bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sprouts of the Body, Sprouts of the Field: Identification of the Goddess with Poxes in South India
Authors: Srinivasan Perundevi
Published: February 2019

In south India, when a person is afflicted with poxes of any variety, it is believed that the goddess Mariyamman has “arrived” in the person. The Tamil term “ammai” means pustules or “pearls” of poxes as well as mother/goddess. Indigenous discourses, gleaned from resources, such as songs and narratives, facilitate our interrogation of the Hindu “religious experience” that underscores the immanent and eminent manifestations of the deity and the dimension of benevolence associated with pox-affliction. Asking what might be the triggering conditions for identifying the pox-afflicted body as the goddess, I problematize the prevalent scholarly characterization of such affliction in terms of “possession” of a body, taken as a “mute facticity,” by an external agent, namely, the goddess. Drawing from ethnographic sources and classical Tamil texts, I argue that the immanent identification of the body as the goddess and conceptualization of her sovereign authority over the body during affliction are facilitated by an imagistic relationship of the afflicted body with an agricultural field, which is conventionally regarded as feminine in the Tamil context.
Drought Evaluation with CMORPH Satellite Precipitation Data in the Yellow River Basin by Using Gridded Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index
Authors: Wang Fei , Yang Haibo , Wang Zongmin , Zhang Zezhong , Li Zhenhong
Published: February 2019

The traditional station-based drought index is vulnerable because of the inadequate spatial distribution of the station, and also, it does not fully reflect large-scale, dynamic drought information. Thus, large-scale drought monitoring has been widely implemented by using remote sensing precipitation products. Compared with station data, remote sensing precipitation products have the advantages of wide coverage and dynamic, continuous data, which can effectively compensate for the deficiency in the spatial distribution of the ground stations and provide a new data source for the calculation of a drought index. In this study, the Gridded Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (GSPEI) was proposed based on a remote sensing dataset produced by the Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH), in order to evaluate the gridded drought characteristics in the Yellow River basin (YRB) from 1998 to 2016. The optimal Ordinary Kriging interpolation method was selected to interpolate meteorological station data to the same spatial resolution as CMORPH data (8 km), in order to compare the ground-based meteorological parameters to remote sensing-based data. Additionally, the gridded drought trends were identified based on the Modified Mann–Kendall (MMK) trend test method. The results indicated that: (1) the GSPEI was suitable for drought evaluation in the YRB using CMORPH precipitation data, which were consistent with ground-based meteorological data; (2) the positive correlation between GSPEI and SPEI was high, and all the correlation coefficients (CCs) passed the significance test of α = 0.05, which indicated that the GSPEI could better reflect the gridded drought characteristics of the YRB; (3) the drought severity in each season of the YRB was highest in summer, followed by spring, autumn, and winter, with an average GSPEI of −1.51, −0.09, 0.30, and 1.33, respectively; and (4) the drought showed an increasing trend on the monthly scale in March, May, August, and October, and a decreasing trend on the seasonal and annual scale.
A Comprehensive Survey of Vision-Based Human Action Recognition Methods
Authors: Zhang Hong-Bo , Zhang Yi-Xiang , Zhong Bineng , Lei Qing , Yang Lijie , Du Ji-Xiang , Chen Duan-Sheng
Published: February 2019

Although widely used in many applications, accurate and efficient human action recognition remains a challenging area of research in the field of computer vision. Most recent surveys have focused on narrow problems such as human action recognition methods using depth data, 3D-skeleton data, still image data, spatiotemporal interest point-based methods, and human walking motion recognition. However, there has been no systematic survey of human action recognition. To this end, we present a thorough review of human action recognition methods and provide a comprehensive overview of recent approaches in human action recognition research, including progress in hand-designed action features in RGB and depth data, current deep learning-based action feature representation methods, advances in human–object interaction recognition methods, and the current prominent research topic of action detection methods. Finally, we present several analysis recommendations for researchers. This survey paper provides an essential reference for those interested in further research on human action recognition.
An Algorithmic Approach for Detecting Bolides with the Geostationary Lightning Mapper
Authors: Rumpf Clemens M. , Longenbaugh Randolph S. , Henze Christopher E. , Chavez Joseph C. , Mathias Donovan L.
Published: February 2019

