bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Smart Helmet for Strategical BCI Applications
Authors: Ko Li-Wei , Chang Yang , Wu Pei-Lun , Tzou Heng-An , Chen Sheng-Fu , Tang Shih-Chien , Yeh Chia-Lung , Chen Yun-Ju
Published: April 2019

Conducting electrophysiological measurements from human brain function provides a medium for sending commands and messages to the external world, as known as a brain–computer interface (BCI). In this study, we proposed a smart helmet which integrated the novel hygroscopic sponge electrodes and a combat helmet for BCI applications; with the smart helmet, soldiers can carry out extra tasks according to their intentions, i.e., through BCI techniques. There are several existing BCI methods which are distinct from each other; however, mutual issues exist regarding comfort and user acceptability when utilizing such BCI techniques in practical applications; one of the main challenges is the trade-off between using wet and dry electroencephalographic (EEG) electrodes. Recently, several dry EEG electrodes without the necessity of conductive gel have been developed for EEG data collection. Although the gel was claimed to be unnecessary, high contact impedance and low signal-to-noise ratio of dry EEG electrodes have turned out to be the main limitations. In this study, a smart helmet with novel hygroscopic sponge electrodes is developed and investigated for long-term usage of EEG data collection. The existing electrodes and EEG equipment regarding BCI applications were adopted to examine the proposed electrode. In the impedance test of a variety of electrodes, the sponge electrode showed performance averaging 118 kΩ, which was comparable with the best one among existing dry electrodes, which averaged 123 kΩ. The signals acquired from the sponge electrodes and the classic wet electrodes were analyzed with correlation analysis to study the effectiveness. The results indicated that the signals were similar to each other with an average correlation of 90.03% and 82.56% in two-second and ten-second temporal resolutions, respectively, and 97.18% in frequency responses. Furthermore, by applying the proposed differentiable power algorithm to the system, the average accuracy of 21 subjects can reach 91.11% in the steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP)-based BCI application regarding a simulated military mission. To sum up, the smart helmet is capable of assisting the soldiers to execute instructions with SSVEP-based BCI when their hands are not available and is a reliable piece of equipment for strategical applications.
Concurrent Transmission Based on Distributed Scheduling for Underwater Acoustic Networks
Authors: Zhang Jun , Lai Hanhua , Xiong Yan
Published: April 2019

Handshaking is a common technique used to avoid collisions in terrestrial and underwater content-based networks. However, due to the long propagation delay of the underwater acoustic channel, the conventional handshaking mechanism, which only allows one successful handshake and one pair of nodes to communicate per transmission cycle, becomes less effective in underwater acoustic networks. This paper proposes a new distributed scheduling method for underwater acoustic networks that supports multiple handshakes and concurrent transmissions in one transmission cycle for one-hop clusters. A deterministic scheduling algorithm was developed to optimize the sending sequence and time of the source nodes jointly so that the total data transmission time is shortened while avoiding collisions among multiple concurrent transmissions. The deterministic scheduling algorithm can also reduce the scheduling overhead and enables the synchronization of the data concurrent transmissions in a distributed manner via the standard two-way handshaking. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms several conventional underwater medium access control protocols in normalized throughput, packet delivery rate, average end-to-end delay, and average energy consumption.
RGB-D-Based Pose Estimation of Workpieces with Semantic Segmentation and Point Cloud Registration
Authors: Xu Hui , Chen Guodong , Wang Zhenhua , Sun Lining , Su Fan
Published: April 2019

As an important part of a factory’s automated production line, industrial robots can perform a variety of tasks by integrating external sensors. Among these tasks, grasping scattered workpieces on the industrial assembly line has always been a prominent and difficult point in robot manipulation research. By using RGB-D (color and depth) information, we propose an efficient and practical solution that fuses the approaches of semantic segmentation and point cloud registration to perform object recognition and pose estimation. Different from objects in an indoor environment, the characteristics of the workpiece are relatively simple; thus, we create and label an RGB image dataset from a variety of industrial scenarios and train the modified FCN (Fully Convolutional Network) on a homemade dataset to infer the semantic segmentation results of the input images. Then, we determine the point cloud of the workpieces by incorporating the depth information to estimate the real-time pose of the workpieces. To evaluate the accuracy of the solution, we propose a novel pose error evaluation method based on the robot vision system. This method does not rely on expensive measuring equipment and can also obtain accurate evaluation results. In an industrial scenario, our solution has a rotation error less than two degrees and a translation error < 10 mm.
Thermal Wave Scattering by an Elliptic Subsurface Hole Buried in a Block, Based on the Non-Fourier Equation
Authors: Zhou Chuanping , Wang Ban
Published: April 2019

