Multifractal regime transition in a modified minority game model

The search for more realistic modeling of financial time series reveals several stylized facts of real markets. In this work we focus on the multifractal properties found in price and index signals. Although the usual minority game (MG) models do not exhibit multifractality, we study here one of its variants that does. We show that the nonsynchronous MG models in the nonergodic phase is multifractal and in this sense, together with other stylized facts, constitute a better modeling tool. Using the structure function (SF) approach we detected the stationary and the scaling range of the time series generated by the MG model and, from the linear (non-linear) behavior of the SF we identified the fractal (multifractal) regimes. Finally, using the wavelet transform modulus maxima (WTMM) technique we obtained its multifractal spectrum width for different dynamical regimes. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing motor fitness in karate

Background and Study Aim: Evaluation of sport skills test can be very useful tool for coach practice. The aim of the present paper was: (a) to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the Specific Physical Fitness Tests (SPFT) (b) to review the results of karate athletes who represent different weight categories, and who are at different stages of schooling; (c) to establish grading criteria of physical fitness preparation. Material/Methods: The reseach was conducted among 219 Kyokushin karate players, whose profiles were presented as (chi) over bar +/- SD and their main characteristics were the following: age 26.8 +/- 4.67 (19-39) years, body mass 75.2 +/- 8.35 (50-97) kg and body height 176.4 +/- 5.67 (160-196) cm. The value of the BMI amounted to 24.1 +/- 2.17 (17.9-29.4) kg/m(2). All the subjects of the research had training experience of 10.5 +/- 3.71 (4-20) years and their degree of proficiency ranged from 4(th) kyu to 3(rd) dan. The physical fitness trials proposed by Story (1989) included: hip turning speed, speed punches, flexibility, rapid kicks, agility, and evasion actions. It was supplemented by a test of local strength endurance, composing a battery of the SPFT, which was implemented by first of the authors between 1991 and 2006. Results: SPFT is characterized by high reliability and it can be used to diagnose the physical fitness preparation and monitor the individual results of training. It discriminates accurately competitors with different sports level and it is characterized by very high accuracy, it is correlated with the test results of motor general physical fitness abilities and coordination abilities as well as it is connected with the somatic build of the athlete. The performance classification table was developed on the basis of our research. Discussion: Results obtained in SPFT were shortly discussed. Conclusions: The collected results of our research allowed us to come to, the conclusion: The table can be applied not only to assess karate fighters, but also adepts in taekwondo, kick-boxing, ju-jitsu, hapkido or other mixed martial arts.

The game inside the school: a representation of 5(th) graders physical education classes

Since the beginning of Physical Education entrance in the brazilin public schools, the game has been frequently used as content, and in the course of time that practice seems to be intensified. In spite of many approaches of different purposes to justify its pedagogic usefulness, the game has been used as an indiscriminate way due to the fascination that it provides to the students. The present study searches for a description and analysis of children`s (10-12 years old) attitudes behaviors in games, on Physical Education classes, inside a public school. The study was accomplished with the researcher also attending as a teacher (action research). For the accomplishment of the study 55 children were filmed in four different games, of different kinds (exposed, transformed, and spontaneous). The classes` description and analysis were focused in the attitude axis and it was defined four topics for the discussion: Conflicts, Respect of rules, Expressiveness, and Competitiveness. The relationship between the individual with the game and its culture were pointed as the main characteristics in the configuration of the ludicrous activity atmosphere. It was also possible to observe specific situations of this relationship, once the games were limited to the social games (Piaget category), in a school atmosphere where children have students roles. Due to the obtained results, the study proposes a reflexive practice in which the students notice their own attitudes and try to adapt the game to their needs and not he other way around. In this perspective, the teacher has an important mediator roll, once he will be responsible to point out the students` difficulties and promote discussions in favor to provide teamwork.

Equivalence between hot tensile and creep testing data for Kanthal A1 alloy

Hot tensile and creep tests were carried out on Kanthal A1 alloy in the temperature range from 600 to 800 degrees C. Each of these sets of data were analyzed separately according to their own methodologies, but an attempt was made to find a correlation between them. A new criterion proposed for converting hot tensile data to creep data, makes possible the analysis of the two kinds of results according to usual creep relations like: Norton, Monkman-Grant, Larson-Miller and others. The remarkable compatibility verified between both sets of data by this procedure strongly suggests that hot tensile data can be converted to creep data and vice-versa for Kanthal A1 alloy, as verified previously for other metallic materials.

HIV testing and care of the patient co-infected with tuberculosis and HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection poses one of the greatest challenges to tuberculosis (TB) control, with TB killing more people with HIV infection than any other condition. The standards in this chapter cover provider-initiated HIV counselling and testing and the care of HIV-infected patients with TB. All TB patients who have not previously been diagnosed with HIV infection should be encouraged to have an HIV test. Failing to do so is to deny people access to the care and treatment they might need, especially in the context of the wider availability of treatments that prevent infections associated with HIV A clearly defined plan of care for those found to be co-infected with TB and HIV should be in place., with procedures to ensure that the patient has access to this care before offering routine testing for HIV in persons with TB. It is acknowledged that people caring for TB patients should ensure that those who are HIV positive are transferred for the appropriate ongoing care once their TB treatment has been completed. In some cases, referral for specialised HIV-related treatment and care may be necessary during treatment for TB. The aim of these standards is to enable patients to remain as healthy as possible, whatever their HIV status.

