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Effective access control techniques are in demand, as electronically assisted healthcare services require the patient’s sensitive health records. In emergency situations, where the patient’s well-being is jeopardized, different healthcare actors associated with emergency cases should be granted permission to access Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of patients. The research objective of our study is to develop machine learning techniques based on patients’ time sequential health metrics and integrate them with an Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) mechanism. We propose an ABAC mechanism that can yield access to sensitive EHRs systems by applying prognostic context handlers where contextual information, is used to identify emergency conditions and permit access to medical records. Specifically, we use patients’ recent health history to predict the health metrics for the next two hours by leveraging Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) Neural Networks (NNs). These predicted health metrics values are evaluated by our personalized fuzzy context handlers, to predict the criticality of patients’ status. The developed access control method provides secure access for emergency clinicians to sensitive information and simultaneously safeguards the patient’s well-being. Integrating this predictive mechanism with personalized context handlers proved to be a robust tool to enhance the performance of the access control mechanism to modern EHRs System.

ABSTRACTA novel design for a high temperature SOFC, based on lamellar electrode-electrolyte segments obtained by solidification of an oxidic eutectic melt on an electrolyte substrate is presented. Such “composite” electrodes contain NiO or MnO - 8Y-ZrO2 lamellae, which after reduction / oxidation yield electrode-electrolyte lamellae with 1–2 μm width and a vertical dimension of> 100 μm, depending upon the amount of eutectic melt solidified on a polycrystalline substrate. The nucleation of the eutectic on a polycrystalline substrate followed by a semi-directional crystallization of the two phases yields a gradient of 3-phase boundaries over the height of such an electrode, with the number of 3-phase boundaries increasing towards the substrate.

Abstract Since the adoption of the Kyoto protocol in 1997 and its entry into force in 2005, as well its aftermath such as the Doha amendment and Paris agreement, national policies have become more conscious of the usage of clean energy, mostly the different forms of renewable energy and nuclear energy. Ratifying countries and signatories had committed themselves to binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse emissions by 8% with respect to 1990 levels until 2012, also based on the particular contribution to global emissions from each country. This paper examines the integrational properties of clean energy consumption from eight emerging economies which are also high greenhouse gas emitters. The empirical results show that the clean energy consumption is stationarity for Brazil and Philippines by using a quantile unit root test without smooth breaks (Koenker and Xiao, 2004). However, after capturing the smooth breaks (Bahmani-Oskooee et al., 2018), we find the clean energy consumption of China, Pakistan and Thailand are stationary. The time-varying deterministic trend with smooth breaks is more fitted to the path of clean energy consumption in comparison to the deterministic trend without smooth breaks. The paper suggests economic insights useful for policy making.

Abstract Recently, the oxygen potential dependence of the signal of a potentiometric CO 2 sensor, based on a cation conductor with carbonate as gas sensitive layer, has been interpreted as caused by electronic transference through the electrolyte. Though this interpretation is quite correct, the relationships on the basis of which the effect of electronic conductivity has been discussed are wrong and so are the conclusions on the electronic conduction parameter of the electrolyte material under consideration, i.e. of the lithium ion conductor Li 3 PO 4 + SiO 2 (5 mol%). In what follows, the questionable points will be corrected and the role of the electronic conductivity for the understanding of the behaviour of a CO 2 sensor will be re-examined.