With the application to engineering practice, the study of the scattering of thermal waves using innovative and comprehensive methods is becoming increasingly important. The thermal wave scattering by an elliptic subsurface hole in a block with two boundaries is discussed based on the non-Fourier heat conduction equation, employing the complex function method and the conformal mapping method, and a general solution for the thermal wave scattering is given. The numerical results of temperature distributions around a subsurface hole are presented and the effects of geometrical and physical parameters on the temperature distributions were analyzed. The wave number, the shape and position of the hole, the scale of the block, and the frequency of the heat load were found to have great effects on distributions and variations of temperature. The findings of this study could be helpful in providing better understandings of infrared thermal wave imaging, the physical inverse problem, and the evaluation of internal holes in materials.
Quasi-Static Current Measurement with Field-Modulated Spin-Valve GMR Sensors
Authors: Jeng Jen-Tzong , Trinh Xuan-Thang , Hung Chih-Hsien , Lu Chih-Cheng
Published: April 2019

A non-contact current measurement device comprised of a GMR sensor and a ferrite ring core was investigated. The sensor chip employed a high-sensitivity spin-valve full-bridge GMR sensor of which the direct output has non-negligible hysteresis and a limited linear range. By applying an AC modulation current to modulate the output of the GMR sensor, the hysteresis was reduced, and the linear range was over ±0.5 A. The resolution for DC and quasi-static current measurement was 0.1 mA at a 10 Hz bandwidth. The output in proportion to the measured current was obtained either by demodulating the current-sensitive AC signal or by employing the filtered output of the intrinsically nonlinear spin-valve response. The proposed current sensing scheme is suitable for quasi-static current measurement from DC to over 100 Hz.
Validity of Wearable Sensors at the Shoulder Joint: Combining Wireless Electromyography Sensors and Inertial Measurement Units to Perform Physical Workplace Assessments
Authors: Poitras Isabelle , Bielmann Mathieu , Campeau-Lecours Alexandre , Mercier Catherine , Bouyer Laurent J. , Roy Jean-Sébastien
Published: April 2019

Background: Workplace adaptation is the preferred method of intervention to diminish risk factors associated with the development of work-related shoulder disorders. However, the majority of the workplace assessments performed are subjective (e.g., questionnaires). Quantitative assessments are required to support workplace adaptations. The aims of this study are to assess the concurrent validity of inertial measurement units (IMUs; MVN, Xsens) in comparison to a motion capture system (Vicon) during lifting tasks, and establish the discriminative validity of a wireless electromyography (EMG) system for the evaluation of muscle activity. Methods: Sixteen participants performed 12 simple tasks (shoulder flexion, abduction, scaption) and 16 complex lifting tasks (lifting crates of different weights at different heights). A Delsys Trigno EMG system was used to record anterior and middle deltoids’ EMG activity, while the Xsens and Vicon simultaneously recorded shoulder kinematics. Results: For IMUs, correlation coefficients were high (simple task: >0.968; complex task: >0.84) and RMSEs were low (simple task: <6.72°; complex task: <11.5°). For EMG, a significant effect of weight, height and a weight x height interaction (anterior: p < 0.001; middle: p < 0.03) were observed for RMS EMG activity. Conclusions: These results suggest that wireless EMG and IMUs are valid units that can be used to measure physical demand in workplace assessments.
Three-to-One Internal Resonance in MEMS Arch Resonators
Authors: Wang Ze , Ren Jianting
Published: April 2019

We present an investigation of the nonlinear dynamics of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) arch subjected to a combination of AC and DC loadings in the presence of three-to-one internal resonance. The axial force resulting from the residual stress or temperature variation is considered in the governing equation of motion. The method of multiple scales is used to solve the governing equation. A four first-order ordinary differential equation describing the modulation of the amplitudes and phase angles is obtained. The equilibrium solution and its stability of the modulation equations are determined. Moreover, we also obtain the reduced-order model (ROM) of the MEMS arch employing the Galerkin scheme. The dynamic response is presented in the form of time traces, Fourier spectrum, phase-plane portrait, and Poincare sections. The results show that when there is an internal resonance, the energy transfer occurs between the first and third modes. In addition, the response of the MEMS arch presents abundant dynamic behaviors, such as Hopf bifurcation and quasiperiodic motions.
An EKF-Based Fixed-Point Iterative Filter for Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Feng Xiaoliang , Feng Yuxin , Wen Chenglin
Published: April 2019

