Estimation of urban commuting patterns using cellphone network data

The Other Battle of Algiers

Determination of dynamic behaviour of materials is a serious challenge in mechanics of materials. In this investigation, a new approach is proposed to obtain stress–strain curves of metals from dynamic indentation test. This approach is based on a combined experiment, simulation, and optimization techniques. In the experiment side, a conical penetrator is shot against the material as the target. The load–indentation depth curve is obtained from the dynamic indentation test. The indentation test is simulated using Ls-dyna and the numerical load–indentation depth is obtained from the simulation. The stress–strain curves are defined by Johnson–Cook material model. From optimization of the difference between the experimental and numerical load–indentation depth curves, the constants of the material model are identified. The material model is validated also by stress–strain curves obtained from quasi-static test conducted using Instron and dynamic tests conducted using Split Hopkinson Bar. The results show a close agreement between the model prediction and the experimental stress–strain curves for different strain rates.

Estimating efficiencies required for sewage treatment plants within a river watershed, where there are usually multiple sewage discharges and water withdrawals points in watercourses, presenting different quality conditions and sewage assimilation capacities, is a complex task. In this context, combined optimization techniques and water quality modeling can be important tools to support sewage treatment efficiencies appropriation processes. In the present paper, QUAL-UFMG water quality model and Nonlinear Programming (NLP) are jointly applied to sewage treatment levels selection for the river Pardo’s (watercourse located in Espírito Santo State, Southern region, Brazil) watershed different urban areas. Four different optimization models were tested for estimating the minimum organic matter removal efficiencies. The results indicate strong dependence between the estimated minimum organic matter removal efficiencies within the watershed and equity measures incorporated in the optimization models.

A combinatorial optimization technique has been developed and applied to the scheduling problem in data path synthesis. The cost function is minimized using a gradient-like method, and constraints are satisfied by a new technique analogous to the combination of the penalty method and the feasible direction method used for nonlinear optimization. To overcome the drawbacks of assigning operations to control steps one at a time, this technique assigns all the operations to control steps simultaneously. Experimental results show that this method is as good as or better than other published methods.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

This comprehensive article examines performance optimization techniques for Presto, a distributed SQL query engine widely adopted for large-scale data analytics. Through systematic analysis of both theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, we present a multifaceted approach to enhancing query performance and resource utilization. The article encompasses critical aspects including memory management strategies, parallel processing optimization, and storage connector configurations across diverse deployment scenarios. Our investigation reveals that strategic implementation of query planning algorithms, coupled with fine-tuned JVM configurations, can yield performance improvements of up to 40% in complex analytical workloads. The article also introduces a novel framework for workload-specific optimization patterns, validated through extensive testing across various data scales and query complexities. Through detailed case studies of large-scale deployments, we demonstrate how combined optimization techniques can significantly reduce query latency while maintaining system stability. Furthermore, we present empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of adaptive resource allocation strategies in mixed-workload environments. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge in distributed query processing optimization and provide practical guidelines for organizations seeking to enhance their Presto deployments.

The aim of this study is to review the geophysical investigations in civil engineering and urban planning by some case histories in Turkey. Geophysics deals with a wide array of earth phenomena, including the temperature distribution of the earth's interior (the source, configuration and variations of the geomagnetic field) and the large-scale features of the terrestrial crust, such as rifts, continental sutures and mid-oceanic ridges. From the geophysical point of view, civil engineering and urban planning includes several geophysical topics used to investigate the physical properties, the physical techniques for regional and local land use planning or micro-zonation, the natural disaster risk estimation studies, etc. In this study, the geophysical approach, regarding civil engineering and urban planning against the natural or artificial disaster risk in macro (human/nature) and micro (society/earth) scales, is given. Geophysical methods provide solutions to a wide range of geotechnical problems: Slope stability, soil liquefaction and amplification studies, site investigations and testing, water works, subways, etc. In this study, an evaluation of the geophysical methods applied to geotechnical problems related to the soils is presented. Soils consist of the products of physical and chemical weathering of the rocks of the earth’s crust. As a part of the engineering design, the aim of a site/soil investigation is to provide the basic data to evaluate the interaction of the natural environment with the proposed structure. As it is known, using physical measurements in geophysics, it is studied as the natural and artificially generated physical fields of the earth. Key words: Geotechnical engineering, geophysics, earthquake engineering, soils, soil dynamics.

