WorldWideScience

Sample records for environmentally harmony type

  1. The affective profiles, psychological well-being, and harmony: environmental mastery and self-acceptance predict the sense of a harmonious life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danilo Garcia

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Background. An important outcome from the debate on whether wellness equals happiness, is the need of research focusing on how psychological well-being might influence humans’ ability to adapt to the changing environment and live in harmony. To get a detailed picture of the influence of positive and negative affect, the current study employed the affective profiles model in which individuals are categorised into groups based on either high positive and low negative affect (self-fulfilling; high positive and high negative affect (high affective; low positive and low negative affect (low affective; and high negative and low positive affect (self-destructive. The aims were to (1 investigate differences between affective profiles in psychological well-being and harmony and (2 how psychological well-being and its dimensions relate to harmony within the four affective profiles.Method. 500 participants (mean age = 34.14 years, SD. = ±12.75 years; 187 males and 313 females were recruited online and required to answer three self-report measures: The Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule; The Scales of Psychological Well-Being (short version and The Harmony in Life Scale. We conducted a Multivariate Analysis of Variance where the affective profiles and gender were the independent factors and psychological well-being composite score, its six dimensions as well as the harmony in life score were the dependent factors. In addition, we conducted four multi-group (i.e., the four affective profiles moderation analyses with the psychological well-being dimensions as predictors and harmony in life as the dependent variables.Results. Individuals categorised as self-fulfilling, as compared to the other profiles, tended to score higher on the psychological well-being dimensions: positive relations, environmental mastery, self-acceptance, autonomy, personal growth, and purpose in life. In addition, 47% to 66% of the variance of the harmony in life was

  2. Survey report on an environmental harmony type production system of chemical products; Kankyo chowagata kagaku seihin seizo system ni kansuru chosa hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    As part of establishing an environmental harmony type production system of chemical products, study and survey were made on PET bottles. Using the life cycle analysis method (LCA), a study was made for proposing a material recycle (MR) method which is environmentally and economically excellent in the stage of recycling waste PET bottles. The total cost of recycling can be reduced by 34% supported by a decrease in equipment cost and improvement in yield if there is no mixture of foreign substances such as aluminum caps and PVC bottles. However, the ratio of the amount obtained from the reduction to the total production cost is small, and it is necessary to take measures from a viewpoint of the cost in a total production process and environmental loads. In a survey in Kawaguchi city, PET bottles discharged from the business sector occupied 41% of all the discharge amount. In a survey in Yokohama city, very important data were obtained on PET bottles appointed as the second type under the recycle law. The quality of PET bottles to be brought to the recycling plant is important for effectively processing PET bottles in MR method. For achievement of MR which is low in cost and small in environmental load, needed were cooperation by citizens, the shipping management system in autonomous government, and changes in design and material quality to be made by the industrial circle. 8 refs., 64 figs., 68 tabs.

  3. Effect of area on color harmony in interior spaces

    OpenAIRE

    Odabaşıoğlu, Seden

    2015-01-01

    Cataloged from PDF version of article. Thesis (Ph.D.): Bilkent University, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University, 2015. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-152). The main aim of this study is to examine the effect of area on color harmony in interior spaces. Area in color harmony is the relative amount of different color areas represented as a proportion on which color harmony depends. Colors in the color ...

  4. Fiscal 1993 investigational study of a model of international cooperation for an environmentally harmony type green technosystem; 1993 nendo Oshu ni okeru haikibutsu shori oyobi recycle no doko ni kansuru chosa kenkyu hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-03-01

    For the natural environment preservation, effective utilization of resources, and maintenance of the ecosystem, an international cooperation model was proposed for the environmental harmony type green technosystem. A comprehensive evaluating analysis of a green forest resource, etc. as the global resource, and an intensive extraction of subjects and needs was made. The analysis was conducted of technical possibility and abstract business development effects toward the industrialization with high values added which is in harmony with the environment. As a case study, the Papua New Guinea area, Malaysia was selected and re-evaluated. For this typical tropical forest area, a new technical system was studied based on the natural environment, industry/economy, social/cultural assessment, etc., and a model for industrializing new international cooperation was proposed. For the model making for industrialization, various steps to be taken and conditions to be prepared were studied and arranged for the realization. Upon going ahead with the international technical cooperation, Japan, a large lumber consuming country, needs to always consider the fostering and effective use of lumber resource in particular. 27 refs., 28 figs., 30 tabs.

  5. A modified harmony search method for environmental/economic load dispatch of real-world power systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeddi, Babak; Vahidinasab, Vahid

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A combined economic and emission load dispatch (CEELD) model is proposed. • The proposed model considers practical constraints of real-world power systems. • A new modified harmony search algorithm proposed to solve non-convex CEELD. • The proposed algorithm is tested by applying it to solve seven test systems. - Abstract: Economic load dispatch (ELD) problem is one of the basic and important optimization problems in a power system. However, considering practical constraints of real-world power systems such as ramp rate limits, prohibited operating zones, valve loading effects, multi-fuel options, spinning reserve and transmission system losses in ELD problem makes it a non-convex optimization problem, which is a challenging one and cannot be solved by traditional methods. Moreover, considering environmental issues, results in combined economic and emission load dispatch (CEELD) problem that is a multiobjective optimization model with two non-commensurable and contradictory objectives. In this paper, a modified harmony search algorithm (MHSA) proposed and applied to solve ELD and CEELD problem considering the abovementioned constraints. In the proposed MHSA, a new improvising method based on wavelet mutation together with a new memory consideration scheme based on the roulette wheel mechanism are proposed which improves the accuracy, convergence speed, and robustness of the classical HSA. Performance of the proposed algorithm is investigated by applying it to solve various test systems having non-convex solution spaces. To Show the effectiveness of the proposed method, obtained results compared with classical harmony search algorithm (HSA) and some of the most recently published papers in the area

  6. Generalised Adaptive Harmony Search: A Comparative Analysis of Modern Harmony Search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaco Fourie

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Harmony search (HS was introduced in 2001 as a heuristic population-based optimisation algorithm. Since then HS has become a popular alternative to other heuristic algorithms like simulated annealing and particle swarm optimisation. However, some flaws, like the need for parameter tuning, were identified and have been a topic of study for much research over the last 10 years. Many variants of HS were developed to address some of these flaws, and most of them have made substantial improvements. In this paper we compare the performance of three recent HS variants: exploratory harmony search, self-adaptive harmony search, and dynamic local-best harmony search. We compare the accuracy of these algorithms, using a set of well-known optimisation benchmark functions that include both unimodal and multimodal problems. Observations from this comparison led us to design a novel hybrid that combines the best attributes of these modern variants into a single optimiser called generalised adaptive harmony search.

  7. [Research on relations among self-esteem, self-harmony and interpersonal-harmony of university students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hualing

    2014-03-01

    To learn characteristics and their mutual relations of self-esteem, self-harmony and interpersonal-harmony of university students, in order to provide the basis for mental health education. With a stratified cluster random sampling method, a questionnaire survey was conducted in 820 university students from 16 classes of four universities, chosen from 30 universities in Anhui Province. Meanwhile, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Self-harmony Scale and Interpersonal-harmony Diagnostic Scale were used for assessment. Self-esteem of university students has an average score of (30.71 +/- 4.77), higher than median thoery 25, and there existed statistical significance in the dimensions of gender (P = 0.004), origin (P = 0.038) and only-child (P = 0.005). University students' self-harmony has an average score of (98.66 +/- 8.69), among which there were 112 students in the group of low score, counting for 13.7%, 442 in that of middle score, counting for 53.95%, 265 in that of high score, counting for 32.33%. And there existed no statistical significance in the total-score of self-harmony and score differences from most of subscales in the dimention of gender and origin, but satistical significance did exist in the dimention of only-child (P = 0.004). It was statistically significant (P = 0.006) on the "stereotype" subscales, on the differences between university students from urban areas and rural areas. Every dimension of self-esteem and self -harmony and interpersonal harmony was correlated and statistically significant. Multiple regression analysis found that when there was a variable in self-esteem, the amount of the variable of self-harmony for explaination of interpersonal conversation dropped from 22.6% to 12%, and standard regression coefficient changing from 0.087 to 0.035. The trouble of interpersonal dating fell from 27.6% to 13.1%, the standard regression coefficient changing from 0.104 to 0.019. The bother of treating people fell from 30.9% to 15%, and the

  8. Mengupayakan Keluarga yang Harmonis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christofora Megawati Tirtawinata

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Harmonious family is the best environment for individuals to be able to shape a healthy personality. Healthy personality and healthy families are necessary in building a healthy society, which in turn is needed in building the nation. In fact many couples have not been able to seek a harmonious family so that they end their marriages in divorce. Causes of divorce in general are because there is no harmony. Article is based on the observation and study of literature. It describes the efforts to build harmony in the family, before marriage and during marriage. Therefore, the couple is able to understand the difference between them and respond positively and always communicate assertively. 

  9. Harmonious personnel scheduling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fijn van Draat, Laurens; Post, Gerhard F.; Veltman, Bart; Winkelhuijzen, Wessel

    2006-01-01

    The area of personnel scheduling is very broad. Here we focus on the ‘shift assignment problem’. Our aim is to discuss how ORTEC HARMONY handles this planning problem. In particular we go into the structure of the optimization engine in ORTEC HARMONY, which uses techniques from genetic algorithms,

  10. A Novel Self-Adaptive Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaiping Luo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The harmony search algorithm is a music-inspired optimization technology and has been successfully applied to diverse scientific and engineering problems. However, like other metaheuristic algorithms, it still faces two difficulties: parameter setting and finding the optimal balance between diversity and intensity in searching. This paper proposes a novel, self-adaptive search mechanism for optimization problems with continuous variables. This new variant can automatically configure the evolutionary parameters in accordance with problem characteristics, such as the scale and the boundaries, and dynamically select evolutionary strategies in accordance with its search performance. The new variant simplifies the parameter setting and efficiently solves all types of optimization problems with continuous variables. Statistical test results show that this variant is considerably robust and outperforms the original harmony search (HS, improved harmony search (IHS, and other self-adaptive variants for large-scale optimization problems and constrained problems.

  11. Harmony Search for Balancing Two-sided Assembly Lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hindriyanto Dwi Purnomo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Two-sided assembly lines balancing problems are important problem for large-sized products such as cars and buses, in which, tasks operations can be performed in the two sides of the line. In this paper, Harmony Search algorithm is proposed to solve two-sided assembly lines balancing problems type-I (TALBP-I. The proposed method adopts the COMSOAL heuristic and specific features of TALBP in the Harmony operators – the harmony memory consideration, random selection and pitch adjustment – in order to maintain the local and global search. The proposed method is evaluated based on 6 benchmark problems that are commonly used in TALBP. The experiment results show that the proposed method work well and produces better solution than the heuristic method and genetic algorithm.

  12. Modified harmony search

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Najihah; Lutfi Amri Ramli, Ahmad; Majid, Ahmad Abd; Piah, Abd Rahni Mt

    2017-09-01

    A metaheuristic algorithm, called Harmony Search is quite highly applied in optimizing parameters in many areas. HS is a derivative-free real parameter optimization algorithm, and draws an inspiration from the musical improvisation process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. Propose in this paper Modified Harmony Search for solving optimization problems, which employs a concept from genetic algorithm method and particle swarm optimization for generating new solution vectors that enhances the performance of HS algorithm. The performances of MHS and HS are investigated on ten benchmark optimization problems in order to make a comparison to reflect the efficiency of the MHS in terms of final accuracy, convergence speed and robustness.

  13. Calculation of the acoustical properties of triadic harmonies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Norman D

    2017-12-01

    The author reports that the harmonic "tension" and major/minor "valence" of pitch combinations can be calculated directly from acoustical properties without relying on concepts from traditional harmony theory. The capability to compute the well-known types of harmonic triads means that their perception is not simply a consequence of learning an arbitrary cultural "idiom" handed down from the Italian Renaissance. On the contrary, for typical listeners familiar with diatonic music, attention to certain, definable, acoustical features underlies the perception of the valence (modality) and the inherent tension (instability) of three-tone harmonies.

  14. Harmony hurts: participation and silent conflict at an Indonesian fish pond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tam, Chui-Ling

    2006-07-01

    Participatory environmental and resource management is premised on open communication to reach consensus. However, deliberate and open communication cannot adequately address silent conflict. This begs two questions. First, how is the existence of covert communication and silent conflict to be recognized and addressed? Second, how are the wider social relations and traditions that encompass communication and conflict to be described and explained? These questions revolve around communicative power. Communication of environmental knowledge is deeply embedded in social power structures, with direct implications for participatory resource planning and implementation. Ethnographic research conducted at a failed community-managed fish farming project in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia shows that a culture of harmony and respect for authority can silence environmental conflict in the hierarchical "community." Three propositions are offered. First, communication amnesia and exclusion jeopardize participation. Second, cultures of harmony and silent conflict shape planning processes and outcomes. Third, the weak use manipulation and communication strategy to acquire a "voice" while preserving harmony. These propositions address five unresolved issues in participatory resource management: analysis of groups, contextuality, social relationships, nonparticipants, and informal communication. Power, tradition, and social networks affect the valuing of knowledge relative to the power of different individuals and institutions to communicate priorities, values, and needs. These factors are critical to the inclusion of both participants and nonparticipants.

  15. Fiscal 1997 international cooperation project. Report on the results of the research on environmental harmony type combustion technology; 1997 nendo kokusai kenkyu kyoryoku jigyo. Kankyo chowagata nensho gijutsu ni kansuru kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-03-01

    Out of the R and D on the environmental harmony type combustion technology, the results of the project carried out in fiscal 1997 were summed up. In the site survey, etc., visits were paid to France, Spain, Greek, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. to have discussions and examine the trend of research on the NOx removal catalyst and catalyst combustion. In the actual R and D, the R and D were conducted on zeolite base NOx removal catalyst, oxide composite base NOx removal catalyst, alumina base NOx removal catalyst, direct decomposition type NOx removal catalyst, catalyst combustion, etc. In the R and D of the catalyst combustion, durability under high gas flow flux was examined of PdO-Pt/Ba-Al203 catalyst developed for low temperature use, which indicated that durability and low temperature activity were heightened. As high temperature use catalyst, high temperature durability was examined of the developed Pd0-La/Gd-ZrO2 catalyst, which showed that the durability was favorable. 322 refs., 261 figs., 55 tabs.

  16. Work-family harmony

    OpenAIRE

    Adhikari,Pralhad

    2018-01-01

    The phenomenon of positively thinking about work and organization during the family hours by a worker is called work-family harmony. On the fag opposite of work-family conflict is work-family harmony. The work extends/intrudes into the family life of the worker, but in a positive way. This kind of positive thinking about the organization helps person's subjective well-being grow and his mental health is also nourished.

  17. Functional Generation of Harmony and Melody

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Magalhães, José Pedro; Koops, Hendrik Vincent

    2014-01-01

    We present FCOMP, a system for automatic generation of harmony and accompanying melody. Building on previous work on functional modelling of musical harmony, FCOMP first creates a foundational harmony by generating random (but user-guided) values of a datatype that encodes the rules of tonal

  18. Parameter Estimation for Traffic Noise Models Using a Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deok-Soon An

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A technique has been developed for predicting road traffic noise for environmental assessment, taking into account traffic volume as well as road surface conditions. The ASJ model (ASJ Prediction Model for Road Traffic Noise, 1999, which is based on the sound power level of the noise emitted by the interaction between the road surface and tires, employs regression models for two road surface types: dense-graded asphalt (DGA and permeable asphalt (PA. However, these models are not applicable to other types of road surfaces. Accordingly, this paper introduces a parameter estimation procedure for ASJ-based noise prediction models, utilizing a harmony search (HS algorithm. Traffic noise measurement data for four different vehicle types were used in the algorithm to determine the regression parameters for several road surface types. The parameters of the traffic noise prediction models were evaluated using another measurement set, and good agreement was observed between the predicted and measured sound power levels.

  19. The Japanese value of harmony and nursing ethics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konishi, Emiko; Yahiro, Michiko; Nakajima, Naoko; Ono, Miki

    2009-09-01

    Harmony is one of the most fundamental Japanese values. It is derived from Confucianism and encompasses a state of mind, an action process and outcomes of the action. This article draws on research data and discusses Japanese nurses' perceptions of harmony as reflected in their everyday practice. The most important virtues for these nurses were reported as politeness and respect for other persons. The outcome from the nurses' harmonious practice, it is claimed, benefited patients and created peaceful, harmonious relationships for all. Because of the unique link between harmony and the location of interaction, the ideal 'workplace harmony' threatened some nurses' professional decision making. These nurses confused harmony with conformity by superficial agreement. The Japanese seniority system could be a major factor contributing to this problem. Ethics education that includes traditional values and concepts in Japanese culture is strongly urged.

  20. Creating experimental color harmony map

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamaret, Christel; Urban, Fabrice; Lepinel, Josselin

    2014-02-01

    Starting in the 17th century with Newton, color harmony is a topic that did not reach a consensus on definition, representation or modeling so far. Previous work highlighted specific characteristics for color harmony on com- bination of color doublets or triplets by means of a human rating on a harmony scale. However, there were no investigation involving complex stimuli or pointing out how harmony is spatially located within a picture. The modeling of such concept as well as a reliable ground-truth would be of high value for the community, since the applications are wide and concern several communities: from psychology to computer graphics. We propose a protocol for creating color harmony maps from a controlled experiment. Through an eye-tracking protocol, we focus on the identification of disharmonious colors in pictures. The experiment was composed of a free viewing pass in order to let the observer be familiar with the content before a second pass where we asked "to search for the most disharmonious areas in the picture". Twenty-seven observers participated to the experiments that was composed of a total of 30 different stimuli. The high inter-observer agreement as well as a cross-validation confirm the validity of the proposed ground-truth.

  1. Graceful, harmonious and magic type labelings relations and techniques

    CERN Document Server

    López, Susana C

    2017-01-01

    Aimed toward upper undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics, this book examines the foremost forms of graph labelings including magic, harmonious, and graceful labelings. An overview of basic graph theory concepts and notation is provided along with the origins of graph labeling. Common methods and techniques are presented introducing readers to links between graph labels. A variety of useful techniques are presented to analyze and understand properties of graph labelings. The classical results integrated with new techniques, complete proofs, numerous exercises, and a variety of open problems, will provide readers with a solid understanding of graph labelings.

  2. Harmonious Parents and Their Preschool Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumrind, Diana

    1971-01-01

    This brief report describes harmonious parents and their children. The six preschool daughters whose parents were harmonious were outstandingly competent but the opposite was true of the two sons. (Author/WY)

  3. INTERAKSI DAN HARMONI UMAT BERAGAMA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joko Tri Haryanto

    2012-05-01

    Masyarakat Singkawang adalah masyarakat yang terdiri atas berbagai kelompok suku bangsa dan agama. Secara historis, masyarakat Singkawang mampu mem­pertahankan harmoni antar agama. Model interaksi sosial yang bersifat asosiatif tampaknya potensial untuk mendukung harmoni di dalam masyarakat. Ber­dasarkan paradigma fungsional-struktural, masyarakat diasumsikan sebagai sistem organik yang memiliki huungan antar bagiannya untuk mempertahankan masyarakat. Interaksi sosial di dalam masyarakat Singkawang dikembangkan melalui interaksi di dalam lingkup keluarga, lingkungan sekitar, aktifitas ekonomi, para pimpinan agama, dan hubungan di dalam lingkup budaya dan tradisi. Meskipun demikian, hubungan antar unsur masyarakat masih kosmopolitan, yang di dalamnya anggota masyarakat kurang aktif dalam mengembangkan harmoni masyarakat.

  4. Consonant harmony in Nilotic: contrastive specifications and Stratal OT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Mackenzie

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Through analyses of dental harmony in four Nilotic languages, this paper argues both for contrastive representations and for a stratal version of Optimality Theory. Dholuo, Päri, Shilluk and Anywa all have dental harmony patterns which bar the co-occurrence of dental and alveolar segments. Details of the dental harmony patterning vary between languages and are tied to contrasts in the inventory. In Anywa, harmony is non-structure-preserving and an allophonic dental nasal surfaces in harmonic forms. This pattern can be analyzed in a stratal model of OT but leads to a ranking paradox if only a single level of evaluation is used. Further support for a stratal analysis can be found in the interaction between harmony and consonant mutation processes in the four languages. In Dholuo, harmony applies at the stem level and consonant mutation results in disharmonic surface forms in morphologically complex words. In Anywa, harmony applies later, at the word level, and words formed through consonant mutation must obey the dental harmony restrictions.

  5. A Cooperative Harmony Search Algorithm for Function Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gang Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Harmony search algorithm (HS is a new metaheuristic algorithm which is inspired by a process involving musical improvisation. HS is a stochastic optimization technique that is similar to genetic algorithms (GAs and particle swarm optimizers (PSOs. It has been widely applied in order to solve many complex optimization problems, including continuous and discrete problems, such as structure design, and function optimization. A cooperative harmony search algorithm (CHS is developed in this paper, with cooperative behavior being employed as a significant improvement to the performance of the original algorithm. Standard HS just uses one harmony memory and all the variables of the object function are improvised within the harmony memory, while the proposed algorithm CHS uses multiple harmony memories, so that each harmony memory can optimize different components of the solution vector. The CHS was then applied to function optimization problems. The results of the experiment show that CHS is capable of finding better solutions when compared to HS and a number of other algorithms, especially in high-dimensional problems.

  6. Harmonious Development between Socio-Economy and River-Lake Water Systems in Xiangyang City, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiting Zuo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available River-lake water systems (RLS are important carriers for matter transformation and energy transmission. Influenced by accelerated social and economic development, the structural, functional, and environmental states of RLS have been seriously damaged. It is an important problem for human beings to coordinate the contradiction between socio-economic development and the protection of RLS. In order to quantitatively study the harmonious relationship between socio-economic development and the state of RLS, the harmony theory method was used to analyze the degree of harmonious development between socio-economy and RLS in this study taking Xiangyang City as an example, and formulating corresponding harmonious optimization schemes. The results indicate that: (1 the state of RLS had a relatively small change during 2009–2014, and its spatial distribution shows a decreasing trend with the Han River as the central axis decreases on both of its sides; (2 before 2011, the driving force of socio-economic development in Xiang yang City mainly originated in the peripheral regions such as Laohekou City, Zaoyang City, and Gucheng County, but after 2011, it migrated rapidly towards Downtown, and reached the maximum in 2014; (3 when the influence of regional socio-economic development on RLS is small, socio-economic development is the main factor driving the change of the overall harmonious development degree of socio-economy and RLS. However when the influence is big, it is combined, driven by socio-economic development and the state of RLS; (4 the main factors affecting the overall harmonious degree of socio-economy and RLS in Xiangyang City include: river length, standard ratio of water quality, water consumption per capita, reservoir regulation capability, farmland irrigation water consumption per Mu (Mu is an area unit in China, 1 Mu approximately equals to 666.67 m2, and sewage treatment rate. This study can provide a reference for the future analysis of

  7. Strategic Intent, Confucian Harmony and Firm Success

    OpenAIRE

    Edward J. Romar

    2009-01-01

    This paper argues that by using the Confucian concept of harmony as its strategicintent a firm can be both ethical and successful. Using the work of Peter F. Drucker,Michael Porter, and Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad the paper discusses the role ofstrategic intent as a contributing factor to firm success. The paper then discusses how theConfucian concept of harmony fulfills the concept of strategic intent and how harmony cancontribute to the development of a successful and ethical organization...

  8. Development of The Harmony Restoration Measurement Scale ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Development of The Harmony Restoration Measurement Scale (Cosmogram) Part 1. ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search ... is one, who is in harmony or at peace with his world of relationships (Cosmos).

  9. Simulating the detection and classification of high-redshift supernovae with HARMONI on the ELT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bounissou, S.; Thatte, N.; Zieleniewski, S.; Houghton, R. C. W.; Tecza, M.; Hook, I.; Neichel, B.; Fusco, T.

    2018-02-01

    We present detailed simulations of integral field spectroscopic observations of a supernova in a host galaxy at z ˜ 3, as observed by the HARMONI spectrograph on the Extremely Large Telescope, asssisted by laser tomographic adaptive optics. The goal of the simulations, using the HSIM simulation tool, is to determine whether HARMONI can discern the supernova Type from spectral features in the supernova spectrum. We find that in a 3 hour observation, covering the near-infrared H and K bands, at a spectral resolving power of ˜3000, and using the 20×20 mas spaxel scale, we can classify supernova Type Ia and their redshift robustly up to 80 days past maximum light (20 days in the supernova rest frame). We show that HARMONI will provide spectra at z ˜ 3 that are of comparable (or better) quality to the best spectra we can currently obtain at z ˜ 1, thus allowing studies of cosmic expansion rates to be pushed to substantially higher redshifts.

  10. Wastewater Treatment Optimization for Fish Migration Using Harmony Search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zong Woo Geem

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Certain types of fish migrate between the sea and fresh water to spawn. In order for them to swim without any breathing problem, river should contain enough oxygen. If fish is passing along the river in municipal area, it needs sufficient dissolved oxygen level which is influenced by dumped amount of wastewater into the river. If existing treatment methods such as settling and biological oxidation are not enough, we have to consider additional treatment methods such as microscreening filtration and nitrification. This study constructed a wastewater treatment optimization model for migratory fish, which considers three costs (filtration cost, nitrification cost, and irrigation cost and two environmental constraints (minimal dissolved oxygen level and maximal nitrate-nitrogen concentration. Results show that the metaheuristic technique such as harmony search could find good solutions robustly while calculus-based technique such as generalized reduced gradient method was trapped in local optima or even divergent.

  11. An introduction to harmony search optimization method

    CERN Document Server

    Wang, Xiaolei; Zenger, Kai

    2014-01-01

    This brief provides a detailed introduction, discussion and bibliographic review of the nature1-inspired optimization algorithm called Harmony Search. It uses a large number of simulation results to demonstrate the advantages of Harmony Search and its variants and also their drawbacks. The authors show how weaknesses can be amended by hybridization with other optimization methods. The Harmony Search Method with Applications will be of value to researchers in computational intelligence in demonstrating the state of the art of research on an algorithm of current interest. It also helps researche

  12. Music Theory and the Harmony Method in J. Kepler's Work " The harmony of the Universe"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smirnov, V. A.

    In Kepler's book The Harmony of the Universe, edited in 1619, the theory of music as a science of that time is presented. Also the investigation of the correspondence between musical proportion and orbital parameters of the planets is presented. Kepler's book The Harmony of the Universe is a work that discloses the basic physical regularities of the developing Universe, which so far had not been definitively formulated. To explain the development process, Kepler introduced the concept of a "productive force" or "forming force" that directs the development of natural phenomena with the principles of world harmony, described by him. In addition to the four known natural interactions is a fifth one, that had never been studied fully. In this way we can explain the development of natural phenomena as alive and nonalive. Arising from the "productive force" that directs the flow of processes with the laws of harmony is an explanation of the existence of "anti-entropy" processes, a contradiction to the second law of thermodynamics, but playing a fundamental part in nature. The "golden section" apparatus defines space and time frames of process flow. The contents of the book give a notion about the way or "program" of development. Which basic law of nature is hiden in the contents of book is yet to be resolved (Kepler, 1939).

  13. Theory of music and method of "Harmony" in J.Cepler's book "Harmony of Universe"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smirnov, V. A.

    In the Cepler's book "Harmony of Universe" edited in 1619 the theory of music as a science of that time is presented. Also the investigation of proportion corresponding to musical between orbital parameters of planets is presented. J.Cepler used comparison of musical proportion for investigation movement of celestial bodies. So that Cepler's third law was formulated as following: "Proportion between periods rotation of any two planets is one and a half of proportion average distans of this planets exactly". The Cepler's method of "Harmony" lead to explanation of existence anti-entropyc processes which are widely spreaded in nature. [Johannes Kepler. Weltharmonik. Munchen-Berlin 1939 ].

  14. Products and Processes of Agri-Scientific Service-Learning: Adding Harmony to Dopico and Garcia-Vazquez

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boggs, George L.

    2011-01-01

    This forum response adds a conceptualization of harmony to Dopico and Vazquez' investigation of pedagogy that combines citizen science, environmental and cross-cultural research, and service-learning. Placing many appropriate and significant aspects of culturally situated science education in an authentically relational context beyond the…

  15. Fiscal 1995 international research cooperation project. Report on the R and D result of the environmental harmony type combustion technology; 1995 nendo kokusai kenkyu kyoryoku jigyo. Kankyo chowagata nensho gijutsu ni kansuru kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    The research and development were conducted jointly with Europe of an environmental harmony type high efficient catalyst which enables clean combustion and NOx removal in polluted gas in combustion flue gas, etc. In the research and development of NOx removal catalyst such as zeolite base, reformation of mostly mordenite was done by ion exchange, ion implantation, skeleton element substitution, etc. A possibility was found out of applying the membrane formation method except ion implantation as reforming means. In the R and D of the complex oxide base NOx removal catalyst, it was found that the catalyst carrying copper and silver on silica and layer clay compound under optimum conditions shows peculiarly high activity, and there is little decrease in the activity, but rather increase in it even under vapor existence. An evaluation was made of NO resolution of direct resolution element carrying noble metal electrolyte on solid electrolyte, finding out that the highest NO selectivity is shown with Pd as electrolyte and at a baking temperature of about 1300degC. Development of high- and low-temperature catalysts was also made. 417 refs., 286 figs., 63 tabs.

  16. Differential harmony search algorithm to optimize PWRs loading pattern

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poursalehi, N., E-mail: npsalehi@yahoo.com [Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C, P.O.Box: 1983963113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zolfaghari, A.; Minuchehr, A. [Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C, P.O.Box: 1983963113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2013-04-15

    Highlights: ► Exploit of DHS algorithm in LP optimization reveals its flexibility, robustness and reliability. ► Upshot of our experiments with DHS shows that the search approach to optimal LP is quickly. ► On the average, the final band width of DHS fitness values is narrow relative to HS and GHS. -- Abstract: The objective of this work is to develop a core loading optimization technique using differential harmony search algorithm in the context of obtaining an optimal configuration of fuel assemblies in pressurized water reactors. To implement and evaluate the proposed technique, differential harmony search nodal expansion package for 2-D geometry, DHSNEP-2D, is developed. The package includes two modules; in the first modules differential harmony search (DHS) is implemented and nodal expansion code which solves two dimensional-multi group neutron diffusion equations using fourth degree flux expansion with one node per a fuel assembly is in the second module. For evaluation of DHS algorithm, classical harmony search (HS) and global-best harmony search (GHS) algorithms are also included in DHSNEP-2D in order to compare the outcome of techniques together. For this purpose, two PWR test cases have been investigated to demonstrate the DHS algorithm capability in obtaining near optimal loading pattern. Results show that the convergence rate of DHS and execution times are quite promising and also is reliable for the fuel management operation. Moreover, numerical results show the good performance of DHS relative to other competitive algorithms such as genetic algorithm (GA), classical harmony search (HS) and global-best harmony search (GHS) algorithms.

  17. Differential harmony search algorithm to optimize PWRs loading pattern

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poursalehi, N.; Zolfaghari, A.; Minuchehr, A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Exploit of DHS algorithm in LP optimization reveals its flexibility, robustness and reliability. ► Upshot of our experiments with DHS shows that the search approach to optimal LP is quickly. ► On the average, the final band width of DHS fitness values is narrow relative to HS and GHS. -- Abstract: The objective of this work is to develop a core loading optimization technique using differential harmony search algorithm in the context of obtaining an optimal configuration of fuel assemblies in pressurized water reactors. To implement and evaluate the proposed technique, differential harmony search nodal expansion package for 2-D geometry, DHSNEP-2D, is developed. The package includes two modules; in the first modules differential harmony search (DHS) is implemented and nodal expansion code which solves two dimensional-multi group neutron diffusion equations using fourth degree flux expansion with one node per a fuel assembly is in the second module. For evaluation of DHS algorithm, classical harmony search (HS) and global-best harmony search (GHS) algorithms are also included in DHSNEP-2D in order to compare the outcome of techniques together. For this purpose, two PWR test cases have been investigated to demonstrate the DHS algorithm capability in obtaining near optimal loading pattern. Results show that the convergence rate of DHS and execution times are quite promising and also is reliable for the fuel management operation. Moreover, numerical results show the good performance of DHS relative to other competitive algorithms such as genetic algorithm (GA), classical harmony search (HS) and global-best harmony search (GHS) algorithms

  18. Interpersonal Harmony and Conflict for Chinese People: A Yin–Yang Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Li-Li

    2016-01-01

    This article provides an overview on a series of original studies conducted by the author. The aim here is to present the ideas that the author reconstructed, based on the dialectics of harmonization, regarding harmony and conflict embodied in traditional Chinese thought, and to describe how a formal psychological theory/model on interpersonal harmony and conflict was developed based on the Yin–Yang perspective. The paper also details how essential theories on interpersonal harmony and conflict were constructed under this formal model by conducting a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 30 adults. Psychological research in Western society has, intriguingly, long been focused more on interpersonal conflict than on interpersonal harmony. By contrast, the author’s work started from the viewpoint of a materialist conception of history and dialectics of harmonization in order to reinterpret traditional Chinese thought. Next, a “dynamic model of interpersonal harmony and conflict” was developed, as a formal psychological theory, based on the real-virtual notions in the Yin–Yang perspective. Under this model, interpersonal harmony and conflict can be classified into genuine versus superficial harmony and authentic versus virtual focus conflict, and implicit/hidden conflict is regarded as superficial harmony. Subsequently, the author conducted a series of quantitative studies on interpersonal harmony and conflict within parent–child, supervisor–subordinate, and friend–friend relationships in order to verify the construct validity and the predictive validity of the dynamic model of interpersonal harmony and conflict. The claim presented herein is that Chinese traditional thought and the psychological theory/model based on the Yin–Yang perspective can be combined. Accordingly, by combining qualitative and quantitative empirical research, the relative substantial theory can be developed and the concepts can be validated. Thus, this work

  19. Interpersonal Harmony and Conflict for Chinese People: A Yin-Yang Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Li-Li

    2016-01-01

    This article provides an overview on a series of original studies conducted by the author. The aim here is to present the ideas that the author reconstructed, based on the dialectics of harmonization, regarding harmony and conflict embodied in traditional Chinese thought, and to describe how a formal psychological theory/model on interpersonal harmony and conflict was developed based on the Yin-Yang perspective. The paper also details how essential theories on interpersonal harmony and conflict were constructed under this formal model by conducting a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 30 adults. Psychological research in Western society has, intriguingly, long been focused more on interpersonal conflict than on interpersonal harmony. By contrast, the author's work started from the viewpoint of a materialist conception of history and dialectics of harmonization in order to reinterpret traditional Chinese thought. Next, a "dynamic model of interpersonal harmony and conflict" was developed, as a formal psychological theory, based on the real-virtual notions in the Yin-Yang perspective. Under this model, interpersonal harmony and conflict can be classified into genuine versus superficial harmony and authentic versus virtual focus conflict, and implicit/hidden conflict is regarded as superficial harmony. Subsequently, the author conducted a series of quantitative studies on interpersonal harmony and conflict within parent-child, supervisor-subordinate, and friend-friend relationships in order to verify the construct validity and the predictive validity of the dynamic model of interpersonal harmony and conflict. The claim presented herein is that Chinese traditional thought and the psychological theory/model based on the Yin-Yang perspective can be combined. Accordingly, by combining qualitative and quantitative empirical research, the relative substantial theory can be developed and the concepts can be validated. Thus, this work represents the

  20. Adaptive Ambient Illumination Based on Color Harmony Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikuchi, Ayano; Hirai, Keita; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Tsumura, Norimichi; Miyake, Yoichi

    We investigated the relationship between ambient illumination and psychological effect by applying a modified color harmony model. We verified the proposed model by analyzing correlation between psychological value and modified color harmony score. Experimental results showed the possibility to obtain the best color for illumination using this model.

  1. Dagara Tongue-Root Vowel Harmony | Kuubezelle | Ghana Journal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Though tongue-root vowel harmony in many Ghanaian languages has been described, there still remain many others which have received little or no description at all. Dagara, a dialect of Dagaare a Mabia language, is one of such dialects. This paper presents a description of Dagara tongue-root vowel harmony using ...

  2. Kernel Clustering with a Differential Harmony Search Algorithm for Scheme Classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Feng

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a kernel fuzzy clustering with a novel differential harmony search algorithm to coordinate with the diversion scheduling scheme classification. First, we employed a self-adaptive solution generation strategy and differential evolution-based population update strategy to improve the classical harmony search. Second, we applied the differential harmony search algorithm to the kernel fuzzy clustering to help the clustering method obtain better solutions. Finally, the combination of the kernel fuzzy clustering and the differential harmony search is applied for water diversion scheduling in East Lake. A comparison of the proposed method with other methods has been carried out. The results show that the kernel clustering with the differential harmony search algorithm has good performance to cooperate with the water diversion scheduling problems.

  3. From proactive personality to organizational citizenship behavior: mediating role of harmony.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, Yiqun; Cheung, Fanny M

    2010-06-01

    The objective of the present study was to examine the moderating role of interpersonal harmony in the relation of proactive personality with organizational citizenship behavior. 158 employees in Chinese state-owned companies completed the Proactive Personality Scale (Bateman & Crant, 1993), Harmony scale, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior Questionnaire. Proactive personality had insignificant correlation with job dedication. The correlation between interpersonal facilitation and proactive personality was significant but quite low. Results of the hierarchical regression analyses indicated that when demographic variables were controlled, Harmony had significant moderating effects on the relations of proactive behavior and job dedication/interpersonal facilitation. In the high Harmony group, the correlation between proactive personality and organizational citizenship behavior was significant; whereas in the low Harmony group, this correlation was not significant.

  4. PERADILAN BERBASIS HARMONI DALAM DALAM GUYUB BUDAYA LAMAHOLOT - FLORES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karolus KopongMedan

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available This study tried to offer a new theoretic perspective about settlement form of criminal case. Through law anthropolgy study by using etnography approach and hermeneutic analysis method, this study more strengthen the faith that the final goal of every court process is not only to determine who is wrong and who is right, but also to find out the justice and the truth. But, additionally judicial process has to make a harmony or rebuild a social relation among the victims of conflict.  Even, a social harmony that was built is managed generally as individual, and collective context, and as also vertically to the Almighty God. The judicial orientation with rich philosophy of harmony can be applied to social sphere, because actually the harmony value is everybody’s dream in the world.                                         Key words:  judicial, criminal, harmony, adat tradition, Lamaholot society.

  5. Environmental Harmony and Evaluation of Advertisement Billboards with Digital Photogrammetry Technique and GIS Capabilities: A Case Study in the City of Ankara

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Recep Nisancı

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Geographical Information Systems (GIS have been gaining a growing interest in Turkey. Many local governments and public agencies have been struggling to set up such systems to serve the needs and meet public requirements. Urban life shelters the advertisement reality which is presented at various places, on vehicles, shops etc. in daily life. It can be said that advertisement is a part of daily life in urban area, especially in city centers. In addition, one of the main sources of revenue for municipalities comes from advertising and notices. The advertising sector provides a great level of income today. Therefore advertising is individually very important for local governments and urban management. Although it is valuable for local governments, it is also very important for urban management to place these advertisement signs and billboards in an orderly fashion which is pleasing to the eye. Another point related to this subject is the systematic control mechanism which is necessary for collecting taxes regularly and updating. In this paper, first practical meaning of notice and advertisement subject, problem definition and objectives are described and then legal support and daily practice are revised. Current practice and problems are mentioned. Possibilities of measuring and obtaining necessary information by using digital images and transferring them to spatial databases are studied. By this study, a modern approach was developed for urban management and municipalities by using information technology which is an alternative to current application. Criteria which provide environmental harmony such as urban beauty, colour, compatibility and safety were also evaluated. It was finally concluded that measuring commercial signs and keeping environmental harmony under control for urban beauty can be provided by Digital Photogrammetry (DP technique and GIS capabilities which were studied with pilot applications in the city center of Ankara.

  6. Environmental Harmony and Evaluation of Advertisement Billboards with Digital Photogrammetry Technique and GIS Capabilities: A Case Study in the City of Ankara.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydın, Cevdetx C; Nisancı, Recep

    2008-05-19

    Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have been gaining a growing interest in Turkey. Many local governments and public agencies have been struggling to set up such systems to serve the needs and meet public requirements. Urban life shelters the advertisement reality which is presented at various places, on vehicles, shops etc. in daily life. It can be said that advertisement is a part of daily life in urban area, especially in city centers. In addition, one of the main sources of revenue for municipalities comes from advertising and notices. The advertising sector provides a great level of income today. Therefore advertising is individually very important for local governments and urban management. Although it is valuable for local governments, it is also very important for urban management to place these advertisement signs and billboards in an orderly fashion which is pleasing to the eye. Another point related to this subject is the systematic control mechanism which is necessary for collecting taxes regularly and updating. In this paper, first practical meaning of notice and advertisement subject, problem definition and objectives are described and then legal support and daily practice are revised. Current practice and problems are mentioned. Possibilities of measuring and obtaining necessary information by using digital images and transferring them to spatial databases are studied. By this study, a modern approach was developed for urban management and municipalities by using information technology which is an alternative to current application. Criteria which provide environmental harmony such as urban beauty, colour, compatibility and safety were also evaluated. It was finally concluded that measuring commercial signs and keeping environmental harmony under control for urban beauty can be provided by Digital Photogrammetry (DP) technique and GIS capabilities which were studied with pilot applications in the city center of Ankara.

  7. Maintaining the Harmonious Family

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jonasson, Charlotte; Lauring, Jakob

    2006-01-01

    Harmony and social sustainability has been described as almost inborn aspects of Korean corporations dating far back in history. After the East Asian economic crisis in 1997, however, most Korean organizations faced new demands for productivity and competitiveness. Sustaining the fragile balance ...

  8. HARMONIOUS INTERACTION AMONG ETHNICAL COMMUNITIES IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sismudjito .

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This research was conducted in 13 villages of Secanggang district, North Sumatra Province-Indonesia. This study describes the capacity and condition of harmonious interaction among ethnical communities in regional development, which focuses on villager motivation as intervening variables. Motivation is a very important instrument in bridging the concepts of harmony among communities towards regional development. Development of a region is implemented through harmonious interaction among various ethnic communities that can serve motivation as an intervening variable. This study uses a combination of qualitative (exploratory and quantitative method.  There is one factor that plays a role as a determinant factor in causing successful development. The interaction, either directly or indirectly, generates assimilation between ethnical cultures.

  9. Topology optimization based on the harmony search method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Seung-Min; Han, Seog-Young

    2017-01-01

    A new topology optimization scheme based on a Harmony search (HS) as a metaheuristic method was proposed and applied to static stiffness topology optimization problems. To apply the HS to topology optimization, the variables in HS were transformed to those in topology optimization. Compliance was used as an objective function, and harmony memory was defined as the set of the optimized topology. Also, a parametric study for Harmony memory considering rate (HMCR), Pitch adjusting rate (PAR), and Bandwidth (BW) was performed to find the appropriate range for topology optimization. Various techniques were employed such as a filtering scheme, simple average scheme and harmony rate. To provide a robust optimized topology, the concept of the harmony rate update rule was also implemented. Numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the HS by comparing the optimal layouts of the HS with those of Bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) and Artificial bee colony algorithm (ABCA). The following conclu- sions could be made: (1) The proposed topology scheme is very effective for static stiffness topology optimization problems in terms of stability, robustness and convergence rate. (2) The suggested method provides a symmetric optimized topology despite the fact that the HS is a stochastic method like the ABCA. (3) The proposed scheme is applicable and practical in manufacturing since it produces a solid-void design of the optimized topology. (4) The suggested method appears to be very effective for large scale problems like topology optimization.

  10. Topology optimization based on the harmony search method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Seung-Min; Han, Seog-Young [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    A new topology optimization scheme based on a Harmony search (HS) as a metaheuristic method was proposed and applied to static stiffness topology optimization problems. To apply the HS to topology optimization, the variables in HS were transformed to those in topology optimization. Compliance was used as an objective function, and harmony memory was defined as the set of the optimized topology. Also, a parametric study for Harmony memory considering rate (HMCR), Pitch adjusting rate (PAR), and Bandwidth (BW) was performed to find the appropriate range for topology optimization. Various techniques were employed such as a filtering scheme, simple average scheme and harmony rate. To provide a robust optimized topology, the concept of the harmony rate update rule was also implemented. Numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the HS by comparing the optimal layouts of the HS with those of Bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) and Artificial bee colony algorithm (ABCA). The following conclu- sions could be made: (1) The proposed topology scheme is very effective for static stiffness topology optimization problems in terms of stability, robustness and convergence rate. (2) The suggested method provides a symmetric optimized topology despite the fact that the HS is a stochastic method like the ABCA. (3) The proposed scheme is applicable and practical in manufacturing since it produces a solid-void design of the optimized topology. (4) The suggested method appears to be very effective for large scale problems like topology optimization.

  11. Komunikasi Harmonis Orang Tua dengan Anak

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Ratnasari

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Harmony in family communication indicates the success of communication and interaction exchange within family members. In this paper, a harmonious communication between parents and their children was reviewed through parents credibility, the use of verbal and non-verbal communication, plus parents ability to listen their children actively. By continuously added their knowledge and information concerning parenting and communication, parents could increase their credibility. Verbal message focused on I-message applying win-win solutions, combined with humor approach, helps to delivered message effectively. Meanwhile, active listening related with parents activities in giving restatement, understanding, and questioning children’s mind and feeling.

  12. Coupling Social Solidarity and Social Harmony in Hong Kong

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Chau-kiu; Ma, Stephen Kan

    2011-01-01

    The various forms of social solidarity are empirically uncharted, especially in relation to social harmony. With respect to resource exchange theory, inclusive solidarity or intergroup acceptance is more conducive to social harmony than mechanical, organic, distributive, and dialogic forms of solidarity. The theoretical prediction holds in the…

  13. WWER core pattern enhancement using adaptive improved harmony search

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazari, T.; Aghaie, M.; Zolfaghari, A.; Minuchehr, A.; Norouzi, A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► The classical and improved harmony search algorithms are introduced. ► The advantage of IHS is demonstrated in Shekel's Foxholes. ► The CHS and IHS are compared with other Heuristic algorithms. ► The adaptive improved harmony search is applied for two cases. ► Two cases of WWER core are optimized in BOC FA pattern. - Abstract: The efficient operation and fuel management of PWRs are of utmost importance. Core performance analysis constitutes an essential phase in core fuel management optimization. Finding an optimum core arrangement for loading of fuel assemblies, FAs, in a nuclear core is a complex problem. In this paper, application of classical harmony search (HS) and adaptive improved harmony search (IHS) in loading pattern (LP) design, for pressurized water reactors, is described. In this analysis, finding the best core pattern, which attains maximum multiplication factor, k eff , by considering maximum allowable power picking factors (PPF) is the main objective. Therefore a HS based, LP optimization code is prepared and CITATION code which is a neutronic calculation code, applied to obtain effective multiplication factor, neutron fluxes and power density in desired cores. Using adaptive improved harmony search and neutronic code, generated LP optimization code, could be applicable for PWRs core with many numbers of FAs. In this work, at first step, HS and IHS efficiencies are compared with some other heuristic algorithms in Shekel's Foxholes problem and capability of the adaptive improved harmony search is demonstrated. Results show, efficient application of IHS. At second step, two WWER cases are studied and then IHS proffered improved core patterns with regard to mentioned objective functions.

  14. Sustainable tourism and harmonious culture: a case study of cultic model at village tourism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Astawa, I. P.; Triyuni, N. N.; Santosa, I. D. M. C.

    2018-01-01

    The research aims to analyze an event model of Culture and Tourism International Camp (Cultic) from two aspects, harmonious culture and sustainable tourism. Currently, Indonesian government promotes village tourism by involving more villagers to achieve village independence in its development. The program has faced various obstacles, such as the eroded local cultures due to the development of a massive and money-oriented tourism with less attention on the environmental damage. One of the offered programs is a green tourism model for an event named Culture and Tourism International Camps - Cultic. The research is conducted in several stages. The first stage is the development of model based on the theoretical study. The second stage is the implementation of the model with 85 participants. The third stage is the evaluation of the model through harmonious culture and sustainable tourism approaches. The data is collected through a direct observation and a questionnaire. The result of qualitative analysis indicates that the developed event model supports the harmonious culture, especially the natural environment. Whereas, the result of quantitative analysis indicates that the participants enjoy the activities, such as green food, material natural, waste management, and ecosystem. Another finding is that the community strongly supports the concept of sustainable tourism.

  15. Pluralism and Religious Harmony in Religious Elites Perspectives in Malang City

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umi Sumbulah

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to understand the religious elite view of pluralism and religious harmony in  Malang. The study was focused on the meaning of pluralism and religious harmony, efforts  and things that support and hinder the realization of religious harmony. Empirical research  data with qualitative-phenomenological approach was collected through interviews and documentation. The results show: first, the meaning of religious pluralism for the religious elites is very varied, which is the same as tolerance, mutual respect, the goal of all religions are the same, and recognize the fact that there are many religions in this world. Second, religiousharmony have meaning as a condition where there is no oppression and domination of one religion over other religions, awakening a deep awareness of diversity, respect for human rights, and the willingness to spread kindness and love for fellow human beings. Third, religious harmony can be achieved through internal efforts to strengthen the faith of each and build awareness to develop a positive attitude towards other religions. In external efforts to create harmony done through emancipatory dialogue and cooperation to resolve humanitarian issues. Fourth, positive attitude that supports the creation of harmony of religions is the willingness and awareness to understand each other and share experiences. Egoism, truth claims, fanaticism, and exclusivism is a negative attitude and expression recognized by the religious elite can interfere with the establishment of inter-religious harmony.

  16. Energy problem and harmony in international relations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogata, Akira

    1975-01-01

    Energy problems and harmony in international relation are closely related with world politics. Oil is destined to remain as the primary energy source for the time being. The situation of oil has different implications to the U.S. and U.S.S.R., oil producing countries, and consumer countries. The hasty attitude in the past to attain energy sufficiency must be avoided by all means. Congenial harmony is to be established in international relation to meet world energy requirement. This also applies to the case of nuclear power in future. (Mori, K.)

  17. WWER core pattern enhancement using adaptive improved harmony search

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nazari, T. [Nuclear Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., P.O. Box 1983963113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Aghaie, M., E-mail: M_Aghaie@sbu.ac.ir [Nuclear Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., P.O. Box 1983963113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zolfaghari, A.; Minuchehr, A.; Norouzi, A. [Nuclear Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., P.O. Box 1983963113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2013-01-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The classical and improved harmony search algorithms are introduced. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The advantage of IHS is demonstrated in Shekel's Foxholes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The CHS and IHS are compared with other Heuristic algorithms. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The adaptive improved harmony search is applied for two cases. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Two cases of WWER core are optimized in BOC FA pattern. - Abstract: The efficient operation and fuel management of PWRs are of utmost importance. Core performance analysis constitutes an essential phase in core fuel management optimization. Finding an optimum core arrangement for loading of fuel assemblies, FAs, in a nuclear core is a complex problem. In this paper, application of classical harmony search (HS) and adaptive improved harmony search (IHS) in loading pattern (LP) design, for pressurized water reactors, is described. In this analysis, finding the best core pattern, which attains maximum multiplication factor, k{sub eff}, by considering maximum allowable power picking factors (PPF) is the main objective. Therefore a HS based, LP optimization code is prepared and CITATION code which is a neutronic calculation code, applied to obtain effective multiplication factor, neutron fluxes and power density in desired cores. Using adaptive improved harmony search and neutronic code, generated LP optimization code, could be applicable for PWRs core with many numbers of FAs. In this work, at first step, HS and IHS efficiencies are compared with some other heuristic algorithms in Shekel's Foxholes problem and capability of the adaptive improved harmony search is demonstrated. Results show, efficient application of IHS. At second step, two WWER cases are studied and then IHS proffered improved core patterns with regard to mentioned objective functions.

  18. DAGARA TONGUE-ROOT VOWEL HARMONY

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Finance

    opaque consonant, and blocks [+ATR] harmony spread from stems to suffix vowels. The opacity effect is however unidirectional as there is no evidence of .... the verb stem is of a CVC syllable shape, with the coda consonant being a liquid.

  19. 2nd International Conference on Harmony Search Algorithm

    CERN Document Server

    Geem, Zong

    2016-01-01

    The Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA) is one of the most well-known techniques in the field of soft computing, an important paradigm in the science and engineering community.  This volume, the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Harmony Search Algorithm 2015 (ICHSA 2015), brings together contributions describing the latest developments in the field of soft computing with a special focus on HSA techniques. It includes coverage of new methods that have potentially immense application in various fields. Contributed articles cover aspects of the following topics related to the Harmony Search Algorithm: analytical studies; improved, hybrid and multi-objective variants; parameter tuning; and large-scale applications.  The book also contains papers discussing recent advances on the following topics: genetic algorithms; evolutionary strategies; the firefly algorithm and cuckoo search; particle swarm optimization and ant colony optimization; simulated annealing; and local search techniques.   This book ...

  20. The golden section, secrets of the Egyptian civilization and harmony mathematics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stakhov, Alexey [International Club of the Golden Section, 6 McCreary Trail, Bolton, Ont., L7E 2C8 (Canada)]. E-mail: goldenmuseum@rogers.com

    2006-10-15

    The main goal of the present article is to consider the harmony mathematics from the point of view of the sacral geometry and to show how it can be used in this field. We also consider some secrets of the Egyptian civilization that have relation to the golden section and platonic solids. Briefly, this is considered to be the main concepts involved in harmony mathematics and its application to the sacral geometry. (Religiousness of a scientist is in his enthusiastic worship for laws of harmony. Albert Einstein)

  1. The golden section, secrets of the Egyptian civilization and harmony mathematics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stakhov, Alexey

    2006-01-01

    The main goal of the present article is to consider the harmony mathematics from the point of view of the sacral geometry and to show how it can be used in this field. We also consider some secrets of the Egyptian civilization that have relation to the golden section and platonic solids. Briefly, this is considered to be the main concepts involved in harmony mathematics and its application to the sacral geometry. (Religiousness of a scientist is in his enthusiastic worship for laws of harmony. Albert Einstein)

  2. Car painting process scheduling with harmony search algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syahputra, M. F.; Maiyasya, A.; Purnamawati, S.; Abdullah, D.; Albra, W.; Heikal, M.; Abdurrahman, A.; Khaddafi, M.

    2018-02-01

    Automotive painting program in the process of painting the car body by using robot power, making efficiency in the production system. Production system will be more efficient if pay attention to scheduling of car order which will be done by considering painting body shape of car. Flow shop scheduling is a scheduling model in which the job-job to be processed entirely flows in the same product direction / path. Scheduling problems often arise if there are n jobs to be processed on the machine, which must be specified which must be done first and how to allocate jobs on the machine to obtain a scheduled production process. Harmony Search Algorithm is a metaheuristic optimization algorithm based on music. The algorithm is inspired by observations that lead to music in search of perfect harmony. This musical harmony is in line to find optimal in the optimization process. Based on the tests that have been done, obtained the optimal car sequence with minimum makespan value.

  3. Accounting for taste: individual differences in preference for harmony.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Stephen E; Griscom, William S

    2013-06-01

    Although empirical research on aesthetics has had some success in explaining the average preferences of groups of observers, relatively little is known about individual differences in preference, and especially about how such differences might covary across different domains. In this study, we identified a new factor underlying aesthetic response-preference for harmonious stimuli-and examined how it varies over four domains (color, shape, spatial location, and music) across individuals with different levels of training in art and music. We found that individual preferences for harmony are strongly correlated across all four dimensions tested and decrease consistently with training in the relevant aesthetic domains. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that cross-domain preference for harmony is well-represented as a single, unified factor, with effects separate from those of training and of common personality measures.

  4. Reaching Residents of Green Communities: Evaluation of a Unique Environmental Education Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hostetler, Mark; Swiman, Elizabeth; Prizzia, Anna; Noiseux, Krystal

    2008-01-01

    Often in green communities, homeowner understanding is left out of the project. We evaluated the impact of a new environmental education program installed in a green community, Town of Harmony, Florida. Consisting of educational kiosks, website, and brochure, we evaluated whether Harmony residents' environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors…

  5. Living in Harmony with Disaster: Exploring Volcanic Hazard Vulnerability in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sea Eun Cho

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This article illustrates the multi-faceted notion of hazard vulnerability and the complicated relations a community has with a hazardous area based on a joint urban planning and design studio between Seoul National University and Diponegoro University in 2014. The study focused on an area in Central Java, Indonesia, surrounded by four active volcanic mountains, and explored the economic, environmental and social vulnerability associated with the site. Although initially the study focused on drawing up and improving the relocation plan, it was soon discovered that eliminating environmental vulnerability by relocating residents to new sites may in fact increase their economic vulnerability. This led the study to embrace the concept of living in harmony with disaster. In conclusion, the results of the study are discussed in terms recognizing environmental hazards as a vehicle for understanding local perceptions, and utilizing these perceptions to suggest mitigation measures that are more responsive to the site at risk.

  6. Harmony as Ideology: Questioning the Diversity-Stability Hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikisianis, Nikos; Stamou, Georgios P

    2016-03-01

    The representation of a complex but stable, self-regulated and, finally, harmonious nature penetrates the whole history of Ecology, thus contradicting the core of the Darwinian evolution. Originated in the pre-Darwinian Natural History, this representation defined theoretically the various schools of early ecology and, in the context of the cybernetic synthesis of the 1950s, it assumed a typical mathematical form on account of α positive correlation between species diversity and community stability. After 1960, these two aforementioned concepts and their positive correlation were proposed as environmental management tools, in the face of the ecological crisis arising at the time. In the early 1970s, and particularly after May's evolutionary arguments, the consensus around this positive correlation collapsed for a while, only to be promptly restored for the purpose of attaching an ecological value on biodiversity. In this paper, we explore the history of the diversity-stability hypothesis and we review the successive terms that have been used to express community stability. We argue that this hypothesis has been motivated by the nodal ideological presuppositions of order and harmony and that the scientific developments in this field largely correspond to external social pressures. We conclude that the conflict about the diversity-stability relationship is in fact an ideological debate, referring mostly to the way we see nature and society rather than to an autonomous scientific question. From this point of view, we may understand why Ecology's concepts and perceptions may decline and return again and again, forming a pluralistic scientific history.

  7. Environmental ethics and regional sustainable development

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHENG Du; DAI Erfu

    2012-01-01

    The scientific environmental ethics plays a key role in the recognition of the human-environment interactions.Modern environmental ethics is the philosophical re-thinking of modern human race environmental behavior.The development of environmental ethics theory,as well as its application in reality,determines the viewpoints of environmental ethics.Sustainable development implies harmony on human-environment interactions and inter-generation responsibility,with emphasis on a harmonious relationship among population,resources,environment and development,so as to lay a sustainable and healthy foundation of resources and environment for future generations.The harmonious society construction in China that is raised by the Chinese central government should be covered by environmental ethics.The connotation of open environmental ethics includes a respect for nature,care for the individual human race,and respect for the development of future generations,which means giving consideration to natural values,individual and human race benefits and welfare across generations.The role of environmental ethics in regional development consists of cognition,criticism,education,inspiration,adjusting,legislation and promoting environmental regulations.The major problems in regional development are extensive resource exploration,fast population growth,irrational industrial structure,unfair welfare distribution and the twofold effects of science and technology development.The formulation of environmental ethics that aims at regional sustainable development,can not only harmonize the relationship of population,resource,environment and economic development,but also guide behavior selection,push social and political system transformation,strengthen the legal system,and raise environmental awareness of the public.

