Cost Estimation

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by FHS Brage 2-2015 Oberst Gjert Lage Dyndal er avdelingssjef for «Militaermakt, strategi og doktrine» ved Forsvarets stabsskole. Han jobbet før det som ledende forsker og prosjektleder innen arktisk teknologiutvikling i Statoil. Han har tidligere vaert hovedlaerer i luftmakt-og teknologistudier og dekan ved Luftkrigsskolen i Trondheim. Dyndal har i tillegg til militaer utdannelse sivil M.Phil. i krigsstudier og Ph.D. i moderne historie fra Centre for War Studies, University of Glasgow. Blant publikasjonene hans finner vi fire fagbøker, hvorav Land-based Airpower or Aicraft Carriers?(London: Ashgate, 2012) er den viktigste til dette tema. Han har utgitt flere fagartikler og bokkapitler innen sikkerhetspolitikk, strategi og teknologiutvikling. Dyndal leder per tiden et prosjekt om "droner og robotisert krig" ved Forsvarets stabsskole, som etter planen vil ende med en større bokutgivelse høsten 2015. Det prosjektet går i dybden på de mange trender og utfordringer som løftes frem i dette temaheftet.

The Village Nongkojajar, merupakan Desain Usulan Proyek Integrated Agropark hasil revitalisasi lahan non-produktif Kebun Benih Holtikultura milik Pemerintah Provinsi Jawa Timur. Proyek ini memiliki luas ± 7,1 hektar dengan nilai kontrak proyek mencapai 21,4 miliar rupiah dan ditargetkan selesai pada akhir 2021. Penjadwalan dan pengendalian proyek menjadi sangat penting agar dapat mengestimasi waktu pengerjaan dan proyek tetap berjalan sesuai dengan timeline proyek yang sudah ditetapkan diawal. Relevansi Project Management dalam penelitian ini adalah dengan kompleksitas proyek yang tinggi dengan banyak komponen aktivitas yang berhubungan satu dengan yang lain, maka pentingnya proses perencanaan yang baik. Sehingga proyek ini dapat selesai dengan cepat dari waktu yang ditentukan dan lebih menghemat biaya. Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) adalah suatu metode untuk merancang dan mengatur proyek yang menitikberatkan pada kebutuhan sumber daya untuk melaksanakan proyek dengan mena...

This paper examines the link between six of the most used project management standards and the critical factors of project success identified by previous authors in the literature. One of the most important findings lies in the conclusion that none of the standards covers all the factors previously analyzed. Resumen: El presente artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la relación existente entre seis de los estándares más utilizados en la gestión de proyectos con los factores que la literatura ha identificado como los más críticos en la consecución del éxito de los proyectos. Uno de las conclusiones más destacable radica en el hecho que ninguno de los estándares recoge todos los factores críticos identificados en los estudios previos.

In an analysis of the risk-sharing properties of different types of pension systems, we show that only a fixed-fee pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pension systems can provide intergenerational risk sharing for living individuals. Under some circumstances, however, other PAYG pension systems can enhance the expected welfare of all generations by reducing intergenerational income variability. We derive conditions for this to occur. We also analyze the stability of actuarially fair PAYG pension systems. It is shown that if an actuarially fair pension with a non-balanced budget system is dynamically stable, its accumulated surpluses will converge to the same fund as in a fully funded system. We also show that the welfare loss due to labor market distortions will, surprisingly, increase if the implicit marginal return in a compulsory system is raised above the average return. * We thank Jasmin Häcker for detecting an error in equation A.

This study investigates the effect of location on residential property values in Awka, with a focus on key locational factors, proximity to urban amenities, infrastructural development, and spatial distribution of property values. The objectives of the study are to: Identify the locational factors that influence residential property values in Awka; examine the relationship between proximity to urban amenities and residential property values; assess how infrastructural development affects the value of residential properties; evaluate the spatial distribution of residential property values across selected neighborhoods in Awka. The research adopted a quantitative approach using structured, closed-ended questionnaires administered to a sample of 63 respondents, out of which 58 were duly completed and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were employed to interpret the data. Findings revealed that both location and proximity to urban amenities such as schools, healthcare facilities, markets, and public transport plays a more significant role in determining residential property values. Furthermore, infrastructural development, including road networks, electricity, and water supply, was found to contribute positively to property valuation. Spatially, properties in central and well-developed areas command higher values than those in peripheral zones. The study concludes that urban amenities and infrastructure together with location are critical drivers of residential property value in Awka and recommends that urban planners, developers, and policymakers prioritize the provision of accessible services in all areas to ensure equitable property value growth.