In this paper, a fixed-point iterative filter developed from the classical extended Kalman filter (EKF) was proposed for general nonlinear systems. As a nonlinear filter developed from EKF, the state estimate was obtained by applying the Kalman filter to the linearized system by discarding the higher-order Taylor series items of the original nonlinear system. In order to reduce the influence of the discarded higher-order Taylor series items and improve the filtering accuracy of the obtained state estimate of the steady-state EKF, a fixed-point function was solved though a nested iterative method, which resulted in a fixed-point iterative filter. The convergence of the fixed-point function is also discussed, which provided the existing conditions of the fixed-point iterative filter. Then, Steffensen’s iterative method is presented to accelerate the solution of the fixed-point function. The final simulation is provided to illustrate the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed nonlinear filtering method.
Improved Real-Time Facial Expression Recognition Based on a Novel Balanced and Symmetric Local Gradient Coding
Authors: Yang Jucheng , Wang Xiaojing , Han Shujie , Wang Jie , Park Dong Sun , Wang Yuan
Published: April 2019

In the field of Facial Expression Recognition (FER), traditional local texture coding methods have a low computational complexity, while providing a robust solution with respect to occlusion, illumination, and other factors. However, there is still need for improving the accuracy of these methods while maintaining their real-time nature and low computational complexity. In this paper, we propose a feature-based FER system with a novel local texture coding operator, named central symmetric local gradient coding (CS-LGC), to enhance the performance of real-time systems. It uses four different directional gradients on 5 × 5 grids, and the gradient is computed in the center-symmetric way. The averages of the gradients are used to reduce the sensitivity to noise. These characteristics lead to symmetric of features by the CS-LGC operator, thus providing a better generalization capability in comparison to existing local gradient coding (LGC) variants. The proposed system further transforms the extracted features into an eigen-space using a principal component analysis (PCA) for better representation and less computation; it estimates the intended classes by training an extreme learning machine. The recognition rate for the JAFFE database is 95.24%, whereas that for the CK+ database is 98.33%. The results show that the system has advantages over the existing local texture coding methods.
A 3D Coverage Algorithm Based on Complex Surfaces for UAVs in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks
Authors: Ru Jingyu , Jia Zixi , Yang Yufang , Yu Xiaosheng , Wu Chengdong , Xu Ming
Published: April 2019

Following the development of wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSN), the coverage of the sensors in the network constitutes one of the key technologies that have a significant influence on the monitoring ability, quality of service, and network lifetime. The application environment of WMSN is always a complex surface, such as a hilly surface, that would likely cause monitoring shadowing problems. In this study, a new coverage-enhancing algorithm is presented to achieve an optimal coverage ratio of WMSN based on three-dimensional (3D) complex surfaces. By aiming at the complex surface, the use of a 3D sensing model, including a sensor monitoring model and a surface map calculation algorithm, is proposed to calculate the WMSN coverage information in an accurate manner. The coverage base map allowed the efficient estimation of the degree of monitoring occlusion efficiently and improved the system’s accuracy. To meet the requests of complex 3D surface monitoring tasks for multiple sensors, we propose a modified cuckoo search algorithm that considers the features of the WMSN coverage problem and combines the survival of the fittest, dynamic discovery probability, and the self-adaptation strategy of rotation. The evaluation outcomes demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can describe the 3D covering field but also improve both the coverage quality and efficiency of the WMSN on a complex surface.
Improved Sensitivity of α-Fe2O3 Nanoparticle-Decorated ZnO Nanowire Gas Sensor for CO
Authors: Lee Jeongseok , Lee Se-Hyeong , Bak So-Young , Kim Yoojong , Woo Kyoungwan , Lee Sanghyun , Lim Yooseong , Yi Moonsuk
Published: April 2019

A strategy for improving the sensitivity of a sensor for detecting CO and NH3 gases is presented herein. The gas sensor was fabricated from ZnO metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures grown via a vapor–liquid–solid process and decorated with α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles via a sol–gel process. The response was enhanced by the formation of an α-Fe2O3/ZnO n–n heterojunction and the growth of thinner wires. ZnO nanowires were grown on indium–tin–oxide glass electrodes using Sn as a catalyst for growth instead of Au. The structure and elemental composition were investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The gas sensing results indicate that the response value to 100 ppm CO was 18.8 at the optimum operating temperature of 300 °C.
Software and Hardware Requirements and Trade-Offs in Operating Systems for Wearables: A Tool to Improve Devices’ Performance
Authors: J. P. Amorim Vicente , C. Silva Mateus , A. R. Oliveira Ricardo
Published: April 2019

Wearable device requirements currently vary from soft to hard real-time constraints. Frequently, hardware improvements are a way to speed-up the global performance of a solution. However, changing some parts or the whole hardware may increase device complexity, raising the costs and leading to development delays of products or research prototypes. This paper focuses on software improvements, presenting a tool designed to create different versions of operating systems (OSs) fitting the specifications of wearable devices projects. Authors have developed a software tool allowing the end-user to craft a new OS in just a few steps. In order to validate the generated OS, an original wearable prototype for mining environments is outlined. Resulting data presented here allows for measuring the actual impact an OS has in different variables of a solution. Finally, the analysis also allows for evaluating the performance impact associated with each hardware part. Results suggest the viability of using the proposed solution when searching for performance improvements on wearables.
Comparative Study of Relative-Pose Estimations from a Monocular Image Sequence in Computer Vision and Photogrammetry
Authors: Tumurbaatar Tserennadmid , Kim Taejung
Published: April 2019

