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Sales, product design, and engineering teams benefit immensely from better understanding customer perspectives. How do customers combine a product's technical specifications (i.e., engineered attributes) to form abstract product benefits (i.e., meta-attributes)? To address this question, the authors use machine learning and natural language processing to develop a methodological framework that extracts a hierarchy of product attributes based on contextual information of how attributes are expressed in consumer reviews. The attribute hierarchy reveals linkages between engineered attributes and meta-attributes within a product category, enabling flexible sentiment analysis that can identify how consumers receive meta-attributes, and which engineered attributes are main drivers. The framework can guide managers to monitor only portions of review content that are relevant to specific attributes of interest. Moreover, managers can compare products within and between brands, where different names and attribute combinations are often associated with similar benefits. The authors apply the framework to the tablet computer category to generate dashboards and perceptual maps and provide validations of the attribute hierarchy using both primary and secondary data. Resultant insights allow the exploration of substantive questions, such as how Apple improved successive generations of iPads and why Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba discontinued their tablet product lines.

Нормативні вимоги до оцінки сейсмостійкості елементів енергоблоків атомних електростанцій передбачають необхідність врахування різних технологічних умов експлуатації в сполученні із сейсмічними впливами. Раніше вже були проаналізовані переваги та недоліки запропонованого експлуатуючою організацією узагальненого алгоритму дій щодо визначення необхідності (або її відсутності) врахування різних сполучень експлуатаційних та сейсмічних навантажень. Встановлено, що вказаний аспект потребує ґрунтовного дослідження для тепломеханічного обладнання, сейсмостійкість якого підтверджена методом GIP-ВВЕР, зокрема: вплив несейсмічних навантажень у разі порушення нормальної експлуатації та проєктної аварії на існуючі результати оцінки сейсмостійкості тепломеханічного обладнання методом GIP-ВВЕР. До того, не вирішеним залишилось також питання коректного визначення технологічних параметрів, які відповідають порушенню нормальної експлуатації та проєктній аварії, для систем та елементів енергоблоків атомних електростанцій, для яких в технологічному регламенті безпечної експлуатації енергоблока не встановлені умови та межі безпечної експлуатації. У статті містяться методологічні підходи до вирішення вказаних проблемних питань. Стаття входить до циклу публікацій в журналі «Ядерна та радіаційна безпека», присвячених розгляду нормативних вимог до сполучень експлуатаційних та сейсмічних навантажень під час оцінки сейсмостійкості різноманітних елементів атомних електростанцій.

The computer industry was a vivid place in the 1980s. IT systems and technologies thrived, and the market offered ever better, smaller, and more useful machines. Innovative technical solutions or intelligent designs that satisfied customers’ needs are often listed as computer hardware milestones. Consequently, they became a permanent part of the computerisation history and can be considered hardware heritage artefacts. The purpose of the paper is to analyse the usability of selected portable computer systems. The foundation of the work is a literature review that includes technical specifications, industry reviews, and research papers. Archival materials were obtained from the Internet Archive. Studies have revealed that the main problems design engineers of portable computers had to tackle in the 1980s were the reduction of mass and size of the computer system, portable power (self-power), and the quality of the displayed image.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in finding a noninvasive method to induce the acceleration of dental movement, methods such as low intensity vibrations, pulsed electromagnetic fields, and low-level laser therapy (LLLT). There have been multiple studies on the efficacy of LLLT in animal models, in vitro and in patients without conclusive results. Objective: Evaluate the state of the art on the use of LLLT to increase the rate of the orthodontic tooth movement to create a concise reference guide of the different laser and protocols available. Materials and Methods: We searched online databases for articles with the keywords LLLT, LLLI, OTM, photobiomodulation. Results: We found conflicting information as to the efficacy of LLLT to accelerate OTM. There is no consensus in the way the irradiation should be performed. Conclusions: The lack of a standardized irradiation protocol makes it hard to compare conflicting results, even in cases where the laser have the same technical specifications.

Resumen La enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico (ERGE) se define como el tránsito anormal del contenido gástrico hacia el esófago, que se da por una alteración de la barrera antirreflujo, causando síntomas o complicaciones. Para su correcto diagnóstico y abordaje terapéutico, se requiere de la integración de hallazgos clínicos, endoscópicos y monitorización del pH esofágico en 24 horas con o sin impedanciometría, la cual debe ser realizada con especificaciones técnicas, y su interpretación debe basarse en la mejor evidencia clínica disponible, con el objetivo de tener diagnósticos precisos que permitan tomar las mejores decisiones con los pacientes. Recientemente, en el Consenso de Lyon se han incorporado nuevas directrices para el diagnóstico de ERGE por monitorización de pH esofágico, las cuales se revisan en este artículo. Abstract Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is defined as the abnormal transit of gastric contents into the esophagus. It is caused by an alteration of the anti-reflux barrier, causing multiple symptoms or complications. In order to achieve accurate diagnosis and proper therapeutic approach, integration of clinical findings, endoscopic findings and 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring, with or without impedancometry, is required. These tests must be performed following technical specifications and their interpretation must be based on the best clinical evidence available to obtain accurate diagnoses that allow making the best decisions to the benefit of patients. Recently, the Lyon Consensus incorporated new guidelines for the diagnosis of GERD by esophageal pH monitoring, which are reviewed in this paper.

