Modelling Cities as a collection of TeraSystems - Computational challenges in Multi-Agent Approach

YesAgent-based modeling techniques are ideal for modeling massive complex systems such as insect colonies or biological cellular systems and even cities. However these models themselves are extremely complex to code, test, simulate and analyze. This paper discusses the challenges in using agent-based models to model complete cities as a complex system. In this paper we argue that Cities are actually a collection of various complex models which are themselves massive multiple systems, each of millions of agents, working together to form one system consisting of an order of a billion agents of different types - such as people, communities and technologies interacting together. Because of the agent numbers and complexity challenges, the present day hardware architectures are unable to cope with the simulations and processing of these models. To accommodate these issues, this paper proposes a Tera (to denote the order of millions)-modeling framework, which utilizes current technologies of Cloud computing and Big data processing, for modeling a city, by allowing infinite resources and complex interactions. This paper also lays the case for bringing together research communities for interdisciplinary research to build a complete reliable model of a city

The efficacy of epidural ropivacaine 0.75% and levobupivacaine 0.5% in abdominal and lower limb surgeries- a comparative study

Background: Both levobupivacaine and ropivacaine are relatively new long acting amide local anaesthetics. Both are pure S-enantiomers of the parent drug racemic bupivacaine. Little is known about the comparative efficacy of epidural levobupivacaine with this another widely used long-acting local anaesthetic, ropivacaine.Methods: We compared the efficacy of levobupivacaine 0.5% with ropivacaine 0.75% in epidural route in a volume of 20ml  in 100 adult patients who were divided into two groups of 50 patients each, belonging to ASA grade 1and 2, of either gender, between the age group of 18-60 years undergoing lower abdominal surgeries.Results: Our study has not shown statistically significant difference between the drugs in sensory block characteristics such as mean onset time of sensory blockade, mean time to attain maximum sensory level, maximum level of sensory blockade, two segment regression time, and duration of analgesia. Also motor parameters such as mean time of onset of motor block, and duration of motor block and quality of motor block were comparable between the groups with a statistically insignificant p value. With respect to, haemodynamic parameters and side effect profiles, both Levobupivacaine and Ropivacaine were comparable.Conclusions: The present study concludes that 0.5% levobupivacaine and 0.75% ropivacaine were clinically similar with respect to sensory block characteristics and duration of analgesia, quality of motor blockade with minimal side effects in both the groups. Both drugs could be better alternatives to bupivacaine in epidural anaesthesia

Community-Based Mental Health Intervention for Underprivileged Women in Rural India: An Experiential Report

Objective. To share experiences from a project that integrates a mental health intervention within a developmental framework of microcredit activity for economically underprivileged women in rural India. Method. The mental health intervention had two components: group counseling and stress management. The former comprised of ventilation and reassurance and the latter strengthening of coping skills and a relaxation technique. Focus group discussions were used to understand women's perception of how microcredit economic activity and the mental health intervention had affected their lives. Results. Women in the mental health intervention group reported reduction in psychological distress and bodily aches and pains. Majority (86%) reported that the quality of their sleep had improved with regular practice of relaxation and that sharing their problems in the group had helped them to unburden. The social support extended by the members to each other, made them feel that they were not alone and could face any life situation. Conclusion. The study provided qualitative evidence that adding the mental health intervention to the ongoing economic activity had made a positive difference in the lives of the women. Addressing mental health concerns along with livelihood initiatives can help to enhance both economic and social capital in rural poor women

Thresholding technique for flood extent mapping using dual polarization ENVISAT ASAR data

363-368The research paper explores an optimum water extraction technique using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to give the flood inundation map for irregular flood scenario, in which the planned algorithm depends on thresholding technique using MRS amplitude SAR data. For classification, supervised maximum likelihood method is used, and gamma filtering technique was used for speckle removal. Since water layer in SAR data has low amplitude value, thresholding technique for amplitude SAR data could efficiently take out water layer. The mean backscatter basics of water layers in SAR data is not to be compared with inundated regions caused by sharp release and is not considered as a terrain value. The speckle filtering method was used for the power generated noise subtraction using a window size 5x5. The threshold values were calculated from backscatter values and their average was taken as threshold, which gives clear difference of backscatter values between the land and the water in the river and the flood plain areas. The maximum likelihood classifier provides 99% overall accuracy. The Landsat 5 TM data was used in this research for delineating water feature and flood accurately. The results obtained from SAR data were validated with Landsat TM data. Finally, the flood inundation map using optical data and SAR data was generated

Physical Model Study on Tandem Breakwater with Concrete Cube Armour

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

A New Method for Impulse Noise Removal in Remote Sensing Images

Existing filtering algorithms use all pixels within a window to filter out the impulse noise. They increase the size of neighboring pixels with the increase of noise density. In this paper, we propose an impulse noise removal algorithm for remote sensing images, that emphasis on few noise-free pixels. The detection map (DM) is constructed from the input noisy image, by assigning a binary value 1 for each corrupted pixel in the input image. By using the detection map, the proposed iterative algorithm searches the noise free pixels with in a small neighborhood. The noisy pixel is then replaced with the median value estimated from noise free pixels. In-order to better appraise the noise cancellation behavior of our filter from the point of view of human perception, we perform segmentation via spline regression on remote sensing image for both noisy image and filtered image. Experimental results show that the filtering performance of the proposed approach is very satisfactory providing better feature extraction in remote sensing images

Public Attitude towards Mental Illness in Bangalore: An Exploratory Study

The aim of the present study was to examine the attitudes towards people with mental illness in the city of Bangalore. The sample consisted of 400 people living in different parts of the city. They were assessed on socio-demographic data sheet, Orientation to Mental Illness Scale, Exposure, Knowledge and Social Distance Scale and Attitudes towards Mental Illness Scale. The Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, Student t-test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, Pearson’s correlation and Step-wise Multiple Regression Analysis. The study reveals that the common man had neutral orientation to mental illness and is moderate in their attitudes to mental illness. However, many were not informed regarding legal provisions available for the mentally ill and rehabilitation services existing in the community. Although the public was fairly low on social distance, this did not apply to intimate relationships such as sharing a room or marriage. Socio-demographic factors, especially like that of education, had an impact on the attitudes of many to mental illness, with the higher educated being better aware and more positive towards the mentally ill. The study brings out the need for programmes to raise the awareness among the ordinary citizen on various aspects of mental illness including existing legal provisions for the mentally ill in the community and rehabilitation services

Design of Quadratic Optimal Regulator System for State Space Model of Single phase Inverter both in Standalone and Gridtie Modes

Since in 3-phase systems, the reliability of 3-phase Inverter is not good, under such situations Paralleled Inverter Systems are used. Parallel Inverter operation has a major role in uninterruptible power system (UPS) applications. Most of the standalone inverter systems use a LC filter and proportional-integral (PI) controller in their control loops. When connecting the paralleled inverters to utility grids, the capacitor becomes redundant and thus either a pure inductor or an LCL filter can be used as inverter output stage. Compared with the L filter, the LCL filter is more attractive because it cannot only provide higher harmonics attenuation with same inductance value, but also allow inverter to operate both in standalone and grid-tie modes, which makes it a universal inverter for distributed generation applications. Output of Inverter should always be checked. In this paper State Space Model of Single phase Inverter is analysis in two modes which are: a) Grid-tie Mode b) Standalone Mode.A Quadratic Optimal Regulator System is designed and its unit step response is obtained to validate whether the whole system (inverter system along with designed QOR) is a stable system or not.  This is done using MATLAB Program