The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument onboard the GOES 16 and 17 satellites can be used to detect bolides in the atmosphere. This capacity is unique because GLM provides semi-global, continuous coverage and releases its measurements publicly. Here, six filters are developed that are aggregated into an automatic algorithm to extract bolide signatures from the GLM level 2 data product. The filters exploit unique bolide characteristics to distinguish bolide signatures from lightning and other noise. Typical lightning and bolide signatures are introduced and the filter functions are presented. The filter performance is assessed on 144845 GLM L2 files (equivalent to 34 days-worth of data) and the algorithm selected 2252 filtered files (corresponding to a pass rate of 1.44%) with bolide-similar signatures. The challenge of identifying frequent but small, decimeter-sized bolide signatures is discussed as GLM reaches its resolution limit for these meteors. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated by its ability to extract confirmed and new bolide discoveries. We provide discovery numbers for November 2018 when seven likely bolides were discovered of which four are confirmed by secondary observations. The Cuban meteor on Feb 1st 2019 serves as an additional example to demonstrate the algorithms capability and the first light curve as well as correct ground track was available within 8.5 hours based on GLM data for this event. The combination of the automatic bolide extraction algorithm with GLM can provide a wealth of new measurements of bolides in Earth’s atmosphere to enhance the study of asteroids and meteors.
Improving In-Situ Estimation of Soil Profile Properties Using a Multi-Sensor Probe
Authors: Pei Xiaoshuai , Sudduth Kenneth A. , Veum Kristen S. , Li Minzan
Published: February 2019

Optical diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) has been used for estimating soil physical and chemical properties in the laboratory. In-situ DRS measurements offer the potential for rapid, reliable, non-destructive, and low cost measurement of soil properties in the field. In this study, conducted on two central Missouri fields in 2016, a commercial soil profile instrument, the Veris P4000, acquired visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectra (343–2222 nm), apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), cone index (CI) penetrometer readings, and depth data, simultaneously to a 1 m depth using a vertical probe. Simultaneously, soil core samples were obtained and soil properties were measured in the laboratory. Soil properties were estimated using VNIR spectra alone and in combination with depth, ECa, and CI (DECS). Estimated soil properties included soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), moisture, soil texture (clay, silt, and sand), cation exchange capacity (CEC), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and pH. Multiple preprocessing techniques and calibration methods were applied to the spectral data and evaluated. Calibration methods included partial least squares regression (PLSR), neural networks, regression trees, and random forests. For most soil properties, the best model performance was obtained with the combination of preprocessing with a Gaussian smoothing filter and analysis by PLSR. In addition, DECS improved estimation of silt, sand, CEC, Ca, and Mg over VNIR spectra alone; however, the improvement was more than 5% only for Ca. Finally, differences in estimation accuracy were observed between the two fields despite them having similar soils, with one field demonstrating better results for all soil properties except silt. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential for in-situ estimation of profile soil properties using a multi-sensor approach, and provides suggestions regarding the best combination of sensors, preprocessing, and modeling techniques for in-situ estimation of profile soil properties.
Partial Discharge Detection Using a Spherical Electromagnetic Sensor
Authors: Romano Pietro , Imburgia Antonino , Ala Guido
Published: February 2019

The presence of a partial discharge phenomenon in an electrical apparatus is a warning signal that could determine the failure of the insulation system, terminating the service of the apparatus and/or the network. In this paper, an innovative partial discharge (PD) measurement instrument based on an antenna sensor is presented and analyzed. Being non-intrusive is one of the most relevant features of the sensor. The frequency response of the antenna sensor and the features to recognize different PD sources and automatically synchronize them with the supply voltage are described and discussed in details. The results show the performance of the instrument can make a fast and correct diagnosis of the health state of insulation systems.
Integrated Optic Sensing Spectrometer: Concept and Design
Authors: Micó Gloria , Gargallo Bernardo , Pastor Daniel , Muñoz Pascual
Published: February 2019

In this paper the concept and design of an integrated optical device featuring evanescent field sensing and spectrometric analysis is presented. The device, termed integrated optics sensing spectrometer (IOSS), consists of a modified arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) which arms are engineered into two sets having different focal points. Half of the arms are exposed to the outer media, while the other half are left isolated, thus the device can provide both sensing and reference spectra. Two reference designs are provided for the visible and near-infrared wavelengths, aimed at the determination of the concentration of known solutes through absorption spectroscopy.
Heating, Cooling, and Lighting Energy Demand Simulation Analysis of Kinetic Shading Devices with Automatic Dimming Control for Asian Countries
Authors: Lee Byungyun
Published: February 2019

