bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-Resolution U-Net: Preserving Image Details for Cultivated Land Extraction
Authors: Xu Wenna , Deng Xinping , Guo Shanxin , Chen Jinsong , Sun Luyi , Zheng Xiaorou , Xiong Yingfei , Shen Yuan , Wang Xiaoqin
Published: July 2020

Accurate and efficient extraction of cultivated land data is of great significance for agricultural resource monitoring and national food security. Deep-learning-based classification of remote-sensing images overcomes the two difficulties of traditional learning methods (e.g., support vector machine (SVM), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), and random forest (RF)) when extracting the cultivated land: (1) the limited performance when extracting the same land-cover type with the high intra-class spectral variation, such as cultivated land with both vegetation and non-vegetation cover, and (2) the limited generalization ability for handling a large dataset to apply the model to different locations. However, the “pooling” process in most deep convolutional networks, which attempts to enlarge the sensing field of the kernel by involving the upscale process, leads to significant detail loss in the output, including the edges, gradients, and image texture details. To solve this problem, in this study we proposed a new end-to-end extraction algorithm, a high-resolution U-Net (HRU-Net), to preserve the image details by improving the skip connection structure and the loss function of the original U-Net. The proposed HRU-Net was tested in Xinjiang Province, China to extract the cultivated land from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images. The result showed that the HRU-Net achieved better performance (Acc: 92.81%; kappa: 0.81; F1-score: 0.90) than the U-Net++ (Acc: 91.74%; kappa: 0.79; F1-score: 0.89), the original U-Net (Acc: 89.83%; kappa: 0.74; F1-score: 0.86), and the Random Forest model (Acc: 76.13%; kappa: 0.48; F1-score: 0.69). The robustness of the proposed model for the intra-class spectral variation and the accuracy of the edge details were also compared, and this showed that the HRU-Net obtained more accurate edge details and had less influence from the intra-class spectral variation. The model proposed in this study can be further applied to other land cover types that have more spectral diversity and require more details of extraction.
New Method for Beat-to-Beat Fetal Heart Rate Measurement Using Doppler Ultrasound Signal
Authors: Kupka Tomasz , Matonia Adam , Jezewski Michal , Jezewski Janusz , Horoba Krzysztof , Wrobel Janusz , Czabanski Robert , Martinek Radek
Published: July 2020

The most commonly used method of fetal monitoring is based on heart activity analysis. Computer-aided fetal monitoring system enables extraction of clinically important information hidden for visual interpretation—the instantaneous fetal heart rate (FHR) variability. Today’s fetal monitors are based on monitoring of mechanical activity of the fetal heart by means of Doppler ultrasound technique. The FHR is determined using autocorrelation methods, and thus it has a form of evenly spaced—every 250 ms—instantaneous measurements, where some of which are incorrect or duplicate. The parameters describing a beat-to-beat FHR variability calculated from such a signal show significant errors. The aim of our research was to develop new analysis methods that will both improve an accuracy of the FHR determination and provide FHR representation as time series of events. The study was carried out on simultaneously recorded (during labor) Doppler ultrasound signal and the reference direct fetal electrocardiogram Two subranges of Doppler bandwidths were separated to describe heart wall movements and valve motions. After reduction of signal complexity by determining the Doppler ultrasound envelope, the signal was analyzed to determine the FHR. The autocorrelation method supported by a trapezoidal prediction function was used. In the final stage, two different methods were developed to provide signal representation as time series of events: the first using correction of duplicate measurements and the second based on segmentation of instantaneous periodicity measurements. Thus, it ensured the mean heart interval measurement error of only 1.35 ms. In a case of beat-to-beat variability assessment the errors ranged from −1.9% to −10.1%. Comparing the obtained values to other published results clearly confirms that the new methods provides a higher accuracy of an interval measurement and a better reliability of the FHR variability estimation.
A Decision Tree Approach to the Risk Evaluation of Urban Water Distribution Network Pipes
Authors: Yang Yanying , Hu Yu , Zheng Jianchun
Published: July 2020

To evaluate the risk of a pipe in the water supply network of Beijing, we used the accident records of the gridding urban management (GUM) system. In addition, road and building information derived from a three-dimensional (3D) electronic map was also employed. A machine learning algorithm, the decision tree, was employed to train and evaluate the dataset. The results show that the contributions of the surrounding buildings and roads are neglectable, except for super-high-rise buildings, which have limited contributions. This finding is consistent with the results of other studies. The decision tree identifies dominant features and isolates the risk contribution of such features. The output tree structure indicated that the time since the last accident is a dominant factor, to which super-high-rise buildings contribute slightly. A cut-off value of 0.019 was chosen to predict high-risk regions. Approximately 0.4% of the data were predicted to be high risk, and the corresponding gain in risk rate was approximately 19.2. This model may be used in cities where detailed profiles of water supply pipes and maintenance records are not available or are expensive to achieve.
Gender and Social Justice in Urban Agriculture: The Network of Agroecological and Peripheral Female Urban Farmers from São Paulo
Authors: Carvalho Laura Martins de , Bógus Cláudia Maria
Published: July 2020

