250 research outputs found
Evacuation plan as a risk mitigation measure: Scenario-based time estimation of partial evacuation operation
No full textThis study concentrates on evacuation procedure as a risk mitigation measure for managing and coping with emergency due to flood hazard. Emergency Management has been known as an ever-growing area of academic research in the recent decades. Particularly, Emergency Planning ahead of threatening events is crucial for moving toward a resilient society. Effective implementation of Emergency Contingency Plans during the situation of real Risk Scenarios is mainly a matter of situation awareness, cooperation and collaboration of involved organizations, timely decision-making under stressful circumstances, and availability of resources. Having defined a plan for evacuation operations as a protective measure is necessary for reduction of risk consequences to exposed population. This paper presents partial evacuation time estimations related to vehicle movement time by two methods applied to a case study (San Rocco al Porto, Italy) due to flood event: Time is estimated as a result of modeling by Mesoscopic approach. Second, the “timeline of emergency response for flood evacuation” proposed by Steve Opper is used as a quick handy method to estimate vehicle movement time
The Impact of Coloured Alphanumeric Characters on Short-term Memory
No full textColour has become an important part of our lives as it affects our attitudes, and it impacts what we view as ‘attractive.’ Although our ability to see in colour was initially for survival purposes, it has since then been used to organize cognitive and perceptual aspects of our environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of coloured alphanumeric characters on short-term memory. It was hypothesized that participants exposed to red characters will recall those characters more often than those who did not have coloured characters. This hypothesis was not supported: Colour had no impact on the retention and recall of the characters
sj-docx-1-cll-10.1177_09636897231163212 – Supplemental material for Comparable Outcomes of Pre- Versus Post-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Era Treatment in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study With Long-term Follow-up
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-cll-10.1177_09636897231163212 for Comparable Outcomes of Pre- Versus Post-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Era Treatment in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study With Long-term Follow-up by Sahar Tavakoli, Fattaneh Khalaj, Amir Kasaeian, Seyed Ali Mousavi, Amir-Hossein Mousavian, Fatemeh Arabi, Soroush Rad, Shahrbano Rostami, Maryam Barkhordar, Mohammad Biglari, Heydar Ali Mardani-Fard, Hediyeh Alemi, Naghmeh Khavandgar, Hossein Kamranzadeh Fumani, Ghasem Janbabai, Seied Asadollah Mousavi, Ardeshir Ghavamzadeh and Mohammad Vaezi in Cell Transplantation</p
Effect of nano-particles and aminosilane interaction on the performances of cement-based composites: An experimental study
No full textThe aim of the present study was to experimentally investigate the interaction between a low replacement ratio of different nano-particles (SiO2, Al2O3, clay, and CaCO3) and aminosilane in the matrices of cement paste and mortar. Results showed that the optimum content of aminosilane for improving the 28-day compressive strength of cement mortar was 0.75% (by weight of the total binder). The utilization of nano-SiO2 and nano-clay particles improved the strengths of the cement mortar containing hybrid systems of nano-particles/aminosilane at early (7 days) and middle curing ages (28 and 91 days). The 28-day compressive strength enhancement of cement mortar with hybrid systems of nano-SiO2/aminosilane and nano-clay/aminosilane was about 19% and 20%, respectively. Additionally, the application of aminosilane with nano-CaCO3 and nano-Al2O3 particles showed lower efficacy on mechanical performance of the cement-based composites in comparison with nano-clay and nano-SiO2. Despite the fact that the utilization of aminosilane with and without different nano-particles enhanced the flowability of the cement paste and mortar, it reduced the electrical resistivity of the cement mortar. In this regard, the minimum electrical resistivity was achieved for specimens with only aminosilane. This reduction was about 19.5% for samples containing 0.75% aminosilane for a curing time of 28 days. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Parsa Chemical Co
Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of Sorghum bicolor L. under Intercropping with Legumes and Different Weed Control Methods
No full textIn order to evaluate the quantity and quality of forage when intercropping forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) with lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), and using different weed management methods such as double cropping, a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was carried out at the research station of the University of Zanjan over two growing seasons (2015 and 2016). In this experiment, the intercropping of forage sorghum with lathyrus and hairy vetch at six levels with single cropping of forage sorghum, lathyrus, and hairy vetch, and three weed management strategies (no weed control, full weed control, and single weed control) was evaluated. The results showed that most forage sorghum traits were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected by different sowing ratios. The highest fresh forage yield of sorghum (77.9 ton/ha) and lowest (49.0 ton/ha) were obtained with sorghum + 33% hairy vetch and sorghum + 100% lathyrus, respectively. Forage qualitative traits were also affected by intercropping and weed management. The highest average acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and total ash percentage (ASH) were obtained with 100% sorghum + 66% lathyrus and 33% hairy vetch. The results showed that sorghum intercropping with 33% lathyrus led to a significant reduction in dry matter intake and relative feed value with no weed control and single weed control. This study demonstrated that, by selecting the appropriate intercropping ratios and forage legumes, we could largely control sorghum weeds in addition to improving the quantitative and qualitative yield of sorghum forage
