Applications of Nonclassical Logic Methods for Purposes of Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining

* The work is partially supported by Grant no. NIP917 of the Ministry of Science and Education – Republic of Bulgaria.

Solving Fractional Diffusion-Wave Equations Using a New Iterative Method

Mathematics Subject Classification: 26A33, 31B10

An Analog of the Tricomi Problem for a Mixed Type Equation with a Partial Fractional Derivative

Mathematics Subject Classification 2010: 35M10, 35R11, 26A33, 33C05, 33E12, 33C20.

Accurate WKB Approximation for a 1D Problem with Low Regularity

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 34L40, 65L10, 65Z05, 81Q20.

Exact Solutions of Nonlocal BVPs for the Multidimensional Heat Equations

MSC 2010: 44A35, 44A45, 44A40, 35K20, 35K05

Crack tip stress study for elastic-perfectly plastic materials with some applications

The problems of plasticity and non-linear fracture mechanics have been generally recognized as the most difficult problems of solid mechanics. The present dissertation is devoted to some problems on the intersection of both plasticity and non-linear fracture mechanics. The crack tip is responsible for the crack growth and therefore is the focus of fracture science. The problem of crack has been studied by an army of outstanding scholars and engineers in this century, but has not, as yet, been solved for many important practical situations. The aim of this investigation is to provide an analytical solution to the problem of plasticity at the crack tip for elastic-perfectly plastic materials and to apply the solution to a classical problem of the mechanics of composite materials.^ In this work, the stresses inside the plastic region near the crack tip in a composite material made of two different elastic-perfectly plastic materials are studied. The problems of an interface crack, a crack impinging an interface at the right angle and at arbitrary angles are examined. The constituent materials are assumed to obey the Huber-Mises yielding condition criterion. The theory of slip lines for plane strain is utilized. For the particular homogeneous case these problems have two solutions: the continuous solution found earlier by Prandtl and modified by Hill and Sokolovsky, and the discontinuous solution found later by Cherepanov. The same type of solutions were discovered in the inhomogeneous problems of the present study. Some reasons to prefer the discontinuous solution are provided. The method is also applied to the analysis of a contact problem and a push-in/pull-out problem to determine the critical load for plasticity in these classical problems of the mechanics of composite materials.^ The results of this dissertation published in three journal articles (two of which are under revision) will also be presented in the Invited Lecture at the 7$\rm\sp{th}$ International Conference on Plasticity (Cancun, Mexico, January 1999). ^

Development of a medium-capacity guideway transit planning guide

Rapid population increase and booming economic growth have caused a significant escalation in car ownership in many cities, leading to additional or, multiple traffic problems on congested roadways. The increase of automobiles is generating a significant amount of congestion and pollution in many cities. It has become necessary to find a solution to the ever worsening traffic problems in our cities. Building more roadways is nearly impossible due to the limitations of right-of-way in cities. Studies have shown that guideway transit could provide effective transportation and could stimulate land development. The Medium-Capacity Guideway Transit (MCGT) is one of the alternatives to solve this problem. The objective of this research was to better understand the characteristics of MCGT systems, to investigate the existing MCGT systems around the world and determine the main factors behind the planning of successful systems, and to develop a MCGT planning guide. The factors utilized in this study were determined and were analyzed using Excel. A MCGT Planning Guide was developed using Microsoft Visual Basic. ^ A MCGT was defined as a transit system whose capacity can carry up to 20,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd). The results shown that Light Rail Transit (LRT) is favored when peak hour demand is less than 13,000 pphpd. Automated People Mover (APM) is favored when the peak hour demand is more than 18,000 pphpd. APM systems could save up to three times the waiting time cost compared to that of the LRT. If comfort and convenience are important, then using an APM does make sense. However, if cost is the critical factor, then LRT will make more sense because it is reasonable service at a reasonable price. If travel time and safety (accident/crush) costs were included in calculating life-cycle “total” costs, the capital cost advantage of LRT disappeared and APM could become very competitive. The results also included a range of cost-performance criteria for MCGT systems that help planners, engineers, and decision-makers to select the most feasible system for their respective areas. ^