This article analyses women’s participation in the ‘Network of Agroecological and Peripheral Female Urban Farmers’, an agroecological urban agriculture grassroots network in São Paulo, Brazil. The methodology used was participant observation. The following procedures were used to produce the data: participation in three workshops, direct observation, field notes, and an in-depth interview with two of the organizers and three participants. The results show that the Network engendered the formation of a popular feminist collective identity, as it fostered the awareness of oppressive social structures, such as gender inequality and violence against women, of which many participants were survivors. From a technical standpoint, the Network seeks to expand its scope of action, increase the number of participants, establish new partnerships and access multiple sources of funding to obtain greater autonomy from São Paulo City Council.
Evaluating Participation: Empirical Analysis of Recipient and Beneficiary Engagement with IFAD International Development Projects
Authors: Kim Seokwoo , Sohn Hyuk-Sang , Lee Jinyoung
Published: July 2020

Active participation of the recipient governments and the beneficiaries is an essential factor in carrying out international development projects. Despite ongoing theoretical discussion on the effects of participation by the recipient governments and the beneficiaries in international development projects, there has been relatively little empirical analysis of the effects of their participation in development projects. To fill this gap, this study examines the relationship between the participation of the recipient governments and beneficiaries, and projects outcomes conducted by IFAD by validating two hypotheses. First, the higher financial contribution rate of the recipient governments results in lower evaluation results of international development projects. Second, the higher financial contribution rate of the beneficiaries leads to higher evaluation results of international development projects. In order to verify these two hypotheses, this study analyzed 166 of the IFAD Project Completion Report Validations. We did ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses for the panel data made from them. As a result of the analyses, the inverse relationship between the participation of the recipient governments and the outcome of the assessment holds true. On the other hand, the higher involvement of the beneficiaries leads to better results in the assessment. The results reaffirm prior research that suggested that the involvement of the recipient governments has a negative impact on project performance and that the participation of the beneficiaries has a positive impact on the projects performance. This study adopted ”financial contributions” as the variable to analyze the participation of the recipient governments and the beneficiaries; since it utilized IFAD data, the research focuses on the agriculture sector in terms of international development cooperation. The applicability of these findings in other areas of international development cooperation therefore to be tested in future research.
COVID-19 Could Leverage a Sustainable Built Environment
Authors: Pinheiro Manuel Duarte , Luís Nuno Cardoso
Published: July 2020

The health system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has involved research into diagnoses and vaccines, but primarily it has required specific treatments, facilities and equipment, together with the control of individual behaviour and a period of collective confinement. The aim of this particular research, therefore, is to discover whether COVID-19 is capable of changing the built environment (BE) and leveraging specific solutions for sustainable buildings or urban areas. Some historical reviews of infectious pandemics have highlighted the development of new solutions in the BE as an additional contribution towards preventing the spread of infection. The BE has an important role to play in supporting public health measures and reducing the risk of infections. The review of potential COVID-19 measures shows the existence of well-referenced solutions, ranging from incremental alterations (organisation of spaces, erection of physical barriers) to structural alterations (windows, balconies) with different timeframes and scales (ranging from changes in building materials to the design of urban areas). A critical exploratory assessment makes it possible to identify measures that may help not only to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission (or even prevent it), but also to increase resilience, improve air quality and lower energy requirements or the use of materials, and thus potentially increase the sustainability of the BE. COVID-19 measures challenge us to rethink buildings and urban areas and potentially leverage sustainable BE solutions with win-win outcomes (minimalist design and other solutions). The specific composition of this set of measures must, however, be further researched.
Composition and Efficacy of a Natural Phytotherapeutic Blend against Nosemosis in Honey Bees
Authors: Cristina Romeo Teodor , Kovačević Zorana , Cincović Marko , Dumitrescu Eugenia , Muselin Florin , Imre Kalman , Militaru Dumitru , Mederle Narcisa , Radulov Isidora , Hădărugă Nicoleta , Puvača Nikola
Published: July 2020