The Kyoto Protocol (KP) requires signatories to reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by an average of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the commitment period 2008-2012. This constitutes only a small proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, countries can attain a significant portion of their targets by sequestering carbon in terrestrial ecosystems in lieu of emission reductions. Since carbon sink activities lead to ephemeral carbon storage, forest management and other activities that enhance carbon sinks enable countries to buy time as they develop emission reduction technologies. Although many countries are interested in sink activities because of their presumed low cost, the analysis in this paper suggests otherwise. While potentially a significant proportion of required CO2 emission reductions can be addressed using carbon sinks, it turns out that, once the opportunity cost of land and the ephemeral nature of sinks are taken into account, costs of carbon uptake could be substantial. Carbon uptake via forest activities varies substantially depending on location (tropical, Great Plains, etc.), activity (forest conservation, tree planting, management, etc.), and the assumptions and methods upon which the cost estimates are based. Once one eliminates forestry projects that should be pursued because of their biodiversity and other non-market benefits, or because of their commercial profitability, there remain few projects that can be justified purely on the grounds that they provide carbon uptake benefits.

Carbon terrestrial sinks are seen as a low-cost alternative to fuel switching and reduced fossil fuel use for lowering atmospheric CO 2 . As a result of agreements reached at Bonn and Marrakech, carbon offsets have taken on much greater importance in meeting Kyoto targets for the first commitment period. In this study, meta-regression analysis is used to examine 981 estimates from 55 studies of the costs of creating carbon offsets using forestry.

Carbon terrestrial sinks are seen as a low-cost alternative to fuel switching and reduced fossil fuel use for lowering atmospheric CO 2 . As a result of agreements reached at Bonn and Marrakech, carbon offsets have taken on much greater importance in meeting Kyoto targets for the first commitment period. In this study, meta-regression analysis is used to examine 981 estimates from 55 studies of the costs of creating carbon offsets using forestry.

Choosing the best casting technology is made considering the quality indices (I.C.) of the casted part, in the status of FINICHED PART. Each phase of the technological process has several possibilities with advantages and disadvantages of techno-technological nature, efficiency, production or the domain in which the part is used. The projection of the casting technology is realized taking into consideration several imposed parameters – which much be applied and included in the technology which is used and various operations, phases, materials, SDV and technologic equipments, which support optimization processes in order to assure total quality to the casted part. The current paper intends to present the methodology for choosing the optimum casting technology for a turbo compressor rotor used in the aviation, part which must be assimilated in the national industry.

This paper is an extension of a research article published in the July 2010 issue of the Construction Law Journal in which the findings of seven face-to-face structured interviews, conducted in Hong Kong, on the perceptions of key risk factors and risk mitigation measures for Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contracts and Target Cost Contracts (TCC) were reported. Further to this previous research undertaken in Hong Kong, five similar in-depth structured interviews were conducted in the United Kingdom. The interviewees perceived the change in scope of work, quality and clarity of tender documents, selection of competent subcontractors and unforeseen ground conditions as key risk factors encountered in GMP/TCC construction projects. They also considered a basket of measures including: the adjudication of bids in risk assessment; total reflection on potential risks in tender documents; use of risk registers; and development of a proper risk management process, as being effective in risk mitigation. The UK findings were compared and contrasted with those from Hong Kong. It was found that the key risk factors associated with GMP/TCC contracts between the two jurisdictions are similar by nature in general. However, differences in perceptions on risk mitigation measures are also observed, which may be due to the disparities in the implementation of GMP/TCC methodology between the two regions.

In this appendix, we discuss our data construction in section A, additional minimum wage results in section B, the implementation of the selection correction procedure described in the main text in section C, our correction for our standard errors to deal with the generated regressor in section D, an extension to the model to allow for national level search by entrepreneurs in section E, and alternative estimates in section F.

