bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Imaging Sensor-Aided Vision Navigation Approach that Uses a Geo-Referenced Image Database
Authors: Li Yan , Hu Qingwu , Wu Meng , Gao Yang
Published: January 2016

In determining position and attitude, vision navigation via real-time image processing of data collected from imaging sensors is advanced without a high-performance global positioning system (GPS) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Vision navigation is widely used in indoor navigation, far space navigation, and multiple sensor-integrated mobile mapping. This paper proposes a novel vision navigation approach aided by imaging sensors and that uses a high-accuracy geo-referenced image database (GRID) for high-precision navigation of multiple sensor platforms in environments with poor GPS. First, the framework of GRID-aided vision navigation is developed with sequence images from land-based mobile mapping systems that integrate multiple sensors. Second, a highly efficient GRID storage management model is established based on the linear index of a road segment for fast image searches and retrieval. Third, a robust image matching algorithm is presented to search and match a real-time image with the GRID. Subsequently, the image matched with the real-time scene is considered to calculate the 3D navigation parameter of multiple sensor platforms. Experimental results show that the proposed approach retrieves images efficiently and has navigation accuracies of 1.2 m in a plane and 1.8 m in height under GPS loss in 5 min and within 1500 m.
Multi-Target Joint Detection and Estimation Error Bound for the Sensor with Clutter and Missed Detection
Authors: Lian Feng , Zhang Guang-Hua , Duan Zhan-Sheng , Han Chong-Zhao
Published: January 2016

The error bound is a typical measure of the limiting performance of all filters for the given sensor measurement setting. This is of practical importance in guiding the design and management of sensors to improve target tracking performance. Within the random finite set (RFS) framework, an error bound for joint detection and estimation (JDE) of multiple targets using a single sensor with clutter and missed detection is developed by using multi-Bernoulli or Poisson approximation to multi-target Bayes recursion. Here, JDE refers to jointly estimating the number and states of targets from a sequence of sensor measurements. In order to obtain the results of this paper, all detectors and estimators are restricted to maximum a posteriori (MAP) detectors and unbiased estimators, and the second-order optimal sub-pattern assignment (OSPA) distance is used to measure the error metric between the true and estimated state sets. The simulation results show that clutter density and detection probability have significant impact on the error bound, and the effectiveness of the proposed bound is verified by indicating the performance limitations of the single-sensor probability hypothesis density (PHD) and cardinalized PHD (CPHD) filters for various clutter densities and detection probabilities.
“You’re Not Born with Talent” Talented Girls’ and Boys’ Perceptions of Their Talents as Football Players
Authors: Sæther Stig , Mehus Ingar
Published: January 2016

Generally in sports, there is a strong assumption of a connection between skill level in young age and adulthood. Studies have mainly focused on the coaches’ understanding and role in identifying and developing talent. In this article we turn our attention towards the athletes’ perspectives, interviewing talented young football players (five boys and five girls) about their perceptions of their own talent and development. The objective of the article is to investigate how boys and girls perceive their talent and to discuss how various perceptions influence coaching practice in talent development. We introduce the following questions: (a) do the players use a static or dynamic perception of their own talent and (b) do the players consider specific or general skills to be most important in their skill development? Results show that the boys have a more static perception of talent compared to the girls. Furthermore, the boys in this study stress the importance of highly specified skills. The girls have a more balanced view on what is important, but tend to stress the importance of basic skills. The study suggests two potential implications. First, the coaches should be aware of the possible vulnerability following players’ static perception of talent. Second, an exclusive focus on specified skills might make for less optimal preparation for the changing demands young players meet when moving through the different levels of play on their way to high level football. In future research it would be interesting to investigate how players with a lower skill level, not yet regarded as talent, perceive their talent and skill development.
A Comprehensive Quantitative Evaluation of New Sustainable Urbanization Level in 20 Chinese Urban Agglomerations
Authors: Xu Cong , Wang Shixin , Zhou Yi , Wang Litao , Liu Wenliang
Published: January 2016