The simulation of vehicle chassis system is widely deployed at the early stage of a new car development project in order to verify if the technical specifications such as durability and comfort of ...

The air medical transport of intubated patients is a high-risk mission that requires preplanning before helicopter launch. This case describes a scenario in which the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) team was unable to ventilate a patient because of the mechanical limitations of the transport ventilator. The HEMS mission was ultimately aborted, and the patient had to be transported by a ground crew equipped with a hospital-based ventilator. In addition to the optimal medical management of the patient in status asthmaticus, critical care transport crews must be familiar with the treatment of patients exhibiting extremely high peak airway pressures. Specifically, ventilator manipulations as well as the technical specifications of the transport ventilator may preclude the patient from being transported by the HEMS team. It is imperative that the patient's current ventilator setting be evaluated before the launch of the aircraft to prevent any possible delays in patient care.

The article discusses issues related to the introduction of additional engineering information into the digital model of the product. It is known that technical conditions and dimensions are an integral part of any drawing, and the expansion of the possibilities for presenting engineering data as part of a digital model allows you to get rid of drawing documents. Most software systems for enterprises use the specified functionality in models, but the transfer of data (models and technical conditions in them) is difficult between systems. An example is exporting data from NX CAD to Solid Works. The proposed solutions in this article make it possible to transfer the technical conditions and the required model by means of a software solution and developed methods based on the functionality of the geometric kernel of Open Cascade.

The results of the study can be useful for scientists and managers of all levels, researching and practically dealing with the problems of logistics development not only in the security and defense sector, but also in the public sector as a whole. The systematization of literary sources and approaches to solving the problem of the development of military logistics showed the absence of a clear algorithm for its transformation and development. Based on the results of the study, a number of factors have been identified that negatively affect the development of logistics in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Also, the article analyzes the general meaning of the logistics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, approaches to organizing the logistics of NATO member states and formulates issues that require priority solutions. Considerable attention is paid to global trends in the development of science and technology that can be used in modern military logistics. Approaches to the use of modern management tools in the logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are modeled. The requirements for the perspective logistics system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were determined on the basis of the use of modern management tools with the formulation of the corresponding draft technical specifications for the logistics system.

Objectives The objective of this study was to introduce the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), to describe use cases of SNOMED CT with the barriers and facilitators, and finally, to propose strategies for adopting and implementing SNOMED CT in Korea as a member of SNOMED International. Methods We reviewed a collection of SNOMED CT documents, such as introductory materials, practical guides, technical specifications, and reference materials provided by SNOMED International and the literature on SNOMED CT published by researchers to identify use cases of SNOMED CT with barriers and facilitators. We also surveyed the attendees of SNOMED CT education and training series offered by the Korea Human Resource Development Institute for Health and Welfare to identify perceived barriers to adopting SNOMED CT in Korea. Results We identified the barriers and facilitators to adopt SNOMED CT experienced by international terminology experts and prospective Korean users. They were related to governance and infrastructure, support services for use, education and training programs, use cases, and vendor capability to implement SNOMED CT. Based on these findings, we identified strategies for adopting and implementing SNOMED CT in Korea. They included the establishment of SNOMED CT management infrastructure, the development of SNOMED CT education and training programs for various user groups, the provision of support services for SNOMED CT use, and the development of SNOMED CT use cases. Conclusions These strategies for the adoption and implementation of SNOMED CT need to be executed step by step.

Environmental monitoring data for tire road wear particles are vastly limited compared to those for other microplastics, primarily due to analytical challenges with quantification. Recently, two ISO technical specifications have been released using pyrolysis GC-MS for quantification. However, these methods have major assumptions, including that the content of natural and synthetic rubber in tire tread is constant across formulations and that the pyrolysis products chosen are selective. This study analyzed a wide range of commercially available tires from Australia and Norway, using pyrolysis GC-MS to test these assumptions. The percent mass of synthetic rubber in tires (n = 39) was highly variable, ranging from

Stratospheric airship is a special near-space air vehicle which has lots of advantages than other traditional flying aircrafts, such as long endurance, strong survival ability, low cost, excellent resolution detector etc. In addition, the stratospheric airship can be an ideal stratospheric bearing platform. This paper firstly gave an overview describing some technical differences between the stratospheric airship and the traditional airship, including the working environment, design specifications, structure characteristics, energy system, flying modes, and so on. Some technical difficulties including the materials, power system which apply to the stratospheric airship and deformation of the huge hull, super-heating effect, and station-keeping were discussed. Furthermore, technical target, technical specifications, design concept, and overview of flying tested about two stratospheric demonstration airships which were representative achievements of the research on the stratospheric airship in China were introduced. Finally, the predictions about the progress and direction of development were discussed.

The new concept of safety is reflected and developed in order to improve the safety of railway traffic in the newly created open market. In the new business conditions, subsystems related to freight cars must also meet a number of conditions in order to have a safe traffic, which are mainly related to technical specifications - TSIs. It is also very important to provide uniform procedures related to freight cars maintenance (ECM). The development of risk assessment and risk management methods has made it possible to replace reactive safety control methods with a modern proactive and systematic approach to safety management. In the new concept of safety and in accordance with the recommendations of the European Union and common methods for risk evaluation and assessment, it is necessary to perform risk assessment in railway transport, even in the subsystem of freight cars.

