Showing papers in "The annual research report in 2008"

A Bilevel flow model for HazMat transportation network design

Abstract: In this work we consider the following hazmat transportation network design problem. A given set of hazmat shipments has to be shipped over a road transportation network in order to transport a given amount of hazardous materials from specific origin points to specific destination points, and we assume there are regional and local government authorities that want to regulate the hazmat transportations by imposing restrictions on the amount of hazmat traffic over the network links. In particular, the regional authority aims to minimize the total transport risk induced over the entire region in which the transportation network is embedded, while local authorities want the risk over their local jurisdictions to be the lowest possible, forcing the regional authority to assure also risk equity. We provide a linear bilevel programming formulation for this hazmat transportation network design problem that takes into account both total risk minimization and risk equity. We transform the bilevel model into a single-level mixed integer linear program by replacing the second level (follower) problem by its KKT conditions and by linearizing the complementary constraints, and then we solve the MIP problem with a commercial optimization solver. The optimal solution may not be stable, and we provide an approach for testing its stability and for evaluating the range of the its solution values when it is not stable. Moreover, since the bilevel model is difficult to be solved optimally and its optimal solution may not be stable, we provide a heuristic algorithm for the bilevel model able to always find a stable solution. The proposed bilevel model and heuristic algorithm are experimented on real scenarios of an Italian regional network.

