This paper presents a case for adopting agent-based modeling (ABM) as a framework for representing the complex interactions that occur within the context of urban infrastructure management. A generic ABM is proposed with four key agents namely; assets, users, operators and politicians. For each agent a set of generic attributes, actions and behaviors are defined. A detailed behavioral model is adapted from the service quality domain to represent customer perceptions and actions related to infrastructure level of service. An illustrative example of 20 assets and 50 user agents is simulated to

It is feasible and safe to use unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as the data collection platform of the Internet of things (IoT). In order to save the energy loss of the platform and make the UAV perform the collection work effectively, it is necessary to optimize the deployment of UAV. The objective problem is to minimize the sum of the lost energy of UAV and the loss of data transmission of Internet of things devices. The key to solving the problem is to calculate the location of the docking points and the number of docking points when the UAV is working to collect data. This paper proposes a

Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering technique is among the most effective partitional clustering algorithms available in the literature. The Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP) is an important industrial logistics and managerial NP-hard problem. Cluster-First Route-Second Method (CFRS) is one of the efficient techniques used to solve CVRP. In CFRS technique, customers are first divided into clusters in the first phase, then each cluster is solved independently as a Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) in the second phase. This research is concerned with the clustering phase of CFRS, and TSP is

The return-risk trade-off of the 100 stocks contained in the Egyptian EGX100 index is examined. The Egyptian stock market has an average free float of only 45%. It is estimated that 50% of trading in the free float stocks is dominated by large investors, and local and international fund managers. The market suffers from low turnovers and more recently long periods of trade suspension after the political unrest of January 25th, 2011. The study finds that a serial correlated returns model is more suitable to estimate returns for low free float stocks in Egypt. However, it is unlikely that this

Background: Data have been accumulating in the past few years that identify vitiligo as a disorder with systemic implications. Results and methods: In this hospital-based, cross-sectional, case–control study, 50 patients with non-segmental vitiligo and 50 age- and sex-matched controls underwent analysis of serum lipid profile, oxidative stress biomarkers and carotid duplex. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly higher in patients than controls (p-value <.001, <.001, respectively); on the other hand, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was significantly lower in

Introduction: The hyper-catabolic state is a devastating pathophysiological response to severe injury, infection or burns. Nandrolone decanoate (ND) is a potent anabolic steroid have many clinical indications, but not investigated in burn injuries yet. Patients and methods: A prospective randomized control study included 40 burned patients who were treated in Burn unit from burn injuries ranged from 20 to 40%. Both groups are objectively assessed, clinically and laboratory during treatment period till full recovery from burns’ injury. Recall assessment of the drug safety after many years is