Honey bees are essential to sustaining ecosystems, contributing to the stability of biodiversity through pollination. Today, it is known that the failure of pollination leads irremediably to the loss of plant cultures and, as a consequence, inducing food security issues. Bees can be affected by various factors, one of these being Nosema spp. which are protozoans specifically affecting adult honey bees and a threat to bee populations around the world. The composition of the phytotherapeutic product (Protofil®) for treating nosemosis was analyzed from a biochemical point of view. The most concentrated soluble parts in the phytotherapeutic association were the flavonoids, most frequently rutin, but quercetin was also detected. Additionally, the main volatile compounds identified were eucalyptol (1.8-cineol) and chavicol-methyl-ether. To evaluate the samples’ similarity–dissimilarity, the PCA multivariate statistical analysis, of the gas-chromatographic data (centered relative percentages of the volatile compounds), was applied. Statistical analysis revealed a significant similarity of Protofil® with the Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) samples and more limited with Thymus vulgaris (Thyme) and Ocimum basilicum (Basil), and, respectively, a meaningful dissimilarity with Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion). The results have shown a high and beneficial active compounds concentration in the analyzed herbs. High similarity with investigated product recommending the Protofil®, as the treatment compatible with producing organic honey.
Globalization, Country Risks, and Trade in Tourism Services: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhang Wenwen , Chiu Yi-Bin
Published: July 2020

This study applies the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to examine the impacts of globalization and country risks on China’s tourism service trade over the period 1984–2015. The results reveal that in the long run, globalization has a significant negative impact on tourism service exports and tourism service trade balances, while a significant positive impact on tourism service imports. In the short run, globalization has a significant negative impact on tourism service imports, while a significant positive impact on tourism service exports and trade balances. Country stability could roughly mitigate these negative and positive impacts of globalization on tourism service trade in both the short and long run. Moreover, the speed of adjustment from the short run to long run equilibrium path is relatively fast. These results are important for China’s policy makers when formulating a strategy for the development of tourism service trade.
Control of Metro Train-Induced Vibrations in a Laboratory Using Periodic Piles
Authors: Ma Meng , Jiang Bolong , Liu Weifeng , Liu Kuokuo
Published: July 2020

Laboratories with sensitive instruments need a low-vibration environment. It is a challenge to control the train-induced vibration impact on these instruments when a newly planned metro line is adjacent to a laboratory building. An alternative method of mitigating train-induced ground vibrations involves installing measures along the transmission path. Recent research has highlighted the potential of periodic pile barriers with specifically designed band gaps for controlling environmental vibrations. This study performed in-situ measurements of ambient vibrations inside and outside a laboratory containing various types of sensitive instruments and located adjacent to a newly designed metro line. The vibration transfer function of the laboratory was then obtained. To help design and optimize the band gaps of periodic piles, a novel band gap performance evaluation function was proposed. Finally, numerical analysis was conducted to validate the mitigation effect of the designed periodic piles. The results showed that the band gap performance evaluation function can be used to optimize the mitigation effect of periodic piles. The proposed periodic piles clearly attenuated vibrations between 52.4 and 74.3 Hz, especially those at 63 Hz. A comparison of general vibration criteria (VC) curves revealed that vibration attenuation of one level can be obtained by the designed periodic piles.
Sustainability in Higher Education: The Relationship between Work-Life Balance and XR E-Learning Facilities
Authors: Bucea-Manea-Țoniş Rocsana , Bucea-Manea-Țoniş Radu , Simion Violeta Elena , Ilic Dragan , Braicu Cezar , Manea Natalia
Published: July 2020

Nowadays, collaborative learning is proving to offer solutions to new inclusivity research challenges, and most importantly, can help ensure sustainable education. Collaborative learning can strengthen positive attitudes towards learning, improve performance in academic results, and enhance self-esteem, by promoting interaction and mutual support among young people. Extended reality (XR), associated with collaborative learning, offers a further advantage by facilitating deep comprehensive learning. An online survey was conducted to investigate respondents’ views on the impact and influence of virtual technologies on work, study, and social life. Respondents (n = 1032) were recruited from Serbia, Romania, and Hungary, from five public and private universities. The study reveals students’ perceptions of e-learning and XR immersion. The data were analyzed by using a combination of descriptive techniques from PSPP (GNU open source SPSS—Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Free Software Foundation, Boston, MA, USA), and by designing a regression model to evaluate the work-life balance. This regression model shows that the work-life balance is positively influenced by the inclusion of XR facilities in the e-learning process, along with an increased level of culture and living standard. The higher living standard of a student is associated with higher digital competence and more financial resources available to invest in technology.
A Review of the Measurement Method, Analysis and Implementation Policy of Carbon Dioxide Emission from Transportation
Authors: Yaacob Nur Fatma Fadilah , Mat Yazid Muhamad Razuhanafi , Abdul Maulud Khairul Nizam , Ahmad Basri Noor Ezlin
Published: July 2020