Hushållsel-Energieffektivisering i vardagen

Abstract: Tre funktionsomraden i vardagslivet har analyserats grundligt namligen Hel och ren, Matt och belaten samt Underhallning och information. Anvandningen av hushallsel har okat fran 9,2 med cirka 10 TWh under en tidsperiod pa drygt tre decennier. Okningen forklaras bland annat av att antalet hushall har okat, men aven av att innehavet av apparater okat i hushallen. Dessutom har anvandningsmonster kring de apparater man har forandrats mellan aldre och yngre generationer. Manga vitvaror har tekniskt forbattras sa att de ar mindre energikravande nu an tidigare. Samtidigt har ny teknik lett till att allt flera nya apparater for olika andamal introducerats pa marknaden. De tre funktionsomradena som analyserats skiljer sig at saval nar det galler anvandningsmonster som teknikutveckling. Inom omradet Hel och ren har utvecklingen i hushallens apparatinnehav gatt mot allt farre apparater, vilka blivit alltmera energi- och vattensnala. I alla hushall som bor i smahus och i manga hushall i flerbostadshus har man tvattmaskin, torktumlare eller torkskap samt ett strykjarn som man alltmera sallan anvander. Teknikomradet har genomgatt en mognad som lett till mera energieffektiva apparater. Hushallen har hog energimedvetenhet kring tvatt och torkning, vilket leder till att man oftast forsoker tvatta med full maskin. Manga hushall med egen utrustning i lagenheten hanger tvatt pa sjalvtorkning medan hushall som tvattar i kollektiv tvattstuga behover anvanda torkutrustningen flitigt for att kunna halla sin tvattid. Den tvatt- och torkutrustning som i synnerhet hushallen i smahus har tenderar att bli allt aldre. Den genomsnittliga aldern ar 7 ar for en tvattmaskin, 8 ar for en torktumlare och 19 ar for ett torkskap. Energieffektiviseringspotentialen ligger i att byta till moderna maskiner. I flerbostadshusen har tvatt- och torkutrustning i allmanhet lagre genomsnittsalder. Hushallen i flerbostadshus behover framfor allt mer generosa tider for att torka sin tvatt pa ett mindre energikravande satt. I ett framtidscenario skulle man kunna anta att av de 50 % hushall i smahus som har utrustning over den genomsnittliga maskinparkens alder 10 % per ar byter till marknadens mest energieffektiva utrustning under den narmaste femarsperioden, vilket skulle kunna ge en beraknad energieffektivisering pa 0.4 TWh. Om man utgar fran att svenska hushall som bor i flerbostadshus ar energieffektiva nar det galler anvandningen av tvattmaskinen och i huvudsak behover effektivisera sin energianvandning for torkning av tvatten kan man gora en forsiktig uppskattning om en energieffektivisering pa 5 % av anvand energi. Aven for dessa hushall utgar vi fran att forandringen gar gradvis over en femarsperiod, vilket skulle ge en beraknad energieffektivisering pa 0.08 TWh. Den sammanlagda energieffektiviseringspotentialen inom funktionsomradet Hel och ren kan beraknas till 4,8 TWh over en femarsperiod genom att successivt byta utrustning i smahus och underlatta torkning av tvatt for hushall i flerbostadshus. Inom funktionsomradet Matt och belaten har hushall i allmanhet hog energimedvetenhet nar det galler att diska med full maskin. Manga hushall skoljer disken i rinnande vatten fore placeringen i diskmaskinen. Det ar ett gammalt invant beteende som behovs for att fa disken ren om man har aldre diskmaskiner, men inte for nya maskiner. Genomsnittlig alder pa kyl/frys och spis i hushall ar 7 ar. Fristaende frysar hade en genomsnittlig medelalder pa 9 ar. Yngre hushall har nyare utrustning och samtidigt flera hushallsapparater an aldre hushall. I yngre hushall lagar man dessutom oftare snabblagad mat, medan man i aldre hushall agnar mera tid at matlagning och oftare utgar fran ravaror. Man kan konstatera att det finns stora generationsskillnader i energibeteende. Samtidigt har unga och aldre hushall olika typer av energimedvetenhet i sitt beteende. Aldre har farre apparater, med anvander mera tid pa matlagning. Unga har flera apparater, men anvander dem mera energieffektivt. Man kan dock konstatera att alla typer av hushall har vitvaror med tamligen hog genomsnittsalder. Aven inom funktionsomradet Matt och belaten kan man anta att den storsta energieffektiviseringen kan uppnas genom ett successivt byte av gamla vitvaror. Om man utgar fran att halften av alla hushall som bor i smahus och har utrustning