Kinetic shading devices have recently been introduced for energy-saving and for their innovative appearance. Quantifiable research on kinetic operation systems is necessary to evaluate their applicability in a specific region. This study developed a theoretical methodology for producing an optimal positioning algorithm targeting minimizing total energy demands of kinetic shading devices; the control algorithms for hourly operation were tested through a combined analysis framework of energy performance simulations and spreadsheet analysis. Two common types of external shading devices, vertical-folding and horizontal-rotating types, were simulated in three Asian cities with different climate conditions. Automatic kinetic operation with a consequential dimming control was simulated on the east, south and west facade of an office building, selecting the optimal position every hour based on total energy demand for heating, cooling, and lighting. Comparative simulation analyses for kinetic operation and fixed shading demonstrated that the energy saving potential of fixed shading was greater than that of kinetic operation shading. Kinetic operation was the most applicable in Seoul, where seasonal optimal operation was required for both types of kinetic shadings. In Abu Dhabi and Hanoi, cooling and lighting energy demands were balanced every hour through kinetic operation. Rotating-type kinetic operation in these two regions resulted in better energy-saving performance. The operation frequency pattern of rotating-type kinetic shading provided more active operation and consequent outperformance over the folding-type.
A Forecast and Mitigation Model of Construction Performance by Assessing Detailed Engineering Maturity at Key Milestones for Offshore EPC Mega-Projects
Authors: Kim Myung-Hun , Lee Eul-Bum , Choi Han-Suk
Published: February 2019

The main subject of this research is to develop a forecast and mitigation model of schedule and cost performance during a detailed engineering stage of offshore engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects. The weight factors of major elements in detailed engineering completion rating index system (DECRIS) were measured using a fuzzy inference system (FIS) and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP). At five key engineering milestones, from an EPC contract being awarded to the start of construction, detailed engineering maturities were assessed in fourteen historical offshore EPC projects using the DECRIS model. DECRIS cutoff scores for successful project execution were defined at the key engineering milestones. A schedule and cost performance was forecasted and validated through comparison of DECRIS and other models using statistical confidence of a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and a regression analysis. As a mitigation method for engineering risks to EPC contractors, engineering resource enhancement is recommended for trade-off optimization of cost overrun using a Monte Carlo simulation. The main contribution of this research is that EPC contractors could continuously forecast construction costs and schedule performance utilizing the DECRIS model, and could review the adequacy of engineering resources, assessing the trade-off between said resources and cost/schedule risk mitigation.
Does Agricultural Commercialization Affect Food Security: The Case of Crop-Producing Households in the Regions of Post-Reform Vietnam?
Authors: Linderhof Vincent , Janssen Valerie , Achterbosch Thom
Published: February 2019

Agricultural commercialization remains a widely pursued approach in development projects to improve food security in low-income countries, although there is no clear scientific evidence for it. This study examines the impact of agricultural commercialization on the food security status of crop-producing households in the regions of Vietnam in the 1990s. We used the food system framework including output and input markets. We explore three indicators of commercialization: Cash crop production share (CCPS), crop output market participation share (COMPS), and crop input market participation share (CIMPS) based on fertilizer use. For food security, we looked at caloric intake and dietary diversity (Food Variety Score). We use a balanced panel data sample from the Vietnam Living Standards Survey (VLSS) of 1992/93 and 1997/98. We apply four specifications for all combinations of commercialization indicators and food security indicators for seven regions: OLS 1992/93, OLS 1997/98, pooled sample, and difference estimator. The results show that the effect of commercialization on food security is widely heterogeneous. It depends upon the commercialization indicator and the region in Vietnam. In general, there is no clear evidence for the direction of commercialization on either caloric intake or dietary diversity; however, it is clear that the impacts are generally more positive for southern regions than for northern regions of Vietnam.
Research on Increasing the Performance of Wind Power Plants for Sustainable Development
Authors: Florescu Adriana , Barabas Sorin , Dobrescu Tiberiu
Published: February 2019

A topical issue globally is the development and implementation of renewable energy sources for sustainable development. To meet current requirements, the research in this paper is directed towards finding solutions to increase the performance and efficiency of wind power plants by implementing innovative solutions for hollow roller bearings developed through the use of sustainable growth programs in the field of green energy. Another solution that has the effect of increasing wind power performance consists of the implementation of a new large-size lubrication system for large-size bearings in wind energy units, which will increase their durability by developing maintenance capabilities. In this research, we will explore the possibility of introducing an innovative automated lubrication system in hollow roller bearings. The main results of the research, the innovative constructive solutions, will lead to important savings by lowering wind farm maintenance costs, increasing the durability of large bearings, and increasing the energy efficiency and yield of the whole system. The expected impact of implementing the solutions found will mainly be in the field of sustainable growth and environmental development.
Measuring Technical Efficiency and Returns to Scale in Taiwan’s Baking Industry―A Case Study of the 85 °C Company
Authors: Chang Chieh-Wen , Wu Kun-Shan , Chang Bao-Guang , Lou Kuo-Ren
Published: February 2019

