Balancing Queueing Systems With Excess Demand

In a rough economic environment and increased competition, one issue critical to many businesses is to achieve an optimum balance between supply and demand. Double-ended queuing structure, where demand and supply occur simultaneously, can be utilized to model various manufacturing and service activities. By associating costs per time unit due to a unit of excess of supply or demand, the total cost will include now costs due to imbalance of demand and supply. The authors examine the queuing behavior and how to minimize the above total cost by advanced planning aimed to hold imbalance costs at a minimum.In this paper, the main focus will be on situations where a stochastic system has become unstable due to demand exceeding supply. To determine how sensitive optimal solutions are to changes in model parameters, for each policy, either decreasing demand or increasing supply, exact optimal solutions were found for a large number of scenarios and then used this scenarios database to fit the best possible regression model. The paper ends illustrating the use of the model to research funding where typically proposals compete for scarce funding resources

Citizen consultations on science communication: A citizen science approach

Citizen science is part of a wider trend in science and society of promoting two-way dialogue and engagement between scientists and the public, by involving citizens in the research process. This paper examines how CONCISE, an international research project involving Spain, Italy, Portugal, Poland, and Slovakia, seeks to understand how citizens acquire and use scientific information, by engaging citizens through public consultations. The consultations gathered close to 500 citizens in 2019. Asking them for suggestions on how to improve science communication and involving them in the dissemination efforts, CONCISE aims to put citizens at the core of the research process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Geometry determination of the hydrogeologic basement in the Interserrana Basin through VES

El presente trabajo muestra una exploración geoeléctrica del sector suroeste de la Cuenca Interserrana en la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Debido a la relativa escasez de estudios regionales llevados aquí, un entendimiento más detallado de sus estructuras geológicas y acuíferos conforma un importante aporte al abordar desafíos ambientales y productivos que tienen lugar en la zona. El objetivo propuesto es obtener una sección de la profundidad del basamento hidrogeológico resistivo. Para cumplir con el objetivo desarrollamos un modelo consistente en la inversión 1D de 49 SEV Schlumberger distribuidos uniformemente a lo largo de una ruta de 139 km. El proceso de inversión fue con un software específico que implementa el algoritmo de Zohdy (1989) para la solución del problema directo e inverso. El paso de los 49 perfiles unidimensionales de resistividad verdadera a la sección continua se llevó a cabo usando una técnica de interpolación de machine learning. También se muestra un análisis de incertidumbre que reveló una correlación lineal entre esta misma característica y la profundidad obtenida para el basamento resistivo. Esta tendencia nos permitió establecer un criterio de confianza en cada valor de profundidad verdadera de basamento. Finalmente ofrecemos una interpretación geológica de los resultados y su correspondencia con los trabajos antecedentes.This paper shows a geoelectric exploration of the southwest sector of the Interserrana Basin, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Due to the relative scarcity of regional studies carried out in the zone, a more detailed understanding of its geological structures and aquifers makes an important contribution to addressing environmental and productivity challenges. The objective is to obtain a depth section of the resistive hydrogeological basement. To meet our objective, we developed a model consisting of the 1D inversion of 49 Schlumberger VES, distributed uniformly along a 139 km route. The inversion process was performed with specific software which implements Zohdy's algorithm (Zohdy, 1989) for the solution of direct and inverse problems. The transition from the 49 one-dimensional inverted profiles to a continuous section was carried out using a machine learning interpolation technique. An uncertainty analysis is also presented, which revealed a correspondence between this feature and the depth obtained for the resistive basement. This trend allowed us to establish a reliability criterion at each true basement-depth value. Finally, we offer a geological interpretation of our results and their correspondence with previous geological research.Fil: Mendoza Veiran, Gaston. University College Ghent. Faculty Applied Bioscience Engineering; BélgicaFil: Perdomo, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ainchil, Jerónimo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentin

EMULADOR DE ESCENARIOS DE DEMANDA DE POTENCIA ELÉCTRICA PARA EL ESTUDIO DE VIABILIDAD DE LAS PILAS DE COMBUSTIBLE POLIMÉRICA EN APLICACIONES ESTACIONARIAS

El presente artículo muestra el procedimiento de diseño, análisis y evaluación que se llevó a cabo mediante la herramienta de programación gráfica SIMULINK de MATLAB, de un emulador de carga para una pila de combustible. Se realizó el análisis y caracterización de la evolución temporal de la respuesta eléctrica de la pila de combustible polimérica mediante variaciones periódicas de la demanda de potencia eléctrica , escenario de evaluación del emulador de carga, útil para facilitar el desarrollo en el campo de la investigación en este tipo de tecnologías. Se simulan, haciendo uso del emulador de carga propuesto, comportamientos reales de perfiles de demanda de potencia eléctrica de una aplicación estacionaria tipo vivienda, facilitando con ello la iinvestigación hacia nuevas aplicaciones de las pilas de combustible, uno de los objetivos del presente trabajo.This article shows the procedure of design, analysis and evaluation that was performed by graphical programming tool MATLAB SIMULINK, load emulator for a fuel cell. It was performed an analysis and characterization of the temporal evolution of the electrical response of the polymer fuel cell by periodic variations in the demand for electric power, load emulator evaluation scenario to facilitate the development in the field of research of these technologies. They are simulated, using the proposed load emulator, behavior profiling real demand for electric power from a stationary housing application type, thereby facilitating research into new applications of fuel cells, one of the objectives of this wor

Developing a geophysical framework for Neolithic land-use studies: in situ monitoring and forward modelling of electrical properties at "Valther-Tweeling" (NL)