Abstract An increasing number of studies show that efficiency improvements alone will not be sufficient to attain the substantial emission reductions needed to mitigate global warming to a target of 2 °C. Consumption side changes are likely to be needed to achieve sufficient emission reductions. The United Nations emphasize the importance of developed countries taking the lead in lowering emissions to achieve the sustainable development goals. This paper assess to what extent Norwegian households can lower their carbon footprint consistent with territorial emission reductions towards the 2 °C target of global warming through implementing a set of behavioral actions. We evaluate the efficacy of the set of actions both initially and after considering rebound effects. A multiregional environmentally extended input-output database is linked with the Norwegian consumer expenditure survey to analyze both average and marginal expenditure per unit of increased income. Further, linear programming is applied to examine the changes needed by households to reach different emission reduction targets. We find that households implementing the full set of actions without re-spending can obtain a 58% decrease in their carbon footprint. When accounting for the effect of re-spending, this reduction drops to 24–35%, which is not within the requirements of the 2 °C target. The optimization analysis suggests households can achieve reductions up to 45% by restricting re-spending to specific goods and services. This indicates that curbing the rebound effect is key to achieving real reductions in household carbon footprints. We show that changing consumption patterns can significantly contribute to lowering anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions without compromising the level of economic activity.

Diesel engine exhausts from a common rail 3.0 L F1C diesel engine were analyzed at two different load conditions of the WLTC testing cycle downstream of both the diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reactor (SCR) to verify their effect on the characteristics of carbon particulate matter. An array of chemical, physical and spectroscopic techniques (gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), mobility analyzer, UV-Visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy) was applied for characterizing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), heavy aromatic compounds and soot, constituting the particulate matter (PM) sampled from the exhaust. The engine was operated in half load (HL) (188 Nm, representing the more common condition for engine in urban traffic) and full load (FL) (452 Nm, representing the best performance of the engine operation) conditions, at the same engine speed (2000 rpm). Soot formation was enhanced in HL condition, with respect to FL, but, just because of the much lower soot amount, the after-treatment systems in this last condition resulted to be less efficient in the soot abatement. Indeed, the abatement through DPF was about 40% lower in the FL condition with respect to HL condition, and any significant further concentration decrease was found after SCR, in both conditions. By contrast, PAH concentration after DPF abatement was found to be higher in the HL with respect to FL condition. A further PAH concentration decrease of about 30% was found after the SCR in the HL condition whereas in FL the reduction was only about 5-6%. Also the heavy aromatic compounds having molecular weight above the GC-MS detection limit (300 u), were mitigated by SCR. Therefore, SCR did not cause a further soot reduction, whereas it was effective in largely reducing PAH and heavy aromatics emissions, especially in the lower temperature condition featuring the half-load condition, when combustion efficiency is worse. Moreover, SCR system reduced the emission of small particles probably due to an enhanced agglomeration of particles, with beneficial effect on the harmfulness to human health.