JSC "The URIR named after A. S. Berezhnoy" in 2019 carried out scientific, scientific-technical, organizational activities in the field of development, verification of national standards for refractories, harmonized with ISO standards, provided scientific-methodological, information and consulting services for the provision of normative documentation at the request of refractory enterprises in Ukraine.The Institute organized and coordinated the activities of TC 7 "Refractories", prepared a work plan and reports on the work done by TC in 2019.In 2019, JSC "The URIR named after A. S. Berezhnoy" developed five new specifications and 10 changes to the current technical specifications for serial refractory products manufactured by refractory enterprises in Ukraine. 1 new technical specification for serial refractory products, developed by PrJSC "KDZ", was checked and approved. Two new technical specifications and 5 changes to the current technical specifications for pilot refractory products manufactured by JSC "The URIR named after A. S. Berezhnoy" were developed. Changes to technical specifications and new technical specifications developed in concordance with requirements of the modern system to standardizations of the Ukraine (SОU КZPS 74.9-02568182-003:2016, DSTU 1.5:2015, SOU MPP 01.120-090:2005), have been endorsed by manufacturers and enterprise consumers, tested for compliance with current legislation, technical regulations and regulatory documents and entered into the database "Technical conditions of Ukraine" — SE "Kharkivstandardmetrology", and approved by the technical committee TC 7 «Refractories».

Previous research has proposed various rein­forcement learning algorithms. However, scientists suggest more research should be put into the safety mechanisms of these algorithms. There have been several efforts to turn these mechanisms into technical specifications to make direct progress in this field possible. The focus of this paper is to test reinforcement learning algorithms and their modifications (DQN, A2C, and SAC Discrete) for safe interruptibility. The environment the algorithms were trained in is proposed in AI Safety Gridworlds paper. The results show that the tested reinforcement learning algorithms are all safely interruptible with hyperparameter settings proposed in this paper. The only limitation is that training has to be monitored and stopped in the right moment for algorithms to be safely interruptible.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT) are extracorporeal therapeutic procedures often implemented in management of patients. Critically ill patients may be afflicted with disease processes that require both TPE and CKRT. Performing TPE discontinuous with CKRT is technically easier, however, it disrupts CKRT and may compromise with CKRT efficiency or hemofilter life. Concurrent TPE with CKRT offers several advantages including simultaneous control of disease process and correction of electrolyte, fluid, and acid-base disturbances that may accompany TPE. Additionally, TPE may be performed by either centrifugation method or membrane plasma separation method. The technical specifications of these methods may influence the methodology of concurrent connections. This report describes and reviews two different approaches to circuit arrangements when establishing concurrent TPE and CKRT.

Most Internet of Things (IoT) devices are powered by electrical grids. Therefore, the supply of power to these devices is interrupted by critical grid failures, which can occur during natural disasters. To support the development of IoT devices that can operate during disasters, the most commonly used energy systems were evaluated. In this study, lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells were compared to evaluate and compare their operation time, output power, and general technical specifications. The operating time of the fuel cell 10W was 57 min because of the failure, which was shorter than the other systems. Moreover, an IoT device using Raspberry Pi was evaluated to determine the optimal energy system. Currently, batteries are more cost-effective, however as the cost of fuel cells comes down, the higher power density will be valuable.

UHD-1/4K and UHD-2/8K satellite broadcasts were launched on 1 December 2018 in Japan. One of these services, the broadcast of UHD-2/8K was the first of its kind in the world. This broadcasting system adopts high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) with highly efficient compression performance, a newly developed (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting) ISDB-S3 transmission system, which uses the 16APSK modulation scheme and other new technologies. In this paper, we provide details of the new UHD-1/4K and UHD-2/8K services, focusing on standardizing technical specifications and practical ways to introduce new reception systems into households .

The method of expert assessments has been used to substantiate that the most significant factors that significantly influence the mechanism and kinetics of technological processes of the regenerated mixture preparation are the temperature of its preparation and the content of the regenerating additive. We have investigated their influence on the physical-mechanical parameters of regenerated asphalt concrete, obtained using the technology of hot recycling of asphalt concrete pavement applying the «in place» method. The experimental research has established the dependences of the physical and mechanical parameters (water saturation, compressive strength at 0°С and 50°С) of regenerated asphalt concrete on the content of an additive and stirring temperature. The mathematical models have been constructed in the form of second-degree polynomials that describe the dependence of water saturation and strength at the compression of regenerated asphalt concrete on the temperature of preparation and the content of a regenerating additive. It has been established that increasing the stirring temperature increases compressive strength at 0°С; at the same time, compressive strength at 50°С and the measure of water saturation decreases. The increase in the regenerating additive reduces all the examined physical and mechanical indicators. Based on an analysis of the results obtained, we have determined the regions of rational values of the stirring temperature of loose asphalt-concrete crumbs (125‒135)°С, as well as the content of an additive (0.26‒0.28)%, when preparing hot asphalt concrete mixture. In terms of physical-technical indicators, the resulting mixture meets the requirements set by DSTU B V.2.7-119:2011 «Asphalt concrete mixes and road and airfield asphalt concrete. Technical specifications» for hot fine-grained asphalt mixtures. The reported results could prove useful when devising a technology of hot recycling of asphalt concrete pavement by the «in place» method and for studies related to its improvement

A technological process for renovation and repair of plunger pumps is developed. Technical specifications and technical conditions for repairs and the equipment for conducting the repairs and inspection of repaired pumps are prepared. The effectiveness of the proposed technology, by means of which the service life of the pumps may be increased, is demonstrated.