This paper presents a review of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from transportation in an attempt to establish a quick and suboptimal update of the methods used to calculate and analyze CO2 emissions from transportation. Transportation is the largest contributor to air pollution through the release of high amounts of CO2 gas into the atmosphere. The methods for calculating and analyzing the carbon footprint of transportation; which is of critical importance in the management of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming; are still being developed. However; there are some differences in the definitions and methods used to calculate the carbon footprint of transportation in previous studies. This review focuses on the similarities of the methods used to measure CO2 emissions as well as the analyses used to evaluate the emissions. This paper will also highlight the advantages and limitations of each research work. By doing this; the present study contributes to the selection of appropriate methods for calculating CO2 emissions from transportation and draws attention to environmental issues. It is hoped that the implementation of the most appropriate framework will help to reduce CO2 emissions from transportation
External Costs in Inland Waterway Transport: An Analysis of External Cost Categories and Calculation Methods
Authors: Hofbauer Florian , Putz Lisa-Maria
Published: July 2020

Sustainable transport, such as using inland waterway transport (IWT), represents a major pillar of the European Green Deal to reduce global warming. To evaluate the different inland transport modes (road, rail, IWT), it is crucial to know the external costs of these modes. The goal of this paper is a critical review of external cost categories (e.g., accidents, noise, emissions) and external cost calculation methods of IWT to provide ideas for future research. We identified 13 relevant papers in a literature review dealing with external costs of IWT. In a meta-analysis, the papers were assigned to the seven external cost categories: accident, noise, congestion, habitat damage, air pollution, climate change and well-to-tank emissions. The most investigated external cost categories are climate change, air pollution and accidents. Two studies were identified as the major external cost calculation methods for IWT in the abstract. Our paper shows that the data basis of IWT is significantly lower than for road/rail. The measurement of energy consumption and related emissions of IWT needs to be qualitatively and quantitatively improved and brought up to the level of road traffic, to ensure an accurate comparison with other modes of transport.
Exploring the Interoperability of Public Transport Systems for Sustainable Mobility in Developing Cities: Lessons from Johannesburg Metropolitan City, South Africa
Authors: Gumbo Trynos , Moyo Thembani
Published: July 2020

There have been growing concerns with regards to the state public transportation systems, particularly in the cities of developing countries. Chief among these concerns has been the lack of well-coordinated, efficient, and reliable transportation systems. The city of Johannesburg, just like any other fast-growing municipality in developing and emerging economies, has not been spared with regards to incessant public transport challenges. Consequently, there have been collective efforts from both public and private stakeholders to invest immensely in both innovative rail and road transport systems in the past decade. This article sought to achieve twin objectives. First, the work identified the state of connectivity between the rapid rail transportation and rapid bus transit systems based on Geoweb 2.0 data. Second, the work visualized the level of connectivity between these two modes to develop and formulate policy frameworks in integrating public transit systems in cities of the developing world, learning from the metropolitan city of Johannesburg. A mixed-method approach consisting of spatial and quantitative aspects was used to examine the state of connectedness and the promotion of access and mobility between the two modes. The local Moran’s I index was used to compute node clusters within the public transport system. Results from the analysis demonstrated that both high-clusters and low-clusters exist in the public transportation network, which have a high degree of centrality. It was revealed that commuters navigate from these nodes/stops with relative ease due to the short walking radius. However, the work revealed that most rail networks and bus routes, as well as the stations and bus stops, are not connected and are not significant in the local Moran’s I index, thus, making it difficult for commuters to conveniently move from the Gautrain to the Rea Vaya bus. There are, therefore, gaps with regards to the sharing of infrastructure between the two public transport modes and systems.
Effective Harmful Organism Management I: Fabrication of Facile and Robust Superhydrophobic Coating on Fabric
Authors: Choi Chang-Ho , Kwak Yeongwon , Kim Min Kyung , Kim Dong Gun
Published: July 2020

Advances in harmful organism management are highly demanding due to the toxicity of conventional coating approaches. Exploiting biomimetic superhydrophobicity could be a promising alternative on account of its cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness. Here, we introduce a facile method to fabricate a robust superhydrophobic coating on a fabric substrate. This is achieved by sequentially spraying TiO2-epoxy resin nanocomposite material and fluorocarbon-silane modified SiO2 nanoparticles (FC-silane SiO2 NPs). The superhydrophobicity is attributed to the nanoparticles constituting a micro/nano hierarchical structure and the fluorocarbon of the modified SiO2 NPs lowering the surface energy. The epoxy resin embedded in the coating layer plays an important role in improving the robustness. The robustness of the superhydrophobic surface is demonstrated by measuring the water slide angle of surfaces that are subject to salty water at 500 rpm stirring condition for up to 13 days. This study focuses on ensuring the superhydrophobicity and robustness of the coating surface, which is preliminary work for the practical management of macrofoulers. Based on this work, we will perform practical harmful organism management in seawater as a second research subject.
Neighbourhood Park Vitality Potential: From Jane Jacobs’s Theory to Evaluation Model
Authors: Banchiero Federica , Blečić Ivan , Saiu Valeria , Trunfio Giuseppe A.
Published: July 2020

