Measuring the efficiency in Spanish municipal refuse collection services

The objective of this study is to analyse the technical or productive efficiency ofthe refuse collection services in 75 municipalities located in the Spanish regionof Catalonia. The analysis has been carried out using various techniques. Firstly we have calculated a deterministic parametric frontier, then a stochastic parametric frontier, and finally, various non-parametric approaches (DEA and FDH). Concerning the results, these naturally differ according to the technique used to approach the frontier. Nevertheless, they have an appearance of solidity, at least with regard to the ordinal concordance among the indices of efficiency obtained by the different approaches, as is demonstrated by the statistical tests used. Finally, we have attempted to search for any relation existing between efficiency and the method (public or private) of managing the services. No significant relation was found between the type of management and efficiencyindices

Measuring the efficiency in Spanish municipal refuse collection services

The objective of this study is to analyse the technical or productive efficiency ofthe refuse collection services in 75 municipalities located in the Spanish regionof Catalonia. The analysis has been carried out using various techniques. Firstly we have calculated a deterministic parametric frontier, then a stochastic parametric frontier, and finally, various non-parametric approaches (DEA and FDH). Concerning the results, these naturally differ according to the technique used to approach the frontier. Nevertheless, they have an appearance of solidity, at least with regard to the ordinal concordance among the indices of efficiency obtained by the different approaches, as is demonstrated by the statistical tests used. Finally, we have attempted to search for any relation existing between efficiency and the method (public or private) of managing the services. No significant relation was found between the type of management and efficiencyindices

Identification of research to improve the efficiency of breeding strategies for white clover in Australia - a review

A major challenge faced by today's white clover breeder is how to manage resources within a breeding program. It is essential to utilise these resources with sufficient flexibility to build on past progress from conventional breeding strategies, but also take advantage of emerging opportunities from molecular breeding tools such as molecular markers and transformation. It is timely to review white clover breeding strategies. This background can then be used as a foundation for considering how to continue conventional plant improvement activities and complement them with molecular breeding opportunities. In this review, conventional white clover breeding strategies relevant to the Australian dryland target population environments are considered. Attention is given to: (i) availability of genetic variation, (ii) characterisation of germplasm collections, (iii) quantitative models for estimation of heritability, (iv) the role of multi-environment trials to accommodate genotype-by-environment interactions, (v) interdisciplinary research to understand adaptation to dryland environments, (vi) breeding and selection strategies, and (vii) cultivar structure. Current achievements in biotechnology with specific reference to white clover breeding in Australia are considered, and computer modelling of breeding programs is discussed as a useful integrative tool for the joint evaluation of conventional and molecular breeding strategies and optimisation of resource use in breeding programs. Four areas are identified as future research priorities: (i) capturing the potential genetic diversity among introduced accessions and ecotypes that are adapted to key constraints such as summer moisture stress and the use of molecular markers to assess the genetic diversity, (ii) understanding the underlying physiological/morphological root and shoot mechanisms involved in water use efficiency of white clover, with the objective of identifying appropriate selection criteria, (iii) estimation of quantitative genetic parameters of important morphological/physiological attributes to enable prediction of response to selection in target environments, and (iv) modelling white clover breeding strategies to evaluate the opportunities for integration of molecular breeding strategies with conventional breeding programs.

Development and efficiency optimizing of the human body energy converters

Nowadays it is known that the human body is continuous source of many types of energy and the devices used for collecting energy taken from the environment also have the required capabilities for the collection of the energy produced by the Human body (HB), but very limited and with very low efficiency. Low power and high yield converters are particularly needed in these cases of collecting energy from human activity and its movements due to the small amount of energy generated this way. But this situation can be improved. Enhancing or focusing the human movements by using mechanical amplifiers applied to the piezoelectric element. By doing so the input of energy in the element increases. As such increasing its output, therefore producing more energy.

