Hybrid-Vehfog: A Robust Approach for Reliable Dissemination of Critical Messages in Connected Vehicles

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANET) enable efficient communication between vehicles with the aim of improving road safety. However, the growing number of vehicles in dense regions and obstacle shadowing regions like Manhattan and other downtown areas leads to frequent disconnection problems resulting in disrupted radio wave propagation between vehicles. To address this issue and to transmit critical messages between vehicles and drones deployed from service vehicles to overcome road incidents and obstacles, we proposed a hybrid technique based on fog computing called Hybrid-Vehfog to disseminate messages in obstacle shadowing regions, and multi-hop technique to disseminate messages in non-obstacle shadowing regions. Our proposed algorithm dynamically adapts to changes in an environment and benefits in efficiency with robust drone deployment capability as needed. Performance of Hybrid-Vehfog is carried out in Network Simulator (NS-2) and Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) simulators. The results showed that Hybrid-Vehfog outperformed Cloud-assisted Message Downlink Dissemination Scheme (CMDS), Cross-Layer Broadcast Protocol (CLBP), PEer-to-Peer protocol for Allocated REsource (PrEPARE), Fog-Named Data Networking (NDN) with mobility, and flooding schemes at all vehicle densities and simulation times

Seismic Displacement Demand of a Mid-Rise RC Building Considering Soil Structure Interaction

This study aims to evaluate the effect of soil structure interaction and the differences in linear and nonlinear modelling of the structure on seismic response. For this purpose, SSI and fixed base models of 7-story building were used. Both linear and nonlinear behavior of the building are taken into account for comparison. The findings obviously indicate large variation in displacement demands depending on ground motion record, soil type, consideration of soil structure interaction and linear and nonlinear structure modelling. The displacement demands tend to increase for softer soils except few cases, especially for fixed base models. Significant differences are obvious for linear and nonlinear building models of fixed base case. The evaluation of obtained results and observations in the current study clearly indicate that the effects of SSI approach depend on dynamic characteristics of soil and structure. While soil deformations influence the seismic demands of structure in positive way for linear models, these effects are more complex for nonlinear models. It is difficult to mention about certain trend for nonlinear models. It should be also kept in mind that linear fixed base models are inappropriate for dynamic analysis due to high sensitivity of dynamic amplification and the use of fixed base linear models may cause inaccurate seismic demand estimates. The outcomes and observations emphasize that the demand estimates are independent from the fixed base or SSI approaches and linear or nonlinear models for stiffer soils. All combinations provide reasonable demand estimates. However, the modelling approach becomes extremely important for softer soils. The best approach seems to be SSI with nonlinear modelling. The fixed base with nonlinear modelling also provides acceptable estimates

Primary Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Lung with Cerebellar Metastasis Showing Full Response to Cisplatin and Docetaxel Therapy

Introduction. Primary signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) of the lung is a very rare disease. We describe a new case of primary SRCC of the lung with cerebellar metastasis, which responded well to the therapeutic approach with cisplatin and docetaxel. Case Report. A 41-year-old female patient (nonsmoker) was consulted to our oncology outpatient clinic after cerebellar metastasectomy. The histopathological diagnosis was SRCC metastasis. The primary tumor was unknown. The PET-CT imaging showed a hypermetabolic mass in the right middle lobe of the lung and hypermetabolic mediastinal lymph node stations. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy showed no evidence of gastrointestinal system tumor. The clinical diagnosis of primary SRCC of the lung was made and the administration of six rounds of cisplatin and docetaxel treatment was planned. After the chemotherapy the PET-CT scan to evaluate the therapy response showed full metabolic regression of the primary tumor and the mediastinal lymph nodes. There was no evidence of new metastasis. Conclusion. Primary SRCC of the lung is a very rare disease with poor prognosis. There are not many cases in literature and no standardized chemotherapy protocols. Cisplatin and docetaxel may be a good treatment option

Transdisciplinary Engineering Design Education Ontology for a Generic Product Design Process