We construct a method to evaluate the neighbourhood park vitality potential (NPV-potential), inspired by Jane Jacobs’s theory of urban and park vitality. The evaluation model produces an aggregate score of NPV-potential by combining information on the extrinsic factors of vitality, related to the park’s surrounding urban area, with evaluative judgements on the intrinsic factors, related to the park’s internal organisation and design. To showcase and submit the evaluation model to a preliminary test drive, we further present the results of an application on three parks in the city of Cagliari, Italy. The computed NPV-potential and the effective use of the three parks, obtained from direct observation, show a good degree of agreement. While far from a robust validation, which would require more extensive empirical studies with larger and more internally variable samples of parks, the reported agreement between the potential and the observed vitality on the ground is a preliminary indication of the possible usefulness of the proposed evaluation method for urban planning and design.
Decolonizing People, Place and Country: Nurturing Resilience across Time and Space
Authors: Howitt Richard
Published: July 2020

Indigenous peoples are easily classified as either dangerously vulnerable or inherently resilient to climate risks. There are elements of truth in both categorical statements. Yet neither is completely true. Indigenous vulnerability and resilience, and Indigenous groups’ adaptive responses to climate change, need to be understood in the messy contexts of lived experience, rather than either elegant social theories or didactic ideological politics. Climate change action and research needs to acknowledge and engage with the knowledges, ontologies and experiences of diverse Indigenous groups, along with the specific histories, geographies and impacts of colonization, and their consequences for both the colonized and colonizers. Climate change action and research needs to be integrated into wider de-colonial projects as the transformative impacts of anthropogenic climate change are inadequately addressed within both colonial and post-colonial frames. Negotiating respectful modes of belonging-together-in-Country to reshape people-to-people, people-to-environment and people-to-cosmos relationships in Indigenous domains is essential in responding to planetary scale changes in coupled human and natural systems. This paper outlines an approach that nurtures Indigenous self-determination and inter-generational healing to rethink the geopolitics of Indigenous resilience, vulnerability and adaptation in an era of climate change and the resurgence of Great Power geopolitics.
Family Relations and Socio-Ecological Resilience within Locally-Based Tourism: The Case of El Castillo (Nicaragua)
Authors: Díaz-Aguilar Antonio Luis , Escalera-Reyes Javier
Published: July 2020

Although family-run micro and small businesses largely form the crux of the locally based tourism sector, either as part of a community organization or as independent units of private enterprise, in El Castillo (Nicaragua) can be found an example of how, even in the absence of a community organization to provide a structural framework, the development of local tourism has sustained practically all businesses set up and run by households, organized largely through family relationships. This structure is pivotal in stoking resilience, not only with regard to private businesses, but also to the system of tourism (specific) and, by extension, to the whole of local society and the surrounding socio-ecosystem, or socio-ecological system (SES) (general). The case study presented here, developed on the basis of long-term ethnographic fieldwork, highlights the role of the family structure within Locally-Based Tourism (LBT) in general and also in specific cases, such as the one studied here, in which it takes on a particularly central role. The confirmation of the importance of families and family relationships as key elements in the robust development of tourism in El Castillo, and of the specific characteristics that its local society presents for this, must be taken into account in order to support Community-Based Tourism projects by institutions and organizations interested in promoting sustainable local development. Indeed, once further case studies are conducted, with a view to providing comparative evidence of these findings, it might even be proven advantageous to create a distinctive subcategory within LBT: Family-Based Tourism.
Sustainable Management Systems Standards (SMSS): Structures, Roles, and Practices in Corporate Sustainability
Authors: Silva Cláudia , Magano José , Moskalenko Anna , Nogueira Teresa , Dinis Maria Alzira Pimenta , Pedrosa e Sousa Hélder Fernando
Published: July 2020

Companies need to develop more sustainable management models to support a strategy focused on the environment and society, preventing the sole ambition to maximize economic profits. Several specific tools and frameworks have been developed for the implementation of sustainability management. However, the isolated adoption of new management practices could increase bureaucracy and constrain the development of an effective and systematic sustainability strategy. Based on the development of four case studies of relevant companies based in Portugal, this research presents a cyclical process with the structures, inputs and outputs, and roles in embodying sustainability in Integrated Management Systems (IMS). The originality of the work lies in the level of integration. Beyond identifying interconnection areas, it also specifies the Management Systems Standards (MSS) requirements in each area, assigning different roles in the integration process: drivers, efficient enablers, pathways, and evaluators. These four roles promote the claimed integration in a systematic cyclical process, plan–do–check–act (PDCA), to assist the consolidation of sustainability management. This research reinforces the added value of the IMS. It expands its scope, helping companies implement sustainability effectively and systematically, resulting in the presentation of Conceptual Sustainable Management Systems Standards (SMSS).
Development of a New System for Attaching the Wheels of the Front Axle in the Cross-Country Vehicle
Authors: Dižo Ján , Blatnický Miroslav , Sága Milan , Harušinec Jozef , Gerlici Juraj , Legutko Stanisław
Published: July 2020