Techniques for measuring the position and orientation of an object from corresponding images are based on the principles of epipolar geometry in the computer vision and photogrammetric fields. Contributing to their importance, many different approaches have been developed in computer vision, increasing the automation of the pure photogrammetric processes. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the main differences between photogrammetric and computer vision approaches for the pose estimation of an object from image sequences, and how these have to be considered in the choice of processing technique when using a single camera. The use of a single camera in consumer electronics has enormously increased, even though most 3D user interfaces require additional devices to sense 3D motion for their input. In this regard, using a monocular camera to determine 3D motion is unique. However, we argue that relative pose estimations from monocular image sequences have not been studied thoroughly by comparing both photogrammetry and computer vision methods. To estimate motion parameters characterized by 3D rotation and 3D translations, estimation methods developed in the computer vision and photogrammetric fields are implemented. This paper describes a mathematical motion model for the proposed approaches, by differentiating their geometric properties and estimations of the motion parameters. A precision analysis is conducted to investigate the main characteristics of the methods in both fields. The results of the comparison indicate the differences between the estimations in both fields, in terms of accuracy and the test dataset. We show that homography-based approaches are more accurate than essential-matrix or relative orientation–based approaches under noisy conditions.
InAs/InAsSb Strain-Balanced Superlattices for Longwave Infrared Detectors
Authors: Manyk Tetiana , Michalczewski Krystian , Murawski Krzysztof , Martyniuk Piotr , Rutkowski Jaroslaw
Published: April 2019

The InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattices (T2SLs) grown on a GaSb buffer layer and GaAs substrates were theoretically investigated. Due to the stability at high operating temperatures, T2SLs could be used for detectors operating in the longwave infrared (LWIR) range for different sensors to include, e.g., CH4 and C2H6 detection, which is very relevant for health condition monitoring. The theoretical calculations were carried out by the 8 × 8 k·p method. The estimated electrons and heavy holes probability distribution in a InAs/InAsSb superlattice (SL) shows that the wave function overlap increases while the thickness of the SL period decreases. The change in the effective masses for electrons and holes versus the SL period thickness for the kz-direction of the Brillouin zone is shown. The structures with a period lower than 15 nm are more optimal for the construction of LWIR detectors based on InAs/InAsSb SLs. The experimental results of InAs/InAsSb T2SLs energy bandgap were found to be comparable with the theoretical one. The proper fitting of theoretically calculated and experimentally measured spectral response characteristics in terms of a strain-balanced and unbalanced structures is shown.
Simple and Effective Secure Group Communications in Dynamic Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: AlMajed Hisham N. , AlMogren Ahmad S.
Published: April 2019

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a growing area of research in terms of applications, life enhancement and security. Research interests vary from enhancing network performance and decreasing overhead computation to solving security flaws. Secure Group Communication (SGC) is gaining traction in the world of network security. Proposed solutions in this area focus on generating, sharing and distributing a group key among all group members in a timely manner to secure their communication and reduce the computation overhead. This method of security is called SGC-Shared Key. In this paper, we introduce a simple and effective way to secure the network through Hashed IDs (SGC-HIDs). In our proposed method, we distribute a shared key among the group of nodes in the network. Each node would have the ability to compute the group key each time it needs to. We provide a security analysis for our method as well as a performance evaluation. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, we present for the first time a definition of joining or leaving attack. Furthermore, we describe several types of such an attack as well as the potential security impacts that occur when a network is being attacked.
Data-Driven Interaction Review of an Ed-Tech Application
Authors: Baldominos Alejandro , Quintana David
Published: April 2019

Smile and Learn is an Ed-Tech company that runs a smart library with more that 100 applications, games and interactive stories, aimed at children aged two to 10 and their families. The platform gathers thousands of data points from the interaction with the system to subsequently offer reports and recommendations. Given the complexity of navigating all the content, the library implements a recommender system. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate two aspects of such system focused on children: the influence of the order of recommendations on user exploratory behavior, and the impact of the choice of the recommendation algorithm on engagement. The assessment, based on data collected between 15 October 2018 and 1 December 2018, required the analysis of the number of clicks performed on the recommendations depending on their ordering, and an A/B/C testing where two standard recommendation algorithms were compared with a random recommendation that served as baseline. The results suggest a direct connection between the order of the recommendation and the interest raised, and the superiority of recommendations based on popularity against other alternatives.
An Experiment-Based Methodology for Evaluating the Impacts of Full Bandwidth Load on the Hybrid Energy Storage System for Electrified Vehicles
Authors: Shahverdi Masood , Mazzola Michael , Doude Matthew , Grice Quintin , Gafford Jim , Sockeel Nicolas
Published: April 2019