In this appendix, we outline the details of our data construction (section S.1) and the implementation of the selection correction procedure described in the main text (section S.2). In addition, we examine the robustness of our results in a number of dimensions and provide some derivations of key equations in the main paper. In particular, we examine the implications of allowing bargaining strength, mobility and job destruction parameters to vary by industry and of allowing parameters to vary by education level and over time in section S.3. In section S.4, we provide a brief discussion and investigation of the implications of allowing on the job search. In section S.5, we present a Monte Carlo exercise aimed at investigating whether our linearization could be leading to biased results. Section S.6 contains a detailed derivation of the main linear approximation in the paper, and section S.7 contains an extensive presentation of the model when house prices are included. Section S.8 contains results from specifications in which we do not correct for self-selection of workers across cities, section S.9 presents our first stage regression results, and, finally, section S.10 contains estimates of equation ( ) from the main text. The Census data was obtained with extractions done using the IPUMS system (see Ruggles, Sobek, Alexander, Fitch, Goeken, Hall, King, and Ronnander (2004). The files were the 1980 5% State (A Sample), 1990 State, 2000 5% Census PUMS, and the 2007 American Community Survey. For 1970, Forms 1 and 2 were used for the Metro sample. The initial extraction includes all individuals aged 20 -65 not living in group quarters. All calculations are made using the sample weights provided. For the 1970 data, we adjust the weights for the fact that we combine two samples. We focus on the log of weekly wages, calculated by dividing wage and salary income by annual weeks worked. We impute incomes for top coded values by multiplying the top code value in each year by 1.5. Since top codes vary by State in 1990 and 2000, we impose common top-code values of 140, 000 in 1990 and 175, 000 in 2000. A consistent measure of education is not available for these Census years. We use indicators based on the IPUMS recoded variable EDUCREC that computes comparable categories from the 1980 Census data on years of school completed and later Census years that report categorical schooling only. To calculate potential experience (age minus years of education minus six), we assign group mean years of education from Table in Park 1994 to the categorical education values reported in the 1990 and 2000 Censuses. Census definitions of metropolitan areas are not comparable over time since, in general, the geographic areas covered by them increase over time and their definitions are updated to reflect this expansion. The definition of cities we use attempts to maximize geographic comparability over time and roughly correspond to 1990 definitions of MSAs provided by the U.

El consumo de algunos acidos grasos poliinsaturados de cadena larga (AGPCL), en particular los acidos docosahexanoico (ADH), eicosapentanoico (AEP) y linoleico conjugado (ALC), es benefico para la salud humana, por lo cual su incorporacion a la carne de abasto le da un valor agregado, pero las caracteristicas sensoriales podrian alterarse ocasionando el rechazo del consumidor. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el efecto de adicionar estos tres AGPCL a la dieta de cerdos en variables de calidad fisicoquimica y sensorial de la carne. El diseno experimental fue de bloques al azar y los tratamientos fueron: T1) dieta+ALC; T2) dieta+ADH+AEP; T3) dieta+ADH+AEP+ALC; T4) dieta (testigo). Los datos se analizaron mediante ANDEVA y componentes principales (ACP); las medias se compararon con la prueba de Tukey (p≤0.05). Se usaron 32 cerdos castrados, Pietrain x Landrace x York x Duroc, en engorda de dos fases: 4 semanas de desarrollo y 4 semanas de finalizacion, despues se electroins...

Past attempts to estimate the cost of migration were limited to education costs only and did not include the lost returns from investment. The objectives of this study were: (i) to estimate the financial cost of emigration of Kenyan doctors to the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA); (ii) to estimate the financial cost of emigration of nurses to seven OECD countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, UK, USA); and (iii) to describe other losses from brain drain. The costs of primary, secondary, medical and nursing schools were estimated in 2005. The cost information used in this study was obtained from one non-profit primary and secondary school and one public university in Kenya. The cost estimates represent unsubsidized cost. The loss incurred by Kenya through emigration was obtained by compounding the cost of educating a medical doctor and a nurse over the period between the average age of emigration (30 years) and the age of retirement (62 years...