Under an intense internationally competitive business environment, it is important to understand the production efficiency of the baking industry, where efficient management is becoming increasingly important to ensure the sustainable development of the company. Thus, this study uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to appraise the performance of a well-known baking company (85 °C) and uses input and output constructs to measure its technical efficiency and scale efficiency scores to understand the major reasons for efficiency losses from 2011 to 2016. The empirical results indicate that low technical efficiency is the major reason for lower pure technical efficiency, since the scale efficiency is higher than pure technical efficiency. This means 85 °C is still improving overall operating efficiency and space efficiency. Moreover, the results also show that the III-generation operations style is more technically efficient and pure-technically efficient compared to those of I-generation and II-generation. Furthermore, the company’s financial performance is dependent upon the producer’s ability to stay on the production frontier due to the result of a positive relationship between return on assets (ROA) and technical efficiency. Last but not least, this study shows that 85 °C can gain higher performance and efficiency by enhancing technical efficiency and reinforcing strategic alignments with business goals.
Gamification of Enterprise Systems
Authors: Nah Fiona Fui-Hoon , Eschenbrenner Brenda , Claybaugh Craig C. , Koob Perry B.
Published: February 2019

Enterprise systems have become an integral part of an organization’s operations. However, they also pose many challenges to organizations from the perspective of implementation, user training, as well as use and acceptance. Without effective usage, enterprise systems may not be able to provide the strategic or competitive advantages that organizations desire. Therefore, organizations may consider gamification to enhance training, acceptance, and usage. We discuss the various ways in which enterprise system challenges can be addressed through the lens of gamification and present a framework for gamification of enterprise systems. The framework is comprised of basic principles and key design elements of gamification, as well as their application to enterprise systems. The specific principles of gamification include Challenge, Interactivity, Goal Orientation, Social Connectivity, Competition, Achievement, Reinforcement, and Fun Orientation. Design elements, such as points, levels, badges, leaderboards, progress bars, quests, and avatars, represent the application of these gamification principles, which can foster engagement with enterprise systems. The framework was validated by a group of experts. We also provide practical and theoretical implications, as well as suggestions for future research.
Impact of Climate Variability on Blue and Green Water Flows in the Erhai Lake Basin of Southwest China
Authors: Yuan Zhe , Xu Jijun , Meng Xianyong , Wang Yongqiang , Yan Bo , Hong Xiaofeng
Published: February 2019

The Erhai Lake Basin is a crucial water resource of the Dali prefecture. This research used the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) and the China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT model (CMADS) to estimate blue and green water flows. Then the spatial and temporal change of blue and green water flows was investigated. With the hypothetical climate change scenarios, the sensitivity of blue and green water flows to precipitation and temperature has also been analyzed. The results showed that: (1) The CMADS reanalysis dataset can capture the observed probability density functions for daily precipitation and temperature. Furthermore, the CMADS performed well in monthly variables simulation with relative bias and absolute bias less than 7% and 0.5 °C for precipitation and temperature, respectively; (2) blue water flow has increased while green water flow has decreased during 2009 to 2016. The spatial distribution of blue water flow was uneven in the Erhai Lake Basin with the blue water flow increased from low altitudes to mountain areas. While the spatial distribution of green water flow was more homogeneous; (3) a 10% increase in precipitation can bring a 20.8% increase in blue water flow with only a 2.5% increase in green water flow at basin scale. When temperature increases by a 1.0 °C, the blue water flow and green water flow changes by −3% and 1.7%, respectively. Blue and green water flows were more sensitive to precipitation in low altitude regions. In contrast, the water flows were more sensitive to temperature in the mountainous area.
Araceae, a Family with Great Potential
Authors: Croat Thomas B.
Published: February 2019

This paper highlights the most unique characteristics of Araceae: their high species diversity, high habit diversity, high rates of endemism, and high rates of new species discovery. Also discussed is the origin of the family in the Early Cretaceous period and its modern-day worldwide distribution, which shows high generic diversity in Asia and high species diversity in South America. The last 40 years have shown dramatic increases in the number of species known for most of the Neotropical genera but with most of the growth coming from Central America. The development of computerized determination keys has led to the realization that many more species are likely to be new to science. This study also recommends future directions and localities or regions where most aroid research should be concentrated.
Revisit of Nonlinear Landau Damping for Electrostatic Instability Driven by Blazar-induced Pair Beams
Authors: Vafin S. , Deka P. J. , Pohl M. , Bohdan A.
Published: February 2019

We revisit the effect of nonlinear Landau (NL) damping on the electrostatic instability of blazar-induced pair beams, using a realistic pair-beam distribution. We employ a simplified 2D model in

