This paper presents an adaptive mobile agent system. The system consists of a core system and subcomponents like micro-kernel operating systems used in several operating systems. The core system offers only the minimal facilities and the latter is implemented as a collection of mobile agents which offer other various supplemental facilities. The system can dynamically evolve and extend its own ...

We consider the problem of dividing a geographic region into sub-regions so as to minimize the maximum workload of a collection of facilities over that region. We assume that the cost of servicing a demand point is a monomial function of the distance to its assigned facility and that demand points follow a continuous probability density. We show that, when our objective is to minimize the maxim...

BACKGROUND In response to the 2005 World Health Assembly, many low income countries developed different healthcare financing mechanisms with risk pooling stategy to ensure universal coverage of health services. Accordingly, service availability and readiness of the health system to bear the responsibility of providing service have critical importance. The objective of this study was to assess s...

Purpose Freight vehicle parking facilities at large urban freight traffic generators, such as urban retail malls, are often characterized by a high volume of vehicle arrivals and a poor parking supply infrastructure. Recurrent congestion of freight parking facilities generates environmental (e.g. pollution), economic (e.g. delays in deliveries) and social (e.g. traffic) negative externalities. ...

Three-dimensional models are in increasing demand for design, maintenance, operations and construction project management. Point-clouds are the main output of automatic data collection using laser-scanners and photogrammetric technologies. Pipe-works may comprise 50% of the value of important construction projects such as industrial and research facilities. We have developed a practical and cos...

AIM To evaluate a modified urine collection pad (UCP) method for its ability to reduce heavy mixed growth bacterial contamination of UCP samples in young children with suspected urinary tract infection (UTI). METHOD Febrile children under 2 years of age were randomised to two UCP METHODS: the same UCP kept in the nappy until urine was passed (single UCP group), or the UCP replaced with a fres...

BACKGROUND Investigating the current level and trends of access and identifying the underlying challenges to sanitation system development will be useful in determining directions developing countries are heading as they plan to promote sustainable development goals (post 2015 agenda). This research investigates the status and trends of access to improved sanitation coverage (ISC) in relation t...

The cities are facing illegal dumping of municipal solid waste (MSW) because the waste collection facilities do not cover the entire population. Furthermore, this sector is poorly developed in small towns or villages annexed to administrative territory units (ATU) of cities , MSW are disposed in open dumps polluting the local environment. This paper analyzes on the one hand the urban disparitie...

The success of a reverse supply chain heavily relies on the efficiency of the collection facilities and recovery facilities chosen while designing that reverse supply chain. In this chapter, we propose a neural network approach to evaluate the efficiency of a facility (collection or recovery) of interest, which is being considered for inclusion in a reverse supply chain, using the available lin...

OBJECTIVE To see if, in the diagnosis of infant infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Zambia, turnaround times could be reduced by using an automated notification system based on mobile phone texting. METHODS In Zambia's Southern province, dried samples of blood from infants are sent to regional laboratories to be tested for HIV with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Turnaround ...