1,720,981 research outputs found
A Software Base For Environmental Studies
No full textA prototype of an on-line inventory of computer programs for environmental studies available at the Laboratorio di Informatica Territoriale ed Ambientale (LITA), Politecnico di Milano, is presented. The main purpose of this software base is to overcome some of the difficulties encountered is disseminating to a relatively wide range of potential users all the informations concerning programs already available. Each program description is stored in a structured, but easy to read format in order to allow a fast screening. The prototype software base has been implemented on a personal computer, using a commercial relational DMBS. Furthermore, a user-friendly interface, which has some intelligent features, has been designed in order to ease the use of the system
A computerised inventory for water resources models
No full textThis paper presents a prototype of a computerized inventory of water resources models, developed at the Laboratorio di Informatica Territoriale ed Ambientale (LITA), Politecnico of Milan. Its main purpose is to overcome some of the difficulties encountered in diffusing to a wide range of potential users the tools developed in recent years by system analysis techniques, by presenting them in a format which is easy and accessible to all the potential users, so that a manager may quickly determine if a model is suitable for a given application. Following a short review of past attempts and proposals in this field, a format for model description is presented. The prototype inventory has been implemented on a personal computer, using a common commercial DBMS. Some advantages and problems of this implementation are also discussed in the paper. Furthermore, an attempt is made to identify the basic features of a user-friendly interface for the data base in order to allow the non-computer-oriented users to easily access and extract information from the inventory. Such interface has been implemented using the programming facility of the DBMS and its structure is briefly described
An integrated simulation and optimization modelling environment for decision support
No full textA general framework and a specific implementation of a software environment for model prototyping, simulation and optimization are presented. The integration of simulation and optimization, and the possibility of comparing experimental results under complete user control represent the central parts of the proposed approach. Optimization is performed by repetitive simulation runs under the control of an optimization method. The integration of simulation and optimization as well as the post processing facilities offer an effective support to the classical phases of the decision process: intelligence, design, and choice. The software is based on an object-oriented structure and encourages the user to develop his own hierarchy of model classes and experiments
A Min Cost Flow Solution for Dynamic Assignment Problems in Networks with Storage Devices
No full textThe paper presents a minimum-cost flow approach for dynamic assignment procedures for networks with storage devices over time. Decision variables are diversion of flow at specific nodes and the storage of material in buffers which have to meet upper and lower capacity constraints. Evaluation of a decision is based on utility functions which are assumed to be piecewise linear and concave. The solution is based on a transformation into a network flow problem as suggested by Kuczera (1989). The temporal dimension of the problem is handled by constructing a supergraph with a layer for each time period. These layers are connected by temporal arcs. Thus the problem can be solved entirely by well-known algorithms for the minimum-cost flow problem which yield the optimal solution and determine automatically whether a feasible solution exists or not. The complexity of the proposed algorithm is pseudopolynomial, i.e., linear in the size of the network (measured by nodes, arcs, and buffers), linear in the amount of inflow, and quadratic in the number of time periods under consideration.flows in networks, dynamic assignment, min cost flow problems
Humanism and the Great Opportunity of Intelligent User Interfaces for Cultural Heritage
Full text linkIn the spirit of the modern meaning of the word humanism, if technology aims at the flourishing of humans, it is of the greatest value to empower each human being with the capability of appreciating culture, in an inclusive, individual-adaptive manner. In particular, in this brief paper the case is made for the opportunity that intelligent user interfaces can offer specifically in the area of culture, beyond the obvious infrastructural advantages we are all familiar with. Insight is provided on research aimed at the continuous personal enriching of individuals at cultural sites, approaching the ancient humanistic vision of connecting us to our cultural past, now made possible for all, not just for an elite
Experience In the Development of Advanced Modeling Environments
No full textThe basic features and a possible software architecture of an integrated simulation environment are presented in the paper. Such an environment should support the whole modelling process starting with the identification of model structure and finishing with the evaluation of alternative model formulations. Based on the experience of five working prototypes in the time span of four years, a general framework is described which contains both a quantitative and a qualitative simulation approach
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
- …