The role of overseas Chinese investment in the emerging countries of Southeast and East Asia: A Confucian model of the foreign direct investment decision-making process using factors unconsidered in the West

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the foreign direct investment location decision making process through the examination of non-Western investors and their investment strategies in non-traditional markets. This was accomplished through in-depth personal interviews with 50 Overseas Chinese business owners and executives in several different industries from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand about 97 separate investment projects in Southeast and East Asia, including The Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Taiwan, and Mainland China.^ Traditional factors utilized in Western models of the foreign direct investment decision making process are reviewed, as well as literature on Asian management systems and the current state of business practices in emerging countries of Southeast and East Asia. Because of the lack of institutionalization in these markets and the strong influences of Confucian and patriarchal value systems on the Overseas Chinese, it was suspected that while some aspects of Western rational economic models of foreign direct investment are utilized, these models are insufficient in this context, and thus are not fully generalizable to the unique conditions of the Overseas Chinese business network in the region without further modification.^ Thus, other factors based on a Confucian value system need to be integrated into these models. Results from the analysis of structured interviews suggest Overseas Chinese businesses rely more heavily on their network and traditional Confucian values than rational economic factors when making their foreign direct investment location decisions in emerging countries in Asia. This effect is moderated by the firm's industry and the age of the firm's owners. ^

Learning Data-Driven Models of Non-Verbal Behaviors for Building Rapport Using an Intelligent Virtual Agent

There is a growing societal need to address the increasing prevalence of behavioral health issues, such as obesity, alcohol or drug use, and general lack of treatment adherence for a variety of health problems. The statistics, worldwide and in the USA, are daunting. Excessive alcohol use is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States (with 79,000 deaths annually), and is responsible for a wide range of health and social problems. On the positive side though, these behavioral health issues (and associated possible diseases) can often be prevented with relatively simple lifestyle changes, such as losing weight with a diet and/or physical exercise, or learning how to reduce alcohol consumption. Medicine has therefore started to move toward finding ways of preventively promoting wellness, rather than solely treating already established illness. Evidence-based patient-centered Brief Motivational Interviewing (BMI) interven- tions have been found particularly effective in helping people find intrinsic motivation to change problem behaviors after short counseling sessions, and to maintain healthy lifestyles over the long-term. Lack of locally available personnel well-trained in BMI, however, often limits access to successful interventions for people in need. To fill this accessibility gap, Computer-Based Interventions (CBIs) have started to emerge. Success of the CBIs, however, critically relies on insuring engagement and retention of CBI users so that they remain motivated to use these systems and come back to use them over the long term as necessary. Because of their text-only interfaces, current CBIs can therefore only express limited empathy and rapport, which are the most important factors of health interventions. Fortunately, in the last decade, computer science research has progressed in the design of simulated human characters with anthropomorphic communicative abilities. Virtual characters interact using humans’ innate communication modalities, such as facial expressions, body language, speech, and natural language understanding. By advancing research in Artificial Intelligence (AI), we can improve the ability of artificial agents to help us solve CBI problems. To facilitate successful communication and social interaction between artificial agents and human partners, it is essential that aspects of human social behavior, especially empathy and rapport, be considered when designing human-computer interfaces. Hence, the goal of the present dissertation is to provide a computational model of rapport to enhance an artificial agent’s social behavior, and to provide an experimental tool for the psychological theories shaping the model. Parts of this thesis were already published in [LYL+12, AYL12, AL13, ALYR13, LAYR13, YALR13, ALY14].