-space to study the evolution of the electric-field spectrum and to calculate the relaxation time of the beam. We demonstrate that the 2D model is an adequate representation of the 3D physics. We find that nonlinear Landau damping, once it operates efficiently, transports essentially the entire wave energy to small wave numbers where wave driving is weak or absent. The relaxation time also strongly depends on the intergalactic medium temperature, T
IGM, and for T
IGM ≪ 10 eV, and in the absence of any other damping mechanism, the relaxation time of the pair beam is longer than the inverse Compton (IC) scattering time. The weak late-time beam energy losses arise from the accumulation of wave energy at small k, that nonlinearly drains the wave energy at the resonant

of the pair-beam instability. Any other dissipation process operating at small k would reduce that wave-energy drain and hence lead to stronger pair-beam energy losses. As an example, collisions reduce the relaxation time by an order of magnitude, although their rate is very small. Other nonlinear processes, such as the modulation instability, could provide additional damping of the nonresonant waves and dramatically reduce the relaxation time of the pair beam. An accurate description of the spectral evolution of the electrostatic waves is crucial for calculating the relaxation time of the pair beam.
The UBV Color Evolution of Classical Novae. III. Time-stretched Color–Magnitude Diagram of Novae in Outburst
Authors: Hachisu Izumi , Kato Mariko
Published: February 2019

We propose a modified color–magnitude diagram for novae in outburst, i.e., (B − V)0 versus (M

V
 − 2.5 log f
s), where f
s is the time-scaling factor of a (target) nova against a comparison (template) nova, (B − V)0 is the intrinsic B − V color, and M

V
is the absolute V magnitude. We dub it the time-stretched color–magnitude diagram. We carefully reanalyzed 20 novae based on the time-stretching method and revised their extinctions E(B − V), distance moduli in the V-band (m − M)
V
, distances d, and time-scaling factors f
s against the template nova LV Vul. We have found that these 20 nova outburst tracks broadly follow one of the two template tracks, the LV Vul/V1668 Cyg or V1500 Cyg/V1974 Cyg group, in the time-stretched color–magnitude diagram. In addition, we estimate the white dwarf masses and (m − M)
V
of the novae by directly fitting the absolute V model light curves (M

V
) with observational apparent V magnitudes (m

V
). A good agreement of the two estimates of (m − M)
V
confirms the consistency of the time-stretched color–magnitude diagram. Our distance estimates are in good agreement with the results of Gaia Data Release 2.
Comparative analysis of C-heterochromatin, ribosomal and telomeric DNA markers in chromosomes of Pamphagidae grasshoppers from Morocco
Authors: Buleu Olesya G. , Jetybayev Ilyas Y. , Chobanov Dragan P. , Bugrov Alexander G.
Published: February 2019

The karyotypes and the localization of C-bands, clusters of ribosomal DNA and telomeric repeats of 10 species of the family Pamphagidae from Morocco are described for the first time. The species studied belong to the subfamiliesPamphaginaeandThrinchinae. All species have karyotypes consisting of 19 and 20 acrocentric chromosomes and X0/XX sex chromosome system in males and females, respectively (2n♂=19, NF=19; 2n♀=20, NF=20). Despite the karyotype conservatism, we revealed differences in the location and size of C-heterochromatin blocks and ribosomal DNA clusters. A comparative analysis of these differences shows that karyotype divergences in this group is connected not to structural chromosome rearrangements, but to the evolution of repetitive DNA.
Holcophora Staudinger, 1871, a senior synonym of Aponoea Walsingham, 1905, syn. n., (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Gelechiidae): with Holcophora inderskella (Caradja, 1920), comb. n., transferred from Blastobasis Zeller, 1855 (Blastobasidae)
Authors: Adamski David , Sattler Klaus
Published: February 2019

BlastobasisinderskellaCaradja, 1920, is transferred from Blastobasidae to Gelechiidae and placed in the Palaearctic genusHolcophoraStaudinger, 1871. The genusAponoeaWalsingham, 1905,syn. n., is newly synonymized withHolcophora, and three new combinations are proposed:Holcophorainderskella(Caradja, 1920),comb. n.,H.obtusipalpis(Walsingham, 1905),comb. n.andH.pruinosella(Chrétien, 1915),comb. n.Lectotypes are designated forHolcophorastaticesStaudinger, 1871, andAponoeaobtusipalpisWalsingham, 1905.Holcophorainderskellais redescribed with supportive images of diagnostic features. Its unique frontal process is described and illustrated and aspects of frontal processes in Gelechiidae are discussed.
The taxonomic relevance of flower colour for Epimedium (Berberidaceae), with morphological and nomenclatural notes for five species from China
Authors: Xu Yanqin , Liu Linjian , Liu Shaoxiong , He Yiming , Li Renqing , Ge Fei
Published: February 2019

Morphological variations, particularly flower colour, could be considered as an evolutionarily and ornamentally significant taxonomic criterion for Epimedium. Our extensive field investigation based on population studies revealed abundant intraspecific variations in flower colour. Five species, (i.e., E.acuminatum Franch., E.leptorrhizum Stearn, E.pauciflorum K.C.Yen, E.mikinorii Stearn, and E.glandulosopilosum H.R.Liang) were found to possess polymorphic flower colour, which is first described and illustrated here. Moreover, all these species were found to be polymorphic in other diagnostic characters, such as the type of rhizome, the number and arrangement of stem-leaves, and/or their indumentum, which have not been adequately described in previous studies. Therefore, their morphological descriptions have been complemented and/or revised. We also provide notes on the morphology and nomenclature for each species. Additionally, a key to the species in China has been provided. The present study could serve as a basis for understanding their taxonomy and helping their utilisation as an ornamental plant.
Ecological Learning Space Teaching Mode Based on Investigative Study – Case Study of Computer Image Processing
Authors: Zhu Ping , Xuan Yinan , Xu Zhe
Published: February 2019