Is there an efficient trap or collection method for sampling Anopheles darlingi and other malaria vectors that can describe the essential parameters affecting transmission dynamics as effectively as human landing catches? - A Review

Distribution, abundance, feeding behaviour, host preference, parity status and human-biting and infection rates are among the medical entomological parameters evaluated when determining the vector capacity of mosquito species. To evaluate these parameters, mosquitoes must be collected using an appropriate method. Malaria is primarily transmitted by anthropophilic and synanthropic anophelines. Thus, collection methods must result in the identification of the anthropophilic species and efficiently evaluate the parameters involved in malaria transmission dynamics. Consequently, human landing catches would be the most appropriate method if not for their inherent risk. The choice of alternative anopheline collection methods, such as traps, must consider their effectiveness in reproducing the efficiency of human attraction. Collection methods lure mosquitoes by using a mixture of olfactory, visual and thermal cues. Here, we reviewed, classified and compared the efficiency of anopheline collection methods, with an emphasis on Neotropical anthropophilic species, especially Anopheles darlingi, in distinct malaria epidemiological conditions in Brazil.

Art painting Data Collection

The classification of Art painting images is a computer vision applications that isgrowing considerably. The goal of this technology, is to classify an art paintingimage automatically, in terms of artistic style, technique used, or its author. For thispurpose, the image is analyzed extracting some visual features. Many articlesrelated with these problems have been issued, but in general the proposed solutionsare focused in a very specific field. In particular, algorithms are tested using imagesat different resolutions, acquired under different illumination conditions. Thatmakes complicate the performance comparison of the different methods. In thiscontext, it will be very interesting to construct a public art image database, in orderto compare all the existing algorithms under the same conditions. This paperpresents a large art image database, with their corresponding labels according to thefollowing characteristics: title, author, style and technique. Furthermore, a tool thatmanages this database have been developed, and it can be used to extract differentvisual features for any selected image. This data can be exported to a file in CSVformat, allowing researchers to analyze the data with other tools. During the datacollection, the tool stores the elapsed time in the calculation. Thus, this tool alsoallows to compare the efficiency, in computation time, of different mathematicalprocedures for extracting image data.

Observations on fragrance collection behaviour of euglossine bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Male bees of the tribe Euglossini collect volatile chemicals secreted by orchids using dense patches of hair on the front tarsi. After collecting chemicals, the bee hovers while transferring these fragrances to invaginations on the hind tibiae. The fragrance collection and hovering behaviours are repeated multiple times. Here I report preliminary field observations on the length of fragrance collection and hovering phases in bees of the Eulaema meriana (Oliver, 1789) mimicry complex visiting the orchid Catasetum discolor in Kavanayén,Venezuela. I observed that in extended visits with many cycles of fragrance collection and hovering, the length of each collection phase gradually increased, while the length of hovering phase was static. This suggests either that chemicals secreted by orchids are in limited supply or that efficiency of fragrance collection drops.

Roadway Lighting and Safety: Phase II – Monitoring Quality, Durability and Efficiency, November 2011

This Phase II project follows a previous project titled Strategies to Address Nighttime Crashes at Rural, Unsignalized Intersections. Based on the results of the previous study, the Iowa Highway Research Board (IHRB) indicated interest in pursuing further research to address the quality of lighting, rather than just the presence of light, with respect to safety. The research team supplemented the literature review from the previous study, specifically addressing lighting level in terms of measurement, the relationship between light levels and safety, and lamp durability and efficiency. The Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE) teamed with a national research leader in roadway lighting, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to collect the data. An integral instrument to the data collection efforts was the creation of the Roadway Monitoring System (RMS). The RMS allowed the research team to collect lighting data and approach information for each rural intersection identified in the previous phase. After data cleanup, the final data set contained illuminance data for 101 lighted intersections (of 137 lighted intersections in the first study). Data analysis included a robust statistical analysis based on Bayesian techniques. Average illuminance, average glare, and average uniformity ratio values were used to classify quality of lighting at the intersections.

Roadway Lighting and Safety: Phase II – Monitoring Quality, Durability and Efficiency, November 2011

This Phase II project follows a previous project titled Strategies to Address Nighttime Crashes at Rural, Unsignalized Intersections. Based on the results of the previous study, the Iowa Highway Research Board (IHRB) indicated interest in pursuing further research to address the quality of lighting, rather than just the presence of light, with respect to safety. The research team supplemented the literature review from the previous study, specifically addressing lighting level in terms of measurement, the relationship between light levels and safety, and lamp durability and efficiency. The Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE) teamed with a national research leader in roadway lighting, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to collect the data. An integral instrument to the data collection efforts was the creation of the Roadway Monitoring System (RMS). The RMS allowed the research team to collect lighting data and approach information for each rural intersection identified in the previous phase. After data cleanup, the final data set contained illuminance data for 101 lighted intersections (of 137 lighted intersections in the first study). Data analysis included a robust statistical analysis based on Bayesian techniques. Average illuminance, average glare, and average uniformity ratio values were used to classify quality of lighting at the intersections.