A medida que las ciudades de África Oriental sigan creciendo, también lo hará la demanda de carbón vegetal, el combustible urbano preferido de la región, lo que ejercerá una presión cada vez mayor sobre los paisajes rurales donde se produce. ¿Cómo se puede hacer sostenible la producción y el suministro de carbón vegetal? ¿Cuáles son las implicaciones de las políticas y prácticas sostenibles de carbón vegetal para lograr una vía baja en carbono y proteger el medio ambiente? Este documento presenta una investigación de estudio de caso centrada en el condado de Kitui, una de las principales zonas de producción de carbón vegetal en Kenia. El riesgo y la incertidumbre de las políticas sostenibles de carbón vegetal en Kitui se evaluaron utilizando métodos complementarios de talleres con las partes interesadas, entrevistas con informantes y modelos basados en agentes. Este enfoque interdisciplinario combinó la investigación de políticas y el modelado de simulación, donde las perspectivas y los datos locales se incluyeron directamente en el modelado. Estos métodos facilitaron la crítica del comportamiento relacionado con la agencia y la corrupción. Las partes interesadas valoraron la capacidad de acceder a información detallada sobre microinteracciones y considerar el desempeño de las políticas con respecto tanto a los flujos financieros como a la extracción de biomasa. Alors que les villes d'Afrique de l'Est continuent de croître, la demande de charbon de bois – le carburant urbain préféré de la région – exercera une pression croissante sur les paysages ruraux où il est produit. Comment rendre la production et l'approvisionnement en charbon durables ? Quelles sont les implications des politiques et des pratiques de charbon de bois durable pour parvenir à une voie à faible émission de carbone et protéger l'environnement ? Cet article présente des études de cas axées sur le comté de Kitui, l'une des principales zones de production de charbon de bois au Kenya. Les risques et l'incertitude des politiques de charbon de bois durable à Kitui ont été évalués à l'aide de méthodes complémentaires d'ateliers avec les parties prenantes, d'entretiens avec les informateurs et de modélisation basée sur les agents. Cette approche interdisciplinaire combinait la recherche sur les politiques et la modélisation par simulation, où les perspectives et les données locales étaient directement incluses dans la modélisation. Ces méthodes ont facilité la critique des comportements concernant l'agence et la corruption. Les parties prenantes ont apprécié la possibilité d'accéder à des informations détaillées sur les micro-interactions et d'examiner les performances des politiques en matière de flux financiers et d'extraction de la biomasse. As cities in East Africa keep growing, so too will demand for charcoal – the region's preferred urban fuel – placing increasing pressure on rural landscapes where it is produced. How can charcoal production and supply be made sustainable? What are the implications of sustainable charcoal policies and practices for achieving a low-carbon pathway and protecting the environment? This paper presents case study research focusing on Kitui County, one of the main charcoal production areas in Kenya. Risk and uncertainty of sustainable charcoal policies in Kitui were assessed using complementary methods of stakeholder workshops, informant interviews and agent-based modelling. This interdisciplinary approach combined policy research and simulation modelling, where local perspectives and data were included directly in the modelling. These methods facilitated critique of behaviour concerning agency and corruption. Stakeholders valued the ability to access detailed information on micro-interactions and consider policy performance regarding both financial flows and biomass extraction. ومع استمرار نمو المدن في شرق أفريقيا، فإن الطلب على الفحم – الوقود الحضري المفضل في المنطقة – سيزيد من الضغط على المناظر الطبيعية الريفية حيث يتم إنتاجه. كيف يمكن جعل إنتاج الفحم وتوريده مستدامين ؟ ما هي الآثار المترتبة على سياسات وممارسات الفحم المستدامة لتحقيق مسار منخفض الكربون وحماية البيئة ؟ تقدم هذه الورقة بحث دراسة حالة يركز على مقاطعة كيتوي، واحدة من مناطق إنتاج الفحم الرئيسية في كينيا. تم تقييم المخاطر وعدم اليقين في سياسات الفحم المستدامة في كيتوي باستخدام طرق تكميلية لورش عمل أصحاب المصلحة ومقابلات المخبرين والنمذجة القائمة على الوكيل. جمع هذا النهج متعدد التخصصات بين أبحاث السياسات ونمذجة المحاكاة، حيث تم تضمين وجهات النظر والبيانات المحلية مباشرة في النمذجة. سهلت هذه الأساليب نقد السلوك المتعلق بالوكالة والفساد. وقدر أصحاب المصلحة القدرة على الوصول إلى معلومات مفصلة عن التفاعلات الصغيرة والنظر في أداء السياسات فيما يتعلق بكل من التدفقات المالية واستخراج الكتلة الحيوية.

This study evaluates and compares the trends in CO2 emissions for the manufacturing industries of three countries: two developed countries (Germany and Sweden) that have applied several measures to promote a shift towards a low-carbon economy and one developing country (Colombia) that has shown substantial improvements in the reduction of CO2 emissions. This analysis is conducted using panel data cointegration techniques to infer causality between CO2 emissions, production factors and energy sources. The results indicate a trend of producing more output with less pollution. The trends for these countries’ CO2 emissions depend on investment levels, energy sources and economic factors. Furthermore, the trends in CO2 emissions indicate that there are emission level differences between the two developed countries and the developing country. Moreover, the study confirms that it is possible to achieve economic growth and sustainable development while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as Germany and Sweden demonstrate. In the case of Colombia, it is important to encourage a reduction in CO2 emissions through policies that combine technical and economic instruments and incentivise the application of new technologies that promote clean and environmentally friendly processes.