Creating an Holistic Emergency Alert Management Platform

ABSTRACT

Extreme natural events require effective emergency procedures to minimize adverse effects on a region’s population and economy. Such procedures typically involve the effort of several different teams of first responders (e.g., fire fighters, public administrations, police departments, utility companies), hence coordination is fundamental to the effectiveness of the response to the emergency that must be supported with adequate infrastructures. Nonetheless, first responders often rely on manual processes, in the life cycle of extreme events, which do not change consistently with the type of shock or affected population. The aim of this paper is to present a technology transfer process to improve both the emergency alert process and the knowledge of disaster-type safety procedures through the implementation of a proposed platform. We also highlight a pilot application on a post-disaster case study—the province of L’Aquila (Abruzzi) in Italy.     

The price-setting newsvendor: review and extensions

The newsvendor problem is a staple of operations management research, pedagogy and practice. From its humble roots as a single-period problem for a price-taking newspaper seller, this problem (and its solutions) has inspired generations of researchers and students while contributing to inventory management at countless firms. One major extension of the newsvendor problem was the extension of the decision variables to include price as well as quantity. This extension has been known for decades, but recently gained new life, as researchers have expended considerable energy in analysing and exploring this scenario. We trace major developments in the single-period, price- and quantity-setting newsvendor problem in the recent past and propose extensions of these developments. We also extend a relatively unexplored model describing a price-setting newsvendor faced with a fixed stock level to show that there is a unique optimising price and that, as in the price- and quantity-setting newsvendor problem, the optimal price depends heavily on the form of the demand uncertainty.     

Research on corrosion performance of 6061 aluminum alloy in salt spray environment

Salt spray corrosion test was carried out on 6061 aluminum alloy, and quasi-static tensile test at room temperature was carried out on the sample with universal testing machine. The effect of salt spray corrosion on the mechanical properties of 6061 aluminum alloy was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and electrochemistry. The corrosion rate of 6061 aluminum alloy was quantitatively characterized by different corrosion parameters. It was found that local corrosion of 6061 aluminum alloy occurred in salt spray environment, mainly pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion. With the increase of corrosion time, the polarization resistance of 6061 aluminum alloy decreases, and the corrosion rate significantly increases. The average corrosion rate and the maximum corrosion rate of 6061 aluminum alloy were characterized by corrosion weight loss and corrosion pit depth. And they can be transformed into each other. The mechanical properties of 6061 aluminum alloy were mainly affected by the depth of corrosion pit. With the increase of corrosion time, the tensile strength and fracture strain decreased, resulting in poor plasticity of the sample. At the same time, the change of elongation of 6061 aluminum alloy can be accurately predicted by the depth of corrosion pit.     

Modification of structure and conductivity of nanohorns by toluene addition in carbon arc

Abstract

In the present work, we compare the structure and transport properties of carbon nanohorns (CNHs) synthesized by arc evaporation of graphite alone and with the addition of some portion of toluene. The materials have been investigated using transmission electron microscopy, Raman and infrared spectroscopies, thermogravimetric and BET analyses. The addition of a small amount of toluene during the evaporation of graphitic rod increases the length of CNHs, affects their hierarchical arrangement in aggregates and results in surface functionalization. All these features significantly enhance the conductivity of CNHs obtained with toluene additive in comparison with the pristine CNHs.     

Bedeutung der Sand- und Kiesindustrie in Europa

Mineral resources are fundamental to human well being and the development of the European society. Of particular importance are the construction minerals, namely sand and gravel, which are the basis of infrastructure development. More than 3 billion tonnes of sand, gravel (and crushed stone) are produced annually to meet the demands of the European building industry. Mineral extraction in Europe has become more difficult over the years due to increasing concerns for the environment and the lack of appreciation of the importance of the extractive industries for economic development. The challenge for sustainability is to find a balance between securing minerals supply, protecting the environment and achieving social progress.     

Zu Fragen der Ausbildung und Weiterbildung im österreichischen Bergbau

Training and continuous education is today for the management of a mineral producing operation more important than ever before. The focus of education today in the field of mineral producing industry has not only to be dedicated versus the needs of the industry but also versus the importance of the ever increasing need of societal acceptance of industrial operations. Therefore it is expected that graduates from mining schools not only have a good knowledge of technical and economical subjects but also a good background for the realisation of environmental and safety targets for the people at work and in the neighbourhood of an operation. A strong request to the education and training at university level is therefore not only to deliver a broad knowledge but also the formation of a basis which allows to obtain authority for functions as “safety expert”, “Mine rescuer”, “waste disposal expert” and others. In the text the contents of the BSc study program “Natural resources” are reviewed and the training and education for a “Natural Resources Manager” together with the required continuous education is discussed.