A Multi-Criteria Approach for Irrigation Water Management

The major implications that the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) may have in irrigated agriculture were analysed using alternative water policy measures. The consequences of policy change were evaluated in a case study (Baixo Alentejo, Portugal), using a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model that simulates farmers’ preferred behaviour. The study compares the effects of water pricing (volumetric and flat tariffs) and consumption quotas, in farmer’s income, water agency revenues, agricultural employment and water demand for irrigation. Model results indicate that the adjustments in farmer’s responses are dependent on the policy strategy enforced and on the policy level.Water Framework Directive, Flat Pricing, Volumetric Pricing, Multi- Objective Programming, Water Management, Portugal,

Inferring change points in the COVID-19 spreading reveals the effectiveness of interventions

As COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe, short-term modeling forecasts provide time-critical information for decisions on containment and mitigation strategies. A main challenge for short-term forecasts is the assessment of key epidemiological parameters and how they change when first interventions show an effect. By combining an established epidemiological model with Bayesian inference, we analyze the time dependence of the effective growth rate of new infections. Focusing on the COVID-19 spread in Germany, we detect change points in the effective growth rate that correlate well with the times of publicly announced interventions. Thereby, we can quantify the effect of interventions, and we can incorporate the corresponding change points into forecasts of future scenarios and case numbers. Our code is freely available and can be readily adapted to any country or region.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures. Our code is freely available and can be readily adapted to any country or region ( https://github.com/Priesemann-Group/covid19_inference_forecast/

On the Higgs spectra of the 3-3-1 model

The minimal scalar sector of the 3-3-1 model is composed by the SU(3)$_L$ triplet scalars $\eta$, $\rho$, $\chi$ and its potential allows the trilinear term $\frac{f}{\sqrt{2}}\chi \eta \rho$. Since $f$ is an energy scale associated to the explicit violation of Peccei-Quinn global symmetry, it is natural to consider in what energy scale such symmetry is broken and its consequences in the spectrum of scalars of the model. here, We show that $f$ determines the spectrum of scalars of the model. Hence, we develop the scalar sector considering $f$ belonging to four energy regimes, namely $f \ll \langle \eta \rangle_0$, $\langle \rho \rangle_0$; $f= \langle \eta \rangle_0$, $\langle \rho \rangle_0$; $f=\langle \chi \rangle_0$ and $f \gg \langle \chi \rangle_0$ and obtain the spectrum of scalars for each case. In the first and second cases the spectrum of scalars presents a set of new scalars belonging to the electroweak scale, while in the third case all new scalars belong to the 3-3-1 scale and the fourth case all the new scalars have masses lying at $f$ scale. All cases have a neutral CP-even scalar mimicking the standard Higgs

Avaliação de anéis e escovas para uso em instrumentação : aplicação em transdutores de torque para sistemas girantes

Neste trabalho primeiramente nos preocupamos em conduzir um estudo a respeito da transmissão de energia e sinal elétricos, através de contatos do tipo anéis e escovas, utilizados em instrumentação apl!cada à dispositivos girantes. Projetou-se uma bancada de ensaio construída em aço, para efetuar testes. Construímos várias escovas de estrutura, configuração e constituintes diversos e, utilizando um torquímetro teste (protótipo) especialmente projetado para analisar dez escovas por vez, através de condições fisicas diferentes, comparamos estes valores obtidos com os valores fornecidos por um torquímetro padrão, posto em série e com características conhecidas. Assim tivemos condições de escolher a escova mais adequada para ser utilizada em instrumentação. Finalmente projetamos e construímos um encaixe de porta-escovas para que fosse utilizado diretamente na ponta de eixo, previamente instrumentada, de um veículo automotor. Desta fonna tivemos condições de registrar o torque real a que este eixo estava submetido, em diferentes condições de contorno, à cada marcha, aceleração ou desaceleração produzida. As medidas assim obtidas foram comparadas com dados de projeto do veículo e adequadamente validadas. Desta fonna obteve-se um dispositivo de fácil adaptação prática, de baixo custo que pode ser utilizado para testes em condições reais de operação de veículos automotores, constituindo-se em alternativa para os caríssimos "dinamômetros" utilizados pelas indústrias fabricantes de motores e veículos.Our first concem in this work was a study about the electric transmission of energy and signals which occurs through contacts like rings devices. After we was building a steel testing bench to test torquemeters of different kinds, geometrical shapes and conceptions. We have built severa! structural brushes, with different appearance and constituents, and we bave used a testing torquemeter which was specially designed to analyze ten brushes at a time in different physical conditions, and we bave compared the values obtained with the ones that were furnished by a standard torquemeter which was set in a series with know characteristics. By this way we choose the best brush for the use in instrumentation. At last we have designed and built a brush-box to be directly used at the point of the axis, with values that had been previously instrumented for a motor vehicle. In this way, we have been able to record the real torque to which the axis had been submitted to in different control conditions under various speeds, accelerations and disaccelerations. The measures so obtained have been compared with data from the vehicle project and then properly valued. In this way we gota low-cost device of easy, practical adaptation to be used for real condition operational tests in motor vehicles, as ao altemative for the very expensive dynamometers that are now a days used by motor vehicle industries