A teoria de Callista Roy, a nanda-i e o cuidado ao paciente prostatectomizado

Trata-se de um estudo descritivo de caso clínico, com abordagem qualitativa, o qual possui como objetivo estabelecer relações entre os diagnósticos de enfermagem da NANDA-I e os problemas de adaptação segundo o Modelo Teórico de Roy em um paciente prostatectomizado. A coleta de dados ocorreu em um hospital universitário localizado na cidade de Natal-RN, no mês de janeiro de 2011, por meio de um roteiro de entrevista e exame físico. Os diagnósticos que apresentaram relações entre a NANDA-I e o Modelo de Roy foram: dor, ansiedade, constipação, sono, atividade, volume de líquido e infecção. Conclui-se que grande parte dos problemas adaptativos segundo o Modelo de Roy, manifestados pelos pacientes no pós-operatório de prostatectomia, possuem semelhança com os diagnósticos da NANDA-I

Properties of a composite material with mixed imperfect contact conditions

We present an analytical solution of a mixed boundary value problem for an unbounded 2D doubly periodic domain which is a model of a composite material with mixed imperfect interface conditions. We find the effective conductivity of the composite material with mixed imperfect interface conditions, and also give numerical analysis of several of their properties such as temperature and flux.

Criação de estabilidade numa linha de produção de argamassas em pó

Com as constantes mudanças de mercado, as empresas enfrentam cada vez mais obstáculos para se manterem competitivas e inovadoras, para isso procuram formas de sobreviver seguindo filosofias e utilizando ferramentas que permita atingir os seus objetivos. A filosofia Lean é uma filosofia seguida por muitas empresas que pretendam criar valor eliminando desperdícios. O objetivo deste projeto passa pela implementação de ferramentas Lean de modo a criar estabilidade no processo produtivo, eliminando desperdícios e criando valor. Com foco neste objetivo estudou-se as principais fontes de variabilidade no processo produtivo nos 4M’s (Máquina, Método, Mão-de-Obra e Máquina). Após essa análise foram implementadas ações de melhoria como os 5S, criação de sistemas visuais, redução do tempos de setup e tempos de espera, introdução de kanbans e padronização dos métodos de trabalho.Com a implementação destas medidas foi possível tornar o processo produtivo mais estável e flexível, com capacidade para responder às constantes alterações de mercado.

Kompetenzorientierter Unterricht im Lernbereich Globale Entwicklung. Perspektiven der Allgemeinen Didaktik

Ausgehend von einer allgemeinen Definition beschreibt der Beitrag zentrale Merkmale und Anforderungen Kompetenzorientierten Unterrichts sowie dessen bildungspolitische und lerntheoretische Hintergründe. Diese allgemeindidaktische Perspektive wird mit den Bedingungen und Zielsetzungen im Lernbereich Globale Entwicklung verknüpft. Die Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen, die sich bei der Umsetzung Kompetenzorientierten Unterrichts zeigen, werden anhand eines Unterrichtsbeispiels aus dem Lernbereich Globale Entwicklung ausgeführt. Hierbei liegt der Fokus auf komplexen Problemen als Ausgangspunkt, auf der Ermöglichung von Selbststeuerung durch die Schüler/-innen sowie auf der Erarbeitung reichhaltiger Ergebnisse, die eine sinnhafte Kommunikation und Vernetzung von Wissen erfordern. (DIPF/Orig.)

Ecophysiologie de la maturation sexuelle et de la ponte de l'huître creuse Crassostrea gigas : réponses métaboliques (respiration) et alimentaires (filtration, absorption) en fonction des différents stades de maturation

The study of maturation and spawning of the oyster is part of a research program to investigate the summer mortalities of the oysters, Crassostrea gigas in Marennes-Oléron Bay. Four maturity stages were simultaneously obtained by diet and thermal conditioning (immature, low maturation, mature and post-spawning stages). Measurements of clearance, filtration, absorption and respiration rates allowed a calculation of the scope for growth and hence an estimation of the oyster's energetic budget at various maturity stages. Male and female oysters had similar physiological responses. The filtration rate ranged from 2.4 to 2.6 1.h(-1) at the early stages of maturation and decreased to 1.8 1.h.' during the maturity stage. Growth rate resulting from gonad development did not induce filtration rate changes. Mature 2.5 and 1.5-year-old oysters showed a negative energy budget reaching -15 and -90 J.h(-1) respectively. By contrast, non-ripe oysters had scope for growth in the range 110 to 170 J.h(-1). A negative energy budget during the high maturation stage resulted from a reduced absorption efficiency. A new allometric relationship for the respiration model of C. gigas was defined during vitellogenesis with a 0.574 coefficient value. Based on Our results, the oyster's physiological weakness during vitellogenesis should be considered as a part of explanation for spring and summer mortalities of cultured oysters in Marennes-Oléron Bay.