On 16 March 2014, the State Council of China launched its first urbanization planning initiative dubbed “National New Urbanization Planning (2014–2020)” (NNUP). NNUP put forward 20 urban agglomerations and a sustainable development approach aiming to transform traditional Chinese urbanization to sustainable new urbanization. This study quantitatively evaluates the level of sustainability of the present new urbanization process in 20 Chinese urban agglomerations and provides some positive suggestions for the achievement of sustainable new urbanization. A three-level index system which is based on six fundamental elements in a city and a Full Permutation Polygon Synthetic Indicator evaluation method are adopted. The results show that China is undergoing a new urbanization process with a low level of sustainability and there are many problems remaining from traditional urbanization processes. There exists a polarized phenomenon in the urbanization of 20 urban agglomerations. Based on their own development patterns, the 20 urban agglomerations can be divided into seven categories. Every category has its own development characteristics. The analyses also show that waste of water resources, abuse of land resources, and air pollution are three big problems that are closely linked to traditional Chinese urbanization processes. To achieve sustainable new urbanization in China, four relevant suggestions and comments have been provided.
Impact of Megacity Jobs-Housing Spatial Mismatch on Commuting Behaviors: A Case Study on Central Districts of Shanghai, China
Authors: Zhou Xiang , Chen Xiaohong , Zhang Tianran
Published: January 2016

This studyutilized the mobile signaling data to conductthe impact analysis of jobs-housing spatial mismatch on commuting behavior, with eight typical employment centers of three categories selected as the research subjects. Based on the analysis of the characteristics and indictors including commuting distance, accessibilities from cumulative opportunity model etc., this study demonstrates that (a) cumulative percentage of short commuting distance (e.g., less than 3 km) reflects the jobs-housing spatial match between employment centers and their peripheral areas; and (b) combining the indicators of employed population and area covered within a certain space-time range among indictors of accessibility, it is possible to identify the degree of jobs-housing balance and efficiency of the transport system. According to the evaluation radar maps, the authors believe that employment centers could be divided into three categories: those with a gathering power, those with improvable functions, and those with local adjustment potentials. Possible measures including controlling the gathering power of the city centers, improving the function mix and transport facilities, and optimizing the overall local environment, etc. could be made to achieve jobs-housing balance in central districts and their peripheral areas as a whole. Besides, the study, proceeding from the perspective of commuters, suggests that optimization of jobs-housing distribution along banded corridors would be more efficient than those within the traditional region so as to reduce commuting traffic load.
An Analysis of the Occurrence Probabilities of Wet and Dry Periods through a Stochastic Monthly Rainfall Model
Authors: Caloiero Tommaso , Sirangelo Beniamino , Coscarelli Roberto , Ferrari Ennio
Published: January 2016

Stochastic simulators can effectively generate the intrinsic variability of the rainfall process, which is an important issue in the analysis of the projections uncertainties. In this paper, a procedure for stochastic modeling of precipitation at monthly scale is proposed. The model adopts variable transformations, which are finalized to the deseasonalization and the Gaussianization of the monthly rainfall process, and includes a procedure for testing the autocorrelation. The model was applied to a homogeneous database of monthly rainfall values registered in 12 rain gauges in the region of Calabria (Southern Italy). After the estimation of the model parameters, a set of 104 years of monthly rainfall for each rain gauge was generated by means of a Monte Carlo technique. Then, dry and wet periods were analyzed through the application of the standardized precipitation index (SPI). Some results, confirmed through the application of the drought severity index (DSI), showed that the proposed model provided a good representation of the monthly rainfall for the considered rain gauges. Moreover, the results of the SPI application indicate a greater probability of dry conditions than wet conditions, especially when long-term precipitation patterns are considered.
SOUTH GALACTIC CAP u-BAND SKY SURVEY (SCUSS): DATA RELEASE
Authors: Zou Hu , Zhou Xu , Jiang Zhaoji , Peng Xiyan , Fan Dongwei , Fan Xiaohui , Fan Zhou , He Boliang , Jing Yipeng , Lesser Michael , Li Cheng , Ma Jun , Nie Jundan , Shen Shiyin , Wang Jiali , Wu Zhenyu , Zhang Tianmeng , Zhou Zhimin
Published: January 2016

