Traffic congestion is a frequent problem on most urban roads. This may be due to incorrect configuration of traffic signals but planning analysis should also include a study of human behavior, which, ...often imprudent, contributes to traffic congestion. The aim of this paper is to analyze the influence of human factors and their reaction to the environment on the impact of traffic performance through waiting time. For this purpose, an agent-based simulation is developed to represent the autonomous and social behavior of road users. The waiting of vehicles at signals is modeled on the basis of a queuing system. Simulations and experiments are based on the analysis of the age of the people and the condition of the pavement. Results show that people’s age is the most important factor influencing their behavior on the road. It is also shown external factors that also affect driver response and thus signal impact, such as the condition of the pavement. Finally, traffic performance, measured by waiting time, depends strongly on the behavior of people facing signals, according to their characteristics and factors present in the environment.
Type 2 diabetes represents an increasingly critical challenge for health policy worldwide. It absorbs massive resources from both patients and national economies to sustain direct costs of the ...treatment of type 2 diabetes and its complications and indirect costs related to work loss and wages. More recently, there are innovations based on remote control and personalised programs that promise a more cost-effective diabetes management while reducing diabetes-related complications. In such a context, this work attempts to update cost analysis reviews on type 2 diabetes, focusing on France and Germany, in order to explore most significant cost drivers and cost-saving opportunities through innovations in diabetes care. Although both countries approach care delivery differently, France and Germany represent the primary European markets for diabetes technologies.
A systematic review of the literature listed in MEDLINE, Embase and EconLit has been carried out. It covered interventional, observational and modelling studies on expenditures for type 2 diabetes management in France or Germany published since 2012. Included articles were analysed for annual direct, associated and indirect costs of type 2 diabetes patients. An appraisal of study quality was performed. Results were summarised narratively.
From 1260 records, the final sample was composed of 24 papers selected according to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Both France and Germany revealed a predominant focus on direct costs. Comparability was limited due to different study populations and cost categories used. Indirect costs were only available in Germany. According to prior literature, reported cost drivers are hospitalisation, prescriptions, higher HbA1c and BMI, treatment with insulin and complications, all indicators of disease severity. The diversity of available data and included costs limits the results and may explain the differences found.
Complication prevention and glycaemic control are widely recognized as the most effective ways to control diabetes treatment costs. The value propositions of self-based supports, such as hybrid closed-loop metabolic systems, already implemented in type 1 diabetes management, are the key points for further debates and policymaking, which should involve the perspectives of caregivers, patients and payers.
In the paper, an analysis is conducted on the intricate relationship between ethics, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. The ethical principles that govern the advancement of AI are examined, ...alongside the security issues that arise from its implementation. The ethical utilization of artificial intelligence in the realms of cybersecurity and hacking is explored. Emphasis is placed on the significance of AI ethics, particularly in terms of transparency, accountability, and fairness. Additionally, the paper delves into the security challenges that emerge as AI is adopted, such as safeguarding user privacy and ensuring equitable access to the technology.
Planetary Health has emerged as a new approach to respond to the existential risks that the clime and global environmental crises pose to human societies. As stated by various stakeholders, the ...challenges involved in Planetary Health are of such magnitude that education must be at the forefront to obtain a meaningful response. Universities and higher education institutions have been specifically called to embed the concept of planetary stewardship in all curricula and train the next generation of researchers and change makers as a matter of urgency. As a response to this call, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) developed the first online and asynchronous Master in Science (MSc) in Planetary Health. The aim of the programme is to train a new generation of academics and professionals who understand the challenges of Planetary Health and have tools to tackle them. This article describes the development of the curriculum of this MSc, presents the main characteristics of the programme and discusses some of the challenges encountered in the development of the programme and its implementation. The design of this MSc was based on: the alignment of the programme with the principles for Planetary Health education with a focus on human health; a multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary approach; the urgency to respond to the Anthropocene challenges; and the commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The MSc was recognized as an official degree by the Agency for Quality of the Catalan University System, included in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education, and the Spanish National Academic Coordination body in April 2021 and launched in October 2021. There are currently more than 50 students enrolled in the program coming from a broad range of disciplines and geographic locations. The information presented in this article and the discussion on challenges encountered in developing and implementing the programme can be useful for those working in the development of similar programs.