Computer Image Processing is a foundation course of computer specialty. Due to the problem of teaching method and students’ ability problem, the teaching process is boring and students are absent-minded in class, thus leading to low teaching efficiency of Computer Image Processing and low teaching quality. As well, the learning effect and level cannot meet the requirement of market and society. On this basis, Computer Image Processing was chosen as the teaching case to construct ecological learning space mode meeting the course requirements on the basis of investigative study and under the guidance of interactive theory. Besides, the students of computer major were chosen as the objects of study for one-semester teaching practice. Questionnaire survey and interview were combined for empirical research in order to innovate for teaching mode of Computer Image Processing and provide higher-quality computer talents for the society. The investigation found that the teaching mode is well welcomed by students and greatly improves their learning initiative and learning effect.
Psychological Health Course Teaching Mode Based on Students’ High-order Thinking Ability Development
Authors: Yang Zhen
Published: February 2019

Traditional teaching method cannot really promote students’ psychological quality in Psychological Health course teaching. With the purpose of promoting students’ high-order thinking ability development, some teaching links (theme importing, question formation, learning participation and evaluation feedback) were adopted to carry out the design and applied research of Psychological Health course teaching mode based on BOPPPS model. The results show that the mode can help students deeply understand and master psychological health knowledge, and mobilize their learning enthusiasm, participation, innovation and subjective initiative. Thus, this mode contributes to promoting students’ high-order thinking abilities such as analysis ability, evaluation ability and innovation ability.
Intelligent Emotion Evaluation Method of Classroom Teaching Based on Expression Recognition
Authors: Liang Yanqiu
Published: February 2019

To solve the problem of emotional loss in teaching and improve the teaching effect, an intelligent teaching method based on facial expression recognition was studied. The traditional active shape model (ASM) was improved to extract facial feature points. Facial expression was identified by using the geometric features of facial features and support vector machine (SVM). In the expression recognition process, facial geometry and SVM methods were used to generate expression classifiers. Results showed that the SVM method based on the geometric characteristics of facial feature points effectively realized the automatic recognition of facial expressions. Therefore, the automatic classification of facial expressions is realized, and the problem of emotional deficiency in intelligent teaching is effectively solved.
Classification Method of Teaching Resources Based on Improved KNN Algorithm
Authors: An Yingbo , Xu Meiling , Shen Chen
Published: February 2019

In order to effectively utilize the network teaching resources, a teaching resource classification method based on the improved KNN (K-Nearest Neighbor) algorithm was proposed. Taking the text class primary and secondary school teaching resources as the research object, combined with the domain characteristics, the KNN algorithm was improved. By measuring the sample space density, the text of the high-density area was found. Different clipping methods were proposed for both intra-class and inter-class regions. The problem of cropping in the space of multiple class boundaries was considered. Results showed that the method ensured uniform distribution of samples and reduced the time of classification. Therefore, under the Weka platform, the improved KNN algorithm is effective.
The Use of Tangible User Interface in Interactive System to Learn about Countries
Authors: Almukadi Wafa , Aljojo Nahla , Munshi Asmaa
Published: February 2019

Tangible User Interface (TUI) is an interface that allows user to interact with digital information through physical environment. We have developed an interactive system serves the educational field within the geographical domain. The system allows children to discover and learn about countries from different continents using tangible objects. In our project we selected so far six countries that represent six continents in the world. The selected countries are: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United States of America, France, Brazil, and Australia. With the system, children are required to manipulate tangible objects. Their task is to select a landmark from a country and placing it on the table top. The system will recognize the object and provides users with feedback. The system involves the recognition of six elements for each country: (capital, flag, climate, currency, population and industries). This application has been evaluated in a field study with children 9–11 years of age. The initial results are promising and show that such an interactive system can support interaction and collaboration among young children, as well as enriches the learning process and makes it more enjoyable.
A Proposed Internet of Everything Framework for Disease Prediction
Authors: Maghawry Noura E. , Ghoniemy Samy
Published: February 2019