Entomopathogenic fungal (Hyphomycetes) collection: assessment of conidial viability

Twenty four strains of the entomopathogenic fungi (Hyphomycetes) Beauveria bassiana, Metarrhizium anisopliae, Nomuraea rileyi, Paecilomyces farinosus, P. fumosoroseus and P. lilacinus, maintained in the culture collection of Embrapa-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia (Cenargen) and preserved by lyophilization and in liquid nitrogen, had their conidial viability assessed. Germination rates of 16- to 84-month-old cultures stored in liquid nitrogen decreased, on average, less than 13.3%. For 29- to 49-month-old cultures preserved by lyophilization, the viability loss ranged, on average, from 28.6 to 94.5%. The results demonstrated the efficiency of the tested methods, especially liquid nitrogen, in preserving the viability of entomopathogenic fungi.

Field Data Collection and Reporting Study, HR-377, 1997

A review of the Iowa Department of Transportation's field data collection and reporting system has been performed. Included were several systems used by the Office of Construction and Local Jurisdictions. The entire field data collection and reporting systems for asphalt cement concrete (ACC) paving, portland cement concrete (PCC) paving, and PCC structures were streamlined and computerized. The field procedures for materials acceptance were also reviewed. Best practices were identified and a method was developed to prioritize materials so transportation agencies could focus their efforts on high priority materials. Iowa State University researchers facilitated a discussion about Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) procedures between the Office of Construction field staff and the Office of Contracts. A set of alternative procedures was developed. Later the Office of Contracts considered these alternatives as they developed new procedures that are currently being implemented. The job close-out package was reviewed and two unnecessary procedures were eliminated. Numerous other procedures were reviewed and flowcharted. Several changes have been recommended that will increase efficiency and allow staff time to be devoted to higher priority activities. It is estimated the improvements in ACC paving, PCC paving and structural concrete will by similar to three full time equivalent (FTE) positions to field construction, field materials and Office of Materials. Elimination of EEO interviews will be equivalent to one FTE position. It is estimated that other miscellaneous changes will be equivalent to at least one other FTE person. This is a total five FTEs. These are conservative estimates based on savings that are easily quantified. It is likely that total positive effect is greater when items that are difficult to quantify are considered.

Maintenance requirement and deposition efficiency of lysine in pigs

The objective of this work was to determine the maintenance requirement and the deposition efficiency of lysine in growing pigs. It was used the incomplete changeover experimental design, with replicates over time. Twelve castrated pigs with average body weight (BW) of 52±2 kg were kept in metabolism crates with a controlled temperature of 22ºC. The diets were formulated to supply 30, 50, 60, and 70% of the expected requirements of standardized lysine, and provided at 2.6 times the energy requirements for maintenance. The trial lasted 24 days and was divided into two periods of 12 days: seven days for animal adaptation to the diet and five days for sample collection. The increasing content of lysine in the diet did not affect dry matter intake of the pigs. The amount of nitrogen excreted was 47% of the nitrogen intake, of which 35% was excreted through feces and 65% through urine. The estimated endogenous losses of lysine were 36.4 mg kg-1 BW0.75. The maintenance requirement of lysine for pigs weighing around 50 kg is 40.4 mg kg-1 BW0.75, and the deposition efficiency of lysine is 90%.

Effect of the Knowledge Representation Form on the Efficiency of Knowledge Sharing

The goal of this thesis is to estimate the effect of the form of knowledge representation on the efficiency of knowledge sharing. The objectives include the design of an experimental framework which would allow to establish this effect, data collection, and statistical analysis of the collected data. The study follows the experimental quantitative design. The experimental questionnaire features three sample forms of knowledge: text, mind maps, concept maps. In the interview, these forms are presented to an interviewee, afterwards the knowledge sharing time and knowledge sharing quality are measured. According to the statistical analysis of 76 interviews, text performs worse in both knowledge sharing time and quality compared to visualized forms of knowledge representation. However, mind maps and concept maps do not differ in knowledge sharing time and quality, since this difference is not statistically significant. Since visualized structured forms of knowledge perform better than unstructured text in knowledge sharing, it is advised for companies to foster the usage of these forms in knowledge sharing processes inside the company. Aside of performance in knowledge sharing, the visualized structured forms are preferable due the possibility of their usage in the system of ontological knowledge management within an enterprise.