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XML is the "lingua franca" for data exchange between interenterprise applications. In this work, we describe SilkRoute, a framework for publishing relational data in XML. In SilkRoute, relational data is published in three steps: the relational tables are presented to the database administrator in a canonical XML view; the database administrator defines in the XQuery query language a public, virtual XML view over the canonical XML view; and an application formulates an XQuery query over the public view. SilkRoute composes the application query with the public-view query, translates the result into SQL, executes this on the relational engine, and assembles the resulting tuple streams into an XML document. This work makes some key contributions to XML query processing. First, it describes an algorithm that translates an XQuery expression into SQL. The translation depends on a query representation that separates the structure of the output XML document from the computation th...

Assessing the potential effects of a world biofuel boom on a non-oil producing economy like Senegal and on its households is relevant when it comes for policymakers to make a trade-off between fossil energy and biofuel. In this paper, we run a simulation, based on a dynamic, general-equilibrium model for the period 2006-2020, to capture the effects of the boom of biofuel in the world market on growth and poverty in Senegal. Our results suggest that, due to decreasing prices, imports increase for crude oil, tradable services and non food industries. Valued-added of biodiesel and bioethanol decreases while it increases for most the sectors, in particular those which are more energy intensive. Poverty is quite constant for the first sub-period but it declines thereafter. The households living in urban areas experienced a more deep decrease in their poverty headcount than the one of rural areas.

In Nigeria, over 56,000 projects have been abandoned, leading to negative societal and urban impacts, including wasted investment, job losses, increased crime rates, visual pollution, and disruption of urban planning. These abandoned projects, which include residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, have significant multiplier effects on the construction industry. As the housing sector plays a vital role in a country's economy, the issue of abandoned urban housing projects, particularly in Ibadan, Nigeria's thirdlargest city, poses serious challenges. These challenges affect the city's economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental quality, yet there is limited research addressing the problem. This paper investigated the causes of abandoned housing projects in Ibadan, aiming to find ways to revive them and prevent future abandonment. A structured questionnaire (n=45) was administered to consultants and professionals in the built environment (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and builders). Key causes of abandonment were identified, along with impacts such as building dilapidation, environmental decline, and urban visual displeasure. The paper recommended the establishment of regulatory frameworks for periodic inspections of ongoing projects and requiring developers to have exit strategies for financial setbacks. It also emphasized policies that promote repurposing abandoned buildings for public services, such as affordable housing or community centers. The conclusion stressed that without addressing the root causes, urban aesthetics and adequate housing provision will continue to suffer.

 d = distance from extreme compression fiber to cancroids of tension reinforcement.  Ec = modulus of elasticity of concrete.  Fy = specified yield strength of non-prestressed reinforcement.  I = moment of inertia of section resisting externally applied factored loads.  Ln = length of clear span in long direction of tow-way construction, measured face-toface of supports in slabs without beams and face to face of beam or other supports in other cases.

The feasibility and efficiency of a seismic retrofit solution for existing reinforced concrete frame systems, designed before the introduction of modern seismic-oriented design codes in the mid 1970s, is conceptually presented and experimentally investigated. A diagonal metallic haunch system is introduced at the beamcolumn connections to protect the joint panel zone from extensive damage and brittle shear mechanisms, while inverting the hierarchy of strength within the beam-column subassemblies and forming a plastic hinge in the beam. A complete step-by-step design procedure is suggested for the proposed retrofit strategy to achieve the desired reversal of strength hierarchy. Analytical formulations of the internal force flow at the beam-column-joint level are derived for the retrofitted joints. The study is particularly focused on exterior beam-column joints, since it is recognized that they are the most vulnerable, due to their lack of a reliable joint shear transfer mechanism. Results from an experimental program carried out to validate the concept and the design procedure are also presented. The program consisted of quasi-static cyclic tests on four exterior, 2 3 scaled, beam-column joint subassemblies, typical of pre-1970 construction practice using plain round bars with end-hooks, with limited joint transverse reinforcement and detailed without capacity design considerations. The first (control specimen) emulated the as-built connection while the three others incorporated the proposed retrofitted configurations. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed solution for upgrading non-seismically designed RC frames and also confirmed the applicability of the proposed design procedure and of the analytical derivations. Copyright

Presented in this paper is an analysis of the experience of teaching advanced manufacturing technology to groups of teachers at a workshop sponsored by NSF during the summer of 2004 at the University of Missouri-Rolla. The purpose of the workshop was to expose teachers to manufacturing technology in the hope of impacting the career choices of their students. Some high school students also participated in the workshop. The material presented in the workshop included CAD modeling, rapid prototyping, and lean manufacturing. Some industrial representatives came to the workshop to interact with the teachers and students on the prospectives of advanced manufacturing technologies. The participants also toured manufacturing research laboratories on campus and two local manufacturing facilities. This paper details the experiences of both the participants and facilitators of the workshop.

