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Graphical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA) and the dominance-based rough set approach (DRSA) are compared as methods of explaining the solution to a multi-criteria ranking problem obtained using the preference ranking organization method for the enrichment of evaluations (PROMETHEE). The classification of 52 municipalities in Northern Quebec in terms of the socioeconomic situation is based on three attributes: home conditions, employment and demographic potential. The classification provided to the decision maker is aggregated information. To facilitate decision-making, the problem is first considered as a sorting task, in which municipalities are distributed into three categories: best (B), worst (W) or intermediate (I), based on the PROMETHEE ranking. In order to improve the position of a municipality thus categorized, the decision maker needs information that will answer the questions: What criteria are relevant to the municipality? What criteria are in conflict? What are the critical values of the criteria? We show that GAIA and DRSA provide convergent and complementary information that allow enrichment of the answers to these questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a continuation of our work. The proper motions and radial velocities of stars from the Gaia DR2 with RV catalogue have been decomposed. We have confirmed that the Ogorodnikov-Milne model is consistent with the observational data and found the kinematic components that are not described by this model. The beyond-the-model harmonics have been partially identified with the nonlinear terms of the extended Oort model and the parameters of the second-order kinematic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to measure the digital integration of coastal and marine policies in the Member - States of European Union (EU), using a Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis methods are strongly associated with EU environmental policies and their decision-making process, and it can reduce the uncertainty in planning by producing highly efficient solutions. The Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE) along with Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Decision Aid (GAIA) analysis, through Visual PROMETHEE software, were used to provide a ranking of the EU policies about coastal and marine environment in their digital performance drawing on their ICT implications. Findings confirm that the impact of ICT on EU coastal and marine policies is getting stronger since 2010, but it is still in initial level. Digital integration constitutes an efficient tool to promote the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and at the same time, contributes to better quality of life. The introduction of innovative ICT solutions, including network connection and services is an essential factor to achieve synergy in terms of an e-innovation society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signalling that 'humanity' has radically changed the Earth's environmental parameters, the Anthropocene currently generates debate across the socio-cultural sciences. In this context, neo-Marxist and new materialist approaches stand out for the way they oblige social theory to catch up with new material realities. We share the conviction that the Anthropocene might constitute a genuine event for social theory and practice. However, we argue that the search for alternative ways of problematizing and 'dramatizing' our eco-political predicament confronts these approaches with unresolved issues of scientism and economic totalization. Looking for another path, we turn to Science and Technology Studies (STS), and especially Actor-Network Theory (ANT). We relay the long-standing focus on nonhuman agency characteristic of this field via Isabelle Stengers' argument that we must 'accept' the reality of Gaia's intrusion into collective historicity. The challenge posed by Stengers, we suggest, requires the development of an art of immanent attention to the politics of varied matters as they unfold across diverse ecologies of practice. Extending further than the present preoccupations of Euro-American social theory, other areas within and across environmental history, activism and politics offer sites of resistance as well as experimentation whose conceptual possibilities and practical efficacies have yet to be explored. Slowing down theory sufficiently to learn from these multiple sites, we argue, is the starting point for an approach more adequate to the problems posed by the Anthropocene event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gaia DR2 has dramatically increased the ability to detect faint nearby white dwarfs. The census of the local white dwarf population has recently been extended from 25 pc to 50 pc, effectively increasing the sample by roughly an order of magnitude. Here we examine the completeness of this new sample as a function of variables such as apparent magnitude, distance, proper motion, photometric color index, unresolved components, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an epoch marked by the threat of global warming, the conflicts between science and religion are no longer simply matters that concern only intellectual elites and armchair philosophers; they are in many ways matters that will determine the degree to which we can meet the challenges of our times. John H. Evans's Morals Not Knowledge represents an important provocation for those committed not only to using scientific method as a resource for making moral judgments but also to creating political alliances with religious constituencies. In this important work, Evans argues that most conflicts between science and religion do not concern a clash between two contradictory ways of knowing, but rather a clash over our moral responsibilities and ultimate values. In my response to his work, I suggest that integrating both John Dewey's pragmatic understanding of the moral situation and Kenneth Burke's rhetorical interpretation of motives helps bolster Evans's cause and provides support for a political movement that aims to bridge the divide between science and religion in the epoch of the Anthropocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Military Engineer / Hadmérnök is the property of National