  8. Pancultural explanations for life satisfaction: adding relationship harmony to self-esteem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwan, V S; Bond, M H; Singelis, T M

    1997-11-01

    The first part of the study confirmed an additive effect of the newly proposed construct of relationship harmony to self-esteem in predicting life satisfaction across student samples from the United States and Hong Kong. As predicted from the dynamics of cultural collectivism, the relative importance of relationship harmony to self-esteem was greater in Hong Kong than in the United States. In the second part of the study, the independent and interdependent self-construals (H. R. Markus & S. Kitayama, 1991) and the 5 factors of personality (P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) were advanced to be the culture-general determinants of life satisfaction, acting through the mediating variables of self-esteem and relationship harmony. Both self-construals and the 5 factors of personality were shown to influence life satisfaction through the mediating agency of self-esteem and relationship harmony in equivalent ways across these 2 cultural groups.

  9. [Ecosystem service value and its aplication in evaluation of eco-economic harmonious development].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jian-zhai; Li, Bo; Zhang, Xin-shi

    2007-11-01

    Based on the data of land use/cover and by using eco-economic harmony index (EEH) this paper studied the spatiotemporal characteristics of ecosystem service value on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains, and evaluated the harmony degree of eco-economic development in the region. The results showed that the total ecosystem service value on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains was increased from 319.93 x 10(8) yuan in 1989 to 321.26 x 10(8) yuan in 2000, with a net increment of 0.42%. The regional eco-economic development was overall at a low harmony level, being higher in eastern part than in middle and western parts, among which, eight counties had a positive value of EEH and their eco-economic development was harmonious, while seven counties had a negative value of EEH and their eco-economic development was inharmonic. The eco-economic development in the region was at the margin of harmony, and thus, more attention should be paid to strengthen the protection of eco-environment and promote the harmonious development of eco-economy to have a sustainable development.

  10. Song Walker Harmony Space: Embodied Interaction Design for Complex Musical Skills

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouwer, A.; Holland, S.; Dalgleish, M.; Holland, S.; Wilkie, K.; Mulholland, P.; Seago, A.

    2013-01-01

    Tonal Harmony is widely considered to be the most technical and complex part of music theory. Consequently harmonic skills can be hard to acquire. Furthermore, experience of the flexible manipulation of harmony in real time generally requires the ability to play an instrument. Even for those with

  11. Optical and mechanical design of the fore-optics of HARMONI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Capuchino, J.; Hernández, E.; Bueno, A.; Herreros, J. M.; Thatte, N.; Bryson, I.; Clarke, F.; Tecza, M.

    2014-07-01

    HARMONI is a visible and near-infrared (0.47μm to 2.5μm) integral field spectrometer providing the E-ELT's core spectroscopic capability. It will provide ~32000 simultaneous spectra of a rectangular field of view at four foreseen different spatial sample (spaxel) scales. The HARMONI fore-optics re-formats the native telescope plate scale to suitable values for the downstream instrument optics. This telecentric adaptation includes anamorphic magnification of the plate scale to optimize the performance of the IFU, which contains the image slicer, and their four spectrographs. In addition, it provides an image of the telescope pupil to assemble a cold stop shared among all the scales allowing efficient suppression of the thermal background. A pupil imaging unit also re-images the pupil cold stop onto the image slicer to check the relative alignment between the E-ELT and HARMONI pupils. The scale changer will also host the filter wheel with the long-pass filters to select the wavelength range. The main reasoning specifying the importance of the HARMONI fore-optics and its current optical and mechanical design is described in this contribution.

  12. Smallest-Small-World Cellular Harmony Search for Optimization of Unconstrained Benchmark Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sung Soo Im

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We presented a new hybrid method that combines cellular harmony search algorithms with the Smallest-Small-World theory. A harmony search (HS algorithm is based on musical performance processes that occur when a musician searches for a better state of harmony. Harmony search has successfully been applied to a wide variety of practical optimization problems. Most of the previous researches have sought to improve the performance of the HS algorithm by changing the pitch adjusting rate and harmony memory considering rate. However, there has been a lack of studies to improve the performance of the algorithm by the formation of population structures. Therefore, we proposed an improved HS algorithm that uses the cellular automata formation and the topological structure of Smallest-Small-World network. The improved HS algorithm has a high clustering coefficient and a short characteristic path length, having good exploration and exploitation efficiencies. Nine benchmark functions were applied to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Unlike the existing improved HS algorithm, the proposed algorithm is expected to have improved algorithmic efficiency from the formation of the population structure.

  13. A New Fuzzy Harmony Search Algorithm Using Fuzzy Logic for Dynamic Parameter Adaptation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cinthia Peraza

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a new fuzzy harmony search algorithm (FHS for solving optimization problems is presented. FHS is based on a recent method using fuzzy logic for dynamic adaptation of the harmony memory accepting (HMR and pitch adjustment (PArate parameters that improve the convergence rate of traditional harmony search algorithm (HS. The objective of the method is to dynamically adjust the parameters in the range from 0.7 to 1. The impact of using fixed parameters in the harmony search algorithm is discussed and a strategy for efficiently tuning these parameters using fuzzy logic is presented. The FHS algorithm was successfully applied to different benchmarking optimization problems. The results of simulation and comparison studies demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.

  14. Measurement on the Harmony Coefficient of Agro-eco-economic System in the Arid Region

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Qijun; LIU; Zhaonan; LI

    2016-01-01

    On the basis of the present research progress of ecological agriculture,we take Minle County and Linze County located in the middle reaches of Heihe River as the typical research units.Based on the rural social and economic data during the period of 2000-2010,theory and method of mathematical statistics are used to establish the measure theory and model of agro-eco-economic system harmony coefficient,including efficacy function,function of harmony coefficient,harmony coefficient and level of harmony coefficient.Based on the actual situation of research region,evaluation indicator system of agro-eco-economic system is established and measurement is carried out.Results show that the regional agro-eco-economic system in research region was in a serious imbalance in 2000-2013.The harmony coefficient of Minle showed a slight rise from 2000 to 2004,and then presented a fluctuating decline.Its rank of harmony coefficient experienced serious imbalance-extreme imbalance-moderate imbalance-low imbalance-serious imbalance-high imbalance.At the same time,the similar tendency happened in Linze County.The measuring results of subsystem in 2000-2013 further indicated that except that the harmony coefficient of economic subsystem in Minle County and Linze County was moderate and high,the ecological subsystem was at Level II and Level III,and social subsystem was at Level IV and Level III,in high and low imbalance status.Finally,several recommendations were put forward for optimizing agro-eco-economic system.

  15. A solution to energy and environmental problems of electric power system using hybrid harmony search-random search optimization algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vikram Kumar Kamboj

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, global warming and carbon dioxide (CO2 emission reduction have become important issues in India, as CO2 emission levels are continuing to rise in accordance with the increased volume of Indian national energy consumption under the pressure of global warming, it is crucial for Indian government to impose the effective policy to promote CO2 emission reduction. Challenge of supplying the nation with high quality and reliable electrical energy at a reasonable cost, converted government policy into deregulation and restructuring environment. This research paper presents aims to presents an effective solution for energy and environmental problems of electric power using an efficient and powerful hybrid optimization algorithm: Hybrid Harmony search-random search algorithm. The proposed algorithm is tested for standard IEEE-14 bus, -30 bus and -56 bus system. The effectiveness of proposed hybrid algorithm is compared with others well known evolutionary, heuristics and meta-heuristics search algorithms. For multi-objective unit commitment, it is found that as there are conflicting relationship between cost and emission, if the performance in cost criterion is improved, performance in the emission is seen to deteriorate.

  16. PAVING THE WAY FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, TOLERANCE, AND HARMONY: Following Mukti Ali’s Path

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faisal Ismail

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A known Indonesian Muslim scholar Mukti Ali (1923-2004 was very much concerned with dialogue, tolerance, and harmony among the people of different traditions, cultures, and religions. In his many academic works, he stressesed the importance of promoting, strengthening, and maintaining intercultural and interreligious dialogue, tolerance, and harmony. Not only did he produce various academic works, but also made efforts in putting his intercultural and interreligious ideas into practice. Both as a scholar and expert in the comparative study of religions and as Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (1971-1978, Mukti Ali endlessly promoted intercultural and interreligiuos diologue, tolerance, and harmony. Realizing that Indonesia is a pluralistic society, Mukti Ali adopted an approach called ‘agree in disagreement’ in the effort of creating and supporting tolerance, harmony, and security among people of different religious traditions. This paper will highlight the principles and values which Mukti Ali struggled for during his long administrative and academic careers.[Mukti Ali (1923-2004 adalah salah seorang intelektual Muslim ternama di Indonesia. Dia dedikasikan hidupnya untuk menyemai dialog, toleransi dan kehidupan harmonis antar tradisi, budaya dan agama yang beragam. Dalam berbagai karya akademiknya, Mukti Ali selalu menekankan pentingnya kehidupan harmonis dan toleransi antar pemeluk agama dan budaya. Lebih dari itu, dia melampaui hanya sekedar batas pemikiran dengan mengimplementasikan gagasan-gagasannya tersebut. Sebagai seorang ilmuwan dengan keahlian perbandingan agama dan sebagai Menteri Agama RI (1971-1978, Mukti Ali dengan kukuh memperjuangkan dialog, toleransi dan kehidupan harmonis antar agama dan budaya. Mukti Ali sadar, Indonesia adalah negara yang plural, karena itu dia menawarkan pendekatan “agree in disagreement” untuk menciptakan harmoni dan toleransi tersebut. Tulisan ini mengulas prinsip dan

  17. Fiscal 1993 international research cooperation project. Feasibility study of finding out the seeds of international joint research (technology for environmental preservation using biotechnology, technology for effective use of unused hydrocarbon resource, technology for development of environmental harmony type catalyst); 1995 nendo kokusai kyoryoku jigyo. Kokusai kyodo kenkyu seeds hakkutsu no tame no FS chosa (biotechnology ni yoru kankyo taisaku gijutsu, miriyo tanka suiso shigen no yuko riyo gijutsu, kankyo chowagata shokubai kaihatsu gijutsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    This project is aimed at internationally cooperating in the R and D of industrial technology and improving industrial technology of Japan. For it, the following three technologies were investigated: 1) environmental preservation technology using biotechnology, 2) technology for effective use of unused hydrocarbon resource, 3) technology for development of environmental harmony type catalyst. In 1), a survey was conducted of applicability of biological surfactant to prevention measures of pollution by heavy distillate. It showed that part of the biological surfactants is reaching a stage of its being industrially produced by gene recombination bacteria, but as a whole, biosynthetic genes have hardly been elucidated. In 2), a survey of high-grade treatment technology of petroleum coke was made. It pointed out that it is necessary to develop a technology which makes the most of features of petroleum coke and allows defects. In 3), scientists and engineers of Japan and Europe searched for themes on which they can jointly study in the fields of NOx removal catalyst, up-grading of fuel, and development of catalyst combustion of fuel. 287 refs., 136 figs., 128 tabs.

  18. A critical analysis of the harmony search algorithm—How not to solve sudoku

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dennis Weyland

    2015-12-01

    Based on these findings, we carefully examine the results found in the paper Harmony search algorithm for solving sudoku. A theoretical investigation and a reimplementation of the harmony search algorithm both reveal that these results are fundamentally flawed.

  19. An opposition-based harmony search algorithm for engineering optimization problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abhik Banerjee

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Harmony search (HS is a derivative-free real parameter optimization algorithm. It draws inspiration from the musical improvisation process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. The proposed opposition-based HS (OHS of the present work employs opposition-based learning for harmony memory initialization and also for generation jumping. The concept of opposite number is utilized in OHS to improve the convergence rate of the HS algorithm. The potential of the proposed algorithm is assessed by means of an extensive comparative study of the numerical results on sixteen benchmark test functions. Additionally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is tested for reactive power compensation of an autonomous power system. For real-time reactive power compensation of the studied model, Takagi Sugeno fuzzy logic (TSFL is employed. Time-domain simulation reveals that the proposed OHS-TSFL yields on-line, off-nominal model parameters, resulting in real-time incremental change in terminal voltage response profile.

  20. Multilevel Thresholding Segmentation Based on Harmony Search Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego Oliva

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a multilevel thresholding (MT algorithm based on the harmony search algorithm (HSA is introduced. HSA is an evolutionary method which is inspired in musicians improvising new harmonies while playing. Different to other evolutionary algorithms, HSA exhibits interesting search capabilities still keeping a low computational overhead. The proposed algorithm encodes random samples from a feasible search space inside the image histogram as candidate solutions, whereas their quality is evaluated considering the objective functions that are employed by the Otsu’s or Kapur’s methods. Guided by these objective values, the set of candidate solutions are evolved through the HSA operators until an optimal solution is found. Experimental results demonstrate the high performance of the proposed method for the segmentation of digital images.

  1. UPAYA PENINGKATAN KECERDASAN EMOSI SISWA SEKOLAH DASAR MELALUI PENDIDIKAN JASMANI HARMONI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eunike R. Rustiana

    2013-05-01

    EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH HARMONY PHYSICAL EDUCATION Abstract: This study is aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of Harmony Physical Education (HPE program to increase primary school students’ emotional intelligence (EI. This study is based on Bandura’s social cognitive theory, The material of HPE is consist of games, sports, and group dance(Saman Dance. The subjects of the study were fifth grade students from different Public Elementary Schools. They were randomly assigned into control group (three classrooms who received regular PE program, and intervention group (another three classrooms who received HPE program. The treatment was conducted in 14 weeks. Emotional intelligence was assessed before and after the treatment using Emotional Scale that was modified from Bar-On EQ inventory. The results show that HPE Program is effective in increasing primary school students’ Emotional Intelegency which consists of intrapersonal, interpersonal, self adjustment, stress management, and positive attitudes. There were no gender role, but there is a relation between school acreditation level and the treatment used towards the improvement of emotional intelegency. Harmony Physical Education is recommended to be used by teachers in semarang as a supplement for KTSP 2006 Keywords: harmony physical education, emotional intelligence

  2. Achieving Harmonious Colour Relationship in Art/Design: Towards ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nneka Umera-Okeke

    2011-12-06

    Dec 6, 2011 ... Phone: +2348033205662. Abstract ... problematic. Therefore, as a panacea, ... usage and achieve harmonious colour relationship. This is ..... Gender and the meaning of colour in interior environments in mobile color matters.

  3. [Ecological and economic harmony evaluation and spatial evolution of the Hexi corridor, northwest China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hai-long; Shi, Pei-ji; Li, Sheng-mei; Tong, Hua-li; Nie, Xiao-ying; Wei, Wei

    2014-12-01

    The relationship between economic development and environment and the evolution characteristics of spatial pattern in Hexi Corridor of Northwest China were analyzed based on Landsat images in 1985, 1995, 2000 and 2011 with twenty counties in Hexi Corridor chosen as the basic research units. The ecological economic harmony during 1985-2011 was estimated according to ESV (ecosystem services value) and EEH (ecological and economic harmony) index with the ecosystem services value estimation methods. The results showed that the land type of the study area dramatically changed during the study period, the grassland decreased badly, and the construction land and cultivated land increased quickly. The ESV showed an overall downward trend, especially in the Shiyang River basin and the middle of Heihe River. The ESV in the Shule River basin in this period. After 2000, the economic growth speeded up visibly in the study area. The economic development concentrated in the resource-based cities and regional central cities, and declined from the center of corridor to the both sides. The ecological-economic relation in Hexi Corridor experienced a transformation of "preliminary deterioration--further deterioration--low grade coordination". The EEH had large changes in the Shiyang River basin and the middle of Heihe River, which experienced a transformation of "conflict--more conflicts--less conflicts", however, there was little change in Shule River basin. The development mode and the comprehensive reclamation of Shiyang River basin and Heihe River basin had a significant influence on the regional ecological and economic harmony.

  4. Environmentalism and typological characteristics of globalistion consciousness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roman M. Kolisnichenko

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Analyzed anthropo-saving and environmental-depth approaches to understanding the essence environmentalism. The definition of environmentalism as global environmental trends that recognizes the intrinsic value of the natural world, all its elements and aims to rescue mankind from global environmental threats by achieving a sustainable balance of planetary ecosystems, the proper state of the environment and harmonious development of man and nature. Developed the typology of globalization consciousness attitude to solving global problems in the relationship between man and nature. The main types globalistion consciousness, as the growth of thrift in relation to nature, located in the following sequence: ecodestructive, anthropocentric, ecoconsumerist, ecotraditional, environmental, sacred-ethical, naturecentric and antropofobiastic. Developing a typology of globalistion consciousness above criteria also highlighted its neutral type. Proved that environmental globalistion consciousness is environmentally oriented system of ideas that reflect solutions to global environmental problems in accordance with the principles environmentalism. This type of consciousness globalistion a high degree of awareness of global environmental problems, persistent desire to implement effective methods of humane solution, the optimal it is due, the need to maximize the spread of population. It is concluded that the formation environmental globalistion consciousness as a prerequisite for saving humanity from self created global environmental threats can be greatly accelerated by the terms of the assistance of governments, the media, educational institutions, political parties, public organizations and other institutions of political socialization.

  5. The harmony between the natural and anthropogenic environments within the natural parks. Case study- The Viseu river basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrei SIMA

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available By definition a natural park is a protected area designed to protect and conserve the natural environment in which the interaction between human activities and nature createda unique area, of significant environmental and cultural value and with great biodiversity.The main purpose of these natural parks is to maintain the harmony between humans and nature by protecting the biological diversity of the habitats and the environment. In recent years both the natural and anthropic areas of the Vişeu Basin have been greatly damaged by extreme hydric phenomenon caused by the chaotic deforestation of the area, increased precipitation, high pluvio-nival regime and the accentuated asymmetry of the basin itself. By developing certain hydrographical installations and conserving the protected areas a balance can be reached between the natural harmony and the strict necessities of the anthropic habitats. The first priority of this developing is theenvironmental legislation and biodiversity protection.

  6. Modified Parameters of Harmony Search Algorithm for Better Searching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farraliza Mansor, Nur; Abal Abas, Zuraida; Samad Shibghatullah, Abdul; Rahman, Ahmad Fadzli Nizam Abdul

    2017-08-01

    The scheduling and rostering problems are deliberated as integrated due to they depend on each other whereby the input of rostering problems is a scheduling problems. In this research, the integrated scheduling and rostering bus driver problems are defined as maximising the balance of the assignment of tasks in term of distribution of shifts and routes. It is essential to achieve is fairer among driver because this can bring to increase in driver levels of satisfaction. The latest approaches still unable to address the fairness problem that has emerged, thus this research proposes a strategy to adopt an amendment of a harmony search algorithm in order to address the fairness issue and thus the level of fairness will be escalate. The harmony search algorithm is classified as a meta-heuristics algorithm that is capable of solving hard and combinatorial or discrete optimisation problems. In this respect, the three main operators in HS, namely the Harmony Memory Consideration Rate (HMCR), Pitch Adjustment Rate (PAR) and Bandwidth (BW) play a vital role in balancing local exploitation and global exploration. These parameters influence the overall performance of the HS algorithm, and therefore it is crucial to fine-tune them. The contributions to this research are the HMCR parameter using step function while the fret spacing concept on guitars that is associated with mathematical formulae is also applied in the BW parameter. The model of constant step function is introduced in the alteration of HMCR parameter. The experimental results revealed that our proposed approach is superior than parameter adaptive harmony search algorithm. In conclusion, this proposed approach managed to generate a fairer roster and was thus capable of maximising the balancing distribution of shifts and routes among drivers, which contributed to the lowering of illness, incidents, absenteeism and accidents.

  7. Colour Blocking: Disregarding Traditional Artistic Colour Harmonies ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A development in the world of design – costume, fashion, graphics, architecture and general decor whereby traditional colour harmonies are reengineered to suite the taste of the time engages the attention of the paper. The trending phenomenon popularly referred to as 'colour blocking' involves the use of bright ...

  8. Micromechanical Characterization of Complex Polypropylene Morphologies by HarmoniX AFM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Liparoti

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the capability of the HarmoniX Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM technique to draw accurate and reliable micromechanical characterization of complex polymer morphologies generally found in conventional thermoplastic polymers. To that purpose, injection molded polypropylene samples, containing representative morphologies, have been characterized by HarmoniX AFM. Mapping and distributions of mechanical properties of the samples surface are determined and analyzed. Effects of sample preparation and test conditions are also analyzed. Finally, the AFM determination of surface elastic moduli has been compared with that obtained by indentation tests, finding good agreement among the results.

  9. The definition of harmonious development of fetus by ultrasound method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. S. Sokolovska

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available It is a very important problem of determining the harmonious development of the fetus during determining the tactics of delivery breech presentation. The aim of the study was to determine the ratio of the harmonious development of the fetus at different gestational periods. Methods and results. For all study groups determined biparietal, fronto-occipital diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, shoulder length, thigh length. For all investigated values of the ratio it was uneven and deviates from the standard distribution. Conclusion. Some pregnant women who have not deviations from the standard deviation, or have only one indicator increases with gestational age.

  10. Harmony Search Based Parameter Ensemble Adaptation for Differential Evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rammohan Mallipeddi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In differential evolution (DE algorithm, depending on the characteristics of the problem at hand and the available computational resources, different strategies combined with a different set of parameters may be effective. In addition, a single, well-tuned combination of strategies and parameters may not guarantee optimal performance because different strategies combined with different parameter settings can be appropriate during different stages of the evolution. Therefore, various adaptive/self-adaptive techniques have been proposed to adapt the DE strategies and parameters during the course of evolution. In this paper, we propose a new parameter adaptation technique for DE based on ensemble approach and harmony search algorithm (HS. In the proposed method, an ensemble of parameters is randomly sampled which form the initial harmony memory. The parameter ensemble evolves during the course of the optimization process by HS algorithm. Each parameter combination in the harmony memory is evaluated by testing them on the DE population. The performance of the proposed adaptation method is evaluated using two recently proposed strategies (DE/current-to-pbest/bin and DE/current-to-gr_best/bin as basic DE frameworks. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptation technique compared to the state-of-the-art DE based algorithms on a set of challenging test problems (CEC 2005.

  11. An Improved Harmony Search Based on Teaching-Learning Strategy for Unconstrained Optimization Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shouheng Tuo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Harmony search (HS algorithm is an emerging population-based metaheuristic algorithm, which is inspired by the music improvisation process. The HS method has been developed rapidly and applied widely during the past decade. In this paper, an improved global harmony search algorithm, named harmony search based on teaching-learning (HSTL, is presented for high dimension complex optimization problems. In HSTL algorithm, four strategies (harmony memory consideration, teaching-learning strategy, local pitch adjusting, and random mutation are employed to maintain the proper balance between convergence and population diversity, and dynamic strategy is adopted to change the parameters. The proposed HSTL algorithm is investigated and compared with three other state-of-the-art HS optimization algorithms. Furthermore, to demonstrate the robustness and convergence, the success rate and convergence analysis is also studied. The experimental results of 31 complex benchmark functions demonstrate that the HSTL method has strong convergence and robustness and has better balance capacity of space exploration and local exploitation on high dimension complex optimization problems.

  12. PWR loading pattern optimization using Harmony Search algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poursalehi, N.; Zolfaghari, A.; Minuchehr, A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Numerical results reveal that the HS method is reliable. ► The great advantage of HS is significant gain in computational cost. ► On the average, the final band width of search fitness values is narrow. ► Our experiments show that the search approaches the optimal value fast. - Abstract: In this paper a core reloading technique using Harmony Search, HS, is presented in the context of finding an optimal configuration of fuel assemblies, FA, in pressurized water reactors. To implement and evaluate the proposed technique a Harmony Search along Nodal Expansion Code for 2-D geometry, HSNEC2D, is developed to obtain nearly optimal arrangement of fuel assemblies in PWR cores. This code consists of two sections including Harmony Search algorithm and Nodal Expansion modules using fourth degree flux expansion which solves two dimensional-multi group diffusion equations with one node per fuel assembly. Two optimization test problems are investigated to demonstrate the HS algorithm capability in converging to near optimal loading pattern in the fuel management field and other subjects. Results, convergence rate and reliability of the method are quite promising and show the HS algorithm performs very well and is comparable to other competitive algorithms such as Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Intelligence. Furthermore, implementation of nodal expansion technique along HS causes considerable reduction of computational time to process and analysis optimization in the core fuel management problems

  13. In harmony with gold and uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1983-01-01

    A profile is given on Mr Clive Knobbs as managing director of Harmony gold mine. From March 1 1983 he succeeded as deputy chairman of the group's gold and uranium division, and became the Rand Mines representative on the Gold Producers Committee and the Executive Committee of the Chamber of Mines. The article also takes a look at gold and uranium mining in general

  14. Harmonious graphics generating based on the 1/f function theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mao Xia; Xue Yuli; Cheng, L.-L.; Sun Yun

    2007-01-01

    In the 1970s, Richard Voss and John Clarke researched the actual audio physical sound of music. There are three types of noise: white noise, 1/f noise, and Brownian motion noise (1/f 2 ). 1/f noise is found to be most pleasing to human ears. White noise is too random and Brownian noise is too correlated. Similarly, for 2-dimensional sources such as graphics and images, three characteristics of monotonous, harmony and muss are also observed. The 1/f fluctuation theory provides a good way to generate affective signals both for 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional signals. This paper provides an algorithm which can generate affective patterns or graphics and obey the criteria of affective information processing

  15. Self-adaptive global best harmony search algorithm applied to reactor core fuel management optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poursalehi, N.; Zolfaghari, A.; Minuchehr, A.; Valavi, K.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • SGHS enhanced the convergence rate of LPO using some improvements in comparison to basic HS and GHS. • SGHS optimization algorithm obtained averagely better fitness relative to basic HS and GHS algorithms. • Upshot of the SGHS implementation in the LPO reveals its flexibility, efficiency and reliability. - Abstract: The aim of this work is to apply the new developed optimization algorithm, Self-adaptive Global best Harmony Search (SGHS), for PWRs fuel management optimization. SGHS algorithm has some modifications in comparison with basic Harmony Search (HS) and Global-best Harmony Search (GHS) algorithms such as dynamically change of parameters. For the demonstration of SGHS ability to find an optimal configuration of fuel assemblies, basic Harmony Search (HS) and Global-best Harmony Search (GHS) algorithms also have been developed and investigated. For this purpose, Self-adaptive Global best Harmony Search Nodal Expansion package (SGHSNE) has been developed implementing HS, GHS and SGHS optimization algorithms for the fuel management operation of nuclear reactor cores. This package uses developed average current nodal expansion code which solves the multi group diffusion equation by employment of first and second orders of Nodal Expansion Method (NEM) for two dimensional, hexagonal and rectangular geometries, respectively, by one node per a FA. Loading pattern optimization was performed using SGHSNE package for some test cases to present the SGHS algorithm capability in converging to near optimal loading pattern. Results indicate that the convergence rate and reliability of the SGHS method are quite promising and practically, SGHS improves the quality of loading pattern optimization results relative to HS and GHS algorithms. As a result, it has the potential to be used in the other nuclear engineering optimization problems

  16. Bach Is the Father of Harmony: Revealed by a 1/f Fluctuation Analysis across Musical Genres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Dan; Kendrick, Keith M; Levitin, Daniel J; Li, Chaoyi; Yao, Dezhong

    2015-01-01

    Harmony is a fundamental attribute of music. Close connections exist between music and mathematics since both pursue harmony and unity. In music, the consonance of notes played simultaneously partly determines our perception of harmony; associates with aesthetic responses; and influences the emotion expression. The consonance could be considered as a window to understand and analyze harmony. Here for the first time we used a 1/f fluctuation analysis to investigate whether the consonance fluctuation structure in music with a wide range of composers and genres followed the scale free pattern that has been found for pitch, melody, rhythm, human body movements, brain activity, natural images and geographical features. We then used a network graph approach to investigate which composers were the most influential both within and across genres. Our results showed that patterns of consonance in music did follow scale-free characteristics, suggesting that this feature is a universally evolved one in both music and the living world. Furthermore, our network analysis revealed that Bach's harmony patterns were having the most influence on those used by other composers, followed closely by Mozart.

  17. Harmony in health sector: a requirement for effective healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osaro, Erhabor; Charles, Adias Teddy

    2014-09-01

    Harmony is defined as the pleasing combination of elements of a system to form an all-inclusive, all involving and more productive team. The aim of this present review was to investigate the factors militating against harmony among healthcare professional in the Nigerian healthcare delivery system. This review was carried out by searching through literature on the topic that bother on harmony among health professions in the health sector. Literature search and reports from previous studies indicates that harmony among health workers is pivotal to improving the health indices. However, available evidence suggests that unlike in the developed world, health care professionals do not collaborate well together in Nigeria because of the claim of superiority of a particular health professional over others. This has often resulted in inter-professional conflict which is threatening to tear the health sector apart to the detriment of the patients. The Nigeria health system should be based on team work. Health professionals from a variety of disciplines should work together to deliver the best possible healthcare services to all Nigerians. All members of the team are equally valuable and essential to the smooth running of hospitals. Hospitals should ideally be headed by health administrators or by a qualified member of any of the professions in the health sector. Copyright © 2014 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. KONSTRUKSI SELF DALAM EKSPRESI BAHASA GENDER: Kajian Harmoni Sosial dalam Perspektif Hermeneutika

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Syukur Ibrahim

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The gain of social status, level of education, and economic power by women has altered interactional strategies between men and women. To understand the fundamental concept of I and you both men and women negotiate between self and others. The purpose of this research is to investigate the construction of self in the expressions used by men and women which includes (1 the creation of harmonious self in the expressions of men and women (2 the strategies of defining harmonious situation in the language used by both gender. This study employs the theory of impression management as part of Goffman’s dramaturgical theory of symbolic interactionism. The findings show that (1 the creation of self in the language used by both gender is realized in linguistic and pragmatic forms, (2 the strategies of defining harmonious situation are conducted by women through the validity of self-concept, demonstration of group membership, social distance, and physical stigma.

  19. Bach Is the Father of Harmony: Revealed by a 1/f Fluctuation Analysis across Musical Genres.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Wu

    Full Text Available Harmony is a fundamental attribute of music. Close connections exist between music and mathematics since both pursue harmony and unity. In music, the consonance of notes played simultaneously partly determines our perception of harmony; associates with aesthetic responses; and influences the emotion expression. The consonance could be considered as a window to understand and analyze harmony. Here for the first time we used a 1/f fluctuation analysis to investigate whether the consonance fluctuation structure in music with a wide range of composers and genres followed the scale free pattern that has been found for pitch, melody, rhythm, human body movements, brain activity, natural images and geographical features. We then used a network graph approach to investigate which composers were the most influential both within and across genres. Our results showed that patterns of consonance in music did follow scale-free characteristics, suggesting that this feature is a universally evolved one in both music and the living world. Furthermore, our network analysis revealed that Bach's harmony patterns were having the most influence on those used by other composers, followed closely by Mozart.

  20. Experimental validation of the HARMONIE code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernard, A.; Dorsselaere, J.P. van

    1984-01-01

    An experimental program of deformation, in air, of different groups of subassemblies (7 to 41 subassemblies), was performed on a scale 1 mock-up in the SPX1 geometry, in order to achieve a first experimental validation of the code HARMONIE. The agreement between tests and calculations was suitable, qualitatively for all the groups and quantitatively for regular groups of 19 subassemblies at most. The differences come mainly from friction between pads, and secondly from the foot gaps. (author)

  1. Harmonious Learning: Yoga in the English Language Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Lisa

    2011-01-01

    This article looks at one way for teachers to make classrooms emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy places to learn--places where tensions and stresses are lessened and where teachers and students are concentrating, yet relaxed. "Harmonious language learning classroom" is the term the author coined to describe this kind of language…

  2. First experimental validation on the core equilibrium code: HARMONIE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Dorsselaere, J.; Cozzani, M.; Gnuffi, M.

    1981-08-01

    The code HARMONIE calculates the mechanical equilibrium of a fast reactor. An experimental program of deformation, in air, of groups of subassemblies, was performed on a mock-up, in the Super Phenix 1- geometry. This program included three kinds of tests, all performed without and then with grease: on groups of 2 or 3 rings of subassemblies, subjected to a force acting upon flats or angles; on groups of 35 and 41 subassemblies, subjected to a force acting on the first row, then with 1 or 2 empty cells; and on groups with 1 or 2 bowed subassemblies or 1 enlarged one over flats. A preliminary test on the friction coefficient in air between two pads showed some dependance upon the pad surface condition with a scattering factor of 8. Two basic code hypotheses were validated: the rotation of the subassemblies around their axis was negligible after deformation of the group, and the choice of a mean Maxwell coefficient, between those of 1st and 2nd slope, led to very similar results to experimental. The agreement between tests and HARMONIE calculations was suitable, qualitatively for all the groups and quantitatively for regular groups of 3 rings at most. But the difference increased for larger groups of 35 or 41 subassemblies: friction between pads, neglected by HARMONIE, seems to be the main reason. Other reasons for these differences are: the influence of the loading order on the mock-up, and the initial contacts issued from the gap between foot and diagrid-insert, and from manufacture bowings

  3. How Harmonious and Obsessive Passion for Alcohol and Marijuana Relate to Consumption and Negative Consequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steers, Mai-Ly N; Neighbors, Clayton; Hove, M Christina; Olson, Nichole; Lee, Christine M

    2015-09-01

    Although the concepts of harmonious and obsessive passion have been productive in explaining why people eagerly engage in such activities as sports, Internet use, and gambling, previous research has not yet extended these models to explain alcohol and marijuana use among college students. The current research was conducted to clarify the relationships among harmonious and obsessive passion, alcohol and marijuana use, and negative consequences. Two studies were conducted using online assessments. In Study 1, 748 heavy drinking college students (58% female) were recruited and completed measures of passion for drinking alcohol, alcohol use, and alcohol-related negative consequences. In Study 2, 352 regular marijuana-using students (54% female) were recruited and completed assessments of marijuana passion, marijuana use, and marijuana-related consequences. Study 1 found that among heavy drinking college students, harmonious passion was a stronger predictor of increased consumption than was obsessive passion, whereas obsessive passion was a stronger predictor of alcohol-related problems than was harmonious passion. Study 2 revealed similar findings with regard to harmonious passion predicting marijuana consumption; however, unlike Study 1, no significant difference between the passions was found in predicting marijuana-related problems. This research provides a novel perspective on motivation for alcohol and marijuana use. Findings suggest that understanding the locus of young adults' passion for substance use may be helpful in identifying those who are likely to develop a substance use disorder and therefore may be the most in need of assistance and intervention.

  4. On the use of harmony search algorithm in the training of wavelet neural networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Kee Huong; Zainuddin, Zarita; Ong, Pauline

    2015-10-01

    Wavelet neural networks (WNNs) are a class of feedforward neural networks that have been used in a wide range of industrial and engineering applications to model the complex relationships between the given inputs and outputs. The training of WNNs involves the configuration of the weight values between neurons. The backpropagation training algorithm, which is a gradient-descent method, can be used for this training purpose. Nonetheless, the solutions found by this algorithm often get trapped at local minima. In this paper, a harmony search-based algorithm is proposed for the training of WNNs. The training of WNNs, thus can be formulated as a continuous optimization problem, where the objective is to maximize the overall classification accuracy. Each candidate solution proposed by the harmony search algorithm represents a specific WNN architecture. In order to speed up the training process, the solution space is divided into disjoint partitions during the random initialization step of harmony search algorithm. The proposed training algorithm is tested onthree benchmark problems from the UCI machine learning repository, as well as one real life application, namely, the classification of electroencephalography signals in the task of epileptic seizure detection. The results obtained show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the traditional harmony search algorithm in terms of overall classification accuracy.

  5. Wind-Farm Forecasting Using the HARMONIE Weather Forecast Model and Bayes Model Averaging for Bias Removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Enda; McKinstry, Alastair; Ralph, Adam

    2015-04-01

    Building on previous work presented at EGU 2013 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610213016068 ), more results are available now from a different wind-farm in complex terrain in southwest Ireland. The basic approach is to interpolate wind-speed forecasts from an operational weather forecast model (i.e., HARMONIE in the case of Ireland) to the precise location of each wind-turbine, and then use Bayes Model Averaging (BMA; with statistical information collected from a prior training-period of e.g., 25 days) to remove systematic biases. Bias-corrected wind-speed forecasts (and associated power-generation forecasts) are then provided twice daily (at 5am and 5pm) out to 30 hours, with each forecast validation fed back to BMA for future learning. 30-hr forecasts from the operational Met Éireann HARMONIE model at 2.5km resolution have been validated against turbine SCADA observations since Jan. 2014. An extra high-resolution (0.5km grid-spacing) HARMONIE configuration has been run since Nov. 2014 as an extra member of the forecast "ensemble". A new version of HARMONIE with extra filters designed to stabilize high-resolution configurations has been run since Jan. 2015. Measures of forecast skill and forecast errors will be provided, and the contributions made by the various physical and computational enhancements to HARMONIE will be quantified.

  6. Harmony Search Method: Theory and Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. Z. Gao

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The Harmony Search (HS method is an emerging metaheuristic optimization algorithm, which has been employed to cope with numerous challenging tasks during the past decade. In this paper, the essential theory and applications of the HS algorithm are first described and reviewed. Several typical variants of the original HS are next briefly explained. As an example of case study, a modified HS method inspired by the idea of Pareto-dominance-based ranking is also presented. It is further applied to handle a practical wind generator optimal design problem.

  7. Evolving Four Part Harmony Using a Multiple Worlds Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scirea, Marco; Brown, Joseph Alexander

    2015-01-01

    This application of the Multiple Worlds Model examines a collaborative fitness model for generating four part harmonies. In this model we have multiple populations and the fitness of the individuals is based on the ability of a member from each population to work with the members of other...

  8. Rethinking the Harmonious Family: Processes of social organization in a Korean Corporation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jonasson, Charlotte; Lauring, Jakob

    2006-01-01

    harmony as a stabile entity in East Asian organizations is too static for analyzing the social organization. Rather, the dynamics of the continuous production and reproduction of social structures have to be taken into account in order to understand working life in Korean organizations.......  Social harmony and stability have been described as almost inborn aspects of Korean corporations dating far back in history. After the East Asian economic crisis in 1997 most Korean organizations, however faced new demands for productivity and competitiveness. The fragile balance between social...

  9. Efficacy and implementation of ideological and political course in the construction of harmonious psychology of the college students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Xiaohui

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The ideological and political course is the main channel and the main front for ideological education of the college students, which shoulders the mission of cultivating a higher political quality, as well as a lofty mission and sacred duty of comprehensively and sound developing the scientific outlook on world, outlook on life and values as a qualified socialistic builder. This paper carries out the quantitative analysis about the efficacy and implementation of the course in the construction of the college students’ harmonious psychology based on the analytic hierarchy process model. The construction of the college students’ harmonious psychology is the function of the ideological and political course. This paper also carries out the quantitative analysis of the reasons for the problems in the development of the college students’ physical and mental harmony, and each factor in the construction based on three indicators of the ideological and political course in the construction of the college students’ harmonious psychology. On the basis of clarifying the definition of the harmonious psychology, accurately grasping the positioning of the ideological and political course and analyzing the psychological problems of the college students in their growth, this paper finds out the ways and methods to solve the psychological problems of the college students based on the ideological and political course, thus striving to construct a harmonious psychology of the college students, and promoting an overall healthy development of the college students.

  10. PENERAPAN PERSONAL SELLING DALAM MEMASARKAN PRODUK PEMBIAYAAN MURABAHAH PADA PT. BANK PEMBIAYAAN RAKYAT SYARIAH MITRA HARMONI KOTA MALANG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fani Firmansyah, Dian Nailiyah

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Recently, many sharia financial institutes stand, either banks general or banks people of islamic finance. PT BPRS Mitra Harmoni Malang City as a new sharia financial institute is demanded to be able to compete to other financial institute, so that the marketting strategy  is needed fully. Personal selling is one of marketting method of producttion in order to be able to be pervaded by market. PT BPRS Mitra Harmoni Malang City markets payment product of murabahah by using the personal selling, can stand even more develope. This research it conducted to know how the application of personal selling in marketing murabahah  payment product in PT BPRS Mitra Harmoni Malang City. The kind of this research is method qualitative approach descriptive, the researcher describes how processes or steps personal selling conducted PT BPRS Mitra Harmoni Malang City, the technique of data collecttion uses the observation, interview and documentation. Method data analysis that researcher use is method data analysis descriptive. The research result shows that proses or step personal selling which is held in PT BPRS Mitra Harmoni Malang City is Prospecting Approach, Preapproach, Approach, Presentation, Handling Objection, Closing and follow up. Handling Objection which is held PT BPRS Mitra Harmoni Malang City is sales person continue closing sale without asked reservation prospective customers and do not dig the hidden reservation then use the reservation as an opportunity to provide more information and change the mind be a reason to buy.

  11. Hybrid and Cooperative Strategies Using Harmony Search and Artificial Immune Systems for Solving the Nurse Rostering Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suk Ho Jin

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The nurse rostering problem is an important search problem that features many constraints. In a nurse rostering problem, these constraints are defined by processes such as maintaining work regulations, assigning nurse shifts, and considering nurse preferences. A number of approaches to address these constraints, such as penalty function methods, have been investigated in the literature. We propose two types of hybrid metaheuristic approaches for solving the nurse rostering problem, which are based on combining harmony search techniques and artificial immune systems to balance local and global searches and prevent slow convergence speeds and prematurity. The proposed algorithms are evaluated against a benchmarking dataset of nurse rostering problems; the results show that they identify better or best known solutions compared to those identified in other studies for most instances. The results also show that the combination of harmony search and artificial immune systems is better suited than using single metaheuristic or other hybridization methods for finding upper-bound solutions for nurse rostering problems and discrete optimization problems.

  12. Deep penetration in pure sodium experiments using the HARMONIE source reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trapp, J.P.; Calamand, D.; Salvatores, M.

    1984-09-01

    The presente note is a documentation of the neutron propagation experiments in sodium, performed on HARMONIE. Details are given on the geometrical specifications, experimental results and calculation, one and two dimensional, results

  13. Suppression and interpersonal harmony: a cross-cultural comparison between Chinese and European Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Meifen; Su, Jenny C; Carrera, Stephanie; Lin, Shu-Ping; Yi, Fei

    2013-10-01

    Based on Markus and Kitayama's (1991) theory, this study was conducted to examine whether the association between emotional suppression and interpersonal harmony would be moderated by cultural group (i.e., Chinese and European Americans) and an Asian cultural value (i.e., emotional self-control). A total of 451 college students (205 Chinese and 246 European Americans) participated in this study. As expected, results indicated that the association between emotional suppression and interpersonal harmony was significantly positive for Chinese but not significant for European Americans. Similarly, when emotional self-control was examined as a moderator, the results still confirmed our hypotheses. That is, the association between emotional suppression and interpersonal harmony was significantly positive for those with stronger endorsement of emotional self-control but not for those with weaker endorsement of emotional self-control. Furthermore, we examined whether the above results could be replicated when forbearance (a construct similar to suppression) and distress disclosure (a construct opposite to suppression) were examined. The results showed the same pattern for forbearance and distress disclosure when cultural group or emotional self-control served as the moderator. The convergence of findings increased the robustness of our results. Finally, our data suggest that individuals from Eastern, interdependent cultures (e.g., Chinese) tend to value emotional suppression to preserve interpersonal harmony; individuals from Western, independent cultures may or may not necessarily suppress their emotions for this purpose. A comprehensive understanding of the different meanings of a specific strategy (i.e., emotional suppression) in different cultural contexts is important to promote effective cross-cultural counseling.

  14. Partial Transmit Sequence Optimization Using Improved Harmony Search Algorithm for PAPR Reduction in OFDM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mangal Singh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers the use of the Partial Transmit Sequence (PTS technique to reduce the Peak‐to‐Average Power Ratio (PAPR of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing signal in wireless communication systems. Search complexity is very high in the traditional PTS scheme because it involves an extensive random search over all combinations of allowed phase vectors, and it increases exponentially with the number of phase vectors. In this paper, a suboptimal metaheuristic algorithm for phase optimization based on an improved harmony search (IHS is applied to explore the optimal combination of phase vectors that provides improved performance compared with existing evolutionary algorithms such as the harmony search algorithm and firefly algorithm. IHS enhances the accuracy and convergence rate of the conventional algorithms with very few parameters to adjust. Simulation results show that an improved harmony search‐based PTS algorithm can achieve a significant reduction in PAPR using a simple network structure compared with conventional algorithms.

  15. An analysis of environmental data transmission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Lina; Chen, Huajun; Gong, Jing

    2017-05-01

    To comprehensively construct environmental automatic monitoring has become the urgent need of environmental management, is a major measure to implement the scientific outlook on development and build a harmonious socialist society, and is an inevitable choice of “building a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society”, which is of great importance and profound significance to adjust the economic structure and transform growth pattern. This article first introduces the importance of environmental data transmission, then expounds the characteristics, key technologies, transmitting mode, and design ideas of environmental data transmission process, and finally, summarizes the full text.

  16. An improved harmony search algorithm for power economic load dispatch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos Coelho, Leandro dos [Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, PUCPR, Industrial and Systems Engineering Graduate Program, PPGEPS, Imaculada Conceicao, 1155, 80215-901 Curitiba, PR (Brazil)], E-mail: leandro.coelho@pucpr.br; Mariani, Viviana Cocco [Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, PUCPR, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PPGEM, Imaculada Conceicao, 1155, 80215-901 Curitiba, PR (Brazil)], E-mail: viviana.mariani@pucpr.br

    2009-10-15

    A meta-heuristic algorithm called harmony search (HS), mimicking the improvisation process of music players, has been recently developed. The HS algorithm has been successful in several optimization problems. The HS algorithm does not require derivative information and uses stochastic random search instead of a gradient search. In addition, the HS algorithm is simple in concept, few in parameters, and easy in implementation. This paper presents an improved harmony search (IHS) algorithm based on exponential distribution for solving economic dispatch problems. A 13-unit test system with incremental fuel cost function taking into account the valve-point loading effects is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed IHS method. Numerical results show that the IHS method has good convergence property. Furthermore, the generation costs of the IHS method are lower than those of the classical HS and other optimization algorithms reported in recent literature.

  17. An improved harmony search algorithm for power economic load dispatch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coelho, Leandro dos Santos [Pontifical Catholic Univ. of Parana, PUCPR, Industrial and Systems Engineering Graduate Program, PPGEPS, Imaculada Conceicao, 1155, 80215-901 Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Mariani, Viviana Cocco [Pontifical Catholic Univ. of Parana, PUCPR, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, PPGEM, Imaculada Conceicao, 1155, 80215-901 Curitiba, PR (Brazil)

    2009-10-15

    A meta-heuristic algorithm called harmony search (HS), mimicking the improvisation process of music players, has been recently developed. The HS algorithm has been successful in several optimization problems. The HS algorithm does not require derivative information and uses stochastic random search instead of a gradient search. In addition, the HS algorithm is simple in concept, few in parameters, and easy in implementation. This paper presents an improved harmony search (IHS) algorithm based on exponential distribution for solving economic dispatch problems. A 13-unit test system with incremental fuel cost function taking into account the valve-point loading effects is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed IHS method. Numerical results show that the IHS method has good convergence property. Furthermore, the generation costs of the IHS method are lower than those of the classical HS and other optimization algorithms reported in recent literature. (author)

  18. An Elite Decision Making Harmony Search Algorithm for Optimization Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lipu Zhang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a new variant of harmony search algorithm which is inspired by a well-known item “elite decision making.” In the new algorithm, the good information captured in the current global best and the second best solutions can be well utilized to generate new solutions, following some probability rule. The generated new solution vector replaces the worst solution in the solution set, only if its fitness is better than that of the worst solution. The generating and updating steps and repeated until the near-optimal solution vector is obtained. Extensive computational comparisons are carried out by employing various standard benchmark optimization problems, including continuous design variables and integer variables minimization problems from the literature. The computational results show that the proposed new algorithm is competitive in finding solutions with the state-of-the-art harmony search variants.

  19. An improved harmony search algorithm for power economic load dispatch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos Coelho, Leandro dos; Mariani, Viviana Cocco

    2009-01-01

    A meta-heuristic algorithm called harmony search (HS), mimicking the improvisation process of music players, has been recently developed. The HS algorithm has been successful in several optimization problems. The HS algorithm does not require derivative information and uses stochastic random search instead of a gradient search. In addition, the HS algorithm is simple in concept, few in parameters, and easy in implementation. This paper presents an improved harmony search (IHS) algorithm based on exponential distribution for solving economic dispatch problems. A 13-unit test system with incremental fuel cost function taking into account the valve-point loading effects is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed IHS method. Numerical results show that the IHS method has good convergence property. Furthermore, the generation costs of the IHS method are lower than those of the classical HS and other optimization algorithms reported in recent literature.

  20. Harmonious colors: from alchemy to science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beretta, Giordano B.; Moroney, Nathan M.

    2012-01-01

    There is a very long tradition in designing color palettes for various applications, going back to at least the Upanishad. Although color palettes have been influenced by the available colorants, starting with the advent of aniline dyes in the late 1850s there have been few physical limits on the choice of individual colors. This abundance of choices exacerbates the problem of limiting the number of colors in a palette, i.e., in keeping them into a manageable quantity. For example, it is not practical for a car company to offer each model in hundreds of colors. Instead, for each model year a small number of color palettes is offered, each containing the colors for the body, trim, interior, etc. Another example is the fashion industry, where in addition to solid colors there are also patterns, leading to a huge variety of combinations that would be impossible to stock. The traditional solution is that of "color forecasting." Color consultants assess the sentiment or affective state of a target customer class and compare it with new colorants offered by the industry. They assemble a limited color palette, name the colors according to the sentiment, and publish their result. Textile manufacturers will produce fabrics in these colors and fashion designers will design clothes, accessories, and furniture based on these fabrics. Eventually, the media will communicate these forecasts to the consumers, who will be admired by their cohorts when they choose colors from the forecast palette, which by then is widely diffused. The color forecasting business is very labor intensive and difficult, thus for years computer engineers have tried to come up with algorithms to design harmonious color palettes, alas with little commercial success. For example, Johannes Itten's color theory has been implemented many times, but despite Itten's success in the Bauhaus artifacts, the computer tools have been of little utility. Indeed, contrary to the auditory sense, there is no known

  1. An improved Harmony Search algorithm for optimal scheduling of the diesel generators in oil rig platforms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yadav, Parikshit; Kumar, Rajesh; Panda, S.K.; Chang, C.S. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576 (Singapore)

    2011-02-15

    Harmony Search (HS) algorithm is music based meta-heuristic optimization method which is analogous with the music improvisation process where musician continue to polish the pitches in order to obtain better harmony. The paper focuses on the optimal scheduling of the generators to reduce the fuel consumption in the oil rig platform. The accurate modeling of the specific fuel consumption is significant in this optimization. The specific fuel consumption has been modeled using cubic spline interpolation. The SFC curve is non-linear and discrete in nature, hence conventional methods fail to give optimal solution. HS algorithm has been used for optimal scheduling of the generators of both equal and unequal rating. Furthermore an Improved Harmony Search (IHS) method for generating new solution vectors that enhances accuracy and convergence rate of HS has been employed. The paper also focuses on the impacts of constant parameters on Harmony Search algorithm. Numerical results show that the IHS method has good convergence property. Moreover, the fuel consumption for IHS algorithm is lower when compared to HS and other heuristic or deterministic methods and is a powerful search algorithm for various engineering optimization problems. (author)

  2. An Improved Harmony Search algorithm for optimal scheduling of the diesel generators in oil rig platforms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yadav, Parikshit; Kumar, Rajesh; Panda, S.K.; Chang, C.S.

    2011-01-01

    Harmony Search (HS) algorithm is music based meta-heuristic optimization method which is analogous with the music improvisation process where musician continue to polish the pitches in order to obtain better harmony. The paper focuses on the optimal scheduling of the generators to reduce the fuel consumption in the oil rig platform. The accurate modeling of the specific fuel consumption is significant in this optimization. The specific fuel consumption has been modeled using cubic spline interpolation. The SFC curve is non-linear and discrete in nature, hence conventional methods fail to give optimal solution. HS algorithm has been used for optimal scheduling of the generators of both equal and unequal rating. Furthermore an Improved Harmony Search (IHS) method for generating new solution vectors that enhances accuracy and convergence rate of HS has been employed. The paper also focuses on the impacts of constant parameters on Harmony Search algorithm. Numerical results show that the IHS method has good convergence property. Moreover, the fuel consumption for IHS algorithm is lower when compared to HS and other heuristic or deterministic methods and is a powerful search algorithm for various engineering optimization problems.

  3. Analysis of the "Harmony" Education Ideas in Chinese Taijiquan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Shiliang

    2011-01-01

    In this article, many methods such as the literature study are used to analyze the harmony ideas in the sport, the education, and the development of Taijiquan, and the deep meanings contained in these three aspects are expounded in detail, and the conclusion indicates that Taijiquan is very important both for the public body-building and for the…

  4. Vowel Harmony: An Historical Account

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emran R. Al Khattab

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available All languages change over time. English has undergone continuous change throughout its three major periods: Old English (roughly from 450 to 1100 AD, Middle English (from 1100 to 1500, and Modern English (from 1500 to the present. Sound is one of the most easily influenced parts of language to be subject to different changes.  Sound change is inevitable and it is a live indication of the continuous growth of language. The evidence to prove the regularity and systematicity of sound change has been the main concern of linguists, This paper seeks to provide more evidence on how vowel harmony played a key role on the regularity of sound change by extracting samples of sound changes that have taken place throughout the English history.

  5. Construction sustainability with adobe bricks type elements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreea Hegyi

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Sustainability is a criterion defined in the 80, which is essential in all fields of current activity. At the moment, it can not talk about development without being taken into account sustainability criteria. It presents the ensuring for an harmonious development, in line with current needs, without to endanger the possibility to develop and satisfy the needs of future generations. The buildings of adobe bricks-type elements ensure successfully the conditions imposed by this criterion. This type of construction ensures the responsible use of renewable natural resources, the possibility of reuse and recycling of materials, contributes to environmental protection and to pollution reduction, to energy saving and it provides a cleaner and healthier living environment. Not least, the buildings of this type are accessible in terms of cost and can contribute to the development of other fields such as eco-tourism.

  6. An Improved Harmony Search Algorithm for Power Distribution Network Planning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Sun

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Distribution network planning because of involving many variables and constraints is a multiobjective, discrete, nonlinear, and large-scale optimization problem. Harmony search (HS algorithm is a metaheuristic algorithm inspired by the improvisation process of music players. HS algorithm has several impressive advantages, such as easy implementation, less adjustable parameters, and quick convergence. But HS algorithm still has some defects such as premature convergence and slow convergence speed. According to the defects of the standard algorithm and characteristics of distribution network planning, an improved harmony search (IHS algorithm is proposed in this paper. We set up a mathematical model of distribution network structure planning, whose optimal objective function is to get the minimum annual cost and constraint conditions are overload and radial network. IHS algorithm is applied to solve the complex optimization mathematical model. The empirical results strongly indicate that IHS algorithm can effectively provide better results for solving the distribution network planning problem compared to other optimization algorithms.

  7. Physical objects as vehicles of cultural transmission: maintaining harmony and uniqueness through colored geometric patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishii, Keiko; Miyamoto, Yuri; Rule, Nicholas O; Toriyama, Rie

    2014-02-01

    We examined how cultural values of harmony and uniqueness are represented and maintained through physical media (i.e., colorings of geometric patterns) and how individuals play an active role in selecting and maintaining such cultural values. We found that colorings produced by European American adults and children were judged as more unique, whereas colorings produced by Japanese adults and children were judged as more harmonious, reflecting cultural differences in values. Harmony undergirded Japanese participants' preferences for colorings, whereas uniqueness undergirded European American participants' preferences for colorings. These cultural differences led participants to prefer own-culture colorings over other-culture colorings. Moreover, bicultural participants' preferences acculturated according to their identification with their host culture. Furthermore, child rearers in Japan and Canada gave feedback about the children's colorings that were consistent with their culture's values. These findings suggest that simple geometric patterns can embody cultural values that are socialized and reinforced from an early age.

  8. A Religious Tolerance and Harmony the Qur'anic Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Choirul Fuad Yusuf

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The religious tolerance and harmony is something necessary to develop due to the need of global security and peace today. For this purpose, all religions have to be fairly “tolerant” to others. Islam as a revealed religion, whatever its motive, is often perceived and accused as the religion of intolerance and violence. Some political and ideological questions, for example raised to this context: "Can Islamic faith tolerate other faiths, religions or groups?”, What’s actually the Islamic teachings on tolerance and peace or harmony?” and the likes. This article attempts to unpack and elaborate of how far at Qur’an –as the first and primary source of Islam– has a teaching on tolerance and peace. Using a hermeneutical approach the writer understands and analyses what is actually taught by al Qur'an on the concepts and practices of the tolerance. Based on the analysis, he highlights any conclusions of which al-Qur’an (Islam teaches the followers to respect and implement the doctrine of tolerance and peace. The Muslim world is imperatively to tolerate others, or respect the differences for strengthening the world security and peaceful life amongst nationwide.

  9. The Concept of Harmony in Contemporary P. R. China and in Modern Confucianism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jana S. ROŠKER

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The present article deals with the idea of the “harmonious society,” which is at the core of contemporary social ideologies in the P. R. China. This concept is examined from three perspectives: the official state interpretations of the concept of harmony (he 和 or hexie 和諧, and the classical and Modern Confucian elucidations. The author concludes that official political interpretations from the P.R. China mainly follow Xunzi’s classical elaboration of this concept, which is in the legalist tradition and implies autocratic elements, whereas the philosophic interpretations written by the Taiwanese Modern Confucians generally elaborate the Mencian, i.e. the more egalitarian and democratic stream of classical Confucian thought.

  10. Optimum Design of Braced Steel Space Frames including Soil-Structure Interaction via Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization and Harmony Search Algorithms

    OpenAIRE

    Ayse T. Daloglu; Musa Artar; Korhan Ozgan; Ali İ. Karakas

    2018-01-01

    Optimum design of braced steel space frames including soil-structure interaction is studied by using harmony search (HS) and teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithms. A three-parameter elastic foundation model is used to incorporate the soil-structure interaction effect. A 10-storey braced steel space frame example taken from literature is investigated according to four different bracing types for the cases with/without soil-structure interaction. X, V, Z, and eccentric V-shaped...

  11. Theoretical and Empirical Analyses of an Improved Harmony Search Algorithm Based on Differential Mutation Operator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Longquan Yong

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Harmony search (HS method is an emerging metaheuristic optimization algorithm. In this paper, an improved harmony search method based on differential mutation operator (IHSDE is proposed to deal with the optimization problems. Since the population diversity plays an important role in the behavior of evolution algorithm, the aim of this paper is to calculate the expected population mean and variance of IHSDE from theoretical viewpoint. Numerical results, compared with the HSDE, NGHS, show that the IHSDE method has good convergence property over a test-suite of well-known benchmark functions.