In the introduction of this article the authors deal with a general overview in the area of suspending the wheels of the road vehicles. It is important for creating an original design and this is the core of the operation. The implementation of the design to a real vehicle created a space for modifying this design. The necessity of a modification shows important especially after the MKP analysis of the original design. Currently the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic grants the presented design solution the rights for protection as a utility model. For granting the protection it was not necessary to prove the safety parameters of the design. However, the possibilities of the real utilisation are fully dependent on the safety conditions. Therefore, the research process presented in this article is necessary for building a prototype of this system. As the area is relatively extensive, it was necessary to divide it into several parts. The design and its importance for the industry are presented in the first part. The second part deals with analytical calculations and numerical simulations of the quasi-static loading of the structure. Furthermore, the article considers the kinematic and dynamic area of the vehicle. The authors also deal with the sensitivity analysis of the change of the wheel camber. This simulation is realised by the programme Altair Motionview for the vertical motion of the front axle through the presented design.
Investigating Long-Range Dependence of Emerging Asian Stock Markets Using Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis
Authors: Aslam Faheem , Latif Saima , Ferreira Paulo
Published: July 2020

The use of multifractal approaches has been growing because of the capacity of these tools to analyze complex properties and possible nonlinear structures such as those in financial time series. This paper analyzes the presence of long-range dependence and multifractal parameters in the stock indices of nine MSCI emerging Asian economies. Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) is used, with prior application of the Seasonal and Trend Decomposition using the Loess (STL) method for more reliable results, as STL separates different components of the time series and removes seasonal oscillations. We find a varying degree of multifractality in all the markets considered, implying that they exhibit long-range correlations, which could be related to verification of the fractal market hypothesis. The evidence of multifractality reveals symmetry in the variation trends of the multifractal spectrum parameters of financial time series, which could be useful to develop portfolio management. Based on the degree of multifractality, the Chinese and South Korean markets exhibit the least long-range dependence, followed by Pakistan, Indonesia, and Thailand. On the contrary, the Indian and Malaysian stock markets are found to have the highest level of dependence. This evidence could be related to possible market inefficiencies, implying the possibility of institutional investors using active trading strategies in order to make their portfolios more profitable.
Research on a Sliding Detection Method for an Elevator Traction Wheel Based on Machine Vision
Authors: Chen Jiayan , Jing Limeng , Hong Tao , Liu Hui , Glowacz Adam
Published: July 2020

To solve the problem that the elevator traction wheel slippage is difficult to detect quantitatively, a slippage detection method is proposed based on machine vision. The slip between the traction wheel and the wire rope will occur during the round-trip operation of the elevator, the displacement distance between the traction wheel and the wire rope in the circumferential direction is obtained through the image signal processing algorithm and related data analysis. First, the ROI (region of interest) of the collected original image is selected to reduce redundant information. Then, a nonlinear geometric transformation is carried out to transform the image into the target image with an equal object distance. Finally, the centroid method is used to obtain the slippage between the traction wheel and the wire rope. The field test results show that the absolute error of the system developed in this paper is 0.74 mm and the relative error is 2%, the extending uncertainty of the slip detection results is (33.8 ± 0.69) mm, the confidence probability is p = 0.95, and the degree of freedom is v = 8, which can meet accuracy requirements of elevator maintenance.
Multi-Objective Production Programming to Systematic Sorting and Remanufacturing in Second-Hand Clothing Recycling Industry
Authors: Lin Chun-Wei Remen , Chen Min Tsung , Tseng Ming-Lang , Jantarakolica Tatre , Xu Helen
Published: July 2020

This study proposes a multi-objective production programming model which is established for systematic sorting and remanufacturing second-hand clothes and the objectives are twofold: (1) minimizing the remanufacturing cost to maintain the competitiveness of second-hand clothing industry and (2) maximizing the recycle rate to reduce the environmental impact from the disposed clothes. Previous studies are lacking to involve the features of second-hand clothing recycled from reuse to recycle in optimizing both the remanufacturing costs and recycle rate. The consequential final destination of consumers’ second-hand clothes is either resold, donated, or disposed of. This study applied sensitivity analysis by varying production cost and new material cost are conducted to evaluate the suitability of three different types of sorting methods for second-hand clothes before let them entering the remanufacturing processes on (1) categories the used clothes; (2) worn-out conditions (high, medium, low), and (3) clothes materials (cotton, linen, wool, silk, artificial fiber). The results show that the first sorting method by clothing categories outperforms the other two methods in maximizing the recycling rate. The second sorting method by worn-out condition generates a minimal remanufacturing cost. The recycling scenarios are simulated to verify the applicability of the proposed programming model with respect to the three sorting methods. The results show that Taiwan exhibited superior the recycle rates and Bangladesh had lower remanufacturing costs by adopting the sorting method by clothes materials.
Special Issue of Symmetry: “Integral Transformations, Operational Calculus and Their Applications”
Authors: Srivastava Hari Mohan
Published: July 2020

