A synthesis of location models

This article considers a model of spatial competition where firms and consumers are located in a semicircular space rather than in the whole circle (Salop's model) or the linear city (Hotelling's model), under the assumptions of both, convex and concave, transportation costs. The paper tries to generalize the results of the two previous models. We find that for concave transportation costs the existence of a price equilibrium is warranted for every firms' location when the length of the semicircular space is greater than 3/4. For the convex case, perfect equilibrium is only obtained when the size of the market segment is equivalent to Hotelling's linear model.

Optimized Household Demand Management with Local Solar PV Generation

Demand Side Management (DSM) strategies are of-ten associated with the objectives of smoothing the load curve and reducing peak load. Although the future of demand side manage-ment is technically dependent on remote and automatic control of residential loads, the end-users play a significant role by shifting the use of appliances to the off-peak hours when they are exposed to Day-ahead market price. This paper proposes an optimum so-lution to the problem of scheduling of household demand side management in the presence of PV generation under a set of tech-nical constraints such as dynamic electricity pricing and voltage deviation. The proposed solution is implemented based on the Clonal Selection Algorithm (CSA). This solution is evaluated through a set of scenarios and simulation results show that the proposed approach results in the reduction of electricity bills and the import of energy from the grid

Assessing Soil Properties & Suitability for Optimized Irrigation Development in Sudan, Northern Africa

In Chapter 1, soil properties essential for efficient irrigation are thoroughly assessed. Factors such as soil texture, infiltration rates, and nutrient content are analyzed to provide insights into the selection of modern irrigation systems. Utilizing data collected from 3,192 locations through GPS and laboratory analyses, alongside sophisticated ranking systems, the research determines the most suitable irrigation methods for specific soil series. Findings highlight the remarkable efficiency of drip irrigation across various soil types, contrasting with the consistently lower performance of surface irrigation. The chapter emphasizes the significance of considering soil variability, evapotranspiration, and investment factors in selecting irrigation methods for sustainable water management. In Chapter 2, we extended the focus to assess land suitability for various irrigation methods across different soil series in Sudan. Employing the parametric evaluation system, the study examines crucial factors such as soil texture, depth, calcium carbonate content, drainage properties, and slope. Results reveal significant variability in the suitability of irrigation methods across soil series, with certain soil types demonstrating moderate suitability for sprinkler and drip irrigation. The chapter underscores the importance of considering soil-specific challenges and irrigation method compatibility for sustainable water use in Sudan\u27s semi-arid regions. Advisor: Derek Heere

Antenna with artificial magnetic conductor for wireless application

— This paper discussed the recent works on Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) with the antenna. Two different application for antenna with AMC have been discussed. The first application is the antenna with AMC that has been used for RFID system to detect the metal object. Without incorporating AMC with antenna the system cannot be detected. When the AMC is attached with the RFID Tag antenna the system is back to normal where longer distance is achieved. The second application is used for flexible AMC using textile material for signal transmission enhancement. Using two antennas for on body application the system has been tested using AMC and without AMC. It shows that the transmission is better when there is an AMC attach to the body compared without AMC. Index Terms — Artificial Magnetic Conductor, high impedance surface, metamaterial, reflection phase

Drivers' perceptions of unsafe driving behaviors and their countermeasures: a study in Saudi Arabia

There is an increased public concern about the role of aggressive driving and "road rage" in crashes and traffic fatalities. There is no general agreement as to what constitutes aggressive driving. Consequently, the objective of the study was to survey of the perceptions on the specific unsafe driving acts. Perceptions and beliefs of drivers about unsafe and aggressive driving actions and their countermeasures are presented in this paper. The study primarily looked at the wide range of driver attitudes about speeding and other forms of unsafe driving behavior. The study was conducted in Jeddah, the second largest city of Saudi Arabia by interviewing a sample of 300 drivers. The results indicated that the drivers, in general, prefer to drive at higher speeds and could be considered as more aggressive compared to the drivers in the United States. The most dangerous reported driving act was "drive thru red light", followed by "racing another driver". Only 23% of the drivers thought that it was dangerous to drive over 30 km of the legal speed limits. The most often seen unsafe driving action was "speeding (70%), followed by "driving too closely (57%), "failing to use turn signals (53%), "drive inattentively (50%)", and "running red lights (43%)". The main causes of unsafe driving behaviors were "being in a hurry/time pressure (66%)", "aggressive behavior of others (52%)", and "refusing traffic rules (51%)". The countermeasure that was viewed to be the most effective in reducing unsafe driving behaviors was assigning more traffic police officers (66%). The study revealed that, more than half the drivers believed that more frequent ticketing (60%), doubling or tripling fines (54%), and doubling the length of imprisonment (53%) would be effective in reducing unsafe driving behavior

Magnetohydrodynamics in Biomedical Applications

This chapter discusses recent advances in biomedical applications of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The magnetohydrodynamic (MDH) effect is a physical phenomenon describing the motion of a conducting fluid flowing under influencing of an external magnetic field. The chapter covers four primary areas of research: (1) laser beam scanning, (2) nano-particle manipulation, (3) imaging contrast enhancement, and (4) targeted drug delivery. The state-of-the-art devices based on magnetohydrodynamic principles are also presented, providing a broad view of biomedical MHDs. As the field of biomedical MHDs continues to grow, advances towards micro-scale transitions will continue to be made, maintaining its clinically driven nature and motion towards real-world applications