  12. Harmony as a convergence attractor that minimizes the energy expenditure and variability in physiological gait and the loss of harmony in cerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serrao, Mariano; Chini, Giorgia; Iosa, Marco; Casali, Carlo; Morone, Giovanni; Conte, Carmela; Bini, Fabiano; Marinozzi, Franco; Coppola, Gianluca; Pierelli, Francesco; Draicchio, Francesco; Ranavolo, Alberto

    2017-10-01

    The harmony of the human gait was recently found to be related to the golden ratio value (ϕ). The ratio between the duration of the stance and that of the swing phases of a gait cycle was in fact found to be close to ϕ, which implies that, because of the fractal property of autosimilarity of that number, the gait ratios stride/stance, stance/swing, swing/double support, were not significantly different from one another. We studied a group of patients with cerebellar ataxia to investigate how the differences between their gait ratios and the golden ratio are related to efficiency and stability of their gait, assessed by energy expenditure and stride-to-stride variability, respectively. The gait of 28 patients who were affected by degenerative cerebellar ataxia and of 28 healthy controls was studied using a stereophotogrammetric system. The above mentioned gait ratios, the energy expenditure estimated using the pelvis reconstructed method and the gait variability in terms of the stride length were computed, and their relationships were analyzed. Matching procedures have also been used to avoid multicollinearity biases. The gait ratio values of the patients were farther from the controls (and hence from ϕ), even in speed matched conditions (P=0.011, Cohen's D=0.76), but not when the variability and energy expenditure were matched between the two groups (Cohen's D=0.49). In patients with cerebellar ataxia, the farther the stance-swing ratio was from ϕ, the larger the total mechanical work (R 2 adj =0.64). Further, a significant positive correlation was observed between the difference of the gait ratio from the golden ratio and the severity of the disease (R=0.421, P=0.026). Harmony of gait appears to be a benchmark of physiological gait leading to physiological energy recovery and gait reliability. Neurorehabilitation of patients with ataxia might benefit from the restoration of harmony of their locomotor patterns. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Improved Multiobjective Harmony Search Algorithm with Application to Placement and Sizing of Distributed Generation

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    Wanxing Sheng

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available To solve the comprehensive multiobjective optimization problem, this study proposes an improved metaheuristic searching algorithm with combination of harmony search and the fast nondominated sorting approach. This is a kind of the novel intelligent optimization algorithm for multiobjective harmony search (MOHS. The detailed description and the algorithm formulating are discussed. Taking the optimal placement and sizing issue of distributed generation (DG in distributed power system as one example, the solving procedure of the proposed method is given. Simulation result on modified IEEE 33-bus test system and comparison with NSGA-II algorithm has proved that the proposed MOHS can get promising results for engineering application.

  14. Optimisation des trajectoires verticales par la methode de la recherche de l'harmonie =

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruby, Margaux

    Face au rechauffement climatique, les besoins de trouver des solutions pour reduire les emissions de CO2 sont urgentes. L'optimisation des trajectoires est un des moyens pour reduire la consommation de carburant lors d'un vol. Afin de determiner la trajectoire optimale de l'avion, differents algorithmes ont ete developpes. Le but de ces algorithmes est de reduire au maximum le cout total d'un vol d'un avion qui est directement lie a la consommation de carburant et au temps de vol. Un autre parametre, nomme l'indice de cout est considere dans la definition du cout de vol. La consommation de carburant est fournie via des donnees de performances pour chaque phase de vol. Dans le cas de ce memoire, les phases d'un vol complet, soit, une phase de montee, une phase de croisiere et une phase de descente, sont etudies. Des " marches de montee " etaient definies comme des montees de 2 000ft lors de la phase de croisiere sont egalement etudiees. L'algorithme developpe lors de ce memoire est un metaheuristique, nomme la recherche de l'harmonie, qui, concilie deux types de recherches : la recherche locale et la recherche basee sur une population. Cet algorithme se base sur l'observation des musiciens lors d'un concert, ou plus exactement sur la capacite de la musique a trouver sa meilleure harmonie, soit, en termes d'optimisation, le plus bas cout. Differentes donnees d'entrees comme le poids de l'avion, la destination, la vitesse de l'avion initiale et le nombre d'iterations doivent etre, entre autre, fournies a l'algorithme pour qu'il soit capable de determiner la solution optimale qui est definie comme : [Vitesse de montee, Altitude, Vitesse de croisiere, Vitesse de descente]. L'algorithme a ete developpe a l'aide du logiciel MATLAB et teste pour plusieurs destinations et plusieurs poids pour un seul type d'avion. Pour la validation, les resultats obtenus par cet algorithme ont ete compares dans un premier temps aux resultats obtenus suite a une recherche exhaustive qui a

  15. Hubungan Harmonis antara Muslim dan Yahudi sejak Masa Kenabian sampai ‎Masa Umayyah di Al-Andalus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gumilar Irfanullah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In some phases of history of relations between religious communities, there was a harmonious relationship and co-existence between Muslims and Jewish and also Christians. History recorded a relatifely harmonious relationship and merely productife especially in most Western part of Muslim world, al-Andalus. This paper attends to display the history of religious life that led to the peace, and thus it is importance to show cultivate messages of peace and tolerance in religious communitees. This paper presents data form History that was processed through historical analysys and generates an interesting conclusion, that religious diversity and beliefs, does not hinder people of different religions to practice each other live in harmony side by side, even work together to create a cultural creatifity in the field of art, science and literature. The result of study can serve as a comparison and a healing for conflict resolution which involves religion in it, like what happens between Israelits Jeiwsh and Palestinians Muslim.

  16. Social Welfare and Harmony in East Asia and the Nordic Region

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Johannes Dragsbæk

    2018-01-01

    The main purpose of this paper is to provide a critical assessment and a comparative perspective on social policies in East Asia and the Nordic region. Are there lessons to be learned from the models of social provisioning ensuring decent, secure and harmonious lives for all citizens - particular...

  17. Stability and Harmony of Gait in Children with Cerebral Palsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iosa, Marco; Marro, Tiziana; Paolucci, Stefano; Morelli, Daniela

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the stability and harmony of gait in children with cerebral palsy. Seventeen children with spastic hemiplegia due to cerebral palsy (5.0 [plus or minus] 2.3 years old) who were able to walk autonomously and seventeen age-matched children with typical development (5.7 [plus or minus] 2.5 years old,…

  18. Modelling derecho dynamics and the direct radiative effect of wildfire smoke upon it with NWP model HARMONIE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toll, Velle; Männik, Aarne

    2014-05-01

    Convection permitting numerical weather prediction model HARMONIE was used to simulate the dynamics of the derecho that swept over Eastern Europe on August 8, 2010. The storm moved over Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland and the strongest wind gusts (up to 36.5 m/s) were measured in Estonia. The storm path is recorded on the radar images where characteristic bow echo was observed. The model setup was similar to near-future operational, nearly kilometre-scale environments in European national weather services. Hindcast experiments show the ability of the HARMONIE model to predict the severe convective storm and forecast concurrent strong wind gusts. Wind gusts with very similar intensity to observed ones were simulated by the HARMONIE model and 2.5-km horizontal resolution appears sufficient for reliable forecast of the derecho event. The timing of the modelled storm was in good agreement with the observations. The simulated average storm propagation speed was 25 m/s, similar to the radar observations. Hindcast experiments suggest that more precise warning for the storm could have been issued if the HARMONIE model would have been utilised. The derecho event was accompanied by the remarkable smoke aerosol concentrations (maximum total aerosol optical depth more than 4 at 550 nm) originating from the wildfires from Russia. Smoke plume travelled clockwise around Moscow from August 5 to 9. On August 8, 2010, smoke plume was situated on the Eastern border of Estonia. The derecho occurred on the western side of the smoke plume path. HARMONIE experiments were performed to study the direct radiative effect of wildfire smoke on a severe convective storm. The impact of smoke aerosol on the derecho dynamics was investigated. Reduction in the shortwave radiation flux at the surface resulting from aerosol influence simulated by the HARMONIE model is up to 200 W/m2 in the area with the highest aerosol concentrations. This causes near surface cooling of up to 3 º

  19. Multiple Scale Music Segmentation Using Rhythm, Timbre, and Harmony

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristoffer Jensen

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The segmentation of music into intro-chorus-verse-outro, and similar segments, is a difficult topic. A method for performing automatic segmentation based on features related to rhythm, timbre, and harmony is presented, and compared, between the features and between the features and manual segmentation of a database of 48 songs. Standard information retrieval performance measures are used in the comparison, and it is shown that the timbre-related feature performs best.

  20. Positive Politeness & Social Harmony in Literary Discourse

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    Nawal F. Abbas

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The strategies of politeness are not arbitrarily chosen by speakers in interaction. Instead, the choice of a strategy is constrained by a number of contextual features (socio-cultural variables, such as the relative power of the speakers, the social distance of the speakers and what the speakers happen to be negotiating at the time of speaking. This study focuses on the linguistic strategies of politeness, and more specifically on the positive politeness, as represented in fiction. The novel chosen is that of Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables- a novel in which the main character Anne Shirley tries her best to establish common grounds with others until she achieves friendly and social harmonious relationships with nearly everybody. To show the above point, Brown and Levinson’s (1987 theory of politeness is adopted to account for the linguistic strategies, in addition to some subsequent contribution provided by Spencer-Oatey (2002 to account for sociality rights and obligations. This model is chosen to explore the relation between language use and the social relationship of the speakers. A point of departure, and according to O’Driscoll (1996, Brown and Levinson’s hierarchy of politeness strategies allows attention to positive to cover more ground than that subsumed under positive politeness (super-strategy 2. That is why baldly on-record (super-strategy 1 is used to pay positive face. The analysis shows that most of Anne’s directives in this speech event, which are linguistic realizations of both super-strategy 1 and 2, are meant to establish common grounds to achieve friendly and harmonious relationships with others.

  1. Particle Swarm Optimization and harmony search based clustering and routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veena Anand

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN has the disadvantage of limited and non-rechargeable energy resource in WSN creates a challenge and led to development of various clustering and routing algorithms. The paper proposes an approach for improving network lifetime by using Particle swarm optimization based clustering and Harmony Search based routing in WSN. So in this paper, global optimal cluster head are selected and Gateway nodes are introduced to decrease the energy consumption of the CH while sending aggregated data to the Base station (BS. Next, the harmony search algorithm based Local Search strategy finds best routing path for gateway nodes to the Base Station. Finally, the proposed algorithm is presented.

  2. Seeing All Beings as Oneself: Internationalizing Higher Education for Universal Harmony

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unkule, Kalyani

    2018-01-01

    The tenets of Hinduism share a complicated relationship with international higher education for an important reason: the purported taboo over crossing oceans. The ethos of Hinduism, however, is deeply embedded in a posited harmony of individuals and cultures. This makes it a faith that at once embraces the value of intercultural exchange while…

  3. WINCS Harmoni: Closed-loop dynamic neurochemical control of therapeutic interventions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kendall H.; Lujan, J. Luis; Trevathan, James K.; Ross, Erika K.; Bartoletta, John J.; Park, Hyung Ook; Paek, Seungleal Brian; Nicolai, Evan N.; Lee, Jannifer H.; Min, Hoon-Ki; Kimble, Christopher J.; Blaha, Charles D.; Bennet, Kevin E.

    2017-04-01

    There has been significant progress in understanding the role of neurotransmitters in normal and pathologic brain function. However, preclinical trials aimed at improving therapeutic interventions do not take advantage of real-time in vivo neurochemical changes in dynamic brain processes such as disease progression and response to pharmacologic, cognitive, behavioral, and neuromodulation therapies. This is due in part to a lack of flexible research tools that allow in vivo measurement of the dynamic changes in brain chemistry. Here, we present a research platform, WINCS Harmoni, which can measure in vivo neurochemical activity simultaneously across multiple anatomical targets to study normal and pathologic brain function. In addition, WINCS Harmoni can provide real-time neurochemical feedback for closed-loop control of neurochemical levels via its synchronized stimulation and neurochemical sensing capabilities. We demonstrate these and other key features of this platform in non-human primate, swine, and rodent models of deep brain stimulation (DBS). Ultimately, systems like the one described here will improve our understanding of the dynamics of brain physiology in the context of neurologic disease and therapeutic interventions, which may lead to the development of precision medicine and personalized therapies for optimal therapeutic efficacy.

  4. Harmony between the information contained in the text and figures of Brazilian companies’ annual reports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Sanches Pagliarussi

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyze the harmony between information provided in the narrative sections of annual reports and the corporate financial performance. The sample consisted of 120 companies listed on BM&FBovespa (Brazilian Stock Exchange in 2009 -- 60 with greater positive variation and 60 with greater negative variation in net accounting profit. Keywords relating to three central topics were selected: profitability, growth and management. Through content analysis, the meaning of these keywords in the reports was evaluated (quantitative positive, qualitative positive, quantitative negative and qualitative negative. Once the frequencies were obtained, two logistic regressions were performed to compare the text to the numbers, one on the raw frequency of words and another by a weighting of terms. The results indicate that, in the information linked to the topic of profitability, the text is harmonious with the numbers. In the information relating to growth, harmony is partial. In addition, when it comes to information linked to management, there is conflict between the narrative sections and corporate performance. Finally, it was found that, the more subjective the information, the greater the conflict.

  5. Harmony Park: A Decision Case on Gardening on a Brownfield Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harms, Ashley Marie Raes; Presley, DeAnn Ricks; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M.; Attanayake, Chammi; Martin, Sabine; Thien, Steven J.

    2014-01-01

    In March of 2009, Mr. John Holloway and his neighbors in the Harmony Park district of Kansas City, MO, were excited to begin gardening on a vacant city lot in their neighborhood. The neighborhood, like many in urban areas, had once been residential interspersed with small establishments including restaurants, shops, and businesses such as auto…

  6. Design and economic investigation of shell and tube heat exchangers using Improved Intelligent Tuned Harmony Search algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oguz Emrah Turgut

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the thermal design of shell and tube heat exchangers by using Improved Intelligent Tuned Harmony Search (I-ITHS algorithm. Intelligent Tuned Harmony Search (ITHS is an upgraded version of harmony search algorithm which has an advantage of deciding intensification and diversification processes by applying proper pitch adjusting strategy. In this study, we aim to improve the search capacity of ITHS algorithm by utilizing chaotic sequences instead of uniformly distributed random numbers and applying alternative search strategies inspired by Artificial Bee Colony algorithm and Opposition Based Learning on promising areas (best solutions. Design variables including baffle spacing, shell diameter, tube outer diameter and number of tube passes are used to minimize total cost of heat exchanger that incorporates capital investment and the sum of discounted annual energy expenditures related to pumping and heat exchanger area. Results show that I-ITHS can be utilized in optimizing shell and tube heat exchangers.

  7. Comparison of genetic algorithm and harmony search for generator maintenance scheduling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, L.; Mumtaz, S.; Khattak, A.

    2012-01-01

    GMS (Generator Maintenance Scheduling) ranks very high in decision making of power generation management. Generators maintenance schedule decides the time period of maintenance tasks and a reliable reserve margin is also maintained during this time period. In this paper, a comparison of GA (Genetic Algorithm) and US (Harmony Search) algorithm is presented to solve generators maintenance scheduling problem for WAPDA (Water And Power Development Authority) Pakistan. GA is a search procedure, which is used in search problems to compute exact and optimized solution. GA is considered as global search heuristic technique. HS algorithm is quite efficient, because the convergence rate of this algorithm is very fast. HS algorithm is based on the concept of music improvisation process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. The two algorithms generate feasible and optimal solutions and overcome the limitations of the conventional methods including extensive computational effort, which increases exponentially as the size of the problem increases. The proposed methods are tested, validated and compared on the WAPDA electric system. (author)

  8. Harmony of Coastal Community Regarding Its Ethnic Religion and Cultural Diversity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghsari, Diah; Suardi Wekke, Ismail; Abbas, Nurlaelah

    2018-05-01

    West Papua is often known to be the miniature of Indonesia. The diversity of ethnicity, religion and culture embraced by the people of West Papua is very much like the concept of Bhinneka and Tunggal Ika. However, there is a negative stigma towards the people of West Papua, namely in its underdevelopment and conflicts. This research was conducted in West Papua using the observation method, library research and interview. This study aimed at providing an overview of West Papua using emic and etic approaches. The people of West Papua have an ingredient to maintain harmony, namely through local wisdom such as the term “One Stove Three Stones”, “One House Four Doors” and the principle of brotherhood that is held firmly. Ultimately, this forms a culture of understanding in the community and establishes religious harmony. Apparently, the negative stigma of outsiders about West Papua is formed by the mass media as well as films containing negative elements about West Papua. Therefore, there is a misperception about the people of West Papua.

  9. Corpus Studies of Harmony in Popular Music: A Response to Gauvin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trevor deClercq

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper responds to the research presented in Léveillé Gauvin’s paper on the evolution of harmonic syntax in popular music from the 1960s. I begin by situating the findings from his second study (on flat-side harmonies within the context of my corpus work with David Temperley on harmony in popular music. Léveillé Gauvin’s results are similar to ours, although some important differences are worth noting. I also provide an interpretation of the results from his first study (on modulation, which Léveillé Gauvin found to be inconsistent with his proposed hypothesis. Specifically, I conjecture that modulation and harmonic palette may be in balance with one another, in that listeners may prefer songs where harmonic content is at a medium level of complexity. Léveillé Gauvin’s study also brings forth some basic issues with regard to harmonic encoding, in terms of both the subjectivity of the analytical process as well as the ease by which harmonic analyses are shared with and verified by other researchers.

  10. Harmony in Life Scale - Turkish version: Studies of validity and reliability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seydi Ahmet Satici

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract This article presents the adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Turkish version of Harmony in Life Scale (Turkish-HiL. The present paper investigates (study 1; N 1 = 253 confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance; (study 2; N 2 = 231 concurrent validity; (study 3; N 3 = 260 convergent and known-group validities; (study 4; N t − t = 50 test-retest, Cronbach alpha, and composite reliabilities of the Turkish-HiL. In study 1, based on a confirmatory factor analysis, results confirmed that unidimensional-factor structure. The results suggested that the model demonstrated a configural and metric invariance across the gender groups. In study 2, Turkish-HiL significantly correlated with measures of satisfaction with life, subjective happiness, positive affect, and negative affect. In study 3, Turkish-HiL was predicted positively by flourishing, conversely, negatively predicted by depression, anxiety, and stress. Finally, in study 4, alpha, composite and test-retest reliabilities are acceptable. Overall, the scale presented here may prove useful for satisfactorily assessing, in Turkish, the harmony in life of the university students.

  11. Robust Circle Detection Using Harmony Search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaco Fourie

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Automatic circle detection is an important element of many image processing algorithms. Traditionally the Hough transform has been used to find circular objects in images but more modern approaches that make use of heuristic optimisation techniques have been developed. These are often used in large complex images where the presence of noise or limited computational resources make the Hough transform impractical. Previous research on the use of the Harmony Search (HS in circle detection showed that HS is an attractive alternative to many of the modern circle detectors based on heuristic optimisers like genetic algorithms and simulated annealing. We propose improvements to this work that enables our algorithm to robustly find multiple circles in larger data sets and still work on realistic images that are heavily corrupted by noisy edges.

  12. Neutron study of fast neutron reactor systems by exponential experiments on Harmonie - Graphite program HUG-PHUG - Oxide program PHRIXOS - Uranium program UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desprets, Alain.

    1977-12-01

    Exponential experiments allow to obtain the fundamental characteristics of a lattice (material buckling, reaction rate ratios) more economically than critical experiments. This report describes the experimental techniques and the methods of analysis used for this type of experiments. The results obtained with three programs performed with the source reactor HARMONIE are given: graphite-lattices program (3 U-fueled and 3 Pu-fueled lattices); oxide-fuel program (4 PuO 2 -UO 2 lattices); pure uranium program (one lattice). Some of these lattices were also studied in critical experiments. The coherence of the results obtained by the two types of experiments is established [fr

  13. HARMONIZED EUROPE OR EUROPEAN HARMONY?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cosmin Marinescu

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Recent evolutions in Europe raise questions on the viability of the present economic and social model that defines the European construction project. In this paper, the author will try to explain the viability of institutional European model that sticks between free market mechanisms and protectionism. The main challenge for the EU is about the possibility to bring together the institutional convergence and the welfare for all Europeans. This is the result of the view, still dominant, of European politics elite, according to which institutional harmonization is the solution of a more dynamic and prosper Europe. But, economic realities convince us that, more and more, a harmonized, standardized Europe is not necessarily identical with a Europe of harmony and social cooperation. If „development through integration” seems to be harmonization through „institutional transplant”, how could then be the European model one sufficiently wide open to market, which creates the prosperity so long waited for by new member countries?

  14. Improved Harmony Search Algorithm with Chaos for Absolute Value Equation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shouheng Tuo

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, an improved harmony search with chaos (HSCH is presented for solving NP-hard absolute value equation (AVE Ax - |x| = b, where A is an arbitrary square matrix whose singular values exceed one. The simulation results in solving some given AVE problems demonstrate that the HSCH algorithm is valid and outperforms the classical HS algorithm (CHS and HS algorithm with differential mutation operator (HSDE.

  15. Music Education in China: In Search of Social Harmony and Chinese Nationalism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Law, Wing-Wah; Ho, Wai-Chung

    2011-01-01

    This article critically examines how interactions between social changes, social harmony, and historical memory shape school music education in China. As a historical review and documentary analysis, it traces the historical development of music education and examines the Chinese government's role in such interactions over time. The article argues…

  16. STUDY ON THE TYPE OF DOMINANT PLANTS IN RELATION TO NATURE STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. I. Maksheeva

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This article examines the type of the dominant elements in relation to the nature of pupils, as it is the formation of a person's world, his system of attitudes, beliefs, values, activities, driven primarily by a system of relations, particularly environmental. This principle is of particular relevance in our days, when sharply aggravated the gap between man and nature, when the true harmony in their relationship is becoming less. Based on the results of the study concluded that school education is not practically forms a co-evolutionary relationship to nature, which is necessary for the sustainable development of society. Therefore, from our point of view, the urgent task is the organization of the learning process in higher education institution for the purpose of formation of ecological thinking and environmental culture and ethics in the relationship with the environment.

  17. THE ROLE OF CHOREOGRAPHIC ART IN DEVELOPING A HARMONIOUS PERSONALITY IN THE MODERN EDUCATION SYSTEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larysa Husachenko

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The article presents an outlook on the issue of a personality’s harmonious development which is extremely complex and versatile. The opportunity of developing the personality needs a comprehensive understanding of children’s psychology at all stages of maturation, from kindergarten to the highest educational establishments. In the 20th century A. Lunacharskyi, S. Shatskyi, A. Makarenko contributed to the development of the theory of harmonious upbringing and implementing this theory into life. Similar ideas as for realization of a personality’s harmonious development were disclosed in works by V. Sukhomlynskyi, P. Atutov and M. Skatkin. The aim of the article is to make an emphasis on the discipline of dance education cycle in the context of a harmonious personality; to identify effective combination of music and dancing in fostering emotional, creative and aesthetic components that contribute to the harmonious development of the young generation. The main focus of the author in this article is made on the intellectual, moral and physical growth of pupils which, in her opinion, is the fundamental way of revealing the creative potential of a personality. The author focuses her attention on the well-balanced development of both, the gifted children, and those who are not sufficiently advanced in the physical and creative aspects. The article defines the dominance of dance creativity while forming children’s emotional-sensory sphere and their physiological and mental health. The analysis of choreographic communication is made not only with music, but also with graphic, musical, theater and esthetic culture of children. It is shown that the art of dance can`t exist without music. So the success of teaching the choreography depends on the quality of the tandem of a dance teacher and an accompanist. The success of the children in this creative initiative largely depends on how competently, clearly and emotionally the accompanist feels a

  18. FROM THE VALUE OF FREEDOM TO THE VALUE OF HARMONY. AN ECOLONOMIC APPROACH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MILTIADE STANCIU

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The authors consider that the current global crisis has an ecolonomic character in the sensethat it negatively affects all parties from all common living beginnig with the people and their families,communities and business organizations, state institutions and continuing with ecology of the living world.Such a disorder of “comeostasis”at the level of the “whole common living”is the result of excesses anddeficits of human and institutional behavior which, proplonged in time, beyond the “critical mass, aredangerous for the “health of whole common living”.The holistic researches highlight that the current ecolonomic crisis is the result of the “fall of man”,mainly caused by the excesses of freedom and deficits of responsability. These cause a pathological work, notalways a vocation type, a disproportionate evolution of society, knowledge “of up”and the morality of its use “indow”, a promotion of science beyond humanism, an increase of markets without morality, an overconsumption“uncontrolled by biology and moral” for several million of people, at the same time with a subconsumption thatjeopardize the survival for few billion of people.These opposites of our evolution did not fall from heaven, they are not “gifts from God”, of unfavorablenature. They are the result of some human and institutional behaviors that are based on the opposite education.Therefore, we need to re-spiritualize education based on the principle of harmony, to re-integrate inthis invention of human society love, true knowledge and faith in the certainty of hope.Education, in terms of harmony, will integrate all the values of meaning, such as “maturing freedom inresponsability, humanity, solidarity and social communion”, is vital for teaching people to live their own life inTruth, Goodness and Beauty.A new education means, at universal scale, the transition to the ecolonomic society in which the winwinpeinciple becomes the golden rule of life

  19. Language influences music harmony perception: Effects of shared syntactic integration resources beyond attention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kunert, R.; Willems, R.M.; Hagoort, P.

    2016-01-01

    Many studies have revealed shared music–language processing resources by finding an influence of music harmony manipulations on concurrent language processing. However, the nature of the shared resources has remained ambiguous. They have been argued to be syntax specific and thus due to shared

  20. Products and processes of agri-scientific service-learning: adding harmony to Dopico and Garcia-Vázquez

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boggs, George L.

    2011-06-01

    This forum response adds a conceptualization of harmony to Dopico and Vázquez' investigation of pedagogy that combines citizen science, environmental and cross-cultural research, and service-learning. Placing many appropriate and significant aspects of culturally situated science education in an authentically relational context beyond the classroom, this paper calls attention to insightful contributions and new directions for research, such as the process of inducing or eluding nihilism regarding ecological issues. How can such a question be researched effectively in order to learn about the family of pedagogies emerging in response to the need for more ecologically conscious and relationally authentic teaching across many disciplines? In this paper, I use a Vygotskian framework and an abbreviated case study of agricultural service-learning from my research, drawing attention to the importance of students' culturally-mediated construction of setting as they interact in older and newer ways.

  1. Location, Allocation and Routing of Temporary Health Centers in Rural Areas in Crisis, Solved by Improved Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdi Alinaghian

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, an uncertain integrated model for simultaneously locating temporary health centers in the affected areas, allocating affected areas to these centers, and routing to transport their required good is considered. Health centers can be settled in one of the affected areas or in a place out of them; therefore, the proposed model offers the best relief operation policy when it is possible to supply the goods of affected areas (which are customers of goods directly or under coverage. Due to that the problem is NP-Hard, to solve the problem in large-scale, a meta-heuristic algorithm based on harmony search algorithm is presented and its performance has been compared with basic harmony search algorithm and neighborhood search algorithm in small and large scale test problems. The results show that the proposed harmony search algorithm has a suitable efficiency.

  2. Parallel Harmony Search Based Distributed Energy Resource Optimization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ceylan, Oguzhan [ORNL; Liu, Guodong [ORNL; Tomsovic, Kevin [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK)

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a harmony search based parallel optimization algorithm to minimize voltage deviations in three phase unbalanced electrical distribution systems and to maximize active power outputs of distributed energy resources (DR). The main contribution is to reduce the adverse impacts on voltage profile during a day as photovoltaics (PVs) output or electrical vehicles (EVs) charging changes throughout a day. The IEEE 123- bus distribution test system is modified by adding DRs and EVs under different load profiles. The simulation results show that by using parallel computing techniques, heuristic methods may be used as an alternative optimization tool in electrical power distribution systems operation.

  3. Improved Harmony Search Algorithm for Truck Scheduling Problem in Multiple-Door Cross-Docking Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhanzhong Wang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The key of realizing the cross docking is to design the joint of inbound trucks and outbound trucks, so a proper sequence of trucks will make the cross-docking system much more efficient and need less makespan. A cross-docking system is proposed with multiple receiving and shipping dock doors. The objective is to find the best door assignments and the sequences of trucks in the principle of products distribution to minimize the total makespan of cross docking. To solve the problem that is regarded as a mixed integer linear programming (MILP model, three metaheuristics, namely, harmony search (HS, improved harmony search (IHS, and genetic algorithm (GA, are proposed. Furthermore, the fixed parameters are optimized by Taguchi experiments to improve the accuracy of solutions further. Finally, several numerical examples are put forward to evaluate the performances of proposed algorithms.

  4. Advanced Harmony Search with Ant Colony Optimization for Solving the Traveling Salesman Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ho-Yoeng Yun

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose a novel heuristic algorithm based on the methods of advanced Harmony Search and Ant Colony Optimization (AHS-ACO to effectively solve the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP. The TSP, in general, is well known as an NP-complete problem, whose computational complexity increases exponentially by increasing the number of cities. In our algorithm, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO is used to search the local optimum in the solution space, followed by the use of the Harmony Search to escape the local optimum determined by the ACO and to move towards a global optimum. Experiments were performed to validate the efficiency of our algorithm through a comparison with other algorithms and the optimum solutions presented in the TSPLIB. The results indicate that our algorithm is capable of generating the optimum solution for most instances in the TSPLIB; moreover, our algorithm found better solutions in two cases (kroB100 and pr144 when compared with the optimum solution presented in the TSPLIB.

  5. Harmony or Discord? Understanding Children's Valuations of a Sistema-Inspired Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimmer, Mark

    2018-01-01

    This article explores children's reflections on the value of their participation in "In Harmony," a social and music education programme whose approach and philosophy derives from the Venezuelan 'El Sistema' ('The System') model. More specifically, through an analysis of participating children's accounts (n = 111) and an exploration of…

  6. LEARNING NONADJACENT DEPENDENCIES IN PHONOLOGY: TRANSPARENT VOWELS IN VOWEL HARMONY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finley, Sara

    2015-03-01

    Nonadjacent dependencies are an important part of the structure of language. While the majority of syntactic and phonological processes occur at a local domain, there are several processes that appear to apply at a distance, posing a challenge for theories of linguistic structure. This article addresses one of the most common nonadjacent phenomena in phonology: transparent vowels in vowel harmony. Vowel harmony occurs when adjacent vowels are required to share the same phonological feature value (e.g. V +F C V +F ). However, transparent vowels create a second-order nonadjacent pattern because agreement between two vowels can 'skip' the transparent neutral vowel in addition to consonants (e.g. V +F C V T -F C V +F ). Adults are shown to display initial learning biases against second-order nonadjacency in experiments that use an artificial grammar learning paradigm. Experiments 1-3 show that adult learners fail to learn the second-order long-distance dependency created by the transparent vowel (as compared to a control condition). In experiments 4-5, training in terms of overall exposure as well as the frequency of relevant transparent items was increased. With adequate exposure, learners reliably generalize to novel words containing transparent vowels. The experiments suggest that learners are sensitive to the structure of phonological representations, even when learning occurs at a relatively rapid pace.

  7. HARMONICS SURFACES OF GRAPHIC TYPE IN R3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Carrión Riveros

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In this research we study harmonic surfaces immersed in R3. We dened Harmonic surfaces of graphic type and showed that a harmonious surface graphic type is minimal if and only if it is part of a plane or a helix. Also, we give a characterization of harmonic surfaces graphic type parameterized by asymptotic lines and some examples.

  8. Socio-environmental actions on the Itaipu Binacional reservoir

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borghetti, J.R.; Perez Chena, D.

    1994-01-01

    The Itaipu Hydroelectric Power complex exploits the potential of a stretch of the Paran river which runs between Brazil and Paraguay. Forested areas bordering the reservoir have been established and are dedicated to environmental protection. Itaipu Binacional, together with the municipal councils, plans and defines appropriate use and occupation of the land so that various socio-environmental-economic activities can be developed and contribute to the integration of the new region. Concessions have been granted for a variety of communal and private projects which are in harmony with conservationist principles. The conservation units in the area are described and aquatic environmental studies, micro-climate analysis, soil conservation programmes, and environmental education and research are outlined. (UK)

  9. An Improved Global Harmony Search Algorithm for the Identification of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems Based on Volterra Filter Modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zongyan Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes an improved global harmony search (IGHS algorithm for identifying the nonlinear discrete-time systems based on second-order Volterra model. The IGHS is an improved version of the novel global harmony search (NGHS algorithm, and it makes two significant improvements on the NGHS. First, the genetic mutation operation is modified by combining normal distribution and Cauchy distribution, which enables the IGHS to fully explore and exploit the solution space. Second, an opposition-based learning (OBL is introduced and modified to improve the quality of harmony vectors. The IGHS algorithm is implemented on two numerical examples, and they are nonlinear discrete-time rational system and the real heat exchanger, respectively. The results of the IGHS are compared with those of the other three methods, and it has been verified to be more effective than the other three methods on solving the above two problems with different input signals and system memory sizes.

  10. Gender harmony and the happy family: Islam, gender and sexuality in post-Reformasi Indonesia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wieringa, S.E.

    2015-01-01

    A renewed global emphasis on 'traditional culture' threatens progress in women's and sexual rights. This article focuses on Indonesia, where concepts such as 'gender harmony' and 'the happy (Muslim) family' have become state policy and where neo-Salafism is gaining ground. Indonesia's first

  11. Environmental Data Store: A Web-Based System Providing Management and Exploitation for Multi-Data-Type Environmental Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, P.; Piasecki, M.

    2012-12-01

    With the rapid growth in data volumes, data diversity and data demands from multi-disciplinary research effort, data management and exploitation are increasingly facing significant challenges for environmental scientific community. We describe Environmental data store (EDS), a system we are developing that is a web-based system following an open source implementation to manage and exploit multi-data-type environmental data. EDS provides repository services for the six fundamental data types, which meet the demands of multi-disciplinary environmental research. These data types are: a) Time Series Data, b) GeoSpatial data, c) Digital Data, d) Ex-Situ Sampling data, e) Modeling Data, f) Raster Data. Through data portal, EDS allows for efficient consuming these six types of data placed in data pool, which is made up of different data nodes corresponding to different data types, including iRODS, ODM, THREADS, ESSDB, GeoServer, etc.. EDS data portal offers unified submission interface for the above different data types; provides fully integrated, scalable search across content from the above different data systems; also features mapping, analysis, exporting and visualization, through integration with other software. EDS uses a number of developed systems, follows widely used data standards, and highlights the thematic, semantic, and syntactic support on the submission and search, in order to advance multi-disciplinary environmental research. This system will be installed and develop at the CrossRoads initiative at the City College of New York.

  12. Impact of Sustainability Balanced Scorecard Types on Environmental Investment Decision-Making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suaad Jassem

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Investment decision-making based on aspects of sustainability is gaining importance among organizations around the globe. In this context, there is a need for quality investment decisions, which require sufficient knowledge among organizational managers about managing sustainability information to achieve environmental objectives that meet stakeholder expectations. This has led to the emergence of organizational performance measuring tools such as the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard, which integrates the environmental perspective into the traditional Balanced Scorecard. Using experimental research method, the objective of this study is to investigate the indirect effect of Eco-efficiency knowledge and Sustainability Balanced Scorecard knowledge as mediators influencing the relationship between Sustainability Balanced Scorecard types and their impact on environmental investment decision-making. Findings of the current research are based on 60 respondents who were randomly assigned to one of the following two types of Sustainability Balanced Scorecard architecture: (1 environmental data embedded within the traditional Balanced Scorecard perspectives; and (2 standalone environmental data as an additional fifth perspective along with the traditional Balanced Scorecard architecture. The traditional Balanced Scorecard without any information on environmental perspective is included in the experiment as the control condition. The findings indicate that the combined effect of eco-efficiency knowledge and Sustainability Balanced Scorecard knowledge has a significant positive influence on the relationship between the Balanced Scorecard type versus Sustainability Balanced Scorecard type and environmental investment decision-making.

  13. A Dynamical Model of Pitch Memory Provides an Improved Basis for Implied Harmony Estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji Chul

    2017-01-01

    Tonal melody can imply vertical harmony through a sequence of tones. Current methods for automatic chord estimation commonly use chroma-based features extracted from audio signals. However, the implied harmony of unaccompanied melodies can be difficult to estimate on the basis of chroma content in the presence of frequent nonchord tones. Here we present a novel approach to automatic chord estimation based on the human perception of pitch sequences. We use cohesion and inhibition between pitches in auditory short-term memory to differentiate chord tones and nonchord tones in tonal melodies. We model short-term pitch memory as a gradient frequency neural network, which is a biologically realistic model of auditory neural processing. The model is a dynamical system consisting of a network of tonotopically tuned nonlinear oscillators driven by audio signals. The oscillators interact with each other through nonlinear resonance and lateral inhibition, and the pattern of oscillatory traces emerging from the interactions is taken as a measure of pitch salience. We test the model with a collection of unaccompanied tonal melodies to evaluate it as a feature extractor for chord estimation. We show that chord tones are selectively enhanced in the response of the model, thereby increasing the accuracy of implied harmony estimation. We also find that, like other existing features for chord estimation, the performance of the model can be improved by using segmented input signals. We discuss possible ways to expand the present model into a full chord estimation system within the dynamical systems framework. PMID:28522983

  14. A Dynamical Model of Pitch Memory Provides an Improved Basis for Implied Harmony Estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji Chul

    2017-01-01

    Tonal melody can imply vertical harmony through a sequence of tones. Current methods for automatic chord estimation commonly use chroma-based features extracted from audio signals. However, the implied harmony of unaccompanied melodies can be difficult to estimate on the basis of chroma content in the presence of frequent nonchord tones. Here we present a novel approach to automatic chord estimation based on the human perception of pitch sequences. We use cohesion and inhibition between pitches in auditory short-term memory to differentiate chord tones and nonchord tones in tonal melodies. We model short-term pitch memory as a gradient frequency neural network, which is a biologically realistic model of auditory neural processing. The model is a dynamical system consisting of a network of tonotopically tuned nonlinear oscillators driven by audio signals. The oscillators interact with each other through nonlinear resonance and lateral inhibition, and the pattern of oscillatory traces emerging from the interactions is taken as a measure of pitch salience. We test the model with a collection of unaccompanied tonal melodies to evaluate it as a feature extractor for chord estimation. We show that chord tones are selectively enhanced in the response of the model, thereby increasing the accuracy of implied harmony estimation. We also find that, like other existing features for chord estimation, the performance of the model can be improved by using segmented input signals. We discuss possible ways to expand the present model into a full chord estimation system within the dynamical systems framework.

  15. A Dynamical Model of Pitch Memory Provides an Improved Basis for Implied Harmony Estimation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Chul Kim

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Tonal melody can imply vertical harmony through a sequence of tones. Current methods for automatic chord estimation commonly use chroma-based features extracted from audio signals. However, the implied harmony of unaccompanied melodies can be difficult to estimate on the basis of chroma content in the presence of frequent nonchord tones. Here we present a novel approach to automatic chord estimation based on the human perception of pitch sequences. We use cohesion and inhibition between pitches in auditory short-term memory to differentiate chord tones and nonchord tones in tonal melodies. We model short-term pitch memory as a gradient frequency neural network, which is a biologically realistic model of auditory neural processing. The model is a dynamical system consisting of a network of tonotopically tuned nonlinear oscillators driven by audio signals. The oscillators interact with each other through nonlinear resonance and lateral inhibition, and the pattern of oscillatory traces emerging from the interactions is taken as a measure of pitch salience. We test the model with a collection of unaccompanied tonal melodies to evaluate it as a feature extractor for chord estimation. We show that chord tones are selectively enhanced in the response of the model, thereby increasing the accuracy of implied harmony estimation. We also find that, like other existing features for chord estimation, the performance of the model can be improved by using segmented input signals. We discuss possible ways to expand the present model into a full chord estimation system within the dynamical systems framework.

  16. Modern Methodology and Techniques Aimed at Developing the Environmentally Responsible Personality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponomarenko, Yelena V.; Zholdasbekova, Bibisara A.; Balabekov, Aidarhan T.; Kenzhebekova, Rabiga I.; Yessaliyev, Aidarbek A.; Larchenkova, Liudmila A.

    2016-01-01

    The article discusses the positive impact of an environmentally responsible individual as the social unit able to live in harmony with the natural world, himself/herself and other people. The purpose of the article is to provide theoretical substantiation of modern teaching methods. The authors considered the experience of philosophy, psychology,…

  17. Thomistic Scientific Leadership and Common Sense Triad of Organizational Harmony

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. William McVey

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the nature of organizational leadership from the perspective of common sense principles. The principles are established by means of a Thomistic metaphysics of the One and the Many, i.e., the Thomistic teaching of the opposition between Unity and Multiplicity. It is this Thomistic metaphysical philosophical science that studies the distinct kind (genus of an organization and its specific common sense principles of organizational leadership. This common sense leadership is a harmonious blending of psychology, ethics and operational behavior.

  18. The Golden Ratio of Gait Harmony: Repetitive Proportions of Repetitive Gait Phases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Iosa

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In nature, many physical and biological systems have structures showing harmonic properties. Some of them were found related to the irrational number known as the golden ratio that has important symmetric and harmonic properties. In this study, the spatiotemporal gait parameters of 25 healthy subjects were analyzed using a stereophotogrammetric system with 25 retroreflective markers located on their skin. The proportions of gait phases were compared with , the value of which is about 1.6180. The ratio between the entire gait cycle and stance phase resulted in 1.620 ± 0.058, that between stance and the swing phase was 1.629 ± 0.173, and that between swing and the double support phase was 1.684 ± 0.357. All these ratios did not differ significantly from each other (, , repeated measure analysis of variance or from (, resp., t-tests. The repetitive gait phases of physiological walking were found in turn in repetitive proportions with each other, revealing an intrinsic harmonic structure. Harmony could be the key for facilitating the control of repetitive walking. Harmony is a powerful unifying factor between seemingly disparate fields of nature, including human gait.

  19. FY 1996 report on the cooperative research on the development of environmentally friendly high efficiency mineral resource extraction/treatment technology. Basic design of pilot plant and a part of the detailed design; 1996 nendo kankyo chowagata kokoritsu kobutsu shigen chushutsu shori gijutsu no kaihatsu ni kansuru kenkyu kyoryoku. Pilot plant no kihon sekkei oyobi ichibu shosai sekkei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-03-01

    This project is a cooperative research on the development of environmental harmony type high efficiency mineral resource extraction/treatment technology. It aims to study/develop a system to recover valuable metals from unused resources in the Republic of Kazakhstan using the environmental harmony type technology which is easy to operate/maintain and is environmentally friendly with no mine pollution caused. In the project, which started in FY 1994, a pilot plant is finally constructed in Kazakhstan, a recovery system to be applied is demonstrated, and the comprehensive assessment of the system is made. Concretely, the recovery of Cu, Au, Ag, etc. is tried from the Nikolayevska low grade ore and Zhezkent tailings. This is a system into which the following techniques are integrated: treatment before dressing such as flotation, leaching of Cu, etc. by acid including bacteria, solvent leaching, electrowinning, cyanogen leaching activated carbon treatment and wastewater treatment of Au and Ag. As to the design/fabrication of pilot plant, conducted was the conceptual design in FY 1995, and the basic design, a part of the detailed design (crushing/grinding/leaching/dewatering facilities of the process of the acid (bacteria) leaching of Cu, etc.), and the fabrication in FY 1996. (NEDO).

  20. Transport energy modeling with meta-heuristic harmony search algorithm, an application to Turkey

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ceylan, Huseyin; Ceylan, Halim; Haldenbilen, Soner; Baskan, Ozgur [Department of Civil Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Pamukkale University, Muh. Fak. Denizli 20017 (Turkey)

    2008-07-15

    This study proposes a new method for estimating transport energy demand using a harmony search (HS) approach. HArmony Search Transport Energy Demand Estimation (HASTEDE) models are developed taking population, gross domestic product and vehicle kilometers as an input. The HASTEDE models are in forms of linear, exponential and quadratic mathematical expressions and they are applied to Turkish Transportation sector energy consumption. Optimum or near-optimum values of the HS parameters are obtained with sensitivity analysis (SA). Performance of all models is compared with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR) projections. Results showed that HS algorithm may be used for energy modeling, but SA is required to obtain best values of the HS parameters. The quadratic form of HASTEDE will overestimate transport sector energy consumption by about 26% and linear and exponential forms underestimate by about 21% when they are compared with the MENR projections. This may happen due to the modeling procedure and selected parameters for models, but determining the upper and lower values of transportation sector energy consumption will provide a framework and flexibility for setting up energy policies. (author)

  1. SPONTANÉITÉ ET HASARD. J. POLLOCK OU L’INTEGRATION DANS L’HARMONIE UNIVERSELLE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LAURA -CODRINA IONIŢĂ

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Returning to medieval spirituality seems to be a common feature of the artistic currents, claimed by romanticism: expressionism, abstract expressionism or neo-expressionism. In romanticism the aspiration toward the absolute was obviously. In expressionism the place edicated to the divinity is found to be empty, and art becomes a cry of despair facing the solitude. Abstract expressionism does not even try to aim for transcendence, but it does probe the interiority, subjectivity and reaction of the human being in the midst of being. However, there are artists belonging to the abstract expressionism who express in their art the harmony of the human being within the cosmos. An example is the art of J. Pollock. It is an art for which not only the artistic image, but also the technique, the dripping, and the means of working become expressions of the cosmic harmony. It is something alike a part of science (F.Capra or the medieval mysticism where we find the same need of communion with nature, a spiritualization of the world, as the first step on the path towards divinity.

  2. Data fitting by G1 rational cubic Bézier curves using harmony search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Najihah Mohamed

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available A metaheuristic algorithm, called Harmony Search (HS is implemented for data fitting by rational cubic Bézier curves. HS is a derivative-free real parameter optimization algorithm, and draws an inspiration from the musical improvisation process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. HS is suitable for multivariate non-linear optimization problem. It is mainly achieved by data fitting using rational cubic Bézier curves with G1 continuity for every joint of segments of the whole data sets. This approach has significant contributions in making the technique automated. HS is used to optimize positions of middle points and values of the shape parameters. Test outline images and comparative experimental analysis are presented to show effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. Statistical testing between HS and two other different metaheuristic algorithms is used in the analysis on several outline images. All of the algorithms improvised a near optimal solution but the result that is obtained by the HS is better than the results of the other two algorithms.

  3. Environmental training for the wastes; La educacion ambiental en los residuos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mandaula Canadell, F.

    1996-12-01

    Environmental education is the basement to live in harmony with the environment. The council of Sabadell is aware of this problem, so it has been developing activities directed to the citizens in order that they feel responsible for their own wastes. Among this activities they offer some visits to different waste management plants. (Author)

  4. Zen leadership: balancing energy for mind, body, and spirit harmony.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swanson, J W

    2000-01-01

    This article explores leadership characteristics and practices that assist us both professionally and personally to be authentic and integrated in mind, body, and spirit for harmony. The transformational leadership characteristics--courage; belief in people; value driven; a life-long learner and teacher; a complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty expert; and a visionary leader--all deal with the leader's ability to develop relationships through teamwork, collaboration, networking, mentoring, and establishing boundaries. The author realized the importance of reflection to maintaining a healthy relationship not only with others but also with self.

  5. The Aesthetic Harmony of How Life Should Be Lived: Van Gogh, Socrates, Nietzsche

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caranfa, Angelo

    2001-01-01

    In this article, the author explores the aesthetic harmony of how life should be lived through the unity of exchange between feeling and thinking, and in so doing attempts to show the importance of art or "aesthetics" as a category of philosophical instruction. His interest in this approach flows directly from his works in nineteenth- and…

  6. HARMONI KEHIDUPAN SOSIAL BEDA AGAMA DAN ALIRAN DI KUDUS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moh Rosyid

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Terjadinya konflik antar dan intern umat beragama menghiasi pemberitaan media massa cetak dan elektronik setiap jengkal detik di negeri ini. Konflik tersebut dipicu oleh hal-hal yang sangat sederhana hingga persoalan besar di tengah masyarakat. Bahkan, sudah menjadi kelaziman jika sebuah desa terdapat multi-pemeluk agama atau aliran dalam agama, sudah hampir dipastikan yang terjadi konflik, baik konflik terbuka, semi terbuka, maupun konflik tertutup. Hal tersebut bukan berarti terjadi pukul rata bahwa selalu terjadi konflik jika terdapat sebuah komunitas yang terdapat multi-pemeluk agama. Sebagaimana terjadi di Desa Colo, Kecamatan Dawe, Kabupaten Kudus pada 2012, warga berjumlah 4.327 jiwa, mayoritas muslim, umat Kristiani 16 orang , Buddhis 40 orang , dan pemeluk aliran Ahmadiyah 14 KK yang berada di satu kelurahan dan masing-masing memiliki tempat ibadah yang saling berdekatan, tetapi penuh dengan kedamaian. Interaksi yang positif terwujud di Desa Colo karena terciptanya harmoni interaksi sosial, terwujudnya empati sosial, dan terantisipasinya perilaku agresif. Semua itu terwujud karena kesamaan kepentingan untuk menjunjung tinggi kesederajatan sebagai sesama umat manusia. Faktor pendukung kerukunan terwujud karena antar pemeluk agama dan atau intern agama yang berbeda aliran terdapat hubungan persaudaraan (genealogis, terjadi simbiosis mutualisme di bidang perekonomian, pemahaman dalam batin antar pemeluk agama dan atau intern agama yang berbeda aliran diwujudkan dalam kehidupan dengan mengedepankan persamaan kebutuhan dan menafikan konflik yang dipicu oleh perbedaan keyakinan dan agama, pola pikir antar pemeluk agama dan atau intern agama yang berbeda aliran terjauhkan dari sikap negatif. Tidak terjadi konflik antar pemeluk agama dan aliran karena tidak adanya loko dan pemicu konflik, sumber konflik tertangani, perilaku agresif yang terantisipasi, dan faktor pemicu kekerasan teredam. Kerukunan sebagai kebutuhan bersama yang difasilitasi

  7. From Autonomy to Creativity: A Multilevel Investigation of the Mediating Role of Harmonious Passion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dong; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Yao, Xin

    2011-01-01

    Building on self-determination theory, we theorized about and demonstrated, through 2 multilevel field studies, the pivotal role of harmonious passion in translating organizational autonomy support and individual autonomy orientation into job creativity. Results based on 3-level data from 856 members in 111 teams within 23 work units of a porous…

  8. An improved harmony search algorithm for synchronization of discrete-time chaotic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos Coelho, Leandro dos; Andrade Bernert, Diego Luis de

    2009-01-01

    The harmony search (HS) algorithm is a recently developed meta-heuristic algorithm, and has been very successful in a wide variety of optimization problems. HS was conceptualized using an analogy with music improvisation process where music players improvise the pitches of their instruments to obtain better harmony. The HS algorithm does not require initial values and uses a random search instead of a gradient search, so derivative information is unnecessary. Furthermore, the HS algorithm is simple in concept, few in parameters, easy in implementation, imposes fewer mathematical requirements, and does not require initial value settings of the decision variables. In recent years, the investigation of synchronization and control problem for discrete chaotic systems has attracted much attention, and many possible applications. The tuning of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller based on an improved HS (IHS) algorithm for synchronization of two identical discrete chaotic systems subject the different initial conditions is investigated in this paper. Simulation results of the IHS to determine the PID parameters to synchronization of two Henon chaotic systems are compared with other HS approaches including classical HS and global-best HS. Numerical results reveal that the proposed IHS method is a powerful search and controller design optimization tool for synchronization of chaotic systems.

  9. Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stelian Brad

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Economic growth and sustainable development are important issues for social prosperity. Sustainable development strives for moderate and responsible use within the economic activity of the limited resources of our planet, whereas economic growth does not limit the resource exploitation and energy, being mainly focused on productivity increase. From this perspective, both conceptual and operational contradictions occur between the two pillars of prosperity. This paper looks to these contradictions and proposes some streams of intervention such as economic growth and environmental sustainability to operate in harmony. A structured framework for innovative problem solving is considered in this respect. Results of this research show that it is possible to induce smart measures in the economic system for directing businesses towards new paradigms where economic growth is possible without negative effects on environmental sustainability.

  10. Relations among Perceived Parental Control, Warmth, Indulgence, and Family Harmony of Chinese in Mainland China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Sing; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Results of a study of 925 educated Chinese who recalled child-rearing patterns of their parents indicated that greater perceived parental dominating control was related to less perceived parental warmth and that greater parental warmth and less parental control were related to greater perceived family harmony. (RH)

  11. A Non-Fideistic Interpretation of pistis in Plutarch's Writings : The Harmony between pistis and Knowledge

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Kooten, G.H.; Lanzillotta, Lautaro Roig; Gallarte, Israel Muñoz

    2012-01-01

    George van Kooten, “A Non-Fideistic Interpretation of pistis in Plutarch's Writings: The Harmony between pistis and Knowledge,” in Plutarch in the Religious and Philosophical Discourse of Late Antiquity (ed. Lautaro Roig Lanzillotta and Israel Muñoz Gallarte; Ancient Mediterranean and Medieval Texts

  12. Application of Static Var Compensator (SVC) With PI Controller for Grid Integration of Wind Farm Using Harmony Search

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keshta, H. E.; Ali, A. A.; Saied, E. M.; Bendary, F. M.

    2016-10-01

    Large-scale integration of wind turbine generators (WTGs) may have significant impacts on power system operation with respect to system frequency and bus voltages. This paper studies the effect of Static Var Compensator (SVC) connected to wind energy conversion system (WECS) on voltage profile and the power generated from the induction generator (IG) in wind farm. Also paper presents, a dynamic reactive power compensation using Static Var Compensator (SVC) at the a point of interconnection of wind farm while static compensation (Fixed Capacitor Bank) is unable to prevent voltage collapse. Moreover, this paper shows that using advanced optimization techniques based on artificial intelligence (AI) such as Harmony Search Algorithm (HS) and Self-Adaptive Global Harmony Search Algorithm (SGHS) instead of a Conventional Control Method to tune the parameters of PI controller for SVC and pitch angle. Also paper illustrates that the performance of the system with controllers based on AI is improved under different operating conditions. MATLAB/Simulink based simulation is utilized to demonstrate the application of SVC in wind farm integration. It is also carried out to investigate the enhancement in performance of the WECS achieved with a PI Controller tuned by Harmony Search Algorithm as compared to a Conventional Control Method.

  13. A Novel Discrete Global-Best Harmony Search Algorithm for Solving 0-1 Knapsack Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan-li Xiang

    2014-01-01

    is applied to decide whether or not a new randomly generated harmony is included into the HM. The proposed DGHS is evaluated on twenty knapsack problems with different scales and compared with other three metaheuristics from the literature. The experimental results indicate that DGHS is efficient, effective, and robust for solving difficult 0-1 knapsack problems.

  14. Research on Issues concerning Social Security for Migrant Workers in Harmonious Society

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, Hua

    2013-01-01

    This article analyzes the status quo of social security for migrant workers in China, and points out that there are deep system and concept reasons for the lack of labor rights and interests security, social security, equality and the right to development, political participation channels for the current migrant workers. This article then expounds the adverse effects of lack of social security for migrant workers on building a harmonious society: the lack of social security for migrant worker...

  15. Environmental Responsibility: A Panacea for Operational Disturbances in Offshore West Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bayo, I.

    2002-01-01

    Reports from onshore E and P activities in Nigeria have shown that operating in the Niger Delta region poses some of the toughest challenges in the world. The region has witnessed a spate of attacks on oil and gas facilities, staff and contractors, consequently, major oil and gas players have to contend with complex operational uncertainties due to increase pressure from the local communities for improved environmental control measures.To effectively de-risk this region of this category of operational uncertainties, the industry must begin to see environmental performance as not only a measure of how well she can comply with existing environmental regulations, but also as a measure of how well she can pre-empt environmental pressures as well as maintain constant harmony with all concerned stakeholders and seeing herself as responsible to the environment with a view to improve performance.In this project, we have been able to develop SMART' models based on continous consultation, integrated management approach and continous improvement attitude (CIA). With a good FOCUS' approach, this will help in safe and effective operations, pre-empt pressures, maintain harmony with local communities and effectively manage operational disturbances within complex environmental settings like the Nigerian Niger Delta area. Finally, we are of the opinion that every industry that seeks to remain efficient and relevant in this millennium should constantly be looking for ways of becoming more environmentally responsible because no business can call itself efficient if it threatens the environment within which it operates.SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Bond.FOCUS is an acronym for Fair, Objective, Consistent, Unbiased and Succint

  16. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIC FACTOR IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CÎRNU Doru

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available We propose to conceive an environmental strategy intended to integrate harmoniously Gorj energy industry with principles of sustainable development. The sustainable development complies trinomial: ecological-economic-social. In our view, sustainable development, requires clean water and unpolluted air, land consolidated rejuvenated forests, biodiversity and protected nature reserves, churches and monasteries secular admired by visitors, welcoming places entered in the natural and cultural harmony. It is also necessary to reduce the pressure generated by socio-economic factors on the environment and the principles of sustainable development. The quality of life in urban and rural areas show extreme differences compared to European standards. For efficiency, we addressed the modeling method by designing a model valid for all thermoelectric power plants based on fossil fuels, allowing simultaneously, so adding value and environmental protection. The general objective that we propose for the environment, natural resources and patrimony, is related to the prevention of climate change by limiting the emission of toxic gases and their adverse effects on the environment The achievement of strategic objectives and implementation of proposals submitted, we consider that would have a double impact, on the one side, to protect the environment and the quality of life and, on the other side a positive influence on economic and social level.

  17. Environmental consequences of hydroelectric development: the role of facility size and type

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gleick, P.H.

    1992-01-01

    The development of hydroelectric power throughout the world is receiving renewed attention as the economic, political, and environmental costs of conventional energy production rise. There is currently a perception that hydroelectricity has environmental and economic advantages over electricity produced by conventional energy technologies, but there is a paucity of information about the environmental impacts of hydroelectric facilities as a function of size and type. We characterize the environmental impacts of hydroelectric developments and quantify these impacts as a function of the size and type of project. Several unexpected conclusions arise from our analysis. For most hydroelectric facilities, size, as measured by installed capacity, is not necessarily a good indicator or the severity of environmental costs. For impacts such as land flooded and evaporative water lost, smaller facilities cause greater environmental disruptions per unit of energy produced than do larger facilities. (Author)

  18. 3rd International Conference on Harmony Search Algorithm

    CERN Document Server

    2017-01-01

    This book presents state-of-the-art technical contributions based around one of the most successful evolutionary optimization algorithms published to date: Harmony Search. Contributions span from novel technical derivations of this algorithm to applications in the broad fields of civil engineering, energy, transportation & mobility and health, among many others and focus not only on its cross-domain applicability, but also on its core evolutionary operators, including elements inspired from other meta-heuristics. The global scientific community is witnessing an upsurge in groundbreaking, new advances in all areas of computational intelligence, with a particular flurry of research focusing on evolutionary computation and bio-inspired optimization. Observed processes in nature and sociology have provided the basis for innovative algorithmic developments aimed at leveraging the inherent capability to adapt characterized by various animals, including ants, fireflies, wolves and humans. However, it is the beha...