This Special Issue consists of a total of 14 accepted submissions (including several invited feature articles) to the Special Issue of the MDPI’s journal, Symmetry on the general subject-area of “Integral Transformations, Operational Calculus and Their Applications” from different parts of the world [...]
Comparison Methods for Solving Non-Linear Sturm–Liouville Eigenvalues Problems
Authors: Al-Khaled Kamel , Hazaimeh Ashwaq
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we present a comparative study between Sinc–Galerkin method and a modified version of the variational iteration method (VIM) to solve non-linear Sturm–Liouville eigenvalue problem. In the Sinc method, the problem under consideration was converted from a non-linear differential equation to a non-linear system of equations, that we were able to solve it via the use of some iterative techniques, like Newton’s method. The other method under consideration is the VIM, where the VIM has been modified through the use of the Laplace transform, and another effective modification has also been made to the VIM by replacing the non-linear term in the integral equation resulting from the use of the well-known VIM with the Adomian’s polynomials. In order to explain the advantages of each method over the other, several issues have been studied, including one that has an application in the field of spectral theory. The results in solutions to these problems, which were included in tables, showed that the improved VIM is better than the Sinc method, while the Sinc method addresses some advantages over the VIM when dealing with singular problems.
Computer-Aided Sketching: Incorporating the Locus to Improve the Three-Dimensional Geometric Design
Authors: Rojas-Sola José Ignacio , Hernández-Díaz David , Villar-Ribera Ricardo , Hernández-Abad Vicente , Hernández-Abad Francisco
Published: July 2020

This article presents evidence of the convenience of implementing the geometric places of the plane into commercial computer-aided design (CAD) software as auxiliary tools in the computer-aided sketching process. Additionally, the research considers the possibility of adding several intuitive spatial geometric places to improve the efficiency of the three-dimensional geometric design. For demonstrative purposes, four examples are presented. A two-dimensional figure positioned on the flat face of an object shows the significant improvement over tools currently available in commercial CAD software, both vector and parametric: it is more intuitive and does not require the designer to execute as many operations. Two more complex three-dimensional examples are presented to show how the use of spatial geometric places, implemented as CAD software functions, would be an effective and highly intuitive tool. Using these functions produces auxiliary curved surfaces with points whose notable features are a significant innovation. A final example provided solves a geometric place problem using own software designed for this purpose. The proposal to incorporate geometric places into CAD software would lead to a significant improvement in the field of computational geometry. Consequently, the incorporation of geometric places into CAD software could increase technical-design productivity by eliminating some intermediate operations, such as symmetry, among others, and improving the geometry training of less skilled users.
Theoretical Derivation and Optimization Verification of BER for Indoor SWIPT Environments
Authors: Chien Wei , Hsieh Tzong-Tyng , Chiu Chien-Ching , Cheng Yu-Ting , Lee Yang-Han , Chen Qiang
Published: July 2020

Symmetrical antenna array is useful for omni bearing beamforming adjustment with multiple receivers. Beam-forming techniques using evolution algorithms have been studied for multi-user resource allocation in simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) systems. In a high-capacity broadband communication system there are many users with wearable devices. A transmitter provides simultaneous wireless information and power to a particular receiver, and the other receivers harvest energy from the radio frequency while being idle. In addition, the ray bounce tracking method is used to estimate the multi-path channel, and the Fourier method is used to perform the time domain conversion. A simple method for reducing the frequency selective effort of the multiple channels using the feed line length instead of the digital phase shifts is proposed. The feed line length and excitation current of the transmitting antennas are adjusted to maximize the energy harvest efficiency under the bit error rate (BER) constraint. We use the time-domain multipath signal to calculate the BER, which includes the inter symbol interference for the wideband system. In addition, we use multi-objective function for optimization. To the best of our knowledge, resource allocation algorithms for this problem have not been reported in the literature. The optimal radiation patterns are synthesized by the asynchronous particle swarm optimization (APSO) and self-adaptive dynamic differential evolution (SADDE) algorithms. Both APSO and SADDE can form good patterns for the receiver for energy harvesting. However, APSO has a faster convergence speed than SADDE.
An Accelerated Symmetric Nonnegative Matrix Factorization Algorithm Using Extrapolation
Authors: Wang Peitao , He Zhaoshui , Lu Jun , Tan Beihai , Bai YuLei , Tan Ji , Liu Taiheng , Lin Zhijie
Published: July 2020