In Electrified Vehicles, the cost, efficiency, and durability of electrified vehicles are dependent on the energy storage system (ESS) components, configuration and its performance. This paper, pursuing a minimal size tactic, describes a methodology for quantitatively and qualitatively investigating the impacts of a full bandwidth load on the ESS in the HEV. However, the methodology can be extended to other electrified vehicles. The full bandwidth load, up to the operating frequency of the electric motor drive (20 kHz), is empirically measured which includes a frequency range beyond the usually covered frequency range by published standard drive cycles (up to 0.5 Hz). The higher frequency band is shown to be more efficiently covered by a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) which in this paper is defined as combination of a high energy density battery, an Ultra-Capacitor (UC), an electrolytic capacitor, and a film capacitor. In this paper, the harmonic and dc currents and voltages are measured through two precision methods and then the results are used to discuss about overall HEV efficiency and durability. More importantly, the impact of the addition of high-band energy storage devices in reduction of power loss during transient events is disclosed through precision measurement based methodology.
The Crystal Structure of N-(1-Arylethyl)-4-methyl- 2,2-dioxo-1H-2λ6,1-benzothiazine-3-carboxamides as the Factor Determining Biological Activity Thereof
Authors: Ukrainets Igor V. , Hamza Ganna M. , Burian Anna A. , Voloshchuk Natali I. , Malchenko Oxana V. , Shishkina Svitlana V. , Danylova Irina A. , Sim Galina
Published: April 2019

In order to detect new structural and biological patterns in a series of hetaryl-3-carboxylic acid derivatives, the optically pure (S)- and (R)-enantiomers of N-(1-arylethyl)-4-methyl- 2,2-dioxo-1H-2λ6,1-benzothiazine-3-carboxamides, their true racemates, and mechanical racemic mixtures have been synthesized in independent ways. The particular features of the 1Н- and 13С-NMR spectra of all synthesized substances, liquid chromato-mass spectrometric behavior thereof under electrospray ionization conditions, and also the results of polarimetric and X-ray diffraction studies have been discussed. Pharmacological screening on a model of carrageenan inflammation has found a clear relationship between the spatial structure of the studied objects and biological activity thereof. Enantiomers with chiral centers having (S)-configuration showed weak inhibition of pain and inflammatory reactions, while their mirror (R)-isomers exhibited very powerful analgesic and antiphlogistic properties under the same conditions, with the level of specific activity exceeding that of Lornoxicam and Diclofenac. Taking obtained data into account, a noticeable decrease in the activity of mechanical racemic mixtures, consisting of one-half of the “wrong” (S)-enantiomers, is quite natural. The true racemate of N-(1-phenylethyl)-amide proved itself in a similar way, while 4-methoxy-substituted analog thereof stood out against this background with unexpectedly high analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. A comparative analysis of X-ray diffraction data has found that crystalline and molecular structure of racemic N-[1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-4-methyl-2,2-dioxo-1H-2λ6,1-benzothiazine-3-carboxamide is completely different from that of the original enantiomers and, moreover, very unusual for racemates. Obviously, it is the factor determining the unique character of the biological effects of the said substance.
Bangladeshi Migrants of Italy and Their Precarity
Authors: Roy Nilanjana , Verdun Amy
Published: April 2019

Over the past years much attention has been placed on the ordeal of migrants as they leave their home countries and seek refuge or better lives in others. Given the sudden surge of Bangladeshi migration to Italy in recent years, this article focuses on Bangladeshi migrants in Italy and examines the precarity that they face or have faced. Our analysis is based on observations gleaned from the existing literature and our own field study of 18 Bangladeshi migrants in two adjacent regions in Italy. We look at the precarity faced by Bangladeshi migrants (1) pre-migration in Bangladesh, (2) during migration from Bangladesh as they passed through different countries, and (3) in their current host country, Italy. Precarity can have different but often overlapping meanings, for example, “labor precarity”, “life precarity”, and “place/legal precarity”, among others. We have used these different lenses of precarity to examine the experience of Bangladeshi migrants of Italy. The existing literature on Bangladeshi migrants does not use a precarity lens explicitly, nor does it consider the experience of the migrants in all three of the above stages of their migration together. We conclude that generally these Bangladeshi migrants face precarity in its various forms, in all stages of their journey, and in many spheres of life in their current host country. Recognizing the precarious nature of the existence of many of the Bangladeshi migrants is very important in any discussion of migrant issues that their host country, Italy, is facing.
“Why Would You Want a Baby When You Could Have a Dog?” Voluntarily Childless Women’s “Peternal” Feelings, Longing and Ambivalence
Authors: Peterson Helen , Engwall Kristina
Published: April 2019