The South Galactic Cap u-band Sky Survey (SCUSS) is a deep u-band imaging survey in the south Galactic cap using the 2.3 m Bok telescope. The survey observations were completed at the end of 2013, covering an area of about 5000 square degrees. We release the data in the region with an area of about 4000 deg2 that is mostly covered by the Sloan digital sky survey. The data products contain calibrated single-epoch images, stacked images, photometric catalogs, and a catalog of star proper motions derived by Peng et al. The median seeing and magnitude limit (5σ) are about 2.″0 and 23.2 mag, respectively. There are about 8 million objects having measurements of absolute proper motions. All the data and related documentations can be accessed through the SCUSS data release website http://batc.bao.ac.cn/Uband/data.html.
A LUMINOUS YELLOW POST-AGB STAR IN THE GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTER M79*
Authors: Bond Howard E. , Ciardullo Robin , Siegel Michael H.
Published: January 2016

We report the discovery of a luminous F-type post-asymptotic-giant-branch (PAGB) star in the Galactic globular cluster (GC) M79 (NGC 1904). At visual apparent and absolute magnitudes of

and

, this “yellow” PAGB star is by a small margin the visually brightest star known in any GC. It was identified using CCD observations in the uBVI photometric system, which is optimized to detect stars with large Balmer discontinuities, indicative of very low surface gravities. Follow-up observations with the SMARTS 1.3 and 1.5 m telescopes show that the star is not variable in light or radial velocity, and that its velocity is consistent with cluster membership. Near- and mid-infrared observations with 2MASS and WISE show no evidence for circumstellar dust. We argue that a sharp upper limit to the luminosity function exists for yellow PAGB stars in old populations, making them excellent candidates for Population II standard candles, which are four magnitudes brighter than RR Lyrae variables. Their luminosities are consistent with the stars being in a PAGB evolutionary phase, with core masses of

. We also detected four very hot stars lying above the horizontal branch (“AGB-manqué” stars); along with the PAGB star, they are the brightest objects in M79 in the near-ultraviolet. In the Appendix, we give periods and light curves for five variables in M79: three RR Lyrae stars, a Type II Cepheid, and a semiregular variable.
CARBON DIOXIDE IN EXOPLANETARY ATMOSPHERES: RARELY DOMINANT COMPARED TO CARBON MONOXIDE AND WATER IN HOT, HYDROGEN-DOMINATED ATMOSPHERES
Authors: Heng Kevin , Lyons James R.
Published: January 2016

We present a comprehensive study of the abundance of carbon dioxide in exoplanetary atmospheres in hot, hydrogen-dominated atmospheres. We construct novel analytical models of systems in chemical equilibrium that include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, methane and acetylene and relate the equilibrium constants of the chemical reactions to temperature and pressure via the tabulated Gibbs free energies. We prove that such chemical systems may be described by a quintic equation for the mixing ratio of methane. By examining the abundances of these molecules across a broad range of temperatures (spanning equilibrium temperatures from 600 to 2500 K), pressures (via temperature–pressure profiles that explore albedo and opacity variations) and carbon-to-oxygen ratios, we conclude that carbon dioxide is subdominant compared to carbon monoxide and water. Atmospheric mixing does not alter this conclusion if carbon dioxide is subdominant everywhere in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide may attain comparable abundances if the metallicity is greatly enhanced, but this property is negated by temperatures above 1000 K. For hydrogen-dominated atmospheres, our generic result has the implication that retrieval studies may wish to set the subdominance of carbon dioxide as a prior of the calculation and not let its abundance completely roam free as a fitting parameter, because it directly affects the inferred value of the carbon-to-oxygen ratio and may produce unphysical conclusions. We discuss the relevance of these implications for the hot Jupiter WASP-12b and suggest that some of the previous results are chemically impossible. The relative abundance of carbon dioxide to acetylene is potentially a sensitive diagnostic of the carbon-to-oxygen ratio.
RAPID DECREASING IN THE ORBITAL PERIOD OF THE DETACHED WHITE DWARF–MAIN SEQUENCE BINARY SDSS J143547.87+373338.5
Authors: Qian S.-B. , Han Z.-T. , Soonthornthum B. , Zhu L.-Y. , He J.-J. , Rattanasoon S. , Aukkaravittayapun S. , Liao W.-P. , Zhao E.-G. , Zhang J. , Lajús E. Fernández
Published: January 2016