  19. Combined heat and power economic dispatch by harmony search algorithm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vasebi, A.; Bathaee, S.M.T. [Power System Research Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, K.N.Toosi University of Technology, 322-Mirdamad Avenue West, 19697 Tehran (Iran); Fesanghary, M. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424-Hafez Avenue, Tehran (Iran)

    2007-12-15

    The optimal utilization of multiple combined heat and power (CHP) systems is a complicated problem that needs powerful methods to solve. This paper presents a harmony search (HS) algorithm to solve the combined heat and power economic dispatch (CHPED) problem. The HS algorithm is a recently developed meta-heuristic algorithm, and has been very successful in a wide variety of optimization problems. The method is illustrated using a test case taken from the literature as well as a new one proposed by authors. Numerical results reveal that the proposed algorithm can find better solutions when compared to conventional methods and is an efficient search algorithm for CHPED problem. (author)

  20. RAPD- and ERIC-Based Typing of Clinical and Environmental Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auda, Ibtesam Ghadban; Al-Kadmy, Israa M S; Kareem, Sawsan Mohammed; Lafta, Aliaa Khyuon; A'Affus, Mustafa Hussein Obeid; Khit, Ibrahim Abd Aloahd; Al Kheraif, Abdulaziz Abdullah; Divakar, Darshan Devang; Ramakrishnaiah, Ravikumar

    2017-03-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of nosocomial infection in children and adults, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality due to its ability to acquire drug resistance. The ability of P. aeruginosa in the environment to cause infection in individuals has been reported previously; henceforth, surveillance of the emergence and transmission of P. aeruginosa strains among patients is important for infection control in a clinical setup. Various gene-typing methods have been used for epidemiological typing of P. aeruginosa isolates for the purpose of surveillance. In this work, the suitability and comparability of two typing methods, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR fingerprinting, were studied to characterize P. aeruginosa strains isolated from clinical and environmental sources. Forty-four clinical and environmental bacterial isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected between October 2015 and January 2016. DNA extraction, ERIC-PCR and RAPD-PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, and phylogenetic analyses were carried using the unweighted pair-group method with mean. RAPD typing revealed less clonality among clinical isolates, whereas the ERIC method showed greater similarity in comparison with RAPD. Environmental isolates, however, showed greater similarity using RAPD compared with ERIC typing. With only a few exceptions, most clinical isolates were distinct from environmental isolates, irrespective of the typing method. In conclusion, both the RAPD and ERIC typing methods proved to be good tools in understanding clonal diversity. The results also suggest that there is no relationship between clinical and environmental isolates. The absence of clonality among the clinical isolates may indicate that most P. aeruginosa infection cases could be endemic and not epidemic and that endemic infections may be due to nonclonal strains of P. aeruginosa.

  1. World Tourism Organization - 30 years of commitment to environmental protection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shackleford, P.

    1985-01-01

    The paper traces 30 years of commitment to environmental values of tourism by the intergovernmental World Tourism Organization. Such commitment was almost unfashionable in the 1950s but gradually what began as an article of faith was vindicated by results of market research showing that the protection, enhancement and improvement of man's physical and human environment were among the fundamental requirements for the harmonious development of tourism. The establishment of the United Nations Environmental Program at last gave WTO a partner with the necessary authority with which the world body could walk towards mutually agreed goals.

  2. World Tourism Organization - 30 years of commitment to environmental protection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shackleford, P

    1985-01-01

    The paper traces 30 years of commitment to environmental values of tourism by the intergovernmental World Tourism Organization. Such commitment was almost unfashionable in the 1950s but gradually what began as an article of faith was vindicated by results of market research showing that the protection, enhancement and improvement of man's physical and human environment were among the fundamental requirements for the harmonious development of tourism. The establishment of the United Nations Environmental Program at last gave WTO a partner with the necessary authority with which the world body could walk towards mutually agreed goals.

  3. Building Harmony through Religious Reception in Culture: Lesson Learned from Radin Jambat Folktale of Lampung

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agus Iswanto

    2018-12-01

    Full Text Available Understanding of the existence of various religious receptions in culture gives a great opportunity for the building and nurturance of harmony among religious followers and for the creating of solidarities in the society. This article uncovers receptions of religious aspects (ultimate truth aspect/god, cosmological aspect and religious ritual aspect in the cultural products of Radin Lambat, a folktale from Lampung. The article is based on the texts of Radin Lambat folktale, interviews, and other literary sources about Lampung cultures. Religious receptions as shown in Radin Lambat folktale indicate the preservation of past beliefs, coupled with the gentle addition and inclusion of Islamic teachings, to create harmonization between religion and tradition through folktale. This shows that Islam in the societies of Lampung is Islam that values cultures through the processes of gradual and varied receptions. This article is expected to add evidence to related sources about the concepts and practices of harmony among religious followers in Indonesia in local tradition, and the addition to the range of the rare religious-cultural reception studies of Lampung society

  4. THE FORMATION OF THE HARMONIOUS PERSONAL SPACE OF THE STUDENT IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL BASICS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maltseva Olga Aleksandrovna

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is the presentation of theoretical and methodical fundamentals of problems of formation the student’s of harmonious personal space in the educational process of the primary school. Personal space is being the subject of education, characterizes the specificity of human interaction with the reality, and forms system value-semantic directions of a person at a certain age stage. The period of primary school age is favorable for the formation of the harmonious personal space, which causes the creation of certain conditions in the educational process of school. The logic and content of the experimental work on the implementation of the conditions of formation of the harmonious personal space of the student in the educational process of the primary school are presented in the article. Results show positive dynamics in personal change of teachers, students and their parents, that allows to judge about the efficiency of the carried out research. The materials of the research are presented in the article, can be used in the practice of School Providing General Education.

  5. Hybrid feature selection algorithm using symmetrical uncertainty and a harmony search algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salameh Shreem, Salam; Abdullah, Salwani; Nazri, Mohd Zakree Ahmad

    2016-04-01

    Microarray technology can be used as an efficient diagnostic system to recognise diseases such as tumours or to discriminate between different types of cancers in normal tissues. This technology has received increasing attention from the bioinformatics community because of its potential in designing powerful decision-making tools for cancer diagnosis. However, the presence of thousands or tens of thousands of genes affects the predictive accuracy of this technology from the perspective of classification. Thus, a key issue in microarray data is identifying or selecting the smallest possible set of genes from the input data that can achieve good predictive accuracy for classification. In this work, we propose a two-stage selection algorithm for gene selection problems in microarray data-sets called the symmetrical uncertainty filter and harmony search algorithm wrapper (SU-HSA). Experimental results show that the SU-HSA is better than HSA in isolation for all data-sets in terms of the accuracy and achieves a lower number of genes on 6 out of 10 instances. Furthermore, the comparison with state-of-the-art methods shows that our proposed approach is able to obtain 5 (out of 10) new best results in terms of the number of selected genes and competitive results in terms of the classification accuracy.

  6. Introducing Environmentally Related Taxes: A Window of Opportunity for China

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barde, Jean-Philippe; Andersen, Mikael Skou; Schlegelmilch, Kai

    2009-01-01

    The transition from a strictly planned economy to a socialist market economy which China has undertaken has enabled impressive economic growth rates over more than two decades and has been significant for reducing poverty and increasing standards of living. Environmental challenges such as air...... as a basis for China’s economy is necessary. Sustainable use of energy and raw materials will be required to avoid future bottlenecks for harmonious development and economic growth....

  7. Harmony search algorithm for solving combined heat and power economic dispatch problems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khorram, Esmaile, E-mail: eskhor@aut.ac.i [Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Amirkabir University of Technology, No. 424, Hafez Ave., 15914 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jaberipour, Majid, E-mail: Majid.Jaberipour@gmail.co [Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Amirkabir University of Technology, No. 424, Hafez Ave., 15914 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2011-02-15

    Economic dispatch (ED) is one of the key optimization problems in electric power system operation. The problem grows complex if one or more units produce both power and heat. Combined heat and power economic dispatch (CHPED) problem is a complicated problem that needs powerful methods to solve. This paper presents a harmony search (EDHS) algorithm to solve CHPED. Some standard examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of this algorithm in obtaining the optimal solution. In all cases, the solutions obtained using EDHS algorithm are better than those obtained by other methods.

  8. Learning and liking of melody and harmony: further studies in artificial grammar learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loui, Psyche

    2012-10-01

    Much of what we know and love about music is based on implicitly acquired mental representations of musical pitches and the relationships between them. While previous studies have shown that these mental representations of music can be acquired rapidly and can influence preference, it is still unclear which aspects of music influence learning and preference formation. This article reports two experiments that use an artificial musical system to examine two questions: (1) which aspects of music matter most for learning, and (2) which aspects of music matter most for preference formation. Two aspects of music are tested: melody and harmony. In Experiment 1 we tested the learning and liking of a new musical system that is manipulated melodically so that only some of the possible conditional probabilities between successive notes are presented. In Experiment 2 we administered the same tests for learning and liking, but we used a musical system that is manipulated harmonically to eliminate the property of harmonic whole-integer ratios between pitches. Results show that disrupting melody (Experiment 1) disabled the learning of music without disrupting preference formation, whereas disrupting harmony (Experiment 2) does not affect learning and memory but disrupts preference formation. Results point to a possible dissociation between learning and preference in musical knowledge. Copyright © 2012 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  9. Hindcast experiments of the derecho in Estonia on 08 August, 2010: Modelling derecho with NWP model HARMONIE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toll, Velle; Männik, Aarne; Luhamaa, Andres; Rõõm, Rein

    2015-05-01

    On August 8, 2010, a derecho swept over Northern Europe, causing widespread wind damage and more than 2 million Euros in economic loss in Estonia during its most destructive stage. This paper presents a modelling study of the derecho-producing storm utilising the Hirlam Aladin Research for Mesoscale Operational Numerical Weather Prediction in Europe (HARMONIE) model. The model setup is chosen to mimic near-future, nearly kilometre-scale, operational environments in European national weather services. The model simulations are compared to remote sensing and in situ observations. The HARMONIE model is capable of reproducing the wind gust severity and precipitation intensity. Moreover, 2.5-km grid spacing is shown to be sufficient for producing a reliable signal of the severe convective storm. Storm dynamics are well simulated, including the rear inflow jet. Although the model performance is promising, a strong dependence on the initial data, a weak trailing stratiform precipitation region and an incorrect timing of the storm are identified.

  10. Seeking harmony in the provision of care to the stroke-impaired: views of Chinese family caregivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Regina L T; Mok, Esther S B

    2011-05-01

    To explore the coping strategies of Chinese family caregivers of stroke-impaired older relatives. Many stroke-impaired patients rely heavily on support from their families, and the daily lives of such family caregivers are severely impacted. However, services and support for family caregivers of stroke-impaired relatives in the home setting have received little attention. Appropriate and relevant information and support to family caregivers are important in facilitating the care-giving task. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the nature and demands of care-giving before planning specific educational and support programmes. Grounded theory. Fifteen Chinese family caregivers of stroke-impaired older relatives were recruited and interviewed in 2003 and 2004. Theoretical sampling and constant comparative analysis were used to recruit the sample and perform data analysis. Seeking harmony to provide care for the stroke-impaired was the core category for describing and guiding the family care-giving process, with five main stages: (1) living with ambiguity, (2) monitoring the recovery progress, (3) accepting the downfalls, (4) meeting family obligations and (5) reconciling with harmony. These issues were seldom discussed openly with health professionals. The findings indicated that Chinese family caregivers determine their own needs by seeking harmony to continue to provide care without thinking about getting help from others or their own health problems. These findings help to define some of the complex dynamics that have an impact on the development of partnership care and might challenge nurses practising in the community. Community nurses should assess and understand the coping strategies of family caregivers and assist them to engage in stress-reducing practices. This is an important partnership to be formed in stroke care for family caregivers in the community. The study findings will guide further development of family care-giving aspects in nursing practice

  11. A community-based intervention to build community harmony in an Indigenous Guatemalan Mining Town.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caxaj, Claudia Susana; Parroquia de San Miguel Ixtahuacan, Kolol Qnan Tx'otx'

    2018-01-24

    The presence of large-scale mining operations poses many threats to communities. In a rural community in Guatemala, community leaders were motivated to address divisiveness and local conflict that have been exacerbated since the arrival of a mining company in the region. Prior research by our team identified spiritual and cultural strengths as important sources of strength and resilience in the community. We piloted a community-based intervention centred on spiritual and cultural practices in the region, to address divisiveness and build community harmony. One hundred and seventeen participants from over 18 villages in the municipality participated in the workshops and follow-up focus groups. Community leaders facilitated the intervention and partnered with the academic researcher throughout the research process. Overall, community members and facilitators expressed satisfaction with the workshop. Further, our analysis revealed three important processes important to the development of community harmony in the region: (a) mutual recognition and collectivisation; (b) affirmation of ancestral roots and connections to Mother Earth and (c) inspiring action and momentum towards solutions. These mechanisms, and the socio-political contexts that undermine them, have important implications for how global health programmes are developed and how collective processes for well-being are understood within an inequitable, conflict-laden world.

  12. Lay Definitions of Happiness across Nations: The Primacy of Inner Harmony and Relational Connectedness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delle Fave, Antonella; Brdar, Ingrid; Wissing, Marié P; Araujo, Ulisses; Castro Solano, Alejandro; Freire, Teresa; Hernández-Pozo, María Del Rocío; Jose, Paul; Martos, Tamás; Nafstad, Hilde E; Nakamura, Jeanne; Singh, Kamlesh; Soosai-Nathan, Lawrence

    2016-01-01

    In well-being research the term happiness is often used as synonymous with life satisfaction. However, little is known about lay people's understanding of happiness. Building on the available literature, this study explored lay definitions of happiness across nations and cultural dimensions, analyzing their components and relationship with participants' demographic features. Participants were 2799 adults (age range = 30-60, 50% women) living in urban areas of Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Hungary, India, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, and United States. They completed the Eudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness Investigation (EHHI), reporting, among other information, their own definition of happiness. Answers comprised definitions referring to a broad range of life domains, covering both the contextual-social sphere and the psychological sphere. Across countries and with little variation by age and gender, inner harmony predominated among psychological definitions, and family and social relationships among contextual definitions. Whereas relationships are widely acknowledged as basic happiness components, inner harmony is substantially neglected. Nevertheless, its cross-national primacy, together with relations, is consistent with the view of an ontological interconnectedness characterizing living systems, shared by several conceptual frameworks across disciplines and cultures. At the methodological level, these findings suggest the potential of a bottom-up, mixed method approach to contextualize psychological dimensions within culture and lay understanding.

  13. Sequential fault diagnosis for mechatronics system using diagnostic hybrid bond graph and composite harmony search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Yu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article proposes a sequential fault diagnosis method to handle asynchronous distinct faults using diagnostic hybrid bond graph and composite harmony search. The faults under consideration include fault mode, abrupt fault, and intermittent fault. The faults can occur in different time instances, which add to the difficulty of decision making for fault diagnosis. This is because the earlier occurred fault can exhibit fault symptom which masks the fault symptom of latter occurred fault. In order to solve this problem, a sequential identification algorithm is developed in which the identification task is reactivated based on two conditions. The first condition is that the latter occurred fault has at least one inconsistent coherence vector element which is consistent in coherence vector of the earlier occurred fault, and the second condition is that the existing fault coherence vector has the ability to hide other faults and the second-level residual exceeds the threshold. A new composite harmony search which is capable of handling continuous variables and binary variables simultaneously is proposed for identification purpose. Experiments on a mobile robot system are conducted to assess the proposed sequential fault diagnosis algorithm.

  14. 78 FR 72628 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-03

    ... from Thailand on November 3, 2011.\\3\\ Both Thai Plastic Bags Industries Co., Ltd. and Polyethylene.../exporter margin (percent) Thai Plastic Bags Industries Company 35.79 Landblue (Thailand) Co., Ltd 25.60 In... Bags From Thailand: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With Final Results of Administrative Review...

  15. Construction Example for Algebra System Using Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FangAn Deng

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The construction example of algebra system is to verify the existence of a complex algebra system, and it is a NP-hard problem. In this paper, to solve this kind of problems, firstly, a mathematical optimization model for construction example of algebra system is established. Secondly, an improved harmony search algorithm based on NGHS algorithm (INGHS is proposed to find as more solutions as possible for the optimization model; in the proposed INGHS algorithm, to achieve the balance between exploration power and exploitation power in the search process, a global best strategy and parameters dynamic adjustment method are present. Finally, nine construction examples of algebra system are used to evaluate the optimization model and performance of INGHS. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has strong performance for solving complex construction example problems of algebra system.

  16. An Analysis of the Angry Youth and Spoofing Phenomena in the Context of Building a Harmonious Society

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bo, Lu

    2011-01-01

    This article specifically analyzes the negative impact exerted by angry youth and spoofers on the construction of a harmonious society from four aspects: the way these intensify social contradictions, affect the social mentality, undermine mainstream values, and interfere with freedom of speech. It purports that importance must be attached to the…

  17. Social Issue Entertainment 2.0: How pop culture, behavioral science and impact evaluation can motivate social and environmental change (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shome, D.

    2010-12-01

    Mainstream entertainment’s influence on our cognition, emotions, and behavior is often profound. Mass media permeates both the public and private spheres of society, saturating communities with messages from a diverse range of sources. While advertisers regularly take advantage of the extensive reach and influence of the media, social scientists, policy makers, and nonprofits have seen little success in incorporating social and environmental messaging into entertainment. Harmony Institute’s goal is to harness the power of mainstream media to provide US audiences with entertainment that educates on social and environmental issues and increases both individual and community action. The entertainment the Institute helps to produce connects with viewers on both a cognitive and emotional level. The Institute uses innovative methods across disciplines in order to measure entertainment’s impact and influence. Since its founding two years ago, the Institute has worked on a wide range of projects that have helped to establish its methodology for measured impact that applies behavioral science theory and entertainment to social and environmental issues. Projects spanning media platforms and social/environmental issues have included a web serial drama incorporating issues of water conservation and ocean stewardship into the narrative and a fotonovela for Hispanic youth in Houston focused on local environmental issues. In summer 2010, the Harmony Institute released FTW! Net Neutrality For The Win: How Entertainment and the Science of Influence Can Save Your Internet, an issue-specific communications guide about open Internet access that explains how to craft a communications strategy that connects with audiences using behavioral science research findings. In 2010-2011, the Institute will focus on measuring the impact and influence that media can have on social and environmental issues. The Institute has developed a comprehensive media evaluation methodology that employs

  18. Students Environmental Awareness of Ar Ridho Nature School Semarang

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prihatiningsih, Agustina

    2018-02-01

    In order to meet the goal of environmental education, creating generation who are environmentally concerned and responsible, Ar Ridho Nature School Semarang (SAA), put the message of such education on their gardening subject. The subject has designed for grade 1 to 6 as the school commitment to build a civilization who are able to live in harmony with nature. The purpose of gardening is not only giving students environmental knowledge but also building environmental awareness and skill to preserve nature. Thus, this study aims at presenting environmental awareness among students of SAA and finding out whether there is a relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental awareness. The third grade of students were selected as participants since they were in the middle level of elementary education which has not applied 2013 Curricula (K13). A questionnaire survey was applied to 62 students face to face with considering the level of students for understanding the given questions. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Pearson coefficient of correlation are the techniques used to analyze the data.

  19. Students Environmental Awareness of Ar Ridho Nature School Semarang

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prihatiningsih Agustina

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to meet the goal of environmental education, creating generation who are environmentally concerned and responsible, Ar Ridho Nature School Semarang (SAA, put the message of such education on their gardening subject. The subject has designed for grade 1 to 6 as the school commitment to build a civilization who are able to live in harmony with nature. The purpose of gardening is not only giving students environmental knowledge but also building environmental awareness and skill to preserve nature. Thus, this study aims at presenting environmental awareness among students of SAA and finding out whether there is a relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental awareness. The third grade of students were selected as participants since they were in the middle level of elementary education which has not applied 2013 Curricula (K13. A questionnaire survey was applied to 62 students face to face with considering the level of students for understanding the given questions. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Pearson coefficient of correlation are the techniques used to analyze the data.

  20. Die 2004 senior Harmony Suid-Afrikaanse Wiskunde- olimpiade: ’n Analise van die resultate van die senior groep, tweede ronde

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. G. Maree

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Suid-Afrikaanse leerders se ontoereikende wiskundeprestasie is ’n bron van kommer vir elkeen wat betrokke is by leerfasilitering i wiskunde. Belanghebbendes soek ernstig na moontlike wyses waarop leerders se insig rakende en prestasie in wiskunde verbeter ka word ten einde leerders toe te rus met wiskundige vaardighede en hulle op hierdie wyse te help om ’n beter kans te hê op lewensukse In hierdie verband word wiskunde-olimpiades wêreldwyd beskou as ’n uitnemende meganisme, enersyds om talentvolle leerders identifiseer en leerders se probleemoplossingsvaardighede in wiskunde te verbeter, en andersyds om leerders voor te berei op wiskundig studierigtings in die algemeen. In hierdie artikel word enkele aspekte van die pas afgelope Harmony Suid-Afrikaanse Wiskunde olimpiade ontleed en enkele aanbevelings gemaak. ’n Belangrike gevolgtrekking wat gemaak word, is dat die Harmony Suid-Afrikaans Wiskunde-olimpiade in ’n groot mate in sy doel slaag, maar nie naastenby soveel leerders en opvoeders bereik as waarop ’n mens so wou hoop nie. Die ideale van die Harmony Suid-Afrikaanse Wiskunde-olimpiade kan waarskynlik slegs bereik word indien alle sko van toereikende fasiliteite voorsien word en die standaard van wiskundeonderrig op nasionale vlak terselfdertyd toepaslik verbete word. Spoedige en indringende gesprek en herbesinning deur alle betrokke partye is daarom dringend noodsaaklik.

  1. Ecological research and environmental management: We need different interfaces based on different knowledge types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gosselin, Frédéric; Cordonnier, Thomas; Bilger, Isabelle; Jappiot, Marielle; Chauvin, Christophe; Gosselin, Marion

    2018-04-25

    The role of ecological science in environmental management has been discussed by many authors who recognize that there is a persistent gap between ecological science and environmental management. Here we develop theory through different perspectives based on knowledge types, research categories and research-management interface types, which we combine into a common framework. To draw out insights for bridging this gap, we build our case by:We point out the complementarities as well as the specificities and limitations of the different types of ecological research, ecological knowledge and research-management interfaces, which is of major importance for environmental management and research policies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Toward harmonious development of the uranium market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Y.

    1984-01-01

    Japan's economy is in a period of low growth, and growth in electricity demand has decreased substantially. Nuclear power remains the mainstay of Japan's energy policy, even though targets have been lowered. Japanese utilities attempted to procure as much uranium as possible for the long-term operation of their plants soon after the nuclear development plan was set in 1972. By 1975 they had secured around 80% of the cumulative uranium requirements up to the year 1990 through long-term contracts. Since then the scale of the nuclear power development program has shrunk to about one third of what it was in 1975. As a result, the quantity of uranium under long-term contracts far exceeds the actual demand. The existing contracted quantity is sufficient to cover total demand well into the late 1990s. Appropriate levels of stockpiling have yet to be determined. Security of supply can be assured without stockpiling if utilities diversify their sources of supply. The uranium market will develop harmoniously if producers and suppliers work towards securing flexibility for demand fluctuations, preventing government interference, and exchanging the information needed for precise uranium demand forecasting. (L.L.)

  3. An Effective Hybrid Firefly Algorithm with Harmony Search for Global Numerical Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lihong Guo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A hybrid metaheuristic approach by hybridizing harmony search (HS and firefly algorithm (FA, namely, HS/FA, is proposed to solve function optimization. In HS/FA, the exploration of HS and the exploitation of FA are fully exerted, so HS/FA has a faster convergence speed than HS and FA. Also, top fireflies scheme is introduced to reduce running time, and HS is utilized to mutate between fireflies when updating fireflies. The HS/FA method is verified by various benchmarks. From the experiments, the implementation of HS/FA is better than the standard FA and other eight optimization methods.

  4. 75 FR 7562 - Certain Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bars From Turkey: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-22

    ... Reinforcing Bars From Turkey: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With Final Results of Administrative...: On January 19, 2010, the United States Court of International Trade (CIT) sustained the Department of... Corporation, Gerdau Ameristeel Corporation, and Commercial Metals Company v. United States and Icdas Celik...

  5. Lay Definitions of Happiness across Nations: The Primacy of Inner Harmony and Relational Connectedness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delle Fave, Antonella; Brdar, Ingrid; Wissing, Marié P.; Araujo, Ulisses; Castro Solano, Alejandro; Freire, Teresa; Hernández-Pozo, María Del Rocío; Jose, Paul; Martos, Tamás; Nafstad, Hilde E.; Nakamura, Jeanne; Singh, Kamlesh; Soosai-Nathan, Lawrence

    2016-01-01

    In well-being research the term happiness is often used as synonymous with life satisfaction. However, little is known about lay people's understanding of happiness. Building on the available literature, this study explored lay definitions of happiness across nations and cultural dimensions, analyzing their components and relationship with participants' demographic features. Participants were 2799 adults (age range = 30–60, 50% women) living in urban areas of Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Hungary, India, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, and United States. They completed the Eudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness Investigation (EHHI), reporting, among other information, their own definition of happiness. Answers comprised definitions referring to a broad range of life domains, covering both the contextual-social sphere and the psychological sphere. Across countries and with little variation by age and gender, inner harmony predominated among psychological definitions, and family and social relationships among contextual definitions. Whereas relationships are widely acknowledged as basic happiness components, inner harmony is substantially neglected. Nevertheless, its cross-national primacy, together with relations, is consistent with the view of an ontological interconnectedness characterizing living systems, shared by several conceptual frameworks across disciplines and cultures. At the methodological level, these findings suggest the potential of a bottom-up, mixed method approach to contextualize psychological dimensions within culture and lay understanding. PMID:26858677

  6. Harmony in Career Learning and Scholastic System (Project HI-CLASS). Final Evaluation Report 1992-93. OREA Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duque, Diana L.

    Harmony in Career Learning and Scholastic System (Project HI-CLASS) was a Transitional Bilingual Education Title VII-funded program in its fifth and final year in 1992-93. The project offered instructional and support services to 641 students of limited English proficiency (LEP) at three sites, all of which had many immigrant students, in…

  7. A Method for Estimating View Transformations from Image Correspondences Based on the Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erik Cuevas

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a new method for robustly estimating multiple view relations from point correspondences is presented. The approach combines the popular random sampling consensus (RANSAC algorithm and the evolutionary method harmony search (HS. With this combination, the proposed method adopts a different sampling strategy than RANSAC to generate putative solutions. Under the new mechanism, at each iteration, new candidate solutions are built taking into account the quality of the models generated by previous candidate solutions, rather than purely random as it is the case of RANSAC. The rules for the generation of candidate solutions (samples are motivated by the improvisation process that occurs when a musician searches for a better state of harmony. As a result, the proposed approach can substantially reduce the number of iterations still preserving the robust capabilities of RANSAC. The method is generic and its use is illustrated by the estimation of homographies, considering synthetic and real images. Additionally, in order to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach within a real engineering application, it is employed to solve the problem of position estimation in a humanoid robot. Experimental results validate the efficiency of the proposed method in terms of accuracy, speed, and robustness.

  8. Chaotic harmony a dialog about physics, complexity and life

    CERN Document Server

    Sanayei, Ali

    2014-01-01

    This fascinating book written by Ali Sanayei and Otto E. Rössler is not a classic scientific publication, but a vivid dialogue on science, philosophy and  the interdisciplinary intersections of science and technology with biographic elements. Chaotic Harmony: A Dialog about Physics, Complexity and Life represents a discussion between Otto Rössler and his colleague and student, focusing on the different areas of science and highlights their mutual relations. The book's concept of interdisciplinary dialogue is  unusual nowadays although it has a long tradition in science. It provides insight not only into interesting topics that are often closely linked, but also into the mind of a prominent scientist in the field of physics, chaos and complexity in general. It allows a deep look into the fascinating process of scientific development and discovery and provides a very interesting background of known and unknown facts in the areas of complex processes in physics, cosmology, biology, brains and systems in gen...

  9. Forecasting Energy CO2 Emissions Using a Quantum Harmony Search Algorithm-Based DMSFE Combination Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xingsheng Gu

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available he accurate forecasting of carbon dioxide (CO2 emissions from fossil fuel energy consumption is a key requirement for making energy policy and environmental strategy. In this paper, a novel quantum harmony search (QHS algorithm-based discounted mean square forecast error (DMSFE combination model is proposed. In the DMSFE combination forecasting model, almost all investigations assign the discounting factor (β arbitrarily since β varies between 0 and 1 and adopt one value for all individual models and forecasting periods. The original method doesn’t consider the influences of the individual model and the forecasting period. This work contributes by changing β from one value to a matrix taking the different model and the forecasting period into consideration and presenting a way of searching for the optimal β values by using the QHS algorithm through optimizing the mean absolute percent error (MAPE objective function. The QHS algorithm-based optimization DMSFE combination forecasting model is established and tested by forecasting CO2 emission of the World top‒5 CO2 emitters. The evaluation indexes such as MAPE, root mean squared error (RMSE and mean absolute error (MAE are employed to test the performance of the presented approach. The empirical analyses confirm the validity of the presented method and the forecasting accuracy can be increased in a certain degree.

  10. Are adaptations self-organized, autonomous, and harmonious? Assessing the social-ecological resilience literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Hahn

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper analyzes how adaptability (adaptive capacity and adaptations is constructed in the literature on resilience of social-ecological systems (SES. According to some critics, this literature views adaptability as the capacity of SES to self-organize in an autonomous harmonious consensus-building process, ignoring strategies, conflicting goals, and power issues. We assessed 183 papers, coding two dimensions of adaptability: autonomous vs. intentional and descriptive vs. normative. We found a plurality of framings, where 51% of the papers perceived adaptability as autonomous, but one-third constructed adaptability as intentional processes driven by stakeholders; where social learning and networking are often used as strategies for changing power structures and achieving sustainability transformations. For the other dimension, adaptability was used normatively in 59% of the assessed papers, but one-third used descriptive framings. We found no evidence that the SES literature in general assumes a priori that adaptations are harmonious consensus-building processes. It is, rather, conflicts that are assumed, not spelled out, and assertions of "desirable" that are often not clarified by reference to policy documents or explicit normative frameworks. We discuss alternative definitions of adaptability and transformability to clarify or avoid the notion of desirability. Complex adaptive systems framing often precludes analysis of agency, but lately self-organization and emergence have been used to study actors with intentions, strategies, and conflicting interests. Transformations and power structures are increasingly being addressed in the SES literature. We conclude that ontological clashes between social science and SES research have resulted in multiple constructive pathways.

  11. Comparison of radiation parametrizations within the HARMONIE-AROME NWP model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rontu, Laura; Lindfors, Anders V.

    2018-05-01

    Downwelling shortwave radiation at the surface (SWDS, global solar radiation flux), given by three different parametrization schemes, was compared to observations in the HARMONIE-AROME numerical weather prediction (NWP) model experiments over Finland in spring 2017. Simulated fluxes agreed well with each other and with the observations in the clear-sky cases. In the cloudy-sky conditions, all schemes tended to underestimate SWDS at the daily level, as compared to the measurements. Large local and temporal differences between the model results and observations were seen, related to the variations and uncertainty of the predicted cloud properties. The results suggest a possibility to benefit from the use of different radiative transfer parametrizations in a NWP model to obtain perturbations for the fine-resolution ensemble prediction systems. In addition, we recommend usage of the global radiation observations for the standard validation of the NWP models.

  12. Domestic Violence Counseling in Rural Northern China: Gender, Social Harmony, and Human Rights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Lijia; Eyre, Stephen L; Barker, Judith

    2018-03-01

    Domestic violence (DV) affects over a third of Chinese women in a relationship. Focusing on ethnographic data from six staff members and six DV survivors at a rural, state-affiliated women's center in China in 2010, this article relies on Henrietta Moore's notion of the poststructuralist gendered subject to examine how the staff draw on discourses about gender and social harmony in persuading women to stay in their marriages, rather than on human rights discourses that emphasize survivor safety. It shows that DV survivors are frequently sent back to dangerous homes where their health is placed at risk.

  13. Dynamic Harmony Search with Polynomial Mutation Algorithm for Valve-Point Economic Load Dispatch

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Karthikeyan

    2015-01-01

    mutation (DHSPM algorithm to solve ORPD problem. In DHSPM algorithm the key parameters of HS algorithm like harmony memory considering rate (HMCR and pitch adjusting rate (PAR are changed dynamically and there is no need to predefine these parameters. Additionally polynomial mutation is inserted in the updating step of HS algorithm to favor exploration and exploitation of the search space. The DHSPM algorithm is tested with three power system cases consisting of 3, 13, and 40 thermal units. The computational results show that the DHSPM algorithm is more effective in finding better solutions than other computational intelligence based methods.

  14. Optimum Design of Braced Steel Space Frames including Soil-Structure Interaction via Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization and Harmony Search Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayse T. Daloglu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Optimum design of braced steel space frames including soil-structure interaction is studied by using harmony search (HS and teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO algorithms. A three-parameter elastic foundation model is used to incorporate the soil-structure interaction effect. A 10-storey braced steel space frame example taken from literature is investigated according to four different bracing types for the cases with/without soil-structure interaction. X, V, Z, and eccentric V-shaped bracing types are considered in the study. Optimum solutions of examples are carried out by a computer program coded in MATLAB interacting with SAP2000-OAPI for two-way data exchange. The stress constraints according to AISC-ASD (American Institute of Steel Construction-Allowable Stress Design, maximum lateral displacement constraints, interstorey drift constraints, and beam-to-column connection constraints are taken into consideration in the optimum design process. The parameters of the foundation model are calculated depending on soil surface displacements by using an iterative approach. The results obtained in the study show that bracing types and soil-structure interaction play very important roles in the optimum design of steel space frames. Finally, the techniques used in the optimum design seem to be quite suitable for practical applications.

  15. Electric Load Forecasting Based on a Least Squares Support Vector Machine with Fuzzy Time Series and Global Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Hong Chen

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a new electric load forecasting model by hybridizing the fuzzy time series (FTS and global harmony search algorithm (GHSA with least squares support vector machines (LSSVM, namely GHSA-FTS-LSSVM model. Firstly, the fuzzy c-means clustering (FCS algorithm is used to calculate the clustering center of each cluster. Secondly, the LSSVM is applied to model the resultant series, which is optimized by GHSA. Finally, a real-world example is adopted to test the performance of the proposed model. In this investigation, the proposed model is verified using experimental datasets from the Guangdong Province Industrial Development Database, and results are compared against autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA model and other algorithms hybridized with LSSVM including genetic algorithm (GA, particle swarm optimization (PSO, harmony search, and so on. The forecasting results indicate that the proposed GHSA-FTS-LSSVM model effectively generates more accurate predictive results.

  16. Apocalyptic Kingship, Harmony and Political Expediency: the Challenges and Paradoxes of Andrew Marvell’s “First Anniversary”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jajtner Tomáš

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The following paper deals with the interpretation of one of the major “Cromwellian” poems of Andrew Marvell (1621-1678, “The First Anniversary of the Government under His Highness the Lord Protector”, 1655. The poem is first set in the context of Marvell’s poetry and his public career in the period between 1637 and 1660. The article then identifies and analyses three main themes of “The First Anniversary”: the notion of a new aeon starting with Cromwell’s rule and the apocalyptical imagery related to his Protectorate, the concept of his power and authority between liberty and tyranny, and the relation between the harmony established by Cromwell and classical Pythagorean harmonious lore. The author argues that the imagery Marvell uses to describe the nature of the regime (especially the concept of Cromwell’s “no-kingship” shows a deeply paradoxical structure, which uncovers the frailty and insecurity of Cromwell’s dictatorship as well as the circular logic of its justification. In that sense, the poem can be read as a vivid manifestation of the dilemmas and tensions of this period.

  17. [Ecology-economy harmonious development based on the ecological services value change in Yanqi Basin, Northwest China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamat, Zulpiya; Halik, Umut; Aji, Rouzi; Nurmemet, Ilyas; Anwar, Mirigul; Keyimu, Maierdang

    2015-03-01

    In this paper, we used land use/cover ecosystem service value estimation model and ecological economic coordination degree model to analyze the changes of the ecosystem service value by the land use/cover changes during 1985, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2005 and 2011 in Yanqi Basin, Xin-jiang. Then we evaluated the ecology-economy harmony and the regional differences. The results showed that during 1985-2011, there was an increasing trend in the areas of waters, wetland, sand, cultivated land and construction land in Yanqi Basin. In contrast, that of the saline-alkali land, grassland and woodland areas exhibited a decreasing trend. The ecosystem service value in Yanqi Basin during this period presented an increasing trend, among which the waters and cultivated land contributed most to the total value of ecosystem services, while the grassland and the woodland had obviously declined contribution to the total value of ecosystem services. The research showed that the development of ecological economy in the study area was at a low conflict and low coordination level. So, taking reasonable and effective use of the regional waters and soil resources is the key element to maintain the ecosystem service function and sustainable and harmonious development of economy in Yanqi Basin.

  18. The Influence of Corporate Governance Perception Index, Profit Management, and Industrial Type To Environmental Disclosure.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda Chrysanti

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Thisresearchaims to empirically analyze the influence ofCorporate Governance Perception Index, earnings management,and industry type on environmental disclosure. Environmental Disclosure is the dependent variables in this research were measured by scoring technique based on GRI3.1 Guidelines. For the independent variables in this research, using Corporate Governance Perception Index were measured by CGPI index score, earnings management were measured by discretionary accruals, and industry type were measured bycategorial. This research uses secondary data which population are companies entered Corporate Governance Perception Index in 2009-2012. While the sampling method used was purposive sampling method which is overall 44 sample choose. This research uses multiple regression method to test the hypothesis with SPSS computer program. From the analysis performed in this research, it can be concluded that Corporate Governance Perception Index has positively and significant influence to environmental disclosure. The other hand earnings management has no significant influence to environmental disclosure. The last one industry type has negatively and significant influence to environmental disclosure.

  19. THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEPENDENCE OF THE FRACTION OF 'UNCONVENTIONAL' GALAXIES: RED LATE TYPES AND BLUE EARLY TYPES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng Xinfa; He Jizhou; Wu Ping; Ding Yingping

    2009-01-01

    From the Main galaxy sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 6, we construct two volume-limited samples with the luminosity -20.0 ≤ M r ≤ -18.5 and -22.40 ≤ M r ≤ -20.16, respectively, to explore the environmental dependence of the fraction of 'unconventional' galaxies: red late types and blue early types. We use the density estimator within the distance to the fifth nearest neighbor, and construct two samples at both extremes of density and perform comparative studies between them for each volume-limited sample. Results of two volume-limited samples show the same conclusions: the fraction of red late-type galaxies rises considerably with increasing local density, and that one of the blue early-type galaxies declines substantially with increasing local density. In addition, we note that bluer galaxies preferentially are late types, but the red galaxies are not dominated by early types.

  20. Associations of perceived interparental relationship, family harmony and family happiness with smoking intention in never-smoking Chinese children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luk, Tzu Tsun; Wang, Man Ping; Leung, Lok Tung; Wu, Yongda; Chen, Jianjiu; Lam, Tai Hing; Ho, Sai Yin

    2017-10-06

    To examine the associations of perceived interparental relationship, family harmony and family happiness with smoking intention in never-smoking Chinese children and adolescents in Hong Kong. Cross-sectional surveys of 15 753 primary (grades 4-6) and 38 398 secondary (grades 7-12) never-smoking students from 71 to 75 randomly selected primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, 2012-2013. Outcome variable was smoking intention which denoted any affirmative response to smoke within the coming year or when a cigarette was offered by a good friend. Exposure variables were perceived interparental relationship and family harmony each measured on a five-point scale from 'very good' to 'very bad' and perceived family happiness on a four-point scale from 'very happy' to 'not happy at all'. Potential confounders included age, sex, family structure, perceived family affluence, parental smoking and sibling smoking. In primary students, the adjusted ORs (AORs) (95% CI) of smoking intention generally increased with more negative perception of the family relationship: up to 3.67 (1.91 to 7.05) for interparental relationship, 7.71 (4.38 to 13.6) for family harmony and 5.40 (3.41 to 8.55) for family happiness. For secondary students, the corresponding AORs (95% CI) were 2.15 (1.64 to 2.82) for interparental relationship, 2.98 (2.31 to 3.84) for family harmony and 2.61 (1.80 to 3.79) for family happiness. All p for trend happiness were associated with higher odds of smoking intention with dose-response relationships in never-smoking Chinese children and adolescents in Hong Kong. Children's perception of their family relationship may be an important intervening point for preventing youth from initiating smoking. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  1. Exploration of Urban Spatial Planning Evaluation Based on Humanland Harmony

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, X. S.; Ma, Q. R.; Liang, W. Q.; Wang, C. X.; Xiong, X. Q.; Han, X. H.

    2017-09-01

    This study puts forward a new concept, "population urbanization level forecast - driving factor analysis - urban spatial planning analysis" for achieving efficient and intensive development of urbanization considering human-land harmony. We analyzed big data for national economic and social development, studied the development trends of population urbanization and its influencing factors using the grey system model in Chengmai county of Hainan province, China. In turn, we calculated the population of Chengmai coming years based on the forecasting urbanization rate and the corresponding amount of urban construction land, and evaluated the urban spatial planning with GIS spatial analysis method in the study area. The result shows that the proposed concept is feasible for evaluation of urban spatial planning, and is meaningful for guiding the rational distribution of urban space, controlling the scale of development, improving the quality of urbanization and thus promoting highly-efficient and intensive use of limited land resource.

  2. Can the capitalist economic system deliver environmental justice?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Karen

    2015-12-01

    Can a healthy environment for all social groups be delivered through capitalism via market mechanisms? Or is it the capitalist system, itself, that has been at the root of the environmental and social crises we now face? This letter engages with this ongoing debate by drawing on material from a wider study, ‘Achieving Environmental Justice’, which examined the extent, form and causes of environmental justice and injustice in a range of countries with varying depths of marketization—United States, South Korea, United Kingdom, Sweden, China, Bolivia and Cuba. The analysis described here focuses on the interview material from this mixed methods study, drawing on over 140 interviews with officials, policy makers, and civil society leaders. The letter argues that there is an apparent propensity for capitalist processes to exacerbate, rather than reduce, environmental problems and inequities though the pursuit of relentless economic growth and profit accumulation. Therefore, we should perhaps let go of efforts to resolve environmental injustice within the constraints of capitalism and, instead, build an alternative economic system that can meet human needs in the context of a harmonious and respectful relationship with nature.

  3. Teaching a Holistic, Harmonious and Internal Motivational Concept of Excellence to Promote Olympic Ideals, Health and Well-Being for All

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papaioannou, Athanasios G.

    2017-01-01

    Based on recent trends in positive psychology, on ancient Greek sport literature and particularly on Aristotle's philosophy, the holistic, harmonious and internal motivational components of excellence and their implications for students' motivation for physical activity, health and well-being are presented. While modern motivational theories and…

  4. Effects of video-feedback intervention on harmonious parent–child interaction and sensitive discipline of parents with intellectual disabilities : A randomized controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hodes, M. W.; Meppelder, M.; de Moor, M.; Kef, S.; Schuengel, C.

    2018-01-01

    Background: This study tested whether video-feedback intervention based on attachment and coercion theory increased harmonious parent–child interaction and sensitive discipline of parents with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning. Methods: Observer ratings of

  5. Coherence of land surface layout as intangible environmental resource (Vooremaa landscape protection area, Estonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oleksandr Karasov

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Vooremaa Landscape Protection Area provides a specimen of native Estonian agricultural lands, alternating with picturesque moraine lakes. The overall visual environment within this area was basically changed by glacial agents and, hereafter, by cultural activities, such as crop farming. Topography consists of about 100 drumlins (some of them are cultivated, as well as depressions, filled with lakes and covered by forests and grasslands. A rich combination of the mentioned factors determined the study area selection. There was accepted, that the harmony, or pleasing organization of distinguishable units of visual environment (with no attention to their colours or textures, but regarding their geographical meaning only, depends on the system effect: the more complexity of the overall system exceeds the algebraic sum of the complexity of its components, the more its organization does. In this way, some developments of information theory could be applied to the analysis of visual environment (from top view, similarly to the analysis of the text (considering units of land relief, land cover, and land cover relief, or a land surface in total, as the symbols of some alphabet, and their diversity within the floating circle – as words, consisting of the symbols. Since mentioned notions of organization and harmony are frequently implied in the concept of landscape coherence, the latter term was used as a fixed and well-known one in the landscape and environmental aesthetics. Hartley’s formula was used to compute the coherence of the land surface layout and the respective regionalization within the study area and surroundings. The effectiveness of the proposed method for representation of visual harmony was non-rigorously verified with transect of Google Street View panoramic photo series, while everyone is welcomed to use the Google Street View to compare the presented results with his own conclusions. There was found, that the proposed index

  6. Simultaneous determination of aquifer parameters and zone structures with fuzzy c-means clustering and meta-heuristic harmony search algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayvaz, M. Tamer

    2007-11-01

    This study proposes an inverse solution algorithm through which both the aquifer parameters and the zone structure of these parameters can be determined based on a given set of observations on piezometric heads. In the zone structure identification problem fuzzy c-means ( FCM) clustering method is used. The association of the zone structure with the transmissivity distribution is accomplished through an optimization model. The meta-heuristic harmony search ( HS) algorithm, which is conceptualized using the musical process of searching for a perfect state of harmony, is used as an optimization technique. The optimum parameter zone structure is identified based on three criteria which are the residual error, parameter uncertainty, and structure discrimination. A numerical example given in the literature is solved to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Also, a sensitivity analysis is performed to test the performance of the HS algorithm for different sets of solution parameters. Results indicate that the proposed solution algorithm is an effective way in the simultaneous identification of aquifer parameters and their corresponding zone structures.

  7. A Harmony Search Algorithm approach for optimizing traffic signal timings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Dell'Orco

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available In this study, a bi-level formulation is presented for solving the Equilibrium Network Design Problem (ENDP. The optimisation of the signal timing has been carried out at the upper-level using the Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA, whilst the traffic assignment has been carried out through the Path Flow Estimator (PFE at the lower level. The results of HSA have been first compared with those obtained using the Genetic Algorithm, and the Hill Climbing on a two-junction network for a fixed set of link flows. Secondly, the HSA with PFE has been applied to the medium-sized network to show the applicability of the proposed algorithm in solving the ENDP. Additionally, in order to test the sensitivity of perceived travel time error, we have used the HSA with PFE with various level of perceived travel time. The results showed that the proposed method is quite simple and efficient in solving the ENDP.

  8. A Hybrid Harmony Search Algorithm Approach for Optimal Power Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mimoun YOUNES

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Optimal Power Flow (OPF is one of the main functions of Power system operation. It determines the optimal settings of generating units, bus voltage, transformer tap and shunt elements in Power System with the objective of minimizing total production costs or losses while the system is operating within its security limits. The aim of this paper is to propose a novel methodology (BCGAs-HSA that solves OPF including both active and reactive power dispatch It is based on combining the binary-coded genetic algorithm (BCGAs and the harmony search algorithm (HSA to determine the optimal global solution. This method was tested on the modified IEEE 30 bus test system. The results obtained by this method are compared with those obtained with BCGAs or HSA separately. The results show that the BCGAs-HSA approach can converge to the optimum solution with accuracy compared to those reported recently in the literature.

  9. Multiplexing 32,000 spectra onto 8 detectors: the HARMONI field splitting, image slicing, and wavelength selecting optics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tecza, Matthias; Thatte, Niranjan; Clarke, Fraser; Freeman, David; Kosmalski, Johan

    2012-09-01

    HARMONI, the High Angular Resolution Monolithic Optical & Near-infrared Integral field spectrograph is one of two first-light instruments for the European Extremely Large Telescope. Over a 256x128 pixel field-of-view HARMONI will simultaneously measure approximately 32,000 spectra. Each spectrum is about 4000 spectral pixels long, and covers a selectable part of the 0.47-2.45 μm wavelength range at resolving powers of either R≍4000, 10000, or 20000. All 32,000 spectra are imaged onto eight HAWAII4RG detectors using a multiplexing scheme that divides the input field into four sub-fields, each imaged onto one image slicer that in turn re-arranges a single sub-field into two long exit slits feeding one spectrograph each. In total we require eight spectrographs, each with one HAWAII4RG detector. A system of articulated and exchangeable fold-mirrors and VPH gratings allows one to select different spectral resolving powers and wavelength ranges of interest while keeping a fixed geometry between the spectrograph collimator and camera avoiding the need for an articulated grating and camera. In this paper we describe both the field splitting and image slicing optics as well as the optics that will be used to select both spectral resolving power and wavelength range.

  10. Environmental/lifestyle factors in the pathogenesis and prevention of type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolb, Hubert; Martin, Stephan

    2017-07-19

    Environmental and lifestyle changes, in addition to the ageing of populations, are generally believed to account for the rapid global increase in type 2 diabetes prevalence and incidence in recent decades. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of factors contributing to diabetes risk, including aspects of diet quality and quantity, little physical activity, increased monitor viewing time or sitting in general, exposure to noise or fine dust, short or disturbed sleep, smoking, stress and depression, and a low socioeconomic status. In general, these factors promote an increase in body mass index. Since loss of β-cell function is the ultimate cause of developing overt type 2 diabetes, environmental and lifestyle changes must have resulted in a higher risk of β-cell damage in those at genetic risk. Multiple mechanistic pathways may come into play. Strategies of diabetes prevention should aim at promoting a 'diabetes-protective lifestyle' whilst simultaneously enhancing the resistance of the human organism to pro-diabetic environmental and lifestyle factors. More research on diabetes-protective mechanisms seems warranted.

  11. Can data science inform environmental justice and community risk screening for type 2 diabetes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, J Allen; Burgoon, Lyle D

    2015-01-01

    Having the ability to scan the entire country for potential "hotspots" with increased risk of developing chronic diseases due to various environmental, demographic, and genetic susceptibility factors may inform risk management decisions and enable better environmental public health policies. Develop an approach for community-level risk screening focused on identifying potential genetic susceptibility hotpots. Our approach combines analyses of phenotype-genotype data, genetic prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms, and census/geographic information to estimate census tract-level population attributable risks among various ethnicities and total population for the state of California. We estimate that the rs13266634 single nucleotide polymorphism, a type 2 diabetes susceptibility genotype, has a genetic prevalence of 56.3%, 47.4% and 37.0% in Mexican Mestizo, Caucasian, and Asian populations. Looking at the top quintile for total population attributable risk, 16 California counties have greater than 25% of their population living in hotspots of genetic susceptibility for developing type 2 diabetes due to this single genotypic susceptibility factor. This study identified counties in California where large portions of the population may bear additional type 2 diabetes risk due to increased genetic prevalence of a susceptibility genotype. This type of screening can easily be extended to include information on environmental contaminants of interest and other related diseases, and potentially enables the rapid identification of potential environmental justice communities. Other potential uses of this approach include problem formulation in support of risk assessments, land use planning, and prioritization of site cleanup and remediation actions.

  12. Cost reduction improvement for power generation system integrating WECS using harmony search algorithm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ngonkham, S. [Khonkaen Univ., Amphur Muang (Thailand). Dept. of Electrical Engineering; Buasri, P. [Khonkaen Univ., Amphur Muang (Thailand). Embed System Research Group

    2009-03-11

    A harmony search (HS) algorithm was used to optimize economic dispatch (ED) in a wind energy conversion system (WECS) for power system integration. The HS algorithm was based on a stochastic random search method. System costs for the WECS system were estimated in relation to average wind speeds. The HS algorithm was implemented to optimize the ED with a simple programming procedure. The study showed that the initial parameters must be carefully selected to ensure the accuracy of the HS algorithm. The algorithm demonstrated that total costs of the WECS system were higher than costs associated with energy efficiency procedures that reduced the same amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 7 refs,. 10 tabs., 16 figs.

  13. PAPR Reduction of OFDM Signals by Novel Global Harmony Search in PTS Scheme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hojjat Salehinejad

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM modulation technique is one of the key strategies for multiuser signal transmission especially in smart grids and wind farms. This paper introduces an approach for peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR reduction of such signals based on novel global harmony search (NGHS and partial transmit sequence (PTS schemes. In PTS technique, the data block to be transmitted is partitioned into disjoint subblocks, which are combined using phase factors to minimize PAPR. The PTS requires an exhaustive search over all combinations of allowed phase factors. Therefore, with respect to the fast implementation and simplicity of NGHS technique, we could achieve significant reduction of PAPR.

  14. Achieving Harmony among Different Social Identities within the Self-Concept: The Consequences of Internalising a Group-Based Philosophy of Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner-Zwinkels, Felicity M.; Postmes, Tom; van Zomeren, Martijn

    2015-01-01

    It can be hard for individuals to manage multiple group identities within their self-concept (e.g., being a Christian and a woman). We examine how the inter-identity fit between potentially conflicting identities can become more harmonious through a self-defining group philosophy for life. Specifically, we test the hypothesis that holistic group identities (based in group philosophies for life that prescribe the behavior of their members in any situation, such as religion) become more strongly related to other identities in the self-concept (e.g., gender) when they are strongly self-defining (i.e., devotedly applied to daily life). In three studies we investigated the inter-identity fit between individuals’ (highly holistic) religious identity and (less holistic) gender identity. Results provided converging support for our hypothesis across diverging methods (explicit questionnaires, more implicit associations, and a novel network analysis of group traits). We discuss the importance of understanding how some (i.e., holistic and self-defining) group identities may harmonize otherwise less harmonious group identities within one’s self-concept. PMID:26618917

  15. Achieving Harmony among Different Social Identities within the Self-Concept: The Consequences of Internalising a Group-Based Philosophy of Life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner-Zwinkels, Felicity M; Postmes, Tom; van Zomeren, Martijn

    2015-01-01

    It can be hard for individuals to manage multiple group identities within their self-concept (e.g., being a Christian and a woman). We examine how the inter-identity fit between potentially conflicting identities can become more harmonious through a self-defining group philosophy for life. Specifically, we test the hypothesis that holistic group identities (based in group philosophies for life that prescribe the behavior of their members in any situation, such as religion) become more strongly related to other identities in the self-concept (e.g., gender) when they are strongly self-defining (i.e., devotedly applied to daily life). In three studies we investigated the inter-identity fit between individuals' (highly holistic) religious identity and (less holistic) gender identity. Results provided converging support for our hypothesis across diverging methods (explicit questionnaires, more implicit associations, and a novel network analysis of group traits). We discuss the importance of understanding how some (i.e., holistic and self-defining) group identities may harmonize otherwise less harmonious group identities within one's self-concept.

  16. A Novel Quad Harmony Search Algorithm for Grid-Based Path Finding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saso Koceski

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available A novel approach to the problem of grid-based path finding has been introduced. The method is a block-based search algorithm, founded on the bases of two algorithms, namely the quad-tree algorithm, which offered a great opportunity for decreasing the time needed to compute the solution, and the harmony search (HS algorithm, a meta-heuristic algorithm used to obtain the optimal solution. This quad HS algorithm uses the quad-tree decomposition of free space in the grid to mark the free areas and treat them as a single node, which greatly improves the execution. The results of the quad HS algorithm have been compared to other meta-heuristic algorithms, i.e., ant colony, genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization and simulated annealing, and it was proved to obtain the best results in terms of time and giving the optimal path.

  17. Harmoni Sosial Dalam Keberagaman Dan Keberagamaan Masyarakat Minoritas Muslim Papua Barat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail Suardi Wekke

    2017-02-01

    Abstract West Papua is region where diversity and religiosity encounter with ethnicity. Therefore, it is a need to explore to identify on religion existence as an aspect to unite. In addition, this article will analyses religious variety which private choose of West Papua community. In the same time, religion is a adhesive of community life. This research was conducted in great area of Sorong, West Papua. In-depth interview and non-participant observation were employed to collect data. Triangulation technique was conducted through focus group discussion twice. This article discusses religions encounters in order to strengthen harmony and togetherness. Agama existence is a part of unity which not a difference. Moreover, in some cases, religious activities are activity together even thought they choose different religion. Finally, this article discusses some subjects in line with culture to provide space for difference in choosing each faith.

  18. The Bystander Effect of Trekking Tourism: Proposing a Typology of Environmental Ideal Types

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Martin Trandberg

    2011-01-01

    , it is of utmost importance to identify the present environmental ideal types of trekkers. This research sets out to create an environmental typology of international trekkers visiting the Annapurna Conservation Area in Nepal. This research was conducted in between February-August, 2010, and included an extensive......Tourism impacts in fragile nature-based environments have repeatedly been investigated from a wide array of academic viewpoints. However, in order to improve future researches that aim at measuring and/or elaborating on the pro-environmental awareness and behavioral patterns of trekking tourists...... three-month ethnographic fieldwork within the conservation area, applying quantitative and qualitative techniques in order to create a framework of environmental trekking rationalities....

  19. Harmony in Career Learning and Scholastic System (Project HI-CLASS). Transitional Bilingual Education, 1991-92. Final Evaluation Profile. OREA Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelina, Edward; Duque, Diana L.

    An evaluation was done of the first year of a 2-year renewal program at three high schools in New York City, Harmony in Career Learning and Scholastic System (Project HI-CLASS), designed to provide support services to students of limited English proficiency (LEP). The project proposed to provide individualized instruction focusing on basic skills,…

  20. The environmental perspective in the territorial classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leyva Franco, Pablo

    1998-01-01

    The article is about the environmental aspects in the territorial classification, of the constitutional structure and its reaches, of the precision in the approaches and procedures and of the law 388 of 1997 it understands each other for the environmental thing the relationship between the systems and natural processes and the systems and social, economic and cultural processes; this way the environmental thing transcends the ecological thing and the geographical thing to become a new dimension of the science, of the knowledge and of the culture. The environmental thing also acquires a particular concretion when serving like basic instrument for the interpretation of the necessities of the society and in the way of satisfying them without damage of the natural thing and territorial classification as the process of reflection of a society on the form of occupying the space, of taking advantage of the natural resources, of building establishments, of establishing an infrastructure and of managing the relationships and the economic flows, to obtain a disposition and space arrangements of their activities finally, in harmony with the nature that they correspond to their culture and the form like it wants to maintain or to improve their quality of life in a sustainable way

  1. Sewer Networks Optimization by Particle Swarm Optimization with Abilities of Fly-Back Mechanism and Harmony Memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    محسن نفیسی

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Lack of an efficient sewer network in urban areas threatens public health and may give rise to contagious diseases. Various optimization methods have been developed for use in designing sewers networks in response to a number of requirements such as the high costs of constructing sewer networks, financial limitations, the presence of both discrete and continuous decision variables, and the nonlinear time complexity of such design problems. In this study, the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO with the capability of “fly-back” mechanism equipped with the harmony search (HPSO is used for the optimization of sewers network designs. The objective function consists of minimizing the excavation and embedding costs of commercial pipes. The fly-back mechanism and the harmony memory method are used to prevent leaving out variables from the feasible space of the problem in an attempt to enhance model efficiency. Model constraints are satisfied at two levels, which leads to the desirable convergence of the PSO algorithm as compared to the conventional penalty methods in alternative evolutionary algorithms. In order to determine the admissible decision variables, the Manning equation is used as a hydraulic model. The performance of the proposed algorithm is shown by presenting two examples of sewer networks. Compared to the PSO algorithm used in sewer network optimization models, the proposed model exhibits a tangible improvement in cost reduction and a higher computational stability.