This article explores voluntarily childless women’s experiences and understandings of human-animal interactions and their attitudes towards companion animals. It draws on interviews with 15 Swedish women who expressed a lack of “maternal” feelings and therefore had remained voluntarily childless, or childfree (used here as two interchangeable concepts). Instead, the women described how they perceived the attachment bonds to companion animals that they had developed as similar to, or even superior to, the attachments bonds between parents and their children. The article thus introduces the expressions “peternal”, and “peternal feelings”, to denote these women’s attachment bonds to companion animals (primarily cats and dogs). The results, however, also illustrate that few of the women actually took on the role as “pet parent”. Although they longed to develop attachment bonds with companion animals, they were conflicted and experienced ambivalence, leading to decisions to develop avoidance strategies, resembling those involved in the childfree decision. Hence, many of them described themselves as both childfree and “petfree”.
Community Protections in American Indian and Alaska Native Participatory Research—A Scoping Review
Authors: Beans Julie A. , Saunkeah Bobby , Woodbury R. Brian , Ketchum Terry S. , Spicer Paul G. , Hiratsuka Vanessa Y.
Published: April 2019

Experiences with unethical research practices have caused some American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) individuals, organizations, and tribes to mistrust health research. To build trust and repair relationships, current research with AIAN peoples often involves participatory research (PR) approaches. This article assesses community-level protections described in the scientific literature on PR involving AIAN communities. A scoping review search in PubMed and PsychInfo for articles published between January 2000 and June 2017 yielded an AIAN PR article dataset. Of 178 articles, a subset of 23 articles that described aspects of community protections were analyzed for descriptions of community-level protection practices. We identified the presence or absence of a description of four community protection measures in each article: a tribal research department, the development of community-level mechanisms for research regulation if not present, community collaboration throughout the research process, and project employment of a community member. The development of community-level mechanisms for research regulation was described in 39% of the articles. Ninety-one percent of these articles described community collaboration during the research process. Seventeen percent included descriptions of all four community-level protection measures. The extent and consistency to which community-level protections are described is variable; the current literature lacks reporting on community-level protection practices specific to tribal communities.
Plant Organic Matter Really Matters: Pedological Effects of Kūpaoa (Dubautia menziesii) Shrubs in a Volcanic Alpine Area, Maui, Hawai’i
Authors: Pérez Francisco L.
Published: April 2019

This study examines litter accumulation and associated soil fertility islands under kūpaoa (Dubautia menziesii) shrubs, common at high elevations in Haleakalā National Park (Maui, Hawai’i). The main purposes were to: (i) Analyze chemical and physical properties of kūpaoa leaf-litter, (ii) determine soil changes caused by organic-matter accumulation under plants, and (iii) compare these with the known pedological effects of silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense) rosettes in the same area. Surface soil samples were gathered below shrubs, and compared with paired adjacent, bare sandy soils; two soil profiles were also contrasted. Litter patches under kūpaoa covered 0.57–3.61 m2 area and were 22–73 mm thick. A cohesive, 5–30-mm-thick soil crust with moderate aggregate stability developed underneath litter horizons; grain aggregation was presumably related to high organic-matter accumulation. Shear strength and compressibility measurements showed crusts opposed significantly greater resistance to physical removal and erosion than adjacent bare soils. As compared to contiguous bare ground areas, soils below shrubs had higher organic matter percentages, darker colors, faster infiltration rates, and greater water-retention capacity. Chemical soil properties were greatly altered by organic matter: Cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+), N, P, and cation-exchange capacity, were higher below plants. Further processes affecting soils under kūpaoa included microclimatic amelioration, and additional water input by fog-drip beneath its dense canopy. Substrate modifications were more pronounced below D. menziesii than A. sandwicense. Organic matter and available nutrient contents were higher under shrubs, where soils also showed greater infiltration and water-retention capacity. These trends resulted from contrasting litter properties between plant species, as kūpaoa leaves have higher nutrient content than silversword foliage. Different litter dynamics and reproduction strategies may also explain contrasting soil properties between the monocarpic rosettes and polycarpic kūpaoa. By inducing substantial substrate changes, Dubautia shrubs alter—or even create—different microhabitats and exert critical control on alpine soil development at Haleakalā.
‘Perhaps a Bit Different to What We Did Twenty Years Ago’: Senior Teachers’ Perceptions of Outdoor Adventure within Primary Education in England
Authors: Webber Chris , Hardwell Ashley
Published: April 2019

Outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA) are now a compulsory component of the primary education curriculum in England, with senior leadership teams exerting significant influence on its delivery in schools. This study considers senior teachers’ perceptions and value of the OAA strand of the Physical Education (PE) National Curriculum (NC) in primary education. Six senior teachers from across a large northern city took part in semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using an interpretivist paradigm incorporating a multistage thematic coding process. Findings centred on the lack of guidance given by the NC within OAA and ensuing issues for experienced and less confident teachers of the subject. Different interpretations of OAA were prevalent from traditional skills-based activities to personal and social development through basic activities delivered outside the classroom. Finally, all senior staff highly regarded OAA and offered a strong rationale for its inclusion within curriculum time. The full potential of OAA as a cross-curricular approach to learning in primary education is not being realised and can be partially mitigated by more purposeful integration within teacher education programmes.
A Bayesian Approach to Predict the Number of Goals in Hockey
Authors: Sadeghkhani Abdolnasser , Ahmed Seyed
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we use a Bayesian methodology to analyze the outcome of a hockey game using different sources of information, such as points in previous games, home advantage, and specialists’ opinions. Two different models to predict the number of goals are considered, taking into account that it is the nature of hockey that goals are infrequent and rarely exceed six per team per game. A Bayesian predictive density to predict the number of the goals using each model will be used and the possible winner of the game will be predicted. The corresponding prediction error for each model will be addressed.
Dispatching High-Speed Rail Trains via Utilizing the Reverse Direction Track: Adaptive Rescheduling Strategies and Application
Authors: Peng Sairong , Yang Xin , Wang Hongwei , Dong Hairong , Ning Bin , Tang Haichuan , Ying Zhipeng , Tang Ruijun
Published: April 2019

This paper studies the train rescheduling problem on high-speed railway corridor in the situation where contingencies occur and lead to sudden deceleration of some trains. First, we develop an adaptive rescheduling strategy (AR-S) which allows normal trains to use reverse direction track to overtake front decelerating trains based on delay comparison under different path choices. Second, the traditional rescheduling strategy (TR-S) which does not allow any trains to switch tracks is mentioned as a sharp contrast to AR-S. Furthermore, a performance evaluation criterion is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the train rescheduling approaches. Finally, numerical experiments carried out on Beijing-Tianjin intercity high-speed railway show that AR-S can reduce the total delay of trains up to 24% in comparison with TR-S.
The Universal Precautionary Principle: New Pillars and Pathways for Environmental, Sociocultural, and Economic Resilience
Authors: Akins Ashli , Lyver Phil O’B. , Alrøe Hugo F. , Moller Henrik
Published: April 2019

Global environmental degradation is linked to a worldwide erosion of ethnic identity and cultural diversity, as well as market disruption. Cultures rely heavily on the local environment around them, and local communities play a key role in conserving natural resources. People’s identity, connection with land, and the adaptation of Indigenous and local knowledge are prerequisites for resilience. Though the Environmental Precautionary Principle (EPP) aims to tackle environmental degradation by privileging the environment in the face of uncertainty, it is not sufficient on its own; it does not take into account the intimate connection between nature and local culture, nor does it prioritize community or cultural wellbeing. We suggest expanding this concept into a multi-faceted Universal Precautionary Principle (UPP), which recognizes people’s connection to the land, and elevates community, cultural, and economic wellbeing as equally important values alongside environmental concerns. Here, we coin the Universal Precautionary Principle, outline its four core pillars—systems, governance, diversity, and resilience—and introduce its three subsets: Environmental Precautionary Principle, Sociocultural Precautionary Principle, and Economic Precautionary Principle. We discuss potential outcomes of its application, and offer operational guidelines to implement the Universal Precautionary Principle in practice, before concluding that it is a crucial tool to build environmental, sociocultural, and economic resilience. In essence, reciprocity is the keystone for continuance—if the environment is healthy, people are more likely to be healthy. Equally, if people are healthy, the environment is more likely to be healthy; for both people and the environment to be healthy, their culture and economy must be healthy.
The Effects of Business Strategy and Inventory on the Relationship between Sales Manipulation and Future Profitability
Authors: Yi Hwa Deuk , Park Sambock , Kim Jonghyun
Published: April 2019