Tactical Vehicle Routing Planning with Application to Milk Collection and Distribution

De nombreux problèmes pratiques qui se posent dans dans le domaine de la logistique, peuvent être modélisés comme des problèmes de tournées de véhicules. De façon générale, cette famille de problèmes implique la conception de routes, débutant et se terminant à un dépôt, qui sont utilisées pour distribuer des biens à un nombre de clients géographiquement dispersé dans un contexte où les coûts associés aux routes sont minimisés. Selon le type de problème, un ou plusieurs dépôts peuvent-être présents. Les problèmes de tournées de véhicules sont parmi les problèmes combinatoires les plus difficiles à résoudre. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions un problème d’optimisation combinatoire, appartenant aux classes des problèmes de tournées de véhicules, qui est liée au contexte des réseaux de transport. Nous introduisons un nouveau problème qui est principalement inspiré des activités de collecte de lait des fermes de production, et de la redistribution du produit collecté aux usines de transformation, pour la province de Québec. Deux variantes de ce problème sont considérées. La première, vise la conception d’un plan tactique de routage pour le problème de la collecte-redistribution de lait sur un horizon donné, en supposant que le niveau de la production au cours de l’horizon est fixé. La deuxième variante, vise à fournir un plan plus précis en tenant compte de la variation potentielle de niveau de production pouvant survenir au cours de l’horizon considéré. Dans la première partie de cette thèse, nous décrivons un algorithme exact pour la première variante du problème qui se caractérise par la présence de fenêtres de temps, plusieurs dépôts, et une flotte hétérogène de véhicules, et dont l’objectif est de minimiser le coût de routage. À cette fin, le problème est modélisé comme un problème multi-attributs de tournées de véhicules. L’algorithme exact est basé sur la génération de colonnes impliquant un algorithme de plus court chemin élémentaire avec contraintes de ressources. Dans la deuxième partie, nous concevons un algorithme exact pour résoudre la deuxième variante du problème. À cette fin, le problème est modélisé comme un problème de tournées de véhicules multi-périodes prenant en compte explicitement les variations potentielles du niveau de production sur un horizon donné. De nouvelles stratégies sont proposées pour résoudre le problème de plus court chemin élémentaire avec contraintes de ressources, impliquant dans ce cas une structure particulière étant donné la caractéristique multi-périodes du problème général. Pour résoudre des instances de taille réaliste dans des temps de calcul raisonnables, une approche de résolution de nature heuristique est requise. La troisième partie propose un algorithme de recherche adaptative à grands voisinages où de nombreuses nouvelles stratégies d’exploration et d’exploitation sont proposées pour améliorer la performances de l’algorithme proposé en termes de la qualité de la solution obtenue et du temps de calcul nécessaire.

C’est ma collection mais c’est bien plus que ça : analyse des processus de collecte et de l’évolution des images dans les collections de pornographie juvénile

Cette thèse de doctorat analyse les processus et les actions des consommateurs de pornographie juvénile. Nous soutenons que l’univers des collectionneurs de pornographie juvénile se distingue par trois particularités : la préférence sexuelle, l’offre pornographique dans un monde immatériel et la sociabilité virtuelle. Afin de mettre cette thèse à l’épreuve, nous avons eu accès aux disques durs de 40 personnes condamnées pour des infractions de pornographie juvénile. La méthode de l’analyse informatique judiciaire (computer forensics) utilisée dans ce contexte a permis de recréer les événements entourant la collection d’images par ces personnes. De plus, un échantillon des images possédées par ces individus a été catégorisé selon l’âge et les actes posés sur les images (n = 61 244). En plus des nombreux points qu’il a en commun avec les collectionneurs d’objets populaires, les résultats montrent l’importance de la préférence sexuelle dans la perception et les stratégies du collectionneur, l’omniprésence des images de pornographie adulte dans les collections et la sociabilité virtuelle comme mesure d’efficacité dans la découverte des contenus. En outre, en créant quatre groupes différents en fonction de l’évolution de la gravité des images dans le temps, nous avons découvert que le groupe où il y a aggravation à la fois dans l’âge et dans la gravité des actes posés est le groupe le plus nombreux, avec 37,5 % des sujets. Les résultats de l’étude mettent également en évidence la pertinence de l’utilisation de l’informatique judiciaire dans les études en criminologie.