Freezing is an essential step in food production and processing. It can dampen seasonal fluctuations for products that are not available all year round and make them available also during the off-season. After storing the product for a certain amount of time in a frozen state, it has to be further processed. Therefore thawing is another crucial step in food production and processing. Thawing is a challenging task since it affects the quality of the final product. Thawing (and freezing) are bottlenecks in the production and processing chain influencing the profitability, environmental impact, and, ultimately, the product quality. An example could be that the product is in the thawer longer than necessary and hence utilizes more energy than needed with implications on the product quality and to some minor degree also on the environment. In this chapter, thawing methods are presented concerning their functional principles, technical specifications, and to some degree, also quality-preserving factors. Two main principles exist, namely, methods, which provide heat/energy to the frozen product only via the boundary layers, and methods that generate heat inside the product. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but the methods providing heat via the product’s boundary layers are typically used in large-scale industrial applications.

With the advancement of additive manufacturing technologies in their material processing methodologies and variety of material selection, 3D printers are widely used in both academics and industries for various applications. It is no longer rare to have a portable and small desktop 3D printer and manufacture your own designs in a few hours. Desktop 3D printers vary in their functions, prices, materials used, and applications. Among many desktop 3D printers with various features, it is often challenging to select the best one for target applications and usages. In this paper, commercially available and carefully selected thermoplastic and photopolymer desktop 3D printers are introduced, and some representative models’ specifications and performances are compared with each other for user selection with respect to instructional applications. This paper aims to provide beginner-level or advanced-level end-users of desktop 3D printers with basic knowledge, selection criteria, a comprehensive overview of 3D printing technologies, and their technical features, helping them to evaluate and select the right 3D printers for a wide range of applications.

The subject of the report is the methodology of carrying out an examination of the application for the purpose of establishing the optimal acoustic minds in the prevalence of attribution. The goal is to improve the quality of all stages of acoustic examination, taking into account the premises for which there are special requirements for the quality of the transmitted content or for which there are features in the formation of the sound field. Such a sequence of stages requires the solution of several tasks: determining the conditions for conducting research, taking into account the specifics of the premises and content; selection of hardware and software complex for research; determination of informative criteria for assessing the acoustics of a room, taking into account all its features; processing and analysis of the results obtained. The application of this approach to the stages of acoustic examination was considered on the example of a conference room, for which there were requirements for high quality speech content, a sound reinforcement system was already used in the hall, and there were features in the formation of a sound field. The authors in the article describe the solutions to all the tasks for the investigated room. The results obtained made it possible to analyze the objective characteristics of the sound field and identify the reasons for the low quality of speech content transmission not only in the acoustic calculation, but when using the existing sound reinforcement systems (electroacoustic calculation). Conclusions. The proposed sequence of the stages of acoustic examination makes it possible to identify "problem" places in the formation of the sound field and / or to determine possible solutions even before the stages of checking existing architectural and construction solutions and the development of technical specifications for the construction of enclosing surfaces and measures to create optimal acoustic conditions., Предметом исследования в статье является методология проведения экспертизы помещений с целью создания оптимальных акустических условий в зависимости от назначения помещения. Цель - повышение качества проведения всех этапов акустической экспертизы с учетом помещений, для которых существуют особые требования к качеству передаваемого контента или для которых есть особенности в формировании звукового поля. Для достижения поставленной цели, авторами в статье предложена новая последовательность проведения этапов акустической экспертизы, а именно, использование завершающего (четвертого) этапа в качестве первого. Такая последовательность проведения этапов требует решения нескольких задач: определение условий проведения исследований с учетом специфики помещения и контента; выбор аппаратно-программного комплекса для проведения исследований; определение информативных критериев оценки акустики помещения с учетом всех его особенностей; обработка и анализ полученных результатов. Применение такого подхода к этапам акустической экспертизы было рассмотрено на примере зала заседаний, для которого присутствовали требования к высокому качеству речевого контента, в зале уже использовалась система звукоусиления, были особенности в формировании звукового поля. Авторами в статье описаны решения всех поставленных задач для исследуемого помещения. Полученные результаты позволили проанализировать объективные характеристики звукового поля и выявить причины низкого качества передачи речевого контента не только при акустическом расчете, но при использовании существующей систем звукоусиления (электроакустический расчет). Выводы. Предложенная последовательность проведения этапов акустической экспертизы дает возможность выявить "проблемные" места в формировании звукового поля и/или определить возможные пути решения еще до начала этапов проверки существующих архитектурно-строительных решений и разработки технического задания на конструкции ограждающих поверхностей и мероприятий по созданиям оптимальных акустических условий., Предметом дослідження в статті є методологія проведення експертизи приміщень з метою створення оптимальних акустичних умов в залежності від призначення приміщення. Мета – підвищення якості проведення всіх етапів акустичної експертизи з урахуванням приміщень, для яких існують особливі вимоги до якості переданого контенту або для яких є особливості у формуванні звукового поля. Для досягнення поставленої мети, авторами в статті запропонована нова послідовність проведення етапів акустичної експертизи, а саме, використання завершального (четвертого) етапу в якості першого. Така послідовність проведення етапів вимагає вирішення декількох завдань: визначення умов проведення досліджень з урахуванням специфіки приміщення і контенту; вибір апаратно-програмного комплексу для проведення досліджень; визначення інформативних критеріїв оцінки акустики приміщення з урахуванням всіх його особливостей; обробка та аналіз отриманих результатів. Застосування такого підходу до етапів акустичної експертизи було розглянуто на прикладі залу засідань, для якого були присутні вимоги до високої якості мовного контенту, в залі вже використовувалася система звукопідсилення, були особливості у формуванні звукового поля. Авторами в статті описані рішення всіх поставлених завдань для досліджуваного приміщення. Отримані результати дозволили проаналізувати об'єктивні характеристики звукового поля та виявити причини низької якості передачі мовного контенту не тільки при акустичному розрахунку, але при використанні існуючої систем звукопідсилення (електроакустичний розрахунок). Висновки. Запропонована послідовність проведення етапів акустичної експертизи дає можливість виявити "проблемні" місця в формуванні звукового поля і/або визначити можливі шляхи вирішення ще до початку етапів перевірки існуючих архітектурно-будівельних рішень і розробки технічного завдання на конструкції огороджувальних поверхонь і заходів по створінь оптимальних акустичних умов.