Symmetric nonnegative matrix factorization (SNMF) approximates a symmetric nonnegative matrix by the product of a nonnegative low-rank matrix and its transpose. SNMF has been successfully used in many real-world applications such as clustering. In this paper, we propose an accelerated variant of the multiplicative update (MU) algorithm of He et al. designed to solve the SNMF problem. The accelerated algorithm is derived by using the extrapolation scheme of Nesterov and a restart strategy. The extrapolation scheme plays a leading role in accelerating the MU algorithm of He et al. and the restart strategy ensures that the objective function of SNMF is monotonically decreasing. We apply the accelerated algorithm to clustering problems and symmetric nonnegative tensor factorization (SNTF). The experiment results on both synthetic and real-world data show that it is more than four times faster than the MU algorithm of He et al. and performs favorably compared to recent state-of-the-art algorithms.
A Fast Attribute Reduction Algorithm Based on a Positive Region Sort Ascending Decision Table
Authors: Yin Linzi , Jiang Zhaohui
Published: July 2020

Attribute reduction is one of the challenging problems in rough set theory. To accomplish an efficient reduction algorithm, this paper analyzes the shortcomings of the traditional methods based on attribute significance, and suggests a novel reduction way where the traditional attribute significance calculation is replaced by a special core attribute calculation. A decision table called the positive region sort ascending decision table (PR-SADT) is defined to optimize some key steps of the novel reduction method, including the special core attribute calculation, positive region calculation, etc. On this basis, a fast reduction algorithm is presented to obtain a complete positive region reduct. Experimental tests demonstrate that the novel reduction algorithm achieves obviously high computational efficiency.
Security and Privacy in IoT-Cloud-Based e-Health Systems—A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Butpheng Chanapha , Yeh Kuo-Hui , Xiong Hu
Published: July 2020

When the Internet and other interconnected networks are used in a health system, it is referred to as “e-Health.” In this paper, we examined research studies from 2017–2020 to explore the utilization of intelligent techniques in health and its evolution over time, particularly the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and cloud computing. E-Health is defined as “the ability to seek, find, understand and appraise health information derived from electronic sources and acquired knowledge to properly solve or treat health problems. As a repository for health information as well as e-Health analysis, the Internet has the potential to protect consumers from harm and empower them to participate fully in informed health-related decision-making. Most importantly, high levels of e-Health integration mitigate the risk of encountering unreliable information on the Internet. Various research perspectives related to security and privacy within IoT-cloud-based e-Health systems are examined, with an emphasis on the opportunities, benefits and challenges of the implementation such systems. The combination of IoT-based e-Health systems integrated with intelligent systems such as cloud computing that provide smart objectives and applications is a promising future trend.
Testing of a Virtualized Distributed Processing System for the Execution of Bio-Inspired Optimization Algorithms
Authors: Gélvez Nancy , Espitia Helbert , Bayona Jhon
Published: July 2020

Due to the stochastic characteristics of bio-inspired optimization algorithms, several executions are often required; then a suitable infrastructure must be available to run these algorithms. This paper reviews a virtualized distributed processing scheme to establish an adequate infrastructure for the execution of bio-inspired algorithms. In order to test the virtualized distributed system, the well known versions of genetic algorithms, differential evolution and particle swarm optimization, are used. The results show that the revised distributed virtualized schema allows speeding up the execution of the algorithms without altering their result in the objective function.
Unsupervised Hashing with Gradient Attention
Authors: Jiang Shaochen , Wang Liejun , Cheng Shuli , Du Anyu , Li Yongming
Published: July 2020

The existing learning-based unsupervised hashing method usually uses a pre-trained network to extract features, and then uses the extracted feature vectors to construct a similarity matrix which guides the generation of hash codes through gradient descent. Existing research shows that the algorithm based on gradient descent will cause the hash codes of the paired images to be updated toward each other’s position during the training process. For unsupervised training, this situation will cause large fluctuations in the hash code during training and limit the learning efficiency of the hash code. In this paper, we propose a method named Deep Unsupervised Hashing with Gradient Attention (UHGA) to solve this problem. UHGA mainly includes the following contents: (1) use pre-trained network models to extract image features; (2) calculate the cosine distance of the corresponding features of the pair of images, and construct a similarity matrix through the cosine distance to guide the generation of hash codes; (3) a gradient attention mechanism is added during the training of the hash code to pay attention to the gradient. Experiments on two existing public datasets show that our proposed method can obtain more discriminating hash codes.