Implementation of Tina service subscription information management using OBDMS

Master of Science in Engineering - EngineeringThe next generation telecommunication networks will offer users a range of services. These future telecommunication services are envisaged to be tailored services that are customizable in order to satisfy specific requirements of a variety of customers. Service subscribers and users should be offered some direct control in managing their services. Customization in a multi-service environment introduces the requirement for multiple service profiles for each user. Having user service profiles enable universal service access. The current telecommunication service subscription model is no longer viable for the next generation or TINA-based services. This work proposes a subscription and service information management system that is integrated into the existing TINA-structured platform in the South African TINA (SATINA) Trial. The system developed here realizes the object-oriented TINA subscription information management model. The information model defines all the information and relationships required to handle users, subscribers and the subscription life cycle. The project employs the emerging Object Database Management System (ODBMS) to manage the object oriented telecommunication subscription data. ODBMS provides a powerful and efficient way to managed these object oriented information as information and the relationships are stored as they are used in the application. The proposed subscription and service information management system is a distributed application based on the widely used three-tier architecture model. The three-tier model enables distributed access to the centrally managed subscription and service information regardless of the implementation adopted. Visual modeling technique is used to develop the application and convey the design principles. Application of the subscription and service information management system in the service provider domain is demonstrated by the domain administrator’s usage of the system’s graphical management console. The integration of the information management system and the SATINA Trial’s service platform is indicated through the usage of the TINA compliant Online Subscription service

La rêverie comme expérience esthétique et spirituelle chez Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Le présent article propose une réflexion sur les multiples dimensions du concept de rêverie et sur les conditions entourant l’expérience esthétique telles qu’elles apparaissent dans Les Rêveries du promeneur solitaire. En filigrane, nous tentons également de positionner ce recueil dans la philosophie esthétique du siècle de Lumières. Au fond, la thèse centrale ici est que chez Rousseau la contemplation de la nature devient, dans les bonnes conditions, une expérience esthétique où l’imagination transpose l’esprit dans un état qui s’approche du mysticisme

Evaluation of Sampling Gear for Predicting Harvest Size, Yield and Incidence of Stunting in Crawfish Ponds.

Dip-nets, test traps and experimental drop samplers were evaluated for their potential to predict crawfish (Procambarus spp.) yields and size distribution at harvest. Field studies were conducted at the Rice Research Station, LSU Agricultural Center, Crowley, Louisiana, between 1991 and 1996 in 82 (0.16-0.2 ha) earthen impoundments. Fields were managed to simulate rice-crawfish systems typical of the southwestern and south-central Louisiana. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship among catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of sampling gear (alone and in combination) with respect to yield in weight (kg/ha), yield in number (crawfish/ha) and size distribution at harvest. Relative abundance of crawfish as determined by each gear was compared to size distribution at harvest to develop predictive capabilities for assessing the potential of ponds to yield sub-marketable ( stunted ) populations. Ponds with recruitment during October to December were shown to yield 800 to 1,000 kg/ha, based on December dip-net sweeps of 0.25 to 1.5 crawfish/sweep or a December test trap catch of 0.5 to 11 crawfish/trapset. At higher sampling CPUE rates, yields began to decline. The CPUE of all three gear were statistically correlated to yield in number (crawfish/ha). Regressions models predicted a smaller size harvest with increasing number of crawfish caught per sample. Dip-net sweep models predicted $\u3c$30% of total yield in weight would be $\ge$21g when mean monthly catch during November through February was $\u3e$1.5 crawfish/sweep. Test trap critical thresholds for stunted populations ranged from $\u3e$4 crawfish/trapset in November to $\u3e$9 crawfish/trapset in February. Drop sampler models predicted stunted populations when catch exceeded 13 crawfish/m\sp2 during November through February. Multiple gear assessments within a pond did not produce a significant improvement over the predictive capability of the gear when used alone. An empirical relationship existed among the number of crawfish caught with one gear and the number of crawfish caught with another gear. This relationship changes as the season progresses due to the effect of size on vulnerability to different gear. Additional research is needed to evaluate the reliability of drop sampler devices to accurately reflect crawfish standing crop and biomass

Finite Domain Bounds Consistency Revisited

A widely adopted approach to solving constraint satisfaction problems combines systematic tree search with constraint propagation for pruning the search space. Constraint propagation is performed by propagators implementing a certain notion of consistency. Bounds consistency is the method of choice for building propagators for arithmetic constraints and several global constraints in the finite integer domain. However, there has been some confusion in the definition of bounds consistency. In this paper we clarify the differences and similarities among the three commonly used notions of bounds consistency.Comment: 12 page

Building a Model of Black Women\u27s Confidence in Campus Sexual Assault Resources: A Critical Race Feminist Quantitative Study

The United States’ evolving federal regulations and laws are doing little to disrupt systemic sexual violence, and more narrowly, are doing very little to protect Black women (Dunn, 2014; Harris, 2017; Harris & Linder, 2017; Konradi, 2016; O’Toole et al., 2015; Yung, 2015). Further, Black women are underrepresented in college sexual assault literature and little is known about how Black women perceive campus sexual violence resources and policy (Crosby, 2015; Tillman et al., 2010). The purpose of this study is to create a model to explore Black women’s confidence in sexual assault resources. In order for institutions of higher education to combat sexual violence against women, college administrators must understand the factors that impact women’s confidence in their sexual violence resources and policies. In this study, I argue that college administrators must eradicate essentialist perspectives of how women perceive resources and are impacted by sexual violence. This study explores the unique factors impacting the confidence level Black undergraduate college women have in campus sexual assault resources. Understanding Black women’s unique confidence level is central to providing sexual violence support services that cater to the specific needs of Black women. This quantitative correlational study explores to what extent the independent variables (gendered racism, affective commitment to the institution, perception of safety, perception of support, knowledge of sexual assault resources, and experience with sexual assault) impact Black women’s confidence in campus sexual assault resources. The research questions that informed this study were (1) What is the relationship between the independent variables and Black women’s confidence in campus sexual assault resources? (2) Which independent variables account for the most variation in Black women’s confidence in campus sexual assault resources? For this research study, I utilized black feminist thought (Collins, 2009) and critical race quantitative intersectionality (Covarrubias & Velez, 2013) as theoretical perspectives to create a descriptive quantitative non-experimental, correlational study. The population for this study was undergraduate women, who identify as Black and currently attend attending public, 4-year, predominantly white public colleges within the United States. I utilized survey research methods to collect data from research participants and used multiple regression analysis to address both research questions. Affective commitment to the institution, perception of safety, and knowledge of sexual assault resources had statistically significant impact on Black women’s confidence in campus sexual assault resources. This study highlights the pivotal role that campuses have in building confidence in their sexual assault policies, particularly for Black women. This research project underscores that building confidence in sexual assault resources is more complex than just training and informing students of resources, but should include more holistic strategies to build Black women’s confidence in their resources. Future research should expand on this research to explore underlying or latent factors that could help explain Black women’s confidence levels. Lastly, researchers should explore to what extent state and local laws have on Black women’s confidence in campus sexual assault resources