Today’s highly integrated product development practices emphasize the need to transform the engineering education from disciplinary to transdisciplinary. This paper is based on the results of an empirical study designed to introduce a common transdisciplinary design process in engineering education. It aims to validate the hypothesis that engineering disciplines in education share a common engineering design process. It describes the methodology for the development of a Transdisciplinary Engineering Design Education Ontology (TEDEO) for eight major engineering disciplines. It proposes a high-level transdisciplinary engineering design process that consolidates a diverse array of engineering terms and concepts into a generalized model.</p

Palynomorphs of brackish and marine species in cores from the freshwater Lake Sapanca, NW Turkey

Lake Sapanca, which is located on the Sakarya–Sapanca–İzmit corridor in NW Turkey, is a freshwater lake with numerous fish farms in its catchment. Palynological analyses including non-pollen palynomorphs of a short (38.5 cm) and a longer sediment core (586 cm), taken in the centre of the lake and dated in previous investigations, revealed the presence of brackish and marine palynomorphs. The longer sediment sequence shows the occurrence of Brigantedinium sp., Impagidinium caspienense and Spiniferites cruciformis from the base of the core at c. AD 580 years up to 300 cm depth at shortly after c. AD 910. A similar assemblage, but this time with the additional presence of dinoflagellate thecae and the acritarch, Radiosperma corbiferum, was found in the recent core, especially from AD 1986 until the present. Past connections between the Gulf of İzmit and the Black Sea, via the River Sakarya and Lake Sapanca, could be the origin of these two microfossil assemblages. Accidental re-introduction via fish translocation since the Roman times may have been a additional mechanism. The consequences of the survival of brackish and marine forms in a freshwater lake are discussed in terms of wider euryhalinity than has been suggested for those still poorly known organisms

Global Environmental Website Disclosure of Large Production Companies and their CDP Scores

This work contributes to the exposure of the current state of environmental disclosure through an empirical transnational study of 344 websites of large production companies from China, Europe, Japan, and the USA. The focus of the investigation is on four formative indices based on variables covering observation of disclosure extent of environmental management and environmental compliance management. All countries show low levels of disclosure. However, some variation on the extent of disclosure was found. The lowest level of disclosure was found for the Chinese websites. Higher - though not remarkable higher - levels of disclosure extents were observed for the companies from Europe, Japan, and the USA. Also, the correlation between disclosure scores based on these observational data and the CDP carbon disclosure scores of the year 2020 did only reveal insignificant correlations. However, websites having webpages containing a higher number of terms of the corporate environmental management terminology also achieve higher CDP scores.</p

Global Environmental Website Disclosure of Large Production Companies and their CDP Scores

This work contributes to the exposure of the current state of environmental disclosure through an empirical transnational study of 344 websites of large production companies from China, Europe, Japan, and the USA. The focus of the investigation is on four formative indices based on variables covering observation of disclosure extent of environmental management and environmental compliance management. All countries show low levels of disclosure. However, some variation on the extent of disclosure was found. The lowest level of disclosure was found for the Chinese websites. Higher - though not remarkable higher - levels of disclosure extents were observed for the companies from Europe, Japan, and the USA. Also, the correlation between disclosure scores based on these observational data and the CDP carbon disclosure scores of the year 2020 did only reveal insignificant correlations. However, websites having webpages containing a higher number of terms of the corporate environmental management terminology also achieve higher CDP scores.</p

Global Environmental Website Disclosure of Large Production Companies and their CDP Scores

This work contributes to the exposure of the current state of environmental disclosure through an empirical transnational study of 344 websites of large production companies from China, Europe, Japan, and the USA. The focus of the investigation is on four formative indices based on variables covering observation of disclosure extent of environmental management and environmental compliance management. All countries show low levels of disclosure. However, some variation on the extent of disclosure was found. The lowest level of disclosure was found for the Chinese websites. Higher - though not remarkable higher - levels of disclosure extents were observed for the companies from Europe, Japan, and the USA. Also, the correlation between disclosure scores based on these observational data and the CDP carbon disclosure scores of the year 2020 did only reveal insignificant correlations. However, websites having webpages containing a higher number of terms of the corporate environmental management terminology also achieve higher CDP scores.</p