SDSS J143547.87+373338.5 is a detached eclipsing binary that contains a white dwarf with a mass of 0.5 M
⊙ and a fully convective star with a mass of 0.21 M
⊙. The eclipsing binary was monitored photometrically from 2009 March 24 to 2015 April 10, by using two 2.4-m telescopes in China and in Thailand. The changes in the orbital period are analyzed based on eight newly determined eclipse times together with those compiled from the literature. It is found that the observed–calculated (O–C) diagram shows a downward parabolic change that reveals a continuous period decrease at a rate of

s s−1. According to the standard theory of cataclysmic variables, angular momentum loss (AML) via magnetic braking (MB) is stopped for fully convective stars. However, this period decrease is too large to be caused by AML via gravitational radiation (GR), indicating that there could be some extra source of AML beyond GR, but the predicted mass-loss rates from MB seem unrealistically large. The other possibility is that the O–C diagram may show a cyclic oscillation with a period of 7.72 years and a small amplitude of 0.ͩ000525. The cyclic change can be explained as the light-travel-time effect via the presence of a third body because the required energy for the magnetic activity cycle is much larger than that radiated from the secondary in a whole cycle. The mass of the potential third body is determined to be

M
⊙ when a total mass of 0.71 M
⊙ for SDSS J143547.87+373338.5 is adopted. For orbital inclinations

, it would be below the stable hydrogen-burning limit of M
3 ∼ 0.072 M
⊙, and thus the third body would be a brown dwarf.
THE EVOLUTION AND IMPACTS OF MAGNETOROTATIONAL INSTABILITY IN MAGNETIZED CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE
Authors: Sawai Hidetomo , Yamada Shoichi
Published: January 2016

We carried out two-dimensional axisymmetric MHD simulations of core-collapse supernovae for rapidly rotating magnetized progenitors. By changing both the strength of the magnetic field and the spatial resolution, the evolution of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) and its impacts upon the dynamics are investigated. We found that the MRI greatly amplifies the seed magnetic fields in the regime where the buoyant mode, not the Alfvén mode, plays a primary role in the exponential growth phase. The MRI indeed has a powerful impact on the supernova dynamics. It makes the shock expansion faster and the explosion more energetic, with some models being accompanied by the collimated jet formations. These effects, however, are not made by the magnetic pressure except for the collimated jet formations. The angular momentum transfer induced by the MRI causes the expansion of the heating region, by which the accreting matter gain additional time to be heated by neutrinos. The MRI also drifts low-Y

p
matter from deep inside of the core to the heating region, which makes the net neutrino heating rate larger by the reduction of the cooling due to the electron capture. These two effects enhance the efficiency of the neutrino heating, which is found to be the key to boosting the explosion. Indeed, we found that our models explode far more weakly when the net neutrino heating is switched off. The contribution of the neutrino heating to the explosion energy could reach 60% even in the case of strongest magnetic field in the current simulations.
ON THE SPIN OF THE BLACK HOLE IN IC 10 X–1
Authors: Steiner James F. , Walton Dominic J. , García Javier A. , McClintock Jeffrey E. , Laycock Silas G. T. , Middleton Matthew J. , Barnard Robin , Madsen Kristin K.
Published: January 2016