som ar over 7 ar gammal, behover byta dessa vitvaror nagon gang under kommande femarsperioden kan man berakna en sammanlagd energieffektiviseringspotential pa nationell niva inom funktionsomradet Matt och belaten under en femarsperiod till 2,2 TWh. Inom funktionsomradet Underhallning och information ar innovationstakten for ny utrustning hog. Den allra storsta innovationen var nar datorer utvecklades till format och funktioner sa att de kunde anvandas som hemdator. Mera vanlig i hemmen blev datorn forst i slutet pa 1990-talet. Hemutrustningen var pa den tiden i allmanhet en dator, som anvandes av alla hushallets medlemmar. Utvecklingen over hela elektronikomradet har lett till mindre och billigare apparater. Man kan skaffa egen utrustning till allt flera hushallsmedlemmar. Fran att behova diskutera vilka program man skall se pa TV, vem som skall anvanda datorn eller vilken musik man skall spela sa kan varje hushallsmedlem valja tidpunkt, aktivitet och upplevelse allt efter sin egen smak om det finns flera utrustningspaket i hushallet. Parallellbeteenden har utvecklats. I borjan av 2000-talet var medelantalet apparater inom detta funktionsomrade i genomsnitt 18. I unga hushall och sarskilt i hushall med barn hade man annu fler apparater. I aldre hushall hade man bade aldre och farre apparater. Endast 9 % av alla hushall har ingen PC i bostaden. Samtidigt som anvandarbeteenden utvecklats efter individuella onskemal sa har energimedvetandet i samband med anvandningen av utrustningen minskat i betydelse. Bekvamlighet och atkomlighet ar viktigare faktorer an att hushalla med energi. Utrustning kring underhallning och information som ar tillganglig i hemmet tillhor de teknikomraden som ar under snabb utveckling. Nya modeller pa TV-apparater, plattskarmar, datorer med nya funktioner som internet, telefoni, ljud for musik och film samt en rad nya apparater som kompletterande utrustning visar att detta ar ett teknikomrade som annu inte natt den mognadsgrad som galler for de bada andra funktionsomradena. Kundens onskemal om tillganglighet och fornyelse ar annu omattat. Andelen hushall som har gammal utrustning ar mycket liten. Underhallningsomradet ar dessutom ett av de funktionsomraden, forutom belysning, dar standby-funktioner ar mycket vanliga. Cirka 10 % av hushallets totala forbrukning av hushallsel beraknas ske genom standby-funktioner pa utrustning, vilket skulle innebara en betydande energieffektivisering om den bekvamlighetsfunktionen tekniskt kunde losas genom mindre energiforbrukning. Cirka halften, 5 %, har antagits finnas pa utrustning for Underhallning och information. Teknikomraden dar innovationer, bade nyheter pa gamla valkanda apparater och ny utrustning ar under snabb utveckling innebar att aven anvandarmonster ar i standig forandring. Man kan inte rakna med att en allman energisparattityd leder till sparbeteende pa kort sikt. Snarare leder hushallsmedlemmarnas parallella anvandarmonster av datorer, TV eller musikutrustning till att forbrukningen av el okar inom funktionsomradet. Ett scenario over energieffektivisering inom funktionsomradet Underhallning och information kan darmed inte i sarskilt stor utstrackning bygga pa beteendeforandringar, men val pa teknikutveckling. Utrustning i allmanhet kan bli mer energieffektiv, men framfor allt borde detta kunna galla for standby-funktioner. Om man antar att halften av alla hushall som har apparater med standby-funktioner inom funktionsomradet Underhallning och information byter till apparater som saknar sadan funktion eller som ar betydligt mera energieffektiva, eller stanger av apparater med standby-funktion skulle enbart denna atgard under en femarsperiod kunna leda till en energieffektiviseringspotential som ligger pa 5,0 TWh under en femarsperiod. Den sammanlagda energieffektiviseringspotentialen for de tre funktionsomradena under en femarsperiod kan salunda beraknas till 7,8 TWh. Man kan konstatera att forandringar i manniskors beteende ofta ar en langsam process ocksa i beteendemonster dar manniskor har hog miljo- och energimedvetenhet. Mojligheten att uppna nationella malsattningar om energieffektivisering inom hushallssektorn kan, liksom inom andra sektorer, paverkas och paskyndas genom att anvanda styrmedel. Olika styrmedel har emellertid olika intention och effektivitet i mojligheten om att oka kunskap kring energi och forandra beteende.