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects span the entire cycle of industrial plants, from bidding to engineering, construction, and start-up operation and maintenance. Most EPC contractors do not have systematic decision-making tools when bidding for the project; therefore, they rely on manual analysis and experience in evaluating the bidding contract documents, including technical specifications. Oftentimes, they miss or underestimate the presence of technical risk clauses or risk severity, potentially create with a low bid price and tight construction schedule, and eventually experience severe cost overrun or/and completion delays. Through this study, two digital modules, Technical Risk Extraction and Design Parameter Extraction, were developed to extract and analyze risks in the project’s technical specifications based on machine learning and AI algorithms. In the Technical Risk Extraction module, technical risk keywords in the bidding technical specifications are collected, lexiconized, and then extracted through phrase matcher technology, a machine learning natural language processing technique. The Design Parameter Extraction module compares the collected engineering standards’ so-called standard design parameters and the plant owner’s technical requirements on the bid so that a contractor’s engineers can detect the difference between them and negotiate them. As described above, through the two modules, the risk clauses of the technical specifications of the project are extracted, and the risks are detected and reconsidered in the bidding or execution of the project, thereby minimizing project risk and providing a theoretical foundation and system for contractors. As a result of the pilot test performed to verify the performance and validity of the two modules, the design risk extraction accuracy of the system module has a relative advantage of 50 percent or more, compared to the risk extraction accuracy of manual evaluation by engineers. In addition, the speed of the automatic extraction and analysis of the system modules are 80 times faster than the engineer’s manual analysis time, thereby minimizing project loss due to errors or omissions due to design risk analysis during the project bidding period with a set deadline.

Natural language processing techniques have proven to be useful for analysis of technical specifications documents. One such technique, information extraction (IE), can help automate the analysis of software systems requirement specifications (SysRS) by extracting structured information from unstructured or semi-structured natural language data, allowing for requirements to be converted into formal logic. Current IE techniques are not designed for SysRS data, and often do not extract the information needed for requirements formalization. In this work, we introduce an IE method specifically designed for SysRS data. We provide a description of our approach, analysis of the technique on a set of real requirements, example of how information obtained using our technique can be converted into a formal logic representation, and discussion of our technique and its benefits in automated SysRS analysis tasks.

Although benefiting from an unprecedented technological evolution, contemporary endodontics is still characterized by the recurrence of retreatments, due to the need to solve quite frequent incidents, accidents, or even failures of primary endodontic treatment. This survey aims to assess both the etiology and the prevention methods of one of the most troublesome endodontic iatrogenies: instrument separation during root canal shaping. The multifactorial nature of this occurrence entails identifying and taking into account all the causal and contributing factors. Their significant number and the possible involvement of any of them, starting with the complexity and variability of the root canals and ending with the technical specifications concerning the nickel-titanium rotary instrumentation system being used, highlight the necessity to develop valid guidelines to avert the occurring of such an upsetting situation.

Recientemente se implementó en el Laboratorio Nacional de Materiales y Modelos Estructurales de la Universidad de Costa Rica (LANAMME UCR) el método de ensayo ASTM D6637 de la Asociación Americana de Ensayos de Materiales (ASTM por sus siglas en inglés). En la etapa de verificación de la correcta implementación del método de ensayo, se trabajó con 2 tipos de geomallas utilizadas como refuerzo a nivel nacional; que fueron ensayadas para determinar sus propiedades mecánicas a la tracción (resistencia última y deformación última). Una vez obtenidas dichas características, se procedió a compararlas con los datos reportados en sus fichas técnicas. En dicha etapa se encontraron incongruencias entre los datos hallados a nivel de laboratorio y los reportados por el fabricante; lo cual dio indicios de posibles sobrevaloraciones en los datos reportados por los fabricantes y comercializadores de geomallas. También se encontraron pruebas de reportes de datos en valores distintos a la especificación MARV, la cual es la que adopta ASTM en el tema de control de calidad. Este documento se desprende medularmente del trabajo final de graduación: “Implementación de los métodos de ensayo para la determinación de las propiedades a tracción en geomallas y geotextiles según las normas ASTM D6637 y ASTM D4595” (ver referencia bibliográfica 6).