DIAGNÓSTICO ORGANIZACIONAL EM SOCIEDADES COOPERATIVAS DE CRÉDITO: UM ESTUDO DE CASO

Credit cooperatives are achieving new markets due to the current finance market system. In order to face the industry’s competition, such organizations seek economical and managerial efficiency. This work aims to analyze the economical and managerial status of the “Alpha†credit cooperative. A documental analysis of the financial statements from 1999 to 2002 was used for the financial analysis, based on the data obtained; direct observation was performed along with casual interviews with the managers in order to raise the managerial analysis. Through organizational diagnosis it was possible to observe that despite the availability of training programs and the effort to keep a closer relationship with the members, the participation level is reduced, which harms the group’s interest achievements. In relation to the economical diagnosis, the credit cooperative has shown a stable status suggesting that the managers are maintaining an efficient management of the financial resources available. However, it is questioned whether the economic and managerial efficiency work as proxies for social gain for the union members once this is a basic function of the cooperative organizational model.credit cooperatives, organizational efficiency, economic-financial efficiency.,

Dynamic Adaptive Computation: Tuning network states to task requirements

Neural circuits are able to perform computations under very diverse conditions and requirements. The required computations impose clear constraints on their fine-tuning: a rapid and maximally informative response to stimuli in general requires decorrelated baseline neural activity. Such network dynamics is known as asynchronous-irregular. In contrast, spatio-temporal integration of information requires maintenance and transfer of stimulus information over extended time periods. This can be realized at criticality, a phase transition where correlations, sensitivity and integration time diverge. Being able to flexibly switch, or even combine the above properties in a task-dependent manner would present a clear functional advantage. We propose that cortex operates in a "reverberating regime" because it is particularly favorable for ready adaptation of computational properties to context and task. This reverberating regime enables cortical networks to interpolate between the asynchronous-irregular and the critical state by small changes in effective synaptic strength or excitation-inhibition ratio. These changes directly adapt computational properties, including sensitivity, amplification, integration time and correlation length within the local network. We review recent converging evidence that cortex in vivo operates in the reverberating regime, and that various cortical areas have adapted their integration times to processing requirements. In addition, we propose that neuromodulation enables a fine-tuning of the network, so that local circuits can either decorrelate or integrate, and quench or maintain their input depending on task. We argue that this task-dependent tuning, which we call "dynamic adaptive computation", presents a central organization principle of cortical networks and discuss first experimental evidence.Comment: 6 pages + references, 2 figure

Subjective Quality Evaluation of Point Clouds Using a Head Mounted Display

This paper reports on a subjective quality evaluation of static point clouds encoded with the MPEG codecs V-PCC and G-PCC, the deep learning-based codec RS-DLPCC, and the popular Draco codec. 18 subjects visualized 3D representations of distorted point clouds using a Head Mounted Display, which allowed for a direct comparison with their reference. The Mean Opinion Scores (MOS) obtained in this subjective evaluation were compared with the MOS from two previous studies, where the same content was visualized either on a 2D display or a 3D stereoscopic display, through the Pearson Correlation, Spearman Rank Order Correlation, Root Mean Square Error, and the Outlier Ratio. The results indicate that the three studies are highly correlated with one another. Moreover, a statistical analysis between all evaluations showed no significant differences between them

Assist-as-needed impedance control strategy for a wearable ankle robotic orthosis

The use of robots in rehabilitation attempts an effective, compliant, and time-efficient gait recovery while adapting the assistance to the user's needs. Assist-as-needed strategies (AAN), such as adaptive impedance control, have been reported as prominent strategies to enable this recovery effects. This study proposes an interaction-based assist-as-needed impedance control strategy for an ankle robotic orthosis that adapts the robotic assistance by changing the Human-Robot interaction stiffness. The adaptability of the interaction stiffness allows the real-time passage from passive assistance to an active one, approaching AAN gait training. The interaction stiffness was successfully estimated by linear regression of the Human-Robot interaction torque vs angle trajectory curve. From the validation with seven able-bodied subjects, we verified the suitability of this adaptive impedance control for a more compliant, natural, and comfortable motion than the trajectory tracking control. Moreover, the proposed strategy considers the users' motion intention and encourages them to interact closely with the robotic device while guiding their ankle trajectory according to desired trajectories. These achievements contribute to AAN gait training.This work has been supported by the FEDER Funds through the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and national funds from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia with the project SmartOs under Grant NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030386, and through the COMPETE 2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI)—with the Reference Project under Grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941