Traffic planning and management is an important task for governments to achieve a proper functioning of the cities. The configuration of road signs and traffic lights is part of this process. The ...selection of an appropriate configuration is modeled as a variant of the traffic light cycle optimization problem (TLCOP), which is NP-Hard. To evaluate the impact of each configuration, agent-based simulations can be performed. Based on the importance and complexity of the problem, the objective of this paper is to present and evaluate a metaheuristic scheme to solve it and analyze solutions obtained. The algorithms were applied to six zones of Havana, Cuba. Among all the algorithms used, the genetic algorithm obtained the best performance. KEYWORDS: metaheuristics, road signs, agent-based simulation, traffic lights, optimization MSC: 68T20, 76A30, 90B20 La planificacion y gestion del trafico es una importante tarea para los gobiernos en aras de lograr un correcto funcionamiento de las ciudades. Como parte de este proceso se encuentra la configuracion de las senales alternativas y las luces de los semaforos. La seleccion de la configuracion adecuada se modela como una variante del problema de optimizacioon del ciclo del semoaforo (TLCOP), el cual es NP-Duro. Para evaluar el impacto de cada configuracion se puede utilizar la simulacion basada en agentes. A partir de la importancia y complejidad del problema, el objetivo de este trabajo es presentar y evaluar un esquema metaheuristico para solucionarlo. Los algoritmos fueron aplicados a seis zonas de La Habana, Cuba. De los algoritmos aplicados, el Algoritmo Genetico obtuvo el mejor rendimiento. PALABRAS CLAVE: metaheuristicas, semaforo, senales alternativas, simulacion basada en agentes, optimizacioon
This article explores how three women filmmakers express their ways of understanding and experiencing pleasure, based on a comparative study of Christmas on Earth (Barbara Rubin, 1963), Fuses ...(Carolee Schneemann, 1964–67) and Je, tu, il, elle (Chantal Akerman, 1974). By filming the subculture to which they belong or presenting themselves in the sexual act in a way that emulates ritual, these filmmakers recognize their own sexuality in opposition to the model that relegates the woman to the role of muse. Drawing on Artaud’s concept of ritual and his “Body without Organs,” this analysis posits the possibility of the concept of “flowing bodies,” referring to bodies in motion that affirm their own pleasure, andproposes to describe the three films explored here as “autoethnographies of desire.”
•Hand and finger determination will expedite identification on isolated fingerprints.•Determining the hand in fingerprints with a two or one-delta pattern is possible.•Hand determination from ...isolated fingerprints is possible.
The individuality and permanence of fingerprints make of them a very useful feature in the identification of individuals. There are now automated computer programmes that allow a quick comparison between a fingermark and a database. However, in order to assess the strength of evidence in fingerprint identification, complementary information on the frequencies of the different morphological features of the dermopapillary ridges is required. This idea is used in this work as a starting point to evaluate the frequencies of the parameters used in the determination of the hand and finger in a large sample of 2600 fingerprints taken from 134 male and 127 female Spanish population. Based on these fingerprints, the frequencies of different categories of the following parameters were obtained: type of pattern, slope of the apex ridge, subtype of two-delta pattern, ridge tracing, major angle, major ridge count, bisector, rotation of the central ridge, assimilation to loops and slant. Moreover, the results have shown that these characters are useful for the determination of the hand in whorls (two-delta pattern) and loops (one-delta pattern), but not for the determination of the finger. The most useful and classificatory parameter when determining the hand of origin of a two-delta fingerprint is the slope of the apex ridge, and for the one-delta pattern, knowing the location of the delta allows the correct estimation of the hand of a fingerprint in more than 93% of the cases. The data presented in this paper are novel and can be used by latent print examiners to improve the statistical basis of their decisions in reaching conclusions.
A new network of over 72 organizations from 12 countries was activated during a convening at ARTIS in Amsterdam on 26–27 September 2022. Representatives are aligned with the transdisciplinary field ...and social movement of Planetary Health, which analyzes and addresses the impacts of human disruptions to natural systems on human health and all life on Earth. The new European Planetary Health Hub consists of organizations from various sectors, including universities, healthcare, youth, business, and civil society. The Convening, co-organized by the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA), the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils Network (EEAC), and Natura Artis Magistra (ARTIS), aimed to develop Planetary Health Working Groups for Education, Policy Engagement, Research, and Movement Building. The Convening resulted in an outline for each of the Working Group’s aims, visions, missions, priorities, and activities, and set the framework for sustaining their activities in the future through the establishment of the European Planetary Health Hub Secretariat in the Netherlands. The Hub members shared lessons learned, built relationships, and developed artwork-inspired perspectives on Planetary Health. In conclusion, the Convening led to the establishment of a strong European foundation to contribute to the transformations needed for sustainable, just, and equitable societies that flourish within the limits of our ecosystems.
El presente ensayo plantea una reflexión sobre como la manera en que se desarrollaron las diversas actividades económicas en la Ciudad Fronteriza, Ciudad Juárez, en Chihuahua, influyó en la ...infraestructura, la inseguridad y la mala planeación de espacios públicos de la ciudad. Asimismo, expone como esto afecta a sus habitantes, en especial a las mujeres y otros grupos vulnerables y plantea la urgencia de nuevos acercamientos para buscar soluciones que mejoren la calidad de vida de quienes la habitan y hacen uso de los espacios urbanos.
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