Study of Aerated Lagoons in Treating Industrial Effluent from Industrial Bou-ali Zone in Hamedan
No full textAerated lagoon is a kind of the aerobic suspended growth process that can be used to treat domestic and industrial wastewater. Due to its considerable design flexibility, the aerated lagoon has gained wide applications in both developed and developing countries. This study aims to investigate the performance of aerated lagoons in the wastewater treatment plant in Bou-Ali industrial zone in Hamedan over a period of seven months from May to November 2004. Quality indexes such as pH, TSS, BOD5 ,COD, total coliform and fecal coliform, Cu, Pb, Zn, total Cr in plant influent and effluent were determined. The average values of pH, TSS, BOD5 ,COD, total coliform and fecal coliform, Cu, Pb, Zn, total Cr in plant effluent were measured to be 7.46, 84mg/l, 76mg/l, 176mg/l, 1.98´104MP N /100ml, 3.31´103MPN/100ml, 0.04mg/l, 0.13mg/l, 0.88mg/l, and 0.03mg/l, respectively. The removal efficiencies recorded for the contaminants studied were 73.56%, 91.58%, 89.95%, 99.968%, 99.713%, 62.24 %, 59.08%, 56.51%, 62.57%, respectively. Total and fecal coliform contents were greater than standard limits for irrigation recommended by Iranian Environmental Protection Organization while the rest were below the standard values. If the effluent from this plant should be reused for agriculture or landscape irrigation, reduction of microbial pollution to standard limits recommended by Iranian EPO or to guidelines set by WHO must be considered
The exegesis of Tabatabaei and the Hermeneutics of Hirsch: a comparative study
No full textThis thesis is a comparative study between Hermeneutics on the one hand and exegesis of the Holy Qur'an on the other. Its objective is to discover whether there are salient points of convergence between the two disciples, and whether issues germane to the Hermeneutical tradition in the West have been referred to and/or employed in Muslim works of Qur'an commentary. To this end, the works of one of the most prominent Shi'ite philosophers and exegetes. Allama Mohammad Hossein Tabataei, have been analysed and compared with the perspective and methodology of E D. Hirsch, one of the most important hermeneuticians in the Western World. Hirsch has been chosen since, in the opinion of the author, there is a considerable number of commonalities between the Hirschian approach to hermeneutics and the exegetical methodology of Tabatabaei and other Shi'ite Muslim interpreters of the Qur'an.. Hirsch, as an objectivist, along with a number of other Hermeneutical scholars, are critical of those who subscribe to philosophical Hermeneutics, such as Heideger and Gadimer. The same approach is taken in Tabatabaei's works, thus providing a strong rationale for an academic comparison of these two scholars. For this reason, this thesis attempts to study the theories of Tabatabaei and Hirsch in order to highlight the similarities and differences in their works. The central hypothesis is that while small differences in approach exist, there is much common ground, and that it is possible to use certain facets of Hirschian hermeneutics in the interpretation of the Qur'an, thus modernising some of the existing exegetical approaches employed by Shi'ite scholars.Since the aim of this thesis is to compare the interpretive works of Tabatabaei with those of Hirsch's, an introductory chapter has been dedicated to the study of the evolution of Shi'ite exegesis from the beginning to date. Tabatabaei's Al-Mizan has been chosen as the foremost work of Shi'ite exegesis in the modem period. Furthermore, a complete chapter has also been dedicated to Tabatabai's exegetical modus operandi as reflected in Al-Mizan, in order to arrive at a better understanding of his perspectives. This research arrives at the conclusion that philosophical Hermeneutics and Epistemology have opened new horizons on which we will always be dependent. Whatever interpretive theories with regards to the understanding of the text are accepted, or whatever the tendency as far as literary criticism is concerned, or whatever ideas are accepted in the arena of philosophy of human and social sciences, the discussion of the nature of understanding in general cannot be avoided. This does not mean that Hermeneutics is limited to these new theories. Rather, the opportunity always exists to introduce new interpretive theories in connection with the understanding of the text. It is indeed possible to study these discussions in detail in a separate sphere independent of the other branches of Islamic sciences and arrive at a number of stable principles in the interpretation of the text in Islamic research
Risk Mitigation and Management Strategies for Routing Hazardous Materials over Railroad Network in Canada