Presented in the paper is an interdisciplinary capstone design project course with the support of distributed and integrated manufacturing processes. This project course provides students with the experience of integrating the technical knowledge they have learned from other courses. The project highlights include 1) Integration of business and engineering skills through a two-semester, team-based capstone manufacturing project course; 2) Development of a distributed product design and manufacturing environment including a realistic supply-chain network; 3) Development of modular courseware to support the capstone design project; 4) In-depth understanding of product quality and manufacturing process control; 5) Implication of various decisions such as make/buy, purchasing, vendor selection on the bottom line; and 6) real world industrial projects supported by various industrial partners. Presented in the paper is the integration of the existing campus manufacturing resources and those available from industries to provide distributed manufacturing experiences for students. The collaboration between the University of Missouri-Rolla and St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley integrates engineering and technology to solve real problems in industry. An interdisciplinary team provides the students with the experience of solving a problem using various team members' expertise. This capstone design project provides opportunities for students to design, manufacture, and actually market a product, are able to stimulate students' interest in real-world product realization. Business knowledge and skill are naturally incorporated into consideration in students' design and manufacturing. Both the program model and actual class implementation are summarized in this paper. This model can also be adapted at other institutions that have limited manufacturing process facilities.

We use hourly bid data from the Spanish day-ahead electricity auction to obtain a lower bound measure of generators' market power. Our method is not based on cost estimates but rather on the di¤erent behavior of strategic generators as compared to the behavior of more competitive producers. The results indicate that, despite the price cap e¤ect of regulation in this market, the larger operators in the day-ahead market are able to increase prices above the competitive benchmark by a signi…cant amount.

IVIE working papers offer in advance the results of economic research under way in order to encourage a discussion process before sending them to scientific journals for their final publication. * Financial support from Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (BEC 2000-0301) and Ivie is gratefully acknowledged. We thank Jorge de la Cruz for his very helpful research assistance, and seminar participants at Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and Universidad de Alicante for their comments and suggestions. We are especially indebted to Eva Ferreira for her invaluable help.

PurposeThe inherent risks and their interactive impacts in megaproject development have been found in numerous cases worldwide. Although risk management standards have been recommended for the best practice in engineering construction projects, there is still a lack of systematic approaches to describing the interactions. Interactions such as social, technical, economic, ecological and political (STEEP) risks have complex and dynamic implications for megaproject construction. For a better understanding and effective management of megaprojects such as the Edinburgh Tram project, the dynamic interaction of concomitant risks must be studied.Design/methodology/approachA systems dynamic methodology was adopted following the comprehensive literature review. Documentary data were gathered from the case study on Tram Network Project in Edinburgh.FindingsA casual loop of typical evolution of key indicators of risks was then developed. A hypothesised model of social and ecological (SE) risks ...

Irrigated agriculture throughout western North America faces increasing pressure to transfer water to nonagricultural uses, including instream flows for fish and wildlife management. In an important case, increased instream flows are needed in Nebraska's Platte River for recovery of threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species. Irrigated agriculture in the Laramie Basin of southeast Wyoming is a potential water source for the ef-

Comet C/2014 UN 271 , alternative designation BB after its discoverers Bernardinelli-Bernstein, and commonly referred to as UN 271 , is an extreme case on two fronts, firstly its solar distance on discovery (> 29 au) and secondly the size of its nucleus (137±15 km). With an aphelion distance of ∼33,000 au (w.r.t. the solar system barycentre) and an orbital period ∼2 million years, it is definitely an object from the solar system's 'Oort cloud', and also by a good measure the largest Oort cloud object ever observed. In situ observation of UN 271 would be of considerable scientific importance. Unlike most Oort cloud comets which have been discovered for the first time only as they near the inner solar system, UN 271 was discovered early enough to provide adequate advanced warning to plan for such a mission. In this paper we describe the various methods for reaching UN 271 during the period around its perihelion and ecliptic plane passage, with both flyby and rendezvous options; exploiting direct transfers, Jupiter powered gravitational assists (GA) or alternatively a series of GAs of the inner planets. Viable flyby and rendezvous trajectories are found, especially using the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) as the launch vehicle.