Taking into account the very large sums being spent through the Romanian public procurement system (approximately 8% of the GDP), analysing the award criteria used in the procurement procedures is an important element that influences the achievement of the economic and social efficiency of procurement. The article describes the criteria for public procurement award in Romania, focusing on the most used criterion, namely the lowest price. It also presents the advantages and disadvantages of using this criterion, statistical situations at national and European level, the difficulties encountered in using this criterion by contracting authorities and the vulnerabilities of tenderers participating in the procurement procedures which use for the award the criterion under consideration.

The energy yield from the solar photovoltaic plant mainly depends on available solar flux, quality of the related power-conditioning equipment incorporated in the system, technical specifications of the panel, the geographic location and also on the environmental parameters. This study provides a comprehensive review of the effect of environmental factors on the various components of photovoltaic systems. It emphasises the environmental factors such as dust, ambient temperature, wind velocity, humidity, snowfall, hailstorms and sandstorms, which deteriorates the energy efficiency of solar plants and the various failure modes of the panels caused by these factors. Finally, the focus is on the methods to find out different failure modes of photovoltaic panels and the various mitigation techniques to improve the energy yield. These mitigation techniques are essential for positioning of photovoltaic arrays in remote, desert, dusty and areas proximate to higher wind speed. This review provides an outlook for the developers to take precautionary measures before locating the site and designing the solar plants.

Objectives. At present, conducting a computational experiment on a system for protecting information from unauthorized access operated in an automated system is a time consuming process. The greatest difficulty in this area of research is the determination of probabilistic-temporal characteristics and the formation of reports during the operation of the information protection system. In order to analyze, obtain and study the probabilistic-time characteristics of this system, it is necessary to develop a mathematical model of its operation using an imitational modeling tool.Method.One of the methods for solving this problem is a computational experiment, which is based on the construction of a simulation model. The CPN Tools environment was chosen as a software simulation product, the main advantages of which are: a high level of visualization, the ability to generate various reports on the system operation, fast modifiability of models for solving a different class of problems, as well as integration with other software means for the formation of graphical dependencies.Result.A simulation model of the system for protecting information from unauthorized access in the “CPN Tools” software environment was developed. protected performance.Conclusion.The presented im-model model of protecting information from unauthorized access in the software environment “CPN Tools” can be used as a tool in assessing the security of special bodies for the attestation of informatization objects and structural divisions of authorized departments. It can also be used in the design of such systems in order to prevent logical errors, determine their temporal characteristics and compare with the existing ones in accordance with the technical specifications for the system being developed to protect information from unauthorized access.

Reuse of reclaimed asphalt pavement material (RAP) is an alternative which applicated for potential enough on the roughness of the road. RAP material can be reused by adding the asphalt and the new aggregate according of the mixture composition so that it is expected will be obtained the quality as planned. One of the efforts made in improving the quality of asphalt mixture RAP material is using a modified asphalt with additional material, such as styrofoam. The use of styrofoam into the asphalt is expected to improve the technical properties of a mixture. The purpose of this research is to know the comparative characteristics of hot mix asphalt (asphalt concrete) type AC-WC that uses RAP material with additional asphalt pen. 60/70 and asphalt pen. 60/70 substitution in the styrofoam by 8%, 10% and 12% against the weight of asphalt based on levels of asphalt left on the material. The initial stages of this study is to conduct an examination of the physical properties of RAP material, then manufacturing a specimen with variations of the addition of asphalt and aggregate new levels based on the job mix diesign (JMD) Bina Marga Aceh (2013). Based on research results, parameter values marshall on all types of asphalt mixture with new aggregate as well as RAP materials and the use of 100% asphalt pen. 60/70 additional or different types of asphalt on OAC has fulfilled the technical specifications defined by the Bina Marga (2014). Best stability values obtained on asphalt mixture using RAP material with additional asphalt pen. 60/70 with 12% styrofoam substitution on OAC JMD Bina Marga Aceh, that amounted to 3,308.72 kg, the lowest value stability retrieved on asphalt mixture using a new aggregate based on the results of Department of Bina Marga Aceh on OAC i.e. of 983.94 kg.

Prevention quality indicators (PQIs) are used in hospital discharge data sets to identify quality of care for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, such as diabetes. We examined the impact of clinical integration efforts on diabetes-related PQIs in a large community-based health care organization. Inpatient and observation hospitalizations from nine acute care hospitals were trended over 5 years (2012-2016). Using established technical specifications, annual hospitalizations rates were calculated for four diabetes-related PQIs: uncontrolled diabetes, short-term complications, long-term complications, and lower extremity amputations. The mean (±standard error of the mean) annual hospitalization rate for uncontrolled diabetes and short-term complications gradually increased from 1.3 ± 1.1 and 3.2 ± 2.5 per 1,000 discharges to 2.4 ± 1.7 (p < .001) and 7.1 ± 3.2 (p < .001) per 1,000 discharges, respectively. Conversely, the annual hospitalization rate for long-term complications and lower extremity amputations gradually decreased from 12.6 ± 1.1 and 88.6 ± 1.0 per 1,000 discharges to 6.5 ± 1.0 (p = .004) and 82.2 ± 1.0 per 1,000 discharges (p < .001). Trends generally persisted across payers, age, sex, and race. There was an inverse correlation between county income-per-capita and hospitalization rate for short-term complications (p = .04), long-term complications (p = .03), and lower extremity amputations (p < .001). Study limitations included use of administrative data, evolving coding practices, and ecological fallacy. Ambulatory-based efforts to optimize diabetes care can prevent long-term complications and reduce avoidable hospitalizations.