No full textRailroad transportation of hazardous materials (hazmat) has grown significantly in recent years in Canada. Although rail is one of the safest modes for hazmat transport, the risk of catastrophic events such as the Lac Mégantic train disaster, does exist. In this thesis, we study a number of measures to manage and mitigate the risk associated with rail hazmat shipments. First, we propose a methodology that makes use of analytics to dis-aggregate national freight data to estimate hazmat traffic on rail-links and at rail-yards in Canada. Further, a focused analysis is conducted on crude oil rail shipments to develop long-term forecasts and evaluate the impact of proposed pipeline projects. Second, we present an emergency response planning problem, aimed at the effective and efficient response to rail hazmat incidents. A two-stage stochastic programming problem is solved over part of the Canadian railroad network, which provides recommendations on where to locate response facilities, and which equipment packages to stockpile at each facility. Finally, we study infrastructure investment as a strategy to mitigate the risk associated with rail hazmat shipments. This strategy is based on building new railway tracks to provide alternative routes to the riskiest parts of the network. Given the hierarchical relationship between the decisions made by regulatory agencies and railroad companies, a bilevel programming approach is used to identify the optimal set of infrastructure investment options given an allocated budget. Our computational experiments show that significant network-wide risk reduction is possible if hazardous shipments are routed using some of the proposed alternative rail tracks.ThesisDoctor of Philosophy (PhD
Towards the development of a standard protocol for information sharing during emergency management with critical infrastructures involved
No full textLAUREA MAGISTRALECivil Protection, Crisis Management, and Emergency Preparedness have been known as ever-growing topics of academic research during the recent decades. Due to real-time purposes, there has been a wide range of efforts all over the world in order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of relevant plans and operations. In particular, planning for emergency situations ahead of threatening events is crucial for moving towards resilient societies. In this context, the importance of Critical Infrastructures (CI) is undeniable. Although high complexities and interdependencies of the system of CIs provide in a better way the various needs of communities, at the same time, make the analysis of such system more difficult, which would be a primary problem to handle for the sake of CI resilience and efficient interaction with other systems.
Lack of timely and actionable Information Sharing (IS) among organizations and agencies involved in emergency management, particularly during the Response Phase, can cause serious problems due to chain of failures. It is of great importance to include Critical Infrastructure Operators in the framework of information exchange, knowing the vital role of CI Operation and Service Continuity on the overall economy, security, public health, and safety of societies.
First, investigation of barriers of information sharing during emergencies will pave the way towards providing solutions to overcome such problems. Namely, situational awareness, team awareness, interoperability, differences among organizations, and role ambiguity are issues which should be taken into account for IS improvement. Development of a Standard Protocol for information sharing during real emergencies, which takes into account CI operators and First Responders (FR), can be a huge step for effective Risk Management. The necessity of development and use of such protocol has been mentioned by researchers and practitioners.
A critical review is done on past or ongoing works related to emergency information sharing, in order to extract their ideas as well as avoid parallel efforts. Scientific Papers, Institutional Reports, and European Commission Joint Projects are major sources for this purpose, among which some have developed Ontology-based information sharing standards in the operational level, which are the most relevant to this research. Characteristics and coverage of such standards are considered on one hand, and general features of a required conceptual framework are considered on the other hand; then, a systematic approach has been utilized to introduce a model (ontology) for information sharing in the operational level by cross-referencing of existing features. Finally, the developed protocol is applied to a case study to show in a better way the contribution it can make to the state of the art in the field. The case study suggests that the proposed conceptual model can be adopted, and selected features of existing standards can be useful in a real scenario. Future works may include further development of this ontology based on observed gaps and missing elements, in order to introduce a comprehensive standard or protocol for information sharing during emergencies taking into consideration the important role of heterogeneous system of critical infrastructures
Low density spreading multiple access
No full textThe need for ubiquitous coverage and the increasing demand for high data rate services, keeps constant pressure on the cellular network infrastructure. There has been intense research to improve the system spectral efficiency and coverage, and a significant part of this effort focused on developing and optimizing the multiple access techniques. One such technique that has been recently proposed is the low density spreading (LDS), which manages the multiple access interference to offer efficient and low complexity multiuser detection. The LDS technique has shown a promising performance as a multiple access technique for cellular systems. This chapter will give an overview on the LDS multiple access technique. The motivations for the LDS design will be highlighted by comparing it to conventional spreading techniques, including brief history of the early work on LDS. Furthermore, a background on the design of LDS in multicarrier communications, such as signatures design, a belief propagation multiuser detection, etc., will be presented along with the challenges and opportunities associated with the multicarrier LDS multiple access
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