Electrical Power Distribution System modeling with VHDL-AMS for the construction of a Real-Time Digital Simulator using FPGAS devices

This paper presents a distribution feeder simulation using VHDL-AMS, considering the standard IEEE 13 node test feeder admitted as an example. In an electronic spreadsheet all calculations are performed in order to develop the modeling in VHDL-AMS. The simulation results are compared in relation to the results from the well knowing MatLab/Simulink environment, in order to verify the feasibility of the VHDL-AMS modeling for a standard electrical distribution feeder, using the software SystemVision™. This paper aims to present the first major developments for a future Real-Time Digital Simulator applied to Electrical Power Distribution Systems. © 2012 IEEE.

Construction of perfect space-time codes

In this work, we propose an innovative methodology to extend the construction of minimum and non-minimum delay perfect codes as a subset of cyclic division algebras over ℚ(ζ3), where the signal constellations are isomorphic to the hexagonal An 2 -rotated lattice, for any channel of any dimension n such that gcd{n, 3) = 1.

Construction of the dispositions of institutional habitus in the academic field

This paper describes the main phases of development of an Institute of Chemistry in relation with national policy from the academic field. Its history begins with a proposal to meet the demand for chemistry teacher education and goes on to become a major center for research, education and extension. Throughout its 50 years of history, the Institution has faced numerous challenges by adopting strategies that have established and revealed its institutional habitus. To this end, we use some of René Kaës’s concepts about the development of groups and institutions, highlighting mainly the origins, expectations and covenants that underpinned its foundation, and the entire process of its expansion and institutionalization. Our main focus, also interpreted based on the theory of Pierre Bourdieu and followers, is the establishment of its institutional habitus, i.e., how it interprets and organizes its institutional teaching, research and extension activities within the context of the academic field. The peculiarity of the process has been the mismatch between internal and external pressures. Even though presenting the results of a case study, in general, our methodology can improve the understanding of institution’s development in relation with educational policy.

The construction of the African perspective: a history of the General History of Africa project (Unesco)

This article analyzes the construction of the African perspective in the General History of Africa project (GHA), focusing on the period between 1965 and 1979. With the participation of over two hundred international experts under the auspices of Unesco, this was one of the greatest intellectual projects of the twentieth century. Based on primary sources, this analysis emphasizes the internal conflicts involved in the construction of the African perspective as a hegemonic line of thought in the GHA. Two critical moments of the project were found in the investigation: the controversial years (1972-78), and the pragmatic years (1978-82). As a result of these disputes, theoretical and methodological parameters were constructed, in addition to eight volumes of material published in the 1980s, and recently republished in Brazil.

Parallel Layout Construction Algorithm for Irregular Shape Packing Problems

Cutting and packing problems arise in a variety of industries, including garment, wood and shipbuilding. Irregular shape packing is a special case which admits irregular items and is much more complex due to the geometry of items. In order to ensure that items do not overlap and no item from the layout protrudes from the container, the collision free region concept was adopted. It represents all possible translations for a new item to be inserted into a container with already placed items. To construct a feasible layout, collision free region for each item is determined through a sequence of Boolean operations over polygons. In order to improve the speed of the algorithm, a parallel version of the layout construction was proposed and it was applied to a simulated annealing algorithm used to solve bin packing problems. Tests were performed in order to determine the speed improvement of the parallel version over the serial algorithm

Does Israel Follow the Law? A Critical Analysis of Israel's Application of the International Law of Belligerent Occupation in the Occupied Territories

Israel's occupation of territories it captured in 1967 has become one of the longest and most controversial occupations of the last fifty years. Eschewing the traditional political analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this paper aims to explore whether Israel has adequately applied international law in the occupied territories, in particular, the law of belligerent occupation. The two actors under assessment are the Israeli government, particularly its military which enforces and maintains the law in the territories, and the Supreme Court of Israel, which has the power of review over military actions in the territories. The particular issues of the occupation that are critically analyzed are the general legal framework that Israel established in the territories, Israel's civilian settlement policy in territories, and Israel's construction of a barrier in the West Bank. This paper concludes that Israel has incorrectly applied the legal framework of belligerent occupation by refusing to apply the Fourth Geneva Convention; it has wrongly concluded that the establishment of civilian settlements in the territories conform with international law; yet it has rightly concluded that the construction of the barrier in the West Bank is permissible under international law, in contrast to the conclusion of the much publicized International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on the 'Wall.' Along with these general assessments, the author will also provide some historical and political insight into why the Israeli government and the Supreme Court may have applied the law in the way that they did.