Fault-tolerant flocking in a k-bounded asynchronous system

Abstract: This paper studies the flocking problem, where mobile robots group to form a desired pattern and move together while maintaining that formation. Unlike previous studies of the problem, we consider a system of mobile robots in which a number of them may possibly fail by crashing. Our algorithm ensures that the crash of faulty robots does not bring the formation to a permanent stop, and that the correct robots are thus eventually allowed to reorganize and continue moving together. Furthermore, the algorithm makes no assumption on the relative speeds at which the robots can move. The algorithm relies on the assumption that robots' activations follow a k -bounded asynchronous scheduler, in the sense that the beginning and end of activations are not synchronized across robots (asynchronous), and that while the slowest robot is activated once, the fastest robot is activated at most k times (k -bounded). The proposed algorithm is made of three parts. First, appropriate restrictions on the movements of the robots make it possible to agree on a common ranking of the robots. Second, based on the ranking and the k -bounded scheduler, robots can eventually detect any robot that has crashed, and thus trigger a reorganization of the robots. Finally, the third part of the algorithm ensures that the robots move together while keeping an approximation of a regular polygon, while also ensuring the necessary restrictions on their movement.

Analisis Kualifikasi dan Kompetensi Profesi Guru serta Upaya Pengembangannya dalam Menyikapi UU Guru-Dosen (studi di Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah Kota Malang) (2008). (Dosen Muda)

Abstract: Rendahnya kualitas pendidikan kita sebagai akibat dari rendahnya kualifikasi dan kompetensi profesi guru, dan bahkan cendrung unqualified, underqualified, dan mismath. Munculnya UU Guru-Dosen dan SNP yang mensyaratkan guru harus S-1, akan memperparah keadaan guru kita. Oleh karenanya, upaya pemberdayaan dan pengembangan untuk meningkatkan kualifikasi dan kompetensi profesi guru perlu dilakukan secara terus menerus dan berkelanjutan. Selain itu, pemberlakuan Otoda dan otonomi pendidikan terasa berat tak terkecuali bagi Kota Malang, karena hampir 25% gurunya belum S-1, dan persoalan menjadi sangat kompleks pada saat berbicara masalah kompetensi profesi guru. Untuk mengetahui lebih jauh maka sebagai langkah awal yang harus dijawab adalah ”Bagaimana kualifikasi dan kompetensi profesi guru serta bagaimana upaya pengembangannya untuk menyikapi UU Guru-Dosen ”. Untuk menjawab masalah di atas, dilakukanlah penelitian kasus di Dinas Pendidikan Kota Malang dan 16 lembaga pendidikan dasar dan menengah (dikdasmen) favorit baik negeri mapun swasta dengan responden sebanyak 120 orang guru dengan teknik pengambilan data melalui dokumentasi, wawancara, dan angket. Pemilihan lembaga ini diharapkan memberikan gambaran secara nyata tentang kualifikasi dan kompetensi profesi guru serta upaya-upaya pengembangannya. Sehingga dengan informasi ini, kita dapat menggambarkan keadaan guru secara keseluruhan serta mencari cara bagaimana meningkatkan kualifikasi dan kompetensi profesinya. Berdasarkan hasil analisis kualitatif didapat bahwa 1) Kota Malang yang memiliki 533 lembaga dikdasmen dengan 10.901 guru (GTY sebesar 16.24%, PNS sebesar 56.41%, Guru bantu sebesar 0.85%, dan GTT sebesar 18.80%), hampir 20% guru berumur diatas 50 tahun. Sebagian besar sudah berijazah S-1 (77.08%) tetapi masih ada 550 guru (5.05%) berijazah SLTA ke bawah, 2) Rendahnya kualifikasi dan ketidaksesuaian latarbelakang pendidikan akan berdampak pada kemampuan guru dalam mengajar. Akibatnya hanya 80.4% guru yang layak mengajar, selebihnya sekitar 2135 orang belum layak mengajar, bahkan 721 (6.6%) orang tidak layak mengajar, 3) Upaya-upaya pengembangan dan peningkatan kemampuan mengajar sudah dilakukan baik secara pribadi, melalui sekolah, bahkan dari Dinas Pendidikan. Program peningkatan kualifikasi guru di Dinas Pendidikan masih terbatas pada guru-guru TK dengan anggaran APBD, program peningkatan kompetensi profesi guru khususnya program diklat, sudah dilaksanakan pada semua jenjang dengan frekuensi dan kebutuhan yang berbeda. Secara individu, para guru telah berupaya untuk meningkatkan kemampuan mengajarnya baik melanjutkan sekolah maupun mengikuti program peningkatan kompetensi profesi guru. Banyak kendala yang mereka hadapi, misalnya masalah dana, kesempatan, informasi, dan birokrasi. Oleh karenanya, para guru sangat berharap kepada pihak sekolah dan Dinas Pendidikan agar dapat membantu dan memperlancar upayanya ini.

