Search results for "modelling."

A comparison of statistical methods and multi-criteria decision making to map flood hazard susceptibility in Northern Iran

2018

In north of Iran, flood is one of the most important natural hazards that annually inflict great economic damages on humankind infrastructures and natural ecosystems. The Kiasar watershed is known as one of the critical areas in north of Iran, due to numerous floods and waste of water and soil resources, as well as related economic and ecological losses. However, a comprehensive and systematic research to identify flood-prone areas, which may help to establish management and conservation measures, has not been carried out yet. Therefore, this study tested four methods: evidential belief function (EBF), frequency ratio (FR), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity To ideal Solution (TOP…

Membrane Bioreactors for wastewater reuse: Respirometric assessment of biomass activity during a two year survey

2018

Abstract Stricter effluent limits, water shortage conditions, land availability requires today even more the needs of advanced wastewater treatments. Attractive solutions come from membrane bioreactors (MBR), Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) or combinations (i.e., IFAS-MBRs). One crucial aspect for the applicability of this overall new technology, compared to the conventional activated sludge systems, is the lack of knowledge for design and manage (e.g., kinetic constants, optimal operative conditions etc.). In view of the above frame, the aim of the present study was to assess the kinetic and stoichiometric parameters of bacterial species in MBRs by means of respirometric tech…

Fostering entrepreneurial learning processes through Dynamic Start-up business model simulators

2018

Abstract Entrepreneurial learning is a critical process in realizing the success or failure of a new business venture, as it implies that would-be entrepreneurs acquire those strategic management competencies required to start and manage a new business. Actually, statistics on start-up survival/failure rate reveal that the main reasons for failure are related to a lack of entrepreneurial competencies of start-uppers. This paper argues that combining Business Model representation schemas with System Dynamics modelling may support potential start-up entrepreneurs in learning and experimenting how to turn a business idea into a real firm. System Dynamics modelling is a methodology that allows …

The Complementary effect of internal learning capacity and absorptive capacity on performance: the mediating role of innovation capacity

2011

Organisations are finding it increasingly more difficult to keep abreast with the pace of change. The continuous rise in the number of business opportunities and the increase in global competition require firms to combine internal and external learning processes to renew and reconfigure existing capabilities and knowledge to enable them to meet environmental demands and to innovate. This study aims to unravel the complex linkage between internal learning capacity and absorptive capacity and at exploring the joint effect of both knowledge generation processes on innovation capacity. This study also proposes innovation capacity as an antecedent of business performance. Using data from 952 ind…

Conflict in Somalia: impact on child undernutrition

2017

Background: In Somalia, protracted conflict and persistent drought have caused population displacement and livelihood destruction. As a result, there is widespread child malnutrition. We aimed to determine the effects of conflict on wasting and stunting among children aged 6-59 months in Somalia 2007–2010.\ud \ud Methods: Data were from household nutritional surveys from 2007 to 2010, with 1,066 clusters covering 73,778 children, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project and remote sensing. We used Bayesian hierarchical spatial-temporal regression methods to examine the effects of conflict on wasting and stunting. A preliminary model included individual, household and envir…

MODELLING OF MEMBRANE PROCESSES: FROM CFD TO PROCESS OPTIMIZATION

2020

Opportunistic traffic Offloading Mechanisms for Mobile/4G Networks

2015

Experimental Investigation for Local Tank Inflow Model

2014

In the present paper the effect of private roof tanks and of the float valve characteristics on apparent losses due to water meter errors was investigated via an experimental study. The tests were carried out at the Environmental Hydraulic Laboratory of the University of Enna (Italy), on a high-density polyethylene (HDPE 100 PN16) looped distribution network. The experimental results showed that network pressure plays an important role in the characterisation of the floating ball valve emitter law, but the tank operating condition is the most relevant aspect to be considered mainly for water meter error evaluation. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An experimental and constitutive investigation on the chemo-mechanical behaviour of a clay

2013

Engineering issues for which the understanding of the chemo-mechanical behaviour of soils is relevant include wellbore stability problems, the salinification of groundwater, and nuclear waste storage. However, despite the vast number of situations in which couplings between chemistry and mechanics occur, the available constitutive models rely on limited experimental evidence. This paper presents the results of an experimental programme on the chemo-mechanical behaviour of a non-swelling illite. The osmotic suction is controlled through the ion concentration of sodium chloride in the pore water. Stress paths include mechanical loading at a constant osmotic suction, and an increasing osmotic …

Simulation of surface energy fluxes and meteorological variables using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS): Evaluating the impact of land…

2018

Atmospheric mesoscale numerical models are commonly used not only for research and air quality studies, but also for other related applications, such as short-term weather forecasting for atmospheric, hydrological, agricultural and ecological modelling. A key element to produce faithful simulations is the proper representation of the soil parameters used in the initialization of the corresponding mesoscale numerical model. The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is used in the current study. The model code has been updated in order to permit the model to be initialized using a heterogeneous soil moisture and temperature distribution derived from land surface models. Particularly, RA…