Social networks and Internet of things are two paradigms when integrated a new paradigm Internet of Everything is established that has its impact on revolutionizing various fields such as engineering, industry and healthcare. Social networks became nowadays of the most important web services on which people heavily rely, thus became a major source for information extraction for rational decision making considering individuals as social or socio sensors. Furthermore, people using sensors especially biological sensors enabled the use of internet of things technology in building intelligent healthcare systems. One of the challenges facing the design of such systems is the design of an intelligent recommender system that is able to deal with such big data. For that, this paper proposes a framework to develop an enhanced intelligent expert advisor-based health monitoring and disease awareness system. The proposed framework enables the researchers to design advisory systems that are able to observe physiological signals through the use of different bio sensors and integrate it with historical medical data together with �  the massive data collected from social networks to provide accurate alerts and recommendations for many ailments inspected. The proposed Framework is designed to facilitate generic, dynamic and scalable process of integrating different types of social networks and bio sensors.
Space Launchers
Authors: Metsker Yuriy
Published: February 2019

Space travel is one of the largest technological efforts and requires careful planning and a systematic approach in every technical and human aspect. In this chapter, a space mission example will be divided into four consecutive phases, starting with payload and launcher definition and ending with the launch of the rocket. The discussion of the first phase provides general considerations of manned and unmanned commercial missions, orbits, and trade-offs for small satellites. The subsequent phase covers transportation issues of the payload to the launch site. The discussion of the payload integration process and launch proceeding complete the technical contribution of the chapter. A rough market overview is presented in the conclusion.
Space Launchers
Authors: Boulle Edmond
Published: February 2019

This chapter outlines certain core legal topics that arise in connection with the delivery of a separated payload into or beyond Earth orbit. The first part deals with some of the established approaches to procuring launch services, as well as some of the common features of launch service agreements that balance the interests of the launch service provider and its customer. The second part of the chapter looks at governmental authorization required to carry out a launch. While safety standards and success rates continually improve, launching a space object is still the riskiest part of most space missions and is therefore a carefully regulated aspect of space activity, with participants having to obtain prior authorization from a competent national authority. Finally, the third part explores some of the legal consequences in international law of launching a space object, including the maintenance of a register of space objects launched, and the burden of liability that is placed on “launching states.”
The International Space Station
Authors: Nie Chris
Published: February 2019

A new era of spaceflight dawned following the conclusion of the United States and Russian space race. This new era has been marked by the design, assembly, and operation of one of the greatest engineering feats mankind has accomplished, the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is comprised of hundreds of thousands of kilograms of material built on the ground and transported to space for assembly. It houses an artificial atmosphere to sustain life in outer space and has been continually inhabited for over 15 years. This chapter describes the technical complexity of the ISS, the background of how it was assembled, its major systems, details of crew life onboard, commercial usage of the resource, and examples of mishaps that have occurred during the ISS's operation. The technical details of the ISS provide a glimpse into what future space stations that might orbit the Moon and Mars will resemble.
On-Orbit Servicing and Active Debris Removal
Authors: Blount P. J.
Published: February 2019

This chapter examines the legal issues associated with the activities of on-orbit servicing and active debris removal. It addresses these legal issues from the perspective of military, civil, and commercial space activities. It argues that the major international legal challenges for these technologies are avoiding their weaponization in order to use them to provide for the sustainability of the space environment. Further, it argues that the development of domestic authorization regimes will be necessary precursor to the deployment of OOS and ADR.
Human Planetary Exploration
Authors: Nakarada Pecujlic Anja
Published: February 2019

This chapter examines the legal implications of the ambitious plans to send manned missions to Mars and establish permanent human presence in outer space announced. It addresses the concept of “colonizing planets” and its potential consequences. It offers an overview of the applicable existing legal norms and presents a number of potential legal scenarios concerning the governance of permanent human habitant in outer space. Even though technology is not completely there yet, we should not wait for the space shuttle to be ready to board in order in the nearest future to start discussing potential legal frameworks required to govern multi-planetary existence.
Intelligent Big Data Analytics
Authors: Sun Zhaohao
Published: February 2019

Intelligent big data analytics is an emerging paradigm in the age of big data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). This chapter explores intelligent big data analytics from a managerial perspective. More specifically, it first looks at the age of trinity and argues that intelligent big data analytics is at the center of the age of trinity. This chapter then proposes a managerial framework of intelligent big data analytics, which consists of intelligent big data analytics as a science, technology, system, service, and management for improving business decision making. Then it examines intelligent big data analytics for management taking into account four managerial functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. The proposed approach in this chapter might facilitate the research and development of intelligent big data analytics, big data analytics, business intelligence, artificial intelligence, and data science.
Managerial Controversies in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics
Authors: Strang Kenneth David , Sun Zhaohao
Published: February 2019