In urban regions, individuals predominantly spend their time indoors. Accurately identifying these indoor states is essential for many fields, such as public health and urban planning. Existing methods generally rely on sensors placed at specific locations or on volunteers’ mobile phones, limiting their applicability to those locations and a fraction of the population. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel framework that leverages cellular signaling data—providing extensive spatio-temporal and population-wide coverage—to identify individuals’ indoor states comprehensively. We extract three types of features: interaction between individuals’ mobile phones and cells, individuals’ moving and stationary, and environmental context. Using these features, we apply three machine learning models—CatBoost, Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM)—along with an interpretable machine learning model, Associative Tree (AT), to identify the indoor states. Evaluation with a ground truth dataset shows that CatBoost outperforms the other models, with an F1 score of 97.21% in quantifying the time individuals spend indoors. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify the indoor states of individuals using cellular signaling data. We argue that this study can contribute to advancements in areas such as public health and urban planning.

Impact of urban space on PM2.5 distribution: A multiscale and seasonal study in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration

BackgroundThe optimal mechanical thrombectomy technique for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) caused by distal, medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) is uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy and safety of first-line thrombectomy with combined techniques, which entail simultaneous use of a stent retriever and aspiration catheter, vs. single-device techniques, whether stent retriever or direct aspiration alone, for DMVO-AIS patients.MethodsWe systematically searched the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from inception until 2 September 2022 for studies comparing combined and single-device techniques in DMVO-AIS patients. We adopted the Distal Thrombectomy Summit Group's definition of DMVO. Our outcomes were the modified first-pass effect [mFPE; modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2b-3 at first-pass], first-pass effect (FPE; mTICI 2c-3 at first-pass), successful and complete final reperfusion (mTICI 2b-3 and 2c-3 at end of all procedures, respectively), 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin scale 0-2), 90-day mortality, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH).ResultsNine studies were included, with 477 patients receiving combined techniques, and 670 patients receiving single-device thrombectomy. Combined techniques achieved significantly higher odds of mFPE [odds ratio (OR), 2.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.12–4.02; p = 0.021] and FPE (OR, 3.55; 95% CI, 1.97–6.38; p < 0.001), with lower odds of sICH (OR, 0.23; 95% CI 0.06–0.93; p = 0.040). There were no significant differences in final reperfusion, functional independence (OR, 1.19; 95% CI 0.87–1.63; p = 0.658), or mortality (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.50–1.76; p = 0.850).ConclusionsIn DMVO-AIS patients, mechanical thrombectomy combining stent retrievers and aspiration catheters achieved higher odds of FPE and lower odds of sICH over single-device techniques. There were no differences in functional independence and mortality. Further trials are warranted to establish these findings.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_recor d.php?ID=CRD42022370160, identifier: CRD42022370160.

The aim of this paper is to reveal the current situation regarding the use of mobile phones as a mean of information sharing by Cypriot farmers. In particular, a project at the Agricultural Research Institute is underway, to survey methods currently used for agricultural information and knowledge sharing, to determine the level of satisfaction of the farmers of the available sources of information, and to suggest how ICT tools can be applied to help in transferring agricultural knowledge to farmers who live and work in rural and remote areas. The results showed that nearly 98% of the farmers in Cyprus use the mobile phone as a source of agriculture information. Furthermore it was found that there are no differences between educational groups and between crop farmers and their livestock counterparts concerning mobile phone usage. Future research is needed to examine the factors that affect mobile phone usage, its usefulness and the possible benefits for the Cypriot farmers.

GIScience Research at the Thirty‐second Annual Esri International User Conference

In the digital economy era, the development of new infrastructure, particularly network infrastructure, can foster enterprise performance growth, both directly and by promoting digital technology innovation. This study empirically examines network infrastructure’s impact on enterprise performance using a combination of macro-level data from Chinese cities and micro-level data from Chinese listed enterprises. It explores the mediating role of digital technology innovation and investigates heterogeneity based on enterprise size and innovation type. The findings reveal that network infrastructure significantly enhances enterprise performance, a conclusion that remains robust even when using the ‘Broadband China’ policy as a quasi-natural experiment and the degree of urban topographic relief as an instrumental variable. Network infrastructure contributes to enterprise performance by enhancing both the quantity and quality of digital technology innovation. The impact of network infrastructure on enterprise performance is more pronounced for firms with non-independent innovation and for micro and small enterprises. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and business managers aiming to leverage network infrastructure for economic growth. Future research could explore how the impact of network infrastructure on firm performance varies across different political and economic contexts, industries, and between listed and non-listed companies.