Although ultrasound elastography is established as a reliable and valid tool for assessment of skeletal muscles, guidelines around the technical specifications, data selection, and acquisition parameters still lack consensus. One such parameter is the use of the quantification box (Q-box) that calculates the shear wave velocity/modulus, within a selected region of interest (ROI). Currently, no data compare the effect of the elastographic area within the ROI to the mean shear wave velocity calculations, using a Q-box. In this study, the mean shear wave velocity calculated over a smaller (single Q-box) ROI is compared to the mean shear wave velocity calculated over maximum area of elastogram, within a ROI. Comparison of mean shear wave velocity revealed a significant difference ( t = 2.79, P = .007) between the means calculated over maximum area of elastogram for only nonuniform elastograms. The rater agreement for the classification scheme was assessed (κ = 0.85). To prevent possible overestimation of shear wave velocities, it may be necessary to place the Q-box over the maximum elastographic area.

In order to help basketball players to carry out training more efficiently and reasonably, and obtain the technical specifications of their shootings timely in training, this paper constructs a shooting detection algorithm to assist basketball players in training. Firstly, Hough transform algorithm is applied to the shooting video to detect the trajectory of the basketball in the shooting. By analyzing the basketball trajectory, it is found that the best shooting angle should be 49° to 51°. Then, the basic principles of HOG feature and SVM are studied, and the HOG feature of basketball hit and miss is extracted to train the SVM classifier. Finally, the training model was tested, and the classification accuracy of basketball hit or miss was 91.75%. This study will help the basketball players in their training and also could be applied to other ball games.

This work has clarified the technical specifications and spectral performance characteristics of dispersion flattened fiber (DFF) in optical fiber systems. Effective nonlinear refractive index and first, second order polarization mode dispersion against spectral wavelength with fiber length of 1000 m and coupling length of 20 m are simulated and demonstrated. Total DFF fiber losses/dispersion performance parameters are investigated and simulated by using OptiFiber simulation. Zero DFF fiber dispersion and its dispersion slope are demonstrated clearly in details. The dominant modes and the cutoff data theoretical values based these modes for the proposed DFF fiber is determined and simulated in a clear manner.

This article presents the outcomes from a mixed-methods study of drawing practitioners (e.g., professional illustrators, fine artists, and art students) that was conducted in Autumn 2018 as a preliminary investigation for the development of a physical human-AI co-creative drawing system. The aim of the study was to discover possible roles that technology could play in observing, modeling, and possibly assisting an artist with their drawing. The study had three components: a paper survey of artists' drawing practises, technology usage and attitudes, video recorded drawing exercises and a follow-up semi-structured interview which included a co-design discussion on how AI might contribute to their drawing workflow. Key themes identified from the interviews were (1) drawing with physical mediums is a traditional and primary way of creation; (2) artists' views on AI varied, where co-creative AI is preferable to didactic AI; and (3) artists have a critical and skeptical view on the automation of creative work with AI. Participants' input provided the basis for the design and technical specifications of a co-creative drawing prototype, for which details are presented in this article. In addition, lessons learned from conducting the user study are presented with a reflection on future studies with drawing practitioners.

The miniature high-frequency monolithic crystal filter is developed according to the requirement of model. The main electrical performance of the monolithic crystal filter is better than that of technical specifications, and the parameters of passband bandwidth, insert loss, passband ripple, shape factor, parasitic suppression, stopband attenuation meet the requirements of users.

This paper proposes a new photonic-based non-invasive device for managing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) for people suffering from diabetes. DFUs are one of the main severe complications of diabetes, which may lead to major disabilities, such as foot amputation, or even to the death. The proposed device exploits hyperspectral (HSI) and thermal imaging to measure the status of an ulcer, in contrast to the current practice where invasive biopsies are often applied. In particular, these two photonic-based imaging techniques can estimate the biomarkers of oxyhaemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxyhaemoglobin (Hb), through which the Peripheral Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) and Tissue Oxygen Saturation (StO2) is computed. These factors are very important for the early prediction and prognosis of a DFU. The device is implemented at two editions: the in-home edition suitable for patients and the PRO (professional) edition for the medical staff. The latter is equipped with active photonic tools, such as tuneable diodes, to permit detailed diagnosis and treatment of an ulcer and its progress. The device is enriched with embedding signal processing tools for noise removal and enhancing pixel accuracy using super resolution schemes. In addition, a machine learning framework is adopted, through deep learning structures, to assist the doctors and the patients in understanding the effect of the biomarkers on DFU. The device is to be validated at large scales at three European hospitals (Charité–University Hospital in Berlin, Germany; Attikon in Athens, Greece, and Victor Babes in Timisoara, Romania) for its efficiency and performance.