This chapter discusses several fundamental and managerial controversies associated with artificial intelligence and big data analytics which will be of interest to quantitative professionals and practitioners in the fields of computing, e-commerce, e-business services, and e-government. The authors utilized the systems thinking technique within an action research framework. They used this approach because their ideology was pragmatic, the problem at hand, was complex and institutional (healthcare discipline), and they needed to understand the problems from both a practitioner and a nonhuman technology process viewpoint. They used the literature review along with practitioner interviews collected at a big data conference. Although they found many problems, they considered these to be already encompassed into the big data five V's (volume, velocity, variety, value, veracity). Interestingly, they uncovered three new insights about the hidden healthcare artificial intelligence and big data analytics risks; then they proposed solutions for each of these problems.
Using Intelligent Agents Paradigm in Big Data Security Risks Mitigation
Authors: Zaharia Mihai Horia
Published: February 2019

Big data has a great potential in improving the efficiency of most of the specific information society instruments. Yet, because it uses the newly introduced cloud technology support, it may need continuous improvements especially in the security assurance area. In this chapter, a possible solution based on the intelligent agent paradigm in securing the big data infrastructure is presented. This approach will also require some changes at the general strategy level. The main accent is on using big data techniques and tools to ensure data security. Unfortunately, due to some security-related issues at the global level, the business environment must increase the amount of resources driven to this area.
Remote Patient Monitoring for Healthcare
Authors: Stranieri Andrew , Balasubramanian Venki
Published: February 2019

Remote patient monitoring involves the collection of data from wearable sensors that typically requires analysis in real time. The real-time analysis of data streaming continuously to a server challenges data mining algorithms that have mostly been developed for static data residing in central repositories. Remote patient monitoring also generates huge data sets that present storage and management problems. Although virtual records of every health event throughout an individual's lifespan known as the electronic health record are rapidly emerging, few electronic records accommodate data from continuous remote patient monitoring. These factors combine to make data analytics with continuous patient data very challenging. In this chapter, benefits for data analytics inherent in the use of standards for clinical concepts for remote patient monitoring is presented. The openEHR standard that describes the way in which concepts are used in clinical practice is well suited to be adopted as the standard required to record meta-data about remote monitoring. The claim is advanced that this is likely to facilitate meaningful real time analyses with big remote patient monitoring data. The point is made by drawing on a case study involving the transmission of patient vital sign data collected from wearable sensors in an Indian hospital.
Proactive Information Security Strategy for a Secure Business Environment
Authors: Oncioiu Ionica , Petrescu Anca Gabriela , Mândricel Diana Andreea , Ifrim Ana Maria
Published: February 2019

Taking into consideration the competitive market, the protection of information infrastructure for a company means competitive advantage. The protected information along with risk analysis are the underlying decision making in the company: either development, positioning on new markets, expansion on emerging markets, exit markets, or acquisitions. At the same time, the protection of information together with operational business intelligence systems are the keys for the decisions of CEOs. Implementing appropriate security measures to counter threats such as attacks can be blocked, or its effects can be mitigated. In this context, this chapter intends to be a thorough reflection on the awareness of potential threats and vulnerabilities, as well as a preoccupation towards cooperation in countering them with well-established rules and mechanisms created at a national and organizational level. The results are relevant to better understand how the actors involved in information and communication technologies could develop new models of information systems and risk management strategies.
Big Data and IoT Applications in Real Life Environment
Authors: Chaudhary Anjali , Tomar Pradeep
Published: February 2019

Big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the recent innovations in this era of smart world. Both of these technologies are proving very beneficial for today's fast-moving lifestyle. Both technologies are connected to each other and used together in many real-world applications. Big data and IoT have their uses and applications in almost every area from homes to industries, from agriculture to manufacturing, from transportation to warehousing, from food industries to entertainment industry, even from our shoe to robotics. This chapter discusses various applications of big data and IoT in detail and also discusses how both the technologies are affecting our daily life and how it can make things better.
Internet of Things With Object Detection
Authors: Sharma Lavanya , Lohan Nirvikar
Published: February 2019

In recent years, everyday objects and locating of people become an active area in IoT-based visual surveillance system. Internet of things (IoT) is basically transferring data with numerous other things. In visual surveillance systems, conventional methods are very easily susceptible to the environmental changes (i.e., illumination changing, slow motion in the background due to waving tree leaves, rippling of water, and variation in lightening condition). This chapter describes the current challenging issues present in literature along with major application areas, resources and dataset, tools and advantages of IoT-based visual surveillance systems.
Semantics for Big Data Sets
Authors: Phu Vo Ngoc , Tran Vo Thi Ngoc
Published: February 2019

Information technology, computer science, etc. have been developed more and more in many countries in the world. Their subfields have already had many very crucial contributions to everyone life: production, politics, advertisement, etc. Especially, big data semantics, scientific and knowledge discovery, and intelligence are the subareas that are gaining more interest. Therefore, the authors display semantics for massive data sets fully in this chapter. This is very significant for commercial applications, studies, researchers, etc. in the world.