Developing and implementing an open and non-proprietary device description for FOUNDATION fieldbus based on software standards

Support for interoperability and interchangeability of software components which are part of a fieldbus automation system relies on the definition of open architectures, most of them involving proprietary technologies. Concurrently, standard, open and non-proprietary technologies, such as XML, SOAP, Web Services and the like, have greatly evolved and been diffused in the computing area. This article presents a FOUNDATION fieldbus (TM) device description technology named Open-EDD, based on XML and other related technologies (XLST, DOM using Xerces implementation, OO, XMIL Schema), proposing an open and nonproprietary alternative to the EDD (Electronic Device Description). This initial proposal includes defining Open-EDDML as the programming language of the technology in the FOUNDATION fieldbus (TM) protocol, implementing a compiler and a parser, and finally, integrating and testing the new technology using field devices and a commercial fieldbus configurator. This study attests that this new technology is feasible and can be applied to other configurators or HMI applications used in fieldbus automation systems. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental results on the nonlinear H(infinity) control via quasi-LPV representation and game theory for wheeled mobile robots

In this paper, nonlinear dynamic equations of a wheeled mobile robot are described in the state-space form where the parameters are part of the state (angular velocities of the wheels). This representation, known as quasi-linear parameter varying, is useful for control designs based on nonlinear H(infinity) approaches. Two nonlinear H(infinity) controllers that guarantee induced L(2)-norm, between input (disturbances) and output signals, bounded by an attenuation level gamma, are used to control a wheeled mobile robot. These controllers are solved via linear matrix inequalities and algebraic Riccati equation. Experimental results are presented, with a comparative study among these robust control strategies and the standard computed torque, plus proportional-derivative, controller.

A numerical model for the description of the nonlinear behaviour of multi-leaf masonry walls

A nonlinear finite element model was developed to simulate the nonlinear response of three-leaf masonry specimens, which were subjected to laboratory tests with the aim of investigating the mechanical behaviour of multiple-leaf stone masonry walls up to failure. The specimens consisted of two external leaves made of stone bricks and mortar joints, and an internal leaf in mortar and stone aggregate. Different loading conditions, typologies of the collar joints, and stone types were taken into account. The constitutive law implemented in the model is characterized by a damage tensor, which allows the damage-induced anisotropy accompanying the cracking process to be described. To follow the post-peak behaviour of the specimens with sufficient accuracy it was necessary to make the damage model non-local, to avoid mesh-dependency effects related to the strain-softening behaviour of the material. Comparisons between the predicted and measured failure loads are quite satisfactory in most of the studied cases. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Leak detection by inverse transient analysis in an experimental PVC pipe system

Leakage reduction in water supply systems and distribution networks has been an increasingly important issue in the water industry since leaks and ruptures result in major physical and economic losses. Hydraulic transient solvers can be used in the system operational diagnosis, namely for leak detection purposes, due to their capability to describe the dynamic behaviour of the systems and to provide substantial amounts of data. In this research work, the association of hydraulic transient analysis with an optimisation model, through inverse transient analysis (ITA), has been used for leak detection and its location in an experimental facility containing PVC pipes. Observed transient pressure data have been used for testing ITA. A key factor for the success of the leak detection technique used is the accurate calibration of the transient solver, namely adequate boundary conditions and the description of energy dissipation effects since PVC pipes are characterised by a viscoelastic mechanical response. Results have shown that leaks were located with an accuracy between 4-15% of the total length of the pipeline, depending on the discretisation of the system model.

Finite element computational modeling of externally bonded CFRP composites flexural behavior in RC beams

This paper focuses on the flexural behavior of RC beams externally strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) fabric. A non-linear finite element (FE) analysis strategy is proposed to support the beam flexural behavior experimental analysis. A development system (QUEBRA2D/FEMOOP programs) has been used to accomplish the numerical simulation. Appropriate constitutive models for concrete, rebars, CFRP and bond-slip interfaces have been implemented and adjusted to represent the composite system behavior. Interface and truss finite elements have been implemented (discrete and embedded approaches) for the numerical representation of rebars, interfaces and composites.