  2. Seren Taun Guru Bumi Harmony of Islam and Pasundan Culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdurrahman Misno BP

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The advent of Islam in Tatar Sunda (West Java lent a new color to the culture that had previously existed there. The nature of Islam which was friendly to the local culture, made it easy to be accepted by the Sundanese people without bloodshed. The results are a variety of cultural rituals rooted in Sundanese culture yet rich with Islamic culture. Seren Taun Guru Bumi is one of the rituals of the Sundanese people deeply-rooted in the belief of Nyi Pohaci (Dewi Sri as the goddess of fertility. The involvement of the researcher in this ritual made the data a primary source which is the implementation of Seren Taun Guru Bumi in Sindang Barang Cultural Village, Bogor, West Java. This research shows that the ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi is a form of Islamic harmony with the Sundanese culture. Islamic culture assimilates in the frame of Sundanese traditions in Tatar Sunda, in which both are brought together in the ritual as a form of gratitude to God Almighty.

  3. Environmental and community controls on plant canopy chemistry in a Mediterranean-type ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahlin, Kyla M; Asner, Gregory P; Field, Christopher B

    2013-04-23

    Understanding how and why plant communities vary across space has long been a goal of ecology, yet parsing the relative importance of different influences has remained a challenge. Species-specific models are not generalizable, whereas broad plant functional type models lack important detail. Here we consider plant trait patterns at the local scale and ask whether plant chemical traits are more closely linked to environmental gradients or to changes in species composition. We used the visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) spectrometer of the Carnegie Airborne Observatory to develop maps of four plant chemical traits--leaf nitrogen per mass, leaf carbon per mass, leaf water concentration, and canopy water content--across a diverse Mediterranean-type ecosystem (Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, CA). For all four traits, plant community alone was the strongest predictor of trait variation (explaining 46-61% of the heterogeneity), whereas environmental gradients accounted for just one fourth of the variation in the traits. This result emphasizes the critical role that species composition plays in mediating nutrient and carbon cycling within and among different communities. Environmental filtering and limits to similarity can act strongly, simultaneously, in a spatially heterogeneous environment, but the local-scale environmental gradients alone cannot account for the variation across this landscape.

  4. RITUALS FOR HARMONY: EXPLORING THE BERSIH DUSUN LOCAL GENIUS BEHIND RUBBER TAPPING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasse J.

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Differences have long been a natural marker of the dynamics of the relationship of society. Differences often become obstacles in creating social stability. Diversity can be a strength if managed properly, but may become a source of conflict in case of faulty management. This short article addresses the issue of how to manage diversity so as to produce harmony in society that has different beliefs. There are three basic things defined in this paper. First, a society is capable of being integrated through commonly shared events. Second, providing room for all of the elements of society gives rise to collective solidarity which allows differences -even conflicts-- to be turned into unity. Third, the typicality of ritual that continues to be practiced in society can be optimized to serve as the medium that manages the differences and turned them to peace.

  5. Enviro-HIRLAM/ HARMONIE Studies in ECMWF HPC EnviroAerosols Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen Sass, Bent; Mahura, Alexander; Nuterman, Roman; Baklanov, Alexander; Palamarchuk, Julia; Ivanov, Serguei; Pagh Nielsen, Kristian; Penenko, Alexey; Edvardsson, Nellie; Stysiak, Aleksander Andrzej; Bostanbekov, Kairat; Amstrup, Bjarne; Yang, Xiaohua; Ruban, Igor; Bergen Jensen, Marina; Penenko, Vladimir; Nurseitov, Daniyar; Zakarin, Edige

    2017-04-01

    The EnviroAerosols on ECMWF HPC project (2015-2017) "Enviro-HIRLAM/ HARMONIE model research and development for online integrated meteorology-chemistry-aerosols feedbacks and interactions in weather and atmospheric composition forecasting" is aimed at analysis of importance of the meteorology-chemistry/aerosols interactions and to provide a way for development of efficient techniques for on-line coupling of numerical weather prediction and atmospheric chemical transport via process-oriented parameterizations and feedback algorithms, which will improve both the numerical weather prediction and atmospheric composition forecasts. Two main application areas of the on-line integrated modelling are considered: (i) improved numerical weather prediction with short-term feedbacks of aerosols and chemistry on formation and development of meteorological variables, and (ii) improved atmospheric composition forecasting with on-line integrated meteorological forecast and two-way feedbacks between aerosols/chemistry and meteorology. During 2015-2016 several research projects were realized. At first, the study on "On-line Meteorology-Chemistry/Aerosols Modelling and Integration for Risk Assessment: Case Studies" focused on assessment of scenarios with accidental and continuous emissions of sulphur dioxide for case studies for Atyrau (Kazakhstan) near the northern part of the Caspian Sea and metallurgical enterprises on the Kola Peninsula (Russia), with GIS integration of modelling results into the RANDOM (Risk Assessment of Nature Detriment due to Oil spill Migration) system. At second, the studies on "The sensitivity of precipitation simulations to the soot aerosol presence" & "The precipitation forecast sensitivity to data assimilation on a very high resolution domain" focused on sensitivity and changes in precipitation life-cycle under black carbon polluted conditions over Scandinavia. At third, studies on "Aerosol effects over China investigated with a high resolution

  6. Allocation and sequencing in 1-out-of-N heterogeneous cold-standby systems: Multi-objective harmony search with dynamic parameters tuning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valaei, M.R.; Behnamian, J.

    2017-01-01

    A redundancy allocation is a famous problem in reliability sciences. A lot of researcher investigated about this problem, but a few of them focus on heterogeneous 1-out-of-N: G cold-standby redundancy in each subsystem. This paper considers a redundancy allocation problem (RAP) and standby element sequencing problem (SESP) for 1-out-of-N: G heterogeneous cold-standby system, simultaneously. Moreover, here, maximizing reliability of cold-standby allocation and minimizing cost of buying and time-independent elements are considered as two conflict objectives. This problem is NP-Hard and consequently, devizing a metaheuristic to solve this problem, especially for large-sized instances, is highly desirable. In this paper, we propose a multi-objective harmony search. Based on Taguchi experimental design, we, also, present a new parameters tuning method to improve the proposed algorithm. - Graphical abstract: Example of solution encoding. - Highlights: • This paper considers a redundancy allocation and standby element sequencing problem. • To solve this problem, a multi-objective harmony search algorithm is proposed. • Dynamic parameters tuning method is applied to improved the algorithm. • With this method, sensitivity of the algorithm to initial parameters is reduced.

  7. Skeletal facial balance and harmony in the cleft patient: Principles and techniques in orthognathic surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salyer Kenneth

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available The management of the palatal cleft, dental arch, and subsequent maxillary form is a challenge for the craniomaxillofacial surgeon. The purpose of this paper is to present the experience of a senior surgeon (KES who has treated over 2000 patients with cleft lip and palate. This paper focuses on the experience of a recent series of 103 consecutive orthognathic cases treated by one surgeon with a surgical-orthodontic, speech-oriented approach. It will concentrate on not only correcting the occlusion, as others have described, but also on how a surgeon who was trying to achieve optimal aesthetic balance, harmony, and beauty, approached this problem.

  8. SUSTAINABILITY IN TOURISM THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION APPLIED TO ITINERARIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillermina FERNANDEZ

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The history of the relationship between man’s activities and the environment has not been a harmonious one, and tourism is no exception. This article gives a brief overview of the impacts caused by the tourism, on both the natural environment and built environments, establishing that the only way to avoid, or at least minimize these negative effects is to develop sustainable tourism, seeking socioenvironmental and economic balance. One of the ways of achieving this sustainable development is through environmental education and the theme of didactic itineraries, in particular, is discussed as a form of raising awareness among the tourists concerning the importance of preserving the natural and cultural environment.  

  9. Perbandingan Algoritma Simulated Annealing dan Harmony Search dalam Penerapan Picking Order Sequence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanti Octavia

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Implementation of mobile rack warehouse is commonly used in manufacturing industry because it can minimize the warehouse area used. Applying picking orders in taking of Stock Keeping Unit (SKU on mobile rack warehouses could give fast loading order. This research aims to find out which algorithm is better in applying picking order sequence in mobile rack warehouse. The algorithm used is Simualted Annealing (SA and Harmony Search (HS algorithm. Both of these algorithms will be compared in terms of the gap with the shortest path method.The result shows that the HS algorithm produces a better solution than the SA algorithm with lower CPU time, but the convergence rate of HS is lower than that of SA.HS was able to produce a better solution than the shortest path method of 9 cases, while SA only 8 cases from 15 cases.

  10. Multiobjective Optimization of Water Distribution Networks Using Fuzzy Theory and Harmony Search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zong Woo Geem

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Thus far, various phenomenon-mimicking algorithms, such as genetic algorithm, simulated annealing, tabu search, shuffled frog-leaping, ant colony optimization, harmony search, cross entropy, scatter search, and honey-bee mating, have been proposed to optimally design the water distribution networks with respect to design cost. However, flow velocity constraint, which is critical for structural robustness against water hammer or flow circulation against substance sedimentation, was seldom considered in the optimization formulation because of computational complexity. Thus, this study proposes a novel fuzzy-based velocity reliability index, which is to be maximized while the design cost is simultaneously minimized. The velocity reliability index is included in the existing cost optimization formulation and this extended multiobjective formulation is applied to two bench-mark problems. Results show that the model successfully found a Pareto set of multiobjective design solutions in terms of cost minimization and reliability maximization.

  11. Relationships between value orientations, self-determined motivational types and pro-environmental behavioural intentions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Groot, Judith M.; Steg, Linda

    2010-01-01

    We examined the predictive power of egoistic altruistic and biospheric value orientations and six types of self-determined motivations (i e intrinsic motivation integrated regulation identified regulation introjected regulation external regulation and amotivation) toward acting pro-environmentally

  12. Results of neutron propagation in steel sodium mixtures with various source spectra on Harmonie and Tapiro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calamand, D.; Desprets, A.; Rancurel, H.

    1977-01-01

    The first results of a joint CEA/CNEN neutron propagation program conducted on the source reactors HARMONIE and TAPIRO are presented. In both cases, a buffer zone representative of the blanket of a commercial fast power reactor is interposed between the source reactor and the medium in which neutron propagation is measured. This buffer zone provides a realistic source spectrum to be propagated. Experimental results are compared to older results obtained without the buffer zone. The effect of the source spectrum on neutron propagation is discussed, as well as the coherence of the results obtained with the two installations

  13. Effects of video-feedback intervention on harmonious parent-child interaction and sensitive discipline of parents with intellectual disabilities: A randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodes, M W; Meppelder, M; de Moor, M; Kef, S; Schuengel, C

    2018-03-01

    This study tested whether video-feedback intervention based on attachment and coercion theory increased harmonious parent-child interaction and sensitive discipline of parents with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning. Observer ratings of video-recorded structured interaction tasks at home formed pretest, post-test, and 3-month follow-up outcome data in a randomized controlled trial with 85 families. Repeated measures analyses of variance and covariance were conducted to test for the intervention effect and possible moderation by IQ and adaptive functioning. The intervention effect on harmonious parent-child interaction was conditional on parental social adaptive behaviour at pretest, with lower adaptive functioning associated with stronger intervention benefit at post-test and follow-up compared to care as usual. Intervention effects were not conditional on parental IQ. Intervention effects for sensitive discipline were not found. Although the video-feedback intervention did not affect observed parenting for the average parent, it may benefit interaction between children and parents with lower parental adaptive functioning. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Unity and diversity in communication: inevitable, permanent co-habitation, harmonious co-existence or two forces waiting to converge? Unity and diversity in communication: inevitable, permanent co-habitation, harmonious co-existence or two forces waiting to converge?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria da Graça Lisboa Castro Pinto

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available The main aim of this paper is to consider the mensions “unity” and “diversity” in the realm of communication as power in a global society where the access to knowledge served by the Information and Communication Technologies (the Internet and the Web should not be compatible with any kind of “technological/knowledge divide”. Topics such as the Internet as a global medium; the network culture; the instruments of regulation in a harmonious global society; e-writing from a social point of view; Netspeak; implications of multi-form Internet representations; the writings about the new technologies; the computerbased learning setting; and the role of the teacher in the computer-based learning setting are discussed bearing in mind the above mentioned dimensions “unity” and “diversity” as far as communication is concerned. The main aim of this paper is to consider the mensions “unity” and “diversity” in the realm of communication as power in a global society where the access to knowledge served by the Information and Communication Technologies (the Internet and the Web should not be compatible with any kind of “technological/knowledge divide”. Topics such as the Internet as a global medium; the network culture; the instruments of regulation in a harmonious global society; e-writing from a social point of view; Netspeak; implications of multi-form Internet representations; the writings about the new technologies; the computerbased learning setting; and the role of the teacher in the computer-based learning setting are discussed bearing in mind the above mentioned dimensions “unity” and “diversity” as far as communication is concerned.

  15. Development and application of a window-type environmental cell in high voltage electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakasugi, Takenobu; Isobe, Shigehito; Umeda, Ayaka; Wang, Yongming; Hashimoto, Naoyuki; Ohnuki, Somei

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A window-type environmental cell for a high voltage electron microscope (HVEM) is developed. ► In situ HVEM image of Pd under an H2 gas pressure is obtained. ► The effect of the window materials on the resolution and contamination of the HVEM image is tested. -- Abstract: A close type of an environmental cell was developed for a high voltage electron microscope. Using this cell allowed an in situ observation of hydrogenation in Pd particles under H 2 gas of 0.05 MPa at RT. Two types of window films, Tri-Acetyl-Cellulose (TAC) and Silicon Nitride (SiN), were used for testing the contamination on the sample, as well as the strength for pressure. We confirmed the hydrogenation in diffraction patterns and images, and additionally the image resolution of 0.19 nm was obtained by using a SiN film with a thickness of 17 nm

  16. Validation of an efficiency calibration procedure for a coaxial n-type and a well-type HPGe detector used for the measurement of environmental radioactivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morera-Gómez, Yasser, E-mail: ymore24@gamail.com [Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, AP 5. Ciudad Nuclear, CP 59350 Cienfuegos (Cuba); Departamento de Química y Edafología, Universidad de Navarra, Irunlarrea No 1, Pamplona 31009, Navarra (Spain); Cartas-Aguila, Héctor A.; Alonso-Hernández, Carlos M.; Nuñez-Duartes, Carlos [Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, AP 5. Ciudad Nuclear, CP 59350 Cienfuegos (Cuba)

    2016-05-11

    To obtain reliable measurements of the environmental radionuclide activity using HPGe (High Purity Germanium) detectors, the knowledge of the absolute peak efficiency is required. This work presents a practical procedure for efficiency calibration of a coaxial n-type and a well-type HPGe detector using experimental and Monte Carlo simulations methods. The method was performed in an energy range from 40 to 1460 keV and it can be used for both, solid and liquid environmental samples. The calibration was initially verified measuring several reference materials provided by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). Finally, through the participation in two Proficiency Tests organized by IAEA for the members of the ALMERA network (Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity) the validity of the developed procedure was confirmed. The validation also showed that measurement of {sup 226}Ra should be conducted using coaxial n-type HPGe detector in order to minimize the true coincidence summing effect. - Highlights: • An efficiency calibration for a coaxial and a well-type HPGe detector was performed. • The calibration was made using experimental and Monte Carlo simulations methods. • The procedure was verified measuring several reference materials provided by IAEA. • Calibrations were validated through the participation in 2 ALMERA Proficiency Tests.

  17. Leisure/Crime, Immaterial Labor, and the Performance of the Teenage Girl in Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers and Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wilkinson, M.

    2017-01-01

    Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers (2012) and Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring (2013) introduced audiences to girls exploring criminal behavior both for and as leisure. The films introduce an idea of leisure/crime: criminal acts that appear to develop as natural, fruitful extensions of leisure

  18. Can exposure to environmental chemicals increase the risk of diabetes type 1 development?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodin, Johanna; Stene, Lars Christian; Nygaard, Unni Cecilie

    2015-01-01

    Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease, where destruction of beta-cells causes insulin deficiency. The incidence of T1DM has increased in the last decades and cannot entirely be explained by genetic predisposition. Several environmental factors are suggested to promote T1DM, like early childhood enteroviral infections and nutritional factors, but the evidence is inconclusive. Prenatal and early life exposure to environmental pollutants like phthalates, bisphenol A, perfluorinated compounds, PCBs, dioxins, toxicants, and air pollutants can have negative effects on the developing immune system, resulting in asthma-like symptoms and increased susceptibility to childhood infections. In this review the associations between environmental chemical exposure and T1DM development is summarized. Although information on environmental chemicals as possible triggers for T1DM is sparse, we conclude that it is plausible that environmental chemicals can contribute to T1DM development via impaired pancreatic beta-cell and immune-cell functions and immunomodulation. Several environmental factors and chemicals could act together to trigger T1DM development in genetically susceptible individuals, possibly via hormonal or epigenetic alterations. Further observational T1DM cohort studies and animal exposure experiments are encouraged.

  19. Can Exposure to Environmental Chemicals Increase the Risk of Diabetes Type 1 Development?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna Bodin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM is an autoimmune disease, where destruction of beta-cells causes insulin deficiency. The incidence of T1DM has increased in the last decades and cannot entirely be explained by genetic predisposition. Several environmental factors are suggested to promote T1DM, like early childhood enteroviral infections and nutritional factors, but the evidence is inconclusive. Prenatal and early life exposure to environmental pollutants like phthalates, bisphenol A, perfluorinated compounds, PCBs, dioxins, toxicants, and air pollutants can have negative effects on the developing immune system, resulting in asthma-like symptoms and increased susceptibility to childhood infections. In this review the associations between environmental chemical exposure and T1DM development is summarized. Although information on environmental chemicals as possible triggers for T1DM is sparse, we conclude that it is plausible that environmental chemicals can contribute to T1DM development via impaired pancreatic beta-cell and immune-cell functions and immunomodulation. Several environmental factors and chemicals could act together to trigger T1DM development in genetically susceptible individuals, possibly via hormonal or epigenetic alterations. Further observational T1DM cohort studies and animal exposure experiments are encouraged.

  20. Perceived neighborhood environmental characteristics and different types of physical activity among Brazilian adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendonça, Gerfeson; Florindo, Alex Antonio; Rech, Cassiano Ricardo; Freitas, Delma Katiana Silva de; Farias Júnior, José Cazuza de

    2018-05-01

    Little is known about the association between environmental characteristics and types of physical activity in adolescents in a Latin American context. The aim of this study was to examine the association between perceived neighborhood environmental characteristics and different types of physical activity in 2,874 adolescents from Joao Pessoa, Paraiba State, Northeastern Brazil. The types of activity measured by questionnaire (≥10 min/day) included sports, physical exercises, active commuting and recreational activities. Neighborhood characteristics were measured by a 15-item scale. Multilevel analyses showed that adolescents who reported "having places they liked to go to" (OR = 1.41; 95%CI: 1.10-1.79) and "places with opportunities to practice" (OR = 1.29; 95%CI: 1.01-1.65) were more likely to play sports. "Seeing interesting things while walking" (OR = 1.24; 95%CI: 1.01-1.53) and "Seeing other adolescents engaged in physical activity" (OR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1,05-2,06) were associated with exercises. "Seeing other adolescents engaged in physical activity" (OR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.18-1.82), "the neighborhood is not violent" (OR = 1.29; 95%CI: 1.04-1.60) and "having places they like to go to" (OR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.13-2.25) were positively associated and "places with opportunities to practice" (OR = 0.79; 95%CI: 0.63-0.98) inversely related to active commuting. "Seeing other adolescents engaged in physical activities" (OR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.05-1.63) and "seeing interesting things while walking" (OR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.02-1.56) were associated with recreational activities. Neighborhood environmental characteristics associated with the physical activity vary with the type of practices adopted by adolescents.

  1. FHSA-SED: Two-Locus Model Detection for Genome-Wide Association Study with Harmony Search Algorithm.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shouheng Tuo

    Full Text Available Two-locus model is a typical significant disease model to be identified in genome-wide association study (GWAS. Due to intensive computational burden and diversity of disease models, existing methods have drawbacks on low detection power, high computation cost, and preference for some types of disease models.In this study, two scoring functions (Bayesian network based K2-score and Gini-score are used for characterizing two SNP locus as a candidate model, the two criteria are adopted simultaneously for improving identification power and tackling the preference problem to disease models. Harmony search algorithm (HSA is improved for quickly finding the most likely candidate models among all two-locus models, in which a local search algorithm with two-dimensional tabu table is presented to avoid repeatedly evaluating some disease models that have strong marginal effect. Finally G-test statistic is used to further test the candidate models.We investigate our method named FHSA-SED on 82 simulated datasets and a real AMD dataset, and compare it with two typical methods (MACOED and CSE which have been developed recently based on swarm intelligent search algorithm. The results of simulation experiments indicate that our method outperforms the two compared algorithms in terms of detection power, computation time, evaluation times, sensitivity (TPR, specificity (SPC, positive predictive value (PPV and accuracy (ACC. Our method has identified two SNPs (rs3775652 and rs10511467 that may be also associated with disease in AMD dataset.

  2. Indoor environmental quality differences between office types in LEED-certified buildings in the US

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Young S. [School of Planning, Design, and Construction, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823 (United States); Guerin, Denise A. [College of Design, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN 55108 (United States)

    2010-05-15

    The study compared IAQ, thermal quality, and lighting quality between 5 different office types in LEED-certified buildings in relation to employees' environmental satisfaction and their job performance. This was to provide workplaces where workers in each specific office environment could be provided with appropriate office settings regarding these IEQ criteria when organizations comply with LEED standards. The five types of office included private enclosed, private shared, open-plan with high cubicle over 5', open-plan with low cubicle lower than 5', and open-plan with no partitions (bullpen) offices. The study found IAQ enhanced workers' job performance in enclosed private offices more than both high cubicles and low cubicles. All four office types had higher satisfaction with the amount of light and visual comfort of light as well as more enhancement with job performance due to lighting quality than high cubicles. There was no difference in thermal quality between the five office types. IAQ and lighting quality were not different between enclosed private, enclosed shared, and bullpen office types, either. The study findings suggest a careful workplace design considering the height of partitions in LEED-certified buildings to improve employee's environmental satisfaction and job performance. (author)

  3. An Optimization Model and Modified Harmony Search Algorithm for Microgrid Planning with ESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Jiao

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available To solve problems such as the high cost of microgrids (MGs, balance between supply and demand, stability of system operation, and optimizing the MG planning model, the energy storage system (ESS and harmony search algorithm (HSA are proposed. First, the conventional MG planning optimization model is constructed and the constraint conditions are defined: the supply and demand balance and reserve requirements. Second, an ESS is integrated into the optimal model of MG planning. The model with an ESS can solve and identify parameters such as the optimal power, optimal capacity, and optimal installation year. Third, the convergence speed and robustness of the ESS are optimized and improved. A case study comprising three different cases concludes the paper. The results show that the modified HSA (MHSA can effectively improve the stability and economy of MG operation with an ESS.

  4. 75 FR 41435 - Ball Bearings and Parts Thereof From Germany: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With Final...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-16

    ...On July 7, 2010, the United States Court of International Trade sustained the Department of Commerce's results of redetermination on remand concerning the final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on ball bearings and parts thereof from Germany. See SKF USA Inc., v. United States, Slip Op. 10-76 (CIT July 7, 2010). The Department is now issuing this notice of court decision not in harmony with the Department of Commerce's determination.

  5. Main types of environmental pollution the contributory causes, the effects on environment and the suggested remedial measures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, M.

    1995-01-01

    In this article the main types of environmental pollution, the contributory causes, the effects on environment and suggested remedial measures have been described. The fundamental types of environmental pollution are land pollution, water pollution and air pollution. Many artificial and natural factors contribute towards land pollution. Several remedial measures have suggested in this article, some of them are provision of clean water by municipal agencies, toxic wastes or nuclear wastes should not disposed off in the sea. (A.B.)

  6. Environmental aspects and challenges of oilseed produced biodiesel in Southeast Asia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jayed, M.H.; Masjuki, H.H.; Saidur, R.; Kalam, M.A.; Jahirul, M.I. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2009-12-15

    Research on alternative fuel for the vehemently growing number of automotivesis intensified due to environmental reasons rather than turmoil in energy price and supply. From the policy and steps to emphasis the use of biofuel by governments all around the world, this can be comprehended that biofuel have placed itself as a number one substitute for fossil fuels. These phenomena made Southeast Asia a prominent exporter of biodiesel. But thrust in biodiesel production from oilseeds of palm and Jatropha curcas in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand is seriously threatening environmental harmony. This paper focuses on this critical issue of biodiesels environmental impacts, policy, standardization of this region as well as on the emission of biodiesel in automotive uses. To draw a bottom line on feasibilities of different feedstock of biodiesel, a critical analysis on oilseed yield rate, land use, engine emissions and oxidation stability is reviewed. Palm oil based biodiesel is clearly ahead in all these aspects of feasibility, except in the case of NO{sub x} where it lags from conventional petro diesel. (author)

  7. Environmental aspects and challenges of oilseed produced biodiesel in Southeast Asia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jayed, M.H.; Masjuki, H.H.; Saidur, R.; Kalam, M.A.; Jahirul, M.I.

    2009-01-01

    Research on alternative fuel for the vehemently growing number of automotivesis intensified due to environmental reasons rather than turmoil in energy price and supply. From the policy and steps to emphasis the use of biofuel by governments all around the world, this can be comprehended that biofuel have placed itself as a number one substitute for fossil fuels. These phenomena made Southeast Asia a prominent exporter of biodiesel. But thrust in biodiesel production from oilseeds of palm and Jatropha curcas in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand is seriously threatening environmental harmony. This paper focuses on this critical issue of biodiesels environmental impacts, policy, standardization of this region as well as on the emission of biodiesel in automotive uses. To draw a bottom line on feasibilities of different feedstock of biodiesel, a critical analysis on oilseed yield rate, land use, engine emissions and oxidation stability is reviewed. Palm oil based biodiesel is clearly ahead in all these aspects of feasibility, except in the case of NO x where it lags from conventional petro diesel. (author)

  8. Glycotoxin and Autoantibodies Are Additive Environmentally Determined Predictors of Type 1 Diabetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyan, Huriya; Riese, Harriette; Hawa, Mohammed I.; Beretta, Guisi; Davidson, Howard W.; Hutton, John C.; Burger, Huibert; Schlosser, Michael; Snieder, Harold; Boehm, Bernhard O.; Leslie, R. David

    2012-01-01

    In type 1 diabetes, diabetes-associated autoantibodies, including islet cell antibodies (ICAs), reflect adaptive immunity, while increased serum Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), an advanced glycation end product, is associated with proinflammation. We assessed whether serum CML and autoantibodies predicted type 1 diabetes and to what extent they were determined by genetic or environmental factors. Of 7,287 unselected schoolchildren screened, 115 were ICA+ and were tested for baseline CML and diabetes autoantibodies and followed (for median 7 years), whereas a random selection (n = 2,102) had CML tested. CML and diabetes autoantibodies were determined in a classic twin study of twin pairs discordant for type 1 diabetes (32 monozygotic, 32 dizygotic pairs). CML was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, autoantibodies were determined by radioimmunoprecipitation, ICA was determined by indirect immunofluorescence, and HLA class II genotyping was determined by sequence-specific oligonucleotides. CML was increased in ICA+ and prediabetic schoolchildren and in diabetic and nondiabetic twins (all P < 0.001). Elevated levels of CML in ICA+ children were a persistent, independent predictor of diabetes progression, in addition to autoantibodies and HLA risk. In twins model fitting, familial environment explained 75% of CML variance, and nonshared environment explained all autoantibody variance. Serum CML, a glycotoxin, emerged as an environmentally determined diabetes risk factor, in addition to autoimmunity and HLA genetic risk, and a potential therapeutic target. PMID:22396204

  9. Right to Place: A Political Theory of Animal Rights in Harmony with Environmental and Ecological Principles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eleni Panagiotarakou

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The focus of this paper is on the “right to place” as a political theory of wild animal rights. Out of the debate between terrestrial cosmopolitans inspired by Kant and Arendt and rooted cosmopolitan animal right theorists, the right to place emerges from the fold of rooted cosmopolitanism in tandem with environmental and ecological principles. Contrary to terrestrial cosmopolitans—who favour extending citizenship rights to wild animals and advocate at the same time large-scale humanitarian interventions and unrestricted geographical mobility—I argue that the well-being of wild animals is best served by the right to place theory on account of its sovereignty model. The right to place theory advocates human non-interference in wildlife communities, opposing even humanitarian interventions, which carry the risk of unintended consequences. The right to place theory, with its emphasis on territorial sovereignty, bases its opposition to unrestricted geographical mobility on two considerations: (a the non-generalist nature of many species and (b the potential for abuse via human encroachment. In a broader context, the advantage of the right to place theory lies in its implicit environmental demands: human population control and sustainable lifestyles.

  10. Correlation Model between Economic Development and Environmental Performance on the Basis of Non-Financial Reporting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Dmitrievich Bogdanov

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The most common international standards for the non-financial reporting are reviewed. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI is determined as an optimal standard of sustainability reporting for the use in the Russian conditions. The environmental component of guidance on the compilation of G4 non-financial reporting of GRI standard is analyzed, the contribution of each aspect in terms of the overall picture of sustainability is determined. The progress of economic science has outlined the importance of incorporating natural components. Moreover, the value of biological resources would be increased through time, and therefore, the economic development of the company cannot be in isolation. To determine the degree of harmony between the economic development and ecological condition of the territory where the company carries out the economic activities, the application of new approaches and methods is necessary. Based on the statistical methods, a correlation model between economic development and environmental performance is developed to identify their relationship on the basis of non-financial reporting. The developed model of correlation can be used by a wide range of oil and gas companies and its general principles by the companies of different industries. The results may be of interest to stakeholders, also, it can be used for administrative purposes, to serve as a platform for forecasting and adoption of administrative decisions to achieve harmony between economic development and environmental performance. The model of correlation has been tested for the data of non-financial reporting of the Russian largest oil and gas company JSC “Surgutneftegas”. The testing has shown a positive relationship between the two systems of the company’s sustainable development: economy and ecology. This obtained result demonstrates a high level of social responsibility of the company in terms of environmental protection. A further study in this field can

  11. Environmental Risk Factors for Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tashi Dendup

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Different elements of the environment have been posited to influence type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. This systematic review summarizes evidence on the environmental determinants of T2DM identified in four databases. It proposes a theoretical framework illustrating the link between environment and T2DM, and briefly discusses some methodological challenges and potential solutions, and opportunities for future research. Walkability, air pollution, food and physical activity environment and roadways proximity were the most common environmental characteristics studied. Of the more than 200 reported and extracted relationships assessed in 60 studies, 82 showed significant association in the expected direction. In general, higher levels of walkability and green space were associated with lower T2DM risk, while increased levels of noise and air pollution were associated with greater risk. Current evidence is limited in terms of volume and study quality prohibiting causal inferences. However, the evidence suggests that environmental characteristics may influence T2DM prevention, and also provides a reasonable basis for further investigation with better quality data and longitudinal studies with policy-relevant environmental measures. This pursuit of better evidence is critical to support health-orientated urban design and city planning.

  12. Environmental Risk Factors for Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dendup, Tashi; Feng, Xiaoqi; Clingan, Stephanie; Astell-Burt, Thomas

    2018-01-01

    Different elements of the environment have been posited to influence type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This systematic review summarizes evidence on the environmental determinants of T2DM identified in four databases. It proposes a theoretical framework illustrating the link between environment and T2DM, and briefly discusses some methodological challenges and potential solutions, and opportunities for future research. Walkability, air pollution, food and physical activity environment and roadways proximity were the most common environmental characteristics studied. Of the more than 200 reported and extracted relationships assessed in 60 studies, 82 showed significant association in the expected direction. In general, higher levels of walkability and green space were associated with lower T2DM risk, while increased levels of noise and air pollution were associated with greater risk. Current evidence is limited in terms of volume and study quality prohibiting causal inferences. However, the evidence suggests that environmental characteristics may influence T2DM prevention, and also provides a reasonable basis for further investigation with better quality data and longitudinal studies with policy-relevant environmental measures. This pursuit of better evidence is critical to support health-orientated urban design and city planning. PMID:29304014

  13. Sustainable development and nuclear energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-05-01

    This report has four chapters .In the first chapter world energy statute and future plans;in the second chapter Turkey's energy statute and future plans; in the third chapter world energy outlook and in the last chapter sustainable development and nuclear energy has discussed in respect of environmental effects, harmony between generations, harmony in demand, harmony in sociapolitic and in geopolitic. Additional multimedia CD-ROM has included

  14. Human exposure to environmental health concern by types of urban environment: The case of Tel Aviv

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schnell, Izhak; Potchter, Oded; Yaakov, Yaron; Epstein, Yoram

    2016-01-01

    This study classifies urban environments into types characterized by different exposure to environmental risk factors measured by general sense of discomfort and Heart Rate Variability (HRV). We hypothesize that a set of environmental factors (micro-climatic, CO, noise and individual heart rate) that were measured simultaneously in random locations can provide a better understanding of the distribution of human exposure to environmental loads throughout the urban space than results calculated based on measurements from close fixed stations. We measured micro-climatic and thermal load, CO and noise, individual Heart Rate, Subjective Social Load and Sense of Discomfort (SD) were tested by questionnaire survey. The results demonstrate significant differences in exposure to environmental factors among 8 types of urban environments. It appears that noise and social load are the more significant environmental factors to enhance health risks and general sense of discomfort. - Highlights: • Indoor and outdoor environments were classified by exposure to health concern. • Measurements taken by people provide better knowledge than fixed stations. • Social stress and noise are more stressing factors than Thermal load and CO. • The most stressful places are crowded ones like markets etc. • Short visit in green spaces are effective in reducing levels of stress.

  15. Environmental education for river-basin planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saha, S K

    1980-08-01

    Harmonious intervention in land use, a result of environmental education and good planning, can increase the social and economic benefits without precluding development. Modern river basin planning began as a US innovation in 1874 over the subject of water regulation in the west. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was devised as a state tool for comprehensive river basin planning and development. The TVA example was not repeated in the other 10 US basins by the Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, although the concept of unified development has survived as a three-part relationship of physical,biological, and human forces in which any malfunctioning of one subsystem affects the others. This is evident in problems of water transfer from agricultural to industrial functions and changes to drainage patterns. The potential damage from ignoring these relationships can be avoided with true interdisciplinary communications. 24 references, 2 tables. (DCK)

  16. Environmental determinants of type 1 diabetes: a role for overweight and insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, Sadia T; Srinivasan, Shubha; Craig, Maria E

    2014-11-01

    Rates of type 1 diabetes are rising globally, with a decreasing proportion of high-risk genotypes and twin concordance rates below 50%. Therefore, environmental factors such as viruses, nutrition and overweight have been examined as putative aetiological agents. The accelerator hypothesis proposes that overweight and insulin resistance are central to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and may explain, in part, the rise in type 1 diabetes incidence. The temporal rise in body mass index at type 1 diabetes onset and the observation that pre-diabetic children are heavier and more insulin resistant than their peers suggests convergence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes phenotypes. The influence of insulin resistance may begin in utero, although the aetiological role of birthweight in type 1 diabetes remains unclear. Further research to elucidate the role of these modifiable risk factors in today's obesogenic environment may provide future potential for diabetes prevention. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2014 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  17. P-HS-SFM: a parallel harmony search algorithm for the reproduction of experimental data in the continuous microscopic crowd dynamic models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaber, Khalid Mohammad; Alia, Osama Moh'd.; Shuaib, Mohammed Mahmod

    2018-03-01

    Finding the optimal parameters that can reproduce experimental data (such as the velocity-density relation and the specific flow rate) is a very important component of the validation and calibration of microscopic crowd dynamic models. Heavy computational demand during parameter search is a known limitation that exists in a previously developed model known as the Harmony Search-Based Social Force Model (HS-SFM). In this paper, a parallel-based mechanism is proposed to reduce the computational time and memory resource utilisation required to find these parameters. More specifically, two MATLAB-based multicore techniques (parfor and create independent jobs) using shared memory are developed by taking advantage of the multithreading capabilities of parallel computing, resulting in a new framework called the Parallel Harmony Search-Based Social Force Model (P-HS-SFM). The experimental results show that the parfor-based P-HS-SFM achieved a better computational time of about 26 h, an efficiency improvement of ? 54% and a speedup factor of 2.196 times in comparison with the HS-SFM sequential processor. The performance of the P-HS-SFM using the create independent jobs approach is also comparable to parfor with a computational time of 26.8 h, an efficiency improvement of about 30% and a speedup of 2.137 times.

  18. “Natural Objects in Youssef Ziedan’s Azazeel: An Environmental Perspective”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad M.S. Abu Baker

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This article provides a new reading of Youssef Ziedan’s Azazeel by examining natural objects (trees, seas, rocks, predators, birds, and landscapes respectively and applying ecocriticism and Freudian as well as Jungian insights. The study of natural objects yields interesting results: For instance, in Azazeel, trees symbolize peace, security, natural home [oikos], surrogate good mother, and immortality. The sea, in contrast, pretends to be a good mother generating a sense of security and tranquility but is a terrible mother, deceptive, cunning, and fatal. The article explains the murders of Hypatia and Octavia, the actions of Cyril and his followers, Hypa’s reflections and actions from an environmental/ecocritical perspective. The final analysis reveals the way culture tries to separate the human from the non-human although they are supposed to be part of one harmonious ecological system and the need to stop seeing nature as dead/passive if we want to save planet earth from an environmental apocalyptic catastrophe.

  19. Having to versus wanting to play: background and consequences of harmonious versus obsessive engagement in video games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Przybylski, Andrew K; Weinstein, Netta; Ryan, Richard M; Rigby, C Scott

    2009-10-01

    The present research examined the background and consequences of different styles of engagement in video game play. Based on self-determination theory(1) and the dualistic model of passion,(2) the authors hypothesized that high levels of basic psychological need satisfaction would foster harmonious passion for video play, supporting the subjective sense that play is something one wants to do. It was also predicted that low levels of need satisfaction would promote obsessive passion for games and contribute to the feeling that game play is something one feels compelled to or has to do. It was expected, in turn, that passion for play would directly influence player outcomes closely tied to games, moderate links between play and well-being, and relate to overall levels of well-being as a function of basic need satisfaction. As expected, results showed that low levels of basic need satisfaction were associated with more obsessive passion, higher amounts of play, greater tension following play, and low game enjoyment, whereas high levels of need satisfaction did not predict hours of play but were associated with more harmonious passion, game enjoyment, and energy following play. Moderation analyses showed that high amounts of play related negatively to well-being only to the extent that players reported an obsessive passion and that the unique relations between passion and overall levels of player well-being were quite small once controlling for their basic need satisfaction in daily life. Discussion of the current findings focuses on their significance for understanding disordered play and the value of applying a theory-based approach to study motivation for virtual contexts.

  20. Electroencephalography Signal Grouping and Feature Classification Using Harmony Search for BCI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tae-Ju Lee

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a heuristic method for electroencephalography (EEG grouping and feature classification using harmony search (HS for improving the accuracy of the brain-computer interface (BCI system. EEG, a noninvasive BCI method, uses many electrodes on the scalp, and a large number of electrodes make the resulting analysis difficult. In addition, traditional EEG analysis cannot handle multiple stimuli. On the other hand, the classification method using the EEG signal has a low accuracy. To solve these problems, we use a heuristic approach to reduce the complexities in multichannel problems and classification. In this study, we build a group of stimuli using the HS algorithm. Then, the features from common spatial patterns are classified by the HS classifier. To confirm the proposed method, we perform experiments using 64-channel EEG equipment. The subjects are subjected to three kinds of stimuli: audio, visual, and motion. Each stimulus is applied alone or in combination with the others. The acquired signals are processed by the proposed method. The classification results in an accuracy of approximately 63%. We conclude that the heuristic approach using the HS algorithm on the BCI is beneficial for EEG signal analysis.

  1. Towards a harmonious development between nature and culture on Walisanga religious site, Indonesia - learning from the best practices in Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suprapti, Atiek; Pandelaki, Edward E.; Indriastjario; Budi Sardjono, Agung; Tomohiko, Yosidha; Masao, Yagi; Higashino, Adriana P.

    2017-12-01

    Nature and culture are elements that play an important role in the development of a place. Sites of Walisanga spread all over Java since in 16 century. Muslim communities respect respect for these sites. These sites have become an attractive destination of religious tourism on the North Coast of Java. Some of these sites are very close to nature and as a part culture. Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan are the examples of the master pieces of indigenous architecture which are still maintained very well. The Japanese religious sites with the beautiful architecture and landscape in the culture format have been successfully attracting tourist from all over the world. This paper aims to determine the potency and problems associated with the development of spatial harmony between the nature and culture on the Walisanga religious sites in Indonesia by conducting a dialogue with best practices cases in Japan. This study used descriptive analysis methods. The result showed that, there are similarities between Indonesian and Japan in treating cultural heritage assets. Indonesian government gives quite significant roles to public to participate in preserving cultural heritage. Japan government has given support through the modern technology and funding, assets registration, maintenance and protection, and the assets management. Creating the harmony between nature and culture is necessary to enhance performance, facilities and infrastructure.

  2. THE HARMONY ELEMENTS IN ADNI’S DIVAN / ADNÎ DÎVÂNI’NDA AHENK UNSURLARI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr. Zehra GÖRE

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Rhyme, redif, meter are the elements related with the technique and theform and which provide the harmony in divan poetry and integrating themeaning. Besides the voice and arts based on voices, also add musicality to thepoetry. Divan poets, make use of these elements in order to express theiremotions and thoughts in an effective way. Sometimes they are praised andsometimes they are critised. The aim of this study is to examine the elementssuch as meter, rhyme, redif, voice and word repetitions, which create theharmony in Mevlewi poet Adni’s Dîvân who lived in 17th century. The features inthese poems are, by dealing with it in the base of Divan poetry, putting out thesides which make it different. In other words, Adni’s poetry is to evaluatewhether it is over or out of the common literary pleasure.

  3. A Review on the Environmental Behavior of the Polyoxyethylene Type Nonionic Surfactants Adjuvants in Pesticides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KONG Xiang-ji

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Polyoxyethylene type nonionic surfactants such as alkylphenol ethoxylates(APEOs, alcohol ethoxylates(AEOs and alkylamine ethoxylates(ANEOs are typical pesticide adjuvants. Their unique environmental behavior characteristic is reflected in the parameters describing the fate e.g.distribution coefficient, adsorption to soil, degradation and effects of these substances. The major environmental problem related to these compounds is their part metabolites' relatively higher environmental risk. In views of their chemical structure, this paper outlined present knowledge on occurrence, fate and environment effect of the three adjuvants:AEOs, ANEOs and APEOs. The adsorption behaviour of ANEOs in contrast to AEOs was particularly variable and matrix dependent due to the ability of the compound to ionise at environmentally relevant pH. Probably because the compounds exceeded high soil adsorption and were easily degradable which were reflected in the low environmental concentrations generally found in monitoring studies.

  4. The social perception of harmony in popular music

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Buil Tercero

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to demonstrate the influence that an harmonic pattern, placed in different pop music songs, can have over the audience. This is an important factor within the "greatest hits" media phenomenon and can help both to clarify the impact on society and to achieve a better understanding of the reception of new hits in the field of popular music. It is our understanding that success is conditioned by the said pattern, often located in radio-formulas and websites which enable the listening of music via streaming.  We shall see how a purely musical parameter, in this case, harmony, can influence the audience at the time of reception and evaluation of new releases launched by the greatest links of the music industry such as producers, record companies or radio stations. Normal 0 21 false false false ES X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

  5. Detection of Spam Email by Combining Harmony Search Algorithm and Decision Tree

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Z. Gashti

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Spam emails is probable the main problem faced by most e-mail users. There are many features in spam email detection and some of these features have little effect on detection and cause skew detection and classification of spam email. Thus, Feature Selection (FS is one of the key topics in spam email detection systems. With choosing the important and effective features in classification, its performance can be optimized. Selector features has the task of finding a subset of features to improve the accuracy of its predictions. In this paper, a hybrid of Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA and decision tree is used for selecting the best features and classification. The obtained results on Spam-base dataset show that the rate of recognition accuracy in the proposed model is 95.25% which is high in comparison with models such as SVM, NB, J48 and MLP. Also, the accuracy of the proposed model on the datasets of Ling-spam and PU1 is high in comparison with models such as NB, SVM and LR.

  6. Dis-harmony in European natural gas market(s). Discussion of standards and definitions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karasz, Michael [The Energy House GmbH, Muenchen (Germany); Pustisek, Andrej [Hochschule fuer Technik, Stuttgart (Germany); Drasdo, Peter

    2013-06-15

    The European Union attempts to harmonise the European natural gas market(s). In general, this is supported on national levels. Nevertheless, such harmonisation is not yet fully accomplished: neither for the rules nor for the quality specifications nor for the physical quantities and their units. Even if the current economic impact of such dis-harmony is negligible, i.e. that market participants for the time being do not have to bear additional costs caused by the lack of harmonisation, participants in the commodity market are exposed to contractual risks. Potentially, this might lead to reduced competition and reduced liquidity of each single and the European internal market for natural gas. However, as the costs for a potential harmonisation of European gas markets are estimated to be significant, the dilemma is evident and the 'political' solution of the 'harmonisation problem' will necessarily deviate from the traders' one. (orig.)

  7. De l’harmonie dans la construction des mots français

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roché Michel

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available La formation des gentilés, particulièrement sensible aux contraintes d’euphonie, permet de mettre en évidence, pour le français, deux manifestations complémentaires de la contrainte dissimilative. L’une, négative, tend à éviter la consécution à faible distance du même phonème ou de deux phonèmes proches. Elle explique la sous-représentation des deux principaux suffixes, -ais et -ois, après une accroche en sifflante, à cause de la sifflante conte-nue par le suffixe au féminin, ainsi que la sous-représentation de -ais après /E/ et de -ois après /A/. L’autre, positive, favorise entre les voyelles une harmonie fondée sur les contrastes. De-vant les suffixes dont la voyelle est une voyelle d’avant moyenne ou haute (-ais, -ain, -in, -ier…, sont privilégiés les radicaux dont la dernière voyelle est une voyelle d’arrière moyenne ou basse, et de préférence un /O/ plutôt qu’un /A/. Devant les suffixes dont la voyelle est une voyelles d’arrière moyenne ou basse (-ois, -ot, -on, -and, -at, -ard…, sont privilégiés les radi-caux dont la dernière voyelle est une voyelle d’avant moyenne ou haute, et de préférence un /i/ plutôt qu’un /E/. Pour cela, un yod au contact du suffixe joue le même rôle qu’un /i/ dans la syllabe précédente. Cette harmonie est obtenue soit par la sélection du suffixe, soit par un aménagement – substitution, épenthèse, troncation, insertion d’un interfixe, etc. – du radical fourni par la base. On observe d’autre part une harmonisation de l’accroche consonantique du radical avec la voyelle du suffixe. Devant -ois, sont privilégiées les attaques en labiale ou en vélaire, en accord avec le double caractère du /w/ propre à ce suffixe. Devant -ais et -ain, ce sont les attaques en dentale. Devant -ot, -on, -and, -at, -ard, la tendance à rapprocher l’articu-lation de la consonne de celle de la voyelle peut aller jusqu’aux vélaires mais elle s’arrête sou

  8. Inner Peace and Global Harmony: Individual Wellbeing and Global Solutions in the Art of Living

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen Jacobs

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available his paper explores the discourse in the Art of Living (AOL, a Hindu derived transnational meditation movement, which suggests that solutions to global problems are best addressed at the individual level. Ethnographic fieldwork, qualita-tive interviews and an analysis of published material suggest that the primary concern of the AOL is the reduction of stress and anxiety for the individual practitioner. This reduction of stress not only means that the individual practitioner develops ‘inner peace', but also contributes to global harmony. AOL is an exemplar of ‘therapeutic solutions', which are characterized by disillusionment with estab-lished institutions and a quest for inner meaning. AOL articulates this therapeutic solution, not only in terms of narcissistic needs, but links this quest for inner meaning to wider social and global concerns.

  9. An improved version of Inverse Distance Weighting metamodel assisted Harmony Search algorithm for truss design optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Gholipour

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on a metamodel-based design optimization algorithm. The intention is to improve its computational cost and convergence rate. Metamodel-based optimization method introduced here, provides the necessary means to reduce the computational cost and convergence rate of the optimization through a surrogate. This algorithm is a combination of a high quality approximation technique called Inverse Distance Weighting and a meta-heuristic algorithm called Harmony Search. The outcome is then polished by a semi-tabu search algorithm. This algorithm adopts a filtering system and determines solution vectors where exact simulation should be applied. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by standard truss design problems and there has been a significant decrease in the computational effort and improvement of convergence rate.

  10. Generating method-specific Reference Ranges - A harmonious outcome?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Graham R; Griffin, Alison; Halton, Kieran; Fitzgibbon, Maria C

    2017-12-01

    When laboratory Reference Ranges (RR) do not reflect analytical methodology, result interpretation can cause misclassification of patients and inappropriate management. This can be mitigated by determining and implementing method-specific RRs, which was the main objective of this study. Serum was obtained from healthy volunteers (Male + Female, n > 120) attending hospital health-check sessions during June and July 2011. Pseudo-anonymised aliquots were stored (at - 70 °C) prior t° analysis on Abbott ARCHITECT c16000 chemistry and i 2000SR immunoassay analysers. Data were stratified by gender where appropriate. Outliers were excluded statistically (Tukey method) to generate non-parametric RRs (2.5th + 97.5th percentiles). RRs were compared to those quoted by Abbott and UK Pathology Harmony (PH) where possible. For 7 selected tests, RRs were verified using a data mining approach. For chemistry tests (n = 23), Upper or Lower Reference Limits (LRL or URL) were > 20% different from Abbott ranges in 25% of tests (11% from PH ranges) but in 38% for immunoassay tests (n = 13). RRs (mmol/L) for sodium (138-144), potassium (3.8-4.9) and chloride (102-110) were considerably narrower than PH ranges (133-146, 3.5-5.0 and 95-108, respectively). The gender difference for ferritin (M: 29-441, F: 8-193 ng/mL) was more pronounced than reported by Abbott (M: 22-275, F: 5-204 ng/mL). Verification studies showed good agreement for chemistry tests (mean [SD] difference = 0.4% [1.2%]) but less so for immunoassay tests (27% [29%]), particularly for TSH (LRL). Where resource permits, we advocate using method-specific RRs in preference to other sources, particularly where method bias and lack of standardisation limits RR transferability and harmonisation.

  11. PEACE IN THE MIDST OF VIOLENCE: ANALYZING THE ROLE OF ELITES IN PRESERVING PEACE AND HARMONY IN MANADO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Rivai Abbas

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The study attempts to look at the existing inter-religious peace and harmony in Manado. The focus is an attempt to compare between Manado and Ambon which are similar in terms of demographic composition, historical background, political and cultural values but at the same time both are different; the former was in conflict, while the latter was an area of peace during the conflict escalation that engulfed some parts of East Indonesia. This study also tries to look at the strategy of Christian and Muslim communities in both cities in dealing with social tensions. In addition, this article specifically tries to explain factors that contribute to the presence of peace in Manado and its absence in Ambon. Subsequently, attention is also paid to the impact and mechanisms used by the elite in maintaining peace in Manado. This study uncovers some interesting findings. First, there are five elements that support the existence of peace in Manado: education, cultural values (local wisdom, economic situations, spiritual understanding, and the role of the elite. Second, inter-religious peace and harmony can exist in Manado, because of the synergy and cooperation of these three levels of leadership. Third, although the theory of Lederach seems to suggest that top-level leaders are the most dominant element of the elite, it is found that the role of grassroots leaders including leaders of congregations (imam, ustadz, clergymen, and priests is more vital as their more directly involved in the daily activities of the society. Fourth, the mechanisms of these elites seem to be various in every stage of leadership.

  12. EXECUTIVES' BEHAVIOR TYPES AND PROFESSIONAL OF SECRETARIAT'S ATTITUDE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosane Fontanella

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available After the technological revolution and globalization, many professions have had an up and, consequently, they were forced to adapt to the new reality. Within this new reality, the profile of the secretarial professional evolved and developed a path of struggles and victories, changing significantly. With the change it also increased the responsibilities and challenges. Playing purely operational functions, the professional of secretarial began to think and act strategically with their executives, engaging in projects and goals and also meeting these goals. This paper shows how professionals can perform secretarial duties and manage its function to assist executives with very different behavioral types. It indicates the position that secretarial professionals need to adopt towards these types of behavior and the use of elements of Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence can help creating a friendly atmosphere where everyone can live in harmony.

  13. The National program of the production and use of biodiesel and strategic environmental assessment; O Programa nacional de producao e uso de biodiesel e a avaliacao ambiental estrategica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alves, Victor Rafael Fernandes [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil)

    2010-07-01

    This work analyzes the use of biodiesel in Brazil under the applied perspective of this renewable fuel in the environmental assessment in the productive chain. It inwards the appearance of biodiesel, its evolution in Brazil and in the world, the structured regulatory framework, beyond these points this work also gives a main focus on the advent of National Program of Production and Usage of Biodiesel (NPPUB - originally PNPUB) and on the defined productive arrangement. It scrutinizes the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), and delimits the pivotal hindrances to the development of biodiesel production sector, claiming to point out all the possible and viable scenarios, profiting the economic development of this activity in harmony with the urgent need to implement Environmentally Safe projects. (author)

  14. An Effective Framework For Economic Dispatch Using Modified Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Advik Kumar

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The effects of ever-increasing wind power generation for solving the economic dispatch ED problem have led to high penetration of renewable energy source in new power systems. Continuing search for better utilizing of wind turbine associated with thermal sources to find the optimal allocation of output power is necessary in which pro-vide more reliability and efficiency. Dynamic nature of wind energy has imposed uncertainties characteristics in the poser systems. To deal with this problem an effective probabilistic method to investigate all unpredictability would be a good idea to make more realistic analysis. This paper presents a heuristics optimization method based on harmony search HS algorithm to solve non-convex ED problems while uncertainties effects caused by wind turbines are considered. To involve a realistic analysis as a more practical investigation the proposed probabilistic ED PED approach includes prohibited operating zone POZ system spinning reserve ramp rate limits variety of fuel is considered in this studies. Point Estimate Method PEM as a proposed PED model the uncertainties of wind speed for wind turbines to present better realization to the problem. Optimal solution are presented for vari-ous test system and these solutions demonstrate the benefits of our approach in terms of cost over existing ED techniques.

  15. Towards Harmonious Coexistence in the Unlicensed Spectrum: Rational Cooperation of Operators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Sunghwan; Kim, Hongseok

    2017-10-24

    5G New Radio (NR) operating in the unlicensed spectrum is accelerating the Fourth Industrial Revolution by supporting Internet of Things (IoT) networks or Industrial IoT deployments. Specifically, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) is looking to achieve spectrum integration through coexistence with multi-radio access technology (RAT) systems in the same unlicensed bands with both licensed-assisted and stand-alone access. The listen-before-talk (LBT) mechanism is mainly considered to enable an LTE operator to protect other incumbent unlicensed systems. In this article, we investigate the behaviors of multiple LTE operators along with the deployment of WiFi networks in the unlicensed spectrum from both short- and long-term points of view. In countries without mandatory LBT requirements, we show that an LTE operator is susceptible to collusion with another LTE operator, thus exploiting scarce spectrum resources by deceiving other wireless networks into thinking that channels are always busy; hence, mandatory usage of LTE with LBT is highly recommended at national level to achieve harmonious coexistence in the unlicensed spectrum. We discuss several possible coexistence scenarios to resolve the operator's dilemmaas well as to improve unlicensed spectrum efficiency among multi-RAT systems, which is viable in the near future.

  16. Towards Harmonious Coexistence in the Unlicensed Spectrum: Rational Cooperation of Operators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunghwan Bae

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available 5G New Radio (NR operating in the unlicensed spectrum is accelerating the Fourth Industrial Revolution by supporting Internet of Things (IoT networks or Industrial IoT deployments. Specifically, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A is looking to achieve spectrum integration through coexistence with multi-radio access technology (RAT systems in the same unlicensed bands with both licensed-assisted and stand-alone access. The listen-before-talk (LBT mechanism is mainly considered to enable an LTE operator to protect other incumbent unlicensed systems. In this article, we investigate the behaviors of multiple LTE operators along with the deployment of WiFi networks in the unlicensed spectrum from both short- and long-term points of view. In countries without mandatory LBT requirements, we show that an LTE operator is susceptible to collusion with another LTE operator, thus exploiting scarce spectrum resources by deceiving other wireless networks into thinking that channels are always busy; hence, mandatory usage of LTE with LBT is highly recommended at national level to achieve harmonious coexistence in the unlicensed spectrum. We discuss several possible coexistence scenarios to resolve the operator’s dilemmaas well as to improve unlicensed spectrum efficiency among multi-RAT systems, which is viable in the near future.

  17. The role of cis-zeatin-type cytokinins in plant growth regulation and mediating responses to environmental interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schäfer, Martin; Brütting, Christoph; Meza-Canales, Ivan David

    2015-01-01

    -zeatin and isopentenyladenine-type CKs, have been studied in detail, the role of cis-zeatin-type CKs (cZs) in plant development and in mediating environmental interactions is less well defined. Here we provide a comprehensive summary of the current knowledge about abundance, metabolism and activities of cZs in plants. We...

  18. Science and Society in harmony

    CERN Multimedia

    2009-01-01

    Yesterday I spoke at a conference hosted by an organization called Melody for Dialogue, and it struck me that this organization has much in common with a movement that contributed to CERN’s foundation 55 years ago. That movement was called ‘Atoms for Peace’. Notice the similarity? What is it that melody and atoms have in common that they can be used to promote dialogue and peace? I believe that they are both expressions of something shared by all of humanity. Whatever culture we belong to, music is a part of it. And wherever in the world we’re from, we’re all curious about our surroundings. Science and music are two of the things that make us human. The theme of the conference was environmental awareness, and I told the participants that although CERN’s research won’t bring immediate solutions to the pressing environmental problems of the world, if it were not for similar curiosity-driven research in the past, much of w...

  19. HARMONI DALAM KEBHINEKAAN (Kearifan Lokal Masyarakat Pulau Enggano Provinsi Bengkulu Dalam Mengatasi Konflik

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Intan Permata Sari

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Ethnic and religious conflicts are still a hot conversation in early 2017. Discourses on non-Muslim Muslims as well as indigenous non-indigenous peoples are the main topics in various news in Indonesia. Peace that has been maintained, post-conflict that occurred in Sampit and Ambon, suddenly disturbed. People in Indonesia are again divided into religious groups (Muslim or non-Muslim or ethnic groups (indigenous or non-indigenous. However, Indonesia has the hope to make peace in the differences and make it harmony in society. We can learn from Enggano society. The people of Enggano are the people who live in one of the outer islands in Indonesia. The island is located in the west of Sumatra Island. The Enggano people are able to live in diversity even though their lives are far from prosperous, poor access and facilities, and far from the government's attention. Almost no conflict occurred on this island. This is because Enggano local wisdom is so strong that it can bridge the differences.

  20. Luminex and other multiplex high throughput technologies for the identification of, and host response to, environmental triggers of type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purohit, Sharad; Sharma, Ashok; She, Jin-Xiong

    2015-01-01

    Complex interactions between a series of environmental factors and genes result in progression to clinical type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite several decades of research in the area, these interactions remain poorly understood. Several studies have yielded associations of certain foods, infections, and immunizations with the onset and progression of diabetes autoimmunity, but most findings are still inconclusive. Environmental triggers are difficult to identify mainly due to (i) large number and complex nature of environmental exposures, including bacteria, viruses, dietary factors, and environmental pollutants, (ii) reliance on low throughput technology, (iii) less efforts in quantifying host response, (iv) long silent period between the exposure and clinical onset of T1D which may lead to loss of the exposure fingerprints, and (v) limited sample sets. Recent development in multiplex technologies has enabled systematic evaluation of different classes of molecules or macroparticles in a high throughput manner. However, the use of multiplex assays in type 1 diabetes research is limited to cytokine assays. In this review, we will discuss the potential use of multiplex high throughput technologies in identification of environmental triggers and host response in type 1 diabetes.

  1. Individual and Environmental determinants of Health Related Quality of Life in Iranian patients with type II diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Hadipour

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: In recent two past decades prevalence of Type II diabetes has increased dramatically. Despite its financial costs, one of its consequence outcomes is decreasing quality of life of Diabetic patients. So it seems to be more useful to evaluate the influential personal and also environmental factors on patient’s quality of life. The purpose of this study was to assess effects of personal and environmental factors on Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL of Iranian type II diabetic patients. Material and Methods: We worked on some parts of data form a national cross sectional study conducted in 2006. Sampling technique was random cluster sampling. Data collection method was face to face interview based on EQ-5D questionnaire. Interview form, also measured personal factors include: gender, age, duration of diseases from diagnosis, educational and family economic status. We collected our environmental factors such as literacy rate, urbanization rate, number of medical clinics and endocrinologists from latest national census, 1385. For data analysis we used multilevel regression analysis by Ml-win software. Results: Available data were analyses for 3472 diabetic patients. Gender, age, duration of disease, economic status and educational level in personal level and urbanization rate as an environmental factor were statistically significant factors in relation with health related quality of life. Conclusion: Based on study results, gender, and age, duration of illness, family economic and educational status of patients and the rate of urbanization affect on the HRQoL of type II diabetic patients.

  2. The comparison of System 1000 analysis and type testing for neoprene gasket environmental qualification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Kyung Heum; Kim, Jong Seok; Jeong, Sun Chul; Jang, Kyung Nam; Hwang, Sung Phil

    2010-01-01

    The typical environmental qualification is to ensure that equipment will operate on demand to meet system performance requirements during normal and abnormal service conditions. There are four environmental qualification methods, type testing, operating experience, analysis and combined method. Generally, the American EQ do not contain the mechanical equipment like pumps and valves in their EQ equipment list because their EQ standard 10CFR50.49 limits EQ equipment as electrical equipment. On the other hand, Canadian EQ contain the mechanical equipment like pumps and valves in their EQ components list, Canadians usually call American 'equipment' as 'components', because their EQ standard CSA N290.13-05 do not limits EQ equipment as electrical equipment. System 1000 program is typical Canadian EQ analysis method using mathematical modeling and comparison with established engineering information and manufacturers' data. Most of Canadian nuclear power utilities like NB Power, Hydro Quebec and OPG use the System 1000 program to evaluate the design life for their EQ components. To qualify a pump, I had to list all the non-metallic parts in the pump and found there are lots of gaskets made by neoprene material. I tried to qualify these neoprene gaskets by analysis using System 1000 program and by type testing. In this paper, I'd like to introduce the qualification results of neoprene gasket both type testing and analysis using System 1000 program

  3. The harmonious relationship between faith and science from the perspective of some great saints: A brief comment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortés, Manuel E; Del Río, Juan Pablo; Vigil, Pilar

    2015-02-01

    The objective of this editorial is to show that a harmonious relationship between science and faith is possible, as exemplified by great saints of the Catholic Church. It begins with the definitions of science and faith, followed by an explanation of the apparent conflict between them. A few saints that constitute an example that a fruitful relationship between these two seemingly opposed realities has been possible are Saint Albert the Great, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Giuseppe Moscati, and Saint Edith Stein, among others, and this editorial highlights their deep contributions to the dialogue between faith and reason. This editorial ends with a brief discussion on whether it is possible to be both a scientist and a man of faith.

  4. A simplified multiplex PCR assay for fast and easy discrimination of globally distributed staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec types in meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaznavi-Rad, Ehsanollah; Nor Shamsudin, Mariana; Sekawi, Zamberi; van Belkum, Alex; Neela, Vasanthakumari

    2010-10-01

    A multiplex PCR assay was developed for the identification of major types and subtypes of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) in meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. The method uses a novel 9 valent multiplex PCR plus two primer pairs for S. aureus identification and detection of meticillin resistance. All 389 clinical MRSA isolates from Malaysia and 18 European isolates from the Harmony collection harbouring different SCCmec types that we tested were correctly characterized by our PCR assay. SCCmec type III and V were by far the most common types among both hospital- and community-acquired Malaysian MRSA isolates, with an apparent emergence of MRSA harbouring the IVh type.

  5. Foundations for a harmonious future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kreiser, H.; Rapp, R.

    1998-01-01

    An overview of hydroelectric developments on the Lech river is presented covering laws and regulations, environmental conservation and opposition to the project, the planning of reservoirs, examination of the Lech plants by the State Planning Agency of the Bavarian Ministry of Economy and Transport, and construction of new plant. Details of the river Lech are given. (UK)

  6. School Board as a Pedagogical Strategy for Sustainability in Environmental Education. (Project execution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nayr Del Valle Rivas Silva

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This research was designed as a purpose to establish the school garden as a pedagogical strategy of sustainability in environmental education with the students of the National Basic School "Sebastián Araujo Briceño" of the Pedraza Municipality Barinas State; The nature of research is qualitative, the method is Research Action. For the purposes of the present study, three (03 teachers and three (03 students who belong to the institution will participate as informers and enjoy recognized responsibility and commitment at the "Sebastián Araujo Briceño" National Basic School. The technique used is the semistructured interview, And the instrument the interview guide. The analysis of the information will be done through the codification, categorization, triangulation and structuring of theories. After implementing the activities with the school garden, it is hoped to conclude that children contribute to the care of the environment and maintain in harmony the ecological balance that should reign in any space where human beings live and coexist. In this way the educational institution will present an environmental aspect in accordance with the ecological principles of environmental education immersed in the National Basic Curriculum.

  7. AHP 28: Review: China's Environmental Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bill Bleisch

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Judith Shapiro's latest ambitious work picks up the story of modern China's checkered relationship with the environment at approximately the point where her previous study, Mao's War Against Nature (2001, left off. This latest book sets out to address questions of grave importance to China and to the world. The litany of challenges – poisonous water and toxic air, scarcity of water and other resources, deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity – seem nearly insurmountable, despite evidence of considerable attention from the Chinese government and from China's public, and despite the rocket-like rise of China's economic power and political influence in the world. Shapiro adds to this list the growing problems with lapses in environmental justice, both within China and passed on to its neighbours and to the countries with which it trades.1 Not only do growing environmental problems affect China's ability to achieve the government's stated goals of a 'harmonious society' with 'moderate prosperity for all,' but these problems, and the ways that China seeks to address them, are now widely recognized as having major impacts on the entire planet. Chinese demand has become a major factor in the pricing of the world's natural resources, while pollution from Chinese sources, particularly emissions of CO2 and other climate changing gasses, are having global consequences.

  8. The Influence of Class II Division 2 Malocclusions on the Harmony of the Human Face Profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perović, Tatjana

    2017-11-24

    BACKGROUND Persons with class II division 2 malocclusion are characterized by a very specific dento-skeletal and soft-tissue profile (a profile in which a protruding nose and chin, retruding lips, concave and shortened lower third of the face, and gummy smile are dominant), which is the opposite of the currently modern profiles (convex profile of protruding lips and small chin). The aim of this research was to determine the differences in parameters of harmonies of facial profiles between persons with class II division 2 malocclusions and class I, and to establish the significance of those differences. MATERIAL AND METHODS For this study, 50 patients with class II division 2 malocclusions and 50 patients with class I were selected; profile photos were recorded and a photometric analysis was done: a type of profile according to Schwarz, the shape of a nose, the prominence of chin, biometrical field, the position of lips in relation to the tangent Sn-Pg, S-line (Steiner), E-line (Riketts) and a facial angle according to Arnett. RESULTS The significant differences in profiles of persons with class II division 2 compared to class I were: position and prominence of the chin, the position of the lower and upper lip in relation to the S-line, and smaller value of a facial angle in relation to persons with class I. CONCLUSIONS The differences seen in skeletal profiles were not associated with significant differences in the profiled facial contours of the examined groups. The compensatory role of the fullness of soft tissues of the lips is probably the reason why there were not significant deviations in all the examined parameters.

  9. Adjusting the Parameters of Metal Oxide Gapless Surge Arresters’ Equivalent Circuits Using the Harmony Search Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christos A. Christodoulou

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The appropriate circuit modeling of metal oxide gapless surge arresters is critical for insulation coordination studies. Metal oxide arresters present a dynamic behavior for fast front surges; namely, their residual voltage is dependent on the peak value, as well as the duration of the injected impulse current, and should therefore not only be represented by non-linear elements. The aim of the current work is to adjust the parameters of the most frequently used surge arresters’ circuit models by considering the magnitude of the residual voltage, as well as the dissipated energy for given pulses. In this aim, the harmony search method is implemented to adjust parameter values of the arrester equivalent circuit models. This functions by minimizing a defined objective function that compares the simulation outcomes with the manufacturer’s data and the results obtained from previous methodologies.

  10. Correlation of hs-CRP with environmental risk factors of nephropathy in type 2 diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jay Prakash Sah

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to investigate the association of hs-CRP levels with environmental risk factors of diabetic nephropathy like smoking, drinking alcohol, diet, age of diabetic patient, duration of diabetes, medication of diabetes, and blood pressure medication. A hospital-based quantitative study was conducted at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry of Manipal Teaching Hospital (MTH Pokhara, Nepal, with 89 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. Blood samples (n=89 from the patients were collected and the serums were separated. On the other hand, data on environmental risk factors of nephropathy were collected by using standard questionnaire. In this study, serum hs-CRP level was not found to be correlated with smoking (p=0.111, alcohol consumption (p=0.722, diet (p=0.496, duration of diabetes (p=0.519, age of diabetic patient (p=0.369, medication of diabetes (p=0.734, and blood pressure medication (p=0.625. Hence, our study concludes that serum hs-CRP value in type 2 diabetic patients is insignificantly correlated with the risk factors especially smoking, drinking alcohol, diet, duration of diabetes, age of diabetic patient, medication of diabetes, and medication of blood pressure.

  11. Worldwide variation in within-canopy photosynthetic acclimation: differences in temporal and environmental controls among plant functional types

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niinemets, Ülo; Keenan, Trevor

    2017-04-01

    Major light gradients, characteristically 10- to 50-fold, constitute the most prominent feature of plant canopies. These gradients drive within-canopy variation in foliage structural, chemical and physiological traits. As a key acclimation response to variation in light availability, foliage photosynthetic capacity per area (Aarea) increases with increasing light availability within the canopy, maximizing whole canopy photosynthesis. Recently, a worldwide database including 831 within-canopy gradients with standardized light estimates for 304 species belonging to major vascular plant functional types was constructed and within-canopy variation in photosynthetic acclimation was characterized (Niinemets Ü, Keenan TF, Hallik L (2015) Tansley review. A worldwide analysis of within-canopy variations in leaf structural, chemical and physiological traits across plant functional types. The New Phytologist 205: 973-993). However, the understanding of how within-canopy photosynthetic gradients vary during the growing season and in response to site and stand characteristics is still limited. Here we analyzed temporal, environmental and site (nutrient availability, stand density, ambient CO2 concentration, water availability) sources of variation in within-canopy photosynthetic acclimation in different plant functional types. Variation in key structural (leaf dry mass per unit area, MA), chemical (nitrogen content per dry mass, NM, and area, NA) and physiological (photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency, EN) photosynthetic capacity per dry mass, Amass and area, Aarea) was examined. The analysis demonstrates major, typically 1.5-2-fold, time-, environment and site-dependent modifications in within-canopy variation in foliage photosynthetic capacity. However, the magnitude and direction of temporal and environmental variations in plasticity significantly varied among functional types. Species with longer leaf life span and low rates of canopy expansion or flush-type canopy

  12. TCSC based automatic generation control of deregulated power system using quasi-oppositional harmony search algorithm

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    Mahendra Nandi

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In present aspect, automatic generation control (AGC of deregulated power system with thyristor controlled series compensator (TCSC device is investigated. The objective is to discuss bilateral power transaction issue with the TCSC effect. A deregulated two-area power system model having two thermal units in each control area is considered for this act. A quasi-oppositional harmony search (QOHS algorithm is being applied for the constrained optimization problem. Three cases, commonly studied in deregulation, are discussed for the effectiveness of the proposed technique. Further, sensitivity analysis is studied by varying the test system parameters up to ±25% from their rated values. The obtained simulation plots are analytically discussed with the calculation of oscillatory modes, transient details and the studied performance indices. Sugeno fuzzy logic control technique is also investigated to the studied test system. The simulation results show that the proposed QOHS based TCSC controller is quite effective in deregulated environment.

  13. Transmission network expansion planning based on hybridization model of neural networks and harmony search algorithm

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    Mohammad Taghi Ameli

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Transmission Network Expansion Planning (TNEP is a basic part of power network planning that determines where, when and how many new transmission lines should be added to the network. So, the TNEP is an optimization problem in which the expansion purposes are optimized. Artificial Intelligence (AI tools such as Genetic Algorithm (GA, Simulated Annealing (SA, Tabu Search (TS and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs are methods used for solving the TNEP problem. Today, by using the hybridization models of AI tools, we can solve the TNEP problem for large-scale systems, which shows the effectiveness of utilizing such models. In this paper, a new approach to the hybridization model of Probabilistic Neural Networks (PNNs and Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA was used to solve the TNEP problem. Finally, by considering the uncertain role of the load based on a scenario technique, this proposed model was tested on the Garver’s 6-bus network.

  14. A random-key encoded harmony search approach for energy-efficient production scheduling with shared resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Santiago, C. A.; Del Ser, J.; Upton, C.; Quilligan, F.; Gil-Lopez, S.; Salcedo-Sanz, S.

    2015-11-01

    When seeking near-optimal solutions for complex scheduling problems, meta-heuristics demonstrate good performance with affordable computational effort. This has resulted in a gravitation towards these approaches when researching industrial use-cases such as energy-efficient production planning. However, much of the previous research makes assumptions about softer constraints that affect planning strategies and about how human planners interact with the algorithm in a live production environment. This article describes a job-shop problem that focuses on minimizing energy consumption across a production facility of shared resources. The application scenario is based on real facilities made available by the Irish Center for Manufacturing Research. The formulated problem is tackled via harmony search heuristics with random keys encoding. Simulation results are compared to a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing approach and a first-come-first-served scheduling. The superior performance obtained by the proposed scheduler paves the way towards its practical implementation over industrial production chains.

  15. THE ARTS ON THE SOUND AND THE HARMONY OF DERVIS PASHA’S MURAD-NAME DERVİŞ PAŞA’NIN MURÂD-NÂMESİ’NDE SES VE AHENK İLE İLGİLİ SANATLAR

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    Beyhan KESİK

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Derviş Pasha, one of the significant but less known poets, has obtained a deserved place among the other poets writing mesnevi by the pure and fluent style in his mesnevi called Murad-name.The leading feature of the the poet’s style which makes it fluent and remembered is his knowledge of Turkish. The poet knows very well the sound features of that language. He chooses the symphonious words aspect of the sound and the meaning and catches a harmony evoking a song melody with these words. The harmony supplied with the melody is supported with the verbal arts. The poet makes a harmony by reusing the words unary, dual or ternary sometimes in the begining of the line, sometimes in the middle of the line and sometimes at the end of the line. Harmony is sometimes continued with the word-repeats of the text.Murad-name has the appearance of an important mesnevi with the coherent unity of those sound and word repeats in point of the arts on sound and harmony. 16. yüzyılın önemli fakat az tanınmış şairlerinden biri olan Derviş Paşa, Murâd-nâme adlı mesnevisindeki sade ve akıcı üslûbuyla mesnevi yazan şairler arasında önemli bir yere sahiptir.Şairin üslûbunu akıcı ve kalıcı kılan özelliklerin başında, Türkçeye hâkimiyeti gelmektedir. Şair, bu dilin ses özelliklerini çok iyi bilir. Eserinde birbiriyle ses ve anlam yönünden uyumlu kelimeleri seçer ve bu kelimelerin birlikteliğinden yer yer musikîyi çağrıştıran bir armoniyi yakalar. Şiirde armoninin sağlamış olduğu ahenk, söze dayalı sanatlarla desteklenir. Şair, kelimeleri bazen mısra başında, bazen mısra ortasında ve bazen de mısra sonunda birli, ikili, üçlü şekillerde tekrarlayarak ahenk oluşturur. Ahenk, bazen de metin seviyesindeki kelime tekrarlar��yla sürdürülür. Murâd-nâme, bu ses ve söz tekrarlarının uyumlu birlikteliğinin ahenge ve anlama katkısıyla, ses ve ahenkle ilgili sanatlar bakımından önemli bir mesnevîdir.

  16. 33 CFR 148.707 - What type of criteria will be used in an environmental review and how will they be applied?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...: GENERAL Environmental Review Criteria for Deepwater Ports § 148.707 What type of criteria will be used in... patterns; (3) The potential risks to a deepwater port from waves, winds, weather, and geological conditions... children from environmental health and safety risks. ...

  17. The Postcolonial Self and the Other in Béla Tarr’s Werckmeister Harmonies

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    Tion Lucian

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This work sets off to offer a polemical response to postcolonialist theories advanced by Homi Bhabha in his seminal work The Location of Culture, particularly to Bhabha’s famous notions of ambivalence and mimicry purportedly used as methods of struggle against colonialism. Reading Béla Tarr’s film Werckmeister Harmonies (Werckmeister harmóniák, 2000 as an allegory for the colonization of a former colonial agent in the guise of an ambiguously framed post-imperial Hungary now on the eve of Soviet invasion, I turn Bhabha’s notions on their heads, and thus de-stereotype the simplistic hierarchy that sees the colonial agent dominate the colonized subject in a top-down approach. To achieve this, I bring into play Kuan-Hsing Chen’s notion of deimperialization as well as the psychoanalysis of Octave Mannoni in order to show that rather than being a straightforward misreading of the Other by an uninformed Self, the relationship between colonized and colonizer appears more like a failed attempt at acquiring the most basic knowledge of the psychological functioning of the Self on both sides of the colonized/colonizer divide.

  18. [Quantity, quality, harmony and adaption: the guiding principles of a society without hunger in Josué de Castro].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, Eronides da Silva

    2009-01-01

    This article analyzes the links between the biological and social spheres established by Josué de Castro in his studies of alimentation. First it looks at how the author introduced modem dietary principles at the same time that hunger and malnutrition were unveiled in parts of Brazil, aiming at the configuration of a national alimentation policy. Second, at it examines how he expanded the debate, giving visibility to the dynamics of states and the political direction of a world that was being dismantled in which hunger and alimentation were an intrinsic part of the spatial distribution of power. In the postwar scenario the dietary principles of quantity, quality, harmony and adequacy were transposed as the guiding principles for a society without hunger at the global scale.

  19. The Attitude of socio-harmony and Local Wisdom: an Indicator of the Development of Social Tolerance of High School Students

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    Adi Wijaya Deni

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses the dilematis aspect about the shift in traditional values-based local wisdom about the ecological aspects. Close to the learning in school emphasized the sides of cognitive ability and do not offset the granting of traditional values education. The purpose of this article is to promote tolerance of students to be more sensitive to the surroundings so as not to become individualists. Research results at the high school level, students are not given the attitude of socio-harmony in the form of tolerance. The purpose of this article is to enhance social tolerance that can deliver value to prevent the behavior concept asocial.

  20. The nature recuperation as an instrument to the effective of environmental politic of TRANSPETRO in the pipeline ways; A recuperacao da natureza como instrumento para a efetivacao da politica ambiental da TRANSPETRO nas faixas de dutos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fabricio, Roberto Cavalcante; Melo Neto, Joao Evangelista de; Martini, Andrea Dietrich [TRANSPETRO - PETROBRAS Transporte S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2008-07-01

    The present work aimed to broach the Environmental Recuperation issue, firstly in theoretical terms, by the analysis of updated concept into the Environmental Law and by a proposal of classification of the related issue in front of its application possibilities. It was done also a comprehensive data analyses of practical aspects of its utilization as a conservation tool, considering actual legislation and the analyses of cases occurred at TRANSPETRO in the State of Sao Paulo. The research included normative disposition and doctrine manifestation applicable to the theme and also included hypothesis of Environmental Recuperation utilization. The methodology used in the present study focuses the applicability of the theme as a contribution to the Environmental Law and how the Environmental Recuperation could be used in harmony with petroliferous activities in more dynamic and effective form together with the society. (author)

  1. Environmental and health education for school-age children: a transdisciplinary approach

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    Schall Virginia T.

    1994-01-01

    Full Text Available A brief critical analysis and suggestion for guidelines concerning environmental and health education in the elementary school are presented from the viewpoint of emerging pedagogic experiences and theoretical philosophical reflections. The major points discussed are: the importance of transdisciplinarity, the enhancement of participatory education where technical knowledge and popular wisdom meet, the planning and execution of concrete experiences which stimulate the sensations of pleasure and of admiration for nature and life, the analysis and the search for a solution to problems affecting the local reality of pupils without losing sight of global issues. A major priority is investment in teacher training, stimulating acquisition of knowledge through creative practice and formation of a critical awareness, essential for the school to clearly show its commitment to a future of greater social equality and harmony in our relationship to the environment.

  2. NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Type and Phase Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of cloud type and phase from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)...

  3. ENVIRONMENTAL-BALANCED SCORECARD DAN ETIKA BISNIS ISLÂM (Suatu Sintesis Manajemen Strategi dalam Persaingan Global

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    Rudy Haryanto Rudy Haryanto

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: Business activity is an integral part of economic discourse. Islamic economy system starts from ethical awareness. For its viability, a company runs an old fashioned-management, it is a material-prosperity attainmnet oriented. However, it results a social contradiction. In Islamic ethic, a business must combine material and moral indicators emphesizing profit and expediency harmonies. Islamic business must be on the basis of natural and human resources that is moved by a motivation of dynamic devotion. Thus, it is  significant to have a management strategy that are religious, morality, and humanity oriented. Furthermore, the paradigm change that company goal maintaining the financial aspect change into social and environmental aspects is certain.   Key Words: Manajemen srategis, etika, perusahaan, lingkungan, dan Balanced Scorecard

  4. Varadero Beach, Hicacos Península, Cuba: relief génesis and evolution, and environmental experience linked to its artificial regeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Ramón Hernández Santana

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The coastal system constitutes one of the most fragüe systems of the Earth's surface, specially in cumulative áreas such as beaches. Dumping sand is one of the main ways to artificially promote the sedimentary enrichment and temporary stability of beaches, thus contributing to their environmental protection and sustainable development. The present work improves our knowledge on the structure, morphology, génesis and dynamícs of the peninsular relief of Hicacos, Cuba, fundamentally at its northern sector, focusing on its use and optimized management. The study proposes an evolutionary model for its geomorphological consolidation; it describes the environmental experiences related to dumping sand in Varadero beach in 1998 as a beach-recovering measure, and suggests a number of preventive and corrective measures that favor geomorphic stability, in harmony with current and projected resorts and services.

  5. Node Depth Adjustment Based Target Tracking in UWSNs Using Improved Harmony Search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meiqin Liu

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs can provide a promising solution to underwater target tracking. Due to the limited computation and bandwidth resources, only a small part of nodes are selected to track the target at each interval. How to improve tracking accuracy with a small number of nodes is a key problem. In recent years, a node depth adjustment system has been developed and applied to issues of network deployment and routing protocol. As far as we know, all existing tracking schemes keep underwater nodes static or moving with water flow, and node depth adjustment has not been utilized for underwater target tracking yet. This paper studies node depth adjustment method for target tracking in UWSNs. Firstly, since a Fisher Information Matrix (FIM can quantify the estimation accuracy, its relation to node depth is derived as a metric. Secondly, we formulate the node depth adjustment as an optimization problem to determine moving depth of activated node, under the constraint of moving range, the value of FIM is used as objective function, which is aimed to be minimized over moving distance of nodes. Thirdly, to efficiently solve the optimization problem, an improved Harmony Search (HS algorithm is proposed, in which the generating probability is modified to improve searching speed and accuracy. Finally, simulation results are presented to verify performance of our scheme.

  6. Hybridisations of Variable Neighbourhood Search and Modified Simplex Elements to Harmony Search and Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithms for Process Optimisations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aungkulanon, P.; Luangpaiboon, P.

    2010-10-01

    Nowadays, the engineering problem systems are large and complicated. An effective finite sequence of instructions for solving these problems can be categorised into optimisation and meta-heuristic algorithms. Though the best decision variable levels from some sets of available alternatives cannot be done, meta-heuristics is an alternative for experience-based techniques that rapidly help in problem solving, learning and discovery in the hope of obtaining a more efficient or more robust procedure. All meta-heuristics provide auxiliary procedures in terms of their own tooled box functions. It has been shown that the effectiveness of all meta-heuristics depends almost exclusively on these auxiliary functions. In fact, the auxiliary procedure from one can be implemented into other meta-heuristics. Well-known meta-heuristics of harmony search (HSA) and shuffled frog-leaping algorithms (SFLA) are compared with their hybridisations. HSA is used to produce a near optimal solution under a consideration of the perfect state of harmony of the improvisation process of musicians. A meta-heuristic of the SFLA, based on a population, is a cooperative search metaphor inspired by natural memetics. It includes elements of local search and global information exchange. This study presents solution procedures via constrained and unconstrained problems with different natures of single and multi peak surfaces including a curved ridge surface. Both meta-heuristics are modified via variable neighbourhood search method (VNSM) philosophy including a modified simplex method (MSM). The basic idea is the change of neighbourhoods during searching for a better solution. The hybridisations proceed by a descent method to a local minimum exploring then, systematically or at random, increasingly distant neighbourhoods of this local solution. The results show that the variant of HSA with VNSM and MSM seems to be better in terms of the mean and variance of design points and yields.

  7. Cement Types, Composition, Uses and Advantages of Nanocement, Environmental Impact on Cement Production, and Possible Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. P. Dunuweera

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available We first discuss cement production and special nomenclature used by cement industrialists in expressing the composition of their cement products. We reveal different types of cement products, their compositions, properties, and typical uses. Wherever possible, we tend to give reasons as to why a particular cement type is more suitable for a given purpose than other types. Cement manufacturing processes are associated with emissions of large quantities of greenhouse gases and environmental pollutants. We give below quantitative and qualitative analyses of environmental impact of cement manufacturing. Controlling pollution is a mandatory legal and social requirement pertinent to any industry. As cement industry is one of the biggest CO2 emitters, it is appropriate to discuss different ways and means of CO2 capture, which will be done next. Finally, we give an account of production of nanocement and advantages associated with nanocement. Nanofillers such as nanotitania, nanosilica, and nanoalumina can be produced in large industrial scale via top-down approach of reducing size of naturally available bulk raw materials to those in the nanorange of 1 nm–100 nm. We mention the preparation of nanotitania and nanosilica from Sri Lankan mineral sands and quartz deposits, respectively, for the use as additives in cement products to improve performance and reduce the amount and cost of cement production and consequent environmental impacts. As of now, mineral sands and other treasures of minerals are exported without much value addition. Simple chemical modifications or physical treatments would add enormous value to these natural materials. Sri Lanka is gifted with highly pure quartz and graphite from which silica and graphite nanoparticles, respectively, can be prepared by simple size reduction processes. These can be used as additives in cements. Separation of constituents of mineral sands is already an ongoing process.

  8. A combination of HARMONIE short time direct normal irradiance forecasts and machine learning: The #hashtdim procedure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gastón, Martín; Fernández-Peruchena, Carlos; Körnich, Heiner; Landelius, Tomas

    2017-06-01

    The present work describes the first approach of a new procedure to forecast Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI): the #hashtdim that treats to combine ground information and Numerical Weather Predictions. The system is centered in generate predictions for the very short time. It combines the outputs from the Numerical Weather Prediction Model HARMONIE with an adaptive methodology based on Machine Learning. The DNI predictions are generated with 15-minute and hourly temporal resolutions and presents 3-hourly updates. Each update offers forecasts to the next 12 hours, the first nine hours are generated with 15-minute temporal resolution meanwhile the last three hours present hourly temporal resolution. The system is proved over a Spanish emplacement with BSRN operative station in south of Spain (PSA station). The #hashtdim has been implemented in the framework of the Direct Normal Irradiance Nowcasting methods for optimized operation of concentrating solar technologies (DNICast) project, under the European Union's Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration framework.

  9. Discrete harmony search algorithm for scheduling and rescheduling the reprocessing problems in remanufacturing: a case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Kaizhou; Wang, Ling; Luo, Jianping; Jiang, Hua; Sadollah, Ali; Pan, Quanke

    2018-06-01

    In this article, scheduling and rescheduling problems with increasing processing time and new job insertion are studied for reprocessing problems in the remanufacturing process. To handle the unpredictability of reprocessing time, an experience-based strategy is used. Rescheduling strategies are applied for considering the effect of increasing reprocessing time and the new subassembly insertion. To optimize the scheduling and rescheduling objective, a discrete harmony search (DHS) algorithm is proposed. To speed up the convergence rate, a local search method is designed. The DHS is applied to two real-life cases for minimizing the maximum completion time and the mean of earliness and tardiness (E/T). These two objectives are also considered together as a bi-objective problem. Computational optimization results and comparisons show that the proposed DHS is able to solve the scheduling and rescheduling problems effectively and productively. Using the proposed approach, satisfactory optimization results can be achieved for scheduling and rescheduling on a real-life shop floor.

  10. Global Optimization Based on the Hybridization of Harmony Search and Particle Swarm Optimization Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. P. Karpenko

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We consider a class of stochastic search algorithms of global optimization which in various publications are called behavioural, intellectual, metaheuristic, inspired by the nature, swarm, multi-agent, population, etc. We use the last term.Experience in using the population algorithms to solve challenges of global optimization shows that application of one such algorithm may not always effective. Therefore now great attention is paid to hybridization of population algorithms of global optimization. Hybrid algorithms unite various algorithms or identical algorithms, but with various values of free parameters. Thus efficiency of one algorithm can compensate weakness of another.The purposes of the work are development of hybrid algorithm of global optimization based on known algorithms of harmony search (HS and swarm of particles (PSO, software implementation of algorithm, study of its efficiency using a number of known benchmark problems, and a problem of dimensional optimization of truss structure.We set a problem of global optimization, consider basic algorithms of HS and PSO, give a flow chart of the offered hybrid algorithm called PSO HS , present results of computing experiments with developed algorithm and software, formulate main results of work and prospects of its development.

  11. Extending Coverage and Lifetime of K-coverage Wireless Sensor Networks Using Improved Harmony Search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shohreh Ebrahimnezhad

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available K-coverage wireless sensor networks try to provide facilities such that each hotspot region is covered by at least k sensors. Because, the fundamental evaluation metrics of such networks are coverage and lifetime, proposing an approach that extends both of them simultaneously has a lot of interests. In this article, it is supposed that two kinds of nodes are available: static and mobile. The proposed method, at first, tries to balance energy among sensor nodes using Improved Harmony Search (IHS algorithm in a k-coverage and connected wireless sensor network in order to achieve a sensor node deployment. Also, this method proposes a suitable place for a gateway node (Sink that collects data from all sensors. Second, in order to prolong the network lifetime, some of the high energy-consuming mobile nodes are moved to the closest positions of low energy-consuming ones and vice versa after a while. This leads increasing the lifetime of network while connectivity and k-coverage are preserved. Through computer simulations, experimental results verified that the proposed IHS-based algorithm found better solution compared to some related methods.

  12. nirS-type denitrifying bacterial assemblages respond to environmental conditions of a shallow estuary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lisa, Jessica A; Jayakumar, Amal; Ward, Bess B; Song, Bongkeun

    2017-12-01

    Molecular analysis of dissimilatory nitrite reductase genes (nirS) was conducted using a customized microarray containing 165 nirS probes (archetypes) to identify members of sedimentary denitrifying communities. The goal of this study was to examine denitrifying community responses to changing environmental variables over spatial and temporal scales in the New River Estuary (NRE), NC, USA. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed three denitrifier assemblages and uncovered 'generalist' and 'specialist' archetypes based on the distribution of archetypes within these assemblages. Generalists, archetypes detected in all samples during at least one season, were commonly world-wide found in estuarine and marine ecosystems, comprised 8%-29% of the abundant NRE archetypes. Archetypes found in a particular site, 'specialists', were found to co-vary based on site specific conditions. Archetypes specific to the lower estuary in winter were designated Cluster I and significantly correlated by sediment Chl a and porewater Fe 2+ . A combination of specialist and more widely distributed archetypes formed Clusters II and III, which separated based on salinity and porewater H 2 S respectively. The co-occurrence of archetypes correlated with different environmental conditions highlights the importance of habitat type and niche differentiation among nirS-type denitrifying communities and supports the essential role of individual community members in overall ecosystem function. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Harmony search optimization in dimensional accuracy of die sinking EDM process using SS316L stainless steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deris, A. M.; Zain, A. M.; Sallehuddin, R.; Sharif, S.

    2017-09-01

    Electric discharge machine (EDM) is one of the widely used nonconventional machining processes for hard and difficult to machine materials. Due to the large number of machining parameters in EDM and its complicated structural, the selection of the optimal solution of machining parameters for obtaining minimum machining performance is remain as a challenging task to the researchers. This paper proposed experimental investigation and optimization of machining parameters for EDM process on stainless steel 316L work piece using Harmony Search (HS) algorithm. The mathematical model was developed based on regression approach with four input parameters which are pulse on time, peak current, servo voltage and servo speed to the output response which is dimensional accuracy (DA). The optimal result of HS approach was compared with regression analysis and it was found HS gave better result y giving the most minimum DA value compared with regression approach.

  14. Associations between health and different types of environmental incivility: a Scotland-wide study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellaway, A; Morris, G; Curtice, J; Robertson, C; Allardice, G; Robertson, R

    2009-11-01

    Concern about the impact of the environment on health and well-being has tended to focus on the physical effects of exposure to toxic and infectious substances, and on the impact of large-scale infrastructures. Less attention has been paid to the possible psychosocial consequences of people's subjective perceptions of their everyday, street-level environment, such as the incidence of litter and graffiti. As little is known about the potential relative importance for health of perceptions of different types of environmental incivility, a module was developed for inclusion in the 2004 Scottish Social Attitudes survey in order to investigate this relationship. A random sample of 1637 adults living across a range of neighbourhoods throughout Scotland was interviewed. Respondents were asked to rate their local area on a range of possible environmental incivilities. These incivilities were subsequently grouped into three domains: (i) street-level incivilities (e.g. litter, graffiti); (ii) large-scale infrastructural incivilities (e.g. telephone masts); and (iii) the absence of environmental goods (e.g. safe play areas for children). For each of the three domains, the authors examined the degree to which they were thought to pose a problem locally, and how far these perceptions varied between those living in deprived areas and those living in less-deprived areas. Subsequently, the relationships between these perceptions and self-assessed health and health behaviours were explored, after controlling for gender, age and social class. Respondents with the highest levels of perceived street-level incivilities were almost twice as likely as those who perceived the lowest levels of street-level incivilities to report frequent feelings of anxiety and depression. Perceived absence of environmental goods was associated with increased anxiety (2.5 times more likely) and depression (90% more likely), and a 50% increased likelihood of being a smoker. Few associations with health were

  15. Strategic Environmental Assessment: Integrated environmental management

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available stream_source_info Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism_2004.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 70155 Content-Encoding ISO-8859-1 stream_name Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism_2004.pdf... and Tourism Other topics in the series of overview information documents on the concepts of, and approaches to, integrated environmental management are listed below. Further titles in this series are being prepared and will be made available periodically...

  16. Multi-Objective Planning of Multi-Type Distributed Generation Considering Timing Characteristics and Environmental Benefits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yajing Gao

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a novel approach to multi-type distributed generation (DG planning based on the analysis of investment and income brought by grid-connected DG. Firstly, the timing characteristics of loads and DG outputs, as well as the environmental benefits of DG are analyzed. Then, on the basis of the classification of daily load sequences, the typical daily load sequence and the typical daily output sequence of DG per unit capacity can be computed. The proposed planning model takes the location, capacity and types of DG into account as optimization variables. An improved adaptive genetic algorithm is proposed to solve the model. Case studies have been carried out on the IEEE 14-node distribution system to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method and model.

  17. Environmental and Individual Correlates of Various Types of Physical Activity among Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged and Elderly Japanese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshinobu Saito

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies have suggested the importance of the neighborhood environment in determining the specific type of physical activity. However, few studies on this topic have been undertaken in Japan. This study examined the association of three types of physical activity and their associations with individual and neighborhood environmental factors among middle-aged and elderly Japanese. Participants were 2,449 adults aged 40–69 living in Fujisawa city who had undergone health checkups and responded to our survey by mail. Individual factors, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (long form, and its environmental module acted as inputs to the study. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs of high levels of moderate-to-vigorous intensity leisure-time physical activity (LTPA, walking for active recreation, and transportation were calculated in relation to individual and neighborhood environmental factors through multiple logistic regression models. Not working and good self-rated health were significantly associated with a higher level of each physical activity outcome. According to the adjusted ORs, higher educational attainment, higher economic status, good access to exercise facilities, and owning motor vehicles were associated with longer LTPA time. However, different sets of factors were associated with longer walking times for recreation and transportation. The results suggest that diverse individual and neighborhood environmental characteristics are associated with different physical activity outcomes. Therefore, customizing environments to become activity-friendly is necessary to increase physical activity effectively among middle-aged and elderly Japanese.

  18. Environmental Comfort Indicators for School Buildings in Sustainability Assessment Tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Santos Saraiva

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Decades ago, the only requirement to construct a building was to give men the right conditions for the execution of their work or leisure activities. With the development of knowledge about the internal and external environments of buildings, other requirements have been added such as the issue of user comfort. New construction techniques have been incorporated and new products have been created to improve internal environment comfort. This research addressed the importance of using indicators related to environmental comfort in sustainability assessment tools applied to school buildings. It also considered the importance of environmental issues for the good performance of human beings, and the harmonious coexistence of the comfort indicators indoor air quality, thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic comfort and ergonomic comfort based on data gathered in research carried out with users of high schools (only students. This research was carried out in two different cities of different countries, Guimarães (Portugal and Juiz de Fora (Brazil, that have similar characteristics of teaching standards and climate conditions (temperature and air humidity. In this study, interviews were made through questionnaires and, later, the information collected was analyzed. This study demonstrates the need to include an ergonomic indicator for school buildings in sustainability assessment tools.

  19. Lizimetric investigation of vertical transportation of Cs-137 in the different soil types for the different raining conditions: a new solution proposal and application for the Chernobyl accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varinlioglu, A.

    2000-12-01

    The aim of this Ph.D. thesis is to trace the vertical transportation of water in soil by using the Cs-137 as radiotracer. We have studied 3 different soil types clay, loamy and sandy and 3 different raining conditions. High, normal and low raining regimes that are typical especially for the Black Sea Region were selected for experimental parameters. These experiments have been realized in lizimetric conditions. As a result, the type of applications for the combinations of soil type and raining regime contain experimental originality. Humidity observation technique was also used. The result of the experiments show that in every raining regime the activities of different types of soils can be classified as sand, loam and clay in descending activity order. When the results of the experiments were evaluated according to the raining regime it can be seen that the relative activity for every type of soil is always towards higher to lower raining conditions. These results are what we already have expected and are related to the water permeability of the soil. The surface soil activities have also been measured. The surface soil activities were arranged as clayey, loamy and sandy in descending activity order for every laining regime. The surface soil activities were found to be higher in the soil types in which water could not penetrate deeper. When the relative activity values were compared with the results of the surface soil activities it was recognized that the order of soils changes upside down. This is an evident of harmony for the experimental results. For the evaluation of surface activity it can be seen that the relative activity values for every kind of soil type is always in the same order from the highest to the lowest raining regimes. As a result, it can be said that the all results have significant and have harmonies with each other. Experimental results were comparatively examined by using the s emi infinite convection dispersion model . All the conclusions

  20. Profiling the environmental risk management of Chinese local environmental agencies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    He, G.; Zhang, L.; Mol, A.P.J.; Lu, Y.

    2013-01-01

    The increasing frequency and impact of environmental accidents have pushed the issue of environmental risk management (ERM) to the top of the Chinese governments’ agendas and popularized the term ‘emergency response.’ Although the boundary between environmental accidents and other types of accidents

  1. A unified methodology for single- and multiobjective in-core fuel management optimisation based on augmented Chebyshev scalarisation and a harmony search algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlünz, E.B.; Bokov, P.M.; Prinsloo, R.H.; Vuuren, J.H. van

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Unified methodology for in-core fuel management optimisation (ICFMO). • Addresses single- and multiobjective constrained and unconstrained ICFMO problems. • Augmented Chebyshev scalarising objective function with additive penalty function. • Harmony search algorithm yields high-quality solution or approximate Pareto set. • Methodology provides cycle-to-cycle optimisation decision support capabilities. - Abstract: The in-core fuel management optimisation (ICFMO) problem is the problem of finding an optimal fuel reload configuration for a nuclear reactor core. ICFMO may involve the pursuit of a single or multiple objectives, while satisfying several constraints. Very little multiobjective ICFMO research involving the fundamental notion of Pareto optimality has, however, been performed. In this paper, a unified methodology is proposed for the modelling and solution of single- and multiobjective ICFMO problems, be they constrained or unconstrained. With this methodology, ICFMO problems incorporating a variety of objectives and/or constraints may be modelled and solved rapidly, thus providing a cycle-to-cycle optimisation decision support capability for nuclear reactors. An augmented Chebyshev scalarising objective function is incorporated in the methodology for modelling any number of objectives, while an additive penalty function handles potential constraints. Furthermore, an adapted harmony search algorithm is used to solve a given ICFMO problem. The algorithm is able to yield a single solution or a nondominated set of solutions as result (depending on the number of objectives in a problem). The applicability of the methodology is demonstrated by solving (approximately) a variety of ICFMO test problems for the SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor. The results indicate that the methodology may be used as an effective decision support tool for reactor operators tasked with designing reload configurations from cycle to cycle.

  2. The Local Language of Global Environmental Knowledge

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    LANDA

    The importance of respecting and protecting the environment and living in harmony with it. SEYCHELLES. Melting Ice - A Hot Topic? SOMALIA. Stop the war; war destroys the environment. SOUTH AFRICA. Eco- Design for Competitive Advantage. Touch Africa Lightly. The Wolf in the Forest. An Inconvenient Truth.

  3. A multistage framework for reliability-based distribution expansion planning considering distributed generations by a self-adaptive global-based harmony search algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shivaie, Mojtaba; Ameli, Mohammad T.; Sepasian, Mohammad S.; Weinsier, Philip D.; Vahidinasab, Vahid

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, the authors present a new multistage framework for reliability-based Distribution Expansion Planning (DEP) in which expansion options are a reinforcement and/or installation of substations, feeders, and Distributed Generations (DGs). The proposed framework takes into account not only costs associated with investment, maintenance, and operation, but also expected customer interruption cost in the optimization as four problem objectives. At the same time, operational restrictions, Kirchhoff's laws, radial structure limitation, voltage limits, and capital expenditure budget restriction are considered as problem constraints. The proposed model is a non-convex optimization problem having a non-linear, mixed-integer nature. Hence, a hybrid Self-adaptive Global-based Harmony Search Algorithm (SGHSA) and Optimal Power Flow (OPF) were used and followed by a fuzzy satisfying method in order to obtain the final optimal solution. The SGHSA is a recently developed optimization algorithm which imitates the music improvisation process. In this process, the harmonists improvise their instrument pitches, searching for the perfect state of harmony. The planning methodology was demonstrated on the 27-node, 13.8-kV test system in order to demonstrate the feasibility and capability of the proposed model. Simulation results illustrated the sufficiency and profitableness of the newly developed framework, when compared with other methods. - Highlights: • A new multistage framework is presented for reliability-based DEP problem. • In this paper, DGs are considered as an expansion option to increase the flexibility of the proposed model. • In this paper, effective factors of DEP problem are incorporated as a multi-objective model. • In this paper, three new algorithms HSA, IHSA and SGHSA are proposed. • Results obtained by the proposed SGHSA algorithm are better than others

  4. The laboratory-type data input and processing subsystem of the country-wide environmental radiation monitoring system in Hungary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanyar, B.; Fulop, N.; Glavatszkih, N.; Nemeth, A.

    1996-01-01

    The countrywide radiation monitoring activity in Hungary is shared among the national networks as agriculture, environmental protection and public health ones. They are mostly involved in the environmental sampling and laboratory type determinations of the radioactive pollution, meanwhile the organisations mainly from the Army and Civil Defence are responsible to the early warning system. A moderately effective collaboration is established only around the Nuclear Power Plant Paks. Based on more than 10 years experience in collaboration around the NPP the Hungarian Atomic Energy Commission initiated some centralism in the countrywide monitoring activity as well. As the first step the National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene has been charged to establish an Information Center for laboratory-type data collection, processing, analysis and informing regularly the proper organizations on the results. The Information Centre is equipped with a computer type of SUN SPARCserver-20 and the laboratories are planned to be linked on line by PC stations. The main user programs for data collection, control and restricted processing are written in INGRES data manager software. The semiprocessed results can be transformed in a readable form for general statistical etc. packages

  5. Fiscal 1997 survey report. Basic survey on trends of waste use type production facilities and waste fuel production facilities; 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho. Haikibutsu riyogata seizo shisetsu oyobi haikibutsu nenryo seizo shisetsu doko kiso chosa hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-03-01

    This survey was made to obtain the basic data for future spread and promotion of No.6 type (waste use type production facilities) and No.7 type (waste fuel production facilities) which were added to the objects having been subsidized since fiscal 1997 under `the environmental harmony type energy community project.` In the former, the kiln in the cement industry and the blast furnace in the steel industry can be extremely large places to receive waste plastic since the facilities are distributed in every area and the treatment capacity is large. However, the effective collection, transportation and sorting of large quantity of waste plastic, especially the problem of removal of vinyl chloride, is a big bottleneck. As to the use of waste plastic using gasification technology, there are no actual results on the commercial basis. That is, however, appropriate for treatment of the waste difficult in treatment, and can be expected of the usage in the chemical industry. In the latter, in the facilities using industrial waste raw materials as fuel, solidification and liquefaction are both operated on a commercial basis. In relation to the solidification and use as fuel of general waste, the treatment of combustion ash is preventing the expansion of use of waste in the industrial field because of a large quantity of chlorine included in the products. 92 refs., 54 figs., 35 tabs.

  6. Method for detecting and distinguishing between specific types of environmental radiation using a high pressure ionization chamber with pulse-mode readout

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degtiarenko, Pavel V.

    2017-12-19

    An environmental radiation detector for detecting and distinguishing between all types of environmental radiation, including photons, charged particles, and neutrons. A large volume high pressure ionization chamber (HPIC) includes BF.sub.3 gas at a specific concentration to render the radiation detector sensitive to the reactions of neutron capture in Boron-10 isotope. A pulse-mode readout is connected to the ionization chamber capable of measuring both the height and the width of the pulse. The heavy charged products of the neutron capture reaction deposit significant characteristic energy of the reaction in the immediate vicinity of the reaction in the gas, producing a signal with a pulse height proportional to the reaction energy, and a narrow pulse width corresponding to the essentially pointlike energy deposition in the gas. Readout of the pulse height and the pulse width parameters of the signals enables distinguishing between the different types of environmental radiation, such as gamma (x-rays), cosmic muons, and neutrons.

  7. INEL Geothermal Environmental Program. Final environmental report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thurow, T.L.; Cahn, L.S.

    1982-09-01

    An overview of environmental monitoring programs and research during development of a moderate temperature geothermal resource in the Raft River Valley is presented. One of the major objectives was to develop programs for environmental assessment and protection that could serve as an example for similar types of development. The monitoring studies were designed to establish baseline conditions (predevelopment) of the physical, biological, and human environment. Potential changes were assessed and adverse environmental impacts minimized. No major environmental impacts resulted from development of the Raft River Geothermal Research Facility. The results of the physical, biological, and human environment monitoring programs are summarized.

  8. Mathematical diagnosis of pediatric echocardiograms with fractal dimension measures evaluated through intrinsic mathematical harmony

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez V, Javier O; Prieto, Signed E; Ortiz, Liliana

    2010-01-01

    Geometry allows the objective mathematical characterization of forms. Fractal geometry characterizes irregular objects. The left ventricle dynamical states form observed through echocardiography can be objectively evaluated through fractal dimension measures. Methods: A measurement of fractal dimension was performed using the Box-counting method of three defined objects in 28 echocardiographic images, 16 from normal children (group A) and 12 ill children (group B), in order to establish differences between health and illness from its comparison with the fractal dimensions of 2 normality prototypes and 2 disease prototypes. Results: A new diagnostic, clinical application methodology was developed based in the intrinsic mathematical harmony (IMH) concept, and it was observed that the fractal dimensions of the defined objects for an abnormal echocardiogram show similarity to its fourth significant number, thus demonstrating the possibility of following up the evolution from normality towards disease. According to the performed calculations, 68.75% of the cases in group A could be better evaluated with the developed diagnostic methodology, and the ill ones could be diagnosed more effectively. Conclusions: The pediatric echocardiography images can be objectively characterized with fractal dimension measurements, thus enabling the development of a clinical diagnostic methodology of echocardiography in children from the IMH concept.

  9. "Lesbians are not women": feminine and lesbian sensibilities in Harmony Hammond's late-1970s sculpture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Margo Hobbs

    2008-01-01

    Harmony Hammond's wrapped fabric sculptures are placed in context of the theories of gender and sexuality that circulated among lesbian and straight feminists at the time they were made, the late 1970s. Hammond has cited in particular Monique Wittig's novels, such as The Lesbian Body, and her essays including "The Straight Mind" where Wittig concludes that the lesbian is not a woman. The critique to which Wittig's lesbian separatism has been subjected by Judith Butler in her consideration of the appeal and limitations of essentialism also applies to Hammond's art. Hammond's use of vaginal imagery was instrumental to visualizing a lesbian sensibility, but the proposition of such a sensibility established a new problematic: a new essential category. The article concludes that because Hammond's work was produced in the context of a complex set of discourses, lesbian, feminist, and aesthetic, it resisted reduction to a singular meaning. Her sculptures avoided the pitfall of substituting one essence for another, lesbian for feminine sensibility, but activated both. The sculptures effectively queered vaginal imagery: When Hammond used vaginal imagery to represent lesbian sensibility, she subverted the equation of sex and gender and the essentialist notion of feminine sensibility.

  10. Environmental Labels and Declarations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frydendal, Jeppe; Hansen, Lisbeth; Bonou, Alexandra

    2018-01-01

    Based on the terminology and structure developed by the International Organization for Standardization, a description is given on the types of ecolabels that build on life cycle assessments. Focus is on type I labels that point out products and services with an overall environmental preferability...... of labelling, the use of ecolabels in marketing, and the way ecolabels help build a market for “greener products”. Type III labels—or Environmental Product Declarations—are also briefly described with indicative examples from the building sector, a declaration for office furniture, and an introduction is given...... to the European Commission’s programme for product—and organisational environmental footprints ....

  11. Genome analysis of environmental and clinical P. aeruginosa isolates from sequence type-1146.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Sánchez

    Full Text Available The genomes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates of the new sequence type ST-1146, three environmental (P37, P47 and P49 and one clinical (SD9 isolates, with differences in their antibiotic susceptibility profiles have been sequenced and analysed. The genomes were mapped against P. aeruginosa PAO1-UW and UCBPP-PA14. The allelic profiles showed that the highest number of differences were in "Related to phage, transposon or plasmid" and "Secreted factors" categories. The clinical isolate showed a number of exclusive alleles greater than that for the environmental isolates. The phage Pf1 region in isolate SD9 accumulated the highest number of nucleotide substitutions. The ORF analysis of the four genomes assembled de novo indicated that the number of isolate-specific genes was higher in isolate SD9 (132 genes than in isolates P37 (24 genes, P47 (16 genes and P49 (21 genes. CRISPR elements were found in all isolates and SD9 showed differences in the spacer region. Genes related to bacteriophages F116 and H66 were found only in isolate SD9. Genome comparisons indicated that the isolates of ST-1146 are close related, and most genes implicated in pathogenicity are highly conserved, suggesting a genetic potential for infectivity in the environmental isolates similar to the clinical one. Phage-related genes are responsible of the main differences among the genomes of ST-1146 isolates. The role of bacteriophages has to be considered in the adaptation processes of isolates to the host and in microevolution studies.

  12. Environmental charges in airline markets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carlsson, Fredrik [Goeteborg Univ., Dept. of Economics, Goeteborg (Sweden)

    2002-07-01

    Over the last two decades many airline markets have been deregulated, resulting in increased competition and use of different types of networks. At the same time there has been an intense discussion on environmental taxation of airline traffic. It is likely that an optimal environmental charge and the effects of a charge differ between different types of aviation markets. In this paper, we derive optimal flight (environmental) charges for different types of airline markets. The first type of market is a multiproduct monopoly airline operating either a point-to-point network or a hub-and-spoke network. The optimal charge is shown to be similar in construction to an optimal charge for a monopolist. We also compare the environmental impact of the two types of networks. Given no differences in marginal damages between airports we find that an airline will always choose the network with the highest environmental damages. The second type of market we investigate is a multiproduct duopoly, where two airlines compete in both passengers and flights. The formulation of the optimal charge is similar to the optimal charge of a single product oligopoly. However, we also show that it is, because of strategic effects, difficult to determine the effects of the charge on the number of flights. (Author)

  13. Environmental safety of the global information space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    В’ячеслав Степанович Волошин

    2015-03-01

    Databases of full-text publications – journals, articles, monographs- are surely a means of salvation for science. There already exist a large number of such portals. Besides, advantages and disadvantages of electronic subscriptions to periodicals should certainly be considered. The former include the following most evident ones: aggregation of large data arrays, saving money on a subscription, an opportunity to work with relevant publications, thematic collections of materials, availability of records, simultaneous access of an unlimited number of users and others. Nevertheless, there are many disadvantages that make it difficult to work with full-text publications. They are the following: selective representativeness of publication numbers, complexity of keyword search, occasional presence of obsolete text formats, printed versions, possible psychological barrier, physiological incompatibility with computer equipment, fatigue caused by prolonged work on the computer. The Internet was followed by the appearance of global control networks, their aims ranging from control of a human life support to a unified control of humanity. So, the formed global information space promises the man to get access to almost any information source. Meanwhile, environmental safety of the man, his/her objective biological psyche and abilities in harmonious development are at serious risk

  14. Evaluating sustainability of household consumption - using DEA to assess environmental performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wier, Mette; Christoffersen, Line Block; Jensen, Trine S.

    2005-01-01

    We assess environmental performance across product types and across household types in order to evaluate environmental pressure from human activities. To so do, we combine family budget statistics, input-output tables, energy and material flow matrices, various types of emissions and environmental...... effects indices for various effect types (e.g. a global warming potential index, an ozone depletion potential index, etc). Subsequently, using DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis), we use these weighted environmental effects indices to form one environ-mental performance score for each family type and product...... type. We find that the environmental performance of each family type changes considerably across environmental effect types. The analysis of the overall environmental performance scores shows that families living in urban flats, especially the young and elderly families, have the most environmentally...

  15. Environmental management in product chains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard; Forman, Marianne; Hansen, Anne Grethe

    of environmental initiatives, a number of recommendations for governmental regulation, which can support the further diffusion of environmental management in product chains, are developed. Furthermore, the report describes a number of theoretical perspectives from sociology of technology, organisation theory......This report presents the analyses of the shaping, implementation and embedding of eight types of environmental initiatives in product chains. The analyses focus on • the role of the type of product and branch, of the size of the companies and of governmental regulation • the focus...... of the environmental concerns and the reductions in environmental impact • organisational changes which have been part of the embedding of the initiatives The analyses are based on 25 cases from national and international product chains involving one or more Danish companies. Based on the analyses of the eight types...

  16. Environmental monitoring systems: a new type of mobile laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruecher, L.; Langmueller, G.; Tuerschmann, G.

    1999-01-01

    Nuclear facilities are obligated to monitor the environmental radiation in their vicinity, which is often fulfilled by monitoring cars, combined with fixed monitoring stations. The MOLAR Mobile Laboratory for Environmental Radiation Monitoring as described here is being used under normal and accident conditions as a spot check monitoring system or to perform continuous measurements along a driving track. The mobile laboratories are continuously connected with the control centre's CRCS Central Radiological Computer System, where the RIS Radiological Information System provides corresponding evaluation functions. The mobile labs contain measuring and controlling units like γ-dose rate monitors, γ-spectrometer with a HpGe High Purity Germanium detector, a lead shielded measuring cell and MCA Multi-Channel Analyser, portable β-contamination monitor, α/β/γ multipurpose quick measuring unit, aerosol and iodine sampling units. The collected samples are safely stored for the transport to the environmental laboratory for being analysed later. The geographical location of the moving car is continuously determined by the satellite based GPS Global Positioning System and transferred in the on-board rack mounted computer system for being stored and locally displayed. Real-time data transmission via radio and mobile phone is continuously performed to supply the RIS Radiological Information System in the control centre via radio and mobile phone. The latter also serves for voice communication. Currently three MOLAR systems can be operated parallel and independent from the control centre. The system is ready to be extended to more mobile labs. This combination of mobile monitoring, sample analysis and radiological assessment of environmental data in combination with process occurrences has turned out to be a powerful instrument for emergency preparedness and environmental supervising. (orig.) [de

  17. Persistent environmental contamination with USA300 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and other pathogenic strain types in households with S. aureus skin infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eells, Samantha J; David, Michael Z; Taylor, Alexis; Ortiz, Nancy; Kumar, Neha; Sieth, Julia; Boyle-Vavra, Susan; Daum, Robert S; Miller, Loren G

    2014-11-01

    To understand the genotypic spectrum of environmental contamination of Staphylococcus aureus in households and its persistence. Prospective longitudinal cohort investigation. Index participants identified at 2 academic medical centers. Adults and children with S. aureus skin infections and their household contacts in Los Angeles and Chicago. Household fomites were surveyed for contamination at baseline and 3 months. All isolates underwent genetic typing. We enrolled 346 households, 88% of which completed the 3-month follow-up visit. S. aureus environmental contamination was 49% at baseline and 51% at 3 months. Among households with a USA300 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) body infection isolate, environmental contamination with an indistinguishable MRSA strain was 58% at baseline and 63% at 3 months. Baseline factors associated with environmental contamination by the index subject's infection isolate were body colonization by any household member with the index subject's infection isolate at baseline (odds ratio [OR], 10.93 [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.75-20.79]), higher housing density (OR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.10-1.96]), and more frequent household fomite cleaning (OR, 1.62 [95% CI, 1.16-2.27]). Household environmental contamination with the index subject's infection strain at 3 months was associated with USA300 MRSA and a synergistic interaction between baseline environmental contamination and body colonization by any household member with the index subject's infection strain. We found that infecting S. aureus isolates frequently persisted environmentally in households 3 months after skin infection. Presence of pathogenic S. aureus strain type in the environment in a household may represent a persistent reservoir that places household members at risk of future infection.

  18. Environmental Data Science

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gibert, Karina; Horsburgh, Jeffery S.; Athanasiadis, I.N.; Holmes, Geoff

    2018-01-01

    Environmental data are growing in complexity, size, and resolution. Addressing the types of large, multidisciplinary problems faced by today's environmental scientists requires the ability to leverage available data and information to inform decision making. Successfully synthesizing heterogeneous

  19. Design of low complexity sharp MDFT filter banks with perfect reconstruction using hybrid harmony-gravitational search algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Sakthivel

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The design of low complexity sharp transition width Modified Discrete Fourier Transform (MDFT filter bank with perfect reconstruction (PR is proposed in this work. The current trends in technology require high data rates and speedy processing along with reduced power consumption, implementation complexity and chip area. Filters with sharp transition width are required for various applications in wireless communication. Frequency response masking (FRM technique is used to reduce the implementation complexity of sharp MDFT filter banks with PR. Further, to reduce the implementation complexity, the continuous coefficients of the filters in the MDFT filter banks are represented in discrete space using canonic signed digit (CSD. The multipliers in the filters are replaced by shifters and adders. The number of non-zero bits is reduced in the conversion process to minimize the number of adders and shifters required for the filter implementation. Hence the performances of the MDFT filter bank with PR may degrade. In this work, the performances of the MDFT filter banks with PR are improved using a hybrid Harmony-Gravitational search algorithm.

  20. A Novel Hierarchical Model to Locate Health Care Facilities with Fuzzy Demand Solved by Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Alinaghian

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In the field of health losses resulting from failure to establish the facilities in a suitable location and the required number, beyond the cost and quality of service will result in an increase in mortality and the spread of diseases. So the facility location models have special importance in this area. In this paper, a successively inclusive hierarchical model for location of health centers in term of the transfer of patients from a lower level to a higher level of health centers has been developed. Since determination the exact number of demand for health care in the future is difficult and in order to make the model close to the real conditions of demand uncertainty, a fuzzy programming model based on credibility theory is considered. To evaluate the proposed model, several numerical examples are solved in small size. In order to solve large scale problems, a meta-heuristic algorithm based on harmony search algorithm was developed in conjunction with the GAMS software which indicants the performance of the proposed algorithm.

  1. Environmentally-Friendly Synthesis of Carbonate-Type Macrodiols and Preparation of Transparent Self-Healable Thermoplastic Polyurethanes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seon-Mi Kim

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Carbonate-type macrodiols synthesized by base-catalyzed polycondensation of co-diols and dimethyl carbonate as an environmentally-friendly route were subsequently utilized for the preparation of transparent and self-healable thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs containing a carbonate-type soft segment. Three types of macrodiols, obtained from mono, dual and triple diol-monomers for target molecular weights of 1 and 1.5 kg mol−1, were analyzed by 1H NMR integration and the OH titration value. Colorless transparent macrodiols in a liquid state at a room temperature of 20 °C were obtained, except the macrodiol from mono 1,6-hexanediol. Before TPU synthesis, macrodiols require pH neutralization to prevent gelation. TPUs synthesized by a solution pre-polymer method with 4,4′-methylene(bisphenyl isocyanate and 1,4-butanediol as a chain extender exhibited moderate molecular weights, good transparencies and robust mechanical properties. Especially, the incorporation of 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol within carbonate-type macrodiols enhanced the transparency of the resultant TPUs by decreasing the degree of microphase separation evidenced by ATR-FTIR and DSC. Interestingly, packing density of hard segments and the degree of microphase separation determined the self-healing efficiency of TPUs, which showed good performances in the case of sourced macrodiols from triple diol-monomers.

  2. Environmental occurrences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Black, D.G.

    1995-06-01

    This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the onsite and offsite releases of radioactive and regulated materials. The specific agencies notified of the releases depended on the type, amount, and location of the individual occurrences. The more significant of these off-normal environmental occurrences are summarized in this section.

  3. Environmental occurrences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Black, D.G.

    1995-01-01

    This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the onsite and offsite releases of radioactive and regulated materials. The specific agencies notified of the releases depended on the type, amount, and location of the individual occurrences. The more significant of these off-normal environmental occurrences are summarized in this section

  4. Optimal Pipe Size Design for Looped Irrigation Water Supply System Using Harmony Search: Saemangeum Project Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ho Min; Sadollah, Ali

    2015-01-01

    Water supply systems are mainly classified into branched and looped network systems. The main difference between these two systems is that, in a branched network system, the flow within each pipe is a known value, whereas in a looped network system, the flow in each pipe is considered an unknown value. Therefore, an analysis of a looped network system is a more complex task. This study aims to develop a technique for estimating the optimal pipe diameter for a looped agricultural irrigation water supply system using a harmony search algorithm, which is an optimization technique. This study mainly serves two purposes. The first is to develop an algorithm and a program for estimating a cost-effective pipe diameter for agricultural irrigation water supply systems using optimization techniques. The second is to validate the developed program by applying the proposed optimized cost-effective pipe diameter to an actual study region (Saemangeum project area, zone 6). The results suggest that the optimal design program, which applies an optimization theory and enhances user convenience, can be effectively applied for the real systems of a looped agricultural irrigation water supply. PMID:25874252

  5. Optimal Pipe Size Design for Looped Irrigation Water Supply System Using Harmony Search: Saemangeum Project Area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Do Guen Yoo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Water supply systems are mainly classified into branched and looped network systems. The main difference between these two systems is that, in a branched network system, the flow within each pipe is a known value, whereas in a looped network system, the flow in each pipe is considered an unknown value. Therefore, an analysis of a looped network system is a more complex task. This study aims to develop a technique for estimating the optimal pipe diameter for a looped agricultural irrigation water supply system using a harmony search algorithm, which is an optimization technique. This study mainly serves two purposes. The first is to develop an algorithm and a program for estimating a cost-effective pipe diameter for agricultural irrigation water supply systems using optimization techniques. The second is to validate the developed program by applying the proposed optimized cost-effective pipe diameter to an actual study region (Saemangeum project area, zone 6. The results suggest that the optimal design program, which applies an optimization theory and enhances user convenience, can be effectively applied for the real systems of a looped agricultural irrigation water supply.

  6. A Harmony Search Algorithm for the Reproduction of Experimental Data in the Social Force Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Osama Moh'd Alia

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Crowd dynamics is a discipline dealing with the management and flow of crowds in congested places and circumstances. Pedestrian congestion is a pressing issue where crowd dynamics models can be applied. The reproduction of experimental data (velocity-density relation and specific flow rate is a major component for the validation and calibration of such models. In the social force model, researchers have proposed various techniques to adjust essential parameters governing the repulsive social force, which is an effort at reproducing such experimental data. Despite that and various other efforts, the optimal reproduction of the real life data is unachievable. In this paper, a harmony search-based technique called HS-SFM is proposed to overcome the difficulties of the calibration process for SFM, where the fundamental diagram of velocity-density relation and the specific flow rate are reproduced in conformance with the related empirical data. The improvisation process of HS is modified by incorporating the global best particle concept from particle swarm optimization (PSO to increase the convergence rate and overcome the high computational demands of HS-SFM. Simulation results have shown HS-FSM’s ability to produce near optimal SFM parameter values, which makes it possible for SFM to almost reproduce the related empirical data.

  7. Detection of multiple cocirculating wild poliovirus type 1 lineages through environmental surveillance: impact and progress during 2011-2013 in Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Muhammad Masroor; Shaukat, Shahzad; Sharif, Salmaan; Angez, Mehar; Khurshid, Adnan; Malik, Farzana; Rehman, Lubna; Zaidi, Syed Sohail Zahoor

    2014-11-01

    The environmental surveillance has proven to be a useful tool to identify poliovirus circulation in different countries and was started in Pakistan during July 2009 to support the acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance system. Sewage samples were collected from 27 environmental sampling (ENV) sites and processed for poliovirus isolation through 2-phase separation method. Poliovirus isolates were identified as Sabin-like or wild type through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Wild-type strains were subjected to VP1 gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis performed using MEGA 5.0. During 2011-2013, a total of 668 samples were collected from 4 provinces that resulted in 40% of samples positive for wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV-1). None of the samples were positive for WPV-3. The areas with high frequency of WPV-1 detection were Karachi-Gadap (69%), Peshawar (82%), and Rawalpindi (65%), whereas the samples from Quetta and Sukkur remained negative for WPV during 2013. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 3 major clusters with multiple poliovirus lineages circulating across different country areas as well as in bordering areas of Afghanistan. Environmental surveillance in Pakistan has been proven to be a powerful tool to detect WPV circulation in the absence of poliomyelitis cases in many communities. Our findings emphasize the need to continue and expand such surveillance activities to other high-risk areas in the country. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Design and validation of a model to offer environmental consulting services to minimize oil pollution at gas stations: case study: a gas station in Costa Rica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calderon Hernandez, Teresita

    2016-01-01

    An environmental consulting service was designed and validated to minimize hydrocarbon contamination at gas stations, to be used by Migliore S.A. in order to strengthen and increase the number of services offered in the market niche of these companies. A matrix was synthesized with tools such as SWOT, deployment of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and international analysis. With the standardized protocols it will be possible to increase in a fluid way, the offer of consulting services. The final validation of the model allowed to verify the functionality of the same, through the generation of solid evaluation criteria that allowed a good knowledge of the gas station, case study, to offer a timely solution to your particular case, in a simple way and harmonious. The company providing environmental consulting services Migliore S.A. can count on a better commercial development, using the designed model [es

  9. Research on Ecological Civilization Construction and Environmental Sustainable Development in the New Era

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang-chao, Pan

    2018-05-01

    After the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Socialism with Chinese Characteristics entered a new era. However, the contradiction between China’s economic and social development and the sustainable development of environment is still outstanding. That is mainly due to the fact that China pays some attention to the economic development but neglects the ecological protection to a certain extent. In the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, it is clearly proposed that it is necessary to adhere to the harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and to establish the concept of green development firmly, focusing on solving the problem of the environmental pollution and destruction and other outstanding issues, and strengthening the construction of the ecological environment supervision system, and the legal guarantee of the construction of ecological civilization. Only by adhering to the concept of ecological civilization in the new era can we finally realize the fundamental improvement of ecological environment.

  10. Environmental Management in Product Chains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard; Forman, Marianne

    2009-01-01

    between existing resources, norms and values and external pressures for environmental management (second section). A model for the types of corporate network relations that need to be mapped and understood in order to analyze and/or develop environmental management in a product chain (third section......The chapter aims at giving background to companies, consultants, governmental regulators, NGOs etc. for the analysis and planning of environmental management in specific product chains through: A framework for understanding environmental management in product chains as shaped by the interaction......). An overview of examples from our own research and from literature of the type and the role of environmental issues and initiatives in product chains (fourth section). A typology for characterizing corporate strategies as part of environmental management in product chains and characterizing those competencies...

  11. The mediating role of psychological need satisfaction in relationships between types of passion for sport and athlete burnout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curran, Thomas; Appleton, Paul R; Hill, Andrew P; Hall, Howard K

    2013-01-01

    Research indicates that obsessive and harmonious passion can explain variability in burnout through various mediating processes (e.g., Vallerand, Paquet, Phillippe, & Charest, 2010). The current study extended previous research (Curran, Appleton, Hill, & Hall, 2011; Gustafsson, Hassmén, & Hassmén, 2011) by testing a model in which the effects of passion for sport on athlete burnout were mediated by psychological need satisfaction. One hundred and seventy-three academy soccer players completed self-report measures of passion for sport, psychological need satisfaction, and athlete burnout. Results indicated that psychological need satisfaction mediated the relationship between harmonious passion and athlete burnout but not obsessive passion and athlete burnout. The findings indicate that the inverse relationship between harmonious passion and burnout can be explained by higher levels of psychological need satisfaction. However, this was not the case for obsessive passion, which was not associated with psychological need satisfaction or most symptoms of athlete burnout.

  12. Evaluation of environmental and physiological factors of a whole ceiling-type air conditioner using a salivary biomarker

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tahara, Yusuke; Yamaguchi, Masaki [Graduate School of Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka 020-8551 (Japan); Morito, Naomi; Nishimiya, Hajime; Yamagishi, Hideyuki [Asahi Kasei Homes Corporation, R and D Laboratories, 2-1 Samejima, Fuji, Shizuoka 416-8501 (Japan)

    2009-06-15

    In order to improve environmental condition such as humidity and airflow in living spaces, a whole ceiling-type air conditioner is proposed. This novel air conditioner exhaust dispersed airflow from the whole ceiling by using a 3-dimensional knit fabric. The purpose of this paper is to reveal the effects when controlling humidity and airflow using the whole ceiling-type air conditioner compared to a commercialized concentrated exhaust air conditioner (normal-type air conditioner) under the same temperature. Salivary {alpha}-amylase activity (SAA) was used as an index of sympathetic nervous activity. An acute experiment for a 15 min period was conducted using 12 healthy young female adults. No significant differences in room and skin temperatures were observed between the whole ceiling-type air conditioner and the normal-type air conditioner. The whole ceiling-type air conditioner showed 11.1% lower humidity than the normal-type air conditioner. The whole ceiling-type air conditioner showed one-thirteenth the airflow of the normal-type air conditioner. As a result, the PMV of the whole ceiling-type air conditioner was more comfortable level than the normal one. Moreover, subjective evaluation questionnaire revealed a significant difference was observed in wind perception (windy). The SAA of subjects under the whole ceiling-type air conditioner showed significantly low values compared with the normal-type air conditioner. It was found that the subject's sympathetic nervous activity has been inactivated under the conditions of the whole ceiling-type air conditioner. Thus, it was revealed that the whole ceiling-type air conditioner provides a more comfortable air environment by reducing physical stimulations to humans. (author)

  13. Women's Environmental Literacy As Social Capital In Environmental Management For Environmental Security of Urban Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asteria, Donna; Herdiansyah, Herdis; Wayan Agus Apriana, I.

    2016-02-01

    This study is about experience of women's role in environmental management to raise environmental security and form of women's emancipation movement. Environmental concerns conducted by residents of urban women who become environmental activists based on environmental literacy. Because of that, women's experience in interacting with both physic and social environment have differences in managing the environment including managing household waste by applying the principles of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and their persuasive efforts on their communities. This is the key to achieving sustainable development by anticipating environmental problem and preserving the environment. This study is conducted qualitative research method and its type is descriptive-explanative. The result of this study is environmental literacy of women activist on pro-environment action in their community that has achieved spiritual environmental literacy. Environmental literacy may differ due to internal and external condition of each individual. Pro-environment activities conducted as a form of responsibility of environmental concern such as eco-management, educational, and economic action, by persuading residents to proactively and consistently continue to do environmental management and develop a sense of community in shaping the networks of environmental concern in local context for global effect.

  14. Anthropocentric or Ecocentric Environmentalism? Views of University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alagoz, Bulent; Akman, Ozkan

    2016-01-01

    An Indian proverb says that "the man's heart toughen as he drifts apart from nature." Living in harmony with nature is only possible by abandoning of mankind from its idea of dominance on nature. Deep ecology refuses the superiority of human against nature with a radical attitude within ecological philosophy, and it wants the individuals…

  15. The Role of Passion for Teaching in Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbonneau, Noemie; Vallerand, Robert J.; Fernet, Claude; Guay, Frederic

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the role of passion in teachers' burnout symptoms, work satisfaction, and perceptions of positive student classroom behaviors. The dualistic model of passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) proposes 2 types of passion: harmonious and obsessive. In previous studies, harmonious passion has been shown to lead to…

  16. Microsatellite typing of clinical and environmental Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii isolates from Cuba shows multiple genetic lineages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria-Teresa Illnait-Zaragozi

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Human cryptococcal infections have been associated with bird droppings as a likely source of infection. Studies toward the local and global epidemiology of Cryptococcus spp. have been hampered by the lack of rapid, discriminatory, and exchangeable molecular typing methods. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We selected nine microsatellite markers for high-resolution fingerprinting from the genome of C. neoformans var. grubii. This panel of markers was applied to a collection of clinical (n = 122 and environmental (n = 68; from pigeon guano C. neoformans var. grubii isolates from Cuba. All markers proved to be polymorphic. The average number of alleles per marker was 9 (range 5-51. A total of 104 genotypes could be distinguished. The discriminatory power of this panel of markers was 0.993. Multiple clusters of related genotypes could be discriminated that differed in only one or two microsatellite markers. These clusters were assigned as microsatellite complexes. The majority of environmental isolates (>70% fell into 1 microsatellite complex containing only few clinical isolates (49 environmental versus 2 clinical. Clinical isolates were segregated over multiple microsatellite complexes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A large genotypic variation exists in C. neoformans var. grubii. The genotypic segregation between clinical and environmental isolates from pigeon guano suggests additional source(s of human cryptococcal infections. The selected panel of microsatellite markers is an excellent tool to study the epidemiology of C. neoformans var. grubii.

  17. Serological cross-reaction between O-antigens of Shigella dysenteriae type 4 and an environmental Escherichia albertii isolate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Mohammed Ziaur; Akter, Selina; Azmuda, Nafisa; Sultana, Munawar; Weill, François-Xavier; Khan, Sirajul Islam; Grimont, Patrick A D; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre

    2013-11-01

    An environmental freshwater bacterial isolate, DM104, appearing as Shigella-like colonies on selective agar plates was found to show strong and specific serological cross-reactivity with Shigella dysenteriae type 4. Biochemical identification according to the analytical profile index, molecular serotyping by restriction of the amplified O-antigen gene cluster (rfb-RFLP), together with phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and multi-locus sequence analysis, identified the isolate as Escherichia albertii. rfb-RFLP of DM104, revealed a profile different from that of S. dysenteriae type 4. However, western blot analysis of extracted lipopolysaccharides demonstrated strong cross-reactivity with S. dysenteriae type 4 using specific monovalent antisera and a lipopolysaccharide gel banding profile similar to that of S. dysenteriae type 4. The observed O-antigen cross-reaction between an E. albertii isolate and S. dysenteriae extends our knowledge of the extent of O-antigen cross-reaction within the Escherichia/Shigella group of organisms, and offers the possibility of using DM104 and similar cross-reacting strains as shigellosis vaccine candidates.

  18. Evaluation of Eco-economy Harmony and Spatial Evolution of the Urban Agglomeration Area in The Great Pearl River Delta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiuming; Xu, Min; Zhang, Yong; Xu, Naizhong; Zhang, Yuhuan

    2018-05-01

    Based on the land use data of the study area during 1990 to 2016, the coordination between ecological environment and economy was estimated according to the ESV (ecosystem services value) and EEH (eco-economy harmony) index. The results showed that large amount of farmland and forests were changed to construction land in the study area, due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization. The ESV showed an overall downward trend, the ESV in per hectare was decreased from 1554,000Yuan to 14513,000Yuan. The economic development speed was decreased from 1990 to 2016, the area with high GDP growth rate is changed from the core area of the pearl river delta to the periphery area. The ecology-economy relation in the study area experienced a transformation of “low grade coordination-low grade conflict -further conflict”. Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen, the central city of Foshan and Guangzhou became the most high-grade conflict areas.

  19. Music in the Bauhaus (1919-1933: Gertrud Grunow as Teacher of Harmony. The Fusion of Art, Colour and Sound

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marisa Vadillo Rodríguez

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In few occasions there has given in a school of art a few so original and complete theories like that the musical Gertrud Grunow (1870-1944 gave in his subject of ‘ Theory of the Harmony ‘ for the famous german Bauhaus, from 1919 to 1923. He had studied with teachers as Hans Guido von Bülow (1830-1894, Scharwenka (1850-1924 or Giovanni Battista Lamperti (1839-1910 and she came to the school being an authoress of a recognized intellectual prestige. The aim of her subject in the Bauhaus was the search of a balance and the analysis on the part of the students of her own artistic skills across the music. Being based on phenomena as the synaesthesia, she was thinking that to every colour a musical note was corresponding to her not only but also it was in relation with a feeling, movement, material and condition of the soul humanizes.

  20. SISTEM HUKUM BARAT, SISTEM HUKUM ADAT, DAN SISTEM HUKUM ISLAM, MENUJU SEBAGAI SISTEM HUKUM NASIONAL SEBUAH IDE YANG HARMONI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H Mustaghfirin

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available West Legal System follow the philosophy of legal positivism values conflict with the noble values of the Indonesian nation, so there Gab between the law and people of Indonesia are regulated, System of Customary Law in the values of certain indigenous communities whose territory reached 350 indigenous territories, and can only be believed by public socialized habits, and can not be validated as a national law, and Islam as the Legal System is based on the attributes of God as "Asmaul Husna" and diamalkan believed by the majority of individuals nationwide Indonesian society and tolerance of permanent values believed by minority groups in Indonesia, therefore the system of Islamic law that allows a system of national law in accordance with the personality of the Indonesian nation and not betentangan with the values of Pancasila.   Keywords   :  Western Legal System, system of customary law, islamic legal system, the national legal system, perspective of legal philosophy, harmony.

  1. The Road to Harmony: How to Share Resources

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Cathy Egan

    cultural differences. The Idea: Learn from collaboration. In the late 1990s, two institutions became increasingly concerned about the socio- environmental conflicts that were emerging in Latin America: Canada's International. Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the. United Nations' University for Peace (UPEACE),.

  2. Neutron dosimetry. Environmental monitoring in a BWR type reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tavera D, L.; Camacho L, M.E.

    1991-01-01

    The measurements carried out on reactor dosimetry are applied mainly to the study on the effects of the radiation in 108 materials of the reactor; little is on the environmental dosimetry outside of the primary container of BWR reactors. In this work the application of a neutron spectrometer formed by plastic detectors of nuclear traces manufactured in the ININ, for the environmental monitoring in penetrations around the primary container of the unit I of the Laguna Verde central is presented. The neutron monitoring carries out with purposes of radiological protection, during the operational tests of the reactor. (Author)

  3. Analysis of changes in environmental radiation, and three types of environmental radiation detector performance comparisons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, J.H; Seo, J.H; Park, S.M; Yu, B.N; Park, J.H; Joo, K.S

    2013-06-01

    High-pressure ion chamber (GE Reuter-Stokes, HPIC), accuracy is high but the high price and do not have the ability nuclide analysis is a disadvantage. NaI(Tl) and PMT scintillation detector of radioactive materials can be divided. Environmental radiation measurements using a semiconductor with SiPM detector PMT to replace the value of the results were compared. SiPM detector using radiation environment were measured in the field to verify the accuracy and energy resolution. SiPMs performance as environmental radiation measurement equipment and radioactive material distinction as a personal dosimeter based technology, using the above results were prepared. The interest on the environmental radiation due to the Fukushima power plant crisis in Japan has been growing concern about the radiation environment of the relatively close proximity Korea is a very heightened state. Could be confirmed in the radiation environment of nuclear power plants around the analysis and performance of the next generation of environmental radiation meter. Fukushima power plants accident after 2 years, the equipment installed by this analysis meets the performance as a radiation detector could be confirmed as follows. CANA Inc. developed by radionuclides classification of using man-made and natural radionuclides and man-made radionuclides separated, ensure the value of the results were analyzed. Could be and alternative to the conventional detector energy resolution ( 137 CS<15%) and linearity (<15%) to satisfy the performance requirements of the measurement result of environmental radiation detector is considered. SiPM radiation environment changes and HPIC and NaI(TI) scintillation detector installed in Korea of the Fukushima power plant after the accident, radiation environment using a small alternative was to verify the accuracy of the measuring equipment. A big difference in performance as invisible by comparison with the large detector Assay miniaturization rough as a personal

  4. Emission taxes versus other environmental policies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoel, Michael

    1997-06-01

    In most countries, various forms of quotas and direct regulation play a more important role in environmental policy than environmental taxes. This report discusses four arguments often given against emission taxes. Three of the arguments, which are related to information asymmetries and non-convexities, are valid arguments in the sense that they point at complications which make the use of environmental taxes less straightforward than what elementary textbooks would suggest. The fourth argument is related to the employment effects of different types of environmental policies in economies with unemployment. This is perhaps the argument most often used by politicians against environmental taxes. The analysis did not justify this type of argument. On the contrary: In the model used, employment is higher with environmental taxes than with non revenue-raising environmental policies. 18 refs., 6 figs.

  5. Building a New South Africa Volume 4 : Environment ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Let us use these ideas to ensure that our reconstruction and development go ahead in harmony. — Nelson Mandela. Backed by South Africa's democratic movement, and with the support of IDRC , the International Mission on Environmental Policy focuses on the critical role that environmental sustainability must play in ...

  6. FAKTOR SUKU DALAM POLA KOMUNIKASI, PENYESUAIAN SUAMI ISTRI, DAN KEHARMONISAN KELUARGA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venti Sanditya Septiana

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to analyze communication pattern, marital adjustment, and family harmony among two types of ethnic family. This study involved 30 families with husband and wife who were from the same ethnicand 30 families from the different one. The data was collected by interviewing husband and wife and used questionnaires. Communication pattern was measured by how couples communicate each other, while maritaladjustment was measured by four aspects that were adjustment with couple, sexual adjustment, financial adjustment, and adjustment to the couple’s family. Family harmony was measured by satisfaction level of the respondent. Result showed that communication pattern of both families who were from the same and different ethnic categorized as high while marital adjustment and family harmony were categorized as moderate. There were no differences on communication pattern, marital adjustment, and family harmony between same and different ethnic families (p>0,05. However, wife’s age, marriage age, and family income had significant correlation with family harmony in different ethnic families. Additionally, there was a significant positive relationship between communication pattern and marital adjustment with family harmony in both groups of family. In general, factors that affected the family harmony were communication pattern and marital adjustment.

  7. Evaluation of environmental samples containing heavy hydrocarbon components in environmental forensic investigations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raia, J.C.; Blakley, C.R.; Fuex, A.N.; Villalanti, D.C.; Fahrenthold, P.D. [Triton Anal Corp, Houston, TX (United States)

    2004-03-01

    This article presents a procedure to evaluate and characterize environmental samples containing mixtures of hydrocarbons over a wide boiling range of materials that include fuels and other products used in commerce. The range of the method extends to the higher boiling and heavier molecular weight hydrocarbon products in the range of motor oil, bunker fuel, and heavier residue materials. The procedure uses the analytical laboratory technique of high-temperature simulated distillation along with mathematical regression of the analytical data to estimate the relative contribution of individual products in mixtures of hydrocarbons present in environmental samples. An analytical technique to determine hydrocarbon-type distributions by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with nitric oxide ionization spectrometry evaluation is also presented. This type of analysis allows complex hydrocarbon mixtures to be classified by their chemical composition, or types of hydrocarbons that include paraffins, cycloparaffins, monoaromatics, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Characteristic hydrocarbon patterns for example, in the relative distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are valuable for determining the potential origin of materials present in environmental samples. These methods provide quantitative data for hydrocarbon components in mixtures as a function of boiling range and 'hydrocarbon fingerprints' of the types of materials present. This information is valuable in assessing environmental impacts of hydrocarbons at contaminated sites and establishing the liabilities and cost allocations for responsible parties.

  8. Effects of shelter type, early environmental enrichment and weather conditions on free-range behaviour of slow-growing broiler chickens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stadig, L M; Rodenburg, T B; Ampe, B; Reubens, B; Tuyttens, F A M

    2017-06-01

    Free-range use by broiler chickens is often limited, whereas better use of the free-range area could benefit animal welfare. Use of free-range areas could be stimulated by more appropriate shelter or environmental enrichment (by decreasing birds' fearfulness). This study aimed to assess the effects of shelter type, early environmental enrichment and weather conditions on free-range use. Three production rounds with 440 slow-growing broiler chickens (Sasso T451) were carried out. Birds were housed indoors in four groups (two with males, two with females) from days 0 to 25, during which two of the groups received environmental enrichment. At day 23 birds' fearfulness was assessed with a tonic immobility (TI) test (n=100). At day 25 all birds were moved (in mixed-sex groups) to mobile houses, and provided with free-range access from day 28 onwards. Each group could access a range consisting for 50% of grassland with 21 artificial shelters (ASs, wooden A-frames) and for 50% of short rotation coppice (SRC) with willow (dense vegetation). Free-range use was recorded by live observations at 0900, 1300 and 1700 h for 15 to 21 days between days 28 and 63. For each bird observed outside the shelter type (AS or SRC), distance from the house (0 to 2, 2 to 5, >5 m) and its behaviour (only rounds 2 and 3) were recorded. Weather conditions were recorded by four weather stations. On average, 27.1% of the birds were observed outside at any given moment of observation. Early environmental enrichment did not decrease fearfulness as measured by the TI test. It only had a minor effect on the percentage of birds outside (0.4% more birds outside). At all distances from the house, SRC was preferred over AS. In AS, areas closer to the house were preferred over farther ones, in SRC this was less pronounced. Free-range use increased with age and temperature and decreased with wind speed. In AS, rainfall and decreasing solar radiation were related to finding more birds outside, whereas the

  9. A novel meta-heuristic optimization methodology for solving various types of economic dispatch problem

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fesanghary, M. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University, 2508 Patrick Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (United States); Ardehali, M.M. [Energy Research Center, Department of Electrical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), 424-Hafez Avenue, 15875-4413 Tehran (Iran)

    2009-06-15

    The increasing costs of fuel and operation of thermal power generating units warrant development of optimization methodologies for economic dispatch (ED) problems. Optimization methodologies that are based on meta-heuristic procedures could assist power generation policy analysts to achieve the goal of minimizing the generation costs. In this context, the objective of this study is to present a novel approach based on harmony search (HS) algorithm for solving ED problems, aiming to provide a practical alternative for conventional methods. To demonstrate the efficiency and applicability of the proposed method and for the purposes of comparison, various types of ED problems are examined. The results of this study show that the new proposed approach is able to find more economical loads than those determined by other methods. (author)

  10. Environmental radioactivity and chemical composition of different types of bee honeys produced at in-house area, egypt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramadan, A.B.

    2005-01-01

    Environmental radioactivity and chemical composition of bee honey varies with the surrounding environment (major floral and soil contamination), which reflects the nutritional value of honey. 23SU, 232Th, 40K, >37Cs, major elements Na, K, Mg and Cl and trace elements Mn, Fe, Zn, F, I, Cu, Co, Ni and Sr as well as toxic elements Cd and Pb -were all determined in different types of bee honey, which include non-floral honey with artificial feeding (syrup-feed honey) and mono-floral honeys (clover honey or sesame honey or orange honey). These elements were also determined in the bee feeds, which include flowers (clover, sesame and orange) and syrup. The results revealed that of all types of honeys and syrup-feed honey exhibited higher natural radioactivity and higher concentrations ofNa, K, Mg, Cl, oMn, Fe, Co, Cd and Pb than in the other honeys. Orange honey contained the lowest natural radioactivity and element concentrations. Clover honey had the lowest toxic element Cd and Pb concentrations (0.02 and 4.2/xg/g, respectively) while sesame honey contained the highest levels of Cd and F (0.7 and 12.9 /ig/g, respectively). Statistical analysis revealed significant correlation between honey and the feed (R= 0.745 to 0.921). Environmental radioactivity and element concentrations in the honey under study were in the safety baseline levels for human consumption

  11. Analysis of the impact of environmental and social factors, with a particular emphasis on education, on the level of metabolic control in type 1 diabetes in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefanowicz, Anna; Birkholz, Dorota; Myśliwiec, Małgorzata; Niedźwiecki, Maciej; Owczuk, Radosław; Balcerska, Anna

    2012-01-01

    Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, incurable childhood disease. Chronically uncontrolled diabetes is associated with eye, kidney, nerve, heart and blood vessel damage and function impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of various social and environmental factors, with a particular emphasis on education, on the level of metabolic control in diabetes. The survey research was conducted in 102 children aged 0-18 years, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Based on the HbA(1c ) level, patients were divided into: group A (63 patients with fairly well and moderately controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus) and group B (39 patients with metabolically uncontrolled type 1 diabetes mellitus). The impact of various environmental and social factors on the degree of metabolic control of type 1 diabetes was analysed. No effect of typical environmental and social factors, such as: place of residence, gender, parents' education and their professional activity, on the level of metabolic control of type 1 diabetes was found. However, groups A and B significantly differed in the level of knowledge about diabetes and its treatment, in the regularity of meals, in possessing a nutrition scale and in the self-assessed preparation for taking care and custody of a child with type 1 diabetes. 1. Children with type 1 diabetes and their parents require ongoing education about the disease and its treatment. 2. The regularity of meals and the use of a nutrition scale have considerable impact on the level of metabolic control of the disease.

  12. Comparison of multiobjective harmony search, cuckoo search and bat-inspired algorithms for renewable distributed generation placement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John E. Candelo-Becerra

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Electric power losses have a significant impact on the total costs of distribution networks. The use of renewable energy sources is a major alternative to improve power losses and costs, although other important issues are also enhanced such as voltage magnitudes and network congestion. However, determining the best location and size of renewable energy generators can be sometimes a challenging task due to a large number of possible combinations in the search space. Furthermore, the multiobjective functions increase the complexity of the problem and metaheuristics are preferred to find solutions in a relatively short time. This paper evaluates the performance of the cuckoo search (CS, harmony search (HS, and bat-inspired (BA algorithms for the location and size of renewable distributed generation (RDG in radial distribution networks using a multiobjective function defined as minimizing the energy losses and the RDG costs. The metaheuristic algorithms were programmed in Matlab and tested using the 33-node radial distribution network. The three algorithms obtained similar results for the two objectives evaluated, finding points close to the best solutions in the Pareto front. Comparisons showed that the CS obtained the minimum results for most points evaluated, but the BA and the HS were close to the best solution.

  13. Environmental Risk

    Data.gov (United States)

    Kansas Data Access and Support Center — The Identified Sites coverage, used to support the environmental quality program, references types and concentrations of contaminants, contaminated media and...

  14. Secondary Students’ Environmental Attitudes: The Case of Environmental Education in Bangladesh

    OpenAIRE

    Mahbub Sarkar

    2011-01-01

    This paper examined secondary students’ environmental attitudes in Bangladesh by employing a standardized environmental attitude scale. The scale consisted of 15 questions rated on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). 400 secondary students, with equal number of boys and girls from both the urban and rural schools participated in this study. The study found that overall students from both the urban and rural areas expressed favourable environmental att...

  15. SENSORY PROPERTIES OF SOME WHITE WINES, FLAVORED WINES AND VERMOUTH TYPE WINES, PREPARED BY USING OWN RECIPES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodica Elena CULEA

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available In order to characterize, from sensorial point of view, the basic white wines White Fetească, Italian Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, as well as flavored wines and vermouth type wines, obtained by addition of hydroalcoholic plants macerates to basic wines, tasting technique was used. It is known that sensory analysis is a method that can provide an overview of a wine. The main features analyzed were: appearance, color, smell and taste. Initial, wines presented specific features of grapes variety from which they belong, being characterized by harmony and complex flavor. The hydroalcoholic macerates were obtained by preparing two recipes (labeled I and II of different mixtures of plants. Recipes I A in 45% alcohol and I B in 60% alcohol, had characteristics of appearance, color, taste and smell, very intense, specific, prevailing the taste of anise, fennel and coriander. The macerates prepared with recipes II A in 45% alcohol and II B in 60% alcohol (mixture of a few herbs and peel of citrus fruits showed peculiarities of taste, odor, flavor less intense, prevailing the smell of nutmeg and citrus flavor. Recipes I A and I B of hydroalcoholic plants macerates decisively influenced the color, taste, flavor, smell and appearance of flavored wines. Recipes II A and II B influenced discreetly the sensory properties of flavored wines. Vermouth type wines obtained by addition of hydroalcoholic plants macerates + other ingredients (citric acid, alcohol, sugar, presented harmonious sensory characteristics, balanced, discreet, subtle, compared with flavored wines obtained only by the addition of hydroalcoholic plants macerates to the basic wines. The latter had a color, aroma, taste, smell, more intense, more rustic. Herbal recipes I B and II B (prepared in 60% alcohol, have strongly influenced the sensory properties of flavored wines, compared to recipes I A and II A (prepared in 45% alcohol.

  16. BPS, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources for buildings greening and zero energy cities planning harmony and ethics of sustainability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Todorovic, Marija S. [University of Belgrade, Serbia and Southeast University (China)

    2011-07-01

    Traditional village houses now use renewable materials and energy sources and this paper presents the intrinsic harmony of these buildings' greening and their sustainability. The paper covers building technical systems, sustainable energy supply, and the importance of renewable raw materials (RMS) for sustainable development. This study investigated the role of building dynamic behavior and optimized energy efficiency in reducing thermal loads significantly. A preliminary design for sustainable energy efficient settlements with net zero energy buildings is proposed and a comprehensive multidisciplinary engineering study was done which identified the technical feasibility of sustainable village energy and water supplies using solar or wind technologies. Overall, through analysis of sustainability definitions and possible ways to achieve sustainability, the study demonstrated that this can only be brought about by interdisciplinary interaction and finding the right balance between materiality and spirituality, science and art, and between technological development and concern for cultural and other human values.

  17. Environmental assessment of food waste valorization in producing biogas for various types of energy use based on LCA approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woon, Kok Sin; Lo, Irene M C; Chiu, Sam L H; Yan, Dickson Y S

    2016-04-01

    This paper aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of valorizing food waste for three types of energy use, namely electricity and heat, city gas, and biogas fuel as a petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas substitute for vehicle use, with reference to the Hong Kong scenario. The life cycle based environmental assessment is conducted from bin-to-cradle system boundary via SimaPro 7.2.4 with ReCiPe 1.04. All of the inventory data of included processes is based on reports of government and industrial sectors. The results show that biogas fuel as a petrol substitute for vehicle use is advantageous over other types of energy use in regard to human health and ecosystems, and it is also the best considering the government's future emission reduction targets set out for the power and transport sectors in Hong Kong. By turning 1080 tonnes per day of food waste into biogas vehicle fuel as petrol substitute, it reduces 1.9% of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sectors, which results a larger decrease of GHG emissions than the achieved mitigation in Hong Kong from 2005 to 2010. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Dissonance and harmony between global and regional-scale seismic anisotropy and mantle dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, T. W.

    2017-12-01

    Huge numbers of SKS splitting observations and improved surface-wave based models of azimuthal anisotropy have advanced our understanding of how convection is recorded in mantle fabrics in the upper mantle. However, we are still debating the relative importance of frozen to actively forming olivine fabrics, subduction zone anisotropy lacks a clear reference model, and regional marine studies yield conflicting evidence as to what exactly is going on at the base of the plates and below. Here, I review the degree of agreement between regional and global observations of seismic anisotropy and how well those may be matched by first-order mantle convection models. Updated bean counting can help contextualize the spatial scales of alignment, and I discuss several examples of the relative roles of plate shear to mantle density anomalies and frozen-in structure for oceanic and continental plates. Resolution of seismological models is globally uneven, but there are some locales where such exercises may yield information on the relative strength of asthenosphere and mantle. Another long-standing question is how olivine fabrics record flow under different stress and volatile conditions. I illustrate how different petrological assumptions might be used to reconcile observations of azimuthal dependency of wave speeds for both Love and Rayleigh waves, and how this could improve our models of the upper mantle, much in the spirit of Montagner's vectorial tomography. This is but one approach to improve the regional realism of global geodynamic background models to understand where in space and time dissonance arises, and if a harmonious model may yet be constructed given our assumptions about the workings of the mantle.

  19. Research on the Enhancement Effects of Using Ecological Principles in Managing the Lifecycle of Industrial Land

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Libin Guo

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper introduces a performance level concept for industrial land use. The performance level concept uses ecological principles to evaluate index systems for industrial land. We used this concept to integrate local economics, land use, development potential, environmental health and ecosystem management with innovation, harmony, floral preservation, and shared land use. The concept helps promote the efficient use of industrial land and the sustainable use of land resources. We used the chemical medicine manufacturing industry in Chongqing Changshou Economic and Technological Development Zone as a case study. We selected eight companies for analysis and calculated an industrial land performance level for each company. We created three industrial land performance levels: growth potential type, positive development type, and inefficient recession type. To determine economic development and land sustainability, we applied administrative, economic, legal and technical measures to evaluate the entire lifecycle of industrial land. This lifecycle included preliminary project audit access, mid-period dynamic supervision and post land exit management. We conclude by proposing measures to mitigate environmental harm occurring from the intensive use of land for industrial use.

  20. Functional environmental proteomics: elucidating the role of a c-type cytochrome abundant during uranium bioremediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Jiae; Malvankar, Nikhil S; Ueki, Toshiyuki; Lovley, Derek R

    2016-02-01

    Studies with pure cultures of dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganisms have demonstrated that outer-surface c-type cytochromes are important electron transfer agents for the reduction of metals, but previous environmental proteomic studies have typically not recovered cytochrome sequences from subsurface environments in which metal reduction is important. Gel-separation, heme-staining and mass spectrometry of proteins in groundwater from in situ uranium bioremediation experiments identified a putative c-type cytochrome, designated Geobacter subsurface c-type cytochrome A (GscA), encoded within the genome of strain M18, a Geobacter isolate previously recovered from the site. Homologs of GscA were identified in the genomes of other Geobacter isolates in the phylogenetic cluster known as subsurface clade 1, which predominates in a diversity of Fe(III)-reducing subsurface environments. Most of the gscA sequences recovered from groundwater genomic DNA clustered in a tight phylogenetic group closely related to strain M18. GscA was most abundant in groundwater samples in which Geobacter sp. predominated. Expression of gscA in a strain of Geobacter sulfurreducens that lacked the gene for the c-type cytochrome OmcS, thought to facilitate electron transfer from conductive pili to Fe(III) oxide, restored the capacity for Fe(III) oxide reduction. Atomic force microscopy provided evidence that GscA was associated with the pili. These results demonstrate that a c-type cytochrome with an apparent function similar to that of OmcS is abundant when Geobacter sp. are abundant in the subsurface, providing insight into the mechanisms for the growth of subsurface Geobacter sp. on Fe(III) oxide and suggesting an approach for functional analysis of other Geobacter proteins found in the subsurface.

  1. LANSKAP EKOLOGI KESERASIAN DAN KEMENARIKAN KEPARIWISATAAN ALAM DI WILAYAH YOGYAKARA UTARA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhamad muhamad

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the extent of landscape ecology and attractiveness of the natural environment in the tourism area in the region north of Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta northern region has objects and natural tourism attractions of the venture capital in its tourism development footprint. The compatibility and attractiveness level of the environment is one of the most important factors to determine the region’s level of potential environmental compatibility and attractiveness, so that the characteristics and the distribution pattern of the attractiveness and harmony of nature in the tourism region can be known. The results showed that the landscape level of ecological harmony and the attractiveness of the environment after the 2010 eruption had a significant amount of the index. The higher the quality of the natural (physical environment and social (human and socioeconomic culture is, the higher the level of harmony and attractiveness of the region. Landscape ecology establishes harmony between the social component (population and the natural environment (bio-physical, suchthat they form a potential tourist attraction at the site of nature tourism in the region north of Yogyakarta.

  2. Predicting type 2 diabetes using genetic and environmental risk factors in a multi-ethnic Malaysian cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, N; Abdul Murad, N A; Mohd Haniff, E A; Syafruddin, S E; Attia, J; Oldmeadow, C; Kamaruddin, M A; Abd Jalal, N; Ismail, N; Ishak, M; Jamal, R; Scott, R J; Holliday, E G

    2017-08-01

    Malaysia has a high and rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). While environmental (non-genetic) risk factors for the disease are well established, the role of genetic variations and gene-environment interactions remain understudied in this population. This study aimed to estimate the relative contributions of environmental and genetic risk factors to T2D in Malaysia and also to assess evidence for gene-environment interactions that may explain additional risk variation. This was a case-control study including 1604 Malays, 1654 Chinese and 1728 Indians from the Malaysian Cohort Project. The proportion of T2D risk variance explained by known genetic and environmental factors was assessed by fitting multivariable logistic regression models and evaluating McFadden's pseudo R 2 and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). Models with and without the genetic risk score (GRS) were compared using the log likelihood ratio Chi-squared test and AUCs. Multiplicative interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors was assessed via logistic regression within and across ancestral groups. Interactions were assessed for the GRS and its 62 constituent variants. The models including environmental risk factors only had pseudo R 2 values of 16.5-28.3% and AUC of 0.75-0.83. Incorporating a genetic score aggregating 62 T2D-associated risk variants significantly increased the model fit (likelihood ratio P-value of 2.50 × 10 -4 -4.83 × 10 -12 ) and increased the pseudo R 2 by about 1-2% and AUC by 1-3%. None of the gene-environment interactions reached significance after multiple testing adjustment, either for the GRS or individual variants. For individual variants, 33 out of 310 tested associations showed nominal statistical significance with 0.001 variation in Malaysian population groups. If gene-environment interactions involving common genetic variants exist, they are likely of small effect, requiring substantially larger samples for

  3. Parasitic helminths and their beneficial impact on type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berbudi, Afiat; Ajendra, Jesuthas; Wardani, Ajeng P F; Hoerauf, Achim; Hübner, Marc P

    2016-03-01

    It is estimated that by the year 2035 almost 600 million people will suffer from diabetes. In the case of type 2 diabetes, the strongest increase of diabetes incidence occurs in developing and newly industrialized countries. This increase correlates not only with a progressing sedentary lifestyle and nutritional changes, but also environmental changes. Similarly, the increase of type 1 diabetes incidence in industrialized countries over the past decades cannot be explained by genetic factors alone, suggesting that environmental changes are also involved. One such environmental change is a reduced exposure to pathogens because of improved hygiene. Parasitic helminths modulate the immune system of their hosts and induce type 2 as well as regulatory immune responses. As pro-inflammatory immune responses are crucial for the onset of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, helminth-induced immunomodulation may prevent diabetes onset and ameliorate insulin sensitivity. Several epidemiological studies in human and experimental animal models support such a protective effect of helminths for autoimmune diabetes. Recent studies further suggest that helminths may also provide such a beneficial effect for type 2 diabetes. In this review we summarize studies that investigated parasitic helminths and helminth-derived products and their impact on both type 1 and type 2 diabetes highlighting potential protective mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Structural Reliability: An Assessment Using a New and Efficient Two-Phase Method Based on Artificial Neural Network and a Harmony Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naser Kazemi Elaki

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In this research, a two-phase algorithm based on the artificial neural network (ANN and a harmony search (HS algorithm has been developed with the aim of assessing the reliability of structures with implicit limit state functions. The proposed method involves the generation of datasets to be used specifically for training by Finite Element analysis, to establish an ANN model using a proven ANN model in the reliability assessment process as an analyzer for structures, and finally estimate the reliability index and failure probability by using the HS algorithm, without any requirements for the explicit form of limit state function. The proposed algorithm is investigated here, and its accuracy and efficiency are demonstrated by using several numerical examples. The results obtained show that the proposed algorithm gives an appropriate estimate for the assessment of reliability of structures.

  5. Phenotypic and environmental factors associated with elevated autoantibodies at clinical onset of paediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponsonby, Anne-Louise; Pezic, Angela; Cameron, Fergus J; Rodda, Christine; Ellis, Justine A; Kemp, Andrew S; Carlin, John; Dwyer, Terence

    2012-01-01

    To examine possible determinants of autoantibody levels at type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) onset. We assessed levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 islet cell antigen (GADA) and anti-insulin antibodies (IAA) in 247 incident T1DM cases presenting <15 years of age in Melbourne from 1st March 2008 to 30th June 2010. 58.9% (142/241) of cases were GADA seropositive and 42.3% (94/222) were IAA seropositive. Factors associated with elevated IAA antibodies included younger age and red hair phenotype. Factors associated with elevated GAD antibodies included lower birthweight and recent eczema. Intriguingly, low recent or past sun exposure was only associated with elevated GADA levels among children presenting at age <5 years, not older (difference in effect, p<0.05 for 4 of 5 associations). These findings show that environmental and phenotypic factors are associated with autoantibody levels at time of presentation for T1DM. We recommend such environmental and phenoytypic factors should be examined in further detail.

  6. MASSIVE GALAXIES ARE LARGER IN DENSE ENVIRONMENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL DEPENDENCE OF MASS–SIZE RELATION OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Yongmin; Im, Myungshin; Kim, Jae-Woo, E-mail: yymx2@astro.snu.ac.kr, E-mail: mim@astro.snu.ac.kr [Center for the Exploration of the Origin of the Universe (CEOU), Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, 599 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-742 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-01-01

    Under the Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological models, massive galaxies are expected to be larger in denser environments through frequent hierarchical mergers with other galaxies. Yet, observational studies of low-redshift early-type galaxies have shown no such trend, standing as a puzzle to solve during the past decade. We analyzed 73,116 early-type galaxies at 0.1 ≤  z  < 0.15, adopting a robust nonparametric size measurement technique and extending the analysis to many massive galaxies. We find for the first time that local early-type galaxies heavier than 10{sup 11.2} M {sub ⊙} show a clear environmental dependence in mass–size relation, in such a way that galaxies are as much as 20%–40% larger in the densest environments than in underdense environments. Splitting the sample into the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and non-BCGs does not affect the result. This result agrees with the ΛCDM cosmological simulations and suggests that mergers played a significant role in the growth of massive galaxies in dense environments as expected in theory.

  7. Social orientation and diabetes-related distress in Japanese and American patients with type 2 diabetes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaori Ikeda

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Recent evidence in cultural and social psychology suggests Eastern cultures' emphasis on harmony and connection with others and Western cultures' emphasis on self-direction and autonomy. In Eastern society, relational harmony is closely linked to people's well-being. The impact of this cultural and social orientation on diabetes-related distress was investigated. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Japanese and American patients with type 2 diabetes were surveyed by well-established questionnaire in Japan and in the United States, respectively. The association of personal values for interdependence, perceived emotional support, and the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale (PAID were analyzed. RESULTS: A positive correlation between interdependence and PAID (r = 0.18; P = 0.025 and a negative correlation between perceived emotional support and PAID (r = - 0.24; P = 0.004 were observed after adjustments for other factors in Japanese data (n = 149, but not in American data (r = 0.00; P = 0.990, r = 0.02; P = 0.917, respectively, n = 50. In Japanese data, the three-factor structure of PAID (negative feelings about total life with diabetes, about living conditions with diabetes, and about treatment of diabetes was identified, and interdependence showed significant positive correlations with the first and second factors and perceived emotional support showed significant negative correlations with all three factors of PAID. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that personal values for interdependence may be linked to the level of diabetes-related distress and that the distress may be relieved by perception of emotional support, especially in an interdependent cultural context.

  8. Impact of Environmental Factors and Biological Soil Crust Types on Soil Respiration in a Desert Ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Wei; Zhang, Yuqing; Jia, Xin; Wu, Bin; Zha, Tianshan; Qin, Shugao; Wang, Ben; Shao, Chenxi; Liu, Jiabin; Fa, Keyu

    2014-01-01

    The responses of soil respiration to environmental conditions have been studied extensively in various ecosystems. However, little is known about the impacts of temperature and moisture on soils respiration under biological soil crusts. In this study, CO2 efflux from biologically-crusted soils was measured continuously with an automated chamber system in Ningxia, northwest China, from June to October 2012. The highest soil respiration was observed in lichen-crusted soil (0.93±0.43 µmol m−2 s−1) and the lowest values in algae-crusted soil (0.73±0.31 µmol m−2 s−1). Over the diurnal scale, soil respiration was highest in the morning whereas soil temperature was highest in the midday, which resulted in diurnal hysteresis between the two variables. In addition, the lag time between soil respiration and soil temperature was negatively correlated with the soil volumetric water content and was reduced as soil water content increased. Over the seasonal scale, daily mean nighttime soil respiration was positively correlated with soil temperature when moisture exceeded 0.075 and 0.085 m3 m−3 in lichen- and moss-crusted soil, respectively. However, moisture did not affect on soil respiration in algae-crusted soil during the study period. Daily mean nighttime soil respiration normalized by soil temperature increased with water content in lichen- and moss-crusted soil. Our results indicated that different types of biological soil crusts could affect response of soil respiration to environmental factors. There is a need to consider the spatial distribution of different types of biological soil crusts and their relative contributions to the total C budgets at the ecosystem or landscape level. PMID:25050837

  9. Impact of environmental factors and biological soil crust types on soil respiration in a desert ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Wei; Zhang, Yuqing; Jia, Xin; Wu, Bin; Zha, Tianshan; Qin, Shugao; Wang, Ben; Shao, Chenxi; Liu, Jiabin; Fa, Keyu

    2014-01-01

    The responses of soil respiration to environmental conditions have been studied extensively in various ecosystems. However, little is known about the impacts of temperature and moisture on soils respiration under biological soil crusts. In this study, CO2 efflux from biologically-crusted soils was measured continuously with an automated chamber system in Ningxia, northwest China, from June to October 2012. The highest soil respiration was observed in lichen-crusted soil (0.93 ± 0.43 µmol m-2 s-1) and the lowest values in algae-crusted soil (0.73 ± 0.31 µmol m-2 s-1). Over the diurnal scale, soil respiration was highest in the morning whereas soil temperature was highest in the midday, which resulted in diurnal hysteresis between the two variables. In addition, the lag time between soil respiration and soil temperature was negatively correlated with the soil volumetric water content and was reduced as soil water content increased. Over the seasonal scale, daily mean nighttime soil respiration was positively correlated with soil temperature when moisture exceeded 0.075 and 0.085 m3 m-3 in lichen- and moss-crusted soil, respectively. However, moisture did not affect on soil respiration in algae-crusted soil during the study period. Daily mean nighttime soil respiration normalized by soil temperature increased with water content in lichen- and moss-crusted soil. Our results indicated that different types of biological soil crusts could affect response of soil respiration to environmental factors. There is a need to consider the spatial distribution of different types of biological soil crusts and their relative contributions to the total C budgets at the ecosystem or landscape level.

  10. The impact of environmental stressors and types of work contract on occupational stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corrêa, Ana Paula; Ferreira, Maria Cristina

    2011-05-01

    This study aimed to investigate the impact of seven environmental stressors (role conflict, work overload, interpersonal difficulties, work-family conflict, work instability, lack of autonomy and pressure of responsibility) and the nature of the employment contract (permanent or atypical) on three psychological reactions to occupational stress (job satisfaction, positive emotions, and negative emotions at work). 305 Brazilian workers from both sexes participated in this research, distributed between permanent and atypical workers. The results showed that the role conflict and the work overload had a negative impact on job satisfaction. The role conflict had a negative impact on the positive emotions at work, while the pressure of responsibility interfered positively in it. The work overload interfered positively in the negative emotions at work, while the pressure of responsibility interfered negatively in it. The type of contract did not affect significantly any one of the dependent variables. The implications of the results for future research are discussed.

  11. Passion in breast cancer survivors: examining links to emotional well-being.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Shaunna M; Sabiston, Catherine M; Vallerand, Robert J

    2012-11-01

    This study (1) identified the activities that breast cancer survivors report as passionate; (2) examined whether levels of passion differed based on the types of passionate activities reported and; (3) examined the association between harmonious and obsessive passion and emotional well-being. Early post-treatment breast cancer survivors (N = 177) reported passionate physical activities as most prevalent, and reported higher harmonious passion scores compared to women reporting relaxing and social leisure activities. Harmonious passion was associated with higher positive affect and lower cancer worry. Obsessive passion was linked to higher negative affect, cancer worry, and posttraumatic growth. Passion is important for enhanced well-being.

  12. Energy-related environmental and economic performance analysis of two different types of electrically heated student residence halls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amber, Khuram Pervez; Aslam, Muhammad Waqar

    2018-03-01

    Student residence halls occupy 26% of the total area of a typical university campus in the UK and are directly responsible for 24% of university's annual CO2 emissions. Based on five years measured data, this paper aims to investigate the energy-related environmental and economic performance of electrically heated residence halls in which space heating is provided by two different types of electric heaters, that is, panel heater (PHT) and storage heater (SHT). Secondly, using statistical and machine learning methods, the paper attempts to investigate the relationship between daily electricity consumption and five factors (ambient temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed and type of day). Data analysis revealed that electricity consumption of both halls is mainly driven by ambient temperature only, whereas SHT residence has 39% higher annual electricity bill and emits 70% higher CO2 emissions on a per square metre basis compared to the PHT residence hall.

  13. 'The confucian ethic and the spirit of capitalism': narratives on morals, harmony, and savings in the condemnation of conspicuous consumption among chinese immigrants overseas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosana Pinheiro-Machado

    Full Text Available From a reflection on market and consumption changes in contemporary China, this article discusses the Chinese diaspora's role in rediscovering "traditional" values, especially those related to notions of harmony, hard work and savings, based on the religious and philosophic Confucian heritage. If, on one hand, we observe today deep consumerism among the young generations living in China, on the other hand, the denial of conspicuous consumption appears as a distinctive feature among Chinese immigrants living in Ciudad del Este (Paraguay, where they work as importers and distributors of goods made in China. Due to these characteristics, I outline a comparison with the Calvinist ethic as analyzed by Max Weber, drawing approaches and differences between Protestantism and Confucianism regarding conspicuous spending, work ethic and wealth accumulation.

  14. The value relevance of environmental emissions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melinda Lydia Nelwan

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This study examines whether environmental performance has value relevance by investigating the relations between environmental emissions and stock prices for the U.S. public companies. The previous studies argued that the conjectured relations between accounting performance measures and environmental performance do not have a strong theoretical basis, and the modeling of relations between market per-formance measures and environmental performance do not adequately consider the relevance of accounting performance to market value. Therefore, this study examines whether publicly reported environmental emissions provide incremental information to accounting earnings in pricing companies stocks. It is done among the complete set of industries covered by Toxics Release Inventory (TRI reporting for the period 2007 to 2010. Using Ohlson model but modified to include different types of emis-sions, it is found that ground emissions (underground injection and land emissions are value relevant but other emission types (air and water and transferred-out emis-sions appear to not provide incremental information in the valuation model. The result in this study raise concerns that different types of emissions are assessed differently by the market, confirming that studies should not aggregate such measures.

  15. Environmental audit guidelines for pipelines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    Environmental auditing is a form of management control which provides an objective basis by which a company can measure the degree of compliance with environmental regulations. Other benefits of this type of auditing include improved environmental management, furthering communication on environmental issues of concern within the company, and provision of documentation on environmental diligence. A series of environmental audit guidelines for pipelines is presented in the form of lists of questions to be asked during an environmental audit followed by recommended actions in response to those questions. The questions are organized into seven main categories: environmental management and planning; operating procedures; spill prevention; management of wastes and hazardous materials; environmental monitoring; construction of pipelines; and pipeline abandonment, decommissioning and site reclamation

  16. [Means of the formation of gonotrophic relations in blood-sucking Diptera].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamarina, N A

    1987-01-01

    Gonotrophic relations in low and higher bloodsucking Diptera are fundamentally different that results from an initial type of feeding and trophic behaviour. Trophic behaviour of low dipterous hematophages and gonotrophic harmony peculiar to them can be traced from entomophagy, that is from the predatory mode of life on account of small insects. By the type of the trophic behaviour low bloodsucking Diptera are predators with a typical moment contact with the prey. More primitive is a type of gonotrophic harmony characteristic of hunters for diffusely spread prey (incomplete blood portion provides the maturation of incomplete portion of eggs). Hunting for diffusely spread prey is characteristic of entomophages too. The appearance of gregarious ruminants facilitates the possibility of repeated contacts with prey and blood satiation threshold increases. This is a higher type of gonotrophic harmony providing a maximum realization of potential fecundity. The initial saprophagy of higher Diptera is associated with another type of trophic behaviour (long contact with food substratum) that is a prerequisite for quite a different way of evolution of host-parasite relationships in higher Diptera. This leads to more close connections with the host and excludes gonotrophic harmony. Females were the first to begin the exploitation of vertebrate animals. This is connected with the peculiarities of their behaviour during egg laying such as the stay near animals for laying eggs into fresh dung. Autogeneity, nectarophagy and aphagia are homologous phenomena which reflect the loss of an animal component of food or both components at the level of non-specialized saprophagy rather than secondary loss of bloodsucking. The scheme of gonotrophic relations is given.

  17. Fiscal 1996 survey report on the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system feasibility study. Feasibility study of the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system in the Philippines; Kankyo chowagata sekitan riyo system kanosei chosa. Philippines ni okeru kankyo chowagata sekitan riyo system kanosei chosa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-03-01

    Grasping the present situation of coal utilization technology in the Philippines, the paper proposed a feasibility study of introduction of the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system which seems to be needed in the future. (1) Introduction of the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system in the electric power generation sector: there are only four full-scale running coal thermal power plants in the Philippines. In the future, several coal thermal plants are planned to be constructed by 2005, but for the new installation, it is desirable to adopt fluidized bed boilers with wide application to coal kinds. In case of 0.3-1.0 million MW class plants, it is planned to adopt high grade import coals, and it will be natural to fire pulverized coal. For the processing of flue gas, it is a must to install desulfurization facilities and smoke/soot removal devices. (2) Utilization/development of domestic low grade coals: at the mine-mouth generating plant, it is necessary to investigate the economically minable amount of coal, confirm productivity, survey coal quality, etc., and select boiler. As to coal briquetting technology, it is necessary to examine coal quality for tests and make a thorough study of what technology is most suitable. 50 figs., 78 tabs.

  18. Development and application of a community sustainability visualization tool through integration of US EPA’s Sustainable and Health Community Research Program tasks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maintaining a harmonious balance between economic, social, and environmental well-being is paramount to community sustainability. Communities need a practical/usable suite of measures to assess their current position on a "surface" of sustainability created from the interaction ...

  19. Climate and vegetation study using environmental isotope types of stalactite at Seropan Cave, Gunung Kidul Yogyakarta

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Satrio; Sidauruk, P.; Pratikno, B.

    2012-01-01

    Climate and vegetation study using environmental isotopes (i.e., 13 C, 14 C and 18 O) variations of stalactite has been conducted at Seropan cave, Gunung Kidul Karst area. The stalactite samples were collected from Seropan Cave at Semanu, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. The objective of study is to understand the climate change, and vegetation types, temperature of atmosphere, age and stalactite growth rate through the interpretation of environmental isotopes (i.e., 13 C, 14 C and 18 O) of stalactite samples. The environmental isotope content of stalactite samples were analysed through CaCO 3 compound that was found at the stalactite samples. The 13 C content of samples is important to understand climate undulation and also vegetation variation. On the other hand, the variation of 18 O and 14 C contents is important to predict past temperature of atmosphere, and the age as well as stalactite growth rate, respectively. The result of environmental 13 C isotope analysis showed that Gunung Kidul area in general can be classified as dry climate. It is also indicated that almost 87.5 % of local vegetation can be classified as dry vegetation C4 as can be seen from the variation of δ 13 C content that is -6 ‰ to +2 ‰ vs PDB. This can also mean that only 12.5 % of the time that the vegetation in the area is wet in which the variation of δ 13 C content is in the range -14 ‰ to -6 ‰ vs PDB. The variations of 18 O contents of the samples (carbonate stalactite, or drip water) showed that the average temperature since 1621 to 2011 was around 19.5 °C. On the other hand, the variations of 14 C contents of the samples showed that stalactite growth rate was around 0.1 mm/year or one mm in ten years. The result shows that the stalactite growth is very slow as generally expected in tropical area such as Gunung Kidul. (author)

  20. Dynamism in a Semiconductor Industrial Machine Allocation Problem using a Hybrid of the Bio-inspired and Musical-Harmony Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalsom Yusof, Umi; Nor Akmal Khalid, Mohd

    2015-05-01

    Semiconductor industries need to constantly adjust to the rapid pace of change in the market. Most manufactured products usually have a very short life cycle. These scenarios imply the need to improve the efficiency of capacity planning, an important aspect of the machine allocation plan known for its complexity. Various studies have been performed to balance productivity and flexibility in the flexible manufacturing system (FMS). Many approaches have been developed by the researchers to determine the suitable balance between exploration (global improvement) and exploitation (local improvement). However, not much work has been focused on the domain of machine allocation problem that considers the effects of machine breakdowns. This paper develops a model to minimize the effect of machine breakdowns, thus increasing the productivity. The objectives are to minimize system unbalance and makespan as well as increase throughput while satisfying the technological constraints such as machine time availability. To examine the effectiveness of the proposed model, results for throughput, system unbalance and makespan on real industrial datasets were performed with applications of intelligence techniques, that is, a hybrid of genetic algorithm and harmony search. The result aims to obtain a feasible solution to the domain problem.

  1. Environmental attitudes of stakeholders and their perceptions regarding protected area-community conflicts: a case study in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jing; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Miao, Hong

    2010-11-01

    Large numbers of people living in and around protected areas are highly dependent on the natural resources. However, simply excluding them from the area management has always inevitably resulted in conflicts. We conducted a case study of the Protected Area of Jinyun Mountain (PJM) in China to evaluate social context variables, environmental attitudes, and perceptions regarding protected area-community conflicts. Data were collected through questionnaire surveys administered to four stakeholder groups (i.e. local farmers, government staff, business persons, and tourists). A total of 112 questionnaires were completed in December 2008, after the Sichuan Earthquake. The questionnaire consisted of three parts, social context (gender, race, age, income, and education level), protected area-community conflicts, and environmental attitudes. The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scores, which were employed to evaluate environmental attitudes, differed significantly among the stakeholder groups (Pconflict both exist in the PJM, but have different forms among different stakeholders, and seem to be opposite between government staff and local farmers. Among the indexes, tourism primarily contributed to the harmonious aspect, while collection of NTFPs did to the conflicting one. Conflict scores were positively related to age and negatively related to education level. Respondents with higher NEP scores were more partial to the park management. Besides, the respondents with higher annual incomes tended to support the policy of harmonizing the relationship and lessening the harm of local communities to the area. To promote proenvironmental attitudes and alleviate the protected area-community conflicts, we recommend improving environmental education, establishing community co-management, and launching substitute sources of cash for traditional cultivation. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. National technical report (Matsushita Electric Industrial Company), Vol. 41, No. 3, June 1995. Special issue on environmental technologies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-06-01

    ;Contents: Preface to Special Issue on Environmental Technologies; Total System for Recycling and Optimal Treatment of Waste Home Electric Appliances; Material Reduction Design Using Computer Aided Engineering; Rewritable Thermal Recording Sheet; Reusable Taping System; Estimating Method for Disassembly of Home Appliances; Thermal Design Technique to Reduce Furnace Running Cost to Half; Study of Air Conditioner Using HFC Refrigerant Blend; High-Efficiency Compact Rotary Compressor Using New Refrigerant HFC 134a for Automotive Air Conditioner; Simulation for Refrigerators Using HFC 134a; Zero-ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) Rigid Insulation Foams for Refrigerators; Heat Energy of Industrial Waste Combustion Gas Utilization System; Exhaust Gas Denitrification System for Car Road Tunnels and Underground Parking Areas; Apparatus for Regenerating Diesel Particulate Filter Using Microwave; Analysis of Advanced Treatment System of Heavy Metals in Waste Water; Ventilating and Air-Conditioning System for Energy-Saving Houses; Garbage Disposer; and Anti-Microbial Resin and Applications to Products in Harmony with Living Environment.

  3. Hydro-Thermal-Wind Generation Scheduling Considering Economic and Environmental Factors Using Heuristic Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suresh K. Damodaran

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Hydro-thermal-wind generation scheduling (HTWGS with economic and environmental factors is a multi-objective complex nonlinear power system optimization problem with many equality and inequality constraints. The objective of the problem is to generate an hour-by-hour optimum schedule of hydro-thermal-wind power plants to attain the least emission of pollutants from thermal plants and a reduced generation cost of thermal and wind plants for a 24-h period, satisfying the system constraints. The paper presents a detailed framework of the HTWGS problem and proposes a modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO algorithm for evolving a solution. The competency of selected heuristic algorithms, representing different heuristic groups, viz. the binary coded genetic algorithm (BCGA, particle swarm optimization (PSO, improved harmony search (IHS, and JAYA algorithm, for searching for an optimal solution to HTWGS considering economic and environmental factors was investigated in a trial system consisting of a multi-stream cascaded system with four reservoirs, three thermal plants, and two wind plants. Appropriate mathematical models were used for representing the water discharge, generation cost, and pollutant emission of respective power plants incorporated in the system. Statistical analysis was performed to check the consistency and reliability of the proposed algorithm. The simulation results indicated that the proposed MPSO algorithm provided a better solution to the problem of HTWGS, with a reduced generation cost and the least emission, when compared with the other heuristic algorithms considered.

  4. Advances in organic-inorganic hybrid sorbents for the extraction of organic and inorganic pollutants in different types of food and environmental samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Nyuk-Ting; Kamaruddin, Amirah Farhan; Wan Ibrahim, Wan Aini; Sanagi, Mohd Marsin; Abdul Keyon, Aemi S

    2018-01-01

    The efficiency of the extraction and removal of pollutants from food and the environment has been an important issue in analytical science. By incorporating inorganic species into an organic matrix, a new material known as an organic-inorganic hybrid material is formed. As it possesses high selectivity, permeability, and mechanical and chemical stabilities, organic-inorganic hybrid materials constitute an emerging research field and have become popular to serve as sorbents in various separaton science methods. Here, we review recent significant advances in analytical solid-phase extraction employing organic-inorganic composite/nanocomposite sorbents for the extraction of organic and inorganic pollutants from various types of food and environmental matrices. The physicochemical characteristics, extraction properties, and analytical performances of sorbents are discussed; including morphology and surface characteristics, types of functional groups, interaction mechanism, selectivity and sensitivity, accuracy, and regeneration abilities. Organic-inorganic hybrid sorbents combined with extraction techniques are highly promising for sample preparation of various food and environmental matrixes with analytes at trace levels. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Mechanism Of Environmental Franchising In The Sustainable Development Potential

    OpenAIRE

    Inna Illyashenko

    2011-01-01

    Reveals the types of environmental franchising: franchise environmental goods, manufacturing, service and environmental business format. Presents the methodological principles for the formation mechanisms of environmental franchise in implementing sustainable development potential. Proved economic, legal and organizational technology contractual relations regarding environmental franchise.

  6. Fiscal 1996 survey report on the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system feasibility study. Feasibility study of the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system in Malaysia and Vietnam; Kankyo chowagata sekitan riyo system kanosei chosa. Malaysia Vietnam ni okeru kankyo chowagata sekitan riyo system kanosei chosa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-03-01

    This survey arranged the status of coal utilization technology and the status of coal production, supply, etc. in Malaysia and Vietnam, examined/studied coal utilization systems in both countries, and finally assessed feasibility of introducing the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system. As a country of primary energy source which is abundant in crude oil, natural gas, hydroelectric power, coal, etc., Malaysia now depends on crude oil and natural gas for 80% of its energy, and places emphasis on exploration of natural gas and oil refining. In electric power and cement industries where coal is consumed, effectiveness and environmental issues in association with coal utilization are future subjects. In Vietnam, the north is abundant in hydroelectric power and anthracite, and the south in oil and gas resource, but the north and central districts are in a state of undevelopment. Coal is used for coal thermal power generation, cement industry, and residential/commercial fuel. In the future, effective coal utilization and environmental issues will be subjects. 16 refs., 38 figs., 75 tabs.

  7. FY 2000 report on the survey of a potentiality of the environmental harmony type coal utilization system. Dispatch of engineers; 2000 nendo kankyo chowagata sekitan riyo system kanosei chosa hokokusho. Senmonka haken

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-03-01

    For the purpose of contributing to improvement in coal utilization technology and environmental conservation in developing countries, a survey project on the dispatch of engineers was carried out, and the FY 2000 results were summed up. The survey was conducted in terms of the operational state of the model project already finished in China, the present state of the model project on the circulating fluidized bed boiler in Indonesia, and the strategy to be worked out for spread of clean coal technology (CCT). In China, it was confirmed that 10 sites where the project had been finished are in a state of the appropriate operation. Further, problems on each model were grasped/analyzed by questionnaire survey. The model project on the circulating fluidized bed boiler in Banyuwangi, Indonesia, has been suspended about three years, affected by the serious economic crisis. Survey was made and advice was given for the state of facility/equipment maintenance so that the facility/equipment can be used at the time of resuming the project. As to the strategy to be worked out for CCT spread, questionnaire survey and hearing were carried out for Japan-side makers. Study/analysis of subjects/important points for the spread were made. (NEDO)

  8. Evaluating Sustainability of Household Consumption Using DEA to Assess Environmental Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christoffersen, Line Block; Jensen, Trine Susanne; Wier, Mette

    2005-01-01

    We assess environmental performance across product types and across household types in order to evaluate environmental pressure from human activities. To so do, we combine family budget statistics, input-output tables, energy and material flow matrices, various types of emissions and environmenta...... friendly consumption pattern. Middle income families living in houses have the least environmentally friendly consumer basket, and these families constitute a high share of all families in Denmark....

  9. Acquired type III secretion system determines environmental fitness of epidemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the interaction with bacterivorous protists.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carsten Matz

    Full Text Available Genome analyses of marine microbial communities have revealed the widespread occurrence of genomic islands (GIs, many of which encode for protein secretion machineries described in the context of bacteria-eukaryote interactions. Yet experimental support for the specific roles of such GIs in aquatic community interactions remains scarce. Here, we test for the contribution of type III secretion systems (T3SS to the environmental fitness of epidemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Comparisons of V. parahaemolyticus wild types and T3SS-defective mutants demonstrate that the T3SS encoded on genome island VPaI-7 (T3SS-2 promotes survival of V. parahaemolyticus in the interaction with diverse protist taxa. Enhanced persistence was found to be due to T3SS-2 mediated cytotoxicity and facultative parasitism of V. parahaemolyticus on coexisting protists. Growth in the presence of bacterivorous protists and the T3SS-2 genotype showed a strong correlation across environmental and clinical isolates of V. parahaemolyticus. Short-term microcosm experiments provide evidence that protistan hosts facilitate the invasion of T3SS-2 positive V. parahaemolyticus into a coastal plankton community, and that water temperature and productivity further promote enhanced survival of T3SS-2 positive V. parahaemolyticus. This study is the first to describe the fitness advantage of GI-encoded functions in a microbial food web, which may provide a mechanistic explanation for the global spread and the seasonal dynamics of V. parahaemolyticus pathotypes, including the pandemic serotype cluster O3:K6, in aquatic environments.

  10. Determination of Optimal Initial Weights of an Artificial Neural Network by Using the Harmony Search Algorithm: Application to Breakwater Armor Stones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anzy Lee

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN model is developed to predict the stability number of breakwater armor stones based on the experimental data reported by Van der Meer in 1988. The harmony search (HS algorithm is used to determine the near-global optimal initial weights in the training of the model. The stratified sampling is used to sample the training data. A total of 25 HS-ANN hybrid models are tested with different combinations of HS algorithm parameters. The HS-ANN models are compared with the conventional ANN model, which uses a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the initial weights. Each model is run 50 times and the statistical analyses are conducted for the model results. The present models using stratified sampling are shown to be more accurate than those of previous studies. The statistical analyses for the model results show that the HS-ANN model with proper values of HS algorithm parameters can give much better and more stable prediction than the conventional ANN model.

  11. Research into basic rocks types

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-06-01

    Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) has carried out research into basic rock types in Finland. The research programme has been implemented in parallel with the preliminary site investigations for radioactive waste disposal in 1991-1993. The program contained two main objectives: firstly, to study the properties of the basic rock types and compare those with the other rock types under the investigation; secondly, to carry out an inventory of rock formations consisting of basic rock types and suitable in question for final disposal. A study of environmental factors important to know regarding the final disposal was made of formations identified. In total 159 formations exceeding the size of 4 km 2 were identified in the inventory. Of these formations 97 were intrusive igneous rock types and 62 originally extrusive volcanic rock types. Deposits consisting of ore minerals, industrial minerals or building stones related to these formations were studied. Environmental factors like natural resources, protected areas or potential for restrictions in land use were also studied

  12. Decision support for utility environmental risk management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balson, W.E.; Wilson, D.S.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reviews a number of decision support methods developed and applied by Decision Focus Incorporated to help utility personnel manage current environmental problems. This work has been performed for the Environmental Risk Analysis Program of EPRI's Environment Division, and also for a number of electric utilities across the country. These are two distinct types of decision support software tools that have been created: economic risk management and environmental risk analysis. These types differ primarily in the identification of who will make a decision. Economic risk management tools are directed primarily at decisions made by electric utilities. Environmental risk analysis tools are directed primarily at decisions made by legislative or regulatory agencies, about which a utility may wish to comment

  13. Environmental pressures from European consumption and production. A study in integrated environmental and economic analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watson, D. [Copenhagen Resource Institute, Copenhagen (Denmark); Fernandez, J.A.; Wittmer, D. [Wuppertal Institute, Wuppertal (Germany); Gravgaerd Pedersen, O. [Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen (Denmark); European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Copenhagen (Denmark)

    2013-03-15

    Environmental pressures from European consumption and production shows how economic and environmental data can be integrated to analyse environmental performance and material efficiency of whole economies as well as their individual elements. The analyses presented in the report provide policy makers with a tool to target economic incentives and information campaigns, encouraging a shift to more sustainable production and consumption patterns in order to reduce Europe's global footprint. The report discusses two analytical approaches. The production-based method considers direct environmental pressures caused by European industries and service providers - for example, the extraction of material resources by the mining and quarrying sector, air pollutants from power stations, greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and so on. The consumption-based method focuses on the indirect environmental pressures caused by European consumers. In this approach, the direct production-related pressures are attributed to broad groups of products and services, also taking into account pressures that are embodied in goods imported into the EU. Using Environmentally Extended Input Output Analysis (EE-IOA) it is possible to estimate the environmental pressures ultimately generated by individual product groups and also by European consumption as a whole. Four types of environmental pressures are considered by the report: raw material use, greenhouse gas emissions, acidifying air emissions, and air pollutants leading to harmful ground-level ozone. However, the method has the potential to assess many other types of environmental pressure including land use, water use, waste generation and energy use. Thanks to the conceptual consistency between the system of national economic accounts and environmental accounts, data on environmental pressures is directly comparable to economic expenditure. Policy makers can thus see which sectors have been most successful in decoupling

  14. Environmental enrichment choices of shelter cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, J J; Stryhn, H; Spears, J; Cockram, M S

    2017-08-01

    Choices made by cats between different types of environmental enrichment may help shelters to prioritize how to most effectively enrich cat housing, especially when limited by space or funds. This study investigates the environmental enrichment use of cats in a choice test. Twenty-six shelter cats were kept singularly in choice chambers for 10days. Each chamber had a central area and four centrally-linked compartments containing different types of environmental enrichment: 1) an empty control, 2) a prey-simulating toy, 3) a perching opportunity, and 4) a hiding opportunity. Cat movement between compartments was quantitatively recorded using a data-logger. Enriched compartments were visited significantly more frequently during the light period than during the dark period. Cats spent a significantly greater percentage of time in the hiding compartment (median=55%, IQR=46) than in the toy compartment (median=2%, IQR=9), or in the empty control compartment (median=4%, IQR=4). These results provide additional evidence to support the value of a hiding box to cats housed in a novel environment, in that they choose hiding relative to other types of environmental enrichment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Near-facility environmental monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmidt, J.W.; Johnson, A.R.; Markes, B.M.; McKinney, S.M.; Perkins, C.J.

    1995-06-01

    This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the routine near-facility environmental monitoring programs which are presently being conducted at the Hanford Site. Several types of environmental media are sampled near nuclear facilities to monitor the effectiveness of waste management and restoration activities, and effluent treatment and control practices. These media include air, surface water and springs, surface contamination, soil and vegetation, investigative sampling (which can include wildlife), and external radiation. Sampling and analysis information and analytical results for 1994 for each of these media are summarized in this section. Additional data and more detailed information may be found in Westinghouse Hanford Company Operational Environmental Monitoring Annual Report, Calendar Year 1994.

  16. Color landscape plan of the concrete Consideration on the harmony of concrete and landscape; Konkurito no shikisai keikan keikaku. Keikan to konkurito no chowa wo kangaeru

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akiyama, Hiroshi [Landscape Planning and Design with Concrete and Color, Tokyo (Japan)

    1999-03-10

    In Ministry of Construction, they positively promote the natural river make, and they have announced the basic design with the aim of river which does not use the concrete and river in which the concrete is not seen. It is the design control in using the concrete to be necessary for this. They introduced color landscape plan of the pile block of the concrete as a case in aiming at the harmony of concrete and landscape of being more concrete. They introduced concrete product which could express the local color characteristics of colors of the concrete which it does not suit for the landscape, usage of the concrete, concrete of the warm color, colors of concrete product of France, examples of the Disneyland, colors concrete lied, landscapes and cost, etc. (NEDO)

  17. 'Eco' For Whom? Envisioning Eco-urbanism in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, China

    OpenAIRE

    Caprotti, Federico; Springer, Cecilia; Harmer, Nichola

    2015-01-01

    Eco-cities have attracted international attention from governments, corporations, academics and other actors seeking to use sustainable urban planning to reduce urban environmental impacts. China has devoted significant political will and economic resources to the development of new-build eco-city projects, reflecting the Chinese government's goals to build a 'harmonious society' in which environmental sustainability and social stability are mutually reinforcing. We critically analyse the cas...

  18. Fabric Reconstruction Based on Sustainable Development: Take the Type of Fabric Recycling as an Example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhangting Guan

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Sustainable development is a very important concept of our time, it wants to do is to live in harmony with people, to protect the environment where our human survival. Fabric recycling refers to the use of a variety of traditional and high-tech means of the existing fabric fabric design and processing. So that the surface of a rich visual texture and tactile texture "through the fabric recycling approach. However, the fabric form and clothing design coordination between the clothing design is essential to the link! Garment fabric is not only the material basis of clothing modeling But also an important form of plastic arts. Fabric recycling art has gradually become a new breakthrough point of fashion design! And become an important means to increase the added value of clothing products. But at the same time fabric recycling also follow the concept of sustainable development. This paper analyzes the relationship between fabric reengineering and sustainable development. Combined with practice to explore the fabric processing technology and its creative ideas and some of its environmental performance.

  19. SERVICES MANAGEMENT IN AGRITOURISM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florentina Daniela MATEI (TITILINĂ

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available New branches of tourism continues to grow along with the globalization of environmental policy, that's exactly why agritourism promotes returning to rural areas, recreational and farm activities, through which people assured longevity. In Romania, the sector attracts more and more tourists because it keeps many rural cultural heritage elements, combined with the beauty of the landscape and the harmony that is created through inter-human relationship. However, these services require sustained investments for conservation, but also for promotion. In this paper I wish to underline the major advantages of agritourism in boosting socio-economic development of the country and to customize certain strategies to succeed in managing this type of agritourism services.

  20. Consideration of environmental pollution in MESSAGE-type energy models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rentz, O.; Hanicke, T.; Hempelmann, R.

    1981-10-01

    Macroeconomic and microeconomic data are acquired and processed to obtain a model-adequate data base. The MESSAGE model is adapted and implemented. Modifications for specific problems are described. Aspects of environmental pollution are considered for the various energy supply concepts. The model conception is flexible with regard to new technologies, in particular in the field of primary and secondary energy sources, and to cogeneration products (district heat, electric power). (HP) [de

  1. 45 CFR 641.16 - Preparation of environmental documents, generally.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... affect climate and weather patterns; (3) May adversely affect air or water quality; (4) May affect... knowledge and expertise. (e) Type of environmental document. The type of environmental document required... bases for much of the year, and the need to obtain items or materials requiring long lead times), it may...

  2. Environmental assessment of lightweight electric vehicles

    CERN Document Server

    Egede, Patricia

    2017-01-01

    This monograph adresses the challenge of the environmental assessment of leightweight electric vehicles. It poses the question whether the use of lightweight materials in electric vehicles can reduce the vehicles’ environmental impact and compares the environmental performance of a lightweight electric vehicle (LEV) to other types of vehicles. The topical approach focuses on methods from life cycle assessment (LCA), and the book concludes with a comprehensive concept on the environmental assessment of LEVs. The target audience primarily comprises LCA practitioners from research institutes and industry, but it may also be beneficial for graduate students specializing in the field of environmental assessment.

  3. Sustainability, Virtue Ethics, and the Virtue of Harmony with Nature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, Karen; Kristjánsson, Kristján

    2017-01-01

    This article argues that the dominant sustainable development approach fails to acknowledge the interconnectedness and interrelatedness of social and environmental issues, and that sustainability requires a "transformational" approach, involving a fundamental change in how humans relate to each other and to nature. The authors propose…

  4. Legacy Risk Measure for Environmental Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eide, S. A.; Nitschke, R. L.

    2002-01-01

    The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is investigating the development of a comprehensive and quantitative risk model framework for environmental management activities at the site. Included are waste management programs (high-level waste, transuranic waste, low-level waste, mixed low-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, and special nuclear materials), major environmental restoration efforts, major decontamination and decommissioning projects, and planned long-term stewardship activities. Two basic types of risk estimates are included: risks from environmental management activities, and long-term legacy risks from wastes/materials. Both types of risks are estimated using the Environment, Safety, and Health Risk Assessment Program (ESHRAP) developed at the INEEL. Given these two types of risk calculations, the following evaluations can be performed: risk evaluation of an entire program (covering waste/material as it now exists through disposal or other e nd states); risk comparisons of alternative programs or activities; comparisons of risk benefit versus risk cost for activities or entire programs; ranking of programs or activities by risk; ranking of wastes/materials by risk; evaluation of site risk changes with time as activities progress; and integrated performance measurement using indicators such as injury/death and exposure rates. This paper discusses the definition and calculation of legacy risk measures and associated issues. The legacy risk measure is needed to support three of the seven types of evaluations listed above: comparisons of risk benefit versus risk cost, ranking of wastes/materials by risk, and evaluation of site risk changes with time

  5. Environmental implications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, K.

    1997-01-01

    The environmental concerns typical of the Canadian Arctic and the Beaufort Sea, which impacted on oil and gas exploration were discussed. Environmental regulations and legislation in existence were explained. Most regulations required submission of permit applications that among other things, described the type of equipment to be used and the time and duration of the use. Companies also had to demonstrate that they had the capability to deal with oil spill scenarios. If an oil spill had a significant effect on the numbers of animals, the Inuit would have to be compensated. According to members of the native population, much damage was done initially to wildlife habitats and population, although this improved somewhat later as regulations concerning seismic and explosive activities were strengthened and technology improved, producing fewer harmful environmental impacts. All in all, activity in the Beaufort Sea did not result in any major environmental disasters, but there were many disturbances in the seafloor, permafrost and ice dynamics, as well as an increase in ambient noise levels which resulted in behavioural changes in the organisms close to the drilling activities. 19 figs

  6. Environmental Foundations in Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Krikser

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Foundations in Germany were examined in the context of environmental issues. Data from environmental foundations show that there is huge difference between private and public foundations concerning financial settings. Furthermore, environment is often not the only objective and sometimes not even processed. Our analysis shows that there are different types of foundations with regard to environmental scopes and activities. Although “attractive topics” such as biodiversity and landscape conservation seem to be more important to foundations, less visible topics such as pollution prevention remain merely a “blind spot.” Together, these findings suggest that there is only a limited potential of private foundations compared with public foundations. Nevertheless, there might be an impact on environmental awareness and local sustainability.

  7. Cultural and family challenges to managing type 2 diabetes in immigrant Chinese Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chesla, Catherine A; Chun, Kevin M; Kwan, Christine M L

    2009-10-01

    Although Asians demonstrate elevated levels of type 2 diabetes, little attention has been directed to their unique cultural beliefs and practices regarding diabetes. We describe cultural and family challenges to illness management in foreign-born Chinese American patients with type 2 diabetes and their spouses. This was an interpretive comparative interview study with 20 foreign-born Chinese American couples (n = 40) living with type 2 diabetes. Multiple (six to seven) semistructured interviews with each couple in individual, group, and couple settings elicited beliefs about diabetes and narratives of care within the family and community. Interpretive narrative and thematic analysis were completed. A separate respondent group of 19 patients and spouses who met the inclusion criteria reviewed and confirmed the themes developed from the initial couples. Cultural and family challenges to diabetes management within foreign-born Chinese American families included how 1) diabetes symptoms challenged family harmony, 2) dietary prescriptions challenged food beliefs and practices, and 3) disease management requirements challenged established family role responsibilities. Culturally nuanced care with immigrant Chinese Americans requires attentiveness to the social context of disease management. Patients' and families' disease management decisions are seldom made independent of their concerns for family well-being, family face, and the reciprocal responsibilities required by varied family roles. Framing disease recommendations to include cultural concerns for balance and significant food rituals are warranted.

  8. District heating systems' control for cost effective and environmentally compatible operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balati, J.

    1999-01-01

    District heating systems are being developed in accordance with the growing of large European cities. These systems are formed by enlarging networks of heat distribution from heat sources to heat consumers and, simultaneously, by gradually connecting newly built heat sources. District heating control consists in optimum control of the output of heat sources and in control of heat distribution and consumption. The aim of the paper is to inform about the works in the field of creating a mathematical-physical model of extensive hot water and steam supply circle network and heat sources for the purpose of creating unconventional control algorithms for the complex control of the technological sequence ''heat production distribution- consumption''. For the optimum control algorithms the artificial intelligence methods are also utilised. The aim of the complex access to the solution of new control algorithms will be to decrease the cost of the consumed heat unit and increase environmental protection. The function of the Extensive Heating System District Heating System (DHS) is to ensure permanently the economically justified requirements of heat supply for all consumers with minimum cost per heat supply unit and with enhanced level of environmental protection. The requirements of heat consumers have to be in harmony with the requirements of the maximum possible economy of the whole DHS when adhering to the required qualitative parameters of supplied energy. Therefore, it offers the application of optimised control methods as artificial intelligence methods for the control of the operational circle of DHS heat networks. It is obvious that a higher level of DHS control is required from the technological, economic and ecological point of view. (author)

  9. Sibling relationship patterns and their associations with child competence and problem behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buist, Kirsten L; Vermande, Marjolijn

    2014-08-01

    The present study is the first to examine patterns in sibling relationship quality and the associations of these patterns with internalizing and externalizing problem behavior, as well as self-perceived competence, in middle childhood. Self-report questionnaires (e.g., Sibling Relationship Questionnaire, Self-Perception Profile for Children, Youth Self Report) were administered among 1,670 Dutch children (Mage = 11.40 years, SD = .83) attending 51 different Dutch schools. Three sibling relationship clusters were found: a conflictual cluster (low on warmth, high on conflict), an affect-intense cluster (above average on warmth and conflict), and a harmonious cluster (high on warmth, low on conflict). Sister pairs were underrepresented in the conflictual cluster and overrepresented in the harmonious cluster. Children with conflictual sibling relationships reported significantly more internalizing and externalizing problems, and lower academic and social competence and global self-worth, than children with harmonious sibling relationships. Children with affect-intense sibling relationships reported less aggression and better social competence than children with conflictual sibling relationships. Our findings indicate that it is fruitful to combine indices of sibling warmth and conflict to examine sibling relationship types. Relationship types differed significantly concerning internalizing and externalizing problems, but also concerning self-perceived competence. These findings extend our knowledge about sibling relationship types and their impact on different aspects of child adjustment. Whereas harmonious sibling relationships are the most beneficial for adjustment, sibling conflict mainly has a negative effect on adjustment in combination with lack of sibling warmth. Implications and future directions are discussed.

  10. 78 FR 8964 - Environmental Impact and Related Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-07

    ... Administration 49 CFR Part 622 [Docket No. FTA-2011-0056] RIN 2132-AB03 Environmental Impact and Related... an environmental impact statement. DATES: Effective on February 7, 2013. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... the list of project types that normally result in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement...

  11. Cosmos as Resonant Harmonies ˜ Singing International Year of Astronomy, 2009 ˜ the cultural significance of our new encounter with the universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkins, Kala

    2008-04-01

    UN Int'l Year of Astronomy (IYA), 2009 will celebrate 400 yrs. since Galileo's quests. Bringing the unifying dimensions of cosmos to the global community, sharing the wonder and calling forth the unparalleled ability of astronomy to dwarf our disputations, open our hearts to Einstein's ``cosmological feeling'' and propel us on this collective global adventure, is the nexus of intent. IYA is a global effort to bring the human creative endeavor into harmonic interplay with the universe that is singing us. We are cosmos creating ourselves, taking the reigns of our inherent potency and wondering how law and logos emerge into the entangled formulas and phenomenology of cosmic reason and reality. How is our cosmic encounter affecting our socio-cultural identity and psychology? What harmonies are emerging in researchers in response to our penetration into cosmic etudes of black holes, large-scale flows and stellar dynamics? We are learning to creatively resonate with the universe. Some excellent ideas being brewed for communicating the cosmos to students and the public will be explored.

  12. On the costs and benefits of gaming: the role of passion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lafrenière, Marc-André K; Vallerand, Robert J; Donahue, Eric G; Lavigne, Geneviève L

    2009-06-01

    The dualistic model of passion defines passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that a person likes and values and in which he or she invests time and energy. The model proposes two distinct types of passion: harmonious and obsessive passion that predict adaptive and less adaptive outcomes respectively. In the present research, we were interested in assessing both the negative and positive consequences that can result from gaming. Participants (n = 222) were all players involved in massively multiplayer online games. They completed an online survey. Results from a canonical correlation revealed that both harmonious and obsessive passion were positively associated with the experience of positive affect while playing. However, only obsessive passion was also positively related to the experience of negative affect while playing. In addition, only obsessive passion was positively related to problematic behaviors generally associated with excessive gaming, the amount of time spent playing, and negative physical symptoms. Moreover, obsessive passion was negatively related to self-realization and unrelated to life satisfaction. Conversely, harmonious passion was positively associated with both types of psychological well-being. This general pattern of results suggests that obsessive passion for gaming is an important predictor of the negative outcomes of gaming, while harmonious passion seems to account for positive consequences. Future research directions are discussed in light of the dualistic model of passion.

  13. Transportation risk assessment for the US Department of Energy Environmental Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, S.Y.; Monette, F.A.; Biwer, B.M.; Lazaro, M.A.; Hartmann, H.M.; Policastro, A.J.

    1994-01-01

    In its Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the US Department of Energy (DOE) is considering a broad range of alternatives for the future management of radioactive and hazardous waste at the facilities of the DOE complex. The alternatives involve facilities to be used for treatment, storage, and disposal of various wastes generated from DOE's environmental restoration activities and waste management operation. Included in the evaluation are six types of waste (five types of radioactive waste plus hazardous waste), 49 sites, and numerous cases associated with each different alternative for waste management. In general, the alternatives are evaluated independently for each type of waste and reflect decentralized, regionalized, and centralized approaches. Transportation of waste materials is an integral component of the EM PEIS alternatives for waste management. The estimated impact on human health that is associated with various waste transportation activities is an important element leading to a complete appraisal of the alternatives. The transportation risk assessment performed for the EM PEIS is designed to ensure -- through uniform and judicious selection of models, data, and assumptions -- that relative comparisons of risk among the various alternatives are meaningful and consistent

  14. Environmentally Friendly Machining

    CERN Document Server

    Dixit, U S; Davim, J Paulo

    2012-01-01

    Environment-Friendly Machining provides an in-depth overview of environmentally-friendly machining processes, covering numerous different types of machining in order to identify which practice is the most environmentally sustainable. The book discusses three systems at length: machining with minimal cutting fluid, air-cooled machining and dry machining. Also covered is a way to conserve energy during machining processes, along with useful data and detailed descriptions for developing and utilizing the most efficient modern machining tools. Researchers and engineers looking for sustainable machining solutions will find Environment-Friendly Machining to be a useful volume.

  15. Improving Environmental Health Literacy and Justice through Environmental Exposure Results Communication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica D. Ramirez-Andreotta

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the short- and long-term impacts of a biomonitoring and exposure project and reporting personal results back to study participants is critical for guiding future efforts, especially in the context of environmental justice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate learning outcomes from environmental communication efforts and whether environmental health literacy goals were met in an environmental justice community. We conducted 14 interviews with parents who had participated in the University of Arizona’s Metals Exposure Study in Homes and analyzed their responses using NVivo, a qualitative data management and analysis program. Key findings were that participants used the data to cope with their challenging circumstances, the majority of participants described changing their families’ household behaviors, and participants reported specific interventions to reduce family exposures. The strength of this study is that it provides insight into what people learn and gain from such results communication efforts, what participants want to know, and what type of additional information participants need to advance their environmental health literacy. This information can help improve future report back efforts and advance environmental health and justice.

  16. DEVELOPING A TOOL FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING

    Science.gov (United States)

    LCA-based guidance was developed by EPA under the Framework for Responsible Environmental Decision Making (FRED) effort to demonstrate how to conduct a relative comparison between product types to determine environmental preferability. It identifies data collection needs and iss...

  17. Environmental Science Program at the Advanced Light Source

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nico, Peter; A; Anastasio, Cort; Dodge, Cleveland; Fendorf, Scott; Francis, A.J.; Hubbard, Susan; Shuh, David; Tomutsa, Liviu; Tufano, Kate; Tyliszczak, Tolek; Werner, Michelle; Williams, Ken

    2006-04-05

    The Advanced Light Source (ALS) has a variety of capabilities that are applicable to very different types of environmental systems. Shown are the basic descriptions of four of the approximately 35 beam lines at the ALS. The complimentary capabilities of these four beam lines allow for investigations that range from a spatial scale of a few nanometers to several millimeters. The Environmental Science Program at the Advanced Light Source seeks to promote and assist environmental research, particularly on the four beam lines described in this report. Several short examples of the types of research conducted on these beam lines are also described.

  18. Environmental radiation: basic principles, biological facts, potential risks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodemann, H.P.

    2000-01-01

    This book describes the complex processes that underlie the effects of different types of radiation at the cellular, organ and organismic level. Technical terms central to the subject matter are printed in italicize and explained in a glossary along with all physical quantities and dimensional units referred to. Through a systematic presentation of various aspects of the effects of environmental radiation on humans the author has endeavoured to make it clear that any discussion on potential health hazards must be conducted specific to the type of radiation in question. Furthermore, to study these issues meaningfully one must have a knowledge of the scientific basis of interactions between the various types of radiation and biological systems and be able to assess the relative impact of environmental radiation compared with other environmental health hazards

  19. Managing Human Activities in Antarctica : Should Wilderness Protection Count?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bastmeijer, C.J.

    2005-01-01

    Antarctica is often described as one of the world's last wildernesses. In harmony with this general perception, the wilderness values of Antarctica received legal status with the adoption of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Article 3(1) of the Protocol obliges each

  20. Environmental cleaning and disinfection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Traverse, Michelle; Aceto, Helen

    2015-03-01

    The guidelines in this article provide veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary health care workers with an overview of evidence-based recommendations for the best practices associated with environmental cleaning and disinfection of a veterinary clinic that deals with small animals. Hospital-associated infections and the control and prevention programs necessary to alleviate them are addressed from an environmental perspective. Measures of hospital cleaning and disinfection include understanding mechanisms and types of contamination in veterinary settings, recognizing areas of potential concern, addressing appropriate decontamination techniques and selection of disinfectants, the management of potentially contaminated equipment, laundry, and waste management, and environmental surveillance strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. The role of responsible gambling strategy and gambling passion in the online gamblers' decision-making process: revising the theory of planned behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jaeseok; Chen, Chih-Chien; Song, Hak-Jun; Lee, Choong-Ki

    2014-06-01

    This study revised the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by incorporating the new concepts of gambling passion and responsible gambling strategy (RGS) to predict gamblers' intention to gamble in online sports betting. The data were collected at the end of March in 2012 through an online gambling website. The findings indicated that the inclusion of two types of gambling passion and two types of RGS explains online gambling intention well. Specifically, out of the original antecedent predictors of TPB, attitude toward online gambling was positively related to harmonious passion. Subjective norm had a positive relationship with both harmonious and obsessive passion. The results also showed that perceived behavioral control does not have a significant effect on the two gambling passions but has a direct and significant influence on behavioral intention. Additionally, the compulsory RGS had a negative effect on obsessive passion, whereas supplementary RGS had concurrent positive impacts on harmonious and obsessive passion. Lastly, the two gambling passions were notable predictors of behavioral intention toward online sports betting.

  2. Environmental Monitoring of Agro-Ecosystem Using Environmental Isotope Tracer Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Byung Yeoup; Kim, Jae Sung; Cho, Jae Young

    2004-10-01

    This report has provided the counterparts the knowledge and skills on the use of environmental isotope tracer technology for obtaining valuable information on agricultural non-point pollution source in agro-ecosystem. The contamination from agricultural watersheds has been brought into attention as a potential contaminant of streams and tributaries, since majority of them caused water quality degradation, eutrophication of reservoir and negative effect on agro-environment. To prevent the contamination from these watersheds, it is necessary to find out the source of the contamination. However, accurate contaminants outflows from various types of non-point sources have not yet been elucidated due to the fact that the extent of non-point source contaminants related to uncontrollable climatic events and irrigation conditions may differ greatly from place to place and year to year. The dominant use of isotopes in environmental ecosystem research in the last few decades has been to trace sources of waters and solutes. The environmental isotope tracer technology using stable isotopes such as oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur has extensively been used for tracing the fate of environmental pollutants and for identification of environmental pollutants sources in agro-ecosystems

  3. Virginia ESI: ESI (Environmental Sensitivity Index Shoreline Types - Lines and Polygons)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains vector lines and polygons representing the shoreline and coastal habitats for Virginia, classified according to the Environmental Sensitivity...

  4. Maryland ESI: ESI (Environmental Sensitivity Index Shoreline Types - Lines and Polygons)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains vector lines and polygons representing the shoreline and coastal habitats for Maryland, classified according to the Environmental Sensitivity...

  5. Environmental Degradation: Causes and Consequences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Tyagi

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The subject of environmental economics is at the forefront of the green debate: the environment can no longer be viewed as an entity separate from the economy. Environmental degradation is of many types and have many consequences. To address this challenge a number of studies have been conducted in both developing and developed countries applying different methods to capture health benefits from improved environmental quality. Minimizing exposure to environmental risk factors by enhancing air quality and access to improved sources of drinking and bathing water, sanitation and clean energy is found to be associated with significant health benefits and can contribute significantly to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals of environmental sustainability, health and development. In this paper, I describe the national and global causes and consequences of environmental degradation and social injustice. This paper provides a review of the literature on studies associated with reduced environmental risk and in particular focusing on reduced air pollution, enhanced water quality and climate change mitigation.

  6. Moving beyond green: exploring the relationship of environment type and indicators of perceived environmental quality on emotional well-being following group walks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marselle, Melissa R; Irvine, Katherine N; Lorenzo-Arribas, Altea; Warber, Sara L

    2014-12-23

    Against the backdrop of increasing interest in the relationship between Nature and health, this study examined the effect of perceived environment type and indicators of perceived environmental quality on short-term emotional well-being following outdoor group walks. Participants (n = 127) of a national group walk program completed pre- and post-walk questionnaires for each walk attended (n = 1009) within a 13-week study period. Multilevel linear modelling was used to examine the main and moderation effects. To isolate the environmental from the physical activity elements, analyses controlled for walk duration and perceived intensity. Analyses revealed that perceived restorativeness and perceived walk intensity predicted greater positive affect and happiness following an outdoor group walk. Perceived restorativeness and perceived bird biodiversity predicted post-walk negative affect. Perceived restorativeness moderated the relationship between perceived naturalness and positive affect. Results suggest that restorative quality of an environment may be an important element for enhancing well-being, and that perceived restorativeness and naturalness of an environment may interact to amplify positive affect. These findings highlight the importance of further research on the contribution of environment type and quality on well-being, and the need to control for effects of physical activity in green exercise research.

  7. Moving beyond Green: Exploring the Relationship of Environment Type and Indicators of Perceived Environmental Quality on Emotional Well-Being following Group Walks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa R. Marselle

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Against the backdrop of increasing interest in the relationship between Nature and health, this study examined the effect of perceived environment type and indicators of perceived environmental quality on short-term emotional well-being following outdoor group walks. Participants (n = 127 of a national group walk program completed pre- and post-walk questionnaires for each walk attended (n = 1009 within a 13-week study period. Multilevel linear modelling was used to examine the main and moderation effects. To isolate the environmental from the physical activity elements, analyses controlled for walk duration and perceived intensity. Analyses revealed that perceived restorativeness and perceived walk intensity predicted greater positive affect and happiness following an outdoor group walk. Perceived restorativeness and perceived bird biodiversity predicted post-walk negative affect. Perceived restorativeness moderated the relationship between perceived naturalness and positive affect. Results suggest that restorative quality of an environment may be an important element for enhancing well-being, and that perceived restorativeness and naturalness of an environment may interact to amplify positive affect. These findings highlight the importance of further research on the contribution of environment type and quality on well-being, and the need to control for effects of physical activity in green exercise research.

  8. Moving beyond Green: Exploring the Relationship of Environment Type and Indicators of Perceived Environmental Quality on Emotional Well-Being following Group Walks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marselle, Melissa R.; Irvine, Katherine N.; Lorenzo-Arribas, Altea; Warber, Sara L.

    2014-01-01

    Against the backdrop of increasing interest in the relationship between Nature and health, this study examined the effect of perceived environment type and indicators of perceived environmental quality on short-term emotional well-being following outdoor group walks. Participants (n = 127) of a national group walk program completed pre- and post-walk questionnaires for each walk attended (n = 1009) within a 13-week study period. Multilevel linear modelling was used to examine the main and moderation effects. To isolate the environmental from the physical activity elements, analyses controlled for walk duration and perceived intensity. Analyses revealed that perceived restorativeness and perceived walk intensity predicted greater positive affect and happiness following an outdoor group walk. Perceived restorativeness and perceived bird biodiversity predicted post-walk negative affect. Perceived restorativeness moderated the relationship between perceived naturalness and positive affect. Results suggest that restorative quality of an environment may be an important element for enhancing well-being, and that perceived restorativeness and naturalness of an environment may interact to amplify positive affect. These findings highlight the importance of further research on the contribution of environment type and quality on well-being, and the need to control for effects of physical activity in green exercise research. PMID:25546275

  9. Prince William Sound, Alaska ESI: ESI (Environmental Sensitivity Index Shoreline Types)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set comprises the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data for Prince William Sound, Alaska. ESI data characterize estuarine environments and wildlife by...

  10. Once-weekly albiglutide in the management of type 2 diabetes: patient considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodward, Heather N; Anderson, Sarah L

    2014-01-01

    This review describes the pharmacologic, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic properties of albiglutide, as well as its clinical efficacy and safety. Albiglutide is a novel, once-weekly, injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The European Commission recently granted marketing authorization for the drug in the European Union and on April 15, 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration approved albiglutide (Tanzeum™ [GlaxoSmithKline LLC, Wilmington, DE, USA]) to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Albiglutide has been studied in Phase I, II, and III clinical trials. In the Phase III clinical trials, known as the Harmony series, weekly dosing of albiglutide demonstrated reductions in fasting plasma glucose, postprandial plasma glucose, and glycated hemoglobin, and was associated with weight loss. In all phases of the clinical trials, albiglutide administered once weekly showed a safety and tolerability profile similar to that of placebo, with mild gastrointestinal-related complaints and injection site erythema being the most commonly encountered adverse effects. Compared with pioglitazone and liraglutide, albiglutide has been shown to be clinically less effective. However, it offers the benefit of weight loss that pioglitazone does not, with fewer gastrointestinal side effects than liraglutide. As guidelines continue to advocate for patient-centered treatment strategies, once-weekly albiglutide will be an important addition to the growing armamentarium of treatment options for adults with type 2 diabetes needing target glycemic control.

  11. Fiscal 1997 survey report. Feasibility study of the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system (feasibility study of the environmentally friendly type coal utilization system in India); 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho. Kankyo chowagata sekitan riyo system kanosei chosa (Indo ni okeru kankyo chowagata sekitan riyo system kanosei chosa)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-03-01

    The survey was conducted of the present situation of coal utilization and the present coal situation such as the environmental state of India which is a coal producing/consuming country next to China in Asia. The paper studied a feasibility of the introduction of the environmental friendly type coal utilization system` to be planned in India. The items for survey are the present situation of economy and energy and the future trend, environmental problems on coal utilization, the present status of the coal distribution system and study subjects, the present status of coal utilization by field and study subjects, a possibility of briquette use, a possibility of coal fluidization, electric power development plans and coal combustion technology in each industry, etc. The subjects are the obligation of coal preparation to coal thermal power plants 1000 km away from coal mines starting 2001, measures taken for effective ash use, measures taken for superannuated gas furnaces, etc. Based on the results of these site surveys and reports of the investigation under consignment from CMPDI, the paper studied/analyzed possibilities of introducing the coal utilization system having actual introduction results in Japan to India, and made an investigational report. 39 refs., 12 figs., 56 tabs.

  12. FY 1999 New Sunshine Project survey research project - Survey on the long-term energy technology strategy, etc. Fundamental survey to decide on the industrial technology strategy - Technology strategy by field (Fiber technology field); 1999 nendo choki energy gijutsu senryaku nado ni kansuru chosa hokokusho. Sangyo gijutsu senryaku sakutei kiban chosa (bun'yabetsu gijutsu senryaku (sen'i gijutsu bun'ya))

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-01

    The survey/study were conducted to contribute to proposing technology strategies such as the analysis of the present state of technical competitive force and the forecast in the fiber industry technology field. For the fiber industry to meet the requests from the society in the 21st century and to develop as an industry, it is necessary to achieve the technology innovation by making use of technology and recreation. As important seeds for which the Japanese fiber industry should focus efforts, the following were cited: To double the strength of general-purpose polymer synthetic fiber; To add the environmental control function by gradient functionalization; To practically use the environmental harmony type nonaqueous working process; To develop the fiber environmentally friendly and fiber working process; To give sensor functions such as temperature-humidity sensitive function; To develop petroleum substituting fiber materials; To develop separation/decomposition technology and reproduction technology of composite materials; etc. Further, in the recreation field, the paper cited the arrangement of intellectual property protection/design property preservation, and the promotion of commercial base making and strengthening of life style proposals. (NEDO)

  13. Environmental report 2010

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2010-06-15

    As the electricity and natural gas transmission system operator in Denmark, Energinet.dk is obliged by the Danish Electricity Supply Act to prepare an annual environmental report for the purpose of creating an overview of the environmental conditions in the electricity sector. The environmental report also contributes to assessing the objectives implemented in Danish environmental and energy strategies. Environmental Report 2010 describes the most significant environmental impact of electricity and CHP production in Denmark and of the operation of the electricity and natural gas transmission systems. Environmental Report 2010 deals with the following five main topics: 1) A status of the environmental impact of the Danish power system in 2009. The status includes the most important key figures for electricity and CHP production, electricity exchange with neighbouring countries, and emissions of the substances subject to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, ie carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), sulphur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) and nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}). 2) The Environmental Impact Statement for electricity, which states the environmental impact of consuming one kWh of electricity. The statement accounts for a total of eight emissions to the air, seven residual products and eight fuel types. 3) Historical analysis of the environmental conditions in the electricity sector in the 1990-2020 period and a forecast of the future environmental impact of the electricity sector until 2020. An account is given of developments in electricity consumption, power generation, fuel consumption and emissions of CO{sub 2}, SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x}. 4) The environmental impact of transporting electricity and natural gas in the electricity and natural gas transmission systems and of storing natural gas in Energinet.dk's gas storage facility in Lille Torup. 5) Energinet.dk's own environmental activities. Here, some of Energinet.dk's other environmental activities, which are not

  14. 和谐社会的生命伦理诉求及高校教育目标设定%Bioethics Dimension about Harmonious Social and Its Higher Education Goal Setting

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    刘科

    2011-01-01

    构建社会主义和谐社会的过程是一个不断诉求生命伦理的过程。尊重生命是生命伦理的基本要义,加强生命伦理教育有助于提升国民素质,有助于和谐社会建设,有助于青年人健康成长。在高等教育中,应设定生命伦理教育的目标:即通过生死教育来认识生命、敬畏生命;通过责任教育来发展生命;通过生命价值教育来完善生命。%It is a constant pursuit of the process of life ethics that the process of constructing a harmonious socialist society. Life must be respected, be reverenced, be treatment friendly, be developed, these are our basic concepts of social management. Respect life is the basic meaning of life ethics, strengthen life ethics education would help to improve civics quality, contribute to the construc- tion of a harmonious society, contribute to the healthy growth of young people. With the development of science and technology, social change and educational utilitarianism, contemporary college students' life ethics consciousness has already been stricken. We have to set the higher education of life ethics goals : through the life and death education to understand life, respect life; through the responsi- bility education to develop life; through the life value education to improve life.

  15. Impact of prenatal environmental stress on cortical development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seiji eIshii

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Prenatal exposure of the developing brain to various types of environmental stress increases susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. Given that even subtle perturbations by prenatal environmental stress in the cerebral cortex impair the cognitive and memory functions, this review focuses on underlying molecular mechanisms of pathological cortical development. We especially highlight recent works that utilized animal exposure models, human specimens or/and induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS cells to demonstrate: 1. molecular mechanisms shared by various types of environmental stressors, 2. the mechanisms by which the affected extracortical tissues indirectly impact the cortical development and function, and 3. interaction between prenatal environmental stress and the genetic predisposition of neuropsychiatric disorders. Finally, we discuss current challenges for achieving a comprehensive understanding of the role of environmentally disturbed molecular expressions in cortical maldevelopment, knowledge of which may eventually facilitate discovery of interventions for prenatal environment-linked neuropsychiatric disorders.

  16. Sustainability: an Approach in Planning to Raise the Quality of Life Through Open Space Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonal Y. Khobragade

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available A presentation of the notion of sustainable development through the eye of a town planner, by elucidating how open space development would change the character of the city and augment towards harmony in the socio-environmental chords of sustainable development. It is an attempt to put forward awareness about the sustainability and environmental risk to ultimately reconcile ecological, social and economic factors of society. It is an attempt to reflect on socio-environmental dimension of the open space planning by addressing urban metamorphosis.

  17. Education and Environmentalism: Ecological World Views and Environmentally Responsible Behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blaikie, Norman

    1993-01-01

    Examined a subsample of students from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology to determine the extent to which an Ecological World View (EWV) has been adapted, an EWV related to environmental behavior, and the role education plays in the type of EWV adapted. Includes the Ecological World View Scale. (Contains 21 references.) (MDH)

  18. Inverse relationship between allergic contact dermatitis and type 1 diabetes mellitus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engkilde, K; Menné, T; Johansen, J D

    2006-01-01

    AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Contact allergy (CA) is a disease induced and maintained by environmental factors, which mainly has a Th2 pattern in its chronic form. Environmental factors play a major role in CA, while genetic factors are of minor importance. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease of the isl......AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Contact allergy (CA) is a disease induced and maintained by environmental factors, which mainly has a Th2 pattern in its chronic form. Environmental factors play a major role in CA, while genetic factors are of minor importance. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease...... 0.46-0.86). After adjusting for sex and age, the odds ratio was 0.63 (95% CI 0.47-0.86). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: An inverse relationship between CA and type 1 diabetes was found. Thus there may be a protective effect of having CA in relation to the risk of type 1 diabetes, or vice versa type 1...

  19. Potential environmental implications of nanoscale zero-valent iron particles for environmental remediation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min-Hee Jang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI particles are widely used in the field of various environmental contaminant remediation. Although the potential benefits of nZVI are considerable, there is a distinct need to identify any potential risks after environmental exposure. In this respect, we review recent studies on the environmental applications and implications of nZVI, highlighting research gaps and suggesting future research directions. Methods Environmental application of nZVI is briefly summarized, focusing on its unique properties. Ecotoxicity of nZVI is reviewed according to type of organism, including bacteria, terrestrial organisms, and aquatic organisms. The environmental fate and transport of nZVI are also summarized with regards to exposure scenarios. Finally, the current limitations of risk determination are thoroughly provided. Results The ecotoxicity of nZVI depends on the composition, concentration, size and surface properties of the nanoparticles and the experimental method used, including the species investigated. In addition, the environmental fate and transport of nZVI appear to be complex and depend on the exposure duration and the exposure conditions. To date, field-scale data are limited and only short-term studies using simple exposure methods have been conducted. Conclusions In this regard, the primary focus of future study should be on 1 the development of an appropriate and valid testing method of the environmental fate and ecotoxicity of reactive nanoparticles used in environmental applications and 2 assessing their potential environmental risks using in situ field scale applications.

  20. Globalisation and National Incentives for Protecting Environmental Goods

    OpenAIRE

    Alkuin Kölliker

    2004-01-01

    This article tries to explain national incentives for protecting environmental goods either autonomously or collectively; it explores how globalisation has affected those incentives; and it suggests how national environmental policy might respond so as to ensure its effectiveness. The central argument is that national incentives for environmental protection may to a considerable extent be explained by a combination of the type of environmental good to be protected (in terms of public goods th...