Ethical decision-making in accounting, a profession heavily reliant on integrity and trust, has become increasingly complex in today's globalized and rapidly changing business environment. While numerous factors influence ethical choices, the role of spirituality has often been overlooked. This research investigates the significance of spirituality in guiding ethical decision-making among accounting professionals, with the aim of improving financial reporting and promoting sustainable and ethical business practices. The study employs a comparative case study research design to explore variations in the influence of spirituality across different cultural, religious, and organizational contexts. Data was gathered through a thorough review of relevant existing literature, including case studies of accounting professionals who have incorporated spiritual values into their work. The analysis examines the potential benefits and challenges of integrating spiritual values into accounting practices, in addition to the consequences on decision-making, reporting, and corporate governance. The findings reveal that spiritual practices can enhance commitment, happiness, and performance among accounting professionals, ultimately leading to improved client satisfaction and organizational growth. This contributes to a broader understanding of the role of spirituality in business and finance, potentially offering new perspectives for sustainable and ethical accounting professions. In conclusion, this research helps to deepen our knowledge on both spirituality and accounting while also providing insights into the possibilities for building a more complete and ethical approach to financial reporting. By understanding the role of spirituality in ethical decision-making, accounting professionals can make more informed and responsible choices that benefit their organizations, clients, and society as a whole.

Building information modeling (BIM) refers to the continuous use of semantically rich three-dimensional (3D) building models throughout the entire lifecycle of a facility. BIM data models capture the geometry as well as the semantics of buildings and its constituent parts in an object-oriented manner. They have been developed to achieve high-quality data exchange between software applications, reduce data loss, and increase interoperability. Across the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, the open-data model industry foundation classes (IFC) has become a well-accepted standard. The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a procedural language called the IFC procedural language (IFCPL) that can be easily embedded into an IFC-based building information model. This enables software developers to exchange procedural programs between different software applications in a platform-independent way using a neutral data format. IFCPL programs describe algorithms that operate on a set of input parameters and generate a set of output parameters (return values). The EXPRESS language, which is part of standard for the exchange of product model data (STEP), provides the concept of functions and rules for representing algorithmic knowledge. However, EXPRESS operates on the schema level, i.e., the rules and algorithms defined apply to all instances of the respective entity type in the same manner. IFCPL shifts this concept from the schema (class level) to the instance level and is not limited to realizing data integrity or attribute derivation. The paper describes in detail the features and the design of the IFCPL language. To illustrate its applicability, the language is used to demonstrate how transition curves of road or railway alignments can be described in a very flexible manner: IFCPL allows the definition and exchange of algorithms for computing the curve coordinates from general curve parameters. In doing so, software developers can dynamically define and exchange new transition curve types without modifying the IFC data model. At the same time, this approach helps avoid misinterpretations of informal curve descriptions. The procedural language provides a powerful option for adding enhancements and reduces software development costs by allowing semiautomated integration. Besides the alignment use case, there are many other application areas in which IFCPL can be used and where software developers as well as software users can benefit from it. They are discussed extensively throughout the paper.

The distinction of secondary particles in extensive air showers, specifically muons and electrons, is one of the requirements to perform a good measurement of the composition of primary cosmic rays. We describe two methods for pulse shape detection and discrimination of muons and electrons implemented on FPGA. One uses an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm; the other exploits a correlation approach based on finite impulse response (FIR) filters. The novel hls4ml package is used to build the ANN inference model. Both methods were implemented and tested on Xilinx FPGA System on Chip (SoC) devices: ZU9EG Zynq UltraScale+ and ZC7Z020 Zynq. The data set used for the analysis was captured with a data acquisition system on an experimental site based on a water Cherenkov detector. A comparison of the accuracy of the detection, resources utilization and power consumption of both methods is presented. The results show an overall accuracy on particle discrimination of 96.62% for the ANN...