University of Public Service and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A globally standardized approach in high and low and middle-income countries (LMIC) to actively monitor the safety of vaccines for pregnant women during development and implementation phases is critical. Brighton Collaboration's (BC) Global Alignment of Immunization Safety Assessment in Pregnancy (GAIA) project has developed globally standardized case definitions (CDs) of key obstetric and neonatal terms for the assessment of safety of vaccines in pregnancy. CDs are categorized into levels of diagnostic certainty, facilitating their use in varied settings. This study evaluates the field performance of CDs in LMIC. Data from pregnant participants of RCTs for trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine conducted at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, South Africa (SA) between 2011 and 2013 were reviewed retrospectively for preterm birth, stillbirth and hypertension CDs and the Gestational age assessment (GA) algorithm. Data from an ongoing pneumococcal vaccine trial (conducted at MRC Unit, The Gambia) were collected prospectively for GA. For GA, 600 mother-infant dyads from Gambia and 155 mother-infant dyads from SA were reviewed. Level 2B (unsure LMP and US in 2nd trimester) was the most common level seen in Gambia (63%) and level 3B1 (unsure LMP with physical examination) in SA (43%). Preterm deliveries had similar results in SA. The pregnancy-induced hypertension definition performed well, with 96% (54/56) of cases fulfilling 'level 1' for 'preeclampsia with severe features'. 24 stillbirths were identified and 21 records were reviewed; 73.3% (11/15) of the stillbirths classified as antepartum by attending physicians and 83.3% (5/6) of the intrapartum stillbirths did not fulfil the criteria for any level of certainty. BC CDs for neonatal and maternal outcomes (preterm and hypertension) and GA were sensitive, reliable and feasible to use in RCTs in SA and Gambia. Modifications to the stillbirth CD are required to improve its usefulness in varied settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L’ εὕρησις del fuoco nell’Antica Grecia è generalmente abbinata al mito di Prometeo. Ma nelle fonti antiche sono presenti numerose tracce di una narrazione mitica secondo cui l’origine del fuoco era da ricondurre anche a Gaia e alla terra. Tale narrazione mitica sembra presentare una stretta connessione con dati ed esperienze appartenenti al vissuto dell’uomo greco, per il quale Gaia / la terra risulterebbe connessa a funzioni ampie e fondamentali.

Es bien sabido que la cultura popular contiene una gran variedad de mitos. En el mundo que el cineasta James Cameron plasmó en el film Avatar resulta sencillo distinguir una representación del Mito de Gaia. Sin embargo, el film también puede ser analizado desde una perspectiva ecocrítica. Por ende, el siguiente artículo analizará, mediante una revisión de dicho mito y también de las hipótesis de James Lovelock, cómo Gaia está presente en el planeta Pandora y es perfectamente reconocible en la figura de Eywa. Basándonos en la ecocrítica, veremos que la visión del planeta Pandora es aquella donde prima la defensa del universo natural y de los Na’vi, que, como grupo más débil y oprimido, logrará superar las adversidades y vencer los intereses de una sociedad moderna que busca extraer recursos naturales a cualquier precio.

This paper introduces a multi-stakeholder multi-criteria evaluation framework, which can be used for the assessment of the last mile distribution performance of urban freight terminals. To this end, a comparative analysis is conducted addressing two Greek urban intermodal freight terminals located at the port of Thessaloniki (ThPA) and Kuehne+Nagel (K+N)’s premises. The assessment of the terminals’ performance relies on a tailored multi-criteria Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-based evaluation framework, whereas the selection and significance of the incorporated criteria and KPIs is predetermined by the relevant responsible stakeholders, who imposed their viewpoint through an analytic hierarchy process. Results showed that ThPA was ranked first according to its performance pertaining to the role of an intermodal interchange; still, K+N’s performance index was only 8.5% lower than ThPA’s, while in specific KPIs it seems that it performs in a better way.

The knowledge of variety of chronic total occlusion (CTO) hardware and the ability to use them represents the key to success of any CTO interventions. However, the multiplicity of CTO hardware and their physical character and the terminology used by experts create confusion in the mind of an average interventional cardiologist, particularly a beginner in this field. This knowledge is available but is scattered. We aim to classify and compare the currently used devices based on their properties focusing on how physical character of each device can be utilized in a specific situation, thus clarifying and simplifying the technical discourse.

It has now become an important issue to evaluate the performance of technical institutions to develop better research and enrich the existing teaching processes. The results of such performance appraisal would serve as a reference point for decisions to choose a particular institution, hire manpower, and provide financial support for the betterment of students and underperforming institutions. The performance of institutions responsible for promotion of technical education in a vast country, like India also needs to be assessed for its journey to share a major role in global economy. In this paper, an integrated approach combining PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation) and GAIA (Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid) methods is applied for evaluating the performance of 20 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in India with respect to nine pivotal criteria. It is observed that NIT, Tiruchirappalli and NIT, Warangal are the two best performers based on the last five years data. On the other hand, NIT, Patna takes the last position in the ranking list of 20 NITs suggesting allocation of more resources for its efficient management and subsequent development. Placement of the graduated students from those NITs is found to be the most important criterion.

