitation, stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression, the social and economic burdens of tinnitus can be enormous. No curative treatments are available. However, tinnitus symptoms can be alleviated to some extent. The most widespread management therapies consist of auditory stimulation and cognitive behavioral treatment, aiming at improving habituation and coping strategies. Available clinical trials vary in methodological rigor and have been performed for a considerable number of different drugs. None of the investigated drugs have demonstrated providing replicable long-term reduction of tinnitus impact in the majority of patients in excess of placebo effects. Accordingly, there are no FDA or European Medicines Agency approved drugs for the treatment of tinnitus. However, in spite of the lack of evidence, a large variety of different compounds are prescribed off-label. Therefore, more effective pharmacotherapies for this huge and still growing market are desperately needed and even a drug that produces only a small but significant effect would have an enormous therapeutic impact. This review describes current and emerging pharmacotherapies with current difficulties and limitations. In addition, it provides an estimate of the tinnitus market. Finally, it describes recent advances in the tinnitus field which may help overcome obstacles faced in the pharmacological treatment of tinnitus. These include incomplete knowledge of tinnitus pathophysiology, lack of well-established animal models, heterogeneity of different forms of tinnitus, difficulties in tinnitus assessment and outcome measurement and variability in clinical trial methodology. © 2009 Informa UK Ltd.Fil: Langguth, Berthold. Universitat Regensburg; AlemaniaFil: Salvi, Richard. State University of New York; Estados UnidosFil: Elgoyhen, Ana Belen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentin