Management of electricity network cross border capacity: allocation procedures between France and Belgium; Gestion des capacites d'echange d'electricite: methodes d'allocation entre la France et la Belgique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raytchev, D. [Bordeaux-4 Univ. Montesquieu, LAREefi, 33 (France)

2003-11-01

This paper tries to identify a method of allocation of the Interconnector capacity for the transport of electricity which complies best with the (conflicting) interests of users, system operators and regulators in the context of a common European market of electricity. The first part combines a historical approach with a comparative study of existing allocation procedures to show that the new joint mechanism of auctioning and market splitting, applied to the whole northern zone of UCTE is vastly superior to the existing allocation arrangement on the Franco-Belgian border. The second part discusses some problems related to the implementation of the new allocation mechanism. Here we examine some difficulties concerning ca achy auctioning (like auction methods and organisation, profit distribution and derivative markets) as well as the market splitting method (neutrality, markets without power exchanges, etc). The main obstacle facing the new method remains however the lack of willingness to address the urgent issue of reforming the present allocation procedures- a remnant from the period of centrally planned electricity systems where neighbouring monopoly companies negotiated agreements of mutual assistance. These agreements are currently kept in place by tacit inaction despite their heterogeneity and arbitrariness which slow down the emergence of a real competition capable of contesting the positions of historic operators. (authors)

The Cost Effectiveness of the U.S. Export Enhancement Program Bonus Allocation Mechanism

OpenAIRE

Humei Wang; Richard J. Sexton

2004-01-01

The U.S. Export Enhancement Program is evaluated from the perspective of the cost effectiveness of its bonus allocation mechanism. The current mechanism resembles a discriminatory-price, common-value auction. However, auction theory suggests that a discriminatory auction may not be optimal in this setting for several reasons. This article evaluates the current format relative to an alternative, uniform-price auction. Estimation results reveal evidence of strategic bidder behavior under the cu...

Modeling the multi-scale mechanisms of macromolecular resource allocation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Laurence; Yurkovich, James T; King, Zachary A

2018-01-01

As microbes face changing environments, they dynamically allocate macromolecular resources to produce a particular phenotypic state. Broad 'omics' data sets have revealed several interesting phenomena regarding how the proteome is allocated under differing conditions, but the functional consequen...... and detail how mathematical models have aided in our understanding of these processes. Ultimately, such modeling efforts have helped elucidate the principles of proteome allocation and hold promise for further discovery....

An active cooperation-aware spectrum allocation mechanism for body sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Fu; Guo, Ying; Peng, Jun; Hu, Jiankun

2015-01-28

A cognitive radio-based spectrum allocation scheme using an active cooperative-aware mechanism is proposed in this paper. The scheme ensures that the primary user and secondary users cooperate actively for their own benefits. The primary user releases some spectrum resources to secondary users to actively stimulate them to actively join the cooperative transmission of the primary user, and secondary users help the primary user to relay data in return, as well as its self-data transmission at the same time. The Stackelberg game is used to evenly and jointly optimize the utilities of both the primary and secondary users. Simulation results show that the proposed active cooperation-aware mechanism could improve the body sensor network performance.

See the forest for the trees: Whole-plant allocation patterns and regulatory mechanisms in Norway spruce

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jianbei; Behrendt, Thomas; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Weinhold, Alexander; Hellén, Heidi; Reichelt, Michael; Wisthaler, Armin; Dam, Nicole; Trumbore, Susan; Hartmann, Henrik

2017-04-01

acetone) decreased whereas monoterpene and sesquiterpene emissions slightly increased with decreasing [CO2]. Our experimental design provides an excellent platform for studying control mechanisms of C allocation. The range of C availabilities applied in our study will allow partitioning compensatory mechanisms (e.g., up-regulation of C storage due to sugar signalling at high C availability) from evolutionary programming (e.g., storage formation to increase long-term survival at expense of other functions with decreasing C availability). Such partitioning is corroborated via phytohormone and transcriptome analysis, and results will hopefully be available at the time of presentation.

A dynamic allocation mechanism of delivering capacity in coupled networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Wen-Bo; Zhou, Xing-Lian; Zhu, Yan-Bo; Zheng, Zheng

2015-01-01

Traffic process is ubiquitous in many critical infrastructures. In this paper, we introduce a mechanism to dynamically allocate the delivering capacity into the data-packet traffic model on the coupled Internet autonomous-system-level network of South Korea and Japan, and focus on its effect on the transport efficiency. In this mechanism, the total delivering capacity is constant and the lowest-load node will give one unit delivering capacity to the highest-load node at each time step. It is found that the delivering capacity of busy nodes and non-busy nodes can be well balanced and the effective betweenness of busy nodes with interconnections is significantly reduced. Consequently, the transport efficiency such as average traveling time and packet arrival rate is remarkably improved. Our work may shed some light on the traffic dynamics in coupled networks.

A Safety Resource Allocation Mechanism against Connection Fault for Vehicular Cloud Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tianpeng Ye

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS becomes an important component of the smart city toward safer roads, better traffic control, and on-demand service by utilizing and processing the information collected from sensors of vehicles and road side infrastructure. In ITS, Vehicular Cloud Computing (VCC is a novel technology balancing the requirement of complex services and the limited capability of on-board computers. However, the behaviors of the vehicles in VCC are dynamic, random, and complex. Thus, one of the key safety issues is the frequent disconnections between the vehicle and the Vehicular Cloud (VC when this vehicle is computing for a service. More important, the connection fault will disturb seriously the normal services of VCC and impact the safety works of the transportation. In this paper, a safety resource allocation mechanism is proposed against connection fault in VCC by using a modified workflow with prediction capability. We firstly propose the probability model for the vehicle movement which satisfies the high dynamics and real-time requirements of VCC. And then we propose a Prediction-based Reliability Maximization Algorithm (PRMA to realize the safety resource allocation for VCC. The evaluation shows that our mechanism can improve the reliability and guarantee the real-time performance of the VCC.

An Active Cooperation-Aware Spectrum Allocation Mechanism for Body Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fu Jiang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A cognitive radio-based spectrum allocation scheme using an active cooperative-aware mechanism is proposed in this paper. The scheme ensures that the primary user and secondary users cooperate actively for their own benefits. The primary user releases some spectrum resources to secondary users to actively stimulate them to actively join the cooperative transmission of the primary user, and secondary users help the primary user to relay data in return, as well as its self-data transmission at the same time. The Stackelberg game is used to evenly and jointly optimize the utilities of both the primary and secondary users. Simulation results show that the proposed active cooperation-aware mechanism could improve the body sensor network performance.

Collective Decision Mechanisms and Efficient Stock Market Allocations: Existence of a Participation Equilibrium.

OpenAIRE

Forsythe, Robert; Suchanek, Gerry L

1984-01-01

The recent literature on economies with an incomplete set of markets has been devoted to the study of the efficiency properties of collective stockholder decision mechanisms for guiding the behavior of firms when the restrictive Ekern-Wilson spanning condition is not satisfied. The results have been essentially negative; a majority voting rule and controlling interest rules will not yield efficient equilibrium allocations in general. However, in a recent paper, Helpman and Razin (1978) sugges...

A Hierarchical Auction-Based Mechanism for Real-Time Resource Allocation in Cloud Robotic Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lujia; Liu, Ming; Meng, Max Q-H

2017-02-01

Cloud computing enables users to share computing resources on-demand. The cloud computing framework cannot be directly mapped to cloud robotic systems with ad hoc networks since cloud robotic systems have additional constraints such as limited bandwidth and dynamic structure. However, most multirobotic applications with cooperative control adopt this decentralized approach to avoid a single point of failure. Robots need to continuously update intensive data to execute tasks in a coordinated manner, which implies real-time requirements. Thus, a resource allocation strategy is required, especially in such resource-constrained environments. This paper proposes a hierarchical auction-based mechanism, namely link quality matrix (LQM) auction, which is suitable for ad hoc networks by introducing a link quality indicator. The proposed algorithm produces a fast and robust method that is accurate and scalable. It reduces both global communication and unnecessary repeated computation. The proposed method is designed for firm real-time resource retrieval for physical multirobot systems. A joint surveillance scenario empirically validates the proposed mechanism by assessing several practical metrics. The results show that the proposed LQM auction outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms for resource allocation.

Cost Allocation of Transmission Losses in Electric Market Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erwin Dermawan

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a new method to calculate cost allocation of transmission losses (losses, based on a certain price of energy (i.e. a marginal price of system. Here is developed a mathematic model through manipulating of the network equation to separate losses. This model uses complex power injection and, does not use approximations and assumptions in determining the cost allocation of losses. Its calculation begins from the results of load flow calculation and then is continued to calculate power distribution from a generator to every load and every line. Finally, to be calculated separating of losses and cost allocation of losses. The proposed method is easy to be understood and applied. An illustration results on IEEE 14-bus system show that the method is always consistent with expectancies and somewhat different with a few reference methods.

Railway Track Allocation: Models and Methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lusby, Richard Martin; Larsen, Jesper; Ehrgott, Matthias

2011-01-01

Efficiently coordinating the movement of trains on a railway network is a central part of the planning process for a railway company. This paper reviews models and methods that have been proposed in the literature to assist planners in finding train routes. Since the problem of routing trains......, and train routing problems, group them by railway network type, and discuss track allocation from a strategic, tactical, and operational level....... on a railway network entails allocating the track capacity of the network (or part thereof) over time in a conflict-free manner, all studies that model railway track allocation in some capacity are considered relevant. We hence survey work on the train timetabling, train dispatching, train platforming...

Railway Track Allocation: Models and Methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lusby, Richard Martin; Larsen, Jesper; Ehrgott, Matthias

Eciently coordinating the movement of trains on a railway network is a central part of the planning process for a railway company. This paper reviews models and methods that have been proposed in the literature to assist planners in nding train routes. Since the problem of routing trains......, and train routing problems, group them by railway network type, and discuss track allocation from a strategic, tactical, and operational level....... on a railway network entails allocating the track capacity of the network (or part thereof) over time in a con ict-free manner, all studies that model railway track allocation in some capacity are considered relevant. We hence survey work on the train timetabling, train dispatching, train platforming...

Statistical mechanics of competitive resource allocation using agent-based models

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborti, Anirban; Challet, Damien; Chatterjee, Arnab; Marsili, Matteo; Zhang, Yi-Cheng; Chakrabarti, Bikas K.

2015-01-01

Demand outstrips available resources in most situations, which gives rise to competition, interaction and learning. In this article, we review a broad spectrum of multi-agent models of competition (El Farol Bar problem, Minority Game, Kolkata Paise Restaurant problem, Stable marriage problem, Parking space problem and others) and the methods used to understand them analytically. We emphasize the power of concepts and tools from statistical mechanics to understand and explain fully collective phenomena such as phase transitions and long memory, and the mapping between agent heterogeneity and physical disorder. As these methods can be applied to any large-scale model of competitive resource allocation made up of heterogeneous adaptive agent with non-linear interaction, they provide a prospective unifying paradigm for many scientific disciplines.

A mechanism design approach to bandwidth allocation in tactical data networks

Science.gov (United States)

Mour, Ankur

The defense sector is undergoing a phase of rapid technological advancement, in the pursuit of its goal of information superiority. This goal depends on a large network of complex interconnected systems - sensors, weapons, soldiers - linked through a maze of heterogeneous networks. The sheer scale and size of these networks prompt behaviors that go beyond conglomerations of systems or `system-of-systems'. The lack of a central locus and disjointed, competing interests among large clusters of systems makes this characteristic of an Ultra Large Scale (ULS) system. These traits of ULS systems challenge and undermine the fundamental assumptions of today's software and system engineering approaches. In the absence of a centralized controller it is likely that system users may behave opportunistically to meet their local mission requirements, rather than the objectives of the system as a whole. In these settings, methods and tools based on economics and game theory (like Mechanism Design) are likely to play an important role in achieving globally optimal behavior, when the participants behave selfishly. Against this background, this thesis explores the potential of using computational mechanisms to govern the behavior of ultra-large-scale systems and achieve an optimal allocation of constrained computational resources Our research focusses on improving the quality and accuracy of the common operating picture through the efficient allocation of bandwidth in tactical data networks among self-interested actors, who may resort to strategic behavior dictated by self-interest. This research problem presents the kind of challenges we anticipate when we have to deal with ULS systems and, by addressing this problem, we hope to develop a methodology which will be applicable for ULS system of the future. We build upon the previous works which investigate the application of auction-based mechanism design to dynamic, performance-critical and resource-constrained systems of interest

Patient flow based allocation of hospital resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Vissers, J M

1995-01-01

The current practice of allocating resources within a hospital introduces peaks and troughs in the workloads of departments and leads therefore to loss of capacity. This happens when requirements for capacity coordination are not adequately taken into account in the decision making process of allocating resources to specialties. The first part of this research involved an analysis of the hospital's production system on dependencies between resources, resulting in a number of capacity coordination requirements that need to be fulfilled for optimized resource utilization. The second, modelling, part of the study involved the development of a framework for resource management decision making, of a set of computer models to support hospital managerial decision making on resource allocation issues in various parts of the hospital, and of an implementation strategy for the application of the models to concrete hospital settings. The third part of the study was devoted to a number of case-studies, illustrating the use of the models when applied in various resource management projects, such as a reorganization of an operating theatre timetable, or the development of a master plan for activities of a group of general surgeons serving two locations of a merged hospital system. The paper summarizes the main findings of the study and concludes with a discussion of results obtained with the new allocation procedure and with recommendations for future research.

Constrained control allocation for systems with redundant control effectors

OpenAIRE

Bordignon, Kenneth A

1996-01-01

Control allocation is examined for linear time-invariant problems that have more controls than degrees of freedom. The controls are part of a physical system and are subject to limits on their maximum positions. A control allocation scheme commands control deflections in response to some desired output. The ability of a control allocation scheme to produce the desired output without violating the physical position constraints is used to compare allocation schemes. Methods are develop...

Using contests to allocate pollution rights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacKenzie, Ian A.; Hanley, Nick; Kornienko, Tatiana

2009-01-01

In this paper we advocate a new initial allocation mechanism for a tradable pollution permit market. We outline a Permit Allocation Contest (PAC) that distributes permits to firms based on their rank relative to other firms. This ranking is achieved by ordering firms based on an observable 'external action' where the external action is an activity or characteristic of the firm that is independent of their choice of emissions in the tradable permit market. We argue that this mechanism has a number of benefits over auctioning and grandfathering. Using this mechanism efficiently distributes permits, allows for the attainment of a secondary policy objective and has the potential to be more politically appealing than existing alternatives.

National plan of allocation of CO2 emission quotas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

The directive 2003/87/CE of the European parliament and council from October 13, 2003 establishes a trading system of CO 2 emission quotas for some companies of the energy generation industry, of the manufacturing industry and of services. These quotas are tradable and negotiable and an initial amount of quotas is allocated to these companies according to their facilities in concern. The national plan of quotas allocation must precise the total amount of tradable emissions and its share among the different sectors of activity and facilities. The first project of allocation plan was transmitted to the European Commission on July 6, 2004 after its public consultation between June 8 and June 29 2004. Modifications have been added to meet the requests of the Commission and the French plan was finally approved on December 17, 2004 for an annual amount of 156.51 Mt of CO 2 quotas during the 2005-2007 period. This paper precises the modifications requested by the commission, the modifications of the French juridical system necessary to complete the implementation of the French part of the European quotas trading system, the elaboration of the next allocation plan for the 2008-2012 period, and the link between the European emissions trading system and the 'joint implementation' and 'clean development ' mechanisms implemented by the Kyoto protocol. (J.S.)

Comparison of systems for memory allocation in the C programming language

OpenAIRE

Zavrtanik, Matej

2016-01-01

The bachelor thesis describes memory allocation. Work begins with description of mechanism, system calls and data structures used in memory allocators. Goals of memory allocation ares listed along with problems which must be avoided. Afterwards construction and allocating of popular memory allocators is described. Work ends with comparison of memory allocators based on time of execution of programs and memory usage, on which conclusion is based.

Pollution permits allocation and imperfect competition; Allocation de permis de pollution et concurrence imparfaite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwartz, S.

2004-12-15

The aim of this thesis is to highlight the imperfections on the permits markets and to analyze their consequences on markets' efficiency. More precisely, we try to identify the implications of the initial allocation of permits when such imperfections are present. We try to draw some conclusions for the regulator concerning the different forms of the permits' allocation. After having described and compared these forms, we define in which circumstances the initial allocation matters in terms of efficiency. Then, we study different forms of imperfections. First, we take into account the information asymmetry between firms and the regulator and we define an optimal mechanism to sell pollution permits. Then, we analyze a market power on a differentiated pollution permits market. At last, we study the exclusionary manipulation of pollution permits market. (author)

Genomics Mechanisms of Carbon Allocation and Partitioning in Poplar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirst, Matias; Peter, Gary; Martin, Timothy

2009-07-30

The genetic control of carbon allocation and partitioning in woody perennial plants is poorly understood despite its importance for carbon sequestration. It is also unclear how environmental cues such as nitrogen availability impact the genes that regulate growth, and biomass allocation and wood composition in trees. To address these questions we phenotyped 396 clonally replicated genotypes of an interspecific pseudo-backcross pedigree of Populus for wood composition and biomass traits in above and below ground organs. The loci that regulate growth, carbon allocation and partitioning under two nitrogen conditions were identified, defining the contribution of environmental cues to their genetic control. Fifty-seven quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified for twenty traits analyzed. The majority of QTL are specific to one of the two nitrogen treatments, demonstrating significant nitrogen-dependent genetic control. A highly significant genetic correlation was observed between plant growth and lignin/cellulose composition, and QTL co-localization identified the genomic position of potential pleiotropic regulators. Gene expression analysis of all poplar genes was also characterized in differentiating xylem, whole-roots and developing leaves of 192 of the segregating population. By integrating the QTL and gene expression information we identified genes that regulate carbon partitioning and several biomass growth related properties. The work developed in this project resulted in the publication of three book chapters, four scientific articles (three others currently in preparation), 17 presentations in international conferences and two provisional patent applications.

77 FR 22515 - Allocation of Earnings and Profits in Tax-Free Transfers From One Corporation to Another

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-16

... follows: PART 1--INCOME TAXES Paragraph 1. The authority citation for part 1 continues to read, in part... contains proposed amendments to 26 CFR part 1 concerning the allocation of earnings and profits in tax-free... the allocation of earnings and profits should conform to the rules for the allocation of other tax...

[Mechanisms for allocating financial resources after decentralization in the state of Jalisco].

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Núñez, Ricardo; Arredondo-López, Armando; Pelcastre, Blanca

2006-01-01

To analyze, from the decision maker's perspective, the financial resource allocation process of the health services of the state of Jalisco (SSJ, per its abbreviation in spanish), within the context of decentralization. Through a qualitative approximation using semi-structured individual interviews of key personnel in managerial positions as the method for compiling information, the experience of the SSJ in financial resource allocation was documented. From September to November 2003, the perception of managers and administrators regarding their level of autonomy in decision-making was explored as well as the process they follow for the allocation of financial resources, in order to identify the criteria they use and their justifications. From the point of view of decision-makers, autonomy of the SSJ has increased considerably since decentralization was implemented, although the degree of decision-making freedom remains limited due mainly to high adminstrative costs associated with salaries. In this sense, the implications attributable to labor situations that are still centralized are evident. Some innovative systems for financial resource allocation have been established in the SSJ for the sanitary regions and hospitals based upon administrative-managerial and productivity incentives. Adjustments were also made for degree of marginalization and population lag, under the equity criterion. General work conditions and decision-making autonomy of the sanitary regions constitute outstanding aspects pending decentralization. Although decentralization has granted more autonomy to the SSJ, the level of decision-making freedom for allocating financial resources has been held within the highest hierarchical levels.

Capacity allocation in wireless communication networks - models and analyses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Litjens, Remco

2003-01-01

This monograph has concentrated on capacity allocation in cellular and Wireless Local Area Networks, primarily with a network operator’s perspective. In the introduc- tory chapter, a reference model has been proposed for the extensive suite of capacity allocation mechanisms that can be applied at

Part-time and full-time medical specialists, are there differences in allocation of time?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Groenewegen Peter P

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An increasing number of medical specialists prefer to work part-time. This development can be found worldwide. Problems to be faced in the realization of part-time work in medicine include the division of night and weekend shifts, as well as communication between physicians and continuity of care. People tend to think that physicians working part-time are less devoted to their work, implying that full-time physicians complete a greater number of tasks. The central question in this article is whether part-time medical specialists allocate their time differently to their tasks than full-time medical specialists. Methods A questionnaire was sent by mail to all internists (N = 817, surgeons (N = 693 and radiologists (N = 621 working in general hospitals in the Netherlands. Questions were asked about the actual situation, such as hours worked and night and weekend shifts. The response was 53% (n = 411 for internists, 52% (n = 359 for surgeons, and 36% (n = 213 for radiologists. Due to non-response on specific questions there were 367 internists, 316 surgeons, and 71 radiologists included in the analyses. Multilevel analyses were used to analyze the data. Results Part-time medical specialists do not spend proportionally more time on direct patient care. With respect to night and weekend shifts, part-time medical specialists account for proportionally more or an equal share of these shifts. The number of hours worked per FTE is higher for part-time than for full-time medical specialists, although this difference is only significant for surgeons. Conclusion In general, part-time medical specialists do their share of the job. However, we focussed on input only. Besides input, output like the numbers of services provided deserves attention as well. The trend in medicine towards more part-time work has an important consequence: more medical specialists are needed to get the work done. Therefore, a greater number of medical specialists

Identifying Memory Allocation Patterns in HEP Software

Science.gov (United States)

Kama, S.; Rauschmayr, N.

2017-10-01

HEP applications perform an excessive amount of allocations/deallocations within short time intervals which results in memory churn, poor locality and performance degradation. These issues are already known for a decade, but due to the complexity of software frameworks and billions of allocations for a single job, up until recently no efficient mechanism has been available to correlate these issues with source code lines. However, with the advent of the Big Data era, many tools and platforms are now available to do large scale memory profiling. This paper presents, a prototype program developed to track and identify each single (de-)allocation. The CERN IT Hadoop cluster is used to compute memory key metrics, like locality, variation, lifetime and density of allocations. The prototype further provides a web based visualization back-end that allows the user to explore the results generated on the Hadoop cluster. Plotting these metrics for every single allocation over time gives a new insight into application’s memory handling. For instance, it shows which algorithms cause which kind of memory allocation patterns, which function flow causes how many short-lived objects, what are the most commonly allocated sizes etc. The paper will give an insight into the prototype and will show profiling examples for the LHC reconstruction, digitization and simulation jobs.

Integration of Electric Vehicles into the Power Distribution Network with a Modified Capacity Allocation Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junjie Hu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The growing penetration of electric vehicles (EVs represents an operational challenge to system operators, mainly at the distribution level by introducing congestion and voltage drop problems. To solve these potential problems, a two-level coordination approach is proposed in this study. An aggregation entity, i.e., an EV virtual power plant (EV-VPP, is used to facilitate the interaction between the distribution system operator (DSO and EV owners considering the decentralized electricity market structure. In level I, to prevent the line congestion and voltage drop problems, the EV-VPP internally respects the line and voltage constraints when making optimal charging schedules. In level II, to avoid power transformer congestion problems, this paper investigates three different coordination mechanisms, or power transformer capacity allocation mechanisms, between the DSO and the EV-VPPs, considering the case of EVs charging and discharging. The three mechanisms include: (1 a market-based approach; (2 a pro-rata approach; and (3 a newly-proposed constrained market-based approach. A case study considering a 37-bus distribution network and high penetration of electric vehicles is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed coordination mechanism, comparing with the existing ones.

76 FR 29083 - Agriculture Priorities and Allocations System

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-19

... Vol. 76 Thursday, No. 97 May 19, 2011 Part III Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency 7 CFR Part 789 Agriculture Priorities and Allocations System; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 76 , No. 97 / Thursday, May 19, 2011 / Proposed Rules#0;#0; [[Page 29084

The equivalence myth of quantum mechanics-part II

Science.gov (United States)

Muller, F. A.

The author endeavours to show two things: first, that Schrödingers (and Eckarts) demonstration in March (September) 1926 of the equivalence of matrix mechanics, as created by Heisenberg, Born, Jordan and Dirac in 1925, and wave mechanics, as created by Schrödinger in 1926, is not foolproof; and second, that it could not have been foolproof, because at the time matrix mechanics and wave mechanics were neither mathematically nor empirically equivalent. That they were is the Equivalence Myth. In order to make the theories equivalent and to prove this, one has to leave the historical scene of 1926 and wait until 1932, when von Neumann finished his magisterial edifice. During the period 1926-1932 the original families of mathematical structures of matrix mechanics and of wave mechanics were stretched, parts were chopped off and novel structures were added. To Procrustean places we go, where we can demonstrate the mathematical, empirical and ontological equivalence of 'the final versions of' matrix mechanics and wave mechanics. The present paper claims to be a comprehensive analysis of one of the pivotal papers in the history of quantum mechanics: Schrödingers equivalence paper. Since the analysis is performed from the perspective of Suppes structural view ('semantic view') of physical theories, the present paper can be regarded not only as a morsel of the internal history of quantum mechanics, but also as a morsel of applied philosophy of science. The paper is self-contained and presupposes only basic knowledge of quantum mechanics. For reasons of length, the paper is published in two parts; Part I appeared in the previous issue of this journal. Section 1 contains, besides an introduction, also the papers five claims and a preview of the arguments supporting these claims; so Part I, Section 1 may serve as a summary of the paper for those readers who are not interested in the detailed arguments.

Comparative study of various methods for allocating electricity transmission capacity at the France-Belgium interconnection; Etude comparative de differentes methodes d'allocation de capacites de transport d'electricite a l'interconnexion France-Belgique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

The French and Belgian regulators, CRE and CREG, organised in October 2002 a public consultation concerning the allocation methods applied by the network operators at the border between Belgium and France. In July 2002, the Belgian and French transmission system operators, Elia and RTE, had forwarded a joint study to the regulators relative to the methods for allocation at the border between the two countries, in accordance with the stipulations set out in the action plan drawn up in March by the transmission system operators and the regulators. This document presents a French and English summary of this study and a complete version in French of it. It analyses the specific features of the networks and markets concerned, then summarizes the characteristics, advantages and drawbacks of the various allocation mechanisms known at this day, either because they are already in use somewhere in the world or because they are at the design stage with academic researchers or industry. On the basis of this study, ELIA and RTE propose considering the replacement of current local mechanisms with the coordinated management of interconnections in the area comprising France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Given the time required for implementation, the system that would facilitate reaching this target in the medium term in an economically efficient manner consists in a system of coordinated auctioning. It would establish economic competition, ensuring the exchange of correct signals between market actors and network operators. This mechanism must have a sufficiently large scope to avoid 'pancaking' and represent in a sufficiently precise manner the 'edge effects' of contiguous control areas that would not be part of the mechanism.

A trust-based sensor allocation algorithm in cooperative space search problems

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Dan; Chen, Genshe; Pham, Khanh; Blasch, Erik

2011-06-01

Sensor allocation is an important and challenging problem within the field of multi-agent systems. The sensor allocation problem involves deciding how to assign a number of targets or cells to a set of agents according to some allocation protocol. Generally, in order to make efficient allocations, we need to design mechanisms that consider both the task performers' costs for the service and the associated probability of success (POS). In our problem, the costs are the used sensor resource, and the POS is the target tracking performance. Usually, POS may be perceived differently by different agents because they typically have different standards or means of evaluating the performance of their counterparts (other sensors in the search and tracking problem). Given this, we turn to the notion of trust to capture such subjective perceptions. In our approach, we develop a trust model to construct a novel mechanism that motivates sensor agents to limit their greediness or selfishness. Then we model the sensor allocation optimization problem with trust-in-loop negotiation game and solve it using a sub-game perfect equilibrium. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the trust-based sensor allocation algorithm in cooperative space situation awareness (SSA) search problems.

Resource Allocation Models and Accountability: A Jamaican Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Nkrumah-Young, Kofi K.; Powell, Philip

2008-01-01

Higher education institutions (HEIs) may be funded privately, by the state or by a mixture of the two. Nevertheless, any state financing of HE necessitates a mechanism to determine the level of support and the channels through which it is to be directed; that is, a resource allocation model. Public funding, through resource allocation models,…

An Economic Framework for Resource Allocation in Ad-hoc Grids

OpenAIRE

Pourebrahimi, B.

2009-01-01

In this dissertation, we present an economic framework to study and develop different market-based mechanisms for resource allocation in an ad-hoc Grid. Such an economic framework helps to understand the impact of certain choices and explores what are the suitable mechanisms from Grid user/owner perspectives under given circumstances. We focus on resource allocation in a Grid-based environment in the case where some resources are lying idle and could be linked with overloaded nodes in a netwo...

Resource allocation and budgetary mechanisms for decentralized health systems: experiences from Balochistan, Pakistan.

OpenAIRE

Green, A.; Ali, B.; Naeem, A.; Ross, D.

2000-01-01

This paper identifies key political and technical issues involved in the development of an appropriate resource allocation and budgetary system for the public health sector, using experience gained in the Province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The resource allocation and budgetary system is a critical, yet often neglected, component of any decentralization policy. Current systems are often based on historical incrementalism that is neither efficient nor equitable. This article describes technical...

Transnational Energy Companies' Investment Allocation Decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osmundsen, Petter; Emhjellen, Magne; Halleraker, Morten

2001-10-01

When making international capital budgeting decisions, energy companies are often faced with capital and organisational constraints. The constraints may be real or management imposed. In addition, when entering into a new country or region the companies will incur fixed new area costs that must be considered before investment approval. The decision problem is therefore not a linear problem where the standard net present value rule applies, but a non-linear problem of selecting the combination of projects with the maximum aggregate net present value. New project investments will therefore be selected based on the size of the net present value (often referred to as financial volume or materiality) compared to the projects' use of capital and scarce personnel and organisational capacity. Consequently, projects with a positive net present value, but with low materiality, may not be approved. The portfolio choice has a parallel to the company's choice of core areas. Instead of complex portfolio models, the companies often apply simpler allocation mechanisms, e.g., combinations of fixed investment budgets and materiality requirements. Analysing petroleum cases, we compare the allocations decisions generated by portfolio models and simpler mechanisms. We also discuss the implications of this capital allocation pattern for governments' design of tax systems and license conditions. (author)

SOME NOTES ON COST ALLOCATION IN MULTICASTING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darko Skorin-Kapov

2012-12-01

Full Text Available We analyze the cost allocation strategies with the problef of broadcasting information from some source to a number of communication network users. A multicast routing chooses a minimum cost tree network that spans the source and all the receivers. The cost of such a network is distributed among its receivers who may be individuals or organizations with possibly conflicting interests. Providing network developers, users and owners with practical computable 'fair' cost allocation solution procedures is of great importance for network mamagement. Consequently, this multidisciplinary problem was extensively studied by Operational Researchers, Economists, Mathematicians and Computer Scientists. The fairness of various proposed solutions was even argued in US courts. This presentation overviews some previously published, as well as some recent results, in the development of algorithmic mechanisms to efficiently compute 'attractive' cost allocation solutions for multicast networks. Specifically, we will analyze cooperative game theory based cost allocation models that avoid cross subsidies and/or are distance and population monotonic. We will also present some related open cost allocation problems and the potential contribution that such models might make to this problem in the future.

Research on allocation efficiency of the daisy chain allocation algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jingping; Zhang, Weiguo

2013-03-01

With the improvement of the aircraft performance in reliability, maneuverability and survivability, the number of the control effectors increases a lot. How to distribute the three-axis moments into the control surfaces reasonably becomes an important problem. Daisy chain method is simple and easy to be carried out in the design of the allocation system. But it can not solve the allocation problem for entire attainable moment subset. For the lateral-directional allocation problem, the allocation efficiency of the daisy chain can be directly measured by the area of its subset of attainable moments. Because of the non-linear allocation characteristic, the subset of attainable moments of daisy-chain method is a complex non-convex polygon, and it is difficult to solve directly. By analyzing the two-dimensional allocation problems with a "micro-element" idea, a numerical calculation algorithm is proposed to compute the area of the non-convex polygon. In order to improve the allocation efficiency of the algorithm, a genetic algorithm with the allocation efficiency chosen as the fitness function is proposed to find the best pseudo-inverse matrix.

Trajectories of goods in distributed allocation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chevaleyre, Y.; Endriss, U.; Maudet, N.; Padgham, L.; Parkes, D.; Müller, J.; Parsons, S.

2008-01-01

Distributed allocation mechanisms rely on the agents' autonomous (and supposedly rational) behaviour: states evolve as a result of agents contracting deals and exchanging resources. It is no surprise that restrictions on potential deals also restrict the reachability of some desirable states, for

Dynamic resource allocation using performance forecasting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moura, Paulo; Kon, Fabio; Voulgaris, Spyros; Van Steen, Maarten

2016-01-01

To benefit from the performance gains and cost savings enabled by elasticity in cloud IaaS environments, effective automated mechanisms for scaling are essential. This automation requires monitoring system status and defining criteria to trigger allocation and deallocation of resources. While these

Price and welfare effects of emission quota allocation

OpenAIRE

Golombek, Rolf; Kittelsen, Sverre A.C.; Rosendahl, Knut Einar

2011-01-01

Abstracts with downloadable Discussion Papers in PDF are available on the Internet: http://www.ssb.no Abstract: We analyze how different ways of allocating emission quotas may influence the electricity market. Using a large-scale numerical model of the Western European energy market, we show that different allocation mechanisms can have very different effects on the electricity market, even if the total emission target is fixed. This is particularly the case if output-based alloca...

Optimal defense: snails avoid reproductive parts of the lichen Lobaria scrobiculata due to internal defense allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Asplund, Johan; Solhaug, Knut Asbjørn; Gauslaa, Yngvar

2010-10-01

The optimal defense theory (ODT) deals with defensive compounds improving fitness of a particular organism. It predicts that these compounds are allocated in proportion to the risk for a specific plant tissue being attacked and this tissue's value for plant fitness. As the benefit of defense cannot easily be measured in plants, the empirical evidence for ODT is limited. However, lichens are unique in the sense that their carbon-based secondary compounds can nondestructively be removed or reduced in concentration by acetone rinsing. By using such an extraction protocol, which is lethal to plants, we have tested the ODT by studying lichens instead of plants as photosynthetically active organisms. Prior to acetone rinsing, we found five times higher concentration of meta-scrobiculin in the reproductive parts (soralia) of Lobaria scrobiculata compared to somatic parts of this foliose epiphytic lichen species. At this stage, the lichen-feeding snail Cochlodina laminata avoided the soralia. However, after removal of secondary compounds, the snail instead preferred the soralia. In this way, we have successfully shown that grazing pattern inversely reflects the partitioning of the secondary compounds that have a documented deterring effect. Thus our study provides strong and novel evidence for the ODT.

14CO2 fixation and allocation of 14C into major biochemical fractions in different parts of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subrahmanyam, D.; Rathore, V.S.

1993-01-01

14CO2 fixation and transport of 14C-photosynthates amongst different parts of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) and the incorporation of 14C into major chemical fractions in different plant parts was studied at ripening stage. Stem and pod together contributed 70 % of the total 14C fixed by the plant. In all plant parts neutral saccharide fraction contained maximum radioactivity immediately after exposing plants to 14CO2. After 24 h, the radioactivity in this fraction declined considerably due to translocation or conversion into other fractions. Concomitantly radioactivity in lipids and pigments, residue and starch fractions increased after 24 h. The 14C allocation patterns in stem and leaves were similar. However, in pods very high radioactivity was recovered from amino and organic acid fractions indicating the presence of active phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in pod walls

Comparative study of various methods for allocating electricity transmission capacity at the France-Belgium interconnection; Etude comparative de differentes methodes d'allocation de capacites de transport d'electricite a l'interconnexion France-Belgique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

The French and Belgian regulators, CRE and CREG, organised in October 2002 a public consultation concerning the allocation methods applied by the network operators at the border between Belgium and France. In July 2002, the Belgian and French transmission system operators, Elia and RTE, had forwarded a joint study to the regulators relative to the methods for allocation at the border between the two countries, in accordance with the stipulations set out in the action plan drawn up in March by the transmission system operators and the regulators. This document presents a French and English summary of this study and a complete version in French of it. It analyses the specific features of the networks and markets concerned, then summarizes the characteristics, advantages and drawbacks of the various allocation mechanisms known at this day, either because they are already in use somewhere in the world or because they are at the design stage with academic researchers or industry. On the basis of this study, ELIA and RTE propose considering the replacement of current local mechanisms with the coordinated management of interconnections in the area comprising France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Given the time required for implementation, the system that would facilitate reaching this target in the medium term in an economically efficient manner consists in a system of coordinated auctioning. It would establish economic competition, ensuring the exchange of correct signals between market actors and network operators. This mechanism must have a sufficiently large scope to avoid 'pancaking' and represent in a sufficiently precise manner the 'edge effects' of contiguous control areas that would not be part of the mechanism.

Biology and Mechanics of Blood Flows Part II: Mechanics and Medical Aspects

CERN Document Server

Thiriet, Marc

2008-01-01

Biology and Mechanics of Blood Flows presents the basic knowledge and state-of-the-art techniques necessary to carry out investigations of the cardiovascular system using modeling and simulation. Part II of this two-volume sequence, Mechanics and Medical Aspects, refers to the extraction of input data at the macroscopic scale for modeling the cardiovascular system, and complements Part I, which focuses on nanoscopic and microscopic components and processes. This volume contains chapters on anatomy, physiology, continuum mechanics, as well as pathological changes in the vasculature walls including the heart and their treatments. Methods of numerical simulations are given and illustrated in particular by application to wall diseases. This authoritative book will appeal to any biologist, chemist, physicist, or applied mathematician interested in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

A Self-adaptive Scope Allocation Scheme for Labeling Dynamic XML Documents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shen, Y.; Feng, L.; Shen, T.; Wang, B.

This paper proposes a self-adaptive scope allocation scheme for labeling dynamic XML documents. It is general, light-weight and can be built upon existing data retrieval mechanisms. Bayesian inference is used to compute the actual scope allocated for labeling a certain node based on both the prior

Zinc allocation and re-allocation in rice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stomph, T.J.; Jiang, W.; Putten, van der P.E.L.; Struik, P.C.

2014-01-01

Aims: Agronomy and breeding actively search for options to enhance cereal grain Zn density. Quantifying internal (re-)allocation of Zn as affected by soil and crop management or genotype is crucial. We present experiments supporting the development of a conceptual model of whole plant Zn allocation

Application of probabilistic fracutre mechanics to allocation of NDT for nuclear pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergman, M.; Brickstad, B.; Dillstroem, P.; Nilsson, F.

1991-08-01

In order to study whether there are considerable differences in fracture probability between different regions in a reactor pressure vessel a limited probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) study is carried out. Two different regions (crack geometries) are considered and the fracture and leakage probabilities are calculated for a number of load cases. The loading is assumed to be deterministic while most of the other quantities are assumed to be of random character. The fracture probabilities are very dependent of assumption made for the fracture toughness distribution, but the mutual order of the fracture probabilities of the two regions seemed to be relatively unaffected by this. Of the transients considered, the cold overpressurization event is by far the most dangerous even. A sensitivity analysis shows however that this result is heavily dependent of the transition temperature of the material. The leakage probabilities are in most cases much lower than the fracture probabilities indicating that consequence considerations are not very important for NDT allocation purpose. (au)

Transnational Energy Companies' Investment Allocation Decisions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osmundsen, Petter; Emhjellen, Magne; Halleraker, Morten

2001-10-01

When making international capital budgeting decisions, energy companies are often faced with capital and organisational constraints. The constraints may be real or management imposed. In addition, when entering into a new country or region the companies will incur fixed new area costs that must be considered before investment approval. The decision problem is therefore not a linear problem where the standard net present value rule applies, but a non-linear problem of selecting the combination of projects with the maximum aggregate net present value. New project investments will therefore be selected based on the size of the net present value (often referred to as financial volume or materiality) compared to the projects' use of capital and scarce personnel and organisational capacity. Consequently, projects with a positive net present value, but with low materiality, may not be approved. The portfolio choice has a parallel to the company's choice of core areas. Instead of complex portfolio models, the companies often apply simpler allocation mechanisms, e.g., combinations of fixed investment budgets and materiality requirements. Analysing petroleum cases, we compare the allocations decisions generated by portfolio models and simpler mechanisms. We also discuss the implications of this capital allocation pattern for governments' design of tax systems and license conditions. (author)

Influence of temperature on patch residence time in parasitoids: physiological and behavioural mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Moiroux, Joffrey; Abram, Paul K.; Louâpre, Philippe; Barrette, Maryse; Brodeur, Jacques; Boivin, Guy

2016-04-01

Patch time allocation has received much attention in the context of optimal foraging theory, including the effect of environmental variables. We investigated the direct role of temperature on patch time allocation by parasitoids through physiological and behavioural mechanisms and its indirect role via changes in sex allocation and behavioural defences of the hosts. We compared the influence of foraging temperature on patch residence time between an egg parasitoid, Trichogramma euproctidis, and an aphid parasitoid, Aphidius ervi. The latter attacks hosts that are able to actively defend themselves, and may thus indirectly influence patch time allocation of the parasitoid. Patch residence time decreased with an increase in temperature in both species. The increased activity levels with warming, as evidenced by the increase in walking speed, partially explained these variations, but other mechanisms were involved. In T. euproctidis, the ability to externally discriminate parasitised hosts decreased at low temperature, resulting in a longer patch residence time. Changes in sex allocation with temperature did not explain changes in patch time allocation in this species. For A. ervi, we observed that aphids frequently escaped at intermediate temperature and defended themselves aggressively at high temperature, but displayed few defence mechanisms at low temperature. These defensive behaviours resulted in a decreased patch residence time for the parasitoid and partly explained the fact that A. ervi remained for a shorter time at the intermediate and high temperatures than at the lowest temperature. Our results suggest that global warming may affect host-parasitoid interactions through complex mechanisms including both direct and indirect effects on parasitoid patch time allocation.

Supply chain collaboration: A Game-theoretic approach to profit allocation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ponte, B.; Fernández, I.; Rosillo, R.; Parreño, J.; García, N.

2016-07-01

Purpose: This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework for profit allocation, as a mechanism for aligning incentives, in collaborative supply chains. Design/methodology/approach: The issue of profit distribution is approached from a game-theoretic perspective. We use the nucleolus concept. The framework is illustrated through a numerical example based on the Beer Game scenario. Findings: The nucleolus offers a powerful perspective to tackle this problem, as it takes into consideration the bargaining power of the different echelons. We show that this framework outperforms classical alternatives. Research limitations/implications: The allocation of the overall supply chain profit is analyzed from a static perspective. Considering the dynamic nature of the problem would be an interesting next step. Practical implications: We provide evidence of drawbacks derived from classical solutions to the profit allocation problem. Real-world collaborative supply chains need of robust mechanisms like the one tackled in this work to align incentives from the various actors. Originality/value: Adopting an efficient collaborative solution is a major challenge for supply chains, since it is a wide and complex process that requires an appropriate scheme. Within this framework, profit allocation is essential.

Supply chain collaboration: A Game-theoretic approach to profit allocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponte, B.; Fernández, I.; Rosillo, R.; Parreño, J.; García, N.

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework for profit allocation, as a mechanism for aligning incentives, in collaborative supply chains. Design/methodology/approach: The issue of profit distribution is approached from a game-theoretic perspective. We use the nucleolus concept. The framework is illustrated through a numerical example based on the Beer Game scenario. Findings: The nucleolus offers a powerful perspective to tackle this problem, as it takes into consideration the bargaining power of the different echelons. We show that this framework outperforms classical alternatives. Research limitations/implications: The allocation of the overall supply chain profit is analyzed from a static perspective. Considering the dynamic nature of the problem would be an interesting next step. Practical implications: We provide evidence of drawbacks derived from classical solutions to the profit allocation problem. Real-world collaborative supply chains need of robust mechanisms like the one tackled in this work to align incentives from the various actors. Originality/value: Adopting an efficient collaborative solution is a major challenge for supply chains, since it is a wide and complex process that requires an appropriate scheme. Within this framework, profit allocation is essential.

Measuring health indicators and allocating health resources: a DEA-based approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chih-Ching

2016-02-03

This paper suggests new empirical DEA models for the measurement of health indicators and the allocation of health resources. The proposed models were developed by first suggesting a population-based health indicator. By introducing the suggested indicator into DEA models, a new approach that solves the problem of health resource allocation has been developed. The proposed models are applied to an empirical study of Taiwan's health system. Empirical findings show that the suggested indicator can successfully accommodate the differences in health resource demands between populations, providing more reliable performance information than traditional indicators such as physician density. Using our models and a commonly used allocation mechanism, capitation, to allocate medical expenditures, it is found that the proposed model always obtains higher performance than those derived from capitation, and the superiority increases as allocated expenditures rise.

75 FR 12173 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Defense Priorities and Allocations System

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-15

... Allocations System regulation (15 CFR part 700) must retain the records for at least 3 years. II. Method of... Request; Defense Priorities and Allocations System AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce...: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of...

Adapting water allocation management to drought scenarios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Giacomelli

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Climate change dynamics have significant consequences on water resources on a watershed scale. With water becoming scarcer and susceptible to variation, the planning and reallocation decisions in watershed management need to be reviewed. This research focuses on an in-depth understanding of the current allocation balance of water resources among competitors, placed along the course of the Adda River. In particular, during the summer period, the demand for water dramatically increases. This is due to the increase in irrigation activities in the lower part of the basin and to the highest peaks of tourist inflow, in the Como Lake and Valtellina areas. Moreover, during these months, the hydroelectric reservoirs in the upper part of the Adda River basin (the Valtellina retain most of the volume of water coming from the snow and glacier melt. The existing allocation problem among these different competing users is exacerbated by the decreasing water supplies. The summer of 2003 testified the rise in a number of allocation problems and situations of water scarcity that brought about environmental and economical consequences. The RICLIC project is committed to the understanding of water dynamics on a regional scale, to quantify the volumes involved and offer local communities an instrument to improve a sustainable water management system, within uncertain climate change scenarios.

An improved parameterization of the allocation of assimilated carbon to plant parts in vegetation dynamics for Noah-MP

Science.gov (United States)

Gim, Hyeon-Ju; Park, Seon Ki; Kang, Minseok; Thakuri, Bindu Malla; Kim, Joon; Ho, Chang-Hoi

2017-08-01

In the land surface models predicting vegetation growth and decay, representation of the seasonality of land surface energy and mass fluxes largely depends on how to describe the vegetation dynamics. In this study, we developed a new parameterization scheme to characterize allocation of the assimilated carbon to plant parts, including leaves and fine roots. The amount of carbon allocation in this scheme depends on the climatological net primary production (NPP) of the plants. The newly developed scheme is implemented in the augmented Noah land surface model with multiple parameterization options (Noah-MP) along with other biophysical processes related to variations in photosynthetic capacity. The scheme and the augmented biophysical processes are evaluated against tower measurements of vegetation from four forest sites in various regions—two for the deciduous broadleaf and two for the needleleaf evergreen forest. Results from the augmented Noah-MP showed good agreement with the observations and demonstrated improvements in representing the seasonality of leaf area index (LAI), gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and latent heat flux. In particular, significant improvements are found in simulating amplitudes and phase shift timing in the LAI seasonal cycle, and the amount of GPP and ER in the growing season. Furthermore, the augmented Noah-MP performed reasonably well in simulating the spatial distributions of LAI, GPP, and NPP in East Asia, consistent with the satellite observations.

Research advances on thereasonable water resources allocation in irrigation district

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xuebin, Qi; Zhongdong, Huang; Dongmei, Qiao

2015-01-01

The rational allocation of water resources for irrigation is important to improve the efficiency in utilization of water resources and ensuring food security, but also effective control measures need to be in place for the sustainable utilization of water resources in an irrigation area. The prog......The rational allocation of water resources for irrigation is important to improve the efficiency in utilization of water resources and ensuring food security, but also effective control measures need to be in place for the sustainable utilization of water resources in an irrigation area...... mechanism of water resources is not perfect, the model for optimal water resources allocation is not practical, and the basic conditions for optimal allocation of water resources is relatively weak. In order to solve those problems in water resources allocation practice, six important as?pects must...... in irrigation districts, studying the water resources control technology in irrigation districts by hydrology ecological system, studying the technologies of real?time risk dispatching and intelligent management in irrigation districts, and finally studying the technology of cou?pling optimal allocation...

50 CFR Table 47c to Part 679 - Percent of the AFA Inshore Sector's Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used To...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used To Calculate the Opt-Out Allocation and Annual... Sector's Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used To Calculate the Opt-Out Allocation and... Chinook salmon for the opt-out allocation (15,858) Column F Number of Chinook salmon for the opt-out...

50 CFR Table 47b to Part 679 - Percent of the AFA Mothership Sector's Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used To...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used To Calculate the Opt-Out Allocation and Annual... Sector's Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used To Calculate the Opt-Out Allocation and... of Chinook salmon for the opt-out allocation (2,220) Column F Number of Chinook salmon for the opt...

Fundamentals for the Allocation of Financial Benefits in Virtual Enterprises

OpenAIRE

Jähn , Hendrik; Burghardt , Thomas

2012-01-01

Part 18: Cost, Benefits and Performance; International audience; In the following fundamentals for the allocation of financial benefits such as profit are introduced. The content is based on the concept of value-adding process-related virtual enterprises. Before applying exact rules for the calculation and allocation of the financial benefits some initial process steps need to be completed. That is indispensable for the success of virtual enterprises because financial benefits are the main ta...

Transport Infrastructure Slot Allocation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koolstra, K.

2005-01-01

In this thesis, transport infrastructure slot allocation has been studied, focusing on selection slot allocation, i.e. on longer-term slot allocation decisions determining the traffic patterns served by infrastructure bottlenecks, rather than timetable-related slot allocation problems. The

Conflict over condition-dependent sex allocation can lead to mixed sex-determination systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijper, Bram; Pen, Ido

Theory suggests that genetic conflicts drive turnovers between sex-determining mechanisms, yet these studies only apply to cases where sex allocation is independent of environment or condition. Here, we model parent-offspring conflict in the presence of condition-dependent sex allocation, where the

Conflict over condition-dependent sex allocation can lead to mixed sex-determination systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijper, Bram; Pen, Ido

2014-01-01

Theory suggests that genetic conflicts drive turnovers between sex-determining mechanisms, yet these studies only apply to cases where sex allocation is independent of environment or condition. Here, we model parent-offspring conflict in the presence of condition-dependent sex allocation, where the

Decentralized vs. centralized economic coordination of resource allocation in grids

OpenAIRE

Eymann, Torsten; Reinicke, Michael; Ardáiz Villanueva, Óscar; Artigas Vidal, Pau; Díaz de Cerio Ripalda, Luis Manuel; Freitag, Fèlix; Meseguer Pallarès, Roc; Navarro Moldes, Leandro; Royo Vallés, María Dolores; Sanjeevan, Kanapathipillai

2003-01-01

Application layer networks are software architectures that allow the provisioning of services requiring a huge amount of resources by connecting large numbers of individual computers, like in Grid or Peer-to-Peer computing. Controlling the resource allocation in those networks is nearly impossible using a centralized arbitrator. The network simulation project CATNET will evaluate a decentralized mechanism for resource allocation, which is based on the economic paradigm of th...

Work-family conflict and self-discrepant time allocation at work.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahm, Patricia C; Glomb, Theresa M; Manchester, Colleen Flaherty; Leroy, Sophie

2015-05-01

We examine the relationships between work-to-family conflict, time allocation across work activities, and the outcomes of work satisfaction, well-being, and salary in the context of self-regulation and self-discrepancy theories. We posit work-to-family conflict is associated with self-discrepant time allocation such that employees with higher levels of work-to-family conflict are likely to allocate less time than preferred to work activities that require greater self-regulatory resources (e.g., tasks that are complex, or those with longer term goals that delay rewards and closure) and allocate more time than preferred to activities that demand fewer self-regulatory resources or are replenishing (e.g., those that provide closure or are prosocial). We suggest this self-discrepant time allocation (actual vs. preferred time allocation) is one mechanism by which work-to-family conflict leads to negative employee consequences (Allen, Herst, Bruck, & Sutton, 2000; Mesmer-Magnus & Viswesvaran, 2005). Using polynomial regression and response surface methodology, we find that discrepancies between actual and preferred time allocations to work activities negatively relate to work satisfaction, psychological well-being, and physical well-being. Self-discrepant time allocation mediates the relationship between work-to-family conflict and work satisfaction and well-being, while actual time allocation (rather than the discrepancy) mediates the relationship between work-to-family conflict and salary. We find that women are more likely than men to report self-discrepant time allocations as work-to-family conflict increases. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Nutrient allocations and metabolism in two Collembola with contrasting reproduction and growth strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Thomas; Ventura, Marc; Damgaard, Christian

2009-01-01

1.  Physiological mechanisms such as allocation and release of nutrients are keys to understanding an animal's adaptation to a particular habitat. This study investigated how two detrivores with contrasting life-history traits allocated carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) to growth, reproduction and meta...

Pollution control costs of a transboundary river basin: Empirical tests of the fairness and stability of cost allocation mechanisms using game theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Guang-Ming; Wang, Jin-Nan; Zhang, Bing; Zhang, Zhe; Zhang, Yong-Liang

2016-07-15

With rapid economic growth, transboundary river basin pollution in China has become a very serious problem. Based on practical experience in other countries, cooperation among regions is an economic way to control the emission of pollutants. This study develops a game theoretic simulation model to analyze the cost effectiveness of reducing water pollutant emissions in four regions of the Jialu River basin while considering the stability and fairness of four cost allocation schemes. Different schemes (the nucleolus, the weak nucleolus, the Shapley value and the Separable Cost Remaining Benefit (SCRB) principle) are used to allocate regionally agreed-upon water pollutant abatement costs. The main results show that the fully cooperative coalition yielded the highest incremental gain for regions willing to cooperate if each region agreed to negotiate by transferring part of the incremental gain obtained from the cooperation to cover the losses of other regions. In addition, these allocation schemes produce different outcomes in terms of their fairness to the players and in terms of their derived stability, as measured by the Shapley-Shubik Power Index and the Propensity to Disrupt. Although the Shapley value and the SCRB principle exhibit superior fairness and stabilization to the other methods, only the SCRB principle may maintains full cooperation among regions over the long term. The results provide clear empirical evidence that regional gain allocation may affect the sustainability of cooperation. Therefore, it is implied that not only the cost-effectiveness but also the long-term sustainability should be considered while formulating and implementing environmental policies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Competitive market-based allocation of consumer attention space

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.M. Bohte (Sander); E.H. Gerding (Enrico); J.A. La Poutré (Han)

2001-01-01

textabstractThe amount of attention space available for recommending suppliers to consumers on e-commerce sites is typically limited. We present a competitive distributed recommendation mechanism based on adaptive software agents for efficiently allocating the 'consumer attention space', or banners.

Dynamic Resource Allocation in Hybrid Access Femtocell Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afaz Uddin Ahmed

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Intercell interference is one of the most challenging issues in femtocell deployment under the coverage of existing macrocell. Allocation of resources between femtocell and macrocell is essential to counter the effects of interference in dense femtocell networks. Advances in resource management strategies have improved the control mechanism for interference reduction at lower node density, but most of them are ineffective at higher node density. In this paper, a dynamic resource allocation management algorithm (DRAMA for spectrum shared hybrid access OFDMA femtocell network is proposed. To reduce the macro-femto-tier interference and to improve the quality of service, the proposed algorithm features a dynamic resource allocation scheme by controlling them both centrally and locally. The proposed scheme focuses on Femtocell Access Point (FAP owners’ satisfaction and allows maximum utilization of available resources based on congestion in the network. A simulation environment is developed to study the quantitative performance of DRAMA in hybrid access-control femtocell network and compare it to closed and open access mechanisms. The performance analysis shows that higher number of random users gets connected to the FAP without compromising FAP owners’ satisfaction allowing the macrocell to offload a large number of users in a dense heterogeneous network.

An Economic Framework for Resource Allocation in Ad-hoc Grids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pourebrahimi, B.

2009-01-01

In this dissertation, we present an economic framework to study and develop different market-based mechanisms for resource allocation in an ad-hoc Grid. Such an economic framework helps to understand the impact of certain choices and explores what are the suitable mechanisms from Grid user/owner

Allocation of Energy Consumption among Provinces in China: A Weighted ZSG-DEA Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siqin Xiong

2017-11-01

Full Text Available To realize the sustainable development of energy, the Chinese government has formulated a series of national goals of total energy control and energy structure optimization. Under the national constraints, how to efficiently allocate the constrained total amount of energy consumption to each province is a fundamental problem to be solved. Based on a data envelopment analysis (DEA model and a zero-sum game theory (ZSG, this paper constructs a weighted zero-sum game data envelopment analysis (ZSG-DEA model to allocate the energy consumption quota. Additionally, this paper compares the results with the current administrative targets, to examine the efficiency and feasibility of each allocation mechanism. Finally, this paper employs the proposed model to determine the optimal energy structure for each province in China. The results indicate that by 2020, the national goal of energy structure adjustment will be realized, and energy structure will be diversified in most regions, whereas the coal-dominated status in primary energy consumption will not change. Additionally, the weighted ZSG-DEA model focuses on allocation efficiency while the government considers more regional economic disparity. Therefore, this study suggests a mixture of the two allocation mechanisms in accordance with specific conditions.

50 CFR Table 47a to Part 679 - Percent of the AFA Catcher/Processor Sector's Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Sector's Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used To Calculate the Opt-out Allocation and... Catcher/Processor Sector's Pollock Allocation, Numbers of Chinook Salmon Used To Calculate the Opt-out... pollock Column E Number of Chinook salmon for the opt-out allocation (8,093) Column F Number of Chinook...

Improving representation of nitrogen uptake, allocation, and carbon assimilation in the Community Land Model

Science.gov (United States)

Ghimire, B.; Riley, W. J.; Koven, C.

2013-12-01

Nitrogen is the most important nutrient limiting plant carbon assimilation and growth, and is required for production of photosynthetic enzymes, growth and maintenance respiration, and maintaining cell structure. The forecasted rise in plant available nitrogen through atmospheric nitrogen deposition and the release of locked soil nitrogen by permafrost thaw in high latitude ecosystems is likely to result in an increase in plant productivity. However a mechanistic representation of plant nitrogen dynamics is lacking in earth system models. Most earth system models ignore the dynamic nature of plant nutrient uptake and allocation, and further lack tight coupling of below- and above-ground processes. In these models, the increase in nitrogen uptake does not translate to a corresponding increase in photosynthesis parameters, such as maximum Rubisco capacity and electron transfer rate. We present an improved modeling framework implemented in the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) for dynamic plant nutrient uptake, and allocation to different plant parts, including leaf enzymes. This modeling framework relies on imposing a more realistic flexible carbon to nitrogen stoichiometric ratio for different plant parts. The model mechanistically responds to plant nitrogen uptake and leaf allocation though changes in photosynthesis parameters. We produce global simulations, and examine the impacts of the improved nitrogen cycling. The improved model is evaluated against multiple observations including TRY database of global plant traits, nitrogen fertilization observations and 15N tracer studies. Global simulations with this new version of CLM4.5 showed better agreement with the observations than the default CLM4.5-CN model, and captured the underlying mechanisms associated with plant nitrogen cycle.

Secure File Allocation and Caching in Large-scale Distributed Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Di Mauro, Alessio; Mei, Alessandro; Jajodia, Sushil

2012-01-01

In this paper, we present a file allocation and caching scheme that guarantees high assurance, availability, and load balancing in a large-scale distributed file system that can support dynamic updates of authorization policies. The scheme uses fragmentation and replication to store files with hi......-balancing, and reducing delay of read operations. The system offers a trade-off-between performance and security that is dynamically tunable according to the current level of threat. We validate our mechanisms with extensive simulations in an Internet-like network.......In this paper, we present a file allocation and caching scheme that guarantees high assurance, availability, and load balancing in a large-scale distributed file system that can support dynamic updates of authorization policies. The scheme uses fragmentation and replication to store files with high...... security requirements in a system composed of a majority of low-security servers. We develop mechanisms to fragment files, to allocate them into multiple servers, and to cache them as close as possible to their readers while preserving the security requirement of the files, providing load...

Modeling of Task Planning for Multirobot System Using Reputation Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiguo Shi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Modeling of task planning for multirobot system is developed from two parts: task decomposition and task allocation. In the part of task decomposition, the conditions and processes of decomposition are elaborated. In the part of task allocation, the collaboration strategy, the framework of reputation mechanism, and three types of reputations are defined in detail, which include robot individual reputation, robot group reputation, and robot direct reputation. A time calibration function and a group calibration function are designed to improve the effectiveness of the proposed method and proved that they have the characteristics of time attenuation, historical experience related, and newly joined robot reward. Tasks attempt to be assigned to the robot with higher overall reputation, which can help to increase the success rate of the mandate implementation, thereby reducing the time of task recovery and redistribution. Player/Stage is used as the simulation platform, and three biped-robots are established as the experimental apparatus. The experimental results of task planning are compared with the other allocation methods. Simulation and experiment results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for multi-robot collaboration system.

Allocation and management issues in multiple-transaction open access transmission networks

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Shu

This thesis focuses on some key issues related to allocation and management by the independent grid operator (IGO) of unbundled services in multiple-transaction open access transmission networks. The three unbundled services addressed in the thesis are transmission real power losses, reactive power support requirements from generation sources, and transmission congestion management. We develop the general framework that explicitly represents multiple transactions undertaken simultaneously in the transmission grid. This framework serves as the basis for formulating various problems treated in the thesis. We use this comprehensive framework to develop a physical-flow-based mechanism to allocate the total transmission losses to each transaction using the system. An important property of the allocation scheme is its capability to effectively deal with counter flows that result in the presence of specific transactions. Using the loss allocation results as the basis, we construct the equivalent loss compensation concept and apply it to develop flexible and effective procedures for compensating losses in multiple-transaction networks. We present a new physical-flow-based mechanism for allocating the reactive power support requirements provided by generators in multiple-transaction networks. The allocatable reactive support requirements are formulated as the sum of two specific components---the voltage magnitude variation component and the voltage angle variation component. The formulation utilizes the multiple-transaction framework and makes use of certain simplifying approximations. The formulation leads to a natural allocation as a function of the amount of each transaction. The physical interpretation of each allocation as a sensitivity of the reactive output of a generator is discussed. We propose a congestion management allocation scheme for multiple-transaction networks. The proposed scheme determines the allocation of congestion among the transactions on a physical

Patentometrics As Performance Indicators for Allocating Research Funding to Universities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Peter Stendahl

This paper is part of a preliminary investigation of potential indicators on the performance of universities and other public research institutions to be used for allocating general and other research funding. The paper will describe and discuss potential patentometrics and how they can be used...... in different types of analyses and evaluations in general and relating to universities and other public research institutions. Further, the relevance and possibility of including some patentometrics in the allocation of research funding is discussed. Also, other metrics regarding academic linkages...

Experimental Demonstration of Mixed Formats and Bit Rates Signal Allocation for Spectrum-flexible Optical Networking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borkowski, Robert; Karinou, Fotini; Angelou, Marianna

2012-01-01

We report on an extensive experimental study for adaptive allocation of 16-QAM and QPSK signals inside spectrum flexible heterogeneous superchannel. Physical-layer performance parameters are extracted for use in resource allocation mechanisms of future flexible networks....

Allotment of aircraft spare parts using genetic alorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Batchoun Pascale

2003-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we attempt to determine the optimal allocation of aircraft parts used as spares for replacement of defective parts on-board of a departing flight. In order to minimize the cost of delay caused by unexpected failure, Genetic algorithms (GAs are used to allocate the initial quantity of parts among the airports. GAs are a class of adaptive search procedures, that distinguish themselves from other optimization techniques by the use of concepts from population genetics to guide the search. Problem-specific knowledge is incorporated into the problem and efficient parameters are identified and tested for the task of optimizing the allocation of parts. The approach is illustrated by numerical results.

Sex allocation promotes the stable co-occurrence of competitive species

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Kazuya

2017-03-01

Biodiversity has long been a source of wonder and scientific curiosity. Theoretically, the co-occurrence of competitive species requires niche differentiation, and such differences are well known; however, the neutral theory, which assumes the equivalence of all individuals regardless of the species in a biological community, has successfully recreated observed patterns of biodiversity. In this research, the evolution of sex allocation is demonstrated to be the key to resolving why the neutral theory works well, despite the observed species differences. The sex allocation theory predicts that female-biased allocation evolves in species in declining density and that this allocation improves population growth, which should lead to an increase in density. In contrast, when the density increases, a less biased allocation evolves, which reduces the population growth rate and leads to decreased density. Thus, sex allocation provides a buffer against species differences in population growth. A model incorporating this mechanism demonstrates that hundreds of species can co-occur over 10,000 generations, even in homogeneous environments, and reproduces the observed patterns of biodiversity. This study reveals the importance of evolutionary processes within species for the sustainability of biodiversity. Integrating the entire biological process, from genes to community, will open a new era of ecology.

Residency Allocation Database

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — The Residency Allocation Database is used to determine allocation of funds for residency programs offered by Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs). Information...

Optimization evaluation of cutting technology based on mechanical parts

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu

2018-04-01

The relationship between the mechanical manufacturing process and the carbon emission is studied on the basis of the process of the mechanical manufacturing process. The formula of carbon emission calculation suitable for mechanical manufacturing process is derived. Based on this, a green evaluation method for cold machining process of mechanical parts is proposed. The application verification and data analysis of the proposed evaluation method are carried out by an example. The results show that there is a great relationship between the mechanical manufacturing process data and carbon emissions.

Allocation of functions to man and machine in the automated control room

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pulliam, R.; Price, H.E.

1983-01-01

A practical framework and set of methodologic tools are discussed which could be used by a design team in allocating nuclear power plant control functions to either man or machine control. It is concluded that allocations of functions must eventually become a formal step in control system design, i.e., it will become increasingly necessary to invest in human factors analysis as an integral part of the design process

Effective Bandwidth Allocation for WiMAX Mesh Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hung-Chin Jang

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to reduce the media access delay in a WiMAX mesh network. We observe that as the number of subscriber stations (SS in a neighborhood increases, the processes of transmission opportunity (TO competition and 3- way handshake are easy to fail. This may degrade transmission efficiency and increase packet transmission delay. Besides, the minislot allocation defined in the WiMAX mesh mode may cause many lower priority services reserve earlier minislots than that of higher priority services like rtPS. This may cause great negative impact on delay-sensitive traffic. In this paper, we design a QoS classifier to enqueue packets according to different QoS service classes, present a dynamic holdoff exponent mechanism to reduce control subframe delay, and propose a Neighborhood-Based Minislot Allocation (NBMA mechanism to reduce data subframe delay. Simulations show that the proposed methodology outperforms that of IEEE 802.16 and Baye's DynExp in delay, jitter and throughput.

Analysing collaborative performance and cost allocation for the joint route planning problem

OpenAIRE

Verdonck, Lotte; Ramaekers, Katrien; Depaire, Benoît; Caris, An; Janssens, Gerrit K.

2017-01-01

Although organisations become increasingly aware of the inevitable character of horizontal collaboration, surveys report failure rates up to 70 percent for starting strategic partnerships. While a growing body of research acknowledges the importance of the partner selection and cost allocation process, no extensive study has been performed on the numerical relationship between specific company traits, applied allocation mechanisms and collaborative performance. This paper investigates the imp...

Human-Automation Allocations for Current Robotic Space Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Marquez, Jessica J.; Chang, Mai L.; Beard, Bettina L.; Kim, Yun Kyung; Karasinski, John A.

2018-01-01

gather existing lessons learned and best practices in these role assignments, from spaceflight operational experience of crew and ground teams that may be used to guide development for future systems. NASA and other space agencies have operational spaceflight experience with two key Human-Automation-Robotic (HAR) systems: heavy lift robotic arms and planetary robotic explorers. Additionally, NASA has invested in high-fidelity rover systems that can carry crew, building beyond Apollo's lunar rover. The heavy lift robotic arms reviewed are: Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), Japanese Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), and the European Robotic Arm (ERA, designed but not deployed in space). The robotic rover systems reviewed are: Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Science Laboratory rover, and the high-fidelity K10 rovers. Much of the design and operational feedback for these systems have been communicated to flight controllers and robotic design teams. As part of the mitigating the HARI risk for future human spaceflight operations, we must document function allocations between robots and humans that have worked well in practice.

The time allocation to children by parents in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gauthier, A.H.; DeGusti, B.

2012-01-01

This article examines cross-national differences in the time parents allocate to their children using aggregate data from 15 countries collected as part of the Harmonized European Time Use Survey (HETUS). The analysis is restricted to married or cohabiting parents with at least one child under the

Protecting resources for primary health care under fiscal federalism: options for resource allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Okorafor, Okore A; Thomas, Stephen

2007-11-01

The introduction of fiscal federalism or decentralization of functions to lower levels of government is a reform not done primarily with health sector concerns. A major concern for the health sector is that devolution of expenditure responsibilities to sub-national levels of government can adversely affect the equitable distribution of financial resources across local jurisdictions. Since the adoption of fiscal federalism in South Africa, progress towards achieving a more equitable distribution of public sector health resources (financial) has slowed down considerably. This study attempts to identify appropriate resource allocation mechanisms under the current South African fiscal federal system that could be employed to promote equity in primary health care (PHC) allocations across provinces and districts. The study uses data from interviews with government officials involved in the budgeting and resource allocation process for PHC, literature on fiscal federalism and literature on international experience to inform analysis and recommendations. The results from the study identify historical incremental budgeting, weak managerial capacity at lower levels of government, poor accounting of PHC expenditure, and lack of protection for PHC funds as constraints to the realization of a more equitable distribution of PHC allocations. Based on interview data, no one resource allocation mechanism received unanimous support from stakeholders. However, the study highlights the particularly high level of autonomy enjoyed by provincial governments with regards to decision making for allocations to health and PHC services as the major constraint to achieving a more equitable distribution of PHC resources. The national government needs to have more involvement in decision making for resource allocation to PHC services if significant progress towards equity is to be achieved.

Promotion of cooperation induced by heterogeneity of both investment and payoff allocation in spatial public goods game

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Ruguo; Zhang, Yingqing; Luo, Ming; Zhang, Hongjuan

2017-01-01

Heterogeneity has attracted mounting attention across multiple disciplines and is confirmed to be a greater promoter of cooperation. It is often the case that the heterogeneity always exists in investment and payoff allocation concurrently instead of separately. In addition, the factors that affect heterogeneous investment and payoff allocation are various. Inspired by this, this paper extends the previous models by incorporating heterogeneous investment and payoff allocation into the typical PGG model to further investigate the incentive mechanisms of cooperative behavior. In order to better understand the model, three different feedback mechanisms, namely the wealth-preference mechanism, the social-self-preference mechanism, and the mixed-preference mechanism, are addressed. The former two mechanisms correspond to the case of single factor and the latter corresponds to the case of double factors. The numerical simulations indicate that feedback mechanism by bridging the connections between the investment and the payoff allocation can reduce the free-rider problem. Furthermore, it is found that the cooperative frequency and average payoff perform better in the case of the mixed-preference mechanism where players will not only take previous payoff feedback as well as current investment but also their social status into their game decision-making process. In addition, full cooperation and profitability over all players can be promoted by means of increasing r or reducing α. At last, compared with another two classic networks, the extent of cooperation is promoted under the structures of the BA scale free networks.

Quality control of injection moulded micro mechanical parts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gasparin, Stefania; Tosello, Guido; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2009-01-01

Quality control of micro components is an increasing challenge. Smaller mechanical parts are characterized by smaller tolerance to be verified. This paper focuses on the dimensional verification of micro injection moulded components selected from an industrial application. These parts are measured...... using an Optical Coordinate Measuring Machine (OCMM), which guarantees fast surface scans suitable for in line quality control. The uncertainty assessment of the measurements is calculated following the substitution method. To investigate the influence parameters in optical coordinate metrology two...

Risk allocation in independent power supply contracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willrich, M.; Campbell, W.L.

1992-01-01

Congress has made significant progress in recent months toward amending the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA). The purposes of such amendment are to broaden power supply options for electric utilities and expand competition in whole-sale power generation markets. PUHCA reform is an integral part of President Bush's National Energy Strategy and has been included in legislation pending in both Houses of Congress. Congress will, hopefully, approve energy legislation that includes PUHCA reform before it adjourns this year. PUHCA reform has, however, stimulated heated debate within the power industry itself as well as among various consumer interest groups. One important issue in the public debate concerns risk allocation. If PUHCA is reformed, will risk be allocated efficiently and equitably between independent power producers and electric utility buyers? This article addresses that important question

Cost allocation with limited information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, Jens Leth; Tind, Jørgen

This article investigates progressive development of Aumann-Shapley cost allocation in a multilevel organizational or production structure. In particular, we study a linear parametric programming setup utilizing the Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition procedure. Typically cost allocation takes place after...... all activities have been performed, for example by finishing all outputs. Here the allocation is made progressively with suggestions for activities. I other words cost allocation is performed in parallel for example with a production planning process. This development does not require detailed...... information about some technical constraints in order to make the cost allocation....

Risk capital allocation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, Jens Leth; Smilgins, Aleksandrs

Risk capital allocation problems have been widely discussed in the academic literature. We consider a company with multiple subunits having individual portfolios. Hence, when portfolios of subunits are merged, a diversification benefit arises: the risk of the company as a whole is smaller than...... the sum of the risks of the individual sub-units. The question is how to allocate the risk capital of the company among the subunits in a fair way. In this paper we propose to use the Lorenz set as an allocation method. We show that the Lorenz set is operational and coherent. Moreover, we propose a set...... of new axioms related directly to the problem of risk capital allocation and show that the Lorenz set satisfies these new axioms in contrast to other well-known coherent methods. Finally, we discuss how to deal with non-uniqueness of the Lorenz set....

Equity in health care in Namibia: developing a needs-based resource allocation formula using principal components analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mutirua Kauto

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The pace of redressing inequities in the distribution of scarce health care resources in Namibia has been slow. This is due primarily to adherence to the historical incrementalist type of budgeting that has been used to allocate resources. Those regions with high levels of deprivation and relatively greater need for health care resources have been getting less than their fair share. To rectify this situation, which was inherited from the apartheid system, there is a need to develop a needs-based resource allocation mechanism. Methods Principal components analysis was employed to compute asset indices from asset based and health-related variables, using data from the Namibia demographic and health survey of 2000. The asset indices then formed the basis of proposals for regional weights for establishing a needs-based resource allocation formula. Results Comparing the current allocations of public sector health car resources with estimates using a needs based formula showed that regions with higher levels of need currently receive fewer resources than do regions with lower need. Conclusion To address the prevailing inequities in resource allocation, the Ministry of Health and Social Services should abandon the historical incrementalist method of budgeting/resource allocation and adopt a more appropriate allocation mechanism that incorporates measures of need for health care.

Equity in health care in Namibia: developing a needs-based resource allocation formula using principal components analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zere, Eyob; Mandlhate, Custodia; Mbeeli, Thomas; Shangula, Kalumbi; Mutirua, Kauto; Kapenambili, William

2007-03-29

The pace of redressing inequities in the distribution of scarce health care resources in Namibia has been slow. This is due primarily to adherence to the historical incrementalist type of budgeting that has been used to allocate resources. Those regions with high levels of deprivation and relatively greater need for health care resources have been getting less than their fair share. To rectify this situation, which was inherited from the apartheid system, there is a need to develop a needs-based resource allocation mechanism. Principal components analysis was employed to compute asset indices from asset based and health-related variables, using data from the Namibia demographic and health survey of 2000. The asset indices then formed the basis of proposals for regional weights for establishing a needs-based resource allocation formula. Comparing the current allocations of public sector health car resources with estimates using a needs based formula showed that regions with higher levels of need currently receive fewer resources than do regions with lower need. To address the prevailing inequities in resource allocation, the Ministry of Health and Social Services should abandon the historical incrementalist method of budgeting/resource allocation and adopt a more appropriate allocation mechanism that incorporates measures of need for health care.

Water allocation under future climate change and socio-economic development : the case of Pearl River Basin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yan, Dan

2017-01-01

Water shortage has become a major challenge in many parts of the world due to climate change and socio-economic development. Allocating water is critical to meet human and ecosystem needs in these regions now and in the future. However, water allocation is being challenged by uncertainties

Draft regulatory analysis: notice of proposed rulemaking motor gasoline allocation revisions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-06-01

The Draft Regulatory Analysis is prepared for those proposed regulations which either may have a major impact on the general economy, individual industries, or geographic regions and levels of government, or may be significant in that they affect important DOE policy concerns and are the object of public interest. The problems and proposed solutions for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Public Hearings on the Motor Gasoline Allocation Program are examined. The ERA's mandate for this program is set out in the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973. Under this Act, the President is empowered to enforce, at his discretion, price and allocation controls on petroleum and petroleum products, including gasoline, through September 30, 1981. The Act sets the following allocation goals: protect public health; maintain public services and agricultural operations; foster competition in the petroleum industry; distribute petroleum among industry sectors and US regions equitably; and minimize economic disruption and unnecessary interference wth market mechanisms.

[Neurohumoral mechanisms for vasovagal syncopes. Part I].

Science.gov (United States)

Gajek, Jacek; Zyśko, Dorota

2003-04-01

Vasovagal syncope is defined as a reflex loss of consciousness related to reaction to various stimuli as orthostatic stress, pain or emotions connected with loss of muscle postural tone. The aetiology of this disorder is still unknown. The imbalance between the parts of autonomic nervous system and other homeostasis-related systems as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, peptides as endothelin, neuropeptide Y, vasopressin, adrenomedullin and cAMP, adenosine and AMP can play an important role in the development of vasovagal syncope. In the first part of the paper the authors describe the mechanisms involved in the development of vasovagal reaction, pathophysiology of the head-up tilt test and the role of autonomic nervous system.

Cross-Layer Optimal Rate Allocation for Heterogeneous Wireless Multicast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amr Mohamed

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Heterogeneous multicast is an efficient communication scheme especially for multimedia applications running over multihop networks. The term heterogeneous refers to the phenomenon when multicast receivers in the same session require service at different rates commensurate with their capabilities. In this paper, we address the problem of resource allocation for a set of heterogeneous multicast sessions over multihop wireless networks. We propose an iterative algorithm that achieves the optimal rates for a set of heterogeneous multicast sessions such that the aggregate utility for all sessions is maximized. We present the formulation of the multicast resource allocation problem as a nonlinear optimization model and highlight the cross-layer framework that can solve this problem in a distributed ad hoc network environment with asynchronous computations. Our simulations show that the algorithm achieves optimal resource utilization, guarantees fairness among multicast sessions, provides flexibility in allocating rates over different parts of the multicast sessions, and adapts to changing conditions such as dynamic channel capacity and node mobility. Our results show that the proposed algorithm not only provides flexibility in allocating resources across multicast sessions, but also increases the aggregate system utility and improves the overall system throughput by almost 30% compared to homogeneous multicast.

Online Job Allocation with Hard Allocation Ratio Requirement (Author’s Manuscript)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-14

server divided by its capacity. Specifically , let nj be the number of jobs that have already been allocated to server j. When job i arrives, it is...decisions solely based on current system state is needed. The problem of online job allocation has attracted much attention . Most current studies study...closed-form expressions for their performance. Specifically , we prove that, in order to allocate at least 1− 1θ of jobs , the two policies only need to

Motion-related resource allocation in dynamic wireless visual sensor network environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsenou, Angeliki V; Kondi, Lisimachos P; Parsopoulos, Konstantinos E

2014-01-01

This paper investigates quality-driven cross-layer optimization for resource allocation in direct sequence code division multiple access wireless visual sensor networks. We consider a single-hop network topology, where each sensor transmits directly to a centralized control unit (CCU) that manages the available network resources. Our aim is to enable the CCU to jointly allocate the transmission power and source-channel coding rates for each node, under four different quality-driven criteria that take into consideration the varying motion characteristics of each recorded video. For this purpose, we studied two approaches with a different tradeoff of quality and complexity. The first one allocates the resources individually for each sensor, whereas the second clusters them according to the recorded level of motion. In order to address the dynamic nature of the recorded scenery and re-allocate the resources whenever it is dictated by the changes in the amount of motion in the scenery, we propose a mechanism based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm, combined with two restarting schemes that either exploit the previously determined resource allocation or conduct a rough estimation of it. Experimental simulations demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approaches.

Resource allocation models of auditory working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Sabine; Teki, Sundeep; Kumar, Sukhbinder; Husain, Masud; Griffiths, Timothy D

2016-06-01

Auditory working memory (WM) is the cognitive faculty that allows us to actively hold and manipulate sounds in mind over short periods of time. We develop here a particular perspective on WM for non-verbal, auditory objects as well as for time based on the consideration of possible parallels to visual WM. In vision, there has been a vigorous debate on whether WM capacity is limited to a fixed number of items or whether it represents a limited resource that can be allocated flexibly across items. Resource allocation models predict that the precision with which an item is represented decreases as a function of total number of items maintained in WM because a limited resource is shared among stored objects. We consider here auditory work on sequentially presented objects of different pitch as well as time intervals from the perspective of dynamic resource allocation. We consider whether the working memory resource might be determined by perceptual features such as pitch or timbre, or bound objects comprising multiple features, and we speculate on brain substrates for these behavioural models. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Auditory working memory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perceived state of self during motion can differentially modulate numerical magnitude allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Arshad, Q; Nigmatullina, Y; Roberts, R E; Goga, U; Pikovsky, M; Khan, S; Lobo, R; Flury, A-S; Pettorossi, V E; Cohen-Kadosh, R; Malhotra, P A; Bronstein, A M

2016-09-01

Although a direct relationship between numerical allocation and spatial attention has been proposed, recent research suggests that these processes are not directly coupled. In keeping with this, spatial attention shifts induced either via visual or vestibular motion can modulate numerical allocation in some circumstances but not in others. In addition to shifting spatial attention, visual or vestibular motion paradigms also (i) elicit compensatory eye movements which themselves can influence numerical processing and (ii) alter the perceptual state of 'self', inducing changes in bodily self-consciousness impacting upon cognitive mechanisms. Thus, the precise mechanism by which motion modulates numerical allocation remains unknown. We sought to investigate the influence that different perceptual experiences of motion have upon numerical magnitude allocation while controlling for both eye movements and task-related effects. We first used optokinetic visual motion stimulation (OKS) to elicit the perceptual experience of either 'visual world' or 'self'-motion during which eye movements were identical. In a second experiment, we used a vestibular protocol examining the effects of perceived and subliminal angular rotations in darkness, which also provoked identical eye movements. We observed that during the perceptual experience of 'visual world' motion, rightward OKS-biased judgments towards smaller numbers, whereas leftward OKS-biased judgments towards larger numbers. During the perceptual experience of 'self-motion', judgments were biased towards larger numbers irrespective of the OKS direction. Contrastingly, vestibular motion perception was found not to modulate numerical magnitude allocation, nor was there any differential modulation when comparing 'perceived' vs. 'subliminal' rotations. We provide a novel demonstration that numerical magnitude allocation can be differentially modulated by the perceptual state of self during visual but not vestibular mediated motion

Watching sexy displays improves hatching success and offspring growth through maternal allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Loyau, Adeline; Lacroix, Frédéric

2010-11-22

Male attractiveness can have tremendous effects on the fitness of his offspring via good genes, but also via enhanced maternal allocation of resources. Yet the proximate mechanisms influencing differential maternal allocation in relation to male sexiness are poorly known. Here, we studied the importance of visual stimulation for maternal allocation in the Houbara bustard, a vulnerable bird species bred in captivity to support wild populations. Artificial insemination allowed controlling for potential confounding factors, such as a male's territory quality, social interactions or sperm quality/quantity, probably linked to mate attractiveness. We show that artificially inseminated females stimulated by highly displaying males increased their hatching success, owing to increased fertilization success. The females also increased the allocation of maternal androgens in their eggs, leading to an increase of circulating testosterone and growth rate in chicks. Hence, visual stimulation of the females can promote differential maternal allocation and favour offspring fitness. Our results further suggest that using artificial insemination for species conservation without appropriate stimulation of the breeding females probably has negative impacts on their breeding performance and therefore on population viability.

Artificial intelligent techniques for optimizing water allocation in a reservoir watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Fi-John; Chang, Li-Chiu; Wang, Yu-Chung

2014-05-01

This study proposes a systematical water allocation scheme that integrates system analysis with artificial intelligence techniques for reservoir operation in consideration of the great uncertainty upon hydrometeorology for mitigating droughts impacts on public and irrigation sectors. The AI techniques mainly include a genetic algorithm and adaptive-network based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). We first derive evaluation diagrams through systematic interactive evaluations on long-term hydrological data to provide a clear simulation perspective of all possible drought conditions tagged with their corresponding water shortages; then search the optimal reservoir operating histogram using genetic algorithm (GA) based on given demands and hydrological conditions that can be recognized as the optimal base of input-output training patterns for modelling; and finally build a suitable water allocation scheme through constructing an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model with a learning of the mechanism between designed inputs (water discount rates and hydrological conditions) and outputs (two scenarios: simulated and optimized water deficiency levels). The effectiveness of the proposed approach is tested on the operation of the Shihmen Reservoir in northern Taiwan for the first paddy crop in the study area to assess the water allocation mechanism during drought periods. We demonstrate that the proposed water allocation scheme significantly and substantially avails water managers of reliably determining a suitable discount rate on water supply for both irrigation and public sectors, and thus can reduce the drought risk and the compensation amount induced by making restrictions on agricultural use water.

Capacity Allocation and Revenue Sharing in Airline Alliances: A Combinatorial Auction-Based Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-jing Gu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper attempts to establish a framework to help airline alliances effectively allocate their seat capacity with the purpose of maximizing alliances’ revenue. By assuming the airline alliance as the auctioneer and seat capacity in an itinerary as lots, the combinatorial auction model is constructed to optimize the allocation of the seat, and the revenue sharing method is established to share revenue between partners by Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG mechanism. The result of the numerical study shows that the seat capacity allocation is effective even without information exchanging completely and the twofold revenue shares method shows more excitation for the airlines.

Dynamic pricing and automated resource allocation for complex information services reinforcement learning and combinatorial auctions

CERN Document Server

Schwind, Michael; Fandel, G

2007-01-01

Many firms provide their customers with online information products which require limited resources such as server capacity. This book develops allocation mechanisms that aim to ensure an efficient resource allocation in modern IT-services. Recent methods of artificial intelligence, such as neural networks and reinforcement learning, and nature-oriented optimization methods, such as genetic algorithms and simulated annealing, are advanced and applied to allocation processes in distributed IT-infrastructures, e.g. grid systems. The author presents two methods, both of which using the users??? w

The Role of Intrinsic Motivations in Attention Allocation and Shifting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dario edi Nocera

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The concepts of attention and intrinsic motivations are of great interest within adaptive robotic systems, and can be exploited in order to guide, activate, and coordinate multiple concurrent behaviors. Attention allocation strategies represent key capabilities of human beings, which are strictly connected with action selection and execution mechanisms, while intrinsic motivations directly affect the allocation of attentional resources. In this paper we propose a model of Reinforcement Learning (RL, where both these capabilities are involved. RL is deployed to learn how to allocate attentional resources in a behavior-based robotic system, while action selection is obtained as a side effect of the resulting motivated attentional behaviors. Moreover, the influence of intrinsic motivations in attention orientation is obtained by introducing rewards associated with curiosity drives. In this way, the learning process is affected not only by goal-specific rewards, but also by intrinsic motivations.

Emissions allocation in transportation routes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leenders, B.P.J.; Velázquez Martínez, J.; Fransoo, J.C.

2017-01-01

This article studies the allocation of CO2 emissions to a specific shipment in routing transportation. The authors show that this problem differs from a cost allocation problem specifically because the concavity condition does not hold necessarily in the CO2 allocation problem. This implies that a

Plant reproductive allocation predicts herbivore dynamics across spatial and temporal scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Tom E X; Tyre, Andrew J; Louda, Svata M

2006-11-01

Life-history theory suggests that iteroparous plants should be flexible in their allocation of resources toward growth and reproduction. Such plasticity could have consequences for herbivores that prefer or specialize on vegetative versus reproductive structures. To test this prediction, we studied the response of the cactus bug (Narnia pallidicornis) to meristem allocation by tree cholla cactus (Opuntia imbricata). We evaluated the explanatory power of demographic models that incorporated variation in cactus relative reproductive effort (RRE; the proportion of meristems allocated toward reproduction). Field data provided strong support for a single model that defined herbivore fecundity as a time-varying, increasing function of host RRE. High-RRE plants were predicted to support larger insect populations, and this effect was strongest late in the season. Independent field data provided strong support for these qualitative predictions and suggested that plant allocation effects extend across temporal and spatial scales. Specifically, late-season insect abundance was positively associated with interannual changes in cactus RRE over 3 years. Spatial variation in insect abundance was correlated with variation in RRE among five cactus populations across New Mexico. We conclude that plant allocation can be a critical component of resource quality for insect herbivores and, thus, an important mechanism underlying variation in herbivore abundance across time and space.

Peer-Allocated Instant Response (PAIR): Computional allocation of peer tutors in learning communities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westera, Wim

2009-01-01

Westera, W. (2007). Peer-Allocated Instant Response (PAIR): Computational allocation of peer tutors in learning communities. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/10/2/5.html

Dynamic Optimization for IPS2 Resource Allocation Based on Improved Fuzzy Multiple Linear Regression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maokuan Zheng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The study mainly focuses on resource allocation optimization for industrial product-service systems (IPS2. The development of IPS2 leads to sustainable economy by introducing cooperative mechanisms apart from commodity transaction. The randomness and fluctuation of service requests from customers lead to the volatility of IPS2 resource utilization ratio. Three basic rules for resource allocation optimization are put forward to improve system operation efficiency and cut unnecessary costs. An approach based on fuzzy multiple linear regression (FMLR is developed, which integrates the strength and concision of multiple linear regression in data fitting and factor analysis and the merit of fuzzy theory in dealing with uncertain or vague problems, which helps reduce those costs caused by unnecessary resource transfer. The iteration mechanism is introduced in the FMLR algorithm to improve forecasting accuracy. A case study of human resource allocation optimization in construction machinery industry is implemented to test and verify the proposed model.

Cost allocation review : staff discussion paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-09-01

This report addressed the need for updated cost allocation studies filed by local electricity distribution companies because they ensure that distribution rates for each customer class remain just and reasonable. According to the 2001 Electricity Distribution Rate Handbook, the Ontario Energy Board requires new cost allocation studies before implementing any future incentive regulation plans. A review of cost allocations allows the Board to consider the need for adjustments to the current share of distribution costs paid by different classes of ratepayers. This report included 14 sections to facilitate consultations with stakeholders on financial information requirements for cost allocation; directly assignable costs; functionalization; categorization; allocation methods; allocation of other costs; load data requirements; cost allocation implementation issues; addition of new rate class and rate design for scattered unmetered loads; addition of new rate class for larger users; rates to charge embedded distributors; treatment of the rate sub-classification identified as time-of-use; and, rate design implementation issues. 1 fig., 7 appendices

Resource Allocation for Downlink Multi-Cell OFDMA Cognitive Radio Network Using Hungarian Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Forouzan

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper considers the problem of resource allocation for downlink part of an OFDM-based multi-cell cognitive radio network which consists of multiple secondary transmitters and receivers communicating simultaneously in the presence of multiple primary users. We present a new framework to maximize the total data throughput of secondary users by means of subchannel assignment, while ensuring interference leakage to PUs is below a threshold. In this framework, we first formulate the resource allocation problem as a nonlinear and non-convex optimization problem. Then we represent the problem as a maximum weighted matching in a bipartite graph and propose an iterative algorithm based on Hungarian method to solve it. The present contribution develops an efficient subchannel allocation algorithm that assigns subchannels to the secondary users without the perfect knowledge of fading channel gain between cognitive radio transmitter and primary receivers. The performance of the proposed subcarrier allocation algorithm is compared with a blind subchannel allocation as well as another scheme with the perfect knowledge of channel-state information. Simulation results reveal that a significant performance advantage can still be realized, even if the optimization at the secondary network is based on imperfect network information.

Tradable permit allocations and sequential choice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacKenzie, Ian A. [Centre for Economic Research, ETH Zuerich, Zurichbergstrasse 18, 8092 Zuerich (Switzerland)

2011-01-15

This paper investigates initial allocation choices in an international tradable pollution permit market. For two sovereign governments, we compare allocation choices that are either simultaneously or sequentially announced. We show sequential allocation announcements result in higher (lower) aggregate emissions when announcements are strategic substitutes (complements). Whether allocation announcements are strategic substitutes or complements depends on the relationship between the follower's damage function and governments' abatement costs. When the marginal damage function is relatively steep (flat), allocation announcements are strategic substitutes (complements). For quadratic abatement costs and damages, sequential announcements provide a higher level of aggregate emissions. (author)

Research on the Rural Express Alliance based on ANP improved profit Allocation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Yufeng; Zhang, Bin

2018-01-01

Online shopping platform in rural distribution difficulties, leading to rural online shopping market and logistics market development is slow. At present, China Post and other private courier companies are not possible to do. So we need to build distribution alliances. Reasonable profit allocation mechanism is the key to the stable development of this distribution alliance. So we proposed the Shapley Value Method and the ANP Improved Model to allocate profits. Finally, the rationality of the method is proved by numerical analysis before and after using the corrected Shapley Value.

How much water flows? Examining water allocations using a mobile decision lab

Science.gov (United States)

Strickert, G. E.; Gober, P.; Bradford, L. E.; Phillips, P.; Ross, J.

2016-12-01

Management of freshwater resources is a complex and multifaceted issues. Big challenges like scarcity, conflicts over water use and access, and ecosystem degradation are widespread around the world. These issues reflects ineffective past practices and signals the need for a fundamental change. Previous actions to mitigate these problems have been incremental rather than innovative, in part because of inherent conservatism in the water management community and an inability to experiment with water allocations in a safe environment. The influence of transboundary water policies was tested using a mobile decision lab which examined three theory areas: limited territorial sovereignty, absolute territorial sovereignty, and shared risk. The experiment allowed people engaged in the water sector to allocate incoming flows to different sectors: agriculture, municipal, industrial and environmental flows in two flow scenarios; slight shortage and extreme water shortage, and to pass on the remaining water to downstream regions. Mandatory sharing 50% of the natural flows between provinces (i.e. limited territorial sovereignty) achieved the most equitable allocation based on water units and points across the three regions. When there were no allocation rules (i.e. absolute territorial sovereignty) the downstream region received significantly less water (e.g. 8-11%. p affect on the amount of water flowing through the region. It is also notable that most participants sought a trade-off of water allocations, minimizing the allocations to agriculture and industry and prioritizing the municipal sector particularity under the severe drought scenario.

The role of physical formidability in human social status allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukaszewski, Aaron W; Simmons, Zachary L; Anderson, Cameron; Roney, James R

2016-03-01

Why are physically formidable men willingly allocated higher social status by others in cooperative groups? Ancestrally, physically formidable males would have been differentially equipped to generate benefits for groups by providing leadership services of within-group enforcement (e.g., implementing punishment of free riders) and between-group representation (e.g., negotiating with other coalitions). Therefore, we hypothesize that adaptations for social status allocation are designed to interpret men's physical formidability as a cue to these leadership abilities, and to allocate greater status to formidable men on this basis. These hypotheses were supported in 4 empirical studies wherein young adults rated standardized photos of subjects (targets) who were described as being part of a white-collar business consultancy. In Studies 1 and 2, male targets' physical strength positively predicted ratings of their projected status within the organization, and this effect was mediated by perceptions that stronger men possessed greater leadership abilities of within-group enforcement and between-group representation. Moreover, (a) these same patterns held whether status was conceptualized as overall ascendancy, prestige-based status, or dominance-based status, and (b) strong men who were perceived as aggressively self-interested were not allocated greater status. Finally, 2 experiments established the causality of physical formidability's effects on status-related perceptions by manipulating targets' relative strength (Study 3) and height (Study 4). In interpreting our findings, we argue that adaptations for formidability-based status allocation may have facilitated the evolution of group cooperation in humans and other primates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

On System Engineering a Barter-Based Re-allocation of Space System Key Development Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Kosmann, William J.

NASA has had a decades-long problem with cost growth during the development of space science missions. Numerous agency-sponsored studies have produced average mission level development cost growths ranging from 23 to 77%. A new study of 26 historical NASA science instrument set developments using expert judgment to re-allocate key development resources has an average cost growth of 73.77%. Twice in history, during the Cassini and EOS-Terra science instrument developments, a barter-based mechanism has been used to re-allocate key development resources. The mean instrument set development cost growth was -1.55%. Performing a bivariate inference on the means of these two distributions, there is statistical evidence to support the claim that using a barter-based mechanism to re-allocate key instrument development resources will result in a lower expected cost growth than using the expert judgment approach. Agent-based discrete event simulation is the natural way to model a trade environment. A NetLogo agent-based barter-based simulation of science instrument development was created. The agent-based model was validated against the Cassini historical example, as the starting and ending instrument development conditions are available. The resulting validated agent-based barter-based science instrument resource re-allocation simulation was used to perform 300 instrument development simulations, using barter to re-allocate development resources. The mean cost growth was -3.365%. A bivariate inference on the means was performed to determine that additional significant statistical evidence exists to support a claim that using barter-based resource re-allocation will result in lower expected cost growth, with respect to the historical expert judgment approach. Barter-based key development resource re-allocation should work on science spacecraft development as well as it has worked on science instrument development. A new study of 28 historical NASA science spacecraft

Optimal resource allocation solutions for heterogeneous cognitive radio networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Babatunde Awoyemi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Cognitive radio networks (CRN are currently gaining immense recognition as the most-likely next-generation wireless communication paradigm, because of their enticing promise of mitigating the spectrum scarcity and/or underutilisation challenge. Indisputably, for this promise to ever materialise, CRN must of necessity devise appropriate mechanisms to judiciously allocate their rather scarce or limited resources (spectrum and others among their numerous users. ‘Resource allocation (RA in CRN', which essentially describes mechanisms that can effectively and optimally carry out such allocation, so as to achieve the utmost for the network, has therefore recently become an important research focus. However, in most research works on RA in CRN, a highly significant factor that describes a more realistic and practical consideration of CRN has been ignored (or only partially explored, i.e., the aspect of the heterogeneity of CRN. To address this important aspect, in this paper, RA models that incorporate the most essential concepts of heterogeneity, as applicable to CRN, are developed and the imports of such inclusion in the overall networking are investigated. Furthermore, to fully explore the relevance and implications of the various heterogeneous classifications to the RA formulations, weights are attached to the different classes and their effects on the network performance are studied. In solving the developed complex RA problems for heterogeneous CRN, a solution approach that examines and exploits the structure of the problem in achieving a less-complex reformulation, is extensively employed. This approach, as the results presented show, makes it possible to obtain optimal solutions to the rather difficult RA problems of heterogeneous CRN.

Spatial dependence in wind and optimal wind power allocation: A copula-based analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grothe, Oliver; Schnieders, Julius

2011-01-01

The investment decision on the placement of wind turbines is, neglecting legal formalities, mainly driven by the aim to maximize the expected annual energy production of single turbines. The result is a concentration of wind farms at locations with high average wind speed. While this strategy may be optimal for single investors maximizing their own return on investment, the resulting overall allocation of wind turbines may be unfavorable for energy suppliers and the economy because of large fluctuations in the overall wind power output. This paper investigates to what extent optimal allocation of wind farms in Germany can reduce these fluctuations. We analyze stochastic dependencies of wind speed for a large data set of German on- and offshore weather stations and find that these dependencies turn out to be highly nonlinear but constant over time. Using copula theory we determine the value at risk of energy production for given allocation sets of wind farms and derive optimal allocation plans. We find that the optimized allocation of wind farms may substantially stabilize the overall wind energy supply on daily as well as hourly frequency. - Highlights: → Spatial modeling of wind forces in Germany. → A novel way to assess nonlinear dependencies of wind forces by copulas. → Wind turbine allocation by maximizing lower quantiles of energy production. → Optimal results show major increase in reliable part of wind energy.

IPO Allocations: Discriminatory or Discretionary?

OpenAIRE

William Wilhelm; Alexander Ljungqvist

2001-01-01

We estimate the structural links between IPO allocations, pre-market information production, and initial underpricing returns, within the context of theories of bookbuilding. Using a sample of both US and international IPOs we find evidence of the following: ? IPO allocation policies favour institutional investors, both in the US and worldwide. ? Increasing institutional allocations results in offer prices that deviate more from the indicative price range established prior to bankers’ efforts...

Profit Allocation in Fuzzy Cooperative Games in Manufacturing and Logistics Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoyan Wang

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Alliance between manufacturing and logistics industry is a new model of the joint development of the two industries. A reasonable profit allocation mechanism is the key to ensure the stable operation of the alliance, as well as to achieve the desired objectives. Based on uncertainty of alliance expected return as well as the inherent features of the alliance, this research establishes an improved model of profit allocation in manufacturing and logistics industry alliance.Design/methodology/approach: This article studies how to introduce comprehensive correction factors to improve interval Shapley value method, which is based on the fact that had been proved by exiting studies. In this study, interval Shapley value method is first applied to calculate the initial allocation of fuzzy cooperative games. Next AHP-GEM method and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method are incorporated. Based on those results, an improved model of profit allocation is established. After that, a case study is demonstrated the practicality and feasibility of the improved model.Findings: Profit allocation is a complex issue in fuzzy cooperative games. There’re impacts from partner risk sharing, collaborative effort market competition, innovative contribution as well as resource investment. All these factors should be involved in the profit allocation, and different factors have different weight in importance.Practical implications: The new model established in the paper is more scientific and reasonable, and more in line with the actual situation. This method also provides good incentives to each enterprise to ensure the healthy and stable development of the alliance.Originality/value: Based on alliance characteristics, this paper establishes an indicator system and a new model for profit allocation in manufacturing and logistics industry alliance, using AHP-GEM method.

The Mechanism of Graviton Exchange between Bodies, Part II

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Javadi, Hossein; Forouzbakhsh, Farshid

2016-01-01

Further to Special Relativity, modern physics includes two great theories which describe universe in a new different way. One of them is Quantum Mechanics which describes elementary particles, atoms and molecules and the other one is General Relativity which has been replaced the Newtonian...... Gravitational Law by space-time curvature. Quantum gravity is a part of quantum mechanics which is expected to combine these two theories, and it describes gravity force according to the principles of quantum mechanics which has not got the desired result, yet. In CPH theory, after reconsidering and analyzing...... the behavior of photon in the gravitational field, a new definition of graviton based on carrying the gravity force is given. By using this definition, graviton exchange mechanism between bodies/objects is described. As the purpose of quantum gravity is describing the force of gravity by using the principles...

Intelligent tactical asset allocation support system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hiemstra, Y.

1995-01-01

This paper presents an advanced support system for Tactical Asset Allocation. Asset allocation explains over 90% of portfolio performance (Brinson, Hood and Beebower, 1988). Tactical asset allocation adjusts a strategic portfolio on the basis of short term market outlooks. The system includes

Costs of task allocation with local feedback: Effects of colony size and extra workers in social insects and other multi-agent systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Radeva, Tsvetomira; Dornhaus, Anna; Lynch, Nancy; Nagpal, Radhika; Su, Hsin-Hao

2017-12-01

Adaptive collective systems are common in biology and beyond. Typically, such systems require a task allocation algorithm: a mechanism or rule-set by which individuals select particular roles. Here we study the performance of such task allocation mechanisms measured in terms of the time for individuals to allocate to tasks. We ask: (1) Is task allocation fundamentally difficult, and thus costly? (2) Does the performance of task allocation mechanisms depend on the number of individuals? And (3) what other parameters may affect their efficiency? We use techniques from distributed computing theory to develop a model of a social insect colony, where workers have to be allocated to a set of tasks; however, our model is generalizable to other systems. We show, first, that the ability of workers to quickly assess demand for work in tasks they are not currently engaged in crucially affects whether task allocation is quickly achieved or not. This indicates that in social insect tasks such as thermoregulation, where temperature may provide a global and near instantaneous stimulus to measure the need for cooling, for example, it should be easy to match the number of workers to the need for work. In other tasks, such as nest repair, it may be impossible for workers not directly at the work site to know that this task needs more workers. We argue that this affects whether task allocation mechanisms are under strong selection. Second, we show that colony size does not affect task allocation performance under our assumptions. This implies that when effects of colony size are found, they are not inherent in the process of task allocation itself, but due to processes not modeled here, such as higher variation in task demand for smaller colonies, benefits of specialized workers, or constant overhead costs. Third, we show that the ratio of the number of available workers to the workload crucially affects performance. Thus, workers in excess of those needed to complete all tasks

Costs of task allocation with local feedback: Effects of colony size and extra workers in social insects and other multi-agent systems.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsvetomira Radeva

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Adaptive collective systems are common in biology and beyond. Typically, such systems require a task allocation algorithm: a mechanism or rule-set by which individuals select particular roles. Here we study the performance of such task allocation mechanisms measured in terms of the time for individuals to allocate to tasks. We ask: (1 Is task allocation fundamentally difficult, and thus costly? (2 Does the performance of task allocation mechanisms depend on the number of individuals? And (3 what other parameters may affect their efficiency? We use techniques from distributed computing theory to develop a model of a social insect colony, where workers have to be allocated to a set of tasks; however, our model is generalizable to other systems. We show, first, that the ability of workers to quickly assess demand for work in tasks they are not currently engaged in crucially affects whether task allocation is quickly achieved or not. This indicates that in social insect tasks such as thermoregulation, where temperature may provide a global and near instantaneous stimulus to measure the need for cooling, for example, it should be easy to match the number of workers to the need for work. In other tasks, such as nest repair, it may be impossible for workers not directly at the work site to know that this task needs more workers. We argue that this affects whether task allocation mechanisms are under strong selection. Second, we show that colony size does not affect task allocation performance under our assumptions. This implies that when effects of colony size are found, they are not inherent in the process of task allocation itself, but due to processes not modeled here, such as higher variation in task demand for smaller colonies, benefits of specialized workers, or constant overhead costs. Third, we show that the ratio of the number of available workers to the workload crucially affects performance. Thus, workers in excess of those needed to

How should INGOs allocate resources?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Wisor

2012-02-01

Full Text Available International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs face difficult choices when choosing to allocate resources. Given that the resources made available to INGOs fall far short of what is needed to reduce massive human rights deficits, any chosen scheme of resource allocation requires failing to reach other individuals in great need. Facing these moral opportunity costs, what moral reasons should guide INGO resource allocation? Two reasons that clearly matter, and are recognized by philosophers and development practitioners, are the consequences (or benefit or harm reduction of any given resource allocation and the need (or priority of individual beneficiaries. If accepted, these reasons should lead INGOs to allocate resources to a limited number of countries where the most prioritarian weighted harm reduction will be achieved. I make three critiques against this view. First, on grounds the consequentialist accepts, I argue that INGOs ought to maintain a reasonably wide distribution of resources. Second, I argue that even if one is a consequentialist, consequentialism ought not act as an action guiding principle for INGOs. Third, I argue that additional moral reasons should influence decision making about INGO resource allocation. Namely, INGO decision making should attend to relational reasons, desert, respect for agency, concern for equity, and the importance of expressing a view of moral wrongs.

Econophysics of a ranked demand and supply resource allocation problem

Science.gov (United States)

Priel, Avner; Tamir, Boaz

2018-01-01

We present a two sided resource allocation problem, between demands and supplies, where both parties are ranked. For example, in Big Data problems where a set of different computational tasks is divided between a set of computers each with its own resources, or between employees and employers where both parties are ranked, the employees by their fitness and the employers by their package benefits. The allocation process can be viewed as a repeated game where in each iteration the strategy is decided by a meta-rule, based on the ranks of both parties and the results of the previous games. We show the existence of a phase transition between an absorbing state, where all demands are satisfied, and an active one where part of the demands are always left unsatisfied. The phase transition is governed by the ratio between supplies and demand. In a job allocation problem we find positive correlation between the rank of the workers and the rank of the factories; higher rank workers are usually allocated to higher ranked factories. These all suggest global emergent properties stemming from local variables. To demonstrate the global versus local relations, we introduce a local inertial force that increases the rank of employees in proportion to their persistence time in the same factory. We show that such a local force induces non trivial global effects, mostly to benefit the lower ranked employees.

A meta-analysis of development aid allocation:  The effects of income level and population size

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paldam, Martin

The effect on aid allocation of the income level and population size in the recipient country is  analyzed. The data show that both variables have a significant and robust negative effect, but  they explain only a small part of the variation. The main thrust of the paper is a meta-analysis of the......The effect on aid allocation of the income level and population size in the recipient country is  analyzed. The data show that both variables have a significant and robust negative effect, but  they explain only a small part of the variation. The main thrust of the paper is a meta...

Optimizing time and resource allocation trade-offs for investment into morphological and behavioral defense

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steiner, Uli; Pfeiffer, Thomas

2007-01-01

pronounced at intermediate environmental conditions. Optimizing single traits generally leads to a more pronounced response of the defense traits, which implies that studying single traits leads to an overestimation of their response to predation. Behavioral defense and morphological defense compensate......Prey organisms are confronted with time and resource allocation trade-offs. Time allocation trade-offs partition time, for example, between foraging effort to acquire resources and behavioral defense. Resource allocation trade-offs partition the acquired resources between multiple traits...... for and augment each other depending on predator densities and the effectiveness of the defense mechanisms. In the presence of time constraints, the model shows peak investment into morphological and behavioral defense at intermediate resource levels....

Asset Allocation of Mutual Fund Investors

OpenAIRE

Dengpan Luo

2003-01-01

This paper studies mutual fund investors' asset allocation decisions using monthly flow data of U.S mutual fund industry from 1984 to 1998. We find that mutual fund investors change their asset allocations between stocks and bonds in reaction to business conditions tracked by changes in expected stock market returns. They tend to allocate less into stock funds during the trough of a business cycle when expected stock market returns are higher and to allocate more into stock funds during the p...

40 CFR 60.4142 - Hg allowance allocations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hg allowance allocations. 60.4142... Coal-Fired Electric Steam Generating Units Hg Allowance Allocations § 60.4142 Hg allowance allocations. (a)(1) The baseline heat input (in MMBtu) used with respect to Hg allowance allocations under...

An intelligent allocation algorithm for parallel processing

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Chester C.; Homaifar, Abdollah; Ananthram, Kishan G.

1988-01-01

The problem of allocating nodes of a program graph to processors in a parallel processing architecture is considered. The algorithm is based on critical path analysis, some allocation heuristics, and the execution granularity of nodes in a program graph. These factors, and the structure of interprocessor communication network, influence the allocation. To achieve realistic estimations of the executive durations of allocations, the algorithm considers the fact that nodes in a program graph have to communicate through varying numbers of tokens. Coarse and fine granularities have been implemented, with interprocessor token-communication duration, varying from zero up to values comparable to the execution durations of individual nodes. The effect on allocation of communication network structures is demonstrated by performing allocations for crossbar (non-blocking) and star (blocking) networks. The algorithm assumes the availability of as many processors as it needs for the optimal allocation of any program graph. Hence, the focus of allocation has been on varying token-communication durations rather than varying the number of processors. The algorithm always utilizes as many processors as necessary for the optimal allocation of any program graph, depending upon granularity and characteristics of the interprocessor communication network.

18 CFR 367.28 - Methods of allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Methods of allocation... Instructions § 367.28 Methods of allocation. Indirect costs and compensation for use of capital must be... allocation. Both direct and allocated indirect costs on projects must be assigned among those companies in...

Research on Non-Similarity about Thermal Deformation Error of Mechanical Parts in High-accuracy Measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Z; Fei, Y T

2006-01-01

Expanding with heat and contracting with cold are common physical phenomenon in the nature. The conventional theories and calculations of thermal deformation are approximate and linear, can only be applied in normal or low precision field. The thermal deformation error of mechanical parts doesn't follow the conventional linear formula, it relates to all physical dimension of the mechanical part, and the deformation can be indicated by a nonlinear formula of physical dimensions. A theory on non-similarity about thermal deformation error of mechanical parts is presented. Studies on some common mechanical parts in precision technology have went on and the mathematical models have been set up, hollow piece, gear and cube are included. The experimental results also make it clear that these models are more logical than traditional models

Importance measures and resource allocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guey, C.N.; Morgan, T.; Hughes, E.A.

1987-01-01

This paper discusses various importance measures and their practical relevance to allocating resources. The characteristics of importance measures are illustrated through simple examples. Important factors associated with effectively allocating resources to improve plant system performance or to prevent system degradation are discussed. It is concluded that importance measures are only indicative of and not equal to the risk significance of a component, system, or event. A decision framework is suggested to provide a comprehensive basis for resource allocation

Competitive market-based allocation of consumer attention space

OpenAIRE

Bohte, Sander; Gerding, Enrico; La Poutré, Han

2001-01-01

textabstractThe amount of attention space available for recommending suppliers to consumers on e-commerce sites is typically limited. We present a competitive distributed recommendation mechanism based on adaptive software agents for efficiently allocating the 'consumer attention space', or banners. In the example of an electronic shopping mall, the task is delegated to the individual shops, each of which evaluates the information that is available about the consumer and his or her interests ...

Optimal allocation of resources in systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Derman, C.; Lieberman, G.J.; Ross, S.M.

1975-01-01

In the design of a new system, or the maintenance of an old system, allocation of resources is of prime consideration. In allocating resources it is often beneficial to develop a solution that yields an optimal value of the system measure of desirability. In the context of the problems considered in this paper the resources to be allocated are components already produced (assembly problems) and money (allocation in the construction or repair of systems). The measure of desirability for system assembly will usually be maximizing the expected number of systems that perform satisfactorily and the measure in the allocation context will be maximizing the system reliability. Results are presented for these two types of general problems in both a sequential (when appropriate) and non-sequential context

Auction-based bandwidth allocation in the Internet

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jiaolong; Zhang, Chi

2002-07-01

It has been widely accepted that auctioning which is the pricing approach with minimal information requirement is a proper tool to manage scare network resources. Previous works focus on Vickrey auction which is incentive compatible in classic auction theory. In the beginning of this paper, the faults of the most representative auction-based mechanisms are discussed. And then a new method called uniform-price auction (UPA), which has the simplest auction rule is proposed and it's incentive compatibility in the network environment is also proved. Finally, the basic mode is extended to support applications which require minimum bandwidth guarantees for a given time period by introducing derivative market, and a market mechanism for network resource allocation which is predictable, riskless, and simple for end-users is completed.

Regional allocation of CO2 emissions allowance over provinces in China by 2020

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ke; Zhang, Xian; Wei, Yi-Ming; Yu, Shiwei

2013-01-01

The mitigation efforts of China are increasingly important for meeting global climate target since the rapid economic growth of China has led to an increasing share in the world's total CO 2 emissions. This paper sets out to explore the approach for realizing China's national mitigation targets submitted to the UNFCCC as part of the Copenhagen Accord; that is, to reduce the intensity of CO 2 emissions per unit of GDP by 40–45% by 2020, as well as reducing the energy intensity and increasing the share of non-fossil fuel consumption, through regional allocation of emission allowance over China's provinces. Since the realization of China's mitigation target essentially represents a total amount emission allowance allocation problem, an improved zero sum gains data envelopment analysis optimization model, which could deal with the constant total amount resources allocation, is proposed in this study. By utilizing this model and based on several scenarios of China's economic growth, CO 2 emissions, and energy consumption, a new efficient emission allowance allocation scheme on provincial level for China by 2020 is proposed. The allocation results indicate that different provinces have to shoulder different mitigation burdens in terms of emission intensity reduction, energy intensity reduction, and share of non-fossil fuels increase. - Highlights: ► We explore the approach to realize national CO 2 emissions reduction target of China by 2020. ► The CO 2 emissions allowance is allocated over China's 30 administrative regions. ► Several scenarios of China's regional economy, emission, energy consumption are given. ► The zero sum gains data envelopment analysis model is applied in emission allowance allocation. ► An efficient emission allowance allocation scheme on provincial level is proposed

Allocating multiple units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tranæs, Torben; Krishna, Kala

2002-01-01

This paper studies the allocation and rent distribution in multi-unit, combinatorial-bid auctions under complete information. We focus on the natural multi-unit analogue of the first-price auction, where buyers bid total payments, pay their bids, and where the seller allocates goods to maximize his...... auction, which is the multi unit analogue of a second-price auction. Furthermore, we characterize these equilibria when valuations take a number of different forms: diminishing marginal valuations, increasing average valuations, and marginal valuations with single turning points...

ESG Allocations

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — This report displays the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), formerly Emergency Shelter Grants, allocation by jurisdiction. The website allows users to look at...

Classification of human- and automated resource allocation approaches in multi-project management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ponsteen, A.; Kusters, R.J.; Pasian, B.; Storm, P.

2015-01-01

Managing a multi-project environment requires a different method than managing a single project. The main challenge of managing a multi-project environment is the allocation of scarce human resources over the projects in execution. As part of a broader research on this topic, the aim of this paper

76 FR 53377 - Cost Accounting Standards; Allocation of Home Office Expenses to Segments

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-26

... OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET Office of Federal Procurement Policy 48 CFR Part 9904 Cost Accounting Standards; Allocation of Home Office Expenses to Segments AGENCY: Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), Cost Accounting Standards Board (Board). ACTION...

Modeling Budget Optimum Allocation of Khorasan Razavi Province Agriculture Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Mohammad Fahimifard

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Stock shortage is one of the development impasses in developing countries and trough it the agriculture sector has faced with the most limitation. The share of Iran’s agricultural sector from total investments after the Islamic revolution (1979 has been just 5.5 percent. This fact causes low efficiency in Iran’s agriculture sector. For instance per each 1 cubic meter of water in Iran’s agriculture sector, less that 1 kilogram dry food produced and each Iranian farmer achieves less annual income and has less mechanization in comparison with similar countries in Iran’s 1404 perspective document. Therefore, it is clear that increasing investment in agriculture sector, optimize the budget allocation for this sector is mandatory however has not been adequately and scientifically revised until now. Thus, in this research optimum budget allocation of Iran- Khorasan Razavi province agriculture sector was modeled. Materials and Methods: In order to model the optimum budget allocation of Khorasan Razavi province’s agriculture sector at first optimum budget allocation between agriculture programs was modeled with compounding three indexes: 1. Analyzing the priorities of Khorasan Razavi province’s agriculture sector experts with the application of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP, 2. The average share of agriculture sector programs from 4th country’s development program for Khorasan Razavi province’s agriculture sector, and 3.The average share of agriculture sector programs from 5th country’s development program for Khorasan Razavi province’s agriculture sector. Then, using Delphi technique potential indexes of each program was determined. After that, determined potential indexes were weighted using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP and finally, using numerical taxonomy model to optimize allocation of the program’s budget between cities based on two scenarios. Required data, also was gathered from the budget and planning

Stereoscopic Visual Attention-Based Regional Bit Allocation Optimization for Multiview Video Coding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dai Qionghai

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a Stereoscopic Visual Attention- (SVA- based regional bit allocation optimization for Multiview Video Coding (MVC by the exploiting visual redundancies from human perceptions. We propose a novel SVA model, where multiple perceptual stimuli including depth, motion, intensity, color, and orientation contrast are utilized, to simulate the visual attention mechanisms of human visual system with stereoscopic perception. Then, a semantic region-of-interest (ROI is extracted based on the saliency maps of SVA. Both objective and subjective evaluations of extracted ROIs indicated that the proposed SVA model based on ROI extraction scheme outperforms the schemes only using spatial or/and temporal visual attention clues. Finally, by using the extracted SVA-based ROIs, a regional bit allocation optimization scheme is presented to allocate more bits on SVA-based ROIs for high image quality and fewer bits on background regions for efficient compression purpose. Experimental results on MVC show that the proposed regional bit allocation algorithm can achieve over % bit-rate saving while maintaining the subjective image quality. Meanwhile, the image quality of ROIs is improved by  dB at the cost of insensitive image quality degradation of the background image.

The flux-based PIN allocation mechanism can generate either canalyzed or diffuse distribution patterns depending on geometry and boundary conditions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Luke Walker

Full Text Available Growth and morphogenesis in plants require controlled transport of the plant hormone auxin. An important participant is the auxin effluxing protein PIN, whose polarized subcellular localization allows it to effectively transport auxin large distances through tissues. The flux-based model, in which auxin flux through a wall stimulates PIN allocation to that wall, is a dominant contender among models determining where and in what quantity PIN is allocated to cell walls. In this paper we characterise the behaviour of flux-based PIN allocation models in various tissues of the shoot apical meristem. Arguing from both mathematical analysis and computer simulations, we describe the natural behaviours of this class of models under various circumstances. In particular, we demonstrate the important dichotomy between sink- and source- driven systems, and show that both diffuse and canalized PIN distributions can be generated simultaneously in the same tissue, without model hybridization or variation of PIN-related parameters. This work is performed in the context of the shoot apical and floral meristems and is applicable to the construction of a unified PIN allocation model.

An Analysis and Allocation System for Library Collections Budgets: The Comprehensive Allocation Process (CAP)

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Lucy Eleonore; Blosser, John

2012-01-01

The "Comprehensive Allocation Process" (CAP) is a reproducible decision-making structure for the allocation of new collections funds, for the reallocation of funds within stagnant budgets, and for budget cuts in the face of reduced funding levels. This system was designed to overcome common shortcomings of current methods. Its philosophical…

Faultless responsibility: on the nature and allocation of moral responsibility for distributed moral actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Floridi, Luciano

2016-12-28

The concept of distributed moral responsibility (DMR) has a long history. When it is understood as being entirely reducible to the sum of (some) human, individual and already morally loaded actions, then the allocation of DMR, and hence of praise and reward or blame and punishment, may be pragmatically difficult, but not conceptually problematic. However, in distributed environments, it is increasingly possible that a network of agents, some human, some artificial (e.g. a program) and some hybrid (e.g. a group of people working as a team thanks to a software platform), may cause distributed moral actions (DMAs). These are morally good or evil (i.e. morally loaded) actions caused by local interactions that are in themselves neither good nor evil (morally neutral). In this article, I analyse DMRs that are due to DMAs, and argue in favour of the allocation, by default and overridably, of full moral responsibility (faultless responsibility) to all the nodes/agents in the network causally relevant for bringing about the DMA in question, independently of intentionality. The mechanism proposed is inspired by, and adapts, three concepts: back propagation from network theory, strict liability from jurisprudence and common knowledge from epistemic logic.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Method of reliability allocation based on fault tree analysis and fuzzy math in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zhaobing; Deng Jian; Cao Xuewu

2005-01-01

Reliability allocation is a kind of a difficult multi-objective optimization problem. It can not only be applied to determine the reliability characteristic of reactor systems, subsystem and main components but also be performed to improve the design, operation and maintenance of nuclear plants. The fuzzy math known as one of the powerful tools for fuzzy optimization and the fault analysis deemed to be one of the effective methods of reliability analysis can be applied to the reliability allocation model so as to work out the problems of fuzzy characteristic of some factors and subsystem's choice respectively in this paper. Thus we develop a failure rate allocation model on the basis of the fault tree analysis and fuzzy math. For the choice of the reliability constraint factors, we choose the six important ones according to practical need for conducting the reliability allocation. The subsystem selected by the top-level fault tree analysis is to avoid allocating reliability for all the equipment and components including the unnecessary parts. During the reliability process, some factors can be calculated or measured quantitatively while others only can be assessed qualitatively by the expert rating method. So we adopt fuzzy decision and dualistic contrast to realize the reliability allocation with the help of fault tree analysis. Finally the example of the emergency diesel generator's reliability allocation is used to illustrate reliability allocation model and improve this model simple and applicable. (authors)

Production dynamics of fine roots in beech forests: possible mechanism of resource allocation between above- and below-ground production

Science.gov (United States)

Nakahata, R.; Osawa, A.; Naramoto, M.; Mizunaga, H.; Sato, M.

2017-12-01

The masting phenomenon that seed production has large annual variation with spatial synchrony appears generally in beeches. Therefore, net primary production and carbon allocation mechanism in beech forests may differ among several years in relation to annual variation of seed production. On the other hand, fine roots play key roles in carbon dynamics and nutrient and water acquisition of an ecosystem. Evaluation of fine root dynamics is essential to understand long-term dynamics of production in forest ecosystems. Moreover, the influence of mast seeding on resource allocation should be clarified in such beech forests. The aim of this study is to clarify possible relationships between the patterns of above- and below-ground production in relation to the masting events using observation data of litter fall and fine root dynamics. We applied the litter trap method and a minirhizotron method in a cool-temperate natural forest dominated by beech (Fagus crenata Blume). Ten litter traps were set from 2008 to 2016, then annual leaf and seed production were estimated. Four minirhizotron tubes were buried in Aug. 2008 and soil profiles were scanned monthly until Nov. 2016 during the periods of no snow covering. The scanned soil profiles were analyzed for calculating fine root production using the WinRHIZO Tron software. In the present study site, rich production of mast seeding occurred biennially and fine root production showed various seasonal patterns. There was no significant correlation between seed production and annual fine root production in the same year. However, seed production had a positive correlation with fine root production in autumn in the previous year and indicated a negative correlation with that in autumn in the current year. These results indicate that higher fine root production has led to increased nutrient acquisition, which resulted in rich seed production in the next year. It is also suppressed after the masting events due to shortage in

Game Theoretic Modeling of Water Resources Allocation Under Hydro-Climatic Uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, C.; Lall, U.; Siegfried, T.

2005-12-01

decision-making a priori to hydrologic realizations and those made a posteriori on alternative allocation mechanisms. Outcomes are evaluated in terms of water productivity, net social benefit and equity. The performance of hydro-climate prediction modeling in each allocation mechanism will be assessed. Finally, year-to-year system performance and feedback pathways are explored. In this way, the system can be adaptively managed toward equitable and efficient water use.

[Energy accumulation and allocation of main plant populations in Aneurolepidium chinense grassland in Songnen Plain].

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Guohui; Wen, Mingzhang; Guo, Jixun

2003-05-01

The calorific value of plants is dependent on their biological characteristics and energy-containing materials. The allocation of calorific value in different organs of Aneurolepidium chinese, Calamagrostic epigejos, Puccinellia tenuiflora and Chloris virgata was inflorescence > leaf > stem > dead standing. The seasonal dynamics of standing crop energy of aboveground part of four plant populations showed single-peak curve, and the energy production was Aneurolepidium chinense > Calamagrostic epigejos > Chloris virgata > Puccinellia tenuiflora. Energy increasing rate showed double-peak curve, with the first peak at heading stage and the second peak at maturing stage of seeds. Energy increasing rate was negative at the final stage of growth. The horizontal distribution of energy of aboveground part was that the allocation ratio of different organs at different growth stages was different. There existed a similar trend for vertical distribution of energy among four plant populations, i.e., was the vertical distribution of energy of aboveground part showed a tower shape, with the maximum value in 10-30 cm height. The vertical distribution of energy of underground part showed an inverted tower shape from soil surface to deeper layer, with the maximum value in 0-10 cm depth. The standing crop energy of underground part was about 3-4 times than that of aboveground part.

Investigation on dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties of cylindrical parts by flow forming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Gangfeng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The high dimensional accuracy and excellent mechanical properties have become two most important requirements for structural components. In this paper, experiments using two spinning methods, stagger spinning and counter-roller spinning, were carried out under different thinning ratio of wall thickness of spun parts. The influence of spinning methods and total thinning ratio of wall thickness on the dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties of the!spun parts were studied. It shows that the wall thickness deviation and ovality of the spun parts are closely related to the spinning method and the total thinning ratio of wall thickness. The hardness of the spun parts increases with the increasing of the total thinning ratio, and the hardness along the thickness direction of the spun parts manufactured by counter-roller spinning is more homogeneous than that of the stagger spinning. The strength and the elongation of the spun parts are mainly influenced by the total thinning ratio, with little relevance to the spinning method.

Endogeneously arising network allocation rules

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slikker, M.

2006-01-01

In this paper we study endogenously arising network allocation rules. We focus on three allocation rules: the Myerson value, the position value and the component-wise egalitarian solution. For any of these three rules we provide a characterization based on component efficiency and some balanced

Risk allocation under liquidity constraints

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Csóka, P.; Herings, P.J.J.

2013-01-01

Risk allocation games are cooperative games that are used to attribute the risk of a financial entity to its divisions. In this paper, we extend the literature on risk allocation games by incorporating liquidity considerations. A liquidity policy specifies state-dependent liquidity requirements that

SSC accelerator availability allocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, K.T.; Franciscovich, J.

1991-03-01

Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) operational availability is an area of major concern, judged by the Central Design Group to present such risk that use of modern engineering tools would be essential to program success. Experience has shown that as accelerator beam availability falls below about 80%, efficiency of physics experiments degrades rapidly due to inability to maintain adequate coincident accelerator and detector operation. For this reason, the SSC availability goal has been set at 80%, even though the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory accelerator, with a fraction of the SSC's complexity, has only recently approached that level. This paper describes the allocation of the top-level goal to part-level reliability and maintainability requirements, and it gives the results of parameter sensitivity studies designed to help identify the best approach to achieve the needed system availability within funding and schedule constraints. 1 ref., 12 figs., 4 tabs

24 CFR 791.404 - Field Office allocation planning.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Field Office allocation planning... Allocation of Budget Authority for Housing Assistance § 791.404 Field Office allocation planning. (a) General objective. The allocation planning process should provide for the equitable distribution of available budget...

Type monotonic allocation schemes for multi-glove games

OpenAIRE

Brânzei, R.; Solymosi, T.; Tijs, S.H.

2007-01-01

Multiglove markets and corresponding games are considered.For this class of games we introduce the notion of type monotonic allocation scheme.Allocation rules for multiglove markets based on weight systems are introduced and characterized.These allocation rules generate type monotonic allocation schemes for multiglove games and are also helpful in proving that each core element of the corresponding game is extendable to a type monotonic allocation scheme.The T-value turns out to generate a ty...

Biology and Mechanics of Blood Flows Part I: Biology

CERN Document Server

Thiriet, Marc

2008-01-01

Biology and Mechanics of Blood Flows presents the basic knowledge and state-of-the-art techniques necessary to carry out investigations of the cardiovascular system using modeling and simulation. Part I of this two-volume sequence, Biology, addresses the nanoscopic and microscopic scales. The nanoscale corresponds to the scale of biochemical reaction cascades involved in cell adaptation to mechanical stresses among other stimuli. The microscale is the scale of stress-induced tissue remodeling associated with acute or chronic loadings. The cardiovascular system, like any physiological system, has a complicated three-dimensional structure and composition. Its time dependent behavior is regulated, and this complex system has many components. In this authoritative work, the author provides a survey of relevant cell components and processes, with detailed coverage of the electrical and mechanical behaviors of vascular cells, tissues, and organs. Because the behaviors of vascular cells and tissues are tightly coupl...

Parts, Cavities, and Object Representation in Infancy

Science.gov (United States)

Hayden, Angela; Bhatt, Ramesh S.; Kangas, Ashley; Zieber, Nicole

2011-01-01

Part representation is not only critical to object perception but also plays a key role in a number of basic visual cognition functions, such as figure-ground segregation, allocation of attention, and memory for shapes. Yet, virtually nothing is known about the development of part representation. If parts are fundamental components of object shape…

Optimal resource allocation for distributed video communication

CERN Document Server

He, Yifeng

2013-01-01

While most books on the subject focus on resource allocation in just one type of network, this book is the first to examine the common characteristics of multiple distributed video communication systems. Comprehensive and systematic, Optimal Resource Allocation for Distributed Video Communication presents a unified optimization framework for resource allocation across these systems. The book examines the techniques required for optimal resource allocation over Internet, wireless cellular networks, wireless ad hoc networks, and wireless sensor networks. It provides you with the required foundat

17 CFR 256.01-11 - Methods of allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... applicable and currently effective methods of allocation filed with the Commission. Both direct and allocated... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Methods of allocation. 256.01... HOLDING COMPANY ACT OF 1935 General Instructions § 256.01-11 Methods of allocation. Indirect costs and...

Intelligent tactical asset allocation support system

OpenAIRE

Hiemstra, Y.

1995-01-01

This paper presents an advanced support system for Tactical Asset Allocation. Asset allocation explains over 90% of portfolio performance (Brinson, Hood and Beebower, 1988). Tactical asset allocation adjusts a strategic portfolio on the basis of short term market outlooks. The system includes aprediction model that forecasts quarterly excess returns on the S and PSOO, an optimization model that adjusts a user-specified strategic portfolio on thebasis of the excess return forecast, and a compo...

Optimal load allocation of complex ship power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldi, Francesco; Ahlgren, Fredrik; Melino, Francesco; Gabrielii, Cecilia; Andersson, Karin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The optimal operation of the prime movers of hybrid ship power plants is addressed. • Both mechanical, electric and thermal power demand are considered. • The problem is modelled as a mixed integer-nonlinear programming problem. • Up to 3% savings can be achieved with hybrid power plants. • Including the thermal power demand improves the solution by up to 4%. - Abstract: In a world with increased pressure on reducing fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, the cruise industry is growing in size and impact. In this context, further effort is required for improving the energy efficiency of cruise ship energy systems. In this paper, we propose a generic method for modelling the power plant of an isolated system with mechanical, electric and thermal power demands and for the optimal load allocation of the different components that are able to fulfil the demand. The optimisation problem is presented in the form of a mixed integer linear programming (MINLP) problem, where the number of engines and/or boilers running is represented by the integer variables, while their respective load is represented by the non-integer variables. The individual components are modelled using a combination of first-principle models and polynomial regressions, thus making the system nonlinear. The proposed method is applied to the load-allocation problem of a cruise ship sailing in the Baltic Sea, and used to compare the existing power plant with a hybrid propulsion plant. The results show the benefits brought by using the proposing method, which allow estimating the performance of the hybrid system (for which the load allocation is a non-trivial problem) while also including the contribution of the heat demand. This allows showing that, based on a reference round voyage, up to 3% savings could be achieved by installing the proposed system, compared to the existing one, and that a NPV of 11 kUSD could be achieved already 5 years after the installation of the

On the statistics of uplink inter-cell interference with greedy resource allocation

KAUST Repository

Tabassum, Hina

2012-10-03

In this paper, we introduce a new methodology to model the uplink inter-cell interference (ICI) in wireless cellular networks. The model takes into account both the effect of channel statistics (i.e., path loss, shadowing, fading) and the resource allocation scheme in the interfering cells. Firstly, we derive a semi-analytical expression for the distribution of the locations of the allocated user in a given cell considering greedy resource allocation with maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) criterion. Based on this, we derive the distribution of the uplink ICI from one neighboring cell. Next, we compute the moment generating function (MGF) of the cumulative ICI observed from all neighboring cells and discuss some examples. Finally, we utilize the derived expressions to evaluate the outage probability in the network. In order to validate the accuracy of the developed semi-analytical expressions, we present comparison results with Monte Carlo simulations. The major benefit of the proposed mechanism is that it helps in estimating the distribution of ICI without the knowledge of instantaneous resource allocations in the neighbor cells. The proposed methodology applies to any shadowing and fading distributions. Moreover, it can be used to evaluate important network performance metrics numerically without the need for time-consuming Monte Carlo simulations. © 2011 IEEE.

On the statistics of uplink inter-cell interference with greedy resource allocation

KAUST Repository

Tabassum, Hina; Yilmaz, Ferkan; Dawy, Zaher; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2012-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a new methodology to model the uplink inter-cell interference (ICI) in wireless cellular networks. The model takes into account both the effect of channel statistics (i.e., path loss, shadowing, fading) and the resource allocation scheme in the interfering cells. Firstly, we derive a semi-analytical expression for the distribution of the locations of the allocated user in a given cell considering greedy resource allocation with maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) criterion. Based on this, we derive the distribution of the uplink ICI from one neighboring cell. Next, we compute the moment generating function (MGF) of the cumulative ICI observed from all neighboring cells and discuss some examples. Finally, we utilize the derived expressions to evaluate the outage probability in the network. In order to validate the accuracy of the developed semi-analytical expressions, we present comparison results with Monte Carlo simulations. The major benefit of the proposed mechanism is that it helps in estimating the distribution of ICI without the knowledge of instantaneous resource allocations in the neighbor cells. The proposed methodology applies to any shadowing and fading distributions. Moreover, it can be used to evaluate important network performance metrics numerically without the need for time-consuming Monte Carlo simulations. © 2011 IEEE.

A decision aid tool for equity issues analysis in emission permit allocations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaillancourt, K.; Waaub, J.P.

2004-01-01

The general intention of global climate agreements is to stabilize greenhouse gases (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere which contribute to climate change. Climate models indicate that the global average temperature will increase by about 1.4 to 5.8 degrees C by 2100 compared to the 1990 level. This study assumed the participation of all countries, including developing countries, to achieve a global GHG stabilization target. It examined international cooperation mechanisms such as permit trading to achieve global economic efficiency. The study proposed a decision aid tool that provides relevant information on various equitable permit allocation schemes. A dynamic multicriterion model was presented to share the global quantity of permits among 15 regions. Multiple definitions of equity were considered. A realistic simulation of the World-MARKAL energy model was conducted to demonstrate the potential application of the scheme in international negotiations. The goal was to propose a range of permit allocations for each country in order to restrict the number of possibilities and guide negotiations. A model of the global reduction scenario makes it possible to determine cost effective solutions and to calculate reduction costs. Equity issues related to permit allocations were also addressed along with permit allocations and net reduction costs for each region. 45 refs., 5 tabs., 2 figs., 1 appendix

Allocation of losses in distribution system with dispersed generation of electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atanasovski, Metodija B.

2005-01-01

The problem of allocation of losses in distribution systems with dispersed generation (DG) of electricity is considered in this work. Definition of category DG, overview of technologies which belongs to this category and main features of each technology are given. Modeling of DG in steady state analysis of distribution networks is completely elaborated. Requirements for ideal allocation of losses are summarized. Methods from the literature, for allocation of losses in distribution systems with DG, are elaborated, as: classical distribution pricing method, substitution method, marginal loss coefficients method and nodal factors pricing method. In this work a new method for allocation of losses in distribution systems with DG is also presented. The new method is based on branches and resolves the problems of implementation of branch based methods for transmission networks to distribution networks. The method establishes direct relationship between losses in each branch of the network and injected active and reactive power in the nodes on which path to the root node the branch is placed. Reactive power is considered in the loss allocation process in this method and allocation of crossed terms of active and reactive power is performed using quadratic allocation of crossed terms. DG in this method is treated as negative power injection. It is assumed that the network is radial and the power flow in each branch of the, distribution network is constant and equal to the sum of injected active and reactive power in each node on which path to the root node, the branch is placed. The network is considered loss less. The new proposed method is applied and tested on real distribution network which is a part of Distribution company-Bitola. One distribution feeder of power station 110/10 kV/kV Bitola 4 is considered. Different types of consumers and two small hydro power plants in property of JP Strezevo as typical representatives of DG are connected to the feeder. Results

Cognitive radio networks dynamic resource allocation schemes

CERN Document Server

Wang, Shaowei

2014-01-01

This SpringerBrief presents a survey of dynamic resource allocation schemes in Cognitive Radio (CR) Systems, focusing on the spectral-efficiency and energy-efficiency in wireless networks. It also introduces a variety of dynamic resource allocation schemes for CR networks and provides a concise introduction of the landscape of CR technology. The author covers in detail the dynamic resource allocation problem for the motivations and challenges in CR systems. The Spectral- and Energy-Efficient resource allocation schemes are comprehensively investigated, including new insights into the trade-off

An Effective Channel Allocation Scheme to Reduce Co-Channel and Adjacent Channel Interference for WMN Backhaul

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbasi, S.; Ismaili, I.A.; Khuhawar, F.Y.

2016-01-01

Two folded work presents channel allocation scheme sustaining channel orthogonality and channel spacing to reduce CCI (Co-Channel Interference) and ACI (Adjacent Channel Interference) for inter flow of an intra-flow link. Proposed scheme as a part of radio resource allocation is applied on infrastructure based backhaul of wireless mesh network using directional antennas. The proposed approach is applied separately on 2.4 and 5GHz bands. Interference of connectivity graph is modelled by strongly connected directed graph and greedy algorithms are used for channel allocation. We have used OPNET Modeller suite to simulate network models for this research. The proposed arrangement reduces the channel interference and increases system throughput. In this research, the influence of channel is computed in terms of network throughput and delay. (author)

Holding-time-aware asymmetric spectrum allocation in virtual optical networks

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Chunjian; Li, Hui; Liu, Yuze; Ji, Yuefeng

2017-10-01

Virtual optical networks (VONs) have been considered as a promising solution to support current high-capacity dynamic traffic and achieve rapid applications deployment. Since most of the network services (e.g., high-definition video service, cloud computing, distributed storage) in VONs are provisioned by dedicated data centers, needing different amount of bandwidth resources in both directions, the network traffic is mostly asymmetric. The common strategy, symmetric provisioning of traffic in optical networks, leads to a waste of spectrum resources in such traffic patterns. In this paper, we design a holding-time-aware asymmetric spectrum allocation module based on SDON architecture and an asymmetric spectrum allocation algorithm based on the module is proposed. For the purpose of reducing spectrum resources' waste, the algorithm attempts to reallocate the idle unidirectional spectrum slots in VONs, which are generated due to the asymmetry of services' bidirectional bandwidth. This part of resources can be exploited by other requests, such as short-time non-VON requests. We also introduce a two-dimensional asymmetric resource model for maintaining idle spectrum resources information of VON in spectrum and time domains. Moreover, a simulation is designed to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, and results show that our proposed asymmetric spectrum allocation algorithm can improve the resource waste and reduce blocking probability.

A Thrust Allocation Method for Efficient Dynamic Positioning of a Semisubmersible Drilling Rig Based on the Hybrid Optimization Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luman Zhao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A thrust allocation method was proposed based on a hybrid optimization algorithm to efficiently and dynamically position a semisubmersible drilling rig. That is, the thrust allocation was optimized to produce the generalized forces and moment required while at the same time minimizing the total power consumption under the premise that forbidden zones should be taken into account. An optimization problem was mathematically formulated to provide the optimal thrust allocation by introducing the corresponding design variables, objective function, and constraints. A hybrid optimization algorithm consisting of a genetic algorithm and a sequential quadratic programming (SQP algorithm was selected and used to solve this problem. The proposed method was evaluated by applying it to a thrust allocation problem for a semisubmersible drilling rig. The results indicate that the proposed method can be used as part of a cost-effective strategy for thrust allocation of the rig.

Dynamic versus static allocation policies in multipurpose multireservoir systems

Science.gov (United States)

Tilmant, A.; Goor, Q.; Pinte, D.; van der Zaag, P.

2007-12-01

As the competition for water is likely to increase in the near future due to socioeconomic development and population growth, water resources managers will face hard choices when allocating water between competing users. Because water is a vital resource used in multiple sectors, including the environment, the allocation is inherently a political and social process, which is likely to become increasingly scrutinized as the competition grows between the different sectors. Since markets are usually absent or ineffective, the allocation of water between competing demands is achieved administratively taking into account key objectives such as economic efficiency, equity and maintaining the ecological integrity. When crop irrigation is involved, water is usually allocated by a system of annual rights to use a fixed, static, volume of water. In a fully-allocated basin, moving from a static to a dynamic allocation process, whereby the policies are regularly updated according to the hydrologic status of the river basin, is the first step towards the development of river basin management strategies that increase the productivity of water. More specifically, in a multipurpose multireservoir system, continuously adjusting release and withdrawal decisions based on the latest hydrologic information will increase the benefits derived from the system. However, the extent to which such an adjustment can be achieved results from complex spatial and temporal interactions between the physical characteristics of the water resources system (storage, natural flows), the economic and social consequences of rationing and the impacts on natural ecosystems. The complexity of the decision-making process, which requires the continuous evaluation of numerous trade-offs, calls for the use of integrated hydrologic-economic models. This paper compares static and dynamic management approaches for a cascade of hydropower-irrigation reservoirs using stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP

An extensible agent architecture for a competitive market-based allocation of consumer attention space

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P.J. 't Hoen (Pieter Jan); S.M. Bohte (Sander); E.H. Gerding (Enrico); J.A. La Poutré (Han)

2002-01-01

textabstractA competitive distributed recommendation mechanism is introduced based on adaptive software agents for efficiently allocating the ``customer attention space'', or banners. In the example of an electronic shopping mall, the task of correctly profiling and analyzing the customers is

Carbon allocation in forest ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Creighton M. Litton; James W. Raich; Michael G. Ryan

2007-01-01

Carbon allocation plays a critical role in forest ecosystem carbon cycling. We reviewed existing literature and compiled annual carbon budgets for forest ecosystems to test a series of hypotheses addressing the patterns, plasticity, and limits of three components of allocation: biomass, the amount of material present; flux, the flow of carbon to a component per unit...

Equity, tariffing, regulation: analysis of the cost allocation policies of an electric utility industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezzina, J.

1998-01-01

In this work, an analysis in terms of equity of policies of tariffing regulation and cost allocation of a multi-products electric company (organized as a natural monopoly) is proposed. The goal is double. In a standard point of view, the first goal is to show that today's literature in the domains of public economy, industrial organization and regulation (traditionally based on efficiency considerations) is able to supply reading keys for the analysis of moral philosophy problems. In a positive point of view, the second goal is to demonstrate that the equity criterion is operational enough to judge tariffing management practices in a particular industrial environment and can be used as a regulatory instrument by an ethics-concerned authority. The document is organized in two parts. An ethical and economical analysis of the equity concepts between allocation efficiency, production efficiency and tariffing practices of companies is proposed first. A particular equity concept is considered which is ready to be implemented for the regulation of a public utility, and the ins and outs expected with an equity theory of tariffing practices are evoked. In a second part, an analysis of goal conflicts between the authority and the regulated company is made in a point of view of equity regulation and cost allocation. An improved equity criterion is defined first, from which a measure is built and becomes a tool for the regulatory authority. Then, its use by a regulatory authority fully informed or encountering information asymmetry problems are analyzed in order to show its stakes on the cost allocation and tariffing policies of the company. (J.S.)

Foundations of mechanism design: A tutorial Part 2 – Advanced ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

the item, then the bidders' perceived values vi,i = 1,2,... ,n are independent draws from ...... the set of feasible social choice functions F. There is no unique definition ..... for that object (and is allocated fairly and randomly in the event of tie).

The Multi-unit Assignment Problem: Theory and Evidence from Course Allocation at Harvard

OpenAIRE

Budish, Eric; Cantillon, Estelle

2010-01-01

This paper uses data consisting of students' strategically reported preferences and their underlying true preferences to study the course allocation mechanism used at Harvard Business School. We show that the mechanism is manipulable in theory, manipulated in practice, and that these manipulations cause meaningful welfare losses. However, we also find that ex-ante welfare is higher than under the strategyproof and ex-post efficient alternative, the Random Serial Dictatorship. We trace the poo...

Cost allocation in distribution planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engevall, S.

1996-01-01

This thesis concerns cost allocation problems in distribution planning. The cost allocation problems we study are illustrated using the distribution planning situation at the Logistics department of Norsk Hydro Olje AB. The planning situation is modeled as a Traveling Salesman Problem and a Vehicle Routing Problem with an inhomogeneous fleet. The cost allocation problems are the problems of how to divide the transportation costs among the customers served in each problem. The cost allocation problems are formulated as cooperative games, in characteristic function form, where the customers are defined to be the players. The games contain five and 21 players respectively. Game theoretical solution concepts such as the core, the nucleolus, the Shapley value and the τ-value are discussed. From the empirical results we can, among other things, conclude that the core of the Traveling Salesman Game is large, and that the core of the Vehicle Routing Game is empty. In the accounting of Norsk Hydro the cost per m 3 can be found for each tour. We conclude that for a certain definition of the characteristic function, a cost allocation according to this principle will not be included in the core of the Traveling Salesman Game. The models and methods presented in this thesis can be applied to transportation problems similar to that of Norsk Hydro, independent of the type of products that are delivered. 96 refs, 11 figs, 26 tabs

Cost allocation in distribution planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engevall, S.

1996-12-31

This thesis concerns cost allocation problems in distribution planning. The cost allocation problems we study are illustrated using the distribution planning situation at the Logistics department of Norsk Hydro Olje AB. The planning situation is modeled as a Traveling Salesman Problem and a Vehicle Routing Problem with an inhomogeneous fleet. The cost allocation problems are the problems of how to divide the transportation costs among the customers served in each problem. The cost allocation problems are formulated as cooperative games, in characteristic function form, where the customers are defined to be the players. The games contain five and 21 players respectively. Game theoretical solution concepts such as the core, the nucleolus, the Shapley value and the {tau}-value are discussed. From the empirical results we can, among other things, conclude that the core of the Traveling Salesman Game is large, and that the core of the Vehicle Routing Game is empty. In the accounting of Norsk Hydro the cost per m{sup 3} can be found for each tour. We conclude that for a certain definition of the characteristic function, a cost allocation according to this principle will not be included in the core of the Traveling Salesman Game. The models and methods presented in this thesis can be applied to transportation problems similar to that of Norsk Hydro, independent of the type of products that are delivered. 96 refs, 11 figs, 26 tabs

Cost allocation in distribution planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engevall, S

1997-12-31

This thesis concerns cost allocation problems in distribution planning. The cost allocation problems we study are illustrated using the distribution planning situation at the Logistics department of Norsk Hydro Olje AB. The planning situation is modeled as a Traveling Salesman Problem and a Vehicle Routing Problem with an inhomogeneous fleet. The cost allocation problems are the problems of how to divide the transportation costs among the customers served in each problem. The cost allocation problems are formulated as cooperative games, in characteristic function form, where the customers are defined to be the players. The games contain five and 21 players respectively. Game theoretical solution concepts such as the core, the nucleolus, the Shapley value and the {tau}-value are discussed. From the empirical results we can, among other things, conclude that the core of the Traveling Salesman Game is large, and that the core of the Vehicle Routing Game is empty. In the accounting of Norsk Hydro the cost per m{sup 3} can be found for each tour. We conclude that for a certain definition of the characteristic function, a cost allocation according to this principle will not be included in the core of the Traveling Salesman Game. The models and methods presented in this thesis can be applied to transportation problems similar to that of Norsk Hydro, independent of the type of products that are delivered. 96 refs, 11 figs, 26 tabs

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BUDGET ALLOCATION IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Yu. Fedorova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the problem of budget allocation in the state order inRussia. Assesses the effectiveness of the financial mechanism of the public procurement business entities, purchasing activities are regulated by Federal Law №44-FZ and №223-FZ. The dynamics of financing the procurement process and reveal its features by using the most common methods of procurement through competitive bidding and without bidding. Identifies the causes of inefficient spending budget as a result of the non-competitive procurement methods by certain categories of business entities. 

Mechanism of Rock Burst Occurrence in Specially Thick Coal Seam with Rock Parting

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jian-chao; Jiang, Fu-xing; Meng, Xiang-jun; Wang, Xu-you; Zhu, Si-tao; Feng, Yu

2016-05-01

Specially thick coal seam with complex construction, such as rock parting and alternative soft and hard coal, is called specially thick coal seam with rock parting (STCSRP), which easily leads to rock burst during mining. Based on the stress distribution of rock parting zone, this study investigated the mechanism, engineering discriminant conditions, prevention methods, and risk evaluation method of rock burst occurrence in STCSRP through setting up a mechanical model. The main conclusions of this study are as follows. (1) When the mining face moves closer to the rock parting zone, the original non-uniform stress of the rock parting zone and the advancing stress of the mining face are combined to intensify gradually the shearing action of coal near the mining face. When the shearing action reaches a certain degree, rock burst easily occurs near the mining face. (2) Rock burst occurrence in STCSRP is positively associated with mining depth, advancing stress concentration factor of the mining face, thickness of rock parting, bursting liability of coal, thickness ratio of rock parting to coal seam, and difference of elastic modulus between rock parting and coal, whereas negatively associated with shear strength. (3) Technologies of large-diameter drilling, coal seam water injection, and deep hole blasting can reduce advancing stress concentration factor, thickness of rock parting, and difference of elastic modulus between rock parting and coal to lower the risk of rock burst in STCSRP. (4) The research result was applied to evaluate and control the risk of rock burst occurrence in STCSRP.

78 FR 18235 - Treatment of Services Under Section 482; Allocation of Income and Deductions From Intangible...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Part 1 Treatment of Services Under Section 482; Allocation of Income and Deductions From Intangible Property; Stewardship Expense CFR...; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 1505-01-D ...

The vouchers scheme as a mechanism of public support allocation in theory and practice

OpenAIRE

Marek Pavlík

2013-01-01

Sport support at the municipal level has a long tradition, especially in Europe. Youth involvement to the sport is usually one of the important aspects of grant policies. There are questions regarding how to allocate public resources more efficiently and how to increase youth participation in sport. We analyze the sport vouchers as a tool for increasing transparency and efficiency as well as the involvement of youth and their parents in sport policy at the local level. Vouchers typically tran...

A Hybrid Dynamic Programming for Solving Fixed Cost Transportation with Discounted Mechanism

OpenAIRE

Farhad Ghassemi Tari

2016-01-01

The problem of allocating different types of vehicles for transporting a set of products from a manufacturer to its depots/cross docks, in an existing transportation network, to minimize the total transportation costs, is considered. The distribution network involves a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles, with a variable transportation cost and a fixed cost in which a discount mechanism is applied on the fixed part of the transportation costs. It is assumed that the number of available vehicles i...

Optimal Allocation of Water Resources Based on Water Supply Security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianhua Wang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Under the combined impacts of climate change and human activities, a series of water issues, such as water shortages, have arisen all over the world. According to current studies in Science and Nature, water security has become a frontier critical topic. Water supply security (WSS, which is the state of water resources and their capacity and their capacity to meet the demand of water users by water supply systems, is an important part of water security. Currently, WSS is affected by the amount of water resources, water supply projects, water quality and water management. Water shortages have also led to water supply insecurity. WSS is now evaluated based on the balance of the supply and demand under a single water resources condition without considering the dynamics of the varying conditions of water resources each year. This paper developed an optimal allocation model for water resources that can realize the optimal allocation of regional water resources and comprehensively evaluate WSS. The objective of this model is to minimize the duration of water shortages in the long term, as characterized by the Water Supply Security Index (WSSI, which is the assessment value of WSS, a larger WSSI value indicates better results. In addition, the simulation results of the model can determine the change process and dynamic evolution of the WSS. Quanzhou, a city in China with serious water shortage problems, was selected as a case study. The allocation results of the current year and target year of planning demonstrated that the level of regional comprehensive WSS was significantly influenced by the capacity of water supply projects and the conditions of the natural water resources. The varying conditions of the water resources allocation results in the same year demonstrated that the allocation results and WSSI were significantly affected by reductions in precipitation, decreases in the water yield coefficient, and changes in the underlying surface.

Participation behavior and social welfare in repeated task allocations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ye, Q.C.; Zhang, Y.

2016-01-01

Task allocation problems have focused on achieving one-shot optimality. In practice, many task allocation problems are of repeated nature, where the allocation outcome of previous rounds may influence the participation of agents in subsequent rounds, and consequently, the quality of the allocations

Characterizing contract-based multiagent resource allocation in networks.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Bo; Lesser, Victor

2010-06-01

We consider a multiagent resource allocation problem where individual users intend to route traffic by requesting the help of entities across a network, and a cost is incurred at each network node that depends on the amount of traffic to be routed. We propose to study contract-based network resource allocation. In our model, users and nodes in the network make contracts before nodes route traffic for the users. The problem is an interesting self-interested negotiation problem because it requires the complete assembly of a set of distinct resources, and there are multiple combinations of distinct resources that could satisfy the goal of negotiation. First, we characterize the network allocation problem and show that finding optimal allocations is NP-complete and is inapproximable. We take both Nash equilibrium and pairwise Nash equilibrium as the solution concepts to characterize the equilibrium allocations. We find that, for any resource allocation game, Nash equilibrium and pairwise Nash equilibrium always exist. In addition, socially optimal allocations are always supported by Nash equilibrium and pairwise Nash equilibrium. We introduce best-response dynamics in which each agent takes a myopic best-response strategy and interacts with each other to dynamically form contracts. We analyze the convergence of the dynamics in some special cases. We also experimentally study the convergence rate of the dynamics and how efficient the evolved allocation is as compared with the optimal allocation in a variety of environments.

Optimal defense resource allocation in scale-free networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuejun; Xu, Guoqiang; Xia, Yongxiang

2018-02-01

The robustness research of networked systems has drawn widespread attention in the past decade, and one of the central topics is to protect the network from external attacks through allocating appropriate defense resource to different nodes. In this paper, we apply a specific particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to optimize the defense resource allocation in scale-free networks. Results reveal that PSO based resource allocation shows a higher robustness than other resource allocation strategies such as uniform, degree-proportional, and betweenness-proportional allocation strategies. Furthermore, we find that assigning less resource to middle-degree nodes under small-scale attack while more resource to low-degree nodes under large-scale attack is conductive to improving the network robustness. Our work provides an insight into the optimal defense resource allocation pattern in scale-free networks and is helpful for designing a more robust network.

24 CFR Appendix A to Part 1000 - Indian Housing Block Grant Formula Mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Mechanics A Appendix A to Part 1000 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Housing Block Grant Formula Mechanics This appendix shows the different components of the IHBG formula... is the greater of a tribe's Allowable Expense Level (AEL) or Fair Market Rent (FMR) factor, where the...

The EU ETS and Dynamic Allocation in Phase IV—An Ex-Ante Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vicki Duscha

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Fear of lowering firms’ competitiveness and carbon leakage is the reason for large amounts of allowances in the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS still being allocated for free. At the same time, unadjusted free allocation of allowances in times of economic recession is partly responsible for the large surplus of allowances that has cumulated in the EU ETS and that is lowering prices in the market. For Phase IV, the introduction of dynamic allocation has been proposed to react to significant changes in production, to prevent the accumulation of further surplus on the one hand and to protect installations from severe underallocation on the other. A reserve of about 400 million allowances is planned for that purpose. This paper analyses the demand for certificates from this reserve under different assumptions on production development as well as different design options for Phase IV. The analysis builds on freely available allocation data from Phase III along with projections of production trends from different time periods in the past. In most of the scenarios, the 400 million allowances are sufficient to fulfil demand for allowances from dynamic allocation until at least the second half of Phase IV (often even for the whole of Phase IV. Even though certain aspects analysed are now not fully compatible with the agreed-upon Phase IV revision, the analysis indicates that the amount of allowances foreseen for dynamic allocation is sufficient for Phase IV. In particular the threshold value of 10% that was introduced in the legislation will ensure that the demand of allowances is likely well below the demand found in the different scenarios in this analysis that neglects this threshold value.

Bounds in the location-allocation problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juel, Henrik

1981-01-01

Develops a family of stronger lower bounds on the objective function value of the location-allocation problem. Solution methods proposed to solve problems in location-allocation; Efforts to develop a more efficient bound solution procedure; Determination of the locations of the sources....

Resource allocation based on cost efficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dehnokhalaji, Akram; Ghiyasi, Mojtaba; Korhonen, Pekka

2017-01-01

-objective linear programming problem using two different strategies. First, we propose an RA model which keeps the cost efficiencies of units unchanged. This is done assuming fixed technical and allocative efficiencies. The approach is based on the assumption that the decision maker (DM) may not have big changes......In this paper, we consider a resource allocation (RA) problem and develop an approach based on cost (overall) efficiency. The aim is to allocate some inputs among decision making units (DMUs) in such way that their cost efficiencies improve or stay unchanged after RA. We formulate a multi...... in the structure of DMUs within a short term. The second strategy does not impose any restrictions on technical and allocative efficiencies. It guarantees that none of the cost efficiencies of DMUs get worse after RA, and the improvement for units is possible if it is feasible and beneficial. Two numerical...

Maintainability allocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guyot, Christian.

1980-06-01

The author gives the general lines of a method for the allocation and for the evaluation of maintainability of complex systems which is to be developed during the conference. The maintainability objective is supposed to be formulated under the form of a mean time to repair (M.T.T.R.) [fr

Worst-case analysis of heap allocations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Puffitsch, Wolfgang; Huber, Benedikt; Schoeberl, Martin

2010-01-01

the worst-case heap allocations of tasks. The analysis builds upon techniques that are well established for worst-case execution time analysis. The difference is that the cost function is not the execution time of instructions in clock cycles, but the allocation in bytes. In contrast to worst-case execution...... time analysis, worst-case heap allocation analysis is not processor dependent. However, the cost function depends on the object layout of the runtime system. The analysis is evaluated with several real-time benchmarks to establish the usefulness of the analysis, and to compare the memory consumption...

Resource Allocation for A Mobile Application Oriented Architecture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guo, Y.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria; Lu, W.W.; Xie, X.

2005-01-01

A Montium is a coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture designed by the CADTES group of the University of Twente for mobile applications. This paper presents a resource allocation method to allocate variables to storage places and to schedule data movements for the Montium. The resource allocation

Methodology for allocating reliability and risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, N.Z.; Papazoglou, I.A.; Bari, R.A.

1986-05-01

This report describes a methodology for reliability and risk allocation in nuclear power plants. The work investigates the technical feasibility of allocating reliability and risk, which are expressed in a set of global safety criteria and which may not necessarily be rigid, to various reactor systems, subsystems, components, operations, and structures in a consistent manner. The report also provides general discussions on the problem of reliability and risk allocation. The problem is formulated as a multiattribute decision analysis paradigm. The work mainly addresses the first two steps of a typical decision analysis, i.e., (1) identifying alternatives, and (2) generating information on outcomes of the alternatives, by performing a multiobjective optimization on a PRA model and reliability cost functions. The multiobjective optimization serves as the guiding principle to reliability and risk allocation. The concept of ''noninferiority'' is used in the multiobjective optimization problem. Finding the noninferior solution set is the main theme of the current approach. The final step of decision analysis, i.e., assessment of the decision maker's preferences could then be performed more easily on the noninferior solution set. Some results of the methodology applications to a nontrivial risk model are provided, and several outstanding issues such as generic allocation, preference assessment, and uncertainty are discussed. 29 refs., 44 figs., 39 tabs

Financial Resources Allocation of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esmaeil Afiyan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available ​ Background and Objectives : According to complexity of resource allocation, issue about how to allocate health care resources in an accurate and fair manner has become the subject of discussions and decisions of related groups. Therefore, in this research we aim to study the methods of financial resource allocation of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in order to identify its strengths and weaknesses for its promotion. Material and Methods : This study is a descriptive, qualitative sectional research and all comments have been collected by focus group discussions with experts and managers involved in the allocation of financial resources of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. All factors affecting the process of allocation have been reviewd carefully. Results : Results suggested that except the health sector, none of the other sectors use the formulated  and scientific methods for allocating financial resources and despite the emphasize in the 4th development plan for operating funding, the final cost of the services, has no role in allocating financial resources. Conclusion : Regarding to judgmental and subjective method of financial resources allocation of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and lack of documented and formulated methods, there is an essential need for developing an appropriate and formulated model for scientific allocation of financial resources in order to improve the efficiency and fairness of the allocation.

Formation of the mechanism for credit asessment of borrowers in conditions of economic instability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.G. Vygovska

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The article investigates the state of the credit portfolio of banks in the conditions of instability of the environment and the development of the credit rating of the borrower as a mechanism to prevent the direction of growth of bad debts. The research of the state and dynamics loan portfolio has revealed its sharp deterioration in recent years due to the instability of the external macro environment. The need to reduce the volume of bad debts requires the formation of an adequate mechanism for the borrower's credit rating. Under the mechanism defined in the article the subject-object interaction and providing subsystems have aimed at making management decisions about credit and credit determination capabilities of the enterprise. The authors propose the composition of such a mechanism from the position of a system approach with the subject-object allocation and providing subsystems. As a part of providing credit subsystems the article has allocated a methodological, methodical, information, personnel and organizational support. The article has formed the basic methodological principles of credit rating, namely a comprehensive assessment; the accuracy of the assessment; the progressiveness of the assessment; an objective assessment; professionalism; reality evaluation. Using the proposed credit assessment the mechanism in practice will enhance the effectiveness of the credit relationship between the bank and the borrower. Keywords: credit portfolio; mechanism; creditworthiness assessment; economic instability.

Accounting of allocation of production enterprises’ overhead costs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

О.V. Ivaniuta

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Taking into account the complexity of engineering technological cycles, the use of traditional approaches to the allocation of overhead costs at the researching enterprises is inexpedient and inefficient. The authors find out that to solve this problem it is not enough to choose only one base of allocation because the formed prime cost with such an approach will not meet the reality. That is why it is suggested to use a multilevel allocation of overhead costs. The proposed approach involves the allocation of overhead costs at the following levels: fixed and variable, with shops of main and auxiliary production, calculation stations, some orders. Each level involves the selection of individual allocation bases that are grouped on economic, technological and integrated ones.

Graph theoretical stable allocation as a tool for reproduction of control by human operators

Science.gov (United States)

van Nooijen, Ronald; Ertsen, Maurits; Kolechkina, Alla

2016-04-01

During the design of central control algorithms for existing water resource systems under manual control it is important to consider the interaction with parts of the system that remain under manual control and to compare the proposed new system with the existing manual methods. In graph theory the "stable allocation" problem has good solution algorithms and allows for formulation of flow distribution problems in terms of priorities. As a test case for the use of this approach we used the algorithm to derive water allocation rules for the Gezira Scheme, an irrigation system located between the Blue and White Niles south of Khartoum. In 1925, Gezira started with 300,000 acres; currently it covers close to two million acres.

The modular endoprosthesis for mandibular body replacement. Part 1: Mechanical testing of the reconstruction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wong, R.C.; Tideman, H.; Merkx, M.A.W.; Jansen, J.A.; Goh, S.M.

2012-01-01

INTRODUCTION: In this paper we present the results of the mechanical testing of a new generation modular endoprosthesis, which has been designed to improve the results of mandibular reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The new cementless endoprosthesis consists of a male part, a female part (both

S4HARA: System for HIV/AIDS resource allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lasry, Arielle; Carter, Michael W; Zaric, Gregory S

2008-03-26

HIV/AIDS resource allocation decisions are influenced by political, social, ethical and other factors that are difficult to quantify. Consequently, quantitative models of HIV/AIDS resource allocation have had limited impact on actual spending decisions. We propose a decision-support System for HIV/AIDS Resource Allocation (S4HARA) that takes into consideration both principles of efficient resource allocation and the role of non-quantifiable influences on the decision-making process for resource allocation. S4HARA is a four-step spreadsheet-based model. The first step serves to identify the factors currently influencing HIV/AIDS allocation decisions. The second step consists of prioritizing HIV/AIDS interventions. The third step involves allocating the budget to the HIV/AIDS interventions using a rational approach. Decision-makers can select from several rational models of resource allocation depending on availability of data and level of complexity. The last step combines the results of the first and third steps to highlight the influencing factors that act as barriers or facilitators to the results suggested by the rational resource allocation approach. Actionable recommendations are then made to improve the allocation. We illustrate S4HARA in the context of a primary healthcare clinic in South Africa. The clinic offers six types of HIV/AIDS interventions and spends US$750,000 annually on these programs. Current allocation decisions are influenced by donors, NGOs and the government as well as by ethical and religious factors. Without additional funding, an optimal allocation of the total budget suggests that the portion allotted to condom distribution be increased from 1% to 15% and the portion allotted to prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections be increased from 43% to 71%, while allocation to other interventions should decrease. Condom uptake at the clinic should be increased by changing the condom distribution policy from a pull system to a push

Processing speed training increases the efficiency of attentional resource allocation in young adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wesley K Burge

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Cognitive training has been shown to improve performance on a range of tasks. However, the mechanisms underlying these improvements are still unclear. Given the wide range of transfer effects, it is likely that these effects are due to a factor common to a wide range of tasks. One such factor is a participant’s efficiency in allocating limited cognitive resources. The impact of a cognitive training program, Processing Speed Training (PST, on the allocation of resources to a set of visual tasks was measured using pupillometry in 10 young adults as compared to a control group of a 10 young adults (n = 20. PST is a well-studied computerized training program that involves identifying simultaneously presented central and peripheral stimuli. As training progresses, the task becomes increasingly more difficult, by including peripheral distracting stimuli and decreasing the duration of stimulus presentation. Analysis of baseline data confirmed that pupil diameter reflected cognitive effort. After training, participants randomized to PST used fewer attentional resources to perform complex visual tasks as compared to the control group. These pupil diameter data indicated that PST appears to increase the efficiency of attentional resource allocation. Increases in cognitive efficiency have been hypothesized to underlie improvements following experience with action video games, and improved cognitive efficiency has been hypothesized to underlie the benefits of processing speed training in older adults. These data reveal that these training schemes may share a common underlying mechanism of increasing cognitive efficiency in younger adults.

International Development Aid Allocation Determinants

OpenAIRE

Tapas Mishra; Bazoumana Ouattara; Mamata Parhi

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the factors explaining aid allocation by bilateral and multilateral donors. We use data for 146 aid recipient countries over the period 1990-2007 and employ Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates Approach (BACE) approach and find that both the recipient need and donor interest motives are `significant' determinants of bilateral and multilateral aid allocation process. Our results also indicate that the measures for recipient need and donor interests vary from bilate...

Market-Based Coordination and Auditing Mechanisms for Self-Interested Multi-Robot Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ham, MyungJoo

2009-01-01

We propose market-based coordinated task allocation mechanisms, which allocate complex tasks that require synchronized and collaborated services of multiple robot agents to robot agents, and an auditing mechanism, which ensures proper behaviors of robot agents by verifying inter-agent activities, for self-interested, fully-distributed, and…

Allocation of authority in European health policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Adolph, Christopher; Greer, Scott L; Massard da Fonseca, Elize

2012-11-01

Although many study the effects of different allocations of health policy authority, few ask why countries assign responsibility over different policies as they do. We test two broad theories: fiscal federalism, which predicts rational governments will concentrate information-intensive operations at lower levels, and redistributive and regulatory functions at higher levels; and "politicized federalism", which suggests a combination of systematic and historically idiosyncratic political variables interfere with efficient allocation of authority. Drawing on the WHO Health in Transition country profiles, we present new data on the allocation of responsibility for key health care policy tasks (implementation, provision, finance, regulation, and framework legislation) and policy areas (primary, secondary and tertiary care, public health and pharmaceuticals) in the 27 EU member states and Switzerland. We use a Bayesian multinomial mixed logit model to analyze how different countries arrive at different allocations of authority over each task and area of health policy, and find the allocation of powers broadly follows fiscal federalism. Responsibility for pharmaceuticals, framework legislation, and most finance lodges at the highest levels of government, acute and primary care in the regions, and provision at the local and regional levels. Where allocation does not follow fiscal federalism, it appears to reflect ethnic divisions, the population of states and regions, the presence of mountainous terrain, and the timing of region creation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimized maritime emergency resource allocation under dynamic demand.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenfen Zhang

Full Text Available Emergency resource is important for people evacuation and property rescue when accident occurs. The relief efforts could be promoted by a reasonable emergency resource allocation schedule in advance. As the marine environment is complicated and changeful, the place, type, severity of maritime accident is uncertain and stochastic, bringing about dynamic demand of emergency resource. Considering dynamic demand, how to make a reasonable emergency resource allocation schedule is challenging. The key problem is to determine the optimal stock of emergency resource for supplier centers to improve relief efforts. This paper studies the dynamic demand, and which is defined as a set. Then a maritime emergency resource allocation model with uncertain data is presented. Afterwards, a robust approach is developed and used to make sure that the resource allocation schedule performs well with dynamic demand. Finally, a case study shows that the proposed methodology is feasible in maritime emergency resource allocation. The findings could help emergency manager to schedule the emergency resource allocation more flexibly in terms of dynamic demand.

Application of an allocation methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youngblood, R.

1989-01-01

This paper presents a method for allocating resources to elements of a system for the purpose of achieving prescribed levels of defense-in-depth at minimal cost. The method makes extensive use of logic modelling. An analysis of a simplified high-level waste repository is used as an illustrative application of the method. It is shown that it is possible to allocate quality control costs (or demonstrate performance) in an optimal way over elements of a conceptual design

S4HARA: System for HIV/AIDS resource allocation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carter Michael W

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background HIV/AIDS resource allocation decisions are influenced by political, social, ethical and other factors that are difficult to quantify. Consequently, quantitative models of HIV/AIDS resource allocation have had limited impact on actual spending decisions. We propose a decision-support System for HIV/AIDS Resource Allocation (S4HARA that takes into consideration both principles of efficient resource allocation and the role of non-quantifiable influences on the decision-making process for resource allocation. Methods S4HARA is a four-step spreadsheet-based model. The first step serves to identify the factors currently influencing HIV/AIDS allocation decisions. The second step consists of prioritizing HIV/AIDS interventions. The third step involves allocating the budget to the HIV/AIDS interventions using a rational approach. Decision-makers can select from several rational models of resource allocation depending on availability of data and level of complexity. The last step combines the results of the first and third steps to highlight the influencing factors that act as barriers or facilitators to the results suggested by the rational resource allocation approach. Actionable recommendations are then made to improve the allocation. We illustrate S4HARA in the context of a primary healthcare clinic in South Africa. Results The clinic offers six types of HIV/AIDS interventions and spends US$750,000 annually on these programs. Current allocation decisions are influenced by donors, NGOs and the government as well as by ethical and religious factors. Without additional funding, an optimal allocation of the total budget suggests that the portion allotted to condom distribution be increased from 1% to 15% and the portion allotted to prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections be increased from 43% to 71%, while allocation to other interventions should decrease. Conclusion Condom uptake at the clinic should be increased by

30 CFR 206.459 - Allocation of washed coal.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 206.459 Section 206... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 206.459 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When the net...

30 CFR 206.260 - Allocation of washed coal.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 206.260 Section 206... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 206.260 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When the net...

Analysis of national allocation plans for the EU ETS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zetterberg, Lars; Nilsson, Kristina; Aahman, Markus; Kumlin, Anna-Sofia; Birgersdotter, Lena

2004-08-01

The EU ETS is a Community-wide scheme established by Directive 2003/87/EC for trading allowances to cover the emissions of greenhouse gases from permitted installations. The first phase of the EU ETS runs from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007. Each Member State must develop a National Allocation Plan for the first phase stating: the total quantity of allowances that the Member State intends to issue during that phase; and how it proposes to distribute those allowances among the installations which are subject to the scheme In this paper twelve of the national allocation plans have been analysed and compared to the criteria stated in the EU Directive. The twelve allocation plans analysed are: the Austrian, the Danish, the Finnish, the German, the Irish, the Lithuanian, the Luxembourg, the Dutch, the Swedish, the British and the draft Flemish (Belgium) and Portuguese. Generally most countries have allocated generously to the trading sector. The allocation has often been based on future needs. For most sectors the allocation is higher than current emissions. Many countries will have to make large reductions in the non-trading sector and/or buy credits through JI- and CDM-projects in order to fulfil their commitment according to the EU burden sharing agreement of the Kyoto Protocol. In many of the allocation plans the emission reducing measures in the non-trading sector is poorly described and the credibility of the measures are hard to determine. Two sectors have been analysed in more detail, the energy and the mineral oil refining sectors. Figures presenting allocation vs. current emissions for those sectors are given for those countries where data was available in the allocation plan. The energy sector has been considered to have the best possibilities to pass on costs for the allowances to the consumers and hence the allocation to this sector is often more restricted than the allocation to other sectors. The mineral oil refining sector is more exposed to

Cost Allocation and Convex Data Envelopment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, Jens Leth; Tind, Jørgen

such as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The convexity constraint of the BCC model introduces a non-zero slack in the objective function of the multiplier problem and we show that the cost allocation rules discussed in this paper can be used as candidates to allocate this slack value on to the input (or output...

Allocation of Rehabilitation Services for Older Adults in the Ontario Home Care System.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Joshua J; Sims-Gould, Joanie; Stolee, Paul

Background: Physiotherapy and occupational therapy services can play a critical role in maintaining or improving the physical functioning, quality of life, and overall independence of older home care clients. Despite their importance, however, there is limited understanding of the factors that influence how rehabilitation services are allocated to older home care clients. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a preliminary understanding of the factors that influence decisions to allocate rehabilitation therapy services to older clients in the Ontario home care system, as perceived by three stakeholder groups. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 key informants from three stakeholder groups: case managers, service providers, and health system policymakers. Results: Drivers of the allocation of occupational therapy and physiotherapy for older adults included functional needs and postoperative care. Participants identified challenges in providing home care rehabilitation to older adults, including impaired cognition and limited capacity in the home care system. Conclusions: Considering the changing demands for home care services, knowledge of current practices across the home care system can inform efforts to optimize rehabilitation services for the growing number of older adults. Further research is needed to advance the understanding of, and optimize rehabilitation service allocation to, older frail clients with multiple morbidities. Developing novel decision-support mechanisms and standardized clinical care pathways for older client populations may be beneficial.

Effect of steel structure and defects on reliability of parts of impact mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Popelyukh, AI; Repin, AA; Alekseev, SE

2018-03-01

The paper discusses selection of materials suitable for manufacturing critical parts of impact mechanisms. It is shown that in order to extend life of parts exposed to high dynamic loading, it is expedient to use medium- and high-carbon alloy-treated steels featuring low impurity with nonmetallic inclusions and high hardening characteristics. Application of thermally untreated parts is undesirable as steel having ferrite–pearlite structure possesses low fatigue strength. Aimed to ensure high reliability of parts with a hardness of 42–55 HRC, steel should be reinforced by thermal treatement with the formation of multicomponent martensite–bainite structure. High-quality production should include defectoscopy and incoming material control.

Sustainable and efficient allocation of limited blue and green water resources

OpenAIRE

Schyns, Joseph Franciscus

2018-01-01

Freshwater stems from precipitation over land, which differentiates into a blue water flow (groundwater and surface water) and a green water flow (evaporation). Both flows are partially allocated to serve the economy, resulting in blue and green water footprints (WF). There are maximum sustainable levels to the blue and green WF, since rainfall is limited and part of the flows need to be reserved for aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Water scarcity, the degree to which the actual approach...

Output-based allocation and investment in clean technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosendahl, Knut Einar; Storroesten, Halvor Briseid

2011-07-01

Allocation of emission allowances may affect firms' incentives to invest in clean technologies. In this paper we show that so-called output-based allocation tends to stimulate such investments as long as individual firms do not assume the regulator to tighten the allocation rule as a consequence of their investments. The explanation is that output-based allocation creates an implicit subsidy to the firms' output, which increases production, leads to a higher price of allowances, and thus increases the incentives to invest in clean technologies. On the other hand, if the firms expect the regulator to tighten the allocation rule after observing their clean technology investment, the firms' incentives to invest are moderated. If strong, this last effect may outweigh the enhanced investment incentives induced by increased output and higher allowance price. (Author)

Disappointment and drop-out rate after being allocated to control group in a smoking cessation trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindström, D; Sundberg-Petersson, I; Adami, J

2010-01-01

If a patient agrees to take part in a randomised trial it is reasonable to presume that the patient would prefer to be allocated into the intervention. This study's aim was to investigate how patients react after they have been randomised into control group....

29 CFR Appendix III to Part 1918 - The Mechanics of Conventional Cargo Gear (Non-mandatory)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false The Mechanics of Conventional Cargo Gear (Non-mandatory.... 1918, App. III Appendix III to Part 1918—The Mechanics of Conventional Cargo Gear (Non-mandatory) Note: This appendix is non-mandatory and provides an explanation of the mechanics in the correct spotting of...

Technical documentation and user's guide for City-County Allocation Model (CCAM). Version 1.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, L.T. Jr.; Scott, M.J.; Hammer, P.

1986-05-01

The City-County Allocation Model (CCAM) was developed as part of the Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) Program. The CCAM model was designed to allocate population changes forecasted by the MASTER model to specific local communities within commuting distance of the MRS facility. The CCAM model was designed to then forecast the potential changes in demand for key community services such as housing, police protection, and utilities for these communities. The CCAM model uses a flexible on-line data base on demand for community services that is based on a combination of local service levels and state and national service standards. The CCAM model can be used to quickly forecast the potential community service consequence of economic development for local communities anywhere in the country. The remainder of this document is organized as follows. The purpose of this manual is to assist the user in understanding and operating the City-County Allocation Model (CCAM). The annual explains the data sources for the model and code modifications as well as the operational procedures

Carbon allocation and element composition in four Chlamydomonas mutants defective in genes related to the CO2 concentrating mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Memmola, Francesco; Mukherjee, Bratati; Moroney, James V; Giordano, Mario

2014-09-01

Four mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with defects in different components of the CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) or in Rubisco activase were grown autotrophically at high pCO2 and then transferred to low pCO2, in order to study the role of different components of the CCM on carbon allocation and elemental composition. To study carbon allocation, we measured the relative size of the main organic pools by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence was used to analyze the elemental composition of algal cells. Our data show that although the organic pools increased their size at high CO2 in all strains, their stoichiometry was highly homeostatic, i.e., the ratios between carbohydrates and proteins, lipid and proteins, and carbohydrates and lipids, did not change significantly. The only exception was the wild-type 137c, in which proteins decreased relative to carbohydrates and lipids, when the cells were transferred to low CO2. It is noticeable that the two wild types used in this study responded differently to the transition from high to low CO2. Malfunctions of the CCM influenced the concentration of several elements, somewhat altering cell elemental stoichiometry: especially the C/P and N/P ratios changed appreciably in almost all strains as a function of the growth CO2 concentration, except in 137c and the Rubisco activase mutant rca1. In strain cia3, defective in the lumenal carbonic anhydrase (CA), the cell quotas of P, S, Ca, Mn, Fe, and Zn were about 5-fold higher at low CO2 than at high CO2. A Principle Components Analysis showed that, mostly because of its elemental composition, cia3 behaved in a substantially different way from all other strains, at low CO2. The lumenal CA thus plays a crucial role, not only for the correct functioning of the CCM, but also for element utilization. Not surprisingly, growth at high CO2 attenuated differences among strains.

Equitable fund allocation, an economical approach for sustainable waste load allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashtiani, Elham Feizi; Niksokhan, Mohammad Hossein; Jamshidi, Shervin

2015-08-01

This research aims to study a novel approach for waste load allocation (WLA) to meet environmental, economical, and equity objectives, simultaneously. For this purpose, based on a simulation-optimization model developed for Haraz River in north of Iran, the waste loads are allocated according to discharge permit market. The non-dominated solutions are initially achieved through multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO). Here, the violation of environmental standards based on dissolved oxygen (DO) versus biochemical oxidation demand (BOD) removal costs is minimized to find economical total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). This can save 41% in total abatement costs in comparison with the conventional command and control policy. The BOD discharge permit market then increases the revenues to 45%. This framework ensures that the environmental limits are fulfilled but the inequity index is rather high (about 4.65). For instance, the discharge permit buyer may not be satisfied about the equity of WLA. Consequently, it is recommended that a third party or institution should be in charge of reallocating the funds. It means that the polluters which gain benefits by unfair discharges should pay taxes (or funds) to compensate the losses of other polluters. This intends to reduce the costs below the required values of the lowest inequity index condition. These compensations of equitable fund allocation (EFA) may help to reduce the dissatisfactions and develop WLA policies. It is concluded that EFA in integration with water quality trading (WQT) is a promising approach to meet the objectives.

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of porous Ti-6Al-4V parts obtained by selective laser melting.

Science.gov (United States)

Sallica-Leva, E; Jardini, A L; Fogagnolo, J B

2013-10-01

Rapid prototyping allows titanium porous parts with mechanical properties close to that of bone tissue to be obtained. In this article, porous parts of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy with three levels of porosity were obtained by selective laser melting with two different energy inputs. Thermal treatments were performed to determine the influence of the microstructure on the mechanical properties. The porous parts were characterized by both optical and scanning electron microscopy. The effective modulus, yield and ultimate compressive strength were determined by compressive tests. The martensitic α' microstructure was observed in all of the as-processed parts. The struts resulting from the processing conditions investigated were thinner than those defined by CAD models, and consequently, larger pores and a higher experimental porosity were achieved. The use of the high-energy input parameters produced parts with higher oxygen and nitrogen content, their struts that were even thinner and contained a homogeneous porosity distribution. Greater mechanical properties for a given relative density were obtained using the high-energy input parameters. The as-quenched martensitic parts showed yield and ultimate compressive strengths similar to the as-processed parts, and these were greater than those observed for the fully annealed samples that had the lamellar microstructure of the equilibrium α+β phases. The effective modulus was not significantly influenced by the thermal treatments. A comparison between these results and those of porous parts with similar geometry obtained by selective electron beam melting shows that the use of a laser allows parts with higher mechanical properties for a given relative density to be obtained. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bandwidth and power allocation for two-way relaying in overlay cognitive radio systems

KAUST Repository

Alsharoa, Ahmad M.

2014-12-01

In this paper, the problem of both bandwidth and power allocation for two-way multiple relay systems in overlay cognitive radio (CR) setup is investigated. In the CR overlay mode, primary users (PUs) cooperate with cognitive users (CUs) for mutual benefits. In our framework, we propose that the CUs are allowed to allocate a part of the PUs spectrum to perform their cognitive transmission. In return, acting as an amplify-and-forward two-way relays, they are used to support PUs to achieve their target data rates over the remaining bandwidth. More specifically, CUs acts as relays for the PUs and gain some spectrum as long as they respect a specific power budget and primary quality-of-service constraints. In this context, we first derive closed-form expressions for optimal transmit power allocated to PUs and CUs in order to maximize the cognitive objective. Then, we employ a strong optimization tool based on particle swarm optimization algorithm to find the optimal relay amplification gains and optimal cognitive released bandwidths as well. Our numerical results illustrate the performance of our proposed algorithm for different utility metrics and analyze the impact of some system parameters on the achieved performance.

Fund allocation using capacitated vehicle routing problem

Science.gov (United States)

Mamat, Nur Jumaadzan Zaleha; Jaaman, Saiful Hafizah; Ahmad, Rokiah Rozita; Darus, Maslina

2014-09-01

In investment fund allocation, it is unwise for an investor to distribute his fund into several assets simultaneously due to economic reasons. One solution is to allocate the fund into a particular asset at a time in a sequence that will either maximize returns or minimize risks depending on the investor's objective. The vehicle routing problem (VRP) provides an avenue to this issue. VRP answers the question on how to efficiently use the available fleet of vehicles to meet a given service demand, subjected to a set of operational requirements. This paper proposes an idea of using capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) to optimize investment fund allocation by employing data of selected stocks in the FTSE Bursa Malaysia. Results suggest that CRVP can be applied to solve the issue of investment fund allocation and increase the investor's profit.

Payments for Ecosystem Services for watershed water resource allocations

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yicheng; Zhang, Jian; Zhang, Chunling; Zang, Wenbin; Guo, Wenxian; Qian, Zhan; Liu, Laisheng; Zhao, Jinyong; Feng, Jian

2018-01-01

Watershed water resource allocation focuses on concrete aspects of the sustainable management of Ecosystem Services (ES) that are related to water and examines the possibility of implementing Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) for water ES. PES can be executed to satisfy both economic and environmental objectives and demands. Considering the importance of calculating PES schemes at the social equity and cooperative game (CG) levels, to quantitatively solve multi-objective problems, a water resources allocation model and multi-objective optimization are provided. The model consists of three modules that address the following processes: ① social equity mechanisms used to study water consumer associations, ② an optimal decision-making process based on variable intervals and CG theory, and ③ the use of Shapley values of CGs for profit maximization. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology for realizing sustainable development was examined. First, an optimization model with water allocation objective was developed based on sustainable water resources allocation framework that maximizes the net benefit of water use. Then, to meet water quality requirements, PES cost was estimated using trade-off curves among different pollution emission concentration permissions. Finally, to achieve equity and supply sufficient incentives for water resources protection, CG theory approaches were utilized to reallocate PES benefits. The potential of the developed model was examined by its application to a case study in the Yongding River watershed of China. Approximately 128 Mm3 of water flowed from the upper reach (Shanxi and Hebei Provinces) sections of the Yongding River to the lower reach (Beijing) in 2013. According to the calculated results, Beijing should pay USD6.31 M (¥39.03 M) for water-related ES to Shanxi and Hebei Provinces. The results reveal that the proposed methodology is an available tool that can be used for sustainable development with resolving PES

THE FOURIER SERIES USED IN ANALYSE OF THE CAM MECHANISMS FOR THE SHOEMAKING MACHINES (PART I

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

IOVAN-DRAGOMIR Alina

2016-05-01

Full Text Available A computer assisted procedure for the cinematic analysis of the mechanism of a cam is essential in making a certain type of research operations. They mainly refer to the optimization of operations running on specific machinery, or to the re-design of the mechanism, in order to make the mechanism digital. This analysis seems even more important, when we consider the fact that most of the machines used in shoe industry nowadays use a cam mechanism. The paper is devided in two parts. In first part, it is elaborated a method of finding of a function G(x, belonging to a Fourier series, which approximates the numerical values {xi, yi}, with the biggest accuracy. Finding the function that approximates the most accurately the data set, for the position parameters of the follower S(ω, ( will lead to a complete kinematic and dynamic analysis of the cam mechanism. These values repeat with T = 2π period. In second part, the method is tasted using MatCAD work sessions which allow a numerical and graphical analysis of the mathematical relations involved, in order to test the reability of the method. The set of experimental data are resulted after measuring a cam mechanism of a machine used in shoemaking.

Resource allocation in networks via coalitional games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shams, F.

2016-01-01

The main goal of this dissertation is to manage resource allocation in network engineering problems and to introduce efficient cooperative algorithms to obtain high performance, ensuring fairness and stability. Specifically, this dissertation introduces new approaches for resource allocation in

A Fair Resource Allocation Algorithm for Data and Energy Integrated Communication Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qin Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available With the rapid advancement of wireless network technologies and the rapid increase in the number of mobile devices, mobile users (MUs have an increasing high demand to access the Internet with guaranteed quality-of-service (QoS. Data and energy integrated communication networks (DEINs are emerging as a new type of wireless networks that have the potential to simultaneously transfer wireless energy and information via the same base station (BS. This means that a physical BS is virtualized into two parts: one is transferring energy and the other is transferring information. The former is called virtual energy base station (eBS and the latter is named as data base station (dBS. One important issue in such setting is dynamic resource allocation. Here the resource concerned includes both power and time. In this paper, we propose a fair data-and-energy resource allocation algorithm for DEINs by jointly designing the downlink energy beamforming and a power-and-time allocation scheme, with the consideration of finite capacity batteries at MUs and power sensitivity of radio frequency (RF to direct current (DC conversion circuits. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm outperforms the existing algorithms in terms of fairness, beamforming design, sensitivity, and average throughput.

4G femtocells resource allocation and interference management

CERN Document Server

Zhang, Haijun; Wen, Xiangming

2014-01-01

This brief examines resource allocation and interference management for 4G femtocells. It introduces 4G femtocells in the context of 4G mobile networks and discusses related technical challenges in resource allocation and interference management. Topics include ant colony algorithm based downlink resource allocation, intelligent scheduling and power control, uplink and downlink for two-tier networks, quality of service (QoS) constraints and the cross-tier interference constraint. The authors present algorithms to alleviate common femtocell-related problems such as subchannel power allocation. The complexity of the proposed resource allocation algorithms is analyzed, and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms is verified by simulations. This concise and practical book directly addresses common problems relating to femtocells and resource management. It serves as a useful tool for researchers in the field. Advanced-level students or professionals interested in femtocells and networks will also find the co...

Function allocation in distributed safeguards and security systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barlich, G.L.

1991-01-01

Computerized distributed systems are being used to collect and manage data for activities such as nuclear materials accounting, process control, laboratory coordination, and security. Poor choices made in allocating functions to individual processors can make a system unusable by burdening machines with excessive network retrievals and updates. During system design phases, data allocation algorithms based on operation frequencies, field sizes, security information, and reliability requirements can be applied in sensitivity studies to mathematically ensure processor efficiency. The Los Alamos Network Design System (NDS) implements such an allocation algorithm. The authors analyzed a large, existing distributed system to test the cost functions and to compare actual network problems with NDS results. Several common configurations were also designed and studied using the software. From these studies, some basic principles for allocating functions emerged. In this paper recommendations for function allocation in generic systems and related design options are discussed

Directed networks, allocation properties and hierarchy formation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slikker, M.; Gilles, R.P.; Norde, H.W.; Tijs, S.H.

2005-01-01

We investigate properties for allocation rules on directed communication networks and the formation of such networks under these payoff properties. We study allocation rules satisfying two appealing properties, Component Efficiency (CE) and the Hierarchical Payoff Property (HPP). We show that such

Reward-allocation judgments in Romania : A factorial survey approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buzea, C.; Meseşan-Schmitz, L.; van de Vijver, F.J.R.

2013-01-01

We investigated reward-allocation judgments when positive outcomes (monetary rewards) were distributed and the allocator was not a co-recipient, in a sample of 200 Romanian students. Within a full factorial survey design, seven factors, selected to affect the allocation decision, were orthogonally

Dynamic Asset Allocation and the Informational Efficiency of Markets.

OpenAIRE

Grossman, Sanford J

1995-01-01

Markets have an allocational role; even in the absence of news about payoffs, prices change to facilitate trade and allocate resources to their best use. Allocational price changes create noise in the signal extraction process, and markets where such trading is important are markets in which we may expect to find a failure of informational efficiency. An important source of allocational trading is the use of dynamic trading strategies caused by the incomplete equitization of risks. Incomplete...

Fundamental-driven and Tactical Asset Allocation: what really matters?

OpenAIRE

Hartpence, Maria; Boulier, Jean-François

2004-01-01

Asset allocation contribution to ex-post performance is of primary importance. Nobody denies its role, yet the subject of allocating assets remains controversial. To some contenders, the added value stems only from strategic asset allocation which aims at providing the long-term average exposure to the selected asset classes. On the other hand, proponents of active management have introduced several forms of tactical asset allocation. In this paper, we will go a step further by distinguishing...

On the allocation of functions between human and machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wirstad, J.

1979-09-01

The idea of allocating functions between human and machine was proceduralized early through aids like Fitts' List which describes the relative advantages of men and machines. Although the principle is clear, function allocation has never worked in practice. Some conditions for function allocations are discussed; adequate logic, a common man-machine system language, usable human engineering guides and data and professional habits and attitudes. Trends which will influence ergonomics procedures are described; influence from technology, increasing work environment requirements and user participation requirements. A procedural structure for human engineering or ergonomics in control system design is suggested. This does not include a separate function allocation activity but a number of activities, the result of which will be a systematic function allocation. A case study on ergonomics techniques for systematic function allocation in a control system is described in an appendix to the report. (author)

Loss Allocation in a Distribution System with Distributed Generation Units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Torsten; Nielsen, Arne Hejde; Sørensen, Poul Ejnar

2007-01-01

In Denmark, a large part of the electricity is produced by wind turbines and combined heat and power plants (CHPs). Most of them are connected to the network through distribution systems. This paper presents a new algorithm for allocation of the losses in a distribution system with distributed...... generation. The algorithm is based on a reduced impedance matrix of the network and current injections from loads and production units. With the algorithm, the effect of the covariance between production and consumption can be evaluated. To verify the theoretical results, a model of the distribution system...

The meridian system and mechanism of acupuncture—A comparative review. Part 1: The meridian system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shyang Chang

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM, acupuncture has been used to heal various diseases and physiologic malfunctions in clinical practice for more than 2500 years. Due to its efficacy, acupuncture has been recommended by the World Health Organization in 1980 as an effective alternative therapy for 43 different disorders. Over the past few decades, various theories of the meridian system and mechanisms have been proposed to explain how acupuncture might work. Most of these mechanisms, however, cannot yet explain conclusively why acupuncture is efficacious in treating so many different diseases. A plausible mechanism has been unavailable until recently. This is the first of a three-part series that aims to provide a comparative review of the aforementioned topics. Part 1 reviews the current indications for acupuncture, basic concepts of TCM, and the essence of the meridian system. To establish a mathematically rigorous framework of TCM, the chaotic wave theory of fractal continuum is proposed. This theory is then applied to characterize the essence of the meridian system. Parts 2 and 3 will review the possible mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia and acupuncture therapies, respectively, based on biochemical, bioelectromagnetic, chaotic wave, and neurophysiologic approaches. It is sincerely hoped that this series of review articles can promote an understanding of the meridian system and acupuncture mechanisms to help patients in a logical and passionate way.

Encouraging energy conservation in multifamily housing: RUBS and other methods of allocating energy costs to residents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McClelland, L

1980-10-01

Methods of encouraging energy conservation in multifamily housing by allocating energy costs to residents are discussed; specifically, methods appropriate for use in master metered buildings without equipment to monitor energy consumption in individual apartments are examined. Several devices available for monitoring individual energy consumption are also discussed plus methods of comparing the energy savings and cost effectiveness of monitoring devices with those of other means of promoting conservation. Specific information in Volume I includes a comparison study on energy use in master and individually metered buildings; types of appropriate conservation programs for master metered buildings; a description of the Resident Utility Billing System (RUBS); energy savings associated with RUBS; Resident reactions to RUBS; cost effectiveness of RUBS for property owners; potential abuses, factors limiting widespread use, and legal status of RUBS. Part I of Volume II contains a cost allocation decision guide and Part II in Volume II presents the RUBS Operations Manual. Pertinent appendices to some chapters are attached. (MCW)

Application of an allocation methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youngblood, R.; de Oliveira, L.F.S.

1989-01-01

This paper presents a method for allocating resources to elements of a system for the purpose of achieving prescribed levels of defense-in-depth at minimal cost. The method makes extensive use of logic modelling. An analysis of a simplified high-level waste repository is used as an illustrative application of the method. It is shown that it is possible to allocate quality control costs (or demonstrated performance) in an optimal way over elements of a conceptual design. 6 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

Detecting non-binomial sex allocation when developmental mortality operates.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkinson, Richard D; Kapranas, Apostolos; Hardy, Ian C W

2016-11-07

Optimal sex allocation theory is one of the most intricately developed areas of evolutionary ecology. Under a range of conditions, particularly under population sub-division, selection favours sex being allocated to offspring non-randomly, generating non-binomial variances of offspring group sex ratios. Detecting non-binomial sex allocation is complicated by stochastic developmental mortality, as offspring sex can often only be identified on maturity with the sex of non-maturing offspring remaining unknown. We show that current approaches for detecting non-binomiality have limited ability to detect non-binomial sex allocation when developmental mortality has occurred. We present a new procedure using an explicit model of sex allocation and mortality and develop a Bayesian model selection approach (available as an R package). We use the double and multiplicative binomial distributions to model over- and under-dispersed sex allocation and show how to calculate Bayes factors for comparing these alternative models to the null hypothesis of binomial sex allocation. The ability to detect non-binomial sex allocation is greatly increased, particularly in cases where mortality is common. The use of Bayesian methods allows for the quantification of the evidence in favour of each hypothesis, and our modelling approach provides an improved descriptive capability over existing approaches. We use a simulation study to demonstrate substantial improvements in power for detecting non-binomial sex allocation in situations where current methods fail, and we illustrate the approach in real scenarios using empirically obtained datasets on the sexual composition of groups of gregarious parasitoid wasps. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The meridian system and mechanism of acupuncture: a comparative review. Part 3: Mechanisms of acupuncture therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shyang

2013-06-01

The human body is a hierarchical organism containing many levels of mutually interacting oscillatory systems. From the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine, health is a state of harmony emergent from the interactions of these systems and disease is a state of discord. Hence, human diseases are considered as disturbed functions rather than changed structures. Indeed, the change from normal to abnormal structure may be beneficent rather than maleficent. For example, when one kidney becomes twice the normal size following the destruction of the other kidney, it is good and not bad for us because we might be dead otherwise. Therefore, in Part 3 of this three-part series, emphasis is mainly laid on the acupuncture mechanisms of treating disturbed physiological functions rather than disordered structures. At first, the basic tenets of conventional neuroscience and cardiology are reevaluated so that clear understanding of how nervous and cardiovascular systems work together can be obtained. Then, the general principles of diagnosis and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine from the integrative perspective of complex dynamic systems are proposed. Finally, mechanisms of acupuncture therapies for treating 14 different categories of disorders will be elucidated via the magneto-electric inductive effects of the meridian system. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cost allocation policy review: options and preferred alternatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-10-15

This policy review of the consultation process on the electricity cost allocation issue is presented with specific cost allocation policy issues addressed herein, such as: the new microFIT rate, accounting changes and the transition to IFRS, and review of allocating costs to load displacement generation. This report gave the current situation for all these issues, previous work, issues, viable options for dealing with these issues and the preferred alternatives.

30 CFR 220.014 - Allocation of joint costs and credits.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... allocation principles apply in allocating joint costs: (1) G & G. G & G shall be allocated on a line mile per... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Allocation of joint costs and credits. 220.014... MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING NET PROFIT SHARE PAYMENT FOR OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OIL AND...

Prospect theory reflects selective allocation of attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Pachur, Thorsten; Schulte-Mecklenbeck, Michael; Murphy, Ryan O; Hertwig, Ralph

2018-02-01

There is a disconnect in the literature between analyses of risky choice based on cumulative prospect theory (CPT) and work on predecisional information processing. One likely reason is that for expectation models (e.g., CPT), it is often assumed that people behaved only as if they conducted the computations leading to the predicted choice and that the models are thus mute regarding information processing. We suggest that key psychological constructs in CPT, such as loss aversion and outcome and probability sensitivity, can be interpreted in terms of attention allocation. In two experiments, we tested hypotheses about specific links between CPT parameters and attentional regularities. Experiment 1 used process tracing to monitor participants' predecisional attention allocation to outcome and probability information. As hypothesized, individual differences in CPT's loss-aversion, outcome-sensitivity, and probability-sensitivity parameters (estimated from participants' choices) were systematically associated with individual differences in attention allocation to outcome and probability information. For instance, loss aversion was associated with the relative attention allocated to loss and gain outcomes, and a more strongly curved weighting function was associated with less attention allocated to probabilities. Experiment 2 manipulated participants' attention to losses or gains, causing systematic differences in CPT's loss-aversion parameter. This result indicates that attention allocation can to some extent cause choice regularities that are captured by CPT. Our findings demonstrate an as-if model's capacity to reflect characteristics of information processing. We suggest that the observed CPT-attention links can be harnessed to inform the development of process models of risky choice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Policy communities and allocation of internalized cost : negotiation of the Ontario acid rain program, 1982-1985

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacDonald, D.C.

1997-12-31

The process of allocating the internalized cost of environmental protection amongst industrial concerns and governments was studied. The issue was addressed by reviewing the literature on the treatment of externalities by economists, and the literature describing the approach to policy analysis by the the policy communities. An examination of a case study in which the cost of sulphur dioxide emission reductions was allocated amongst the major Ontario sources during the development of the 1985 national and Ontario acid rain programs was presented. The study provided an insight into issues regarding Canadian environmental policy and policy communities theory and practice. The Ontario allocation was negotiated by Ontario alone, even though it was part of a national program. The environmental movement also had no role in this Ontario policy decisions. The power to influence the Ontario cabinet belonged to MOE, Inco, and Ontario Hydro through negotiations and compromise, which conforms to the basic premise of the policy communities approach.

Reliability analysis and component functional allocations for the ESF multi-loop controller design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, Seop; Kim, D.H.; Choi, J.K.; Park, J.C.; Seong, S.H.; Lee, D.Y.

2006-01-01

This paper deals with the reliability analysis and component functional allocations to ensure the enhanced system reliability and availability. In the Engineered Safety Features, functionally dependent components are controlled by a multi-loop controller. The system reliability of the Engineered Safety Features-Component Control System, especially, the multi-loop controller which is changed comparing to the conventional controllers is an important factor for the Probability Safety Assessment in the nuclear field. To evaluate the multi-loop controller's failure rate of the k-out-of-m redundant system, the binomial process is used. In addition, the component functional allocation is performed to tolerate a single multi-loop controller failure without the loss of vital operation within the constraints of the piping and component configuration, and ensure that mechanically redundant components remain functional. (author)

Nash social welfare in multiagent resource allocation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramezani, S.; Endriss, U.; David, E.; Gerding, E.; Sarne, D.; Shehory, O.

2010-01-01

We study different aspects of the multiagent resource allocation problem when the objective is to find an allocation that maximizes Nash social welfare, the product of the utilities of the individual agents. The Nash solution is an important welfare criterion that combines efficiency and fairness

Cogenerational sources of energies and their allocating problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Badida Miroslav

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Energy production in industrial communities consume a main part of primary raw materials and it is one of the sources of ecologicall impact. Electric power plants and warm produce plants are mostly important investment – consuming establishments with a long time of return, what stress along with the economical, predictional, logistical and environmental decision making aspect of their allocating. Already input of the mentioned aspects along with the price movement after the energy depression motivate a formation of new conception of combinated so-called items, which are able to use the energetic potential of fuels with a higher concurrent efficiency and, on the other hand, can reduce ecologic impacts of fossil combustion.

Allocation Problems and Market Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smilgins, Aleksandrs

The thesis contains six independent papers with a common theme: Allocation problems and market design. The first paper is concerned with fair allocation of risk capital where independent autonomous subunits have risky activities and together constitute the entity's total risk, whose associated risk...... at a certain point in time involves countries that have excess demand and countries that have surplus of green energy. The problem addressed here is how the gains from trade ought to influence the way that members of the grid share common costs. The fifth paper extends the classical two-sided one...

Risk allocation approach to reactor safety design and evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gokcek, O.; Temme, M.I.; Derby, S.L.

1978-01-01

This paper describes a risk allocation technique used for determining nuclear power plant design reliability requirements. The concept of risk allocation-optimum choice of safety function reliabilities under a maximum risk constraint - is described. An example of risk allocation is presented to demonstrate the application of the methodology

Energy savings potential in China's industrial sector: From the perspectives of factor price distortion and allocative inefficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang, Xiaoling; Sun, Chuanwang

2015-01-01

China's industrial energy consumption accounted for 70.82% of national and 14.12% of world energy usage in 2011. In the context of energy scarcity and environmental pollution, the industrial sector in China faces unsustainable growth problems. By adopting the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) framework, this paper analyzes the factor allocative efficiency of China's industrial sector, and estimates the energy savings potential from the perspective of allocative inefficiency. This paper focuses on three issues. The first is examining the factor allocative inefficiency of China's industrial sector. The second is measuring factor price distortion by the shadow price model. The third is estimating the energy savings potential in China's industrial sector during 2001–2009. Major conclusions are thus drawn. First, factor prices of capital, labor and energy are distorted in China due to government regulations. Moreover, energy price is relatively low compared to capital price, while is relatively high compared to labor price. Second, the industry-wide energy savings potential resulted from energy allocative inefficiency was about 9.71% during 2001–2009. The downward trend of energy savings potential implies the increasing energy allocative efficiency in China's industrial sector. Third, a transparent and reasonable pricing mechanism is conducive to improving energy allocative efficiency. - Highlights: • We measure energy savings potential resulted from allocative inefficiency in China's industrial sector. • Allocative inefficiency is explained based on the theoretical and empirical models. • Factor prices of capital, labor and energy are distorted because of government regulations. • Energy pricing reform is conducive to improving energy allocative efficiency

Designing equitable antiretroviral allocation strategies in resource-constrained countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David P Wilson

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Recently, a global commitment has been made to expand access to antiretrovirals (ARVs in the developing world. However, in many resource-constrained countries the number of individuals infected with HIV in need of treatment will far exceed the supply of ARVs, and only a limited number of health-care facilities (HCFs will be available for ARV distribution. Deciding how to allocate the limited supply of ARVs among HCFs will be extremely difficult. Resource allocation decisions can be made on the basis of many epidemiological, ethical, or preferential treatment priority criteria.Here we use operations research techniques, and we show how to determine the optimal strategy for allocating ARVs among HCFs in order to satisfy the equitable criterion that each individual infected with HIV has an equal chance of receiving ARVs. We present a novel spatial mathematical model that includes heterogeneity in treatment accessibility. We show how to use our theoretical framework, in conjunction with an equity objective function, to determine an optimal equitable allocation strategy (OEAS for ARVs in resource-constrained regions. Our equity objective function enables us to apply the egalitarian principle of equity with respect to access to health care. We use data from the detailed ARV rollout plan designed by the government of South Africa to determine an OEAS for the province of KwaZulu-Natal. We determine the OEAS for KwaZulu-Natal, and we then compare this OEAS with two other ARV allocation strategies: (i allocating ARVs only to Durban (the largest urban city in KwaZulu-Natal province and (ii allocating ARVs equally to all available HCFs. In addition, we compare the OEAS to the current allocation plan of the South African government (which is based upon allocating ARVs to 17 HCFs. We show that our OEAS significantly improves equity in treatment accessibility in comparison with these three ARV allocation strategies. We also quantify how the size of the

Multidimensional Generalized Functions in Aeroacoustics and Fluid Mechanics. Part 1; Basic Concepts and Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Farassat, Fereidoun; Myers, Michael K.

2011-01-01

This paper is the first part of a three part tutorial on multidimensional generalized functions (GFs) and their applications in aeroacoustics and fluid mechanics. The subject is highly fascinating and essential in many areas of science and, in particular, wave propagation problems. In this tutorial, we strive to present rigorously and clearly the basic concepts and the tools that are needed to use GFs in applications effectively and with ease. We give many examples to help the readers in understanding the mathematical ideas presented here. The first part of the tutorial is on the basic concepts of GFs. Here we define GFs, their properties and some common operations on them. We define the important concept of generalized differentiation and then give some interesting elementary and advanced examples on Green's functions and wave propagation problems. Here, the analytic power of GFs in applications is demonstrated with ease and elegance. Part 2 of this tutorial is on the diverse applications of generalized derivatives (GDs). Part 3 is on generalized Fourier transformations and some more advanced topics. One goal of writing this tutorial is to convince readers that, because of their powerful operational properties, GFs are absolutely essential and useful in engineering and physics, particularly in aeroacoustics and fluid mechanics.

Cognitive radio resource allocation based on coupled chaotic genetic algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zu Yun-Xiao; Zhou Jie; Zeng Chang-Chang

2010-01-01

A coupled chaotic genetic algorithm for cognitive radio resource allocation which is based on genetic algorithm and coupled Logistic map is proposed. A fitness function for cognitive radio resource allocation is provided. Simulations are conducted for cognitive radio resource allocation by using the coupled chaotic genetic algorithm, simple genetic algorithm and dynamic allocation algorithm respectively. The simulation results show that, compared with simple genetic and dynamic allocation algorithm, coupled chaotic genetic algorithm reduces the total transmission power and bit error rate in cognitive radio system, and has faster convergence speed

CREB regulates spine density of lateral amygdala neurons: implications for memory allocation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Derya eSargin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Neurons may compete against one another for integration into a memory trace. Specifically, neurons in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala with relatively higher levels of CREB seem to be preferentially allocated to a fear memory trace, while neurons with relatively decreased CREB function seem to be excluded from a fear memory trace. CREB is a ubiquitous transcription factor that modulates many diverse cellular processes, raising the question as to which of these CREB-mediated processes underlie memory allocation. CREB is implicated in modulating dendritic spine number and morphology. As dendritic spines are intimately involved in memory formation, we investigated whether manipulations of CREB function alter spine number or morphology of neurons at the time of fear conditioning. We used viral vectors to manipulate CREB function in the lateral amygdala principal neurons in mice maintained in their homecages. At the time that fear conditioning normally occurs, we observed that neurons with high levels of CREB had more dendritic spines, while neurons with low CREB function had relatively fewer spines compared to control neurons. These results suggest that the modulation of spine density provides a potential mechanism for preferential allocation of a subset of neurons to the memory trace.

Bidding for surplus in network allocation problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slikker, M.

2007-01-01

In this paper we study non-cooperative foundations of network allocation rules. We focus on three allocation rules: the Myerson value, the position value and the component-wise egalitarian solution. For any of these three rules we provide a characterization based on component efficiency and some

48 CFR 1631.203-70 - Allocation techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... shall consistently apply the methods and techniques established to classify direct and indirect costs... meant to be exhaustive, but rather are examples of allocation methods that may be acceptable under... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Allocation techniques. 1631...

Negotiating Surface Water Allocations to Achieve a Soft Landing in the Closed Lerma-Chapala Basin, Mexico

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wester, P.; Vargas-Velázquez, S.; Mollard, E.; Silva-Ochoa, P.

2008-01-01

The Lerma-Chapala basin exemplifies the challenges posed by basin closure, where surface water allocation mechanisms, lack of environmental flows and access to water are critical issues. Underlying these issues is a need for accurate water accounting that is transparent and publicly available. This

Dynamic subframe allocation for mobile broadband m-health using IEEE 802.16j mobile multihop relay networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Alinejad, Ali; Istepanian, R S H; Philip, N

2012-01-01

The concept of 4G health will be one of the key focus areas of future m-health research and enterprise activities in the coming years. WiMAX technology is one of the constituent 4G wireless technologies that provides broadband wireless access (BWA). Despite the fact that WiMAX is able to provide a high data rate in a relatively large coverage; this technology has specific limitations such as: coverage, signal attenuation problems due to shadowing or path loss, and limited available spectrum. The IEEE 802.16j mobile multihop relay (MMR) technology is a pragmatic solution designed to overcome these limitations. The aim of IEEE 802.16j MMR is to expand the IEEE 802.16e's capabilities with multihop features. In particular, the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) subframe allocation in WiMAX network is usually fixed. However, dynamic frame allocation is a useful mechanism to optimize uplink and downlink subframe size dynamically based on the traffic conditions through real-time traffic monitoring. This particular mechanism is important for future WiMAX based m-health applications as it allows the tradeoff in both UL and DL channels. In this paper, we address the dynamic frame allocation issue in IEEE 802.16j MMR network for m-health applications. A comparative performance analysis of the proposed approach is validated using the OPNET Modeler(®). The simulation results have shown an improved performance of resource allocation and end-to-end delay performance for typical medical video streaming application.

Next allocation phase of the EU emissions trading scheme: How tough will the future be?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgopoulou, E.; Sarafidis, Y.; Mirasgedis, S.; Lalas, D.P.

2006-01-01

The development of National Allocation Plans (NAPs) for the first phase 2005-2007 of the EU emissions trading scheme (EU-ETS) was accompanied by the stated concern of the industrial enterprises with installations that fall under the scope of the relevant Directive 2003/87, since the impacts of the allocation in their financial and technical modes of operation were judged to be severe. Thus, the intensity of the negotiations for the next allocation phase (i.e. 2008-2012), is expected to be heated. With a view to assisting enterprises, especially in the energy sector or for which energy use and its management is a crucial part of their activity, to incorporate in their business plans the impacts of the Directive in an informed manner, an attempt is made here to explore the constraints and the available options that will guide the coming EU-ETS potential allocations. In the analysis, the credits derived from the use of CDM are specifically taken into account. The results show that the next allocations would tend to be significantly more stringent than the current ones because of the combined effect of no inter-period transfer of allowances, the amount of CDM credits expected to be available compared to the amount of effort that would be required and the yield of emission reductions from existing or planned policies and measures. It becomes then crucial, if not imperative, for the enterprises involved as well as national governments to examine carefully means to address their obligations under the Directive

Kazakhstan can achieve ambitious HIV targets despite expected donor withdrawal by combining improved ART procurement mechanisms with allocative and implementation efficiencies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J Shattock

Full Text Available Despite a non-decreasing HIV epidemic, international donors are soon expected to withdraw funding from Kazakhstan. Here we analyze how allocative, implementation, and technical efficiencies could strengthen the national HIV response under assumptions of future budget levels.We used the Optima model to project future scenarios of the HIV epidemic in Kazakhstan that varied in future antiretroviral treatment unit costs and management expenditure-two areas identified for potential cost-reductions. We determined optimal allocations across HIV programs to satisfy either national targets or ambitious targets. For each scenario, we considered two cases of future HIV financing: the 2014 national budget maintained into the future and the 2014 budget without current international investment.Kazakhstan can achieve its national HIV targets with the current budget by (1 optimally re-allocating resources across programs and (2 either securing a 35% [30%-39%] reduction in antiretroviral treatment drug costs or reducing management costs by 44% [36%-58%] of 2014 levels. Alternatively, a combination of antiretroviral treatment and management cost-reductions could be sufficient. Furthermore, Kazakhstan can achieve ambitious targets of halving new infections and AIDS-related deaths by 2020 compared to 2014 levels by attaining a 67% reduction in antiretroviral treatment costs, a 19% [14%-27%] reduction in management costs, and allocating resources optimally.With Kazakhstan facing impending donor withdrawal, it is important for the HIV response to achieve more with available resources. This analysis can help to guide HIV response planners in directing available funding to achieve the greatest yield from investments. The key changes recommended were considered realistic by Kazakhstan country representatives.

Dynamic Task Allocation in Multi-Hop Multimedia Wireless Sensor Networks with Low Mobility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klaus Moessner

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a task allocation-oriented framework to enable efficient in-network processing and cost-effective multi-hop resource sharing for dynamic multi-hop multimedia wireless sensor networks with low node mobility, e.g., pedestrian speeds. The proposed system incorporates a fast task reallocation algorithm to quickly recover from possible network service disruptions, such as node or link failures. An evolutional self-learning mechanism based on a genetic algorithm continuously adapts the system parameters in order to meet the desired application delay requirements, while also achieving a sufficiently long network lifetime. Since the algorithm runtime incurs considerable time delay while updating task assignments, we introduce an adaptive window size to limit the delay periods and ensure an up-to-date solution based on node mobility patterns and device processing capabilities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that yields multi-objective task allocation in a mobile multi-hop wireless environment under dynamic conditions. Simulations are performed in various settings, and the results show considerable performance improvement in extending network lifetime compared to heuristic mechanisms. Furthermore, the proposed framework provides noticeable reduction in the frequency of missing application deadlines.

14 CFR 1214.113 - Allocation of risk.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Allocation of risk. 1214.113 Section 1214.113 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION SPACE FLIGHT General....113 Allocation of risk. The U.S. Government will assume no risk for damages to the customer resulting...

48 CFR 8.705-3 - Allocation process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Allocation process. 8.705-3 Section 8.705-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION ACQUISITION... Are Blind or Severely Disabled 8.705-3 Allocation process. (a) When the direct order process has not...

CPD Allocations and Awards

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — The CPD Allocation and Award database provides filterable on-screen and exportable reports on select programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant Program,...

Integrated service engineers and spare parts planning in the maintenance logistics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Al Hanbali, Ahmad; Zijm, Willem H.M.

2016-01-01

We analyze the integrated tactical capacity planning of spare parts supply and workforce allocation in maintenance logistics of advanced equipment. The equipment time-to-failure, spare parts replenishment time, and equipment repair time are random and independent of each other.

Obtaining a Proportional Allocation by Deleting Items

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dorn, B.; de Haan, R.; Schlotter, I.; Röthe, J.

2017-01-01

We consider the following control problem on fair allocation of indivisible goods. Given a set I of items and a set of agents, each having strict linear preference over the items, we ask for a minimum subset of the items whose deletion guarantees the existence of a proportional allocation in the

47 CFR 69.502 - Base factor allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Base factor allocation. 69.502 Section 69.502... Segregation of Common Line Element Revenue Requirement § 69.502 Base factor allocation. Projected revenues from the following shall be deducted from the base factor portion to determine the amount that is...

Twelve fundamental life histories evolving through allocation-dependent fecundity and survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Jacob; Brännström, Åke; Metz, Johan A J; Dieckmann, Ulf

2018-03-01

An organism's life history is closely interlinked with its allocation of energy between growth and reproduction at different life stages. Theoretical models have established that diminishing returns from reproductive investment promote strategies with simultaneous investment into growth and reproduction (indeterminate growth) over strategies with distinct phases of growth and reproduction (determinate growth). We extend this traditional, binary classification by showing that allocation-dependent fecundity and mortality rates allow for a large diversity of optimal allocation schedules. By analyzing a model of organisms that allocate energy between growth and reproduction, we find twelve types of optimal allocation schedules, differing qualitatively in how reproductive allocation increases with body mass. These twelve optimal allocation schedules include types with different combinations of continuous and discontinuous increase in reproduction allocation, in which phases of continuous increase can be decelerating or accelerating. We furthermore investigate how this variation influences growth curves and the expected maximum life span and body size. Our study thus reveals new links between eco-physiological constraints and life-history evolution and underscores how allocation-dependent fitness components may underlie biological diversity.

Task mapping for non-contiguous allocations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leung, Vitus Joseph; Bunde, David P.; Ebbers, Johnathan; Price, Nicholas W.; Swank, Matthew.; Feer, Stefan P.; Rhodes, Zachary D.

2013-02-01

This paper examines task mapping algorithms for non-contiguously allocated parallel jobs. Several studies have shown that task placement affects job running time for both contiguously and non-contiguously allocated jobs. Traditionally, work on task mapping either uses a very general model where the job has an arbitrary communication pattern or assumes that jobs are allocated contiguously, making them completely isolated from each other. A middle ground between these two cases is the mapping problem for non-contiguous jobs having a specific communication pattern. We propose several task mapping algorithms for jobs with a stencil communication pattern and evaluate them using experiments and simulations. Our strategies improve the running time of a MiniApp by as much as 30% over a baseline strategy. Furthermore, this improvement increases markedly with the job size, demonstrating the importance of task mapping as systems grow toward exascale.

Macroeconomic influences on optimal asset allocation

OpenAIRE

Flavin, Thomas; Wickens, M.R.

2003-01-01

We develop a tactical asset allocation strategy that incorporates the effects of macroeconomic variables. The joint distribution of financial asset returns and the macroeconomic variables is modelled using a VAR with a multivariate GARCH (M-GARCH) error structure. As a result, the portfolio frontier is time varying and subject to contagion from the macroeconomic variable. Optimal asset allocation requires that this be taken into account. We illustrate how to do this using three ri...

The Many Faces of Part-List Cuing—Evidence for the Interplay Between Detrimental and Beneficial Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva-Maria Lehmer

2018-05-01

Full Text Available If participants study a list of items and, at test, receive a random selection of the studied items as retrieval cues, then such cuing often impairs recall of the remaining items. This effect, referred to as part-list cuing impairment, is a well-established finding in memory research that, over the years, has been attributed to quite different cognitive mechanisms. Here, we provide a review of more recent developments in research on part-list cuing. These developments (i suggest a new view on part-list cuing impairment and a critical role of encoding for the effect, (ii identify conditions in which part-list cuing impairment can turn into part-list cuing facilitation, and (iii relate research on part-list cuing to a phenomenon from social memory, known as collaborative inhibition. The recent developments also include a new multi-mechanisms account, which attributes the effects of cuing to the interplay between detrimental mechanisms—like blocking, inhibition, or strategy disruption—and beneficial mechanisms—like context reactivation. The account provides a useful theoretical framework to describe both older and newer findings. It may guide future work on part-list cuing and may also motivate new research on collaborative inhibition.

Designing an advanced available-to-promise mechanism compatible with the make-to-forecast production systems through integrating inventory allocation and job shop scheduling with due dates and weighted earliness/tardiness cost

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoud Rabbani

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In the competitive business world, applying a reliable and powerful mechanism to support decision makers in manufacturing companies and helping them save time by considering varieties of effective factors is an inevitable issue. Advanced Available-to-Promise is a perfect tool to design and perform such a mechanism. In this study, this mechanism which is compatible with the Make-to-Forecast production systems is presented. The ability to distinguish between batch mode and real-time mode advanced available-to-promise is one of the unique superiorities of the proposed model. We also try to strengthen this mechanism by integrating the inventory allocation and job shop scheduling by considering due dates and weighted earliness/tardiness cost that leads to more precise decisions. A mixed integer programming (MIP model and a heuristic algorithm according to its disability to solve large size problems are presented. The designed experiments and the obtained results have proved the efficiency of the proposed heuristic method.

Multiobjective optimal allocation problem with probabilistic non ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

In multivariate stratified sampling where more than one characteristic are to be estimated, an allocation which is optimum for one characteristic may not be optimum for other characteristics also. In such situations a compromise criterion is needed to work out a usable allocation which is optimum for all characteristics in some ...

A Time Allocation Study of University Faculty

Science.gov (United States)

Link, Albert N.; Swann, Christopher A.; Bozeman, Barry

2008-01-01

Many previous time allocation studies treat work as a single activity and examine trade-offs between work and other activities. This paper investigates the at-work allocation of time among teaching, research, grant writing and service by science and engineering faculty at top US research universities. We focus on the relationship between tenure…

Risk and reliability allocation to risk control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojnovic, D.; Kozuh, M.

1992-01-01

The risk allocation procedure is used as an analytical model to support the optimal decision making for reliability/availability improvement planning. Both levels of decision criteria, the plant risk measures and plant performance indices, are used in risk allocation procedure. Decision support system uses the multi objective decision making concept. (author) [sl

Allocating organisational level funding on the basis of Research Performance Based assessments, a comparative analysis of the EU Member States in international perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jonkers, K.; Zacharewicz, T.; Lepori, B.; Reale, E.

2016-07-01

The paper analyses the extent to which RPBF allocation mechanisms are being implemented in Europe. To do so, this study builds on a novel set of data on project and organisational level funding developed for the European Commission, which identifies funding allocation mechanisms in each of the EU-28 Member States. This approach allows to compare the scope of RPBF systems across European countries.Further, the paper build on an in-depth analysis of RPBF implementation in 28 European countries, which comes to a classification of different types of RPBF implementation around three characteristics, i.e. a) the way research performance is measured and b) the type of link between performance assessment and allocation of resources. The analysis furthermore identifies a number of good practices while highlighting the potential for adverse effects of RPBF systems in research systems at different stages of development. (Author)

DETERMININGS OF FARM WORK ALLOCATION IN BRAZILIAN REGIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filipe de Morais Cangussu Pessoa

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to analyze the determinings of farm work allocation in Brazilian regions, based on micro data of National Household Sample Survey 2009. For that, the empirical procedure consisted in the use of two models: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and the Logit Model. The model Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed good fit and defined two latent variables: qualification and income. As to the Logit Model, the results showed that the fact of a man living in rural areas increases the likelihood of being allocated in farm work, however if he is white this probability decrease. Besides, the variables qualification and income have a negative relation with farm work allocation, being the Midwest region that contributed most for people being allocated in farm work.

Downlink resource allocation for multichannel TDMA visible light communications

KAUST Repository

Abdelhady, Amr Mohamed Abdelaziz; Amin, Osama; Chaaban, Anas; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

Optical wireless communications (OWC) in general and resource allocation in OWC networks particularly have gained lots of attention recently. In this work, we consider the resource allocation problem of a visible light communication downlink transmission system based on time division multiple access with the objective of maximizing spectral efficiency (SE). As for the operational conditions, we impose constraints on the average optical intensity, the energy consumption and the quality-of-service. To solve the non-convex problem, we transform the objective function into a difference of concave functions by solving a second order differential inequality. Then, we propose a low-complexity algorithm to solve the resource allocation problem. Finally, we show by simulations the SE performance gains achieved by optimizing the power allocation over equal power allocation in the considered system. Numerical results show the SE gains achieved by using this solution.

Downlink resource allocation for multichannel TDMA visible light communications

KAUST Repository

Abdelhady, Amr Mohamed Abdelaziz

2017-05-12

Optical wireless communications (OWC) in general and resource allocation in OWC networks particularly have gained lots of attention recently. In this work, we consider the resource allocation problem of a visible light communication downlink transmission system based on time division multiple access with the objective of maximizing spectral efficiency (SE). As for the operational conditions, we impose constraints on the average optical intensity, the energy consumption and the quality-of-service. To solve the non-convex problem, we transform the objective function into a difference of concave functions by solving a second order differential inequality. Then, we propose a low-complexity algorithm to solve the resource allocation problem. Finally, we show by simulations the SE performance gains achieved by optimizing the power allocation over equal power allocation in the considered system. Numerical results show the SE gains achieved by using this solution.

The Influence of Allocation Formula on Generation of Profit in Different Economy Sectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kateřina Krchnivá

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The mechanism for the distribution of the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base will be based on three macroeconomics factors which are considered to be the main indicators of generated profit/loss. The paper analyzes the explanatory power of proposed allocation formula for the distribution of the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base with respect to the sector of economic activity from the perspective of the Czech independent enterprises. The research is based on the comparison of the coefficients of determination indicating the proportion of explained variability of proposed multiple regression models. The paper concludes that the proportion of explained profitability by the allocation formula factors as are defined by the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base Draft Directive may differ up to 34% with regard to the sector of economic activity classified by NACE classification.

Efficient Nash Equilibrium Resource Allocation Based on Game Theory Mechanism in Cloud Computing by Using Auction.

Science.gov (United States)

Nezarat, Amin; Dastghaibifard, G H

2015-01-01

One of the most complex issues in the cloud computing environment is the problem of resource allocation so that, on one hand, the cloud provider expects the most profitability and, on the other hand, users also expect to have the best resources at their disposal considering the budget constraints and time. In most previous work conducted, heuristic and evolutionary approaches have been used to solve this problem. Nevertheless, since the nature of this environment is based on economic methods, using such methods can decrease response time and reducing the complexity of the problem. In this paper, an auction-based method is proposed which determines the auction winner by applying game theory mechanism and holding a repetitive game with incomplete information in a non-cooperative environment. In this method, users calculate suitable price bid with their objective function during several round and repetitions and send it to the auctioneer; and the auctioneer chooses the winning player based the suggested utility function. In the proposed method, the end point of the game is the Nash equilibrium point where players are no longer inclined to alter their bid for that resource and the final bid also satisfies the auctioneer's utility function. To prove the response space convexity, the Lagrange method is used and the proposed model is simulated in the cloudsim and the results are compared with previous work. At the end, it is concluded that this method converges to a response in a shorter time, provides the lowest service level agreement violations and the most utility to the provider.

Mechanical Behavior of Additive Manufactured Layered Materials, Part 2: Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

2015-04-30

materials. Elsevier, Oxford; 2007: 416 -420. [19] Deng, D., Chen, R., Sun, Q. and Li, X. Microstructural study of 17-4PH stainless steel after plasma...1 Mechanical Behavior of Additive Manufactured Layered Materials, Part 2: Stainless Steels * Todd M. Mower † and Michael J. Long M.I.T. Lincoln... stainless steel alloys produced with Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) was measured and is compared to that of similar conventional materials

Adaptive Control Allocation for Fault Tolerant Overactuated Autonomous Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

2007-11-01

Tolerant Overactuated Autonomous Vehicles Casavola, A.; Garone, E. (2007) Adaptive Control Allocation for Fault Tolerant Overactuated Autonomous ...Adaptive Control Allocation for Fault Tolerant Overactuated Autonomous Vehicles 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...Tolerant Overactuated Autonomous Vehicles 3.2 - 2 RTO-MP-AVT-145 UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED Control allocation problem (CAP) - Given a virtual input v(t

Stochastic Resource Allocation for Energy-Constrained Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sachs DanielGrobe

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Battery-powered wireless systems running media applications have tight constraints on energy, CPU, and network capacity, and therefore require the careful allocation of these limited resources to maximize the system's performance while avoiding resource overruns. Usually, resource-allocation problems are solved using standard knapsack-solving techniques. However, when allocating conservable resources like energy (which unlike CPU and network remain available for later use if they are not used immediately knapsack solutions suffer from excessive computational complexity, leading to the use of suboptimal heuristics. We show that use of Lagrangian optimization provides a fast, elegant, and, for convex problems, optimal solution to the allocation of energy across applications as they enter and leave the system, even if the exact sequence and timing of their entrances and exits is not known. This permits significant increases in achieved utility compared to heuristics in common use. As our framework requires only a stochastic description of future workloads, and not a full schedule, we also significantly expand the scope of systems that can be optimized.

Availability Allocation of Networked Systems Using Markov Model and Heuristics Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruiying Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available It is a common practice to allocate the system availability goal to reliability and maintainability goals of components in the early design phase. However, the networked system availability is difficult to be allocated due to its complex topology and multiple down states. To solve these problems, a practical availability allocation method is proposed. Network reliability algebraic methods are used to derive the availability expression of the networked topology on the system level, and Markov model is introduced to determine that on the component level. A heuristic algorithm is proposed to obtain the reliability and maintainability allocation values of components. The principles applied in the AGREE reliability allocation method, proposed by the Advisory Group on Reliability of Electronic Equipment, and failure rate-based maintainability allocation method persist in our allocation method. A series system is used to verify the new algorithm, and the result shows that the allocation based on the heuristic algorithm is quite accurate compared to the traditional one. Moreover, our case study of a signaling system number 7 shows that the proposed allocation method is quite efficient for networked systems.

Resource Allocation for Multicell Device-to-Device Communications in Cellular Network: A Game Theoretic Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Huang

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Device-to-Device (D2D communication has recently emerged as a promising technology to improve the capacity and coverage of cellular systems. To successfully implement D2D communications underlaying a cellular network, resource allocation for D2D links plays a critical role. While most of prior resource allocation mechanisms for D2D communications have focused on interference within a single-cell system, this paper investigates the resource allocation problem for a multicell cellular network in which a D2D link reuses available spectrum resources of multiple cells. A repeated game theoretic approach is proposed to address the problem. In this game, the base stations (BSs act as players that compete for resource supply of D2D, and the utility of each player is formulated as revenue collected from both cellular and D2D users using resources. Extensive simulations are conducted to verify the proposed approach and the results show that it can considerably enhance the system performance in terms of sum rate and sum rate gain.

The attentional white bear phenomenon: the mandatory allocation of attention to expected distractor locations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsal, Yehoshua; Makovski, Tal

2006-04-01

The authors devised a prestimulus-probe method to assess the allocation of attention as a function of participants' top-down expectancies concerning distractor and target locations. Participants performed the flanker task, and distractor locations remained fixed. On some trials, instead of the flanker display, either 2 simultaneous dots or a horizontal line appeared. The dot in the expected distractor location was perceived to occur before the dot in the expected empty location, and the line appeared to extend from the expected distractor location to the expected empty location, suggesting that attention is allocated to expected distractor locations prior to stimulus onset. The authors propose that a process-all mechanism guides attention to expected locations of all stimuli regardless of task demands and that this constitutes a major cause for failures of selective attention.

Resource Allocation with the Use of the Balanced Scorecard and the Triple Bottom Line in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Chi Hong

2007-01-01

In terms of the economic bottom line, effective school leaders are now supposed to pay close attention to two central tasks which involve managing resources and devising operational strategies in their action plans. Taking a postmodern viewpoint, the first part of this paper aims to discuss the significance of resource allocation in education and…

Matching today's allocation of LDC expenses with cost causation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yankel, A.J.

1990-01-01

This article discusses the costs of natural gas distribution and how to integrate these costs into the allocation of local distribution companies expenses for the purpose of establishing rate structures. The author's contention is that costs related to throughput are a larger share than historically used allocation factors suggest. Topics include the historical allocation factors, a case study and the conclusions drawn from it

Efficient Power Allocation for Video over Superposition Coding

KAUST Repository

Lau, Chun Pong

2013-03-01

In this paper we consider a wireless multimedia system by mapping scalable video coded (SVC) bit stream upon superposition coded (SPC) signals, referred to as (SVC-SPC) architecture. Empirical experiments using a software-defined radio(SDR) emulator are conducted to gain a better understanding of its efficiency, specifically, the impact of the received signal due to different power allocation ratios. Our experimental results show that to maintain high video quality, the power allocated to the base layer should be approximately four times higher than the power allocated to the enhancement layer.

Modelling information exchange in worker-queen conflict over sex allocation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pen, I.R.; Taylor, P.D.

2005-01-01

We investigate the conflict between queen and worker over sex allocation, specifically the allocation of the queen's eggs between workers and reproductives and the allocation of the reproductive eggs between male and female. In contrast to previous models, we allow workers to observe and use

7 CFR 761.204 - Methods of allocating funds to State Offices.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Methods of allocating funds to State Offices. 761.204... Funds to State Offices § 761.204 Methods of allocating funds to State Offices. FO and OL loan funds are... allocation, if the Agency cannot adequately meet program objectives with a formula allocation. The National...

Energy-Efficient Power Allocation for MIMO-SVD Systems

KAUST Repository

Sboui, Lokman; Rezki, Zouheir; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

In this paper, we address the problem of energyefficient power allocation in MIMO systems. In fact, the widely adopted water-filling power allocation does not ensure the maximization of the energy efficiency (EE). Since the EE maximization is a non

Efficient Power Allocation for Video over Superposition Coding

KAUST Repository

Lau, Chun Pong; Jamshaid, K.; Shihada, Basem

2013-01-01

are conducted to gain a better understanding of its efficiency, specifically, the impact of the received signal due to different power allocation ratios. Our experimental results show that to maintain high video quality, the power allocated to the base layer

Monitoring CO2 emissions to gain a dynamic view of carbon allocation to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Slavíková, Renata; Püschel, David; Janoušková, Martina; Hujslová, Martina; Konvalinková, Tereza; Gryndlerová, Hana; Gryndler, Milan; Weiser, Martin; Jansa, Jan

2017-01-01

Quantification of carbon (C) fluxes in mycorrhizal plants is one of the important yet little explored tasks of mycorrhizal physiology and ecology. 13 CO 2 pulse-chase labelling experiments are increasingly being used to track the fate of C in these plant-microbial symbioses. Nevertheless, continuous monitoring of both the below- and aboveground CO 2 emissions remains a challenge, although it is necessary to establish the full C budget of mycorrhizal plants. Here, a novel CO 2 collection system is presented which allows assessment of gaseous CO 2 emissions (including isotopic composition of their C) from both belowground and shoot compartments. This system then is used to quantify the allocation of recently fixed C in mycorrhizal versus nonmycorrhizal Medicago truncatula plants with comparable biomass and mineral nutrition. Using this system, we confirmed substantially greater belowground C drain in mycorrhizal versus nonmycorrhizal plants, with the belowground CO 2 emissions showing large variation because of fluctuating environmental conditions in the glasshouse. Based on the assembled 13 C budget, the C allocation to the mycorrhizal fungus was between 2.3% (increased 13 C allocation to mycorrhizal substrate) and 2.9% (reduction of 13 C allocation to mycorrhizal shoots) of the plant gross photosynthetic production. Although the C allocation to shoot respiration (measured during one night only) did not differ between the mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants under our experimental conditions, it presented a substantial part (∼10%) of the plant C budget, comparable to the amount of CO 2 released belowground. These results advocate quantification of both above- and belowground CO 2 emissions in future studies.

Human Capital and Risky Asset Allocation

OpenAIRE

Lu, Wenjie; Yu, Qun

2011-01-01

Much research has been done to examine the relation between investors' human capital and their financial asset allocation. While some showed that the value of human capital should be taken into consideration to make financial asset allocation decisions on the composition of investing portfolios, most argued not. In this paper, we selected the monthly return of 9 industrial ETFs from June of 2007 to July 2011, used the present value of total future income as estimate of human capital, and reli...

Technical documentation and user's guide for City-County Allocation Model (CCAM). Version 1. 0

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, L.T. Jr.; Scott, M.J.; Hammer, P.

1986-05-01

The City-County Allocation Model (CCAM) was developed as part of the Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) Program. The CCAM model was designed to allocate population changes forecasted by the MASTER model to specific local communities within commuting distance of the MRS facility. The CCAM model was designed to then forecast the potential changes in demand for key community services such as housing, police protection, and utilities for these communities. The CCAM model uses a flexible on-line data base on demand for community services that is based on a combination of local service levels and state and national service standards. The CCAM model can be used to quickly forecast the potential community service consequence of economic development for local communities anywhere in the country. The remainder of this document is organized as follows. The purpose of this manual is to assist the user in understanding and operating the City-County Allocation Model (CCAM). The annual explains the data sources for the model and code modifications as well as the operational procedures.

Children's self-allocation and use of classroom curricular time.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingram, J; Worrall, N

1992-02-01

A class of 9-10 year-olds (N = 12) in a British primary school were observed as it moved over a one-year period through three types of classroom environment, traditional directive, transitional negotiative and established negotiative. Each environment offered the children a differing relationship with curricular time, its control and allocation, moving from teacher-allocated time to child allocation. Pupil self-report and classroom observation indicated differences in the balance of curricular spread and allocated time on curricular subject in relation to the type of classroom organisation and who controlled classroom time. These differences were at both class and individual child level. The established negotiative environment recorded the most equitable curricular balance, traditional directive the least. While individual children responded differently within and across the three classroom environments, the established negotiative where time was under child control recorded preference for longer activity periods compared to where the teacher controlled time allocations.

Comparing methodologies for the allocation of overhead and capital costs to hospital services.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Siok Swan; van Ineveld, Bastianus Martinus; Redekop, William Ken; Hakkaart-van Roijen, Leona

2009-06-01

Typically, little consideration is given to the allocation of indirect costs (overheads and capital) to hospital services, compared to the allocation of direct costs. Weighted service allocation is believed to provide the most accurate indirect cost estimation, but the method is time consuming. To determine whether hourly rate, inpatient day, and marginal mark-up allocation are reliable alternatives for weighted service allocation. The cost approaches were compared independently for appendectomy, hip replacement, cataract, and stroke in representative general hospitals in The Netherlands for 2005. Hourly rate allocation and inpatient day allocation produce estimates that are not significantly different from weighted service allocation. Hourly rate allocation may be a strong alternative to weighted service allocation for hospital services with a relatively short inpatient stay. The use of inpatient day allocation would likely most closely reflect the indirect cost estimates obtained by the weighted service method.

Integrated Cost Allocation of Transmission Usage under Electricity Markets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hermagasantos Zein

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Cost allocation of transmission usage on the power networks is an important issue especially in the modern electricity market mechanism. In this context, all costs that have been embedded in the transmission, embedded cost, should be covered by the transmission users. This paper follows general methods, where generators are fullyresponsible to cover the embedded cost. It proposes a method to determine the cost allocation of transmission usage based on decomposition through the superposition techinique to determine power flow contributions from an integrated base case of the results of the power flow calculations of all transactions, bilateral and nonbilateral contracts. Mathematically, the applied formulations are illustrated clearly in this paper. The proposed method has been tested with 5-bus system and the results are much different compared to a few of the published methods. This is shown by the test results on the 5 bus system. The published methods produce total power flow contributions in each line is greater than the actual. And they earn total revenues approximately 11.6% greater than the embedded cost. While on the proposed method, the power flow contribu tions are equal to the actual and the revenues are equal to the embedded cost. It shows also that the proposed method gives results as expected.

Cost allocation. Combined heat and power production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidzikauskas, V.

2002-01-01

The benefits of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generation are discussed. The include improvement in energy intensity of 1% by 2010, 85-90% efficiency versus 40-50% of condensation power and others. Share of CHP electricity production in ERRA countries is presented.Solutions for a development CHP cost allocation are considered. Conclusion are presented for CHP production cost allocation. (R.P.)

Auction Design for the Allocation of Emission Permits in the Presence of Market Power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sunnevaag, K.J.

2003-01-01

To the extent that emission permits have been allocated using market mechanisms, this has been done using a sealed-bid auction design, typically with discriminatory prices. However, several authors have recommended the ascending auction format. Basically, two 'competing' ascending auction designs have been suggested, the standard ascending auction (with clock or demand schedules), or an alternative ascending-clock implementation of Vickrey-pricing. The latter design was introduced as a response to problems of bid shading under the sealed-bid and the standard ascending auction format. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the allocation of permits under these two alternative mechanisms. The auction process and the resulting market outcome in the presence of oligopolistic competition are simulated. In this setting, it is not obvious that bid shading is the optimal strategy under the standard design, nor is it obvious that sincere bidding is the optimal strategy under the alternative ascending auction design. The alternative auction format makes it less costly to pursue a strategy to increase market shares through the acquisition of emission permits, thus increasing the competitor's costs, leading to overbidding as the optimal strategy

77 FR 26698 - Allocation of Mortgage Insurance Premiums

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-07

... Allocation of Mortgage Insurance Premiums AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Final... explain how to allocate prepaid qualified mortgage insurance premiums to determine the amount of the... Act of 2010. The regulations affect taxpayers who pay prepaid qualified mortgage insurance premiums...

Hardware Resource Allocation for Hardware/Software Partitioning in the LYCOS System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grode, Jesper Nicolai Riis; Knudsen, Peter Voigt; Madsen, Jan

1998-01-01

as a designer's/design tool's aid to generate good hardware allocations for use in hardware/software partitioning. The algorithm has been implemented in a tool under the LYCOS system. The results show that the allocations produced by the algorithm come close to the best allocations obtained by exhaustive search.......This paper presents a novel hardware resource allocation technique for hardware/software partitioning. It allocates hardware resources to the hardware data-path using information such as data-dependencies between operations in the application, and profiling information. The algorithm is useful...

Optimal treatment cost allocation methods in pollution control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Wenying; Fang Dong; Xue Dazhi

1999-01-01

Total emission control is an effective pollution control strategy. However, Chinese application of total emission control lacks reasonable and fair methods for optimal treatment cost allocation, a critical issue in total emission control. The author considers four approaches to allocate treatment costs. The first approach is to set up a multiple-objective planning model and to solve the model using the shortest distance ideal point method. The second approach is to define degree of satisfaction for cost allocation results for each polluter and to establish a method based on this concept. The third is to apply bargaining and arbitration theory to develop a model. The fourth is to establish a cooperative N-person game model which can be solved using the Shapley value method, the core method, the Cost Gap Allocation method or the Minimum Costs-Remaining Savings method. These approaches are compared using a practicable case study

Cost-allocation principles for pipeline capacity and usage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salant, D.J.; Watkins, G.C.

1996-01-01

The issue of cost sharing among multiple users of transmission facilities, such as pipelines, was discussed. The various ways in which a fair and reasonable pipeline cost-allocation scheme can be implemented were examined. It was suggested that no method exists for allocating costs that will achieve all major policy goals. The advantages and disadvantages of a system of uniform rates, such as postage stamp tolls, was discussed in the context of a natural gas pipeline system. A postage stamp system is one in which all users pay the same amount per unit of capacity, regardless of transport distances. This rate structure, while sometimes appropriate, is inefficient if total costs are distance-sensitive or if there is a significant variation in the sources of demand. Two commonly accepted minimal principles that a cost allocation should satisfy include: (1) the stand-alone cost test, and (2) the incremental cost test. This means that no one should pay costs in excess of their stand-alone costs and no one should pay less than their incremental costs. Postage stamp tolls were found to fail the minimal set of commonly applied principles. More optimal ways in which to allocate pipeline network costs among users were presented. The nucleolus is a unique cost allocation that is consistent, symmetric and homogeneous. The nucleolus is calculated by splitting the costs equally among users of a common facility. Another effective cost allocation system is the Shapley value which can be derived from a set of axioms which differ slightly from those that identify the nucleolus. 2 refs., 1 tab

Cost-allocation principles for pipeline capacity and usage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salant, D.J.; Watkins, G.C. [Law and Economics Consulting Group, Emeryville, CA (United States)

1996-12-31

The issue of cost sharing among multiple users of transmission facilities, such as pipelines, was discussed. The various ways in which a fair and reasonable pipeline cost-allocation scheme can be implemented were examined. It was suggested that no method exists for allocating costs that will achieve all major policy goals. The advantages and disadvantages of a system of uniform rates, such as postage stamp tolls, was discussed in the context of a natural gas pipeline system. A postage stamp system is one in which all users pay the same amount per unit of capacity, regardless of transport distances. This rate structure, while sometimes appropriate, is inefficient if total costs are distance-sensitive or if there is a significant variation in the sources of demand. Two commonly accepted minimal principles that a cost allocation should satisfy include: (1) the stand-alone cost test, and (2) the incremental cost test. This means that no one should pay costs in excess of their stand-alone costs and no one should pay less than their incremental costs. Postage stamp tolls were found to fail the minimal set of commonly applied principles. More optimal ways in which to allocate pipeline network costs among users were presented. The nucleolus is a unique cost allocation that is consistent, symmetric and homogeneous. The nucleolus is calculated by splitting the costs equally among users of a common facility. Another effective cost allocation system is the Shapley value which can be derived from a set of axioms which differ slightly from those that identify the nucleolus. 2 refs., 1 tab.

Cyclopentane combustion chemistry. Part I: Mechanism development and computational kinetics

KAUST Repository

Rachidi, Mariam El

2017-06-23

Cycloalkanes are significant constituents of conventional fossil fuels, in which they are one of the main contributors to soot formation, but also significantly influence the ignition characteristics below ∼900K. This paper discusses the development of a detailed high- and low-temperature oxidation mechanism for cyclopentane, which is an important archetypical cycloalkane. The differences between cyclic and non-cyclic alkane chemistry, and thus the inapplicability of acyclic alkane analogies, required the detailed theoretical investigation of the kinetics of important cyclopentane oxidation reactions as part of the mechanism development. The cyclopentyl+O reaction was investigated at the UCCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVTZ-F12//M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory in a time-dependent master equation framework. Comparisons with analogous cyclohexane or non-cyclic alkane reactions are presented. Our study suggests that beyond accurate quantum chemistry the inclusion of pressure dependence and especially that of formally direct kinetics is crucial even at pressures relevant for practical application.

Cyclopentane combustion chemistry. Part I: Mechanism development and computational kinetics

KAUST Repository

Rachidi, Mariam El; Mehl, Marco; Pitz, William J.; Mohamed, Samah; Sarathy, Mani

2017-01-01

Cycloalkanes are significant constituents of conventional fossil fuels, in which they are one of the main contributors to soot formation, but also significantly influence the ignition characteristics below ∼900K. This paper discusses the development of a detailed high- and low-temperature oxidation mechanism for cyclopentane, which is an important archetypical cycloalkane. The differences between cyclic and non-cyclic alkane chemistry, and thus the inapplicability of acyclic alkane analogies, required the detailed theoretical investigation of the kinetics of important cyclopentane oxidation reactions as part of the mechanism development. The cyclopentyl+O reaction was investigated at the UCCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVTZ-F12//M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory in a time-dependent master equation framework. Comparisons with analogous cyclohexane or non-cyclic alkane reactions are presented. Our study suggests that beyond accurate quantum chemistry the inclusion of pressure dependence and especially that of formally direct kinetics is crucial even at pressures relevant for practical application.

Atmospheric CO2 enrichment alters energy assimilation, investment and allocation in Xanthium strumarium.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagel, Jennifer M; Wang, Xianzhong; Lewis, James D; Fung, Howard A; Tissue, David T; Griffin, Kevin L

2005-05-01

Energy-use efficiency and energy assimilation, investment and allocation patterns are likely to influence plant growth responses to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]). Here, we describe the influence of elevated [CO2] on energetic properties as a mechanism of growth responses in Xanthium strumarium. Individuals of X. strumarium were grown at ambient or elevated [CO2] and harvested. Total biomass and energetic construction costs (CC) of leaves, stems, roots and fruits and percentage of total biomass and energy allocated to these components were determined. Photosynthetic energy-use efficiency (PEUE) was calculated as the ratio of total energy gained via photosynthetic activity (Atotal) to leaf CC. Elevated [CO2] increased leaf Atotal, but decreased CC per unit mass of leaves and roots. Consequently, X. strumarium individuals produced more leaf and root biomass at elevated [CO2] without increasing total energy investment in these structures (CCtotal). Whole-plant biomass was associated positively with PEUE. Whole-plant construction required 16.1% less energy than modeled whole-plant energy investment had CC not responded to increased [CO2]. As a physiological mechanism affecting growth, altered energetic properties could positively influence productivity of X. strumarium, and potentially other species, at elevated [CO2].

26 CFR 1.42-6 - Buildings qualifying for carryover allocations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Buildings qualifying for carryover allocations. 1... INCOME TAXES Credits Against Tax § 1.42-6 Buildings qualifying for carryover allocations. (a) Carryover... carryover allocation may only be made with respect to a qualified building. A qualified building is any...

Joint Bandwidth and Power Allocation for MIMO Two-Way Relays-Assisted Overlay Cognitive Radio Systems

KAUST Repository

Alsharoa, Ahmad; Ghazzai, Hakim; Yaacoub, Elias; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Kamal, Ahmed

2015-01-01

This paper studies the achievable cognitive sum rate of an overlay cognitive radio (CR) system assisted with multiple antennas two-way relays in which primary users (PUs) cooperate with cognitive users (CUs) for mutual benefits. In this context, the problem of both bandwidth and power allocation is investigated. We propose that the CUs are allowed to allocate a part of the PUs spectrum to perform their cognitive transmission. In return, acting as amplify-and-forward two-way relays, they are exploited to support PUs to reach their target data rates over the remaining bandwidth. Power expressions for optimal transmit power allocated per PU and CU antenna are derived under primary quality-of-service constraint in addition to bandwidth and power budget constraints. More specifically, CUs act as relays for the PUs transmission and gain some spectrum as long as they respect these constraints. After deriving the optimal transmit powers, we employ a strong optimization tool based on swarm intelligence to optimize the full and complex relay amplification gain matrices in addition to the bandwidths released to primary and cognitive transmission. Furthermore, three different utility functions are considered in our optimization problems depending on the level of fairness among CUs.

Joint Bandwidth and Power Allocation for MIMO Two-Way Relays-Assisted Overlay Cognitive Radio Systems

KAUST Repository

Alsharoa, Ahmad

2015-10-08

This paper studies the achievable cognitive sum rate of an overlay cognitive radio (CR) system assisted with multiple antennas two-way relays in which primary users (PUs) cooperate with cognitive users (CUs) for mutual benefits. In this context, the problem of both bandwidth and power allocation is investigated. We propose that the CUs are allowed to allocate a part of the PUs spectrum to perform their cognitive transmission. In return, acting as amplify-and-forward two-way relays, they are exploited to support PUs to reach their target data rates over the remaining bandwidth. Power expressions for optimal transmit power allocated per PU and CU antenna are derived under primary quality-of-service constraint in addition to bandwidth and power budget constraints. More specifically, CUs act as relays for the PUs transmission and gain some spectrum as long as they respect these constraints. After deriving the optimal transmit powers, we employ a strong optimization tool based on swarm intelligence to optimize the full and complex relay amplification gain matrices in addition to the bandwidths released to primary and cognitive transmission. Furthermore, three different utility functions are considered in our optimization problems depending on the level of fairness among CUs.

Resource Allocation in a Repetitive Project Scheduling Using Genetic Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Samuel, Biju; Mathew, Jeeno

2018-03-01

Resource Allocation is procedure of doling out or allocating the accessible assets in a monetary way and productive way. Resource allocation is the scheduling of the accessible assets and accessible exercises or activities required while thinking about both the asset accessibility and the total project completion time. Asset provisioning and allocation takes care of that issue by permitting the specialist co-ops to deal with the assets for every individual demand of asset. A probabilistic selection procedure has been developed in order to ensure various selections of chromosomes

Application of finite element method in mechanical design of automotive parts

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Suohai

2017-09-01

As an effective numerical analysis method, finite element method (FEM) has been widely used in mechanical design and other fields. In this paper, the development of FEM is introduced firstly, then the specific steps of FEM applications are illustrated and the difficulties of FEM are summarized in detail. Finally, applications of FEM in automobile components such as automobile wheel, steel plate spring, body frame, shaft parts and so on are summarized, compared with related research experiments.

Optimal Register Allocation by Augmented Left-Edge Algorithm on Arbitrary Control-Flow Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruvald Pedersen, Mark; Madsen, Jan

2012-01-01

for allocation to be done using only quasi-local and local allocation - avoiding the complexity of true global allocation. As local allocation is much simpler than global allocation, this approach emphasizes efficiency and ease of implementation - at a cost of an increased number of register transfers compared...... to other allocators. Experiments show that runtime is linear for all practical purposes....

Current costing models: are they suitable for allocating health resources? The example of fall injury prevention in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Moller, Jerry

2005-01-01

The example of fall injury among older people is used to define and illustrate how current Australian systems for allocation of health resources perform for funding emerging public health issues. While the examples are Australian, the allocation and priority setting methods are common in the health sector in all developed western nations. With an ageing population the number of falls injuries in Australia and the cost of treatment will rise dramatically over the next 20-50 years. Current methods of allocating funds within the health system are not well suited to meeting this coming epidemic. The information requirements for cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness measures cannot be met. Marginal approaches to health funding are likely to continue to fund already well-funded treatment or politically driven prevention processes and to miss the opportunity for new prevention initiatives in areas that do not have a high political profile. Fall injury is one of many emerging areas that struggle to make claims for funding because the critical mass of intervention and evidence of its impact is not available. The beneficiaries of allocation failure may be those who treat the disease burden that could have been easily prevented. Changes to allocation mechanisms, data systems and new initiative funding practices are required to ensure that preventative strategies are able to compete on an equal footing with treatment approaches for mainstream health funding.

A method for allocating renewable energy source subsidies among final energy consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batlle, Carlos

2011-01-01

In a new context of growing need for renewable energy sources (RES), tariff design has become a critical component of energy system regulation. A methodology for allocating the cost of RES subsidies that ensures an optimal balance between compliance with the main regulatory principles of tariff design and each state's specific policy is of cardinal importance in the current context. This paper presents and discusses a novel methodology to allocate the RES subsidy costs, which consists of distributing them among final energy consumers, in proportion to their consumption, regardless of the type of final energy consumed (liquid fuels, gas, electricity or coal). First, the different designs of RES subsidies are categorized and a review of a good number of the RES burden sharing mechanisms implemented in the EU is presented. Then, the proposed methodology is developed on the basis of the basic regulatory principles underlying the tariff design and the current regulatory context in force in the EU. Finally, to illustrate its actual impact in a real case example, the proposed methodology is applied to the Spanish system, in which the burden of extra costs incurred for RES amounts to a very large proportion of the overall energy system costs. - Research highlights: → This paper develops a novel methodology to allocate RES subsidy costs among final energy consumers. → The methodology is built upon the basic tariff design principles and the 3rd package regulations. → It consists of distributing them in proportion to liquid fuels, gas, electricity or coal consumption. → The 20% RES target affects all energy sectors and justifies allocating the extra costs accordingly. → The methodology is applied to the Spanish energy system, where the RES burden is a very significant.

Routes to chaos in continuous mechanical systems: Part 2. Modelling transitions from regular to chaotic dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krysko, A.V.; Awrejcewicz, J.; Papkova, I.V.; Krysko, V.A.

2012-01-01

In second part of the paper both classical and novel scenarios of transition from regular to chaotic dynamics of dissipative continuous mechanical systems are studied. A detailed analysis allowed us to detect the already known classical scenarios of transition from periodic to chaotic dynamics, and in particular the Feigenbaum scenario. The Feigenbaum constant was computed for all continuous mechanical objects studied in the first part of the paper. In addition, we illustrate and discuss different and novel scenarios of transition of the analysed systems from regular to chaotic dynamics, and we show that the type of scenario depends essentially on excitation parameters.

Changes in carbon allocation to aboveground versus belowground forest components is driven by a trade-off involving mycorrhizal fungi, not fine roots

Science.gov (United States)

Ouimette, A.; Ollinger, S. V.; Hobbie, E. A.; Lepine, L. C.; Stephens, R.; Rowe, R.; Vadeboncoeur, M. A.; Tumber-Davila, S. J.

2017-12-01

Species composition and resource availability exert a strong influence on the dynamics of carbon allocation among different forest ecosystem components. Recent work in temperate forests has highlighted a tradeoff between carbon allocation to aboveground woody tissues (access to light), and belowground to fine roots (access to soil nutrients). Although root-associated mycorrhizal fungi are crucial for N acquisition and can receive 20% or more of annual net primary production, most studies fail to explicitly include carbon allocation to mycorrhizal fungi. In part, this is due to the inherent difficulties in accurately quantifying fungal production. We took several approaches to quantify production of mycorrhizal fungi, including a carbon budget approach and isotopic techniques. Here we present data on patterns of carbon allocation to aboveground (wood and foliar production), and belowground components (production of fine roots and mycorrhizal fungi), across temperate forest stands spanning a range of nitrogen availability and species composition. We found that as the proportion of conifer species decreased, and stand nitrogen availability increased, both the absolute amount and the fraction of net primary production increased for foliage, aboveground wood, and fine roots ("a rising tide lifts all boats"). While allocation to plant pools increased, allocation to mycorrhizal fungi significantly decreased with decreasing conifer dominance and increasing soil nitrogen availability. We did not find a strong trade-off between carbon allocation to fine roots and aboveground wood or foliage. Instead, a negative relationship is seen between allocation to mycorrhizal fungi and other plant pools. Effort to estimate carbon allocation to mycorrhizal fungi is important for gaining a more complete understanding of how ecosystems respond to changes in growth-limiting resources.

Energy-Efficient Power Allocation for Cognitive MIMO Channels

KAUST Repository

Sboui, Lokman

2017-03-20

Due to the massive data traffic in wireless networks, energy consumption has become a crucial concern, especially with the limited power supply of the mobile terminals and the increasing CO2 emission of the cellular industry. In this context, we study the energy efficiency (EE) of MIMO spectrum sharing cognitive radio (CR) systems under power and interference constraints. We present an energy-efficient power allocation framework based on maximizing the average EE per parallel channel resulting from the singular value decomposition (SVD) eigenmode transmission. We also present a sub-optimal low-complexity power allocation scheme based on the water-filling power allocation. In the numerical results, we show that the sub-optimal power allocation achieves at least 95% of the optimal performance. In addition, we show that adopting more antennas is more energy efficient for a given power budget. Finally, we show that the interference threshold has a significant effect on both the EE and the spectral efficiency at high-power regime.

Continuous integration congestion cost allocation based on sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Z.Q.; Wang, Y.N.

2004-01-01

Congestion cost allocation is a very important topic in congestion management. Allocation methods based on the Aumann-Shapley value use the discrete numerical integration method, which needs to solve the incremented OPF solution many times, and as such it is not suitable for practical application to large-scale systems. The optimal solution and its sensitivity change tendency during congestion removal using a DC optimal power flow (OPF) process is analysed. A simple continuous integration method based on the sensitivity is proposed for the congestion cost allocation. The proposed sensitivity analysis method needs a smaller computation time than the method based on using the quadratic method and inner point iteration. The proposed congestion cost allocation method uses a continuous integration method rather than discrete numerical integration. The method does not need to solve the incremented OPF solutions; which allows it use in large-scale systems. The method can also be used for AC OPF congestion management. (author)

Prediction of Commuter’s Daily Time Allocation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fang Zong

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a model system to predict the time allocation in commuters’ daily activity-travel pattern. The departure time and the arrival time are estimated with Ordered Probit model and Support Vector Regression is introduced for travel time and activity duration prediction. Applied in a real-world time allocation prediction experiment, the model system shows a satisfactory level of prediction accuracy. This study provides useful insights into commuters’ activity-travel time allocation decision by identifying the important influences, and the results are readily applied to a wide range of transportation practice, such as travel information system, by providing reliable forecast for variations in travel demand over time. By introducing the Support Vector Regression, it also makes a methodological contribution in enhancing prediction accuracy of travel time and activity duration prediction.

Mechanisms in environmental control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindeneg, K.

1994-01-01

The theory of implementation provides methods for decentralization of decisions in societies. By using mechanisms (game forms) it is possible (in theory) to implement attractive states in different economic environments. As an example the market mechanisms can implement Pareto-efficient and individual rational allocations in an Arrow-Debreu economic environment without market failures. And even when there exists externalities the market mechanism sometime can be used if it is possible to make a market for the goods not allocated on a market already - examples are marketable emission permits, and deposit refund systems. But environmental problems can often be explained by the existence of other market failures (e.g. asymmetric information), and then the market mechanism do not work properly. And instead of using regulation or traditional economic instruments (subsidies, charges, fees, liability insurance, marketable emission permits, or deposit refund systems) to correct the problems caused by market failures, some other methods can be used to deal with these problems. This paper contains a survey of mechanisms that can be used in environmental control when the problems are caused by the existence of public goods, externalities, asymmetric information, and indivisible goods in the economy. By examples it will be demonstrated how the Clarke-Groves mechanism, the Cournot-Lindahl mechanism, and other mechanisms can be used to solve specific environmental problems. This is only theory and examples, but a recent field study have used the Cournot-Lindahl mechanism to solve the problem of lake liming in Sweden. So this subject may be of some interests for environmental policy in the future. (au) 23 refs

Quality control and process capability assessment for injection-moulded micro mechanical parts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gasparin, Stefania; Tosello, Guido; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2013-01-01

Quality control of micro components is an increasing challenge. Smaller mechanical parts are characterized by smaller tolerance to be verified. This paper focuses on the dimensional verification of micro injection-moulded components selected from an industrial application. These parts are measured...... using an optical coordinate measuring machine, which guarantees fast surface scans suitable for inline quality control. The uncertainty assessment of the measurements is calculated and three analyses are carried out and discussed in order to investigate the influence parameters in optical coordinate...... metrology. The estimation of the total variability of the optical measurements and the instrument repeatability are reported; moreover, the measurement system capability is evaluated according to the measurement system capability indices Cg and Cgk....

Resource allocation using ANN in LTE

Science.gov (United States)

Yigit, Tuncay; Ersoy, Mevlut

2017-07-01

LTE is the 4th generation wireless network technology, which provides flexible bandwidth, higher data speeds and lower delay. Difficulties may be experienced upon an increase in the number of users in LTE. The objective of this study is to ensure a faster solution to any such resource allocation problems which might arise upon an increase in the number of users. A fast and effective solution has been obtained by making use of Artificial Neural Network. As a result, fast working artificial intelligence methods may be used in resource allocation problems during operation.

12 CFR 615.5208 - Allotment of allocated investments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Allotment of allocated investments. 615.5208... allocated investments. (a) The following conditions apply to agreements that a Farm Credit Bank or... investments held by those associations with which there is no agreement (nonagreeing associations), and does...

Security cost allocation under combined bilateral-pool market dispatch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdullah, M.P.; Hassan, M.Y.; Hussin, F.

2008-01-01

Most electricity markets around the world are a combination of bilateral and pool markets, such as NordPool and NYPOOL. In these models, market participants bid into the pool and also make bilateral contracts with each other. This paper addressed the issue of congestion management and security cost allocation in a power pool market model. The basic idea of security cost allocation is to divide the incurred security cost due to congestion relief into pool and bilateral market based on their flow contribution to the congested line. A newly proposed security cost allocation strategy of the combined bilateral-pool market was also presented along with case studies using IEEE-14 bus system that tested the proposed method. Using the proposed method, it was shown that security costs are allocated to market participants at different prices which reflect the load contribution to the security problem. This solves the problem of the uniform security cost allocation in a pure pool market system having uniform pricing, and provides a proper security signal to market participants. 11 refs., 3 tabs., 4 figs

A Generalization of the Aumann-Shapley Value for Risk Capital Allocation Problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boonen, T.J.; De Waegenaere, A.M.B.; Norde, H.W.

2012-01-01

Abstract: This paper analyzes risk capital allocation problems. For risk capital allocation problems, the aim is to allocate the risk capital of a firm to its divisions. Risk capital allocation is of central importance in risk-based performance measurement. We consider a case in which the aggregate

Winter wheat optimizes allocation in response to carbon limitation

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jianbei; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Trumbore, Susan; Hartmann, Henrik

2016-04-01

• Plant photosynthesis is not carbon-saturated at current atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) thus carbon allocation priority is of critical importance in determining plant response to environmental changes, including increasing [CO2]. • We quantified the percentage of daytime net assimilation (A) allocated to whole-plant nighttime respiration (R) and structural growth (SG), nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and secondary metabolites (SMs) during winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) vegetative growth (over 4 weeks) at glacial, ambient, and elevated [CO2] (170, 390 and 680 ppm). • We found that R/A remained relatively constant (11-14%) across [CO2] treatments, whereas plants allocated less C to growth and more C to export at low [CO2] than elevated [CO2]; low [CO2] grown plants tended to invest overall less C into NSC and SMs than to SG due to reduced NSC availability; while leaf SMs/NSC was greater at 170 ppm than at 680 ppm [CO2] this was the opposite for root SMs/NSC; biomass, especially NSC, were preferentially allocated to leaves instead of stems and roots, likely to relieve C limitation induced by low [CO2]. • We conclude that C limitation may force plants to reduce C allocation to long-term survival in order to secure short-term survival. Furthermore, they optimized allocation of the available resource by concentrating biomass and storage to those tissues responsible for assimilation.

The finite element part of the LAMCAL program. Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamain, L.G.; Blanckenburg, J.F.G.

1982-01-01

The elastic-plastic FEM code described in this report is the third part of the Lamcal program of which the two other parts for mesh generating and plotting were presented previously. Also this part uses the dynamic core storage. All variables and problem defining data are stored in one common array-SPACE. If all three parts are used together, the same common-SPACE is reused in each part. The lay-out of the complete program is given. J-integral evaluation and plotting can be done immediately in the FE run or afterwards in a post processing run. Post processing is done within the FEM part with a reduced core space. Originally developed as a general code, the use of the present version is mainly focussed on research in the field of the fracture mechanics. Several J-integral routines are available as well as crack growth modelling by node release or stiffness reduction, energy calculations, crack tip elements, etc. In this report the theory is discussed and some sample problems are given. The theory is presented in two parts, the general FEM and the more specific EPFM theory. For the sample problems, a choice has been made to show the accuracy of the program under more or less severe loading conditions

Allocation of fossil and nuclear fuels. Heat production from chemically and physically bound energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, U.

2008-01-01

The first part of the book presents the broad field of allocation, transformation, transport and distribution of the most important energy carriers in the modern power industry. The following chapters cover solid fossil fuel, liquid fuel, gaseous fuel and nuclear fuel. The final chapters concern the heat production from chemically and physically bound energy, including elementary analysis, combustion calculations, energy balance considerations in fossil fuel fired systems, and fundamentals of nuclear physics

Smart LED allocation scheme for efficient multiuser visible light communication networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Sewaiwar, Atul; Tiwari, Samrat Vikramaditya; Chung, Yeon Ho

2015-05-18

In a multiuser bidirectional visible light communication (VLC), a large number of LEDs or an LED array needs to be allocated in an efficient manner to ensure sustainable data rate and link quality. Moreover, in order to support an increasing or decreasing number of users in the network, the LED allocation is required to be performed dynamically. In this paper, a novel smart LED allocation scheme for efficient multiuser VLC networks is presented. The proposed scheme allocates RGB LEDs to multiple users in a dynamic and efficient fashion, while satisfying illumination requirements in an indoor environment. The smart LED array comprised of RGB LEDs is divided into sectors according to the location of the users. The allocated sectors then provide optical power concentration toward the users for efficient and reliable data transmission. An algorithm for the dynamic allocation of the LEDs is also presented. To verify its effective resource allocation feature of the proposed scheme, simulations were performed. It is found that the proposed smart LED allocation scheme provides the effect of optical beamforming toward individual users, thereby increasing the collective power concentration of the optical signals on the desirable users and resulting in significantly increased data rate, while ensuring sufficient illumination in a multiuser VLC environment.

A transaction assessment method for allocation of transmission services

Science.gov (United States)

Banunarayanan, Venkatasubramaniam

The purpose of this research is to develop transaction assessment methods for allocating transmission services that are provided by an area/utility to power transactions. Transmission services are the services needed to deliver, or provide the capacity to deliver, real and reactive power from one or more supply points to one or more delivery points. As the number of transactions increase rapidly in the emerging deregulated environment, accurate quantification of the transmission services an area/utility provides to accommodate a transaction is becoming important, because then appropriate pricing schemes can be developed to compensate for the parties that provide these services. The Allocation methods developed are based on the "Fair Resource Allocation Principle" and they determine for each transaction the following: the flowpath of the transaction (both real and reactive power components), generator reactive power support from each area/utility, real power loss support from each area/utility. Further, allocation methods for distributing the cost of relieving congestion on transmission lines caused by transactions are also developed. The main feature of the proposed methods is representation of actual usage of the transmission services by the transactions. The proposed method is tested extensively on a variety of systems. The allocation methods developed in this thesis for allocation of transmission services to transactions is not only useful in studying the impact of transactions on a transmission system in a multi-transaction case, but they are indeed necessary to meet the criteria set forth by FERC with regard to pricing based on actual usage. The "consistency" of the proposed allocation methods has also been investigated and tested.

76 FR 44699 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod Allocations in the Gulf of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-26

... Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Parts 679 and 680 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska... 0648-AY53 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod Allocations in the Gulf of... competition among sectors and support stability in the Pacific cod fishery. This rule would also limit access...

A Game for Energy-Aware Allocation of Virtualized Network Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Bruschi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Network Functions Virtualization (NFV is a network architecture concept where network functionality is virtualized and separated into multiple building blocks that may connect or be chained together to implement the required services. The main advantages consist of an increase in network flexibility and scalability. Indeed, each part of the service chain can be allocated and reallocated at runtime depending on demand. In this paper, we present and evaluate an energy-aware Game-Theory-based solution for resource allocation of Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs within NFV environments. We consider each VNF as a player of the problem that competes for the physical network node capacity pool, seeking the minimization of individual cost functions. The physical network nodes dynamically adjust their processing capacity according to the incoming workload, by means of an Adaptive Rate (AR strategy that aims at minimizing the product of energy consumption and processing delay. On the basis of the result of the nodes’ AR strategy, the VNFs’ resource sharing costs assume a polynomial form in the workflows, which admits a unique Nash Equilibrium (NE. We examine the effect of different (unconstrained and constrained forms of the nodes’ optimization problem on the equilibrium and compare the power consumption and delay achieved with energy-aware and non-energy-aware strategy profiles.

Multi-echelon, multi-indenture spare parts inventory control subject to system availability and budget constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costantino, Francesco; Di Gravio, Giulio; Tronci, Massimo

2013-01-01

Inventory management of spare parts is one of the most critical issues in the aeronautical industry, given the required level of system availability related to the strategic importance and high stocking costs of the components. Even if a large number of spare parts increases warehousing costs, every single shortage have a greater impact: the adoption of best-in-class inventory management techniques becomes crucial. On these considerations, the paper presents an innovative model of spare parts allocation for the Italian Air Force with the aim of minimizing backorders and, at the same time, ensuring an availability of 99% depending on the actual flight plan. The model, solved by a marginal analysis, considers an original configuration of features combining different skills of maintenance centers in a hierarchical multi-echelon, multi-item, multi-indenture structure. A real case is provided in order to analyze the solving method and the results. -- Highlights: •We studied a problem of allocations for spare parts of aeronautical systems. •The model presents different repair capabilities of maintenance centers. •The model fits constraints on budget and on total operational availability. •The model is solved by a marginal analysis with a backorder/price ratio. •A numerical example shows a spare parts allocation with relative considerations

Sex allocation in fungus-growing ants: worker or queen control without symbiont-induced female bias

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dijkstra, Michiel B.; Boomsma, Jacobus Jan

2008-01-01

The fungal cultivars of fungus-growing ants are vertically transmitted by queens but not males. Selection would therefore favor cultivars that bias the ants' sex ratio towards gynes, beyond the gyne bias that is optimal for workers and queens. We measured sex allocation in 190 colonies of six...... sympatric fungus-growing ant species. As predicted from relatedness, female bias was greater in four singly mated Sericomyrmex and Trachymyrmex species than in two multiply mated Acromyrmex species. Colonies tended to raise mainly a single sex, which could be partly explained by variation in queen number......, colony fecundity, and fungal garden volume for Acromyrmex and Sericomyrmex, but not for Trachymyrmex. Year of collection, worker number and mating frequency of Acromyrmex queens did not affect the colony sex ratios. We used a novel sensitivity analysis to compare the population sex allocation ratios...

Evolving Reliability and Maintainability Allocations for NASA Ground Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz, Gisela; Toon, T.; Toon, J.; Conner, A.; Adams, T.; Miranda, D.

2016-01-01

This paper describes the methodology and value of modifying allocations to reliability and maintainability requirements for the NASA Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) programs subsystems. As systems progressed through their design life cycle and hardware data became available, it became necessary to reexamine the previously derived allocations. This iterative process provided an opportunity for the reliability engineering team to reevaluate allocations as systems moved beyond their conceptual and preliminary design phases. These new allocations are based on updated designs and maintainability characteristics of the components. It was found that trade-offs in reliability and maintainability were essential to ensuring the integrity of the reliability and maintainability analysis. This paper discusses the results of reliability and maintainability reallocations made for the GSDO subsystems as the program nears the end of its design phase.

40 CFR 96.142 - CAIR NOX allowance allocations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... the 3 highest amounts of the unit's adjusted control period heat input for 2000 through 2004, with the adjusted control period heat input for each year calculated as follows: (A) If the unit is coal-fired... CAIR NOX Allowance Allocations § 96.142 CAIR NOX allowance allocations. (a)(1) The baseline heat input...

Real Time Monitoring and Supervisory Control of Distribution Load Based on Generic Load Allocation: A Smart Grid Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anwer Ahmed Memon

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Our work is the small part of the smart grid system. This is regarding the check and balance of power consumption at the consumer level. It is a well known fact that the consumers are allocated a fixed load according to their requirement at the time of application for the electricity connection. When the consumer increases its load and does not inform the power company, the result is the overloading of the system. This paper presents a solution regarding distribution and load allocation to each customer. If the customer uses power greater than the load allocated, further power is not provided and consequently that appliance is not turned on unless the total load must not be decreased than the allocated load. This is achieved by designing a processor controlled system that measures the power on main line and also the power taken by each device. Now when a device is turned on, its power is measured by the controller and compares it with the main line power, and when the device consumes some power consequently main line power will also be increased thus this main line power is monitored and if it exceeds particular limit that device is turned off through its relay

Real time monitoring and supervisory control of distribution load based on generic load allocation: a smart grid solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, A.W.; Memon, Z.A.; Aamir, R.R.

2014-01-01

Our work is the small part of the smart grid system. This is regarding the check and balance of power consumption at the consumer level. It is a well known fact that the consumers are allocated a fixed load according to their requirement at the time of application for the electricity connection. When the consumer increases its load and does not inform the power company, the result is the overloading of the system. This paper presents a solution regarding distribution and load allocation to each customer. If the customer uses power greater than the load allocated, further power is not provided and consequently that appliance is not turned on unless the total load must not be decreased than the allocated load. This is achieved by designing a processor controlled system that measures the power on main line and also the power taken by each device. Now when a device is turned on, its power is measured by the controller and compares it with the main line power, and when the device consumes some power consequently main line power will also be increased thus this main line power is monitored and if it exceeds particular limit that device is turned off through its relay. (author)

Attention: Reaction Time and Accuracy Reveal Different Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Prinzmetal, William; McCool, Christin; Park, Samuel

2005-01-01

The authors propose that there are 2 different mechanisms whereby spatial cues capture attention. The voluntary mechanism is the strategic allocation of perceptual resources to the location most likely to contain the target. The involuntary mechanism is a reflexive orienting response that occurs even when the spatial cue does not indicate the…

Reciprocal Allocation Method in Service Departments. The Case of a Production Enterprise

Science.gov (United States)

Papaj, Ewelina

2017-12-01

The main aim of this article is to indicate the role of reciprocal allocation method in the process of costs calculation. In the environment of nowadays companies, often taking very complex organisational forms, the existence of service departments becomes of great importance. Although, as far as management accounting processes are concerned, which lead to identifying the product cost, the service departments' costs come out to be of minor importance. This article means to prove that the service departments' costs and their reliable settlement are a desirable source of information about the products. This work consists of two parts. First of them features theoretical considerations and a critical analysis of subject literature. In the latter part, the service departments' costs calculation will be presented, basing on reciprocal services in a production enterprise from chemical industry.

Decentralization in Zambia: resource allocation and district performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bossert, Thomas; Chitah, Mukosha Bona; Bowser, Diana

2003-12-01

Zambia implemented an ambitious process of health sector decentralization in the mid 1990s. This article presents an assessment of the degree of decentralization, called 'decision space', that was allowed to districts in Zambia, and an analysis of data on districts available at the national level to assess allocation choices made by local authorities and some indicators of the performance of the health systems under decentralization. The Zambian officials in health districts had a moderate range of choice over expenditures, user fees, contracting, targeting and governance. Their choices were quite limited over salaries and allowances and they did not have control over additional major sources of revenue, like local taxes. The study found that the formula for allocation of government funding which was based on population size and hospital beds resulted in relatively equal per capita expenditures among districts. Decentralization allowed the districts to make decisions on internal allocation of resources and on user fee levels and expenditures. General guidelines for the allocation of resources established a maximum and minimum percentage to be allocated to district offices, hospitals, health centres and communities. Districts tended to exceed the maximum for district offices, but the large urban districts and those without public district hospitals were not even reaching the minimum for hospital allocations. Wealthier and urban districts were more successful in raising revenue through user fees, although the proportion of total expenditures that came from user fees was low. An analysis of available indicators of performance, such as the utilization of health services, immunization coverage and family planning activities, found little variation during the period 1995-98 except for a decline in immunization coverage, which may have also been affected by changes in donor funding. These findings suggest that decentralization may not have had either a positive or

Funding Allocation and Staff Management. A Portuguese Example

Science.gov (United States)

Rosa, Maria Joao; Amado, Diana; Amaral, Alberto

2009-01-01

For many years the Portuguese Ministry of Education used a funding formula to allocate the State budget to public higher education institutions. Some of its major objectives were higher enrolments and allocation equity. As the expenditure on salaries was a major component of the budget, the formula was supposed to force convergence to established…

Joint overbooking and seat allocation for fare families

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjorth, Robert; Fiig, Thomas; Bondoux, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Revenue Management Systems (RMS) traditionally solve the seat allocation problem separately from the overbooking problem. Overbooking is managed by inflating the authorization levels obtained from seat allocation by various heuristics. This approach although suboptimal, is necessitated because...... independent demand model, which is readily solved. The resulting availability control can easily by implemented in existing RMS...

Allocation of Decommissioning and Waste Liabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varley, Geoff

2011-11-01

The work demonstrates that there are a number of methods available for cost allocation, the pros and cons of which are examined. The study investigates potential proportional and incremental methods in some depth. A recommendation in principle to use the latter methodology is given. It is concluded that a 'fair assumption' is that the potential allocation of costs for 'the RMA Leaching Hall' probably is small, in relation to the total costs, and estimated to be not more than about 175 kSEK, plus any costs associated with decommissioning/ disposal of a number of small pieces of equipment added by the current operator

Assessing the Impact of Model Parameter Uncertainty in Simulating Grass Biomass Using a Hybrid Carbon Allocation Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, J. J.; Adam, J. C.; Tague, C.

2016-12-01

Grasslands play an important role in agricultural production as forage for livestock; they also provide a diverse set of ecosystem services including soil carbon (C) storage. The partitioning of C between above and belowground plant compartments (i.e. allocation) is influenced by both plant characteristics and environmental conditions. The objectives of this study are to 1) develop and evaluate a hybrid C allocation strategy suitable for grasslands, and 2) apply this strategy to examine the importance of various parameters related to biogeochemical cycling, photosynthesis, allocation, and soil water drainage on above and belowground biomass. We include allocation as an important process in quantifying the model parameter uncertainty, which identifies the most influential parameters and what processes may require further refinement. For this, we use the Regional Hydro-ecologic Simulation System, a mechanistic model that simulates coupled water and biogeochemical processes. A Latin hypercube sampling scheme was used to develop parameter sets for calibration and evaluation of allocation strategies, as well as parameter uncertainty analysis. We developed the hybrid allocation strategy to integrate both growth-based and resource-limited allocation mechanisms. When evaluating the new strategy simultaneously for above and belowground biomass, it produced a larger number of less biased parameter sets: 16% more compared to resource-limited and 9% more compared to growth-based. This also demonstrates its flexible application across diverse plant types and environmental conditions. We found that higher parameter importance corresponded to sub- or supra-optimal resource availability (i.e. water, nutrients) and temperature ranges (i.e. too hot or cold). For example, photosynthesis-related parameters were more important at sites warmer than the theoretical optimal growth temperature. Therefore, larger values of parameter importance indicate greater relative sensitivity in

Development of sample size allocation program using hypergeometric distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyun Tae; Kwack, Eun Ho; Park, Wan Soo; Min, Kyung Soo; Park, Chan Sik

1996-01-01

The objective of this research is the development of sample allocation program using hypergeometric distribution with objected-oriented method. When IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency) performs inspection, it simply applies a standard binomial distribution which describes sampling with replacement instead of a hypergeometric distribution which describes sampling without replacement in sample allocation to up to three verification methods. The objective of the IAEA inspection is the timely detection of diversion of significant quantities of nuclear material, therefore game theory is applied to its sampling plan. It is necessary to use hypergeometric distribution directly or approximate distribution to secure statistical accuracy. Improved binomial approximation developed by Mr. J. L. Jaech and correctly applied binomial approximation are more closer to hypergeometric distribution in sample size calculation than the simply applied binomial approximation of the IAEA. Object-oriented programs of 1. sample approximate-allocation with correctly applied standard binomial approximation, 2. sample approximate-allocation with improved binomial approximation, and 3. sample approximate-allocation with hypergeometric distribution were developed with Visual C ++ and corresponding programs were developed with EXCEL(using Visual Basic for Application). 8 tabs., 15 refs. (Author)

Application of genetic algorithm for reliability allocation in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Joon-Eon; Hwang, Mee-Jung; Sung, Tae-Yong; Jin, Youngho

1999-01-01

Reliability allocation is an optimization process of minimizing the total plant costs subject to the overall plant safety goal constraints. Reliability allocation was applied to determine the reliability characteristics of reactor systems, subsystems, major components and plant procedures that are consistent with a set of top-level performance goals; the core melt frequency, acute fatalities and latent fatalities. Reliability allocation can be performed to improve the design, operation and safety of new and/or existing nuclear power plants. Reliability allocation is a kind of a difficult multi-objective optimization problem as well as a global optimization problem. The genetic algorithm, known as one of the most powerful tools for most optimization problems, is applied to the reliability allocation problem of a typical pressurized water reactor in this article. One of the main problems of reliability allocation is defining realistic objective functions. Hence, in order to optimize the reliability of the system, the cost for improving and/or degrading the reliability of the system should be included in the reliability allocation process. We used techniques derived from the value impact analysis to define the realistic objective function in this article

Allocation of Load-Loss Cost Caused by Voltage Sag

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, X.

2017-10-01

This paper focuses on the allocation of load-loss cost caused by voltage sag in the environment of electricity market. To compensate the loss of loads due to voltage sags, the load-loss cost is allocated to both sources and power consumers. On the basis of Load Drop Cost (LDC), a quantitative evaluation index of load-loss cost caused by voltage sag is identified. The load-loss cost to be allocated to power consumers themselves is calculated according to load classification. Based on the theory of power component the quantitative relation between sources and loads is established, thereby a quantitative calculation method for load-loss cost allocated to each source is deduced and the quantitative compensation from individual source to load is proposed. A simple five-bus system illustrates the main features of the proposed method.

34 CFR 200.70 - Allocation of funds to LEAs in general.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies Allocations to Leas § 200.70 Allocation of funds to LEAs in general. (a) The Secretary allocates basic grants, concentration grants, targeted grants, and education finance incentive grants, through SEAs, to each eligible LEA for which the Bureau...

Dynamic preferential allocation to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi explains fungal succession and coexistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Bachelot, Benedicte; Lee, Charlotte T

2018-02-01

Evidence accumulates about the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in shaping plant communities, but little is known about the factors determining the biomass and coexistence of several types of AM fungi in a plant community. Here, using a consumer-resource framework that treats the relationship between plants and fungi as simultaneous, reciprocal exploitation, we investigated what patterns of dynamic preferential plant carbon allocation to empirically-defined fungal types (on-going partner choice) would be optimal for plants, and how these patterns depend on successional dynamics. We found that ruderal AM fungi can dominate under low steady-state nutrient availability, and competitor AM fungi can dominate at higher steady-state nutrient availability; these are conditions characteristic of early and late succession, respectively. We also found that dynamic preferential allocation alone can maintain a diversity of mutualists, suggesting that on-going partner choice is a new coexistence mechanism for mutualists. Our model can therefore explain both mutualist coexistence and successional strategy, providing a powerful tool to derive testable predictions. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

40 CFR 97.142 - CAIR NOX allowance allocations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... heat input for each year calculated as follows: (A) If the unit is coal-fired during the year, the unit... the first such 5 years. (2)(i) A unit's control period heat input, and a unit's status as coal-fired... Allocations § 97.142 CAIR NOX allowance allocations. (a)(1) The baseline heat input (in mmBtu) used with...

Optimal allocation of reviewers for peer feedback

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wind, David Kofoed; Jensen, Ulf Aslak; Jørgensen, Rasmus Malthe

2017-01-01

feedback to be effective students should give and receive useful feedback. A key challenge in peer feedback is allocating the feedback givers in a good way. It is important that reviewers are allocated to submissions such that the feedback distribution is fair - meaning that all students receive good......Peer feedback is the act of letting students give feedback to each other on submitted work. There are multiple reasons to use peer feedback, including students getting more feedback, time saving for teachers and increased learning by letting students reflect on work by others. In order for peer...... indicated the quality of the feedback. Using this model together with historical data we calculate the feedback-giving skill of each student and uses that as input to an allocation algorithm that assigns submissions to reviewers, in order to optimize the feedback quality for all students. We test...

Attention mediates the flexible allocation of visual working memory resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Emrich, Stephen M; Lockhart, Holly A; Al-Aidroos, Naseem

2017-07-01

Though it is clear that it is impossible to store an unlimited amount of information in visual working memory (VWM), the limiting mechanisms remain elusive. While several models of VWM limitations exist, these typically characterize changes in performance as a function of the number of to-be-remembered items. Here, we examine whether changes in spatial attention could better account for VWM performance, independent of load. Across 2 experiments, performance was better predicted by the prioritization of memory items (i.e., attention) than by the number of items to be remembered (i.e., memory load). This relationship followed a power law, and held regardless of whether performance was assessed based on overall precision or any of 3 measures in a mixture model. Moreover, at large set sizes, even minimally attended items could receive a small proportion of resources, without any evidence for a discrete-capacity on the number of items that could be maintained in VWM. Finally, the observed data were best fit by a variable-precision model in which response error was related to the proportion of resources allocated to each item, consistent with a model of VWM in which performance is determined by the continuous allocation of attentional resources during encoding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Method for optimizing resource allocation in a government organization. Ph.D. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Afarin, James

1994-01-01

The managers in Federal agencies are challenged to control the extensive activities in government and still provide high-quality products and services to the American taxpayers. Considering today's complex social and economic environment and the $3.8 billion daily cost of operating the Federal Government, it is evident that there is a need to develop decision-making tools for accurate resource allocation and total quality management. The goal of this thesis is to provide a methodical process that will aid managers in Federal Government to make budgetary decisions based on the cost of services, the agency's objectives, and the customers' perception of the agency's product. A general resource allocation procedure was developed in this study that can be applied to any government organization. A government organization, hereafter the 'organization,' is assumed to be a multidivision enterprise. This procedure was applied to a small organization for the proof of the concept. This organization is the Technical Services Directorate (TSD) at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. As part of the procedure, a nonlinear programming model was developed to account for the resources of the organization, the outputs produced by the organization, the decision-maker's views, and the customers' satisfaction with the organization. The information on the resources of the organization was acquired from current budget levels of the organization and the human resources assigned to the divisions. The outputs of the organization were defined and measured by identifying metrics that assess the outputs, the most challenging task in this study. The decision-maker's views are represented in the model as weights assigned to the various outputs and were quantified by using the analytic hierarchy process. The customer's opinions regarding the outputs of the organization were collected through questionnaires that were designed for each division individually. Following the philosophy of

Influence of Powder Bed Preheating on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of H13 Tool Steel SLM Parts

Science.gov (United States)

Mertens, R.; Vrancken, B.; Holmstock, N.; Kinds, Y.; Kruth, J.-P.; Van Humbeeck, J.

Powder bed preheating is a promising development in selective laser melting (SLM), mainly applied to avoid large thermal stresses in the material. This study analyses the effect of in-process preheating on microstructure, mechanical properties and residual stresses during SLM of H13 tool steel. Sample parts are produced without any preheating and are compared to the corresponding parts made with preheating at 100°, 200°, 300°, and 400°C. Interestingly, internal stresses at the top surface of the parts evolve from compressive (-324MPa) without preheating to tensile stresses (371MPa) with preheating at 400°C. Nevertheless, application of powder bed preheating results in a more homogeneous microstructure with better mechanical properties compared to H13 SLM parts produced without preheating. The fine bainitic microstructure leads to hardness values of 650-700Hv and ultimate tensile strength of 1965MPa, which are comparable to or even better than those of conventionally made and heat treated H13 tool steel.

Optimal allocation of sensors for state estimation of distributed parameter systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sunahara, Yoshifumi; Ohsumi, Akira; Mogami, Yoshio.

1978-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a method for finding the optimal allocation of sensors for state estimation of linear distributed parameter systems. This method is based on the criterion that the error covariance associated with the state estimate becomes minimal with respect to the allocation of the sensors. A theorem is established, giving the sufficient condition for optimizing the allocation of sensors to make minimal the error covariance approximated by a modal expansion. The remainder of this paper is devoted to illustrate important phases of the general theory of the optimal measurement allocation problem. To do this, several examples are demonstrated, including extensive discussions on the mutual relation between the optimal allocation and the dynamics of sensors. (author)

Competition for Export Markets and the Allocation of Foreign Aid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barthel, Fabian; Neumeyer, Erich; Nunnenkamp, Peter

We account for the competition for export markets among the donor countries of foreign aid by analyzing spatial dependence in aid allocation. We employ sector-specific aid data, distinguishing between first and second stage decisions on the selection of recipient countries and the amount of aid...... allocated to selected recipients. We find that the five largest donors react to aid giving by other donors with whom they compete in terms of exporting goods and services to a specific recipient country at both stages of their allocation of aid for economic infrastructure and productive sectors. By contrast......, evidence for export competition driving aid allocation is lacking for more altruistic donors and for aid in social infrastructure....

[Food and nutrition security policy in Brazil: an analysis of resource allocation].

Science.gov (United States)

Custódio, Marta Battaglia; Yuba, Tânia Yuka; Cyrillo, Denise Cavallini

2013-02-01

To describe the progression and distribution of federal funds for programs and activities that fall within the scope of the guidelines of the Brazilian National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security (PNSAN) in the period from 2004 to 2010. This descriptive study used data from the Transparency Website maintained by the Brazilian Public Sector Internal Control Office. Search results were exported to Excel spreadsheets. To determine the resources allocated to food security initiatives, a database was set up containing all actions developed by the federal government between 2004 and 2010. This database was reviewed and the actions that were not related to PNSAN were discarded. The annual amounts obtained were corrected by the Consumer Price Index and updated for the year 2010. Since actions are part of specific programs, the sum of the resources allocated for all the actions of a program amounted to the resources invested in the program as a whole. The programs were then prioritized according to the amount of resources received in 2010. Of the 5 014 actions receiving federal funds in the study period, 814 were related to PNSAN (229 programs). There was growth in resources allocated for PNSAN programs, reaching US$ 15 billion in 2010 (an 82% increase over the previous year). The largest amount was invested in Bolsa Família, a cash transfer program. Ten programs received 90% of the funds, of which five were linked to food production processes. The amount of resources invested in the PNSAN and in actions and programs that promote food and nutrition security is increasing in Brazil.

On capital allocation for stochastic arrangement increasing actuarial risks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pan Xiaoqing

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the increasing convex ordering of the optimal discounted capital allocations for stochastic arrangement increasing risks with stochastic arrangement decreasing occurrence times. The application to optimal allocation of policy limits is presented as an illustration as well.

Portfolio allocation under the vendor managed inventory: A Markov ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Portfolio allocation under the vendor managed inventory: A Markov decision process. ... Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management ... This study provides a review of Markov decision processes and investigates its suitability for solutions to portfolio allocation problems under vendor managed inventory in ...

Rethinking Reinforcement: Allocation, Induction, and Contingency

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, William M

2012-01-01

The concept of reinforcement is at least incomplete and almost certainly incorrect. An alternative way of organizing our understanding of behavior may be built around three concepts: allocation, induction, and correlation. Allocation is the measure of behavior and captures the centrality of choice: All behavior entails choice and consists of choice. Allocation changes as a result of induction and correlation. The term induction covers phenomena such as adjunctive, interim, and terminal behavior—behavior induced in a situation by occurrence of food or another Phylogenetically Important Event (PIE) in that situation. Induction resembles stimulus control in that no one-to-one relation exists between induced behavior and the inducing event. If one allowed that some stimulus control were the result of phylogeny, then induction and stimulus control would be identical, and a PIE would resemble a discriminative stimulus. Much evidence supports the idea that a PIE induces all PIE-related activities. Research also supports the idea that stimuli correlated with PIEs become PIE-related conditional inducers. Contingencies create correlations between “operant” activity (e.g., lever pressing) and PIEs (e.g., food). Once an activity has become PIE-related, the PIE induces it along with other PIE-related activities. Contingencies also constrain possible performances. These constraints specify feedback functions, which explain phenomena such as the higher response rates on ratio schedules in comparison with interval schedules. Allocations that include a lot of operant activity are “selected” only in the sense that they generate more frequent occurrence of the PIE within the constraints of the situation; contingency and induction do the “selecting.” PMID:22287807

Resource allocation on computational grids using a utility model and the knapsack problem

CERN Document Server

Van der ster, Daniel C; Parra-Hernandez, Rafael; Sobie, Randall J

2009-01-01

This work introduces a utility model (UM) for resource allocation on computational grids and formulates the allocation problem as a variant of the 0–1 multichoice multidimensional knapsack problem. The notion of task-option utility is introduced, and it is used to effect allocation policies. We present a variety of allocation policies, which are expressed as functions of metrics that are both intrinsic and external to the task and resources. An external user-defined credit-value metric is shown to allow users to intervene in the allocation of urgent or low priority tasks. The strategies are evaluated in simulation against random workloads as well as those drawn from real systems. We measure the sensitivity of the UM-derived schedules to variations in the allocation policies and their corresponding utility functions. The UM allocation strategy is shown to optimally allocate resources congruent with the chosen policies.

Allocation of scarce resources during mass casualty events.

Science.gov (United States)

Timbie, Justin W; Ringel, Jeanne S; Fox, D Steven; Waxman, Daniel A; Pillemer, Francesca; Carey, Christine; Moore, Melinda; Karir, Veena; Johnson, Tiffani J; Iyer, Neema; Hu, Jianhui; Shanman, Roberta; Larkin, Jody Wozar; Timmer, Martha; Motala, Aneesa; Perry, Tanja R; Newberry, Sydne; Kellermann, Arthur L

2012-06-01

This systematic review sought to identify the best available evidence regarding strategies for allocating scarce resources during mass casualty events (MCEs). Specifically, the review addresses the following questions: (1) What strategies are available to policymakers to optimize the allocation of scarce resources during MCEs? (2) What strategies are available to providers to optimize the allocation of scarce resources during MCEs? (3) What are the public's key perceptions and concerns regarding the implementation of strategies to allocate scarce resources during MCEs? (4) What methods are available to engage providers in discussions regarding the development and implementation of strategies to allocate scarce resources during MCEs? We searched Medline, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Global Health, Web of Science®, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from 1990 through 2011. To identify relevant non-peer-reviewed reports, we searched the New York Academy of Medicine's Grey Literature Report. We also reviewed relevant State and Federal plans, peer-reviewed reports and papers by nongovernmental organizations, and consensus statements published by professional societies. We included both English- and foreign-language studies. Our review included studies that evaluated tested strategies in real-world MCEs as well as strategies tested in drills, exercises, or computer simulations, all of which included a comparison group. We reviewed separately studies that lacked a comparison group but nonetheless evaluated promising strategies. We also identified consensus recommendations developed by professional societies or government panels. We reviewed existing State plans to examine the current state of planning for scarce resource allocation during MCEs. Two investigators independently reviewed each article, abstracted data, and assessed study quality. We considered 5,716 reports for this comparative effectiveness

Foreign Bank Entry and Credit Allocation in Emerging Markets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Degryse, H.A.; Havrylchyk, O.; Jurzyk, E.; Kozak, S.

2009-01-01

We employ a unique data set containing bank-specific information to explore how foreign bank entry determines credit allocation in emerging markets. We investigate the impact of the mode of foreign entry (greenfield or takeover) on banks’ portfolio allocation to borrowers with different degrees of

Resource Allocation and Public Policy in Alberta's Postsecondary System.

Science.gov (United States)

Barneston, Bob; Boberg, Alice

2000-01-01

Resource allocation in Alberta's postsecondary system has changed substantially since 1994, designed to reapportion financial responsibility for higher education, increase vocational outcomes of postsecondary education, and increase transfer of knowledge and technology to the private sector. This paper outlines how resource allocation has been…

DETERMINATION OF TRANSMISSION GEAR RATIO IN MECHANICAL PART OF TRACTOR ELECTRO-MECHANICAL TRANSMISSION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ch. I. Zhdanovich

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A methodology has been developed for selection of gear number and transmission gear ratios in mechanical part of a wheel-type tractor with electro-mechanical transmission containing a propulsion asynchronous electric motor with variablefrequency control. The paper proposes to determine a transmission gear ratio on the basis of the following: provision of wheel torque dependence on tractor speed which is the best one for a traction process and during transfer from one gear to the other; provision of nominal operational mode of the electric motor for all tractor operations where it is working for a long period of time; provision of minimum possible number of gears; complete realization of internal combustion engine power on the tractor wheels at limit operational mode of the electric motor. As a characteristic of the asynchronous electric motor with variable-frequency control contains various portions which can be used either completely or partially due to operating conditions, the gear number is determined in the process of transmission gear ration finding but not prior to this. A wheel torque of the tractor with electro-mechanical transmission can be limited according to the following factors: grip of wheel with supporting surface; maximum power of an internal combustion engine which can be transferred to the wheels and a torque which is developed by a propulsion electric motor. It is not proposed to exceed nominal operational mode of the propulsion electric motor for all the operations of the tractor if it is working for a long period of time because in the case of significant excess of the nominal operational mode of the asynchronous electric motor its rather long operation leads to low efficiency and high losses in power, large heat liberation and consequently requires to develop more complicated system for electric motor cooling. An excess of nominal electric motor torque can be justified for short-term operational modes because in this case

Perception-based Co-evolutionary Reinforcement Learning for UAV Sensor Allocation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Berenji, Hamid

2003-01-01

.... A Perception-based reasoning approach based on co-evolutionary reinforcement learning was developed for jointly addressing sensor allocation on each individual UAV and allocation of a team of UAVs...

Biomass Resource Allocation among Competing End Uses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newes, E.; Bush, B.; Inman, D.; Lin, Y.; Mai, T.; Martinez, A.; Mulcahy, D.; Short, W.; Simpkins, T.; Uriarte, C.; Peck, C.

2012-05-01

The Biomass Scenario Model (BSM) is a system dynamics model developed by the U.S. Department of Energy as a tool to better understand the interaction of complex policies and their potential effects on the biofuels industry in the United States. However, it does not currently have the capability to account for allocation of biomass resources among the various end uses, which limits its utilization in analysis of policies that target biomass uses outside the biofuels industry. This report provides a more holistic understanding of the dynamics surrounding the allocation of biomass among uses that include traditional use, wood pellet exports, bio-based products and bioproducts, biopower, and biofuels by (1) highlighting the methods used in existing models' treatments of competition for biomass resources; (2) identifying coverage and gaps in industry data regarding the competing end uses; and (3) exploring options for developing models of biomass allocation that could be integrated with the BSM to actively exchange and incorporate relevant information.

Innovative Approach for Developing Spacecraft Interior Acoustic Requirement Allocation

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, S. Reynold; Dandaroy, Indranil; Allen, Christopher S.

2016-01-01

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is an American spacecraft for carrying four astronauts during deep space missions. This paper describes an innovative application of Power Injection Method (PIM) for allocating Orion cabin continuous noise Sound Pressure Level (SPL) limits to the sound power level (PWL) limits of major noise sources in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) during all mission phases. PIM is simulated using both Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) and Hybrid Statistical Energy Analysis-Finite Element (SEA-FE) models of the Orion MPCV to obtain the transfer matrix from the PWL of the noise sources to the acoustic energies of the receivers, i.e., the cavities associated with the cabin habitable volume. The goal of the allocation strategy is to control the total energy of cabin habitable volume for maintaining the required SPL limits. Simulations are used to demonstrate that applying the allocated PWLs to the noise sources in the models indeed reproduces the SPL limits in the habitable volume. The effects of Noise Control Treatment (NCT) on allocated noise source PWLs are investigated. The measurement of source PWLs of involved fan and pump development units are also discussed as it is related to some case-specific details of the allocation strategy discussed here.

Optimal allocation of international atomic energy agency inspection resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markin, J.T.

1987-01-01

Each year the Department of Safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducts inspections to confirm that nuclear materials and facilities are employed for peaceful purposes. Because of limited inspection resources, however, the IAEA cannot fully attain its safeguards goals either quantitatively as measured by the inspection effort negotiated in the facility attachments or qualitatively as measured by the IAEA criteria for evaluating attainment of safeguards goals. Under current IAEA procedures the allocation of inspection resources assigns essentially equal inspection effort to facilities of the same type. An alternative approach would incorporate consideration of all material categories and facilities to be assigned inspection resources when allocating effort to a particular facility. One such method for allocating inspection resources is based on the IAEA criteria. The criteria provide a framework for allocating inspection effort that includes a ranking of material types according to their safeguards importance, an implicit definition of inspection activities for each material and facility type, and criteria for judging the attainment of safeguards goals in terms of the quality and frequency of these inspection activities. This framework is applicable to resource allocation for an arbitrary group of facilities such as a state's fuel cycle, the facilities inspected by an operations division, or all of the facilities inspected by the IAEA

Automation trust and attention allocation in multitasking workspace.

Science.gov (United States)

Karpinsky, Nicole D; Chancey, Eric T; Palmer, Dakota B; Yamani, Yusuke

2018-07-01

Previous research suggests that operators with high workload can distrust and then poorly monitor automation, which has been generally inferred from automation dependence behaviors. To test automation monitoring more directly, the current study measured operators' visual attention allocation, workload, and trust toward imperfect automation in a dynamic multitasking environment. Participants concurrently performed a manual tracking task with two levels of difficulty and a system monitoring task assisted by an unreliable signaling system. Eye movement data indicate that operators allocate less visual attention to monitor automation when the tracking task is more difficult. Participants reported reduced levels of trust toward the signaling system when the tracking task demanded more focused visual attention. Analyses revealed that trust mediated the relationship between the load of the tracking task and attention allocation in Experiment 1, an effect that was not replicated in Experiment 2. Results imply a complex process underlying task load, visual attention allocation, and automation trust during multitasking. Automation designers should consider operators' task load in multitasking workspaces to avoid reduced automation monitoring and distrust toward imperfect signaling systems. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Phylogeny determines flower size-dependent sex allocation at flowering in a hermaphroditic family.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixido, A L; Guzmán, B; Staggemeier, V G; Valladares, F

2017-11-01

In animal-pollinated hermaphroditic plants, optimal floral allocation determines relative investment into sexes, which is ultimately dependent on flower size. Larger flowers disproportionally increase maleness whereas smaller and less rewarding flowers favour female function. Although floral traits are considered strongly conserved, phylogenetic relationships in the interspecific patterns of resource allocation to floral sex remain overlooked. We investigated these patterns in Cistaceae, a hermaphroditic family. We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among Cistaceae species and quantified phylogenetic signal for flower size, dry mass and nutrient allocation to floral structures in 23 Mediterranean species using Blomberg's K-statistic. Lastly, phylogenetically-controlled correlational and regression analyses were applied to examine flower size-based allometry in resource allocation to floral structures. Sepals received the highest dry mass allocation, followed by petals, whereas sexual structures increased nutrient allocation. Flower size and resource allocation to floral structures, except for carpels, showed a strong phylogenetic signal. Larger-flowered species allometrically allocated more resources to maleness, by increasing allocation to corollas and stamens. Our results suggest a major role of phylogeny in determining interspecific changes in flower size and subsequent floral sex allocation. This implies that flower size balances the male-female function over the evolutionary history of Cistaceae. While allometric resource investment in maleness is inherited across species diversification, allocation to the female function seems a labile trait that varies among closely related species that have diversified into different ecological niches. © 2017 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Robust Power Allocation for Multi-Carrier Amplify-and-Forward Relaying Systems

KAUST Repository

Rao, Anlei

2012-09-08

It has been shown that adaptive power allocation can provide a substantial performance gain in wireless communication systems when perfect channel state information (CSI) is available at the transmitter. However when only imperfect CSI is available, the performance may degrade significantly, and as such robust power allocation schemes have been developed to minimize the effects of this degradation. In this paper, we investigate power allocation strategies for multicarrier systems, in which each subcarrier employs single amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying scheme. Optimal power allocation schemes are proposed by maximizing the approximated channel capacity under aggregate power constraint (APC) and separate power constraint (SPC). By comparison with the uniform power allocation scheme and the best channel power allocation scheme, we confirm that both the APC and SPC schemes achieve a performance gain over benchmark schemes. In addition, the impact of channel uncertainty is also considered in this paper by modeling the uncertainty regions as bounded sets, and results show that the uncertainty can degrade the worst-case performance significantly.

Attribute framing affects the perceived fairness of health care allocation principles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eyal Gamliel

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Health care resource allocation is a central moral issue in health policy, and opinions about it have been studied extensively. Allocation situations have typically been described and presented in a positive manner (i.e., who should receive medical aid. On the other hand, the negative valence allocation situation (i.e., who should not receive medical aid has been relatively neglected. This paper demonstrates how positive versus negative framing of the exact same health care resource allocation situation can affect the perceived fairness of allocation principles. Participants usually perceived non-egalitarian principles (i.e., need, equity and tenure to be fairer in positively framed situations (i.e., to deliver health care resources to certain patients than negatively framed situation (i.e., not to deliver health care resources to other patients. However, framing did not affect the perceived fairness of the equality principle (i.e., a random draw. The paper offers a theoretical explanation for the effect of framing on the perceived fairness of heath care resource allocation and discusses implications for both researchers and policy makers.

An assessment of Nigerias budgetary allocation to the education ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study assessed Nigerias budgetary allocations to the Education sector from year 2000 to 2010. Simple percentage method was adopted in the empirical investigation. The study showed that Nigerias budgetary allocation was less than the 26 percent recommended by the United Nations Educational Scientifc and ...

Updates to the Demographic and Spatial Allocation Models to ...

Science.gov (United States)

EPA announced the availability of the draft report, Updates to the Demographic and Spatial Allocation Models to Produce Integrated Climate and Land Use Scenarios (ICLUS) for a 30-day public comment period. The ICLUS version 2 (v2) modeling tool furthered land change modeling by providing nationwide housing development scenarios up to 2100. ICLUS V2 includes updated population and land use data sets and addressing limitations identified in ICLUS v1 in both the migration and spatial allocation models. The companion user guide describes the development of ICLUS v2 and the updates that were made to the original data sets and the demographic and spatial allocation models. [2017 UPDATE] Get the latest version of ICLUS and stay up-to-date by signing up to the ICLUS mailing list. The GIS tool enables users to run SERGoM with the population projections developed for the ICLUS project and allows users to modify the spatial allocation housing density across the landscape.

Optimization of Power Allocation for Multiusers in Multi-Spot-Beam Satellite Communication Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heng Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, multi-spot-beam satellite communication systems have played a key role in global seamless communication. However, satellite power resources are scarce and expensive, due to the limitations of satellite platform. Therefore, this paper proposes optimizing the power allocation of each user in order to improve the power utilization efficiency. Initially the capacity allocated to each user is calculated according to the satellite link budget equations, which can be achieved in the practical satellite communication systems. The problem of power allocation is then formulated as a convex optimization, taking account of a trade-off between the maximization of the total system capacity and the fairness of power allocation amongst the users. Finally, an iterative algorithm based on the duality theory is proposed to obtain the optimal solution to the optimization. Compared with the traditional uniform resource allocation or proportional resource allocation algorithms, the proposed optimal power allocation algorithm improves the fairness of power allocation amongst the users. Moreover, the computational complexity of the proposed algorithm is linear with both the numbers of the spot beams and users. As a result, the proposed power allocation algorithm is easy to be implemented in practice.

An Agent Based Approach to Coordination of Resource Allocation and Process Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Umair, Aisha

2018-01-01

resource allocation and process performance in CPSoCPS. The proposed coordination mechanism constitutes a meta-model of CPSoCPS, intra-constituent optimisation model and inter-constituent negotiation model. The meta-model of CPSoCPS describes how multiple autonomous constituent-CPSs are networked together...... enhanced functionality and performance compared to that of the sum of individual systems. In this regard, the concept of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) has emerged in recent years. CPSs are the systems, which combine computational algorithms and communication with physical processes. The System...... type of SoS where each constituent system constitutes a CPS. An important challenge in this case is to develop seamless collaboration between the constituent-CPSs to coordinate the operations of several autonomous-yet- interacting CPSs. In this thesis, we propose a coordination mechanism to coordinate...

Optimal power allocation for SM-OFDM systems with imperfect channel estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Feng; Song, Lijun; Lei, Xia; Xiao, Yue; Jiang, Zhao Xiang; Jin, Maozhu

2016-01-01

This paper analyses the bit error rate (BER) of the spatial modulation orthogonal frequency division multiplex (SM-OFDM) system and derives the optimal power allocation between the data and the pilot symbols by minimizing the upper bound for the BER operating with imperfect channel estimation. Furthermore, we prove the proposed optimal power allocation scheme applies to all generalized linear interpolation techniques with the minimum mean square error (MMSE) channel estimation . Simulation results show that employing the proposed optimal power allocation provides a substantial gain in terms of the average BER performance for the SM-OFDM system compared to its equal-power-allocation counterpart.

Applied cost allocation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bogetoft, Peter; Hougaard, Jens Leth; Smilgins, Aleksandrs

2016-01-01

This paper deals with empirical computation of Aumann–Shapley cost shares for joint production. We show that if one uses a mathematical programing approach with its non-parametric estimation of the cost function there may be observations in the data set for which we have multiple Aumann–Shapley p...... of assumptions concerning firm behavior. These assumptions enable us to connect inefficient with efficient production and thereby provide consistent ways of allocating the costs arising from inefficiency....

Carbon allocation and carbon isotope fluxes in the plant-soil-atmosphere continuum: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Brüggemann

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The terrestrial carbon (C cycle has received increasing interest over the past few decades, however, there is still a lack of understanding of the fate of newly assimilated C allocated within plants and to the soil, stored within ecosystems and lost to the atmosphere. Stable carbon isotope studies can give novel insights into these issues. In this review we provide an overview of an emerging picture of plant-soil-atmosphere C fluxes, as based on C isotope studies, and identify processes determining related C isotope signatures. The first part of the review focuses on isotopic fractionation processes within plants during and after photosynthesis. The second major part elaborates on plant-internal and plant-rhizosphere C allocation patterns at different time scales (diel, seasonal, interannual, including the speed of C transfer and time lags in the coupling of assimilation and respiration, as well as the magnitude and controls of plant-soil C allocation and respiratory fluxes. Plant responses to changing environmental conditions, the functional relationship between the physiological and phenological status of plants and C transfer, and interactions between C, water and nutrient dynamics are discussed. The role of the C counterflow from the rhizosphere to the aboveground parts of the plants, e.g. via CO₂ dissolved in the xylem water or as xylem-transported sugars, is highlighted. The third part is centered around belowground C turnover, focusing especially on above- and belowground litter inputs, soil organic matter formation and turnover, production and loss of dissolved organic C, soil respiration and CO₂ fixation by soil microbes. Furthermore, plant controls on microbial communities and activity via exudates and litter production as well as microbial community effects on C mineralization are reviewed. A further part of the paper is dedicated to physical interactions between soil CO₂ and the soil matrix, such as

77 FR 2240 - Allocation and Apportionment of Interest Expense

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-17

... allocation and apportionment of interest expense using the fair market value asset method. The temporary regulations also update the interest allocation regulations to conform to the changes made to the applicable... using the fair market value method. The text of those regulations also serves as the text of these...

Comment: Risk Allocation Norms of Civil Construction Contracts in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This comment discusses risk allocation under Ethiopian construction law and examines risks in civil construction contracts. The comment highlights the gaps in risk allocation norms under the standard format of construction contract that was issued by the Ethiopian Ministry of Work and Urban Development (MoWUD) in 1994 ...

Equity in the allocation of public sector financial resources in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Anselmi, Laura; Lagarde, Mylene; Hanson, Kara

2015-05-01

This review aims to identify, assess and analyse the evidence on equity in the distribution of public health sector expenditure in low- and middle-income countries. Four bibliographic databases and five websites were searched to identify quantitative studies examining equity in the distribution of public health funding in individual countries or groups of countries. Two different types of studies were identified: benefit incidence analysis (BIA) and resource allocation comparison (RAC) studies. Quality appraisal and data synthesis were tailored to each study type to reflect differences in the methods used and in the information provided. We identified 39 studies focusing on African, Asian and Latin American countries. Of these, 31 were BIA studies that described the distribution, typically across socio-economic status, of individual monetary benefit derived from service utilization. The remaining eight were RAC studies that compared the actual expenditure across geographic areas to an ideal need-based distribution. Overall, the quality of the evidence from both types of study was relatively weak. Looking across studies, the evidence confirms that resource allocation formulae can enhance equity in resource allocation across geographic areas and that the poor benefits proportionally more from primary health care than from hospital expenditure. The lack of information on the distribution of benefit from utilization in RAC studies and on the countries' approaches to resource allocation in BIA studies prevents further policy analysis. Additional research that relates the type of resource allocation mechanism to service provision and to the benefit distribution is required for a better understanding of equity-enhancing resource allocation policies. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

Habitat stress initiates changes in composition, CO2 gas exchange and C-allocation as life traits in biological soil crusts.

Science.gov (United States)

Colesie, Claudia; Green, T G Allan; Haferkamp, Ilka; Büdel, Burkhard

2014-10-01

Biological soil crusts (BSC) are the dominant functional vegetation unit in some of the harshest habitats in the world. We assessed BSC response to stress through changes in biotic composition, CO2 gas exchange and carbon allocation in three lichen-dominated BSC from habitats with different stress levels, two more extreme sites in Antarctica and one moderate site in Germany. Maximal net photosynthesis (NP) was identical, whereas the water content to achieve maximal NP was substantially lower in the Antarctic sites, this apparently being achieved by changes in biomass allocation. Optimal NP temperatures reflected local climate. The Antarctic BSC allocated fixed carbon (tracked using (14)CO2) mostly to the alcohol soluble pool (low-molecular weight sugars, sugar alcohols), which has an important role in desiccation and freezing resistance and antioxidant protection. In contrast, BSC at the moderate site showed greater carbon allocation into the polysaccharide pool, indicating a tendency towards growth. The results indicate that the BSC of the more stressed Antarctic sites emphasise survival rather than growth. Changes in BSC are adaptive and at multiple levels and we identify benefits and risks attached to changing life traits, as well as describing the ecophysiological mechanisms that underlie them.

CO_2 emissions and energy intensity reduction allocation over provincial industrial sectors in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Jie; Zhu, Qingyuan; Liang, Liang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • DEA is used to evaluate the energy and environmental efficiency of 30 provincial industrial sector in China. • A new DEA-based model is proposed to allocate the CO_2 emissions and energy intensity reduction targets. • The context-dependent DEA is used to characterize the production plans. - Abstract: High energy consumption by the industry of developing countries has led to the problems of increasing emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) (primarily CO_2) and worsening energy shortages. To address these problems, many mitigation measures have been utilized. One major measure is to mandate fixed reductions of GHG emission and energy consumption. Therefore, it is important for each developing country to disaggregate their national reduction targets into targets for various geographical parts of the country. In this paper, we propose a DEA-based approach to allocate China’s national CO_2 emissions and energy intensity reduction targets over Chinese provincial industrial sectors. We firstly evaluate the energy and environmental efficiency of Chinese industry considering energy consumption and GHG emissions. Then, considering the necessity of mitigating GHG emission and energy consumption, we develop a context-dependent DEA technique which can better characterize the changeable production with reductions of CO_2 emission and energy intensity, to help allocate the national reduction targets over provincial industrial sectors. Our empirical study of 30 Chinese regions for the period 2005–2010 shows that the industry of China had poor energy and environmental efficiency. Considering three major geographical areas, eastern China’s industrial sector had the highest efficiency scores while in this aspect central and western China were similar to each other at a lower level. Our study shows that the most effective allocation of the national reduction target requires most of the 30 regional industrial to reduce CO_2 emission and energy intensity, while a

Environment assessment: allocation of petroleum feedstock, Algonquin SNG Inc. , Freetown SNG Plant, Bristol County, MA. [Effects of 100, 78, 49% allocations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

The proposed administrative action to deny, grant or modify the Algonquin SNG, Inc. (Algonquin) petition for an adjusted allocation of naphtha feedstock may significantly affect the ehuman environment. The volume of feedstock requested is 4,425,571 barrels per year of naphtha to be used in Algonquin's Freetown, MA synthetic natural gas (SNG) plant. Environmental impacts of 100, 78, and 49% allocations were evaluated.

Intra-regional Diffusion of Spectrum License Allocation Policies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pogrebnyakov, Nicolai; Maitland, Carleen F.

2013-01-01

-depth qualitative analyses to compare effects of various diffusion mechanisms; diffusion of spectrum license allocation policies at the regional level was more strongly driven by a policy’s likely effectiveness, as compared to potential payoffs for policymakers; and conversely, at the national level diffusion...... regions. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative comparative case method is used. Cases are developed from secondary data from the European Union and South America, and analyzed at the national and regional levels. Findings – The results suggest: the expected utility model can be used for in...... was driven by both payoffs for the policymakers and likely policy effectiveness. Originality/value – The two academic contributions of the paper are its expansion of a unified policy diffusion model to simultaneously account for regional and national levels of governance, as well as for technological change...

Children's Evaluations of Resource Allocation in the Context of Group Norms

Science.gov (United States)

Cooley, Shelby; Killen, Melanie

2015-01-01

This study investigated children's evaluations of peer group members who deviated from group norms about equal and unequal allocation of resources. Children, ages 3.5 to 4 years and 5 to 6 years (N = 73), were asked to evaluate a peer group member who deviated from 1 of 2 group allocation norms: (a) equal allocation of resources, or (b) unequal…

Vascularized Composite Allografts: Procurement, Allocation, and Implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmel, Axel

Vascularized composite allotransplantation is a continuously evolving area of modern transplant medicine. Recently, vascularized composite allografts (VCAs) have been formally classified as 'organs'. In this review, key aspects of VCA procurement are discussed, with a special focus on interaction with the procurement of classical solid organs. In addition, options for a matching and allocation system that ensures VCA donor organs are allocated to the best-suited recipients are looked at. Finally, the different steps needed to promote VCA transplantation in society in general and in the medical community in particular are highlighted.

40 CFR 60.4153 - Recordation of Hg allowance allocations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recordation of Hg allowance allocations... Times for Coal-Fired Electric Steam Generating Units Hg Allowance Tracking System § 60.4153 Recordation of Hg allowance allocations. (a) By December 1, 2006, the Administrator will record in the Hg Budget...

The incidence of local government allocations in Tanzania

OpenAIRE

Jameson Boex

2003-01-01

Since 1999, Tanzania has been actively pursuing reforms of the way in which the central government finances local government activities. This paper looks at the current incidence of central government allocations to local authorities in Tanzania through: 1) examining of potential problems with the current financing method, 2) showing large variations between local government allocations, and 3) finding that surprisingly what drives t his distribution of resources maybe substantial pro-wealthy...

Global trends and challenges in deceased donor kidney allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Diana A; Watson, Christopher J; Bradley, J Andrew; Johnson, Rachel J; Forsythe, John L; Oniscu, Gabriel C

2017-06-01

Worldwide, the number of patients able to benefit from kidney transplantation is greatly restricted by the severe shortage of deceased donor organs. Allocation of this scarce resource is increasingly challenging and complex. Striking an acceptable balance between efficient use of (utility) and fair access to (equity) the limited supply of donated kidneys raises controversial but important debates at ethical, medical, and social levels. There is no international consensus on the recipient and donor factors that should be considered in the kidney allocation process. There is a general trend toward a reduction in the influence of human leukocyte antigen mismatch and an increase in the importance of other factors shown to affect posttransplant outcomes, such as cold ischemia, duration of dialysis, donor and recipient age, and comorbidity. Increased consideration of equity has led to improved access to transplantation for disadvantaged patient groups. There has been an overall improvement in the transparency and accountability of allocation policies. Novel and contentious approaches in kidney allocation include the use of survival prediction scores as a criterion for accessing the waiting list and at the point of organ offering with matching of predicted graft and recipient survival. This review compares the diverse international approaches to deceased donor kidney allocation and their evolution over the last decade. Copyright © 2017 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimal allocation of trend following strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Grebenkov, Denis S.; Serror, Jeremy

2015-09-01

We consider a portfolio allocation problem for trend following (TF) strategies on multiple correlated assets. Under simplifying assumptions of a Gaussian market and linear TF strategies, we derive analytical formulas for the mean and variance of the portfolio return. We construct then the optimal portfolio that maximizes risk-adjusted return by accounting for inter-asset correlations. The dynamic allocation problem for n assets is shown to be equivalent to the classical static allocation problem for n2 virtual assets that include lead-lag corrections in positions of TF strategies. The respective roles of asset auto-correlations and inter-asset correlations are investigated in depth for the two-asset case and a sector model. In contrast to the principle of diversification suggesting to treat uncorrelated assets, we show that inter-asset correlations allow one to estimate apparent trends more reliably and to adjust the TF positions more efficiently. If properly accounted for, inter-asset correlations are not deteriorative but beneficial for portfolio management that can open new profit opportunities for trend followers. These concepts are illustrated using daily returns of three highly correlated futures markets: the E-mini S&P 500, Euro Stoxx 50 index, and the US 10-year T-note futures.

Fast Allocation and Deallocation with an Improved Buddy System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brodal, Gerth Stølting; Demaine, Erik D.; Munro, J. Ian

2005-01-01

We propose several modifications to the binary buddy system for managing dynamic allocation of memory blocks whose sizes are powers of two. The standard buddy system allocates and deallocates blocks in Theta(lg n) time in the worst case (and on an amortized basis), where n is the size of the memo...

Planning and Resource Allocation Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Jack W.

1986-01-01

Modern scientific management techniques provide college administrators with valuable planning and resource allocation insights and enhances the decision process. The planning model should incorporate assessment, strategic planning, dynamic and long-term budgeting, operational planning, and feedback and control for actual operations. (MSE)

Optimization Case Study: ISR Allocation in the Global Force Management Process

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

assets available to meet the GCC requirements. The Joint Staff, in concert with USSTRATCOM, use many factors to prioritize allocation of assets to...include determining which GCC gets the assets and for how long. The decision influencers recommend a resource allocation solution based on experience...The allocation process illustrated in Figure 1 is the OV-1 diagram from the Joint Staff Global Force Management Enterprise Integration

Factors of Selection of the Stock Allocation Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohov Heorhii K.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The article describes results of the author’s study of factors of making strategic decisions on selection of methods of stock allocation by public joint stock companies in Ukraine. The author used the Random forest mathematical apparatus of classification trees building and also informal methods. The article analyses the reasons that restrain public allocation of stock. It shows significant influence upon selection of a method of stock allocation of such factors as capital concentration, balance rate of corporate rights, sector of economy and significant participation of the institutes of common investment or the state in the authorised capital. The built hierarchical model of classification of factors of the issuing policy of joint stock companies finds logical justification in specific features of the institutional environment, however, it does not fit into the framework of the classical concept of the market economy. The model could be used both for formation of goals of corporate financial strategies and in the process of improvement of state regulation of activity of securities issuers. The prospect of further studies in this direction is identification of transformation of factors of selection of the stock allocation method under conditions of revival of the stock market.

Can liming change root anatomy, biomass allocation and trace element distribution among plant parts of Salix × smithiana in trace element-polluted soils?

Science.gov (United States)

Vondráčková, Stanislava; Tlustoš, Pavel; Száková, Jiřina

2017-08-01

Willows (Salix spp.) are considered to be effective for the phytoremediation of trace elements from contaminated soils, but their efficiency is limited in heavily polluted soils because of poor growth. Liming can be a desirable measure to decrease the plant availability of elements, resulting in improved plant development. Notably, large root area and maximum soil penetration are basic parameters that improve the efficiency of phytoremediation. The impact of soil chemical properties on willow root anatomy and the distribution of trace elements below-ground have rarely been studied. The effect of liming on root parameters, biomass allocation and trace element distribution in non-harvestable (coarse roots, fine roots, stumps) and harvestable plant parts (twigs and leaves) of Salix × smithiana was assessed at the end of a 4-year pot experiment with two trace element-polluted soils that differed in terms of soil pH. Stump biomass predominated in weakly acidic soil. In neutral soil, the majority of biomass was located in fine roots and stumps; the difference from other plant parts was minor. Trace elements were the most concentrated in fine roots. Translocation to above-ground biomass increased as follows: Pb roots roots). Lime application decreased the concentrations of mobile Cd and Zn and related levels in plants, improved biomass production and root parameters and increased the removal of all trace elements in weakly acidic soil. None or minimum differences in the monitored parameters were recorded for dolomite treatments in both soils. The dose and source of liming had crucial effects on root anatomy. Growing willows in limed trace element-polluted soils is a suitable measure for combination of two remediation strategies, i.e. phytoextraction of Cd and Zn and assisted phytostabilization of As and Pb.

Copper economy in Chlamydomonas: Prioritized allocation and reallocation of copper to respiration vs. photosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Kropat, Janette; Gallaher, Sean D.; Urzica, Eugen I.; Nakamoto, Stacie S.; Strenkert, Daniela; Tottey, Stephen; Mason, Andrew Z.; Merchant, Sabeeha S.

2015-01-01

Inorganic elements, although required only in trace amounts, permit life and primary productivity because of their functions in catalysis. Every organism has a minimal requirement of each metal based on the intracellular abundance of proteins that use inorganic cofactors, but elemental sparing mechanisms can reduce this quota. A well-studied copper-sparing mechanism that operates in microalgae faced with copper deficiency is the replacement of the abundant copper protein plastocyanin with a heme-containing substitute, cytochrome (Cyt) c6. This switch, which is dependent on a copper-sensing transcription factor, copper response regulator 1 (CRR1), dramatically reduces the copper quota. We show here that in a situation of marginal copper availability, copper is preferentially allocated from plastocyanin, whose function is dispensable, to other more critical copper-dependent enzymes like Cyt oxidase and a ferroxidase. In the absence of an extracellular source, copper allocation to Cyt oxidase includes CRR1-dependent proteolysis of plastocyanin and quantitative recycling of the copper cofactor from plastocyanin to Cyt oxidase. Transcriptome profiling identifies a gene encoding a Zn-metalloprotease, as a candidate effecting copper recycling. One reason for the retention of genes encoding both plastocyanin and Cyt c6 in algal and cyanobacterial genomes might be because plastocyanin provides a competitive advantage in copper-depleted environments as a ready source of copper. PMID:25646490

Male rock sparrows differentially allocate nest defence but not food provisioning to offspring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matessi, Giuliano; Carmagnani, Cristina; Griggio, Matteo

2009-01-01

for a number of species, while male differential allocation based on female secondary sexual traits has received less attention. Yet females of many species, among birds in particular, are ornamented. We performed a test of male differential allocation based on a female ornament in the rock sparrow (Petronia...... allocation and are in agreement with previous tests of male differential allocation in rock sparrows....

Allocation of Nutrients to Somatic Tissues in Young Ovariectomized Grasshoppers

Science.gov (United States)

Judd, Evan T.; Hatle, John D.; Drewry, Michelle D.; Wessels, Frank J.; Hahn, Daniel A.

2010-01-01

The disposable soma hypothesis predicts that when reproduction is reduced, life span is increased because more nutrients are invested in the soma, increasing somatic repair. Rigorously testing the hypothesis requires tracking nutrients from ingestion to allocation to the soma or to reproduction. Fruit flies on life-extending dietary restriction increase allocation to the soma “relative” to reproduction, suggesting that allocation of nutrients can be associated with extension of life span. Here, we use stable isotopes to track ingested nutrients in ovariectomized grasshoppers during the first oviposition cycle. Previous work has shown that ovariectomy extends life span, but investment of protein in reproduction is not reduced until after the first clutch of eggs is laid. Because ovariectomy does not affect investment in reproduction at this age, the disposable soma hypothesis would predict that ovariectomy should also not affect investment in somatic tissues. We developed grasshopper diets with distinct signatures of 13C and 15N, but that produced equivalent reproductive outputs. These diets are, therefore, appropriate for the reciprocal switches in diet needed for tracking ingested nutrients. Incorporation of stable isotopes into eggs showed that grasshoppers are income breeders, especially for carbon. Allocation to the fat body of nitrogen ingested as adults was slightly increased by ovariectomy; this was our only result that was not consistent with the disposable soma hypothesis. In contrast, ovariectomy did not affect allocation of nitrogen to femoral muscles. Further, allocation of carbon to the fat body or femoral muscles did not appear to be affected by ovariectomy. Total anti-oxidant activities in the hemolymph and femoral muscles were not affected by ovariectomy. These experiments showed that allocation of nutrients was altered little by ovariectomy in young grasshoppers. Additional studies on older individuals are needed to further test the disposable

The Effect of Salicylic Acid and Chelated Magnesium Sulfate on Matters Allocation in Vegetative and Reproductive Parts in Pear cv. Louise Bonne Infected to Fire Blight Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

mahjabin adel

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Distribution of photosynthetic substances between vegetative and reproductive parts is influenced by the environmental factors as well as plant nutrition status. Therefore, application of nutrient substances (such as chelated magnesium sulfate and salicylic acid combination can influence the distribution of photosynthetic substances which in turn result in changes in allocation of photo-assimilates between vegetative and reproductive parts. Since the investigation of partitioning of photo- assimilates is complex and the interpretation of treatments effects on partitioning of substances is difficult in garden plants, this examination has been focused on external application of nutritional treatments on different organs growth by comparing the effects of salicylic acid and chelated magnesium sulfate on the allocation of photo- assimilates. Materials and Methods: This experiment was performed in a commercial 10-year old orchard of Qazvin in 2013. Initially, 60 uniform pears (cv. Louise Bonne which were infected to fire blight disease were selected. Before treatment imposing, agronomic practices such as removing and pruning infected shoots were applied. Treatments were combination of salicylic acid and chelated magnesium sulfate at different levels, which were applied on foliage under the conditions of neutral pollution to fire blight. In the present research, vegetative parameters (current shoot growth, leaf weight, leaf area, relative water content and so on and reproductive parameters (length: diameter ratio and density of fruit and so on were measured. The fully expanded leaves were collected randomly from each replicate. After washing the samples were weighed and these values referred to as initial readings (fresh weight. Then, the leaf samples were placed in distilled water for 24 h in the dark at room temperature. The turgid leaves were blotted dry and weighed (saturation weight. After weighing, the material was oven-dried at 70

INDIRECT LABOR COSTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR OVERHEAD ALLOCATION

OpenAIRE

Bea Chiang

2013-01-01

Cost accounting typically allocates indirect labor cost to cost object based on direct labor hours. The allocation process implicitly assumes that indirect labor costs vary proportionally with direct labor hours. The assumption of a linear relationship between indirect and direct labor is particularly suspicious at low production volume levels because there tends to be a fixed component in indirect labor. The linearity assumption is also challenged by recent increasing complexity of indirect ...

Decision Making on Allocating Urban Green Spaces Based upon Spatially-Varying Relationships between Urban Green Spaces and Urban Compaction Degree

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsueh-Sheng Chang

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The compact city is becoming a prevailing paradigm in the world to control urban sprawl and achieve a pattern of sustainable urban development. However, discussions of the area's overcrowded neighborhoods, its health problems, and the destruction of its green areas have inspired self-examination with respect to the compact city paradigm. High population density attracts even more residents and frequently renders the existing urban green space (UGS insufficient for use as part of a living environment. Due to the unique benefits that these qualities confer, UGS allocation is now considered a significant contributing factor to urban livability. In addition, the UGS allocation may be different due to the presence of many spatial non-stationarity processes. Therefore, this study employs geographically-weighted regression (GWR to explore the unique and spatially-explicit relationships between the degree of urban compaction and UGS within the Taipei metropolitan area. Maps summarizing the GWR results demonstrate that there is significantly insufficient UGS allocation in the central area, which consists mainly of Taipei City. Townships with higher parameters contain UGS levels that better meet the needs of their residents. Overall, the exploration of conceptualizing spatial heterogeneity of relationships between the degree of urban compaction and UGS can provide insightful analyses for decision-making on allocating UGS.

A Hybrid OFDM-TDM Architecture with Decentralized Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation for PONs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taner Cevik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available One of the major challenges of passive optical networks is to achieve a fair arbitration mechanism that will prevent possible collisions from occurring at the upstream channel when multiple users attempt to access the common fiber at the same time. Therefore, in this study we mainly focus on fair bandwidth allocation among users, and present a hybrid Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed/Time Division Multiplexed architecture with a dynamic bandwidth allocation scheme that provides satisfying service qualities to the users depending on their varying bandwidth requirements. Unnecessary delays in centralized schemes occurring during bandwidth assignment stage are eliminated by utilizing a decentralized approach. Instead of sending bandwidth demands to the optical line terminal (OLT which is the only competent authority, each optical network unit (ONU runs the same bandwidth demand determination algorithm. ONUs inform each other via signaling channel about the status of their queues. This information is fed to the bandwidth determination algorithm which is run by each ONU in a distributed manner. Furthermore, Light Load Penalty, which is a phenomenon in optical communications, is mitigated by limiting the amount of bandwidth that an ONU can demand.

A Hybrid OFDM-TDM Architecture with Decentralized Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation for PONs

Science.gov (United States)

Cevik, Taner

2013-01-01

One of the major challenges of passive optical networks is to achieve a fair arbitration mechanism that will prevent possible collisions from occurring at the upstream channel when multiple users attempt to access the common fiber at the same time. Therefore, in this study we mainly focus on fair bandwidth allocation among users, and present a hybrid Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed/Time Division Multiplexed architecture with a dynamic bandwidth allocation scheme that provides satisfying service qualities to the users depending on their varying bandwidth requirements. Unnecessary delays in centralized schemes occurring during bandwidth assignment stage are eliminated by utilizing a decentralized approach. Instead of sending bandwidth demands to the optical line terminal (OLT) which is the only competent authority, each optical network unit (ONU) runs the same bandwidth demand determination algorithm. ONUs inform each other via signaling channel about the status of their queues. This information is fed to the bandwidth determination algorithm which is run by each ONU in a distributed manner. Furthermore, Light Load Penalty, which is a phenomenon in optical communications, is mitigated by limiting the amount of bandwidth that an ONU can demand. PMID:24194684

Nitrogen fertilization decouples roots and microbes: Reductions in belowground carbon allocation limit microbial activity

Science.gov (United States)

Carrara, J.; Walter, C. A.; Govindarajulu, R.; Hawkins, J.; Brzostek, E. R.

2017-12-01

Nitrogen (N) deposition has enhanced the ability of trees to capture atmospheric carbon (C). The effect of elevated N on belowground C cycling, however, is variable and response mechanisms are largely unknown. Recent research has highlighted distinct differences between ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees in the strength of root-microbial interactions. In particular, ECM trees send more C to rhizosphere microbes to stimulate enzyme activity and nutrient mobilization than AM trees, which primarily rely on saprotrophic microbes to mobilize N. As such, we hypothesized that N fertilization would weaken root-microbial interactions and soil decomposition in ECM stands more than in AM stands. To test this hypothesis, we measured root-microbial interactions in ECM and AM plots in two long-term N fertilization studies, the Fernow Experimental Forest, WV and Bear Brook Watershed, ME. We found that N fertilization led to declines in plant C allocation belowground to fine root biomass, branching, and root exudation in ECM stands to a greater extent than in AM stands. As ECM roots are tightly coupled to the soil microbiome through energy and nutrient exchange, reductions in belowground C allocation were mirrored by shifts in microbial community composition and reductions in fungal gene expression. These shifts were accompanied by larger reductions in fungal-derived lignolytic and hydrolytic enzyme activity in ECM stands than in AM stands. In contrast, as the AM soil microbiome is less reliant on trees for C and are more adapted to high inorganic nutrient environments, the soil metagenome and transcriptome were more resilient to decreases in belowground C allocation. Collectively, our results indicate the N fertilization decoupled root-microbial interactions by reducing belowground carbon allocation in ECM stands. Thus, N fertilization may reduce soil turnover and increase soil C storage to a greater extent in forests dominated by ECM than AM trees.

A General Case to Determine Dimensions and Their Tolerance Zones for the Thread Parts of Epicyclic Roller-Screw Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. S. Blinov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The most important trend in the development of aerospace industry is to increase load capacity of mechanisms, assemblies, and parts without increasing their size and weight. The above is also true for widely used in aircrafts and the most promising up to date Epicyclic Roller-Screw Mechanisms (ERSM that convert rotational movement into translational one. Previously (in the article, it was proposed to increase the load capacity (approximately by 15% through reduction of included angle of ERSM threaded parts from 90° to 70°.However, such improvement of ERSM will change dimensions of the mechanism parts and its parameters and characteristics (efficiency factor, position of initial point of contact of the conjugated thread turns and parameters of their contact interaction, as well as kinematic parameters, which will require additional studies. If we take into account the priority of these studies, then surely we must begin with development of technique to determine dimensions of the ERSM main parts and their tolerance zones because we need drawings to manufacture and test the upgraded ERSM. We have developed a technique to calculate dimensions of the main parts of ERSM and associated tolerance zones that takes in to account the change of included angle of threaded parts of the mechanism and radius of circular arc according to which roller thread profile has been fulfilled. So the proposed technique is the general one in comparison with the previous ones.This technique uses various conditions and equations to determine dimensions of parts and associated tolerance zones. For example, a nut encircles a screw with rollers, and their dimensions form a closed dimension chain, in which the dimensions and associated tolerances must be such as to ensure ERSM assembling, on the one hand, and, on the other hand the backlash of the mechanism should be minimal to ensure high load capacity, kinematic accuracy, and rigidity of ERSM. We used the following

Part-time and full-time medical specialists, are there differences in allocation of time?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, J.D. de; Heiligers, P.; Groenewegen, P.P.; Hingstman, L.

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of medical specialists prefer to work part-time. This development can be found worldwide. Problems to be faced in the realization of part-time work in medicine include the division of night and weekend shifts, as well as communication between physicians and

Part-time and full-time medical specialists, are there differences in allocation of time?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, Judith D. de; Heiligers, Phil; Groenewegen, Peter P.; Hingstman, Lammert

2006-01-01

Background: An increasing number of medical specialists prefer to work part-time. This development can be found worldwide. Problems to be faced in the realization of part-time work in medicine include the division of night and weekend shifts, as well as communication between physicians and

Short-run and long-run dynamics of farm land allocation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arnberg, Søren; Hansen, Lars Gårn

2012-01-01

This study develops and estimates a dynamic multi-output model of farmers’ land allocation decisions that allows for the gradual adjustment of allocations that can result from crop rotation practices and quasi-fixed capital constraints. Estimation is based on micro-panel data from Danish farmers...... that include acreage, output, and variable input utilization at the crop level. Results indicate that there are substantial differences between the short-run and long-run land allocation behaviour of Danish farmers and that there are substantial differences in the time lags associated with different crops...

Study on the methodology for allocating costs of grid losses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aalberts, A.; Dekker, G.; Jaarsma, S.; Tieben, B.; Vlug, N.

2011-01-01

The research question in this report: 'Where are grid losses caused and in which (objective) manner can the costs of these grid losses be allocated to the buyers. The key questions answered in the research are: (1) In which locations of the electricity grid are losses caused and what is the volume of these losses?; (2) How are the costs of grid losses allocated to the various groups of end users?; and (3) What are alternative way(s) to allocate the costs of grid losses to the buyers?. [nl

Partly Duffing Oscillator Stochastic Resonance Method and Its Application on Mechanical Fault Diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Dang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the fact that the slight fault signals in early failure of mechanical system are usually submerged in heavy background noise, it is unfeasible to extract the weak fault feature via the traditional vibration analysis. Stochastic resonance (SR, as a method of utilizing noise to amplify weak signals in nonlinear dynamical systems, can detect weak signals overwhelmed in the noise. However, based on the analysis of the impact of noise intensity on SR effect, it is concluded that the detection results are dramatically limited by the noise intensity of measured signals, especially for incipient fault feature of mechanical system with poor working environment. Therefore, this paper proposes a partly Duffing oscillator SR method to extract the fault feature of mechanical system. In this method, to locate the appearance of weak fault feature and decrease noise intensity, the permutation entropy index is constructed to select the measured signals for the input of Duffing oscillator system. Then, according to the regulation of system parameters, a reasonable match between the selected signals and Duffing oscillator model is achieved to produce a SR phenomenon and realize the fault diagnosis of mechanical system. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a better effect on the fault diagnosis of mechanical system.

Factors influencing resource allocation decisions and equity in the health system of Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Asante, A D; Zwi, A B

2009-05-01

Allocation of financial resources in the health sector is often seen as a formula-driven activity. However, the decision to allocate a certain amount of resources to a particular health jurisdiction or facility may be based on a broader range of factors, sometimes not reflected in the existing resource allocation formula. This study explores the 'other' factors that influence the equity of resource allocation in the health system of Ghana. The extent to which these factors are, or can be, accounted for in the resource allocation process is analysed. An exploratory design focusing on different levels of the health system and diverse stakeholders. Data were gathered through semi-structured qualitative interviews with health authorities at national, regional and district levels, and with donor representatives and local government officials in 2003 and 2004. The availability of human resources for health, local capacity to utilize funds, donor involvement in the health sector, and commitment to promote equity have considerable influence on resource allocation decisions and affect the equity of funding allocations. However, these factors are not accounted for adequately in the resource allocation process. This study highlights the need for a more transparent resource allocation system in Ghana based on needs, and takes into account key issues such as capacity constraints, the inequitable human resource distribution and donor-earmarked funding.

Mechanical damage due to corrosion of parts of pump technology and valves of LWR power installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hron, J.; Krumpl, M.

1986-01-01

Two types are described of uneven corrosion of austenitic chromium-nickel steel: pitting and slit corrosion. The occurrence of slit corrosion is typical of parts of pumping technology and valves. The corrosion damage of austenitic chromium-nickel steels spreads as intergranular, transgranular or mixed corrosion. In nuclear power facilities with LWR's, intergranular corrosion is due to chlorides and sulphur compounds while transgranular corrosion is due to the presence of dissolved oxygen and chlorides. In mechanically stressed parts, stress corrosion takes place. The recommended procedures are discussed of reducing the corrosion-mechanical damage of pumping equipment of light water reactors during design, production and assembly. During the service of the equipment, corrosion cracks are detected using nondestructive methods and surface cracks are repaired by grinding and welding. (E.S.)

Wide brick tunnel randomization - an unequal allocation procedure that limits the imbalance in treatment totals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuznetsova, Olga M; Tymofyeyev, Yevgen

2014-04-30

In open-label studies, partial predictability of permuted block randomization provides potential for selection bias. To lessen the selection bias in two-arm studies with equal allocation, a number of allocation procedures that limit the imbalance in treatment totals at a pre-specified level but do not require the exact balance at the ends of the blocks were developed. In studies with unequal allocation, however, the task of designing a randomization procedure that sets a pre-specified limit on imbalance in group totals is not resolved. Existing allocation procedures either do not preserve the allocation ratio at every allocation or do not include all allocation sequences that comply with the pre-specified imbalance threshold. Kuznetsova and Tymofyeyev described the brick tunnel randomization for studies with unequal allocation that preserves the allocation ratio at every step and, in the two-arm case, includes all sequences that satisfy the smallest possible imbalance threshold. This article introduces wide brick tunnel randomization for studies with unequal allocation that allows all allocation sequences with imbalance not exceeding any pre-specified threshold while preserving the allocation ratio at every step. In open-label studies, allowing a larger imbalance in treatment totals lowers selection bias because of the predictability of treatment assignments. The applications of the technique in two-arm and multi-arm open-label studies with unequal allocation are described. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Access to Heart Transplantation: A Proper Analysis of the Competing Risks of Death and Transplantation Is Required to Optimize Graft Allocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantrelle, Christelle; Legeai, Camille; Latouche, Aurélien; Tuppin, Philippe; Jasseron, Carine; Sebbag, Laurent; Bastien, Olivier; Dorent, Richard

2017-08-01

Heart allocation systems are usually urgency-based, offering grafts to candidates at high risk of waitlist mortality. In the context of a revision of the heart allocation rules, we determined observed predictors of 1-year waitlist mortality in France, considering the competing risk of transplantation, to determine which candidate subgroups are favored or disadvantaged by the current allocation system. Patients registered on the French heart waitlist between 2010 and 2013 were included. Cox cause-specific hazards and Fine and Gray subdistribution hazards were used to determine candidate characteristics associated with waitlist mortality and access to transplantation. Of the 2053 candidates, 7 variables were associated with 1-year waitlist mortality by the Fine and Gray method including 4 candidate characteristics related to heart failure severity (hospitalization at listing, serum natriuretic peptide level, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, and glomerular filtration rate) and 3 characteristics not associated with heart failure severity but with lower access to transplantation (blood type, age, and body mass index). Observed waitlist mortality for candidates on mechanical circulatory support was like that of others. The heart allocation system strongly modifies the risk of pretransplant mortality related to heart failure severity. An in-depth competing risk analysis is therefore a more appropriate method to evaluate graft allocation systems. This knowledge should help to prioritize candidates in the context of a limited donor pool.

26 CFR 1.199-4 - Costs allocable to domestic production gross receipts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... allocation method is reasonable is based on all of the facts and circumstances including whether the taxpayer... relationship between the adjustment and the allocation base chosen; the accuracy of the method chosen as... (ii) Y uses a standard cost method to allocate all direct and indirect costs (section 471 and...

Output-based allocation as a form of protection for internationally competitive industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haites, Erik

2003-12-01

Policies adopted by Annex B Parties to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are likely to increase costs for industries vulnerable to international competition in domestic or export markets. Domestic emissions trading, by enabling the aggregate emissions target to be met at least cost, helps to reduce the adverse impacts on these industries. An output-based allocation of allowances reduces the output decline due to imposition of the emissions trading program relative to a lump-sum (historic) allocation and so helps reduce the adverse impacts on these industries. The effectiveness of an output-based allocation in maintaining production must be assessed empirically because it depends on the characteristics of all of the firms covered by the trading program as well as other factors. Modeling results for a possible emissions trading program for Alberta confirm the expected impacts of an output-based allocation and indicate that the effectiveness varies across industries. While encouraging greater production, an output-based allocation lowers profits relative to a lump-sum allocation and leads to a different distribution of costs. Other policy options for reducing the output decline in industries vulnerable to international competition include lump-sum allocations or auctioned allowances combined with assistance programs for emission reduction actions or a requirement to meet 'world best' emission performance standard. These policy options should be compared with an output-based allocation in terms of effectiveness, total cost and other impacts, before a policy is adopted

The net effect of alternative allocation ratios on recruitment time and trial cost.

Science.gov (United States)

Vozdolska, Ralitza; Sano, Mary; Aisen, Paul; Edland, Steven D

2009-04-01

Increasing the proportion of subjects allocated to the experimental treatment in controlled clinical trials is often advocated as a method of increasing recruitment rates and improving the performance of trials. The presumption is that the higher likelihood of randomization to the experimental treatment will be perceived by potential study enrollees as an added benefit of participation and will increase recruitment rates and speed the completion of trials. However, studies with alternative allocation ratios require a larger sample size to maintain statistical power, which may result in a net increase in time required to complete recruitment and a net increase in total trial cost. To describe the potential net effect of alternative allocation ratios on recruitment time and trial cost. Models of recruitment time and trial cost were developed and used to compare trials with 1:1 allocation to trials with alternative allocation ratios under a range of per subject costs, per day costs, and enrollment rates. In regard to time required to complete recruitment, alternative allocation ratios are net beneficial if the recruitment rate improves by more than about 4% for trials with a 1.5:1 allocation ratio and 12% for trials with a 2:1 allocation ratio. More substantial improvements in recruitment rate, 13 and 47% respectively for scenarios we considered, are required for alternative allocation to be net beneficial in terms of tangible monetary cost. The cost models were developed expressly for trials comparing proportions or means across treatment groups. Using alternative allocation ratio designs to improve recruitment may or may not be time and cost-effective. Using alternative allocation for this purpose should only be considered for trial contexts where there is both clear evidence that the alternative design does improve recruitment rates and the attained time or cost efficiency justifies the added study subject burden implied by a larger sample size.

Age, lighting treatment, feed allocation and feed form influence ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

During a broiler breeder trial with 3200 Cobb 500 hens, the effects of lighting treatment after 20 weeks' feed allocation and of feed form on the length of time taken to consume the daily allocation of feed were measured. Pullets were reared on 8-hour photoperiods to 20 weeks, then transferred to one of four lighting ...

Optimizing 4DCBCT projection allocation to respiratory bins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O’Brien, Ricky T; Kipritidis, John; Shieh, Chun-Chien; Keall, Paul J

2014-01-01

4D cone beam computed tomography (4DCBCT) is an emerging image guidance strategy used in radiotherapy where projections acquired during a scan are sorted into respiratory bins based on the respiratory phase or displacement. 4DCBCT reduces the motion blur caused by respiratory motion but increases streaking artefacts due to projection under-sampling as a result of the irregular nature of patient breathing and the binning algorithms used. For displacement binning the streak artefacts are so severe that displacement binning is rarely used clinically. The purpose of this study is to investigate if sharing projections between respiratory bins and adjusting the location of respiratory bins in an optimal manner can reduce or eliminate streak artefacts in 4DCBCT images. We introduce a mathematical optimization framework and a heuristic solution method, which we will call the optimized projection allocation algorithm, to determine where to position the respiratory bins and which projections to source from neighbouring respiratory bins. Five 4DCBCT datasets from three patients were used to reconstruct 4DCBCT images. Projections were sorted into respiratory bins using equispaced, equal density and optimized projection allocation. The standard deviation of the angular separation between projections was used to assess streaking and the consistency of the segmented volume of a fiducial gold marker was used to assess motion blur. The standard deviation of the angular separation between projections using displacement binning and optimized projection allocation was 30%–50% smaller than conventional phase based binning and 59%–76% smaller than conventional displacement binning indicating more uniformly spaced projections and fewer streaking artefacts. The standard deviation in the marker volume was 20%–90% smaller when using optimized projection allocation than using conventional phase based binning suggesting more uniform marker segmentation and less motion blur. Images

NASH BARGAINING BASED BANDWIDTH ALLOCATION IN COGNITIVE RADIO FOR DELAY CRITICAL APPLICATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalyani Kulkarni

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In order to effectively regulate the existing resources, dynamic spectrum access in cognitive radio needs to adopt the effective resource allocation strategies. Multimedia applications require large bandwidth and have to meet the delay constraints while maintaining the data quality. Game theory is emerging as an effective analytical tool for the analysis of available resources and its allocation. This paper addresses resource allocation schemes employing bargaining game model for Multi-carrier CDMA based Cognitive Radio. Resource allocation scheme is designed for transmission of video over cognitive radio networks and aim to perform bandwidth allocation for different cognitive users. Utility function based on bargaining model is proposed. Primary user utility function includes the pricing factor and an upbeat factor that can be adjusted by observing the delay constraints of the video. Allocated bandwidth to the secondary user can be adjusted by changing the upbeat factor. Throughput in the proposed scheme is increased by 2% as compared to other reported pricing based resource allocation schemes. The edge PSNR of reconstructed video obtained as 32.6dB resulting to optimum decoding of the video at the receiver. The study also shows upbeat factor can be used to enhanced capacity of the network.

Running Title: C and N Allocation in Pine; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, J. Timothy

1996-01-01

A long standing challenge has been understanding how plants and ecosystems respond to shifts in the balance of resource availabilities. The continuing rise in atmospheric CO(sub 2) will induce changes in the availability and use of several terrestrial ecosystem resources. We report on the acquisition and allocation of carbon and nitrogen in Pinus ponderosa Laws. seedlings grown at three levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (370, 525, and 700(micro)mol mol(sup -1)) and three levels of soil nitrogen supply in a controlled environment experiment. Nitrogen was applied (0, 100, and 200(micro)g N g soil(sup -1)) at planting and again at week 26 of a 58-week, 4-harvest experiment. At the final harvest, plants grown with variety low available soil nitrogen showed no significant response to atmospheric CO(sub 2). Plants at higher N levels responded positively to CO(sub 2) with the highest biomass at the middle CO(sub 2) level. Plants growing at the lowest N levels immediately allocated a relatively large portion of their nitrogen and biomass to roots. Plants growing at near present ambient CO(sub 2) levels allocated relatively little material to roots when N was abundant but moved both carbon and nitrogen below-ground when N was withheld. Plants growing at higher CO(sub 2) levels, allocated more C and N to roots even when N was abundant, and made only small shifts in allocation patterns when N was no longer supplied. In general, allocation of C and N to roots tended to increase when N supply was restricted and also with increasing atmospheric CO(sub 2) level. These allocation responses were consistent with patterns suggesting a functional balance in the acquisition of above-ground versus below-ground resources. In particular, variation in whole tree average nitrogen concentration can explain 68% of the variation ratio of root biomass to shoot biomass across the harvests. The capability to respond to temporal variation in nutrient conditions, the dynamics of nutrient uptake

Optimal International Asset Allocation with Time-varying Risk

OpenAIRE

Flavin, Thomas; Wickens, M.R.

2006-01-01

This paper examines the optimal allocation each period of an internationally diversified portfolio from the different points of view of a UK and a US investor. We find that investor location affects optimal asset allocation. The presence of exchange rate risk causes the markets to appear not fully integrated and creates a preference for home assets. Domestic equity is the dominant asset in the optimal portfolio for both investors, but the US investor bears less risk than the UK...

Reliability allocation problem in a series-parallel system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yalaoui, Alice; Chu, Chengbin; Chatelet, Eric

2005-01-01

In order to improve system reliability, designers may introduce in a system different technologies in parallel. When each technology is composed of components in series, the configuration belongs to the series-parallel systems. This type of system has not been studied as much as the parallel-series architecture. There exist no methods dedicated to the reliability allocation in series-parallel systems with different technologies. We propose in this paper theoretical and practical results for the allocation problem in a series-parallel system. Two resolution approaches are developed. Firstly, a one stage problem is studied and the results are exploited for the multi-stages problem. A theoretical condition for obtaining the optimal allocation is developed. Since this condition is too restrictive, we secondly propose an alternative approach based on an approximated function and the results of the one-stage study. This second approach is applied to numerical examples

Using linear integer programming for multi-site land-use allocation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aerts, J.C.J.H.; Eisinger, E.; Heuvelink, G.B.M.; Stewart, Th.J.

2003-01-01

Research in the area of spatial decision support (SDS) and resource allocation has recently generated increased attention for integrating optimization techniques with GIS. In this paper we address the use of spatial optimization techniques for solving multi-site land-use allocation (MLUA) problems,

Competition for export markets and the allocation of foreign aid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barthel, Fabian; Neumayer, Eric; Nunnenkamp, Peter

2014-01-01

and services to a specific recipient country at both stages of their allocation of aid for economic infrastructure and production sectors. By contrast, evidence for export competition driving aid allocation is lacking for more altruistic donors and for aid in social infrastructure....

An Optimization Approach to the Dynamic Allocation of Economic Capital

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laeven, R.J.A.; Goovaerts, M.J.

2004-01-01

We propose an optimization approach to allocating economic capital, distinguishing between an allocation or raising principle and a measure for the risk residual. The approach is applied both at the aggregate (conglomerate) level and at the individual (subsidiary) level and yields an integrated

Land use allocation model considering climate change impact

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, D. K.; Yoon, E. J.; Song, Y. I.

2017-12-01

In Korea, climate change adaptation plans are being developed for each administrative district based on impact assessments constructed in various fields. This climate change impact assessments are superimposed on the actual space, which causes problems in land use allocation because the spatial distribution of individual impacts may be different each other. This implies that trade-offs between climate change impacts can occur depending on the composition of land use. Moreover, the actual space is complexly intertwined with various factors such as required area, legal regulations, and socioeconomic values, so land use allocation in consideration of climate change can be very difficult problem to solve (Liu et al. 2012; Porta et al. 2013).Optimization techniques can generate a sufficiently good alternatives for land use allocation at the strategic level if only the fitness function of relationship between impact and land use composition are derived. It has also been noted that land use optimization model is more effective than the scenario-based prediction model in achieving the objectives for problem solving (Zhang et al. 2014). Therefore in this study, we developed a quantitative tool, MOGA (Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm), which can generate a comprehensive land use allocations considering various climate change impacts, and apply it to the Gangwon-do in Korea. Genetic Algorithms (GAs) are the most popular optimization technique to address multi-objective in land use allocation. Also, it allows for immediate feedback to stake holders because it can run a number of experiments with different parameter values. And it is expected that land use decision makers and planners can formulate a detailed spatial plan or perform additional analysis based on the result of optimization model. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) as "Climate Change Correspondence Program (Project number: 2014001310006)"

Allocation decisions in network industries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolle, Friedel [Europa-Universitaet Viadrina Frankfurt, Lehrstuhl Volkswirtschaftslehre, insbesondere Wirtschaftstheorie (Mikrooekonomie), Postfach 1786 15207 Frankfurt (Germany)

2008-01-15

In this paper, I want to propagate a new analytical tool: The usage of Menu Auctions for modelling complicated auctions, negotiations, rent seeking, etc. is advocated, because, contrary to 'normal' auctions and bargaining models, an arbitrary number of additional aspects can be taken into account. After concentrating on 'Truthful Equilibria' [Bernheim, B.D., Whinston, M.D., 1986. Menu auctions, resource allocation, and economic influence, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1-31.] a certain broad class of Menu Auctions show unique and efficient allocations. Under an additional concavity condition even the equilibrium bids are unique. Two examples are discussed: the privatisation of a state-owned industry and the buying of wholesale electricity (concluding contracts with a number of producers) by a utility. These examples also serve to trace the sources of 'non-concavities' which can prevent the uniqueness of bids and can provide the auctioneer with incentives to exclude bidders from the competition. (author)

Radio resource allocation over fading channels under statistical delay constraints

CERN Document Server

Le-Ngoc, Tho

2017-01-01

This SpringerBrief presents radio resource allocation schemes for buffer-aided communications systems over fading channels under statistical delay constraints in terms of upper-bounded average delay or delay-outage probability. This Brief starts by considering a source-destination communications link with data arriving at the source transmission buffer. The first scenario, the joint optimal data admission control and power allocation problem for throughput maximization is considered, where the source is assumed to have a maximum power and an average delay constraints. The second scenario, optimal power allocation problems for energy harvesting (EH) communications systems under average delay or delay-outage constraints are explored, where the EH source harvests random amounts of energy from renewable energy sources, and stores the harvested energy in a battery during data transmission. Online resource allocation algorithms are developed when the statistical knowledge of the random channel fading, data arrivals...

Do plants modulate biomass allocation in response to petroleum pollution?

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Ming; Yang, Qiang; Jiang, Li-Fen; Fang, Chang-Ming; Chen, Jia-Kuan; Li, Bo

2010-01-01

Biomass allocation is an important plant trait that responds plastically to environmental heterogeneities. However, the effects on this trait of pollutants owing to human activities remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the response of biomass allocation of Phragmites australis to petroleum pollution by a 13CO2 pulse-labelling technique. Our data show that plant biomass significantly decreased under petroleum pollution, but the root–shoot ratio for both plant biomass and 13C increased with increasing petroleum concentration, suggesting that plants could increase biomass allocation to roots in petroleum-polluted soil. Furthermore, assimilated 13C was found to be significantly higher in soil, microbial biomass and soil respiration after soils were polluted by petroleum. These results suggested that the carbon released from roots is rapidly turned over by soil microbes under petroleum pollution. This study found that plants can modulate biomass allocation in response to petroleum pollution. PMID:20484231

Availability Allocation of Networked Systems Using Markov Model and Heuristics Algorithm

OpenAIRE

Li, Ruiying; Liu, Xiaoxi; Huang, Ning

2014-01-01

It is a common practice to allocate the system availability goal to reliability and maintainability goals of components in the early design phase. However, the networked system availability is difficult to be allocated due to its complex topology and multiple down states. To solve these problems, a practical availability allocation method is proposed. Network reliability algebraic methods are used to derive the availability expression of the networked topology on the system level, and Markov ...

On joint power allocation and multipath routing in femto-relay networks

OpenAIRE

Hoteit , Sahar; Duhamel , Pierre; Lasaulce , Samson

2016-01-01

International audience; —Transmit power allocation techniques are very important to manage interference in small-cell networks. While available power allocation algorithms in the literature rely on a predefined routing protocol, we propose in this paper a power-efficient two-step algorithm that allows power allocation and routing to be performed jointly in femto-relay networks. First, we propose an interference-based partitioning method to cluster the femto-relays, then we adopt an iterative ...

Many-objective robust decision making for water allocation under climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Dan; Ludwig, Fulco; Huang, He Qing; Werners, Saskia E

2017-12-31

Water allocation is facing profound challenges due to climate change uncertainties. To identify adaptive water allocation strategies that are robust to climate change uncertainties, a model framework combining many-objective robust decision making and biophysical modeling is developed for large rivers. The framework was applied to the Pearl River basin (PRB), China where sufficient flow to the delta is required to reduce saltwater intrusion in the dry season. Before identifying and assessing robust water allocation plans for the future, the performance of ten state-of-the-art MOEAs (multi-objective evolutionary algorithms) is evaluated for the water allocation problem in the PRB. The Borg multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (Borg MOEA), which is a self-adaptive optimization algorithm, has the best performance during the historical periods. Therefore it is selected to generate new water allocation plans for the future (2079-2099). This study shows that robust decision making using carefully selected MOEAs can help limit saltwater intrusion in the Pearl River Delta. However, the framework could perform poorly due to larger than expected climate change impacts on water availability. Results also show that subjective design choices from the researchers and/or water managers could potentially affect the ability of the model framework, and cause the most robust water allocation plans to fail under future climate change. Developing robust allocation plans in a river basin suffering from increasing water shortage requires the researchers and water managers to well characterize future climate change of the study regions and vulnerabilities of their tools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How to Fairly Allocate Scarce Medical Resources: Ethical Argumentation under Scrutiny by Health Professionals and Lay People.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pius Krütli

.8% (95% CI: [81.2%-86.2%] rated 'sickest first' as fair ('fair' is represented by scale points 5-7, and 69.5% [66.2%-72.4%] rated 'waiting list' as fair. The corresponding results for general practitioners: 'prognosis' 79.7% [74.2%-84.9%], 'combination of criteria' 72.6% [66.4%-78.5%], and 'sickest first' 74.5% [68.6%-80.1%; these were the highest-rated allocation principles for donor organs allocation. Interestingly, only 44.3% [37.7%-50.9%] of the general practitioners rated 'instrumental value' as fair for the allocation of hospital beds during a flu epidemic. The fairness evaluations by general practitioners obtained for joint replacements: 'sickest first' 84.0% [78.8%-88.6%], 'combination of criteria' 65.6% [59.2%-71.8%], and 'prognosis' 63.7% [57.1%-70.0%]. 'Lottery', 'reciprocity', 'instrumental value', and 'monetary contribution' were considered very unfair allocation principles by both groups. Medical students' ratings were similar to those of general practitioners, and the ratings by other health professionals resembled those of lay people.Results are partly at odds with current conclusions proposed by some ethicists. A number of ethicists reject 'sickest first' and 'waiting list' as morally unjustifiable allocation principles, whereas those allocation principles received the highest fairness endorsements by lay people and to some extent also by health professionals. Decision makers are advised to consider whether or not to give ethicists, health professionals, and the general public an equal voice when attempting to arrive at maximally endorsed allocations of scarce medical resources.

How to Fairly Allocate Scarce Medical Resources: Ethical Argumentation under Scrutiny by Health Professionals and Lay People.

Science.gov (United States)

Krütli, Pius; Rosemann, Thomas; Törnblom, Kjell Y; Smieszek, Timo

2016-01-01

: [81.2%-86.2%]) rated 'sickest first' as fair ('fair' is represented by scale points 5-7), and 69.5% [66.2%-72.4%] rated 'waiting list' as fair. The corresponding results for general practitioners: 'prognosis' 79.7% [74.2%-84.9%], 'combination of criteria' 72.6% [66.4%-78.5%], and 'sickest first' 74.5% [68.6%-80.1%); these were the highest-rated allocation principles for donor organs allocation. Interestingly, only 44.3% [37.7%-50.9%] of the general practitioners rated 'instrumental value' as fair for the allocation of hospital beds during a flu epidemic. The fairness evaluations by general practitioners obtained for joint replacements: 'sickest first' 84.0% [78.8%-88.6%], 'combination of criteria' 65.6% [59.2%-71.8%], and 'prognosis' 63.7% [57.1%-70.0%]. 'Lottery', 'reciprocity', 'instrumental value', and 'monetary contribution' were considered very unfair allocation principles by both groups. Medical students' ratings were similar to those of general practitioners, and the ratings by other health professionals resembled those of lay people. Results are partly at odds with current conclusions proposed by some ethicists. A number of ethicists reject 'sickest first' and 'waiting list' as morally unjustifiable allocation principles, whereas those allocation principles received the highest fairness endorsements by lay people and to some extent also by health professionals. Decision makers are advised to consider whether or not to give ethicists, health professionals, and the general public an equal voice when attempting to arrive at maximally endorsed allocations of scarce medical resources.

Irrational time allocation in decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Oud, Bastiaan; Krajbich, Ian; Miller, Kevin; Cheong, Jin Hyun; Botvinick, Matthew; Fehr, Ernst

2016-01-13

Time is an extremely valuable resource but little is known about the efficiency of time allocation in decision-making. Empirical evidence suggests that in many ecologically relevant situations, decision difficulty and the relative reward from making a correct choice, compared to an incorrect one, are inversely linked, implying that it is optimal to use relatively less time for difficult choice problems. This applies, in particular, to value-based choices, in which the relative reward from choosing the higher valued item shrinks as the values of the other options get closer to the best option and are thus more difficult to discriminate. Here, we experimentally show that people behave sub-optimally in such contexts. They do not respond to incentives that favour the allocation of time to choice problems in which the relative reward for choosing the best option is high; instead they spend too much time on problems in which the reward difference between the options is low. We demonstrate this by showing that it is possible to improve subjects' time allocation with a simple intervention that cuts them off when their decisions take too long. Thus, we provide a novel form of evidence that organisms systematically spend their valuable time in an inefficient way, and simultaneously offer a potential solution to the problem. © 2016 The Author(s).

Vibration mechanism's isolation installed on the compliant base (Part I: Question State)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djuma, R.

2001-01-01

The main reason of noise and vibration aggravation in houses is the considerable increase of the number of sources because of building being equipped with engineering, sanitary, technical and other mechanical equipment (lifts, pumps, ventilation, conditioner, systems and others). Very often the equipment installed on the building's coverings, is not favorable from the acoustics point of view, in comparison with equipment that is installed on separate foundation or in the basement. Vibrations that appear on the coverings in the mechanism work through the joints and transfer to the joining buildings that in their part while vibration will take the sound of the adjacent buildings. Working in the mean time normative documents on projecting of machine's vibroisolation and equipment that guide projectors and builder's, recommend to make calculations of vibroisolation on the dynamic loading that is created by working equipment only on the basic vibration frequency. (author)

Methodology to Support Dynamic Function Allocation Policies Between Humans and Flight Deck Automation

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Eric N.

2012-01-01

Function allocation assigns work functions to all agents in a team, both human and automation. Efforts to guide function allocation systematically have been studied in many fields such as engineering, human factors, team and organization design, management science, cognitive systems engineering. Each field focuses on certain aspects of function allocation, but not all; thus, an independent discussion of each does not address all necessary aspects of function allocation. Four distinctive perspectives have emerged from this comprehensive review of literature on those fields: the technology-centered, human-centered, team-oriented, and work-oriented perspectives. Each perspective focuses on different aspects of function allocation: capabilities and characteristics of agents (automation or human), structure and strategy of a team, and work structure and environment. This report offers eight issues with function allocation that can be used to assess the extent to which each of issues exist on a given function allocation. A modeling framework using formal models and simulation was developed to model work as described by the environment, agents, their inherent dynamics, and relationships among them. Finally, to validate the framework and metrics, a case study modeled four different function allocations between a pilot and flight deck automation during the arrival and approach phases of flight.

Mechanical analysis of ceramic heat being part of hip prosthesis with presence of cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ravagli, E.

1995-03-01

This report still pursues the aim of carrying out a systematic mechanical analysis of a ceramic heat being part of a modular hig prosthesis, in order to characterize it exhaustively, i. e. to assess its performances and some of its main specifications. A mechanical analysis of a second case is carried out here, the presence of head cracks being taken into account. The evaluations made lead to the conclusion that the head should not show cracks bigger than 100 mm. This study is performed in the frame of the STRIDE-CETMA project, which is aimed at founding and developing a centre for technologically advanced materials in Brindisi technology park (Italy)

48 CFR 9904.413 - Adjustment and allocation of pension cost.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Adjustment and allocation of pension cost. 9904.413 Section 9904.413 Federal Acquisition Regulations System COST ACCOUNTING... AND COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS 9904.413 Adjustment and allocation of pension...

The role of auctions and forward markets in the EU ETS: counterbalancing the cost-inefficiencies of combining generous allocation with a ban on banking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehrhart, K.M.; Hoppe, C.; Schleich, J.; Seifert, S.

2005-07-01

From an analysis of the available national allocation plans for the first period (2005-2007) of the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS), it can be inferred that (i) the total allocation to installations covered under the EU ETS is rather generous and (ii) most EU Member States ban the transfer of allowances (banking) into the second period (2008-2012). In this article, we explore the cost-efficiency issues associated with such a generous allocation of allowances to the trading sectors in combination with the ban on banking. It is argued that allocation to the trading sectors is higher than implied by a cost-minimization approach. Moreover, due to the reduced level of flexibility, a ban on banking increases overall compliance costs. In addition, the results of a simulation game conducted with real company participants and with a student control group suggest that a generous primary allocation in the first phase combined with a ban on banking also leads to a cost-inefficient choice of abatement measures within periods. The results of the simulations are also consistent with the conjecture that forward markets and auctioning off a part of the total quantity of allowances result in more reliable price signals and most cost-efficient outcomes. (author)

Electricity Portfolio Management: Optimal Peak / Off-Peak Allocations

OpenAIRE

Huisman, Ronald; Mahieu, Ronald; Schlichter, Felix

2007-01-01

textabstractElectricity purchasers manage a portfolio of contracts in order to purchase the expected future electricity consumption profile of a company or a pool of clients. This paper proposes a mean-variance framework to address the concept of structuring the portfolio and focuses on how to allocate optimal positions in peak and off-peak forward contracts. It is shown that the optimal allocations are based on the difference in risk premiums per unit of day-ahead risk as a measure of relati...