have worried about the essence of their lives. This situation has led, in all periods, times and conditions, to questions such as: What are we? What role do we play in the Universe? What is the meaning of life, and my life? Are we unique? What relationships do we have within ourselves and with our environment? From different areas of knowledge some answers had been advanced, which had been nuanced, modified and even radically transformed with the development of all sciences, including experimental and health sciences. Concepts and laws such as special and general relativity, quantum physics, atomic and subatomic physico- chemistry, DNA, evolutionism, neurobiology and many others have played such an important role. Thus, the questions have different perspectives. The current development of knowledge has established a very close relationship between the intestinal bacterial flora (microbiota), the response of the immune or even neuro-immune systems and the proper development of the central nervous system, its characteristics and functions, as well as the development of pathological processes of neurological and psychiatric nature. All this must take us, from a new standpoint, to reflect and revisit concepts such as the interrelation and dependence of the whole and the parts on our planet (Gaia Hypothesis, nowadays accepted as a theory) and the necessary existence of humans (Anthropic Principle) which will allow us a better understanding of our uniqueness, role, and the meaning of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Athena: Filosofijos studijos is the property of Lithuanian Culture Research Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Musical Education / Edukacja Muzyczna is the property of Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The systematic differences between the trigonometric parallaxes of the Hipparcos and TGAS catalogues have been investigated using spherical harmonics. The most significant harmonics in the expansion have been determined. The distribution of the parallax difference dispersion in various regions of the celestial sphere has also been studied. The distribution of the rms deviation has the simplest form in the ecliptic coordinate system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As cotton is a natural fibre, its different physical properties are likely to immensely vary depending on the variations in its seed type, area where it is grown and the climatic conditions. This may affect the characteristics of the final products. Blending is a process of combining different cotton fibres together to synergize their physical properties. For successful blending, it is always required to determine the types of the constituent fibres in the final mix and their appropriate proportions. In this paper, a multi-criteria optimization model in the form of a decision support framework is developed while integrating preference ranking organization method for enrichment of evaluations (PROMETHEE II and V) and geometrical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA) approach. This model is observed to have great potentiality in ranking the considered cotton fibre alternatives from the best to the worst, identifying the top ranked cotton fibres and finding out the constituent fibres in the final blend along with their proportions. Two cotton fibre varieties, such as the Egyptian and Ethiopian types are considered here to demonstrate the applicability of the developed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present two added-value interfaces (AVIs) for analyzing photometric and spectroscopic data observed by the Gaia satellite. The Gaia Added-Value Interface for Temporal Analysis (GAVITEA) is used to calculate an estimate for the spin state and shape of an asteroid from its photometric data, and the Gaia Added-Value Interface for Spectral Classification (GAVISC) provides tools to define the taxonomic type and surface absorption coefficient based on spectroscopic asteroid data. Computations are mainly carried out using well-known methods of asteroid data analysis but the AVIs also offer the possibility to test novel methods that are specifically developed for analyzing temporally sparse photometric data, typical for Gaia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The painting activity is one of the most complex and important activities in automobile manufacturing. The inherent complexity of the painting activity and the frequent need for repainting usually turn the painting process into a bottleneck in automobile assembly plants, which is reflected in higher operating costs and longer overall cycle times. One possible approach for optimizing the performance of the paint shop is to improve the efficiency of the color planning. This can be accomplished by evaluating the relative merits of a set of vehicle painting plans. Since this problem has a multicriteria nature, we resort to the multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology to tackle it. A recent trend in the MCDA field is the development of hybrid approaches that are used to achieve operational synergies between different methods. Here we apply, for the first time, an integrated approach that combines the strengths of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), aided by Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid (GAIA), to the problem of assessing alternative vehicle painting plans. The management of the assembly plant found the results of value and is currently using them in order to schedule the painting activities such that an enhancement of the operational efficiency of the paint shop is obtained. This efficiency gain has allowed the management to bid for a new automobile model to be assembled at this specific plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrometry from space has unique advantages over ground-based observations: the all-sky coverage, relatively stable, and temperature and gravity invariant, operating environment delivers precision, accuracy and sample volume several orders of magnitude greater than ground-based results. Even more importantly, absolute astrometry is possible. The European Space Agency Cornerstone mission Gaia is delivering that promise. Gaia provides 5-D phase space measurements, 3 spatial coordinates and 2 