2D evaluation of crack openings using smeared and embedded crack models

This work deals with the determination of crack openings in 2D reinforced concrete structures using the Finite Element Method with a smeared rotating crack model or an embedded crack model In the smeared crack model, the strong discontinuity associated with the crack is spread throughout the finite element As is well known, the continuity of the displacement field assumed for these models is incompatible with the actual discontinuity However, this type of model has been used extensively due to the relative computational simplicity it provides by treating cracks in a continuum framework, as well as the reportedly good predictions of reinforced concrete members` structural behavior On the other hand, by enriching the displacement field within each finite element crossed by the crack path, the embedded crack model is able to describe the effects of actual discontinuities (cracks) This paper presents a comparative study of the abilities of these 2D models in predicting the mechanical behavior of reinforced concrete structures Structural responses are compared with experimental results from the literature, including crack patterns, crack openings and rebar stresses predicted by both models

Role of price and enforcement in water allocation: Insights from Game Theory

As many countries are moving toward water sector reforms, practical issues of how water management institutions can better effect allocation, regulation, and enforcement of water rights have emerged. The problem of nonavailability of water to tailenders on an irrigation system in developing countries, due to unlicensed upstream diversions is well documented. The reliability of access or equivalently the uncertainty associated with water availability at their diversion point becomes a parameter that is likely to influence the application by users for water licenses, as well as their willingness to pay for licensed use. The ability of a water agency to reduce this uncertainty through effective water rights enforcement is related to the fiscal ability of the agency to monitor and enforce licensed use. In this paper, this interplay across the users and the agency is explored, considering the hydraulic structure or sequence of water use and parameters that define the users and the agency`s economics. The potential for free rider behavior by the users, as well as their proposals for licensed use are derived conditional on this setting. The analyses presented are developed in the framework of the theory of ""Law and Economics,`` with user interactions modeled as a game theoretic enterprise. The state of Ceara, Brazil, is used loosely as an example setting, with parameter values for the experiments indexed to be approximately those relevant for current decisions. The potential for using the ideas in participatory decision making is discussed. This paper is an initial attempt to develop a conceptual framework for analyzing such situations but with a focus on the reservoir-canal system water rights enforcement.

Computer-Assisted Numerical Analysis for Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Mass Transfer in Blood Oxygenators

A two-dimensional numeric simulator is developed to predict the nonlinear, convective-reactive, oxygen mass exchange in a cross-flow hollow fiber blood oxygenator. The numeric simulator also calculates the carbon dioxide mass exchange, as hemoglobin affinity to oxygen is affected by the local pH value, which depends mostly on the local carbon dioxide content in blood. Blood pH calculation inside the oxygenator is made by the simultaneous solution of an equation that takes into account the blood buffering capacity and the classical Henderson-Hasselbach equation. The modeling of the mass transfer conductance in the blood comprises a global factor, which is a function of the Reynolds number, and a local factor, which takes into account the amount of oxygen reacted to hemoglobin. The simulator is calibrated against experimental data for an in-line fiber bundle. The results are: (i) the calibration process allows the precise determination of the mass transfer conductance for both oxygen and carbon dioxide; (ii) very alkaline pH values occur in the blood path at the gas inlet side of the fiber bundle; (iii) the parametric analysis of the effect of the blood base excess (BE) shows that V(CO2) is similar in the case of blood metabolic alkalosis, metabolic acidosis, or normal BE, for a similar blood inlet P(CO2), although the condition of metabolic alkalosis is the worst case, as the pH in the vicinity of the gas inlet is the most alkaline; (iv) the parametric analysis of the effect of the gas flow to blood flow ratio (Q(G)/Q(B)) shows that V(CO2) variation with the gas flow is almost linear up to Q(G)/Q(B) = 2.0. V(O2) is not affected by the gas flow as it was observed that by increasing the gas flow up to eight times, the V(O2) grows only 1%. The mass exchange of carbon dioxide uses the full length of the hollow-fiber only if Q(G)/Q(B) > 2.0, as it was observed that only in this condition does the local variation of pH and blood P(CO2) comprise the whole fiber bundle.

Swarm Intelligence applied in synthesis of hunting strategies in a three-dimensional environment

Systems of distributed artificial intelligence can be powerful tools in a wide variety of practical applications. Its most surprising characteristic, the emergent behavior, is also the most answerable for the difficulty in. projecting these systems. This work proposes a tool capable to beget individual strategies for the elements of a multi-agent system and thereof providing to the group means on obtaining wanted results, working in a coordinated and cooperative manner as well. As an application example, a problem was taken as a basis where a predators` group must catch a prey in a three-dimensional continuous ambient. A synthesis of system strategies was implemented of which internal mechanism involves the integration between simulators by Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO), a Swarm Intelligence technique. The system had been tested in several simulation settings and it was capable to synthesize automatically successful hunting strategies, substantiating that the developed tool can provide, as long as it works with well-elaborated patterns, satisfactory solutions for problems of complex nature, of difficult resolution starting from analytical approaches. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Instrumented indentation testing of an epoxy adhesive used in automobile body assembling

Instrumented indentation has been used to investigate the mechanical properties of BETAMATE 1496 (R) Epoxy adhesive. The properties of the adhesive were analyzed by measuring its hardness and its Young`s modulus in samples extracted from six different positions of the front door of a commercial passenger vehicle in two phases of processing: after application of the adhesive in the door assembling (""pre-cured"" state) and after final cure in the painting oven (""cured"" state). Special attention was given to setting the optimal parameters (""creep"" time and unloading time step) for the instrumented indentation testing for the present application. Young`s modulus values around 1.1 +/- 0.2 GPa and hardness values around 0.15 +/- 0.05 GPa were obtained for all samples, irrespective of the variation of the indentation parameters in the testing procedure and of the relative position of the adhesive in the door frame in both states. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.