Development of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) using waste glass materials ─ towards innovative eco-friendly concrete

Le béton conventionnel (BC) a de nombreux problèmes tels que la corrosion de l’acier d'armature et les faibles résistances des constructions en béton. Par conséquent, la plupart des structures fabriquées avec du BC exigent une maintenance fréquent. Le béton fibré à ultra-hautes performances (BFUP) peut être conçu pour éliminer certaines des faiblesses caractéristiques du BC. Le BFUP est défini à travers le monde comme un béton ayant des propriétés mécaniques, de ductilité et de durabilité supérieures. Le BFUP classique comprend entre 800 kg/m³ et 1000 kg/m³ de ciment, de 25 à 35% massique (%m) de fumée de silice (FS), de 0 à 40%m de poudre de quartz (PQ) et 110-140%m de sable de quartz (SQ) (les pourcentages massiques sont basés sur la masse totale en ciment des mélanges). Le BFUP contient des fibres d'acier pour améliorer sa ductilité et sa résistance aux efforts de traction. Les quantités importantes de ciment utilisées pour produire un BFUP affectent non seulement les coûts de production et la consommation de ressources naturelles comme le calcaire, l'argile, le charbon et l'énergie électrique, mais affectent également négativement les dommages sur l'environnement en raison de la production substantielle de gaz à effet de serre dont le gas carbonique (CO[indice inférieur 2]). Par ailleurs, la distribution granulométrique du ciment présente des vides microscopiques qui peuvent être remplis avec des matières plus fines telles que la FS. Par contre, une grande quantité de FS est nécessaire pour combler ces vides uniquement avec de la FS (25 à 30%m du ciment) ce qui engendre des coûts élevés puisqu’il s’agit d’une ressource limitée. Aussi, la FS diminue de manière significative l’ouvrabilité des BFUP en raison de sa surface spécifique Blaine élevée. L’utilisation du PQ et du SQ est également coûteuse et consomme des ressources naturelles importantes. D’ailleurs, les PQ et SQ sont considérés comme des obstacles pour l’utilisation des BFUP à grande échelle dans le marché du béton, car ils ne parviennent pas à satisfaire les exigences environnementales. D’ailleurs, un rapport d'Environnement Canada stipule que le quartz provoque des dommages environnementaux immédiats et à long terme en raison de son effet biologique. Le BFUP est généralement vendu sur le marché comme un produit préemballé, ce qui limite les modifications de conception par l'utilisateur. Il est normalement transporté sur de longues distances, contrairement aux composantes des BC. Ceci contribue également à la génération de gaz à effet de serre et conduit à un coût plus élevé du produit final. Par conséquent, il existe le besoin de développer d’autres matériaux disponibles localement ayant des fonctions similaires pour remplacer partiellement ou totalement la fumée de silice, le sable de quartz ou la poudre de quartz, et donc de réduire la teneur en ciment dans BFUP, tout en ayant des propriétés comparables ou meilleures. De grandes quantités de déchets verre ne peuvent pas être recyclées en raison de leur fragilité, de leur couleur, ou des coûts élevés de recyclage. La plupart des déchets de verre vont dans les sites d'enfouissement, ce qui est indésirable puisqu’il s’agit d’un matériau non biodégradable et donc moins respectueux de l'environnement. Au cours des dernières années, des études ont été réalisées afin d’utiliser des déchets de verre comme ajout cimentaire alternatif (ACA) ou comme granulats ultrafins dans le béton, en fonction de la distribution granulométrique et de la composition chimique de ceux-ci. Cette thèse présente un nouveau type de béton écologique à base de déchets de verre à ultra-hautes performances (BEVUP) développé à l'Université de Sherbrooke. Les bétons ont été conçus à l’aide de déchets verre de particules de tailles variées et de l’optimisation