Poverty, growth and income distribution in Lebanon

Abstract: This Country Study is based on a full national report that is the first to draw a profile of poverty in Lebanon based on money-metric poverty measurements of household expenditures. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the characteristics of the poor and estimates the extent of poverty and the degree of inequality in the country. It finds that nearly 28 per cent of the Lebanese population can be considered poor and eight per cent can be considered extremely poor. However, the most important finding of the report is that regional disparities are striking. For example, whereas poverty rates are insignificant in the capitol, Beirut, they are very high in the Northern city of Akkar. In general, the North governorate has been lagging behind the rest of the country and thus its poverty rate has become high. Levels of poverty are above-average in the South but are not as severe as expected. There are three other major results that have notable implications for a poverty-reduction programme in Lebanon. First, with few exceptions, measures of human deprivation, such as that provided by an Unsatisfied Basic Needs methodology, are generally commensurate with those for money-metric measures based on household expenditures. Second, the projected cost of halving extreme poverty is very modest, namely, a mere fraction of the cost of the country?s large external debt obligations. However, such a cost would rise dramatically if inequality were to worsen (i.e., if future growth were anti-poor). Also, the cost of reducing overall poverty would be substantially higher. Third, the poor are heavily concentrated among the unemployed and among unskilled workers, with the latter concentrated in sectors such as agriculture and construction. This places a priority on a broad-based, inclusive pattern of economic growth that could stimulate employment in such sectors. Based on such findings, the report concentrates on providing general policy recommendations on issues of directing public expenditures to poor households. One of its major recommendations is to concentrate on channelling resources to poor regions below the governorate level, such as to four ?strata? where two-thirds of the poor in Lebanon are concentrated. However, the report notes that macroeconomic policies, particularly fiscal policies, will have to be redesigned to mobilize the reources necessary to finance the increases in public expenditures on the social safety nets and public investment in social services that should be part of a major poverty-reduction programme.

Authentication revisited: flaw or not, the recursive authentication protocol

Abstract: Authentication and secrecy have been widely investigated in security protocols. They are closely related to each other and variants of definitions have been proposed, which focus on the concepts of corresponding assertion and key distribution. This paper proposes an on-the-fly model checkingmethod based on the pushdown system to verify the authentication of recursive protocols with an unbounded number of principals. By experiments of the Maude implementation, we find the recursive authentication protocol, which was verified in the sense of (weak) key distribution, has a flaw in the sense of correspondence assertion.

Addition of Calcium with Different Dose to Success of Red Claw (Cherax Quadricarinatus) Gastrolisation

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to test addition influence of calcium with different dose to success of red claw ( Cherax quadricarinatus ) gastrolisation. From this research expected obtainable of basic information about addition of appropiate calcium dose for requirement of red claw, so it can be applied as reference in the success of gastrolisation red claw. This research has been done during 60 days at the Indoor Fishery Laboratory, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Fishery, University of Muhammadiyah Malang. The method used experiment by using completely randomized design. As for treatment applied is addition of calcium with different dose, that is treatment A = dose 0 ppm, B = dose 2,5 ppm, C = dose 5 ppm, and D = dose 7,5 ppm. Result of variance analysis indicates that addition of calcium with different dose doesn't have an effect on to success of gastrolisation, survival rate and also growth of red claw. Success of gastrolisation at every treatment pertained that there are still low, at dose 2,5 ppm resulting 7,5%, dose 5 ppm resulting 7,78%, dose 7,5 ppm resulting 8,61% and treatment without addition of calcium resulting 5,28%. Some its the causes for example dose that is low relative, method used and temperature residing in at the range of a minimum of red claw to grow carefully.

Assessing Honduras? CCT Programme PRAF, Programa de Asignación Familiar: Expected and Unexpected Realities

Abstract: This Country Study investigates the evolution and current state of Honduras? conditional cash transfer programme, known as PRAF, the Programa de Asignacion Familiar. The details of the past and current programmes are examined closely, with special attention paid to what can be learned from the experiences. While the programme was originally intended to compensate poor households for the hardships imposed by structural adjustment, it has evolved into a programme focused on human capital development. In this respect, it is similar to other conditional cash transfer programmes. However, its history and the dual nature of the programme (one part based on an external loan and the other domestically driven) have hindered institutional transformation. Although there have been attempts to make the domestic programme more closely resemble the externally financed version of PRAF, this process has been hindered on several occasions. In fact, domestic programme co-responsibilities have been neither emphasized nor enforced in the past. While the current alignment of political and economic forces, both inside and outside the country, has given the programme the opportunity to positively transform itself, other factors run counter to this goal. Although the outcome of this transformation is yet to be fully determined, several important lessons can be learned from the experience of PRAF in Honduras. These relate to topics that include organizational alignment, targeting methodology, administration of transfers, programme evaluation, enforcement of co-responsibilities and supply-side complements to the programme. These issues are investigated so that other similar programmes can learn both the strengths and weaknesses of the Honduran experience.