Information Integration Theory and the Construction of Individually Perceived Group Efficacy

According to Bandura (1997) efficacy beliefs are a primary determinant of motivation. Still, very little is known about the processes through which people integrate situational factors to form efficacy beliefs (Myers & Feltz, 2007). The aim of this study was to gain insight into the cognitive construction of subjective group-efficacy beliefs. Only with a sound understanding of those processes is there a sufficient base to derive psychological interventions aimed at group-efficacy beliefs. According to cognitive theories (e.g., Miller, Galanter, & Pribram, 1973) individual group-efficacy beliefs can be seen as the result of a comparison between the demands of a group task and the resources of the performing group. At the center of this comparison are internally represented structures of the group task and plans to perform it. The empirical plausibility of this notion was tested using functional measurement theory (Anderson, 1981). Twenty-three students (M = 23.30 years; SD = 3.39; 35 % females) of the University of Bern repeatedly judged the efficacy of groups in different group tasks. The groups consisted of the subjects and another one to two fictive group members. The latter were manipulated by their value (low, medium, high) in task-relevant abilities. Data obtained from multiple full factorial designs were structured with individuals as second level units and analyzed using mixed linear models. The task-relevant abilities of group members, specified as fixed factors, all had highly significant effects on subjects’ group-efficacy judgments. The effect sizes of the ability factors showed to be dependent on the respective abilities’ importance in a given task. In additive tasks (Steiner, 1972) group resources were integrated in a linear fashion whereas significant interaction between factors was obtained in interdependent tasks. The results also showed that people take into account other group members’ efficacy beliefs when forming their own group-efficacy beliefs. The results support the notion that personal group-efficacy beliefs are obtained by comparing the demands of a task with the performing groups’ resources. Psychological factors such as other team members’ efficacy beliefs are thereby being considered task relevant resources and affect subjective group-efficacy beliefs. This latter finding underlines the adequacy of multidimensional measures. While the validity of collective efficacy measures is usually estimated by how well they predict performances, the results of this study allow for a somewhat internal validity criterion. It is concluded that Information Integration Theory holds potential to further help understand people’s cognitive functioning in sport relevant situations.

Novel prototype sewing device, EndoSew ® , for minimally invasive surgery: an extracorporeal ileal conduit construction pilot study in 10 patients

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? The EndoSew® prototype was first tested in a porcine model several years ago. The investigators found it both simple to master and reliable, its greatest advantage being a 2.4-fold time saving compared with straight laparoscopic suturing. In addition to that publication, there is a single case report describing the performance of an open EndoSew® suture to close parts (16 cm) of an ileal neobladder. The time for suturing the 16 cm ileum was 25 min, which is in line with our experience. The knowledge on this subject is limited to these two publications. We report on the first consecutive series of ileal conduits performed in humans using the novel prototype sewing device EndoSew®. The study shows that the beginning and the end of the suture process represent the critical procedural steps. It also shows that, overall, the prototype sewing machine has the potential to facilitate the intracorporeal suturing required in reconstructive urology for construction of urinary diversions. Objective To evaluate the feasibility and safety of the novel prototype sewing device EndoSew® in placing an extracorporeal resorbable running suture for ileal conduits. Patients and Methods We conducted a prospective single-centre pilot study of 10 consecutive patients undergoing ileal conduit, in whom the proximal end of the ileal conduit was closed extracorporeally using an EndoSew® running suture. The primary endpoint was the safety of the device and the feasibility of the sewing procedure which was defined as a complete watertight running suture line accomplished by EndoSew® only. Watertightness was assessed using methylene blue intraoperatively and by loopography on postoperative days 7 and 14. Secondary endpoints were the time requirements and complications ≤30 days after surgery. Results A complete EndoSew® running suture was feasible in nine patients; the suture had to be abandoned in one patient because of mechanical failure. In three patients, two additional single freehand stitches were needed to anchor the thread and to seal tiny leaks. Consequently, all suture lines in 6/10 patients were watertight with EndoSew® suturing alone and in 10/10 patients after additional freehand stitches. The median (range) sewing time was 5.5 (3–10) min and the median (range) suture length was 4.5 (2–5.5) cm. There were no suture-related complications. Conclusions The EndoSew® procedure is both feasible and safe. After additional freehand stitches in four patients all sutures were watertight. With further technical refinements, EndoSew® has the potential to facilitate the intracorporeal construction of urinary diversions.