granulaire de la des matrices granulaires et cimentaires. Les BEVUP peuvent être conçus avec une quantité réduite de ciment (400 à 800 kg/m³), de FS (50 à 220 kg/m³), de PQ (0 à 400 kg/m³), et de SQ (0-1200 kg/m³), tout en intégrant divers produits de déchets de verre: du sable de verre (SV) (0-1200 kg/m³) ayant un diamètre moyen (d[indice inférieur 50]) de 275 µm, une grande quantité de poudre de verre (PV) (200-700 kg/m³) ayant un d50 de 11 µm, une teneur modérée de poudre de verre fine (PVF) (50-200 kg/m³) avec d[indice inférieur] 50 de 3,8 µm. Le BEVUP contient également des fibres d'acier (pour augmenter la résistance à la traction et améliorer la ductilité), du superplastifiants (10-60 kg/m³) ainsi qu’un rapport eau-liant (E/L) aussi bas que celui de BFUP. Le remplacement du ciment et des particules de FS avec des particules de verre non-absorbantes et lisse améliore la rhéologie des BEVUP. De plus, l’utilisation de la PVF en remplacement de la FS réduit la surface spécifique totale nette d’un mélange de FS et de PVF. Puisque la surface spécifique nette des particules diminue, la quantité d’eau nécessaire pour lubrifier les surfaces des particules est moindre, ce qui permet d’obtenir un affaissement supérieur pour un même E/L. Aussi, l'utilisation de déchets de verre dans le béton abaisse la chaleur cumulative d'hydratation, ce qui contribue à minimiser le retrait de fissuration potentiel. En fonction de la composition des BEVUP et de la température de cure, ce type de béton peut atteindre des résistances à la compression allant de 130 à 230 MPa, des résistances à la flexion supérieures à 20 MPa, des résistances à la traction supérieure à 10 MPa et un module d'élasticité supérieur à 40 GPa. Les performances mécaniques de BEVUP sont améliorées grâce à la réactivité du verre amorphe, à l'optimisation granulométrique et la densification des mélanges. Les produits de déchets de verre dans les BEVUP ont un comportement pouzzolanique et réagissent avec la portlandite générée par l'hydratation du ciment. Cependant, ceci n’est pas le cas avec le sable de quartz ni la poudre de quartz dans le BFUP classique, qui réagissent à la température élevée de 400 °C. L'addition des déchets de verre améliore la densification de l'interface entre les particules. Les particules de déchets de verre ont une grande rigidité, ce qui augmente le module d'élasticité du béton. Le BEVUP a également une très bonne durabilité. Sa porosité capillaire est très faible, et le matériau est extrêmement résistant à la pénétration d’ions chlorure (≈ 8 coulombs). Sa résistance à l'abrasion (indice de pertes volumiques) est inférieure à 1,3. Le BEVUP ne subit pratiquement aucune détérioration aux cycles de gel-dégel, même après 1000 cycles. Après une évaluation des BEVUP en laboratoire, une mise à l'échelle a été réalisée avec un malaxeur de béton industriel et une validation en chantier avec de la construction de deux passerelles. Les propriétés mécaniques supérieures des BEVUP a permis de concevoir les passerelles avec des sections réduites d’environ de 60% par rapport aux sections faites de BC. Le BEVUP offre plusieurs avantages économiques et environnementaux. Il réduit le coût de production et l’empreinte carbone des structures construites de béton fibré à ultra-hautes performances (BFUP) classique, en utilisant des matériaux disponibles localement. Il réduit les émissions de CO[indice inférieur 2] associées à la production de clinkers de ciment (50% de remplacement du ciment) et utilise efficacement les ressources naturelles. De plus, la production de BEVUP permet de réduire les quantités de déchets de verre stockés ou mis en décharge qui causent des problèmes environnementaux et pourrait permettre de sauver des millions de dollars qui pourraient être dépensés dans le traitement de ces déchets. Enfin, il offre une solution alternative aux entreprises de construction dans la production de BFUP à moindre coût.