Investigation of speed estimation using single loop detectors

Abstract: The ability to collect or estimate accurate speed information is of great importance to a large number of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications. Estimating speeds from the widely used single inductive loop sensor has been a difficult, yet important challenge for transportation engineers. Based on empirical evidence observed from the sensor data from two metropolitan regions in Northern Virginia and California, this research effort developed a Kalman filter model to perform speed estimation for congested traffic. Taking advantage of the coexistence of dual loop and single loop stations in typical freeway management systems, a calibration procedure was proposed for seeding and initiating the algorithm. Empirical evaluation showed that the proposed algorithm can produce accurate speed estimates (on the order of 1-3 miles/hour error) under congested traffic conditions.

Mat på arbetet dygnet runt? Arbete - Tid - Måltid

Abstract: Allt fler vuxna kvinnor och man arbetar i yrken med oregelbunden arbetstid over dygnets timmar eller veckans dagar. Tillgangen till mat och plats for maltiden under ”oregelbunden” dygnstid ar liten. Personalmatsalar stanger tidig eftermiddag. Affarer, restauranger, forsaljningsstallen for take-away maltider har begransade oppettider. Dessutom ar planeringen av raster for maltider under orgelbunden arbetstid oftare styrd av arbetsprocessen an behov av mat och rehabilitering. I en pilotstudie kring maltider och arbete bland busschaufforer och vardpersonal blev dessa och manga andra aspekter kring mat, maltider och oregelbunden arbetstid uppenbara. Det har inspirerat till nya forskningsprojekt, men ocksa till ett behov av att systematiskt inventera den kunskap som svensk forskning hittills tagit fram kring mat och maltider for yrkesgrupper med oregelbunden arbetstid. I denna skrift redovisas den kunskap inom omradet som finns att hamta i svensk forskning med en och annan internationell utblick. I en parallell studie gors motsvarande inventering av dansk forskning. Dessa bada arbeten kommer senare att redovisas i en gemensam skrift. Vi vet att det finns ett stort intresse bland forskare, livsmedelsindustri och andra att ta del av den kunskap som finns nar det galler svenska forhallanden. Av den anledningen valjer vi att presentera den kunskap svensk forskning bidragit med. Redovisningen disponeras under nagra rubriker med fokus pa maltidens sociala sammanhang, lunchtid och lunchmat, maltidsutbudet under arbetstid och styrmedel for att framja ett halsosamt atande under arbetstid. (Less)

RFIDays 2008: Workshop on emerging technologies for radio-frequency identification: book of proceedings

Abstract: Identification of things and processes by Radio Frequency (RFID) is quickly growing up as the emergent technology in logistics, security and bio-engineering. Different kinds of data may be wireless transmitted from the local query unit (reader) to the remote transponder (tag) that includes the antenna and the microchip transmitter. The most innovative research is related to affordable interrogation within complex environment, to the identification of metal objects, to the efficient scavenging of environmental energy, to the development of miniaturized active system with high autonomy, to low cost sensorial tags and to the biomedical telemetry. On May 12-13 2008 the University of Roma Tor Vergata, Italy, in close collaboration with CNIPA, the Italian Agency for Digital Government, organized the Workshop RFIDays-2008 on the Emerging Technologies for Radiofrequency Identification. By emphasizing the natural multi-disciplinary nature of RFId context, this two-days event offered a unique review of ideas, algorithms, technology and experimentations, coming from Electronics, Electromagnetics, Telecommunications, Computer science and Logistics and proposed an extraordinary interactions between Universities, research laboratories and companies, stimulating new interests and synergies. This proceeding collects many of the most valuable contributes, here organized into two parts respectively concerning new technologies for reader and tag design, and the development and implementation of algorithms for system-level applications with attention to security issues.