Social networks can be organized into communities of closely connected nodes, a property known as modularity. Because diseases, information, and behaviors spread faster within communities than between communities, understanding modularity has broad implications for public policy, epidemiology and the social sciences. Explanations for community formation in social networks often incorporate the attributes of individual people, such as gender, ethnicity or shared activities. High modularity is also a property of large-scale social networks, where each node represents a population of individuals at a location, such as call flow between mobile phone towers. However, whether or not place-based attributes, including land cover and economic activity, can predict community membership for network nodes in large-scale networks remains unknown. We describe the pattern of modularity in a mobile phone communication network in the Dominican Republic, and use a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to determine whether geographic context can explain community membership. Our results demonstrate that place-based attributes, including sugar cane production, urbanization, distance to the nearest airport, and wealth, correctly predicted community membership for over 70% of mobile phone towers. We observed a strongly positive correlation (r = 0.97) between the modularity score and the predictive ability of the LDA, suggesting that place-based attributes can accurately represent the processes driving modularity. In the absence of social network data, the methods we present can be used to predict community membership over large scales using solely place-based attributes.

Simultaneous determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in human serum and plasma

PrefaceThis volume of IOP Conference Series: Material Science and Engineering contains the papers presented in the “World Multidisciplinary Civil Engineering-Architecture-Urban Planning Symposium” in the city of romance Prague (Czech Republic) during 17-21 June 2019. WMCAUS 2019 aimed to provide a forum for discussion of the latest findings and technologies in different fields of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Planning, to give opportunities for future collaborations. It is a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences in the fields of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Planning by providing a forum for early career researchers for presentation of their work and discussion of their ideas with experts in different fields of Civil Engineering, Architecture and City and Urban Planning such as; Construction Management and Engineering, Construction Materials, Geotechnics, Hydromechanics, Structural Engineering, Building Performance Simulations, Transportation, Architectural Space, Social Sciences and Architecture, Architectural Culture, Theories of Vision and Visuality, Architectural Design and Methods, Architectural Historiography, Architectural Heritage and Conservation of Historical structures, Sustainability in the Built Environment, Urban Planning, Public Space, Urban Design, Theories and Methods, Regional Planning, Archaeological Method and Theories, Sustainable Urban Development, Urban Sociology, Economics and Politics, Risk Management and Mitigation Planning, GIS-Based Modelling for Mitigation Planning, Computer Aided Design, Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Integrated Coastal Zone Planning and, Management, Accreditation of Civil Engineering, City and Regional Planning Education.WMCAUS 2019 is the 4th of the Annual series with its main mission to contribute in multidisciplinary studies related with Civil Engineering, Architecture, City and Urban Planning, and improvment of interactions between people within these fields. WMCAUS also provided a forum for this diverse range of studies which report very latest results and document emerging understanding of the related systems and our place in it.We would like to show my deep gratitude to the honored Scientific Committee and Institutional Scientific Partners of WMCAUS. The Scientific Committee and Institutional Scientific Partners of WMCAUS was completed by paying strict attention, and all members were selected from well-known, very much appreciated, productive and representatives of the different countries. We are deeply grateful to the members of the scientific committee and institutional scientific partners.All the missions of World Multidisciplinary Civil Engineering-Architecture-Urban Planning Symposium – WMCAUS 2019 were completed, and 422 peer reviewed articles were published. We would like to thank all reviewers for their great effort to achieve the high quality of published articlesWe thank to the sponsors of WMCAUS 2019 (as main sponsors LAMA Energy Group, LAMA Gas and Oil, and to be co-sponsor Prague City Tourism) for their very much appreciated supports during the organization of “World Multidisciplinary Civil Engineering-Architecture-Urban Planning Symposium – WMCAUS 2019”.Of course, we would like to express my sincere gratitude to all participants with more than 500 submissions from more than 50 different countries all over the world for their interests and contributions in WMCAUS 2019.Another thank goes to the team of WMCAUS for their very much appreciated high workload during year. We united our efforts to establish one of the largest and appreciated event of Civil Engineering-Architecture-Urban Planning Sciences for one important causeTo work together for better, more clean and more beautiful place where our children will grow up. And, this place is known as the Earth.We hope to see the participants of WMCAUS 2019 once again during the next event 5thAnniversary WMCAUS 2020 that will be held in Prague (Czech Republic) during 15-19 June 2020.Işık YILMAZMarian MARSCHALKO Marian DRUSAAna Maria DABIJA Derya TOKSOZ Dominik NIEMIECChairmen of WMCAUS 2019