This study was carried out to assess the power generation capacity of 4 types of waste material. In this study combustion temperature, steam temperature, steam pressure, mass reduction, gaseous emission and ash content production was calculated for wood, yard, mixed and combined waste at various time interval. In this study fabricated direct flame incinerator was used. This study is based on the cycle from waste collection to waste combustion then to steam formation and further more to electricity production and at end to the gaseous emission. From the study experimental work it was obtained that the combustion of wood, yard, mixed and combined waste produced 482.2 °C, 121 °C and 35 psi as highest combustion temperature, steam temperature and steam pressure respectively at different time line for all the waste material. Moreover from combustion of wood waste produced 66g of ash content and 98.35% mass reduction was calculated. For the yard waste incineration, 54g of ash produced and mass reduction was 98.65%. While for mixed waste the amount of ash produced was 151g and mass reduction was 96.22% and similarly for combined waste, 97g of ash was obtained and mass reduction was 97.57%. The incineration treatment technology is cost effective, easy to operate as compare to other waste treatment technologies.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

A significant and very extended approach for Smart Cities is the use of sensors and the analysis of the data generated for the interpretation of phenomena. The proper sensor location represents a key factor for suitable data collection, especially for big data. There are different methodologies to select the places to install sensors. Such methodologies range from a simple grid of the area to the use of complex statistical models to provide their optimal number and distribution, or even the use of a random function within a set of defined positions. We propose the use of the same data generated by the sensor to locate or relocate them in real-time, through what we denominate as a 'hot-zone', a perimeter with significant data related to the observed phenomenon. In this paper, we present a process with four phases to calculate the best georeferenced locations for sensors and their visualization on a map. The process was applied to the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone in Mexico where, during the last twenty years, air quality has been monitored through sensors in ten different locations. As a result, two algorithms were developed. The first one classifies data inputs in order to generate a matrix with frequencies that works along with a matrix of territorial adjacencies. The second algorithm uses training data with machine learning techniques, both running in parallel modes, in order to diagnose the installation of new sensors within the detected hot-zones.

The progressive industrialization of composite-built aircraft is putting manufacturing engineers on a steep learning curve. An opportunity exists to use knowledge management tools to capture, share and reuse knowledge over multiple aircraft programs and maintain the constant flow of learning gained during aircraft program delivery. This paper reports on research to develop a knowledge-based cost modelling capability for composite part concept evaluation. The approach integrates a knowledge management environment with a processbased cost estimation tool encoded in very large spreadsheets. In order to achieve this, the complexity of the cost model is managed by modularizing it into simple, re-useable components. The knowledge management environment is then used to manage the knowledge lifecycle, knowledge exploitation and knowledge visibility of those components. The result is a flexible cost modeling tool composed of traceable, verifiable and reliable knowledge elements that provides through-life knowledge support for cost engineering. Validation is achieved through functional application of the solution for composite wing top cover cost modelling.

The Low Energy ,4ntiproton Ring (LEAR) at CERN is a unique machine which delivers pure antiproton beams over a wide range of kinetic energy (between 2 and 1270MeV) to a large community of physicists. In this paper, we describe the new layout of the experimental areas, designed to fulfil the requirements of the experiments of the "second generation".

Cauchy modified exponential distribution is deliberated and studied in this work. Its mathematical and statistical properties are examined. Model parameters of novel distribution are evaluated using leastsquare, maximum likelihood and Cramer-Von-Mises estimations approaches. R programming software is applied to carry out all of the calculations. To evaluate the new distribution's application and goodness-offit test, an actual data set is studied for illustration. The suggested new distribution is performed better as compared to some existing distributions.

In this article, we have presented a two-parameter univariate continuous distribution called Logistic-Rayleigh distribution. We have discussed some mathematical and statistical properties of the distribution, such as the cumulative distribution function, probability density function and hazard rate function, survival function, quantile function, the skewness, and kurtosis measures. The model parameters of the proposed distribution are estimated using three well-known estimation methods, namely maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), least-square estimation (LSE), and Cramer-Von-Mises estimation (CVME) methods. The goodness of fit of the purposed distribution is also evaluated by fitting it in comparison with some other existing distributions using a real data set.