The applications of Nano-technologies and related Nano-materials have observed the possibility of using such materials in general engineering applications, spanning a range of topics from structural engineering, geotechnical reinforcement, and building materials. The objective of this paper is state an overview of Nano-technologies applications in civil engineering in general and exemplified the usage of Nano-materials in some applications, where there are many nanoscale methods that use nanomaterials, which have proven their efficiency when used in construction applications. Metal structures of light weight and stronger in terms of withstanding different conditions, and coating materials with technical specifications such as high temperature tolerance and moisture resistance, cement material added to some materials that improve some chemical properties, materials included in reducing the rate of thermal transfer and increase the insulation of the basic properties. The role of nanomaterials in engineering applications. Furthermore, it has been proved that adding some Nano-materials to the constricting essential materials like cement or steel will improved their main properties like increasing strength performance, durability, and many other properties.

Ergonomics in design is intended to close the gap between what is designed and the real work. This study seeks to discuss the creation of technical ergonomics requirements for the basic design stage of workshops on offshore platforms. Thus, this paper also intends to show how the ergonomics discipline contributes to integrating knowledge on the real work of the maintenance crew with the design. This case study uses procedures, data collection, and analysis guided by the Ergonomics of the Activity’s theoretical framework, focused on design projects [1]. The results of this research indicate the contribution of ergonomics to improve the work of maintenance crews, which occurred both through the construction of new layout and equipment list, and through the development of technical specifications. Hence, this work points to the need for new studies on platform maintenance work, in addition to studies that deepen the debate on consolidating ergonomics practice in design projects.

With the growing requirement of energy and draining resources, the globe is approaching toward the renewable sources of supply. India is moving along with the world to extensively utilize the natural sources. One of the natural sources that is readily available in the country is the solar source. With the development in solar systems, rooftop solar photovoltaic system is an appealing alternate source of electricity for any industry or household. On contrast to the conventional source of generation, the sunrays are obtainable at zero cost and produce pollution-free electricity. The possibility of PV system at a certain site is evaluated through the availability of area, availability of sunrays, requirement of demand, etc. The technical specifications can be calculated using software simulation tools. This paper presents the performance analysis of a 150 kW grid-tied photovoltaic system mounted on the rooftop of an industry. Performance analysis of this grid-connected PV plants can assist in designing, functioning, and maintenance of a new grid-connected PV system.

The service life of the bridges is affected by different factors that induce pathologies with possible consequences of collapse. Such factors influence the functionality, safety and stability. Therefore, engineering and research seek innovative solutions to address these problems in the long term.One of the main problems presented by the bridges in Chile is that scour produced in the area of the piers. there are several conventional methods of strengthening with the aim of improving their performance against erosion and scour processes. During 2012 a new method of strengthening has been investigated: Tied-arch method, proposing the modification of the static schema through the construction of an network arch.Based on this method, this paper provides the study and detailed proposal of constructive specifications of the main joints of its elements, including technical details (Drawing).

International audience; Shake table testing is a very efficient tool in earthquake engineering that may be used to enhance construction methods andthe overall safety of structures. Shake tables permit investigation of the dynamic behaviour of civil engineering structures.This paper details the development of a uniaxial shake table that was designed and built with the objective of limiting its costto a moderate amount, bellow 250 k€. The technical specifications of the shake table are presented as well as the evaluationof its performance and its validation. It is shown that it is possible to build an operational shake table capable of generatingreal seismic motion for the assessment of structural behaviour at a moderate cost.

Permanent magnet brushless DC (PMBLDC) motor has been promoted rapidly in automotive applications. Current automotive vehicle demands more than 40 different types of applications which require rotating motors. This paper compares the surface-mounted and spoke-type PMBLDC motor for the application such as anti-lock braking systems, pedal adjusters, and seat belt pretensioners. Technical specifications, electromagnetic analysis, magnet mass optimization, and cost are discussed in detail. Advantages of both the configurations are compared and concluded finally.

Standards are documented consensus agreements containing safety, technical specifications, or other precise criteria to be used consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics for materials, products, processes, and services. Standards are powerful tools that can help drive innovation and increase productivity. Standards on the modeling, classification, description, discovery and dissemination of the agriculture science data plays an important role to ensure the quality of, interoperability between, and easy access to the agriculture data that are independently collected, processed, and shared in each nation, state, county or even city.

Measurable residual disease (MRD) is an important biomarker in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that is used for prognostic, predictive, monitoring, and efficacy-response assessments. The European LeukemiaNet (ELN) MRD Working Party evaluated standardization and harmonization of MRD in an ongoing manner and has updated the 2018 ELN MRD recommendations based on significant developments in the field. New and revised recommendations were established during in-person and online meetings, and a 2-stage Delphi poll was conducted to optimize consensus. All recommendations are graded by levels of evidence and agreement. Major changes include technical specifications for next-generation sequencing-based MRD testing and integrative assessments of MRD irrespective of technology. Other topics include use of MRD as a prognostic and surrogate end point for drug testing; selection of the technique, material, and appropriate time points for MRD assessment; and clinical implications of MRD assessment. In addition to technical recommendations for flow- and molecular-MRD analysis, we provide MRD thresholds and define MRD response, and detail how MRD results should be reported and combined if several techniques are used. MRD assessment in AML is complex and clinically relevant, and standardized approaches to application, interpretation, technical conduct, and reporting are of critical importance.