Many researchers have found that real activities manipulation undermines future profitability, because it deviates from normal operating activities. We are interested in sales manipulation, which is one type of real activities manipulation relating to corporate sustainability. First, we empirically examine whether the effects of sales manipulation on future profitability differ according to the strategies of a firm. Next, we divide sales manipulation as a type of real activities manipulation and optimal sales manipulation and then examine how the two types of sales manipulation affect future profitability. Finally, we examine how the effects of optimal sales manipulation on future profitability differ according to the firm’s strategies. The empirical findings show that the association between sales manipulation and future profitability is more negative (−) for a product differentiation strategy than for a cost leadership strategy. Further, the sales manipulation performed by firms with a high proportion of the starting inventory and a decrease in the inventory during the current year has a positive (+) impact on future profitability. Our results contribute to the literature on business strategy by presenting evidence that core management activities are related to future financial performance, according to the business strategy. In addition, our research shows that sales manipulation can turn into an optimal operating activity, depending on the firm’s situation.
Characteristics and Retrofit Constraints of Grayfield in Korean Cities
Authors: Seo Jun-Won , Lee Joo-Lim
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics and the retrofit constraints of grayfield in Korea and to suggest ways to revitalize them. To do this, we firstly classify grayfields according to the variables of development level and site location through factor and cluster analysis. Secondly, we found that strong improvement and land use change are the factors to vitalize grayfields through an independent t-test. Thirdly, we analyze the factors that affect the revitalized project in order to derive the retrofit constraints. As a result of the analysis, we suggest that the government take steps to lift regulations to encourage complex development, provide administrative and fiscal support for demolition costs, and deal with ownership-related issues. The government also needs to monitor the private sector’s stable operation and request private sector’s support for the local community and a public transport-oriented development method for the revitalization of the site as well as carbon reduction.
Assessment of Debris-Flow Erosion and Deposit Areas by Morphometric Analysis and a GIS-Based Simplified Procedure: A Case Study of Paupisi in the Southern Apennines
Authors: Grelle Gerardo , Rossi Antonietta , Revellino Paola , Guerriero Luigi , Guadagno Francesco Maria , Sappa Giuseppe
Published: April 2019

This paper proposes a simplified GIS-based procedure which aims to preliminary assess areas exposed to debris flows by evaluating erosion and deposition area into channels and along alluvial fans. The methodology is based on the definition of several morphometric parameters on Digital Elevation Models (DEMs); it is independent from landslide volume and its rheological characteristics. By solving a set of parametric equations and excluding, from time to time, the unlikely areas by means of an analysis process that uses on/off-raster masks, potential erosion and deposition areas can be identified. The procedure was applied at six intra-mountain basins upstream of the village of Paupisi, Southern Italy, which was involved in multiple debris flow events in October 2015. The model estimated that a range between 15–21% of the selected basin drainage channels may be identified as erosion areas. Moreover, comparison of the recent debris flow paths with model outputs shows a good performance of the procedure, which was able to predict about 46% of the total actual propagation and invasion areas and about 62% of the distribution deposit areas. The methodology can be considered a useful screening for the identification of debris flow-susceptible channels, suitable for use in preliminary hazard evaluations.
Public Private Partnerships, a Value for Money Solution for Clean Coal District Heating Operations
Authors: Wang Nannan , Chen Xiaoyan , Wu Guobin
Published: April 2019

Although district heating is an energy-effective solution for cold countries, the coal-fired district heating sector is still facing significant challenges as regards sustainable development, during its operational stage. In order to achieve better operational performance, public private partnerships (PPP) have been introduced in relation to managing clean coal district heating, as a value for money (VfM) solution. To date, however, studies of the application of clean coal in district heating operations are rare and the lack of an evaluation framework hinders the effectiveness test on this sustainable solution. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of PPP as a VfM solution to the operation of clean coal district heating, by developing an assessment framework on the basis of three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social and environmental, and discussing the proposal, by means of a case study. The assessment results show that the PPP operation offers good VfM performance but with room for improvement, including more user engagement. This research contributes to the literature on clean coal district heating and PPP by providing a comprehensive assessment framework for evaluating VfM performance of the concept. The application of the framework can help the authorities with a robust PPP assessment and thus, improve the sustainable performance of the clean coal heating operation.
Application of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model and GM (1,1) Theory for Evaluating Efficiency of FDI on Economic Growth: A Case Study in Developing Countries
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Le Anh Phuong
Published: April 2019

Foreign direct investment (FDI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending are one of the major factors in improving sustainable economic development of a country. Therefore, this study focuses on the multi criteria application of FDI and sustainability factors (CSR spending) in various developing countries to explore its impact and decision making for sustainable economic growth. The study uses a case study methodology whereby FDI, exchange rate, and CSR expenditure data from 20 countries were used to assess the efficiency in sustainable economic growth. Data were collected from the World Bank for 20 Asian and African developing countries during 2012–2017 and analyzed using GM (1,1), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), Malmquist productivity index (MPI)-data envelopment analysis (DEA), and the slacks-based measure of efficiency (SBM) model. Correlation analysis is used to find the relationship for FDI, CSR, exchange rate, gross domestic product (GDP), and GDP per capita (GDPPC). The results of the Malmquist productivity index and the frontier effect clearly highlight that a few countries have witnessed a great improvement in terms of productivity and technological progression. Therefore, the decision makers must adopt the model of those countries with respect to sustainable development of the nation. This study helps developing nations as well as researchers to benchmark efficient countries and follow their strategies to develop a new one for utilizing FDI and CSR spending in sustainable economic development. The study also helps policy makers in multi criterion application of FDI and CSR for decision making in economic development.