INITIATION À LA COMPTABILITÉ AGRICOLE ADAPTÉE AU SYSTÈME COMPTABLE OHADA RÉVISÉ L'auteur aborde l'essentiel des activités qui se réalisent au sein des exploitations agropastorales africaines. Il essaie de les interpréter dans le langage comptable. Ici, la comptabilité agricole vise à apporter un supplément de connaissances à celles acquises dans le cours de comptabilité générale. Sa particularité est qu'elle focalise l'attention sur les différents systèmes de productions agricoles et d'élevage.

A highway construction cost index (HCCI) is an indicator of the purchasing power of a highway agency. Thus, it must reflect the actual construction market conditions. However, current methods used by most state departments of transportation are not robust enough to meet this primary goal due to (1) a significantly insufficient sample size of bid items used in HCCI calculation; and (2) inability to address the need to track highway construction market conditions in specific submarket segments such as, but not limited to, various project types, sizes, and locations. This study proposes an advanced methodology to overcome these apparent limitations using two new concepts: (1) dynamic item basket; and (2) multidimensional HCCIs. The dynamic item basket process identifies and utilizes an optimum amount of bid-item data to calculate HCCIs in order to minimize the potential error due to a small sample size, which leads to a better reflection of the current market conditions. Multidimensional HCCIs dissect the state highway construction market into distinctively smaller sectors of interest and thus, allow state Departments of Transportation to understand the market conditions with much higher granularity. A framework is developed to integrate these two concepts and a standalone prototype system, named the Dyna-Mu-HCCI System, is developed to automate the dataprocessing part of the framework. The historical bid data of the Montana Department of Transportation are used to evaluate the performance of the Dyna-Mu-HCCI System and measure the effects of the dynamic item basket (DIB) and multidimensional HCCIs. The results show an eightfold increase in terms of the number of bid items used in calculating HCCIs and at least a 20% increase in terms of the total cost of bid items used. In addition, the multidimensional HCCIs reveal different cost-change patterns from different highway sectors. For example, the bridge construction market historically shows a very different trend compared with the overall highway construction market. The new methodology is expected to aid state Departments of Transportation in making more-reliable decisions in preparing business plans and budgets with more accurate and detailed information about the construction market conditions. Further, the prototype Dyna-Mu-HCCI System is expected to significantly facilitate the HCCI calculation process and rapidly implement this new system.

Variations are inherent in all manufacturing processes and can significantly affect the quality of a final assembly, particularly in multistage assembly systems. Existing research in variation management has primarily focused on incorporating GD&T factors into variation propagation models in order to predict product quality and allocate tolerances. However, process induced variation, which has a key influence on process planning, has not been fully studied. Furthermore, the link between variation and cost has not been well established, in particular the effect that assembly process selection has on the final quality and cost of a product. To overcome these barriers, this paper proposes a novel method utilizing process capabilities to establish the relationship between variation and cost. The methodology is discussed using a real industrial case study. The benefits include determining the optimum configuration of an assembly system and facilitating rapid introduction of novel assembly techniques to achieve a competitive edge.

Variations are inherent in all manufacturing processes and can significantly affect the quality of a final assembly, particularly in multistage assembly systems. Existing research in variation management has primarily focused on incorporating GD&T factors into variation propagation models in order to predict product quality and allocate tolerances. However, process induced variation, which has a key influence on process planning, has not been fully studied. Furthermore, the link between variation and cost has not been well established, in particular the effect that assembly process selection has on the final quality and cost of a product. To overcome these barriers, this paper proposes a novel method utilizing process capabilities to establish the relationship between variation and cost. The methodology is discussed using a real industrial case study. The benefits include determining the optimum configuration of an assembly system and facilitating rapid introduction of novel assembl...

The estimation of a part's manufacturing cost in all phases of the design stage is crucial to concurrent engineering. To better estimate the cost for a product, data must be available from both engineering systems and business systems. This paper presents a cost estimation system being developed to support design time cost estimation using FIPER; the Federated Intelligent Product Environment, which is being developed as part of the NIST Advanced Technology Program. The FIPER project will be developing an architecture that interconnects design and analysis software tools in a peer level architecture using JAVA to support Multidisciplinary Design Optimisation, Design for Six Sigma and Robust Design.

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