space motions in the plane of the sky, for a representative sample of the Milky Way’s stellar populations (over 2 billion stars, being ~1% of the stars over 50% of the radius). Full 6-D phase space data are delivered from line-of-sight (radial) velocities for the 300 million brightest stars. These data make substantial contributions to astrophysics and fundamental physics on scales from the Solar System to cosmology. A knowledge revolution is underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrometry from space has unique advantages over ground-based observations: the all-sky coverage, relatively stable, and temperature and gravity invariant, operating environment delivers precision, accuracy and sample volume several orders of magnitude greater than ground-based results. Even more importantly, absolute astrometry is possible. The European Space Agency Cornerstone mission Gaia is delivering that promise. Gaia provides 5-D phase space measurements, 3 spatial coordinates and 2 space motions in the plane of the sky, for a representative sample of the Milky Way’s stellar populations (over 2 billion stars, being ~1% of the stars over 50% of the radius). Full 6-D phase space data are delivered from line-of-sight (radial) velocities for the 300 million brightest stars. These data make substantial contributions to astrophysics and fundamental physics on scales from the Solar System to cosmology. A knowledge revolution is underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agent-oriented software engineering (AOSE) systems are often distinguished from each other based on intelligence, autonomy, and reasoning. In this recpect, agent methodologies aim to covering all important components needed to build software systems. The success of agent methodologies depends on the development of all the necessary processes within different software stages, such as analysis, design, implementation, testing and maintenance. This work introduces a comparative study of agent approches with the purpose to asseses and compare the development lifecycle processes of four different wellknown AOSE methodologies, ADELFE, PASSI, Gaia and O-MaSE to define the similarities and differences between them. We can conclude that, the development of standard agent approach that supports Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) based has become an urgent need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understanding the variability of the ionosphere is important for the prediction of space weather and climate. Recent studies have shown that forcing from the lower atmosphere plays a significant role for the short‐term (day‐to‐day) variability of the low‐latitude ionosphere. The present study aims to assess the importance of atmospheric forcing for the variability of the daytime equatorial ionospheric electric field on the interannual (year‐to‐year) time scale. Magnetic field measurements from Huancayo (12.05°S, 75.33°W) are used to augment the equatorial vertical plasma drift velocity (VZ) measurements from the Jicamarca Unattended Long‐term Investigations of the Ionosphere and Atmosphere radar during 2001–2016. VZ can be regarded as a measure of the zonal electric field. After removing the seasonal variation of ∼10 m/s, midday values of VZ show an interannual variation of ∼2 m/s with an oscillation period of 2–3 years. No evidence of solar cycle influence is found. The Ground‐to‐topside Atmosphere‐Ionosphere model for Aeronomy, which takes into account realistic atmospheric variability below 30 km, reproduces the pattern of the observed interannual variation without having to include variable forcing from the magnetosphere. The results indicate that lower atmospheric forcing plays a dominant role for the observed interannual variability of VZ at 1200 local time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Magnetic variations calculated by the Ground‐to‐topside model of Atmosphere and Ionosphere for Aeronomy (GAIA) are compared with those observed at global magnetic observatory network in geomagnetic calm days in order to evaluate accuracy of the ionospheric current system calculated by GAIA. The calculated Y component magnetic variations can reproduce more than 50% of the observed variations at more than half observatories treated. In particular, GAIA can reproduce more than 75% of the observed Y component variations in the equinox, whereas there is tendency of low correlation of the waveform between the calculated and observed variations in the winter season. Next, GAIA reproduces so well of the X component variations at the low‐latitude observatories. Low correlation between the calculated and observed X component variations at middle‐latitude observatories seems to be caused by inaccurate determination of the position of the ionospheric Sq current vortex. Last, although the calculated Z component variations do not so well reproduce the observed ones compared with other component, GAIA can reproduce more than 50% of the observed Z component variation at about half observatories in general. Calculated amplitude of the horizontal magnetic variations (X and Y components) exhibit smaller than the observed one whereas that of the vertical variation (Z component) is larger than the observed one. This tendency is roughly explained by the induction effect of the Earth that is not considered in GAIA. Thus, GAIA considerably well reproduces the pure ionospheric current system that is not affected by the solid Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study takes food as its scape to propose an Indigenist, Gaian pedagogy and asks what food studies might reveal ecopedagogically for approaches to teaching about Indigenous matters in the context of environmental education and its research. Drawing on empirical research about food and Indigenous-settler relations in Australia, and through analysis of data amassed from student assignments on food sources conducted over a six- year period, I find that there is resistance to taking an Indigenist approach to critical, place-based education (PBE) even as Indigenous scholarship argues for its urgent need. Even more muted is the recognition of Gaian understanding of the need to preserve the languages of “Scapes” to help with this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]