Boosting Neolithic land-use studies in the Low Countries requires optimal geophysical survey. Hereby, forward modeling such subtle soil features in a sandy soil could support survey design. The models are parametrized through soil sample analyses and in situ data collection over a feature. Supplemented by long term in situ monitoring, these results reveal variable detectability. This approach enables a quantitative approach for geophysical survey design

Not poles apart: Antarctic soil fungal communities show similarities to those of the distant Arctic

Antarctica's extreme environment and geographical isolation offers a useful platform for testing the relative roles of environmental selection and dispersal barriers influencing fungal communities. The former process should lead to convergence in community composition with other cold environments, such as those in the Arctic. Alternatively, dispersal limitations should minimise similarity between Antarctica and distant northern landmasses. Using high-throughput sequencing, we show that Antarctica shares significantly more fungi with the Arctic, and more fungi display a bipolar distribution, than would be expected in the absence of environmental filtering. In contrast to temperate and tropical regions, there is relatively little endemism, and a strongly bimodal distribution of range sizes. Increasing southerly latitude is associated with lower endemism and communities increasingly dominated by fungi with widespread ranges. These results suggest that micro-organisms with well-developed dispersal capabilities can inhabit opposite poles of the Earth, and dominate extreme environments over specialised local specie

Breastfeeding and Premature Newborn in the NICU

Today it is well known that the best gift that a mother can give her baby is breast milk. And what happens with all those children who for some reason are born premature, who cannot start breastfeeding either because of their severity, because they are separated from their breasts or simply because of their severity. For many years, the World Health Organization recommends exclusive human milk during the first 6 months of life, however, the premature newborn sent to the neonatal intensive care unit experiences a series of unfortunate events before starting enteral feeding many of them. They die during their stay. However, at the moment the importance has been given to the beginning of human milk from its mother or from a milk bank, and of the care around the family that the critically ill newborn must have. Unfortunately, Mexico and Latin America continue to have some areas with many lags in terms of nutrition and care of the newborn in the NICU. The success of breastfeeding with a baby in the NICU depends on the information and training provided to the mother about the expression, storage and transport of her milk. That the whole family be made aware that an essential part in the recovery of premature infants is to provide breast milk in a timely manner

Combining teaching and research: a BIP on geophysical and archaeological prospection of North Frisian medieval settlement patterns

We performed a research-oriented EU Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program (BIP) with participants from four countries focused on North Frisian terp settlements from Roman Iron Age and medieval times. We show that the complex terp structure and environment can be efficiently prospected using combined magnetic and EMI mapping, and seismic and geoelectric profiling and drilling. We found evidence of multiple terp phases and a harbor at the Roman Iron Age terp of Tofting. In contrast, the medieval terp of Stolthusen is more simply constructed, probably uni-phase. The BIP proved to be a suitable tool for high-level hands-on education adding value to the research conducted in on-going projects

El papel que desempeña la comunicación de la ciencia en la opinión de la ciudadanía europea

El documento recoge las recomendaciones políticas recomendadas a partir de los resultados de investigación del proyecto europeo H2020 CONCISE. En este proyecto se llevaron a cabo cinco consultas ciudadanas, en cinco ciudades europeas de España, Italia, Eslovaquia, Portugal y Polinia), en las que participaron alrededor de 100 ciudadanos en cada una de ellas, para hablar sobre ciencia. Concretamente a los ciudadanos se les preguntó cómo se informaban y en qué fuentes o canales confiaban más para informarse de temas como las vacunas, el cambio climático, las medicinas complementarias o alternativas, y los organismos modificados genéticamente. Los debates arrojaron información muy valiosa para el diseño de políticas públicas.H2020 CONCISE G.A. No 824537The document includes the suggested policy brief recommendations based on the European H2020 CONCISE project's research results. In this project, five citizen consultations were carried out in five European cities from Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Portugal and Poland, in which around 100 citizens participated in each of them to talk about science. Specifically, citizens were asked how they were informed and how sources or channels they trusted the most to find out about vaccines, climate change, complementary or alternative medicines, and genetically modified organisms. The debates yielded very valuable information for the design of public policies

Communication role on perception and beliefs of EU citizens about science

Este documento presenta un conjunto de recomendaciones basadas en el conocimiento de las consultas públicas de CONCISE. Los puntos se enumeran según los diferentes destinatarios: comunicadores científicos, responsables políticos, científicos y público en general. El principal objetivo de CONCISE es determinar el papel que desempeña la comunicación científica en la formación de creencias, percepciones y conocimientos sobre cuestiones científicas. Para lograr este objetivo, CONCISE llevó a cabo cinco consultas públicas en Lisboa (Portugal), Valencia (España), Vicenza (Italia), Trnava (Eslovaquia) y Lodz (Polonia) con la participación de cerca de 500 ciudadanos. Esto permitió al consorcio recopilar testimonios de diferentes regiones de la UE, proporcionando así a CONCISE información comparable y fiable sobre las percepciones generales de los ciudadanos de la UE sobre los cuatro temas científicos candentes en estudio, a saber, las vacunas, la medicina complementaria y alternativa, el cambio climático y los organismos modificados genéticamente.This policy brief presents a set of recommendations based on the knowledge of CONCISE's public consultations. The points are listed according to the different target: science communicators, policymakers, scientists and general audience. CONCISE’s main objective is to determine the role that science communication plays in shaping beliefs, perceptions and knowledge of scientific issues. To achieve this aim, CONCISE carried out five public consultations in Lisbon (Portugal), Valencia (Spain), Vicenza (Italy), Trnava (Slovakia) and Lodz (Poland) with the participation of near on 500 citizens. This allowed the consortium to gather testimonies from different EU regions, thus providing CONCISE with comparable and reliable information on EU citizens’ general perceptions of the four burning science issues under study, namely, vaccines, complementary and alternative medicine, climate change and genetically modified organisms