The compact X-ray source in the eclipsing X-ray binary IC 10 X–1 has reigned for years as ostensibly the most massive stellar-mass black hole, with a mass estimated to be about twice that of its closest rival. However, striking results presented recently by Laycock et al. reveal that the mass estimate, based on emission-line velocities, is unreliable and that the mass of the X-ray source is essentially unconstrained. Using Chandra and NuSTAR data, we rule against a neutron-star model and conclude that IC 10 X–1 contains a black hole. The eclipse duration of IC 10 X–1 is shorter and its depth shallower at higher energies, an effect consistent with the X-ray emission being obscured during eclipse by a Compton-thick core of a dense wind. The spectrum is strongly disk-dominated, which allows us to constrain the spin of the black hole via X-ray continuum fitting. Three other wind-fed black hole systems are known; the masses and spins of their black holes are high:

and

. If the mass of IC 10 X–1's black hole is comparable, then its spin is likewise high.
THE CANDIDATE CLUSTER AND PROTOCLUSTER CATALOG (CCPC) OF SPECTROSCOPICALLY IDENTIFIED STRUCTURES SPANNING 2.74 < z < 3.71
Authors: Franck J. R. , McGaugh S. S.
Published: January 2016

We developed a search methodology to identify galaxy protoclusters at

and implemented it on a sample of ∼14,000 galaxies with previously measured redshifts. The results of this search are recorded in the Candidate Cluster and Protocluster Catalog (CCPC). The catalog contains 12 clusters that are highly significant overdensities (

), 6 of which were previously known. We also identify another 31 candidate protoclusters (including four previously identified structures) of lower overdensities. CCPC systems vary over a wide range of physical sizes and shapes, from small, compact groups to large, extended, and filamentary collections of galaxies. This variety persists in the range from z = 3.71 to z = 2.74. These structures exist as galaxy overdensities (

) with a mean value of 2, similar to the values found for other protoclusters in the literature. The median number of galaxies for CCPC systems is 11. Virial mass estimates are large for these redshifts, with 13 cases apparently having

. If these systems are virialized, such masses would pose a challenge to ΛCDM.
Les infirmières et la mort au quotidien : souffrances et enjeux
Authors: Laporte Pauline , Vonarx Nicolas
Published: January 2016

La mort dans notre société occidentale est aujourd’hui interdite et fait l’objet de censure. Cette mort interdite exercerait trois conséquences. Premièrement, le caractère énigmatique de la mort précipiterait les Hommes dans une impasse puisqu’aucun être humain ne peut en parler comme nul ne l’a connue ou en a fait l’expérience. Deuxièmement, le désaveu sociétal de la Fin conditionnerait l’Homme au point qu’il vivrait avec un sentiment d’immortalité. Et tant que l’individu est en santé, il évacuerait de son esprit sa condition vulnérable. Troisièmement, la démission de notre société envers cette mort, plongerait l’être humain dans une solitude absolue. Comme la société a renoncé à rendre manifeste cette mort, l’Homme occidental se retrouve seul pour domestiquer cet événement incontrôlable. Confrontées à la mort au quotidien de leur pratique, les infirmières rencontrent ainsi ces conséquences et sont marquées par des souffrances, exprimées par exemple, en termes de peur, d’impuissance ou de détresse. La personne en fin de vie subit à son tour les répercussions de ces souffrances dans la mesure où les infirmières présentent un comportement d’évitement et peinent à communiquer avec elle. L’âge et l’expérience des infirmières adouciraient toutefois la rencontre avec le mourir. Plus les infirmières sont âgées, meilleure est leur attitude envers le mourir. Plus elles sont expérimentées, mieux elles acceptent la mort. Le drame du mourir concerne toutefois les infirmières qui démarrent dans la profession. Néanmoins, l’expérience vécue de l’infirmière débutante dans ce type de situation a peu été traitée dans la littérature. Il y a pourtant lieu de saisir ce vécu puisque les nouveaux diplômés déserteraient les services où la mort se présente régulièrement en raison d’un sentiment d’insécurité. Si l’expérience vécue des infirmières débutantes était mieux comprise, des actions pourraient être alors engagées pour les jeunes diplômés piqués sur le vif par la tragédie du mourir.
Fin de vie à domicile : modélisation d’une situation complexe
Authors: Jaquier Adrienne , Brügger Sarah , Sottas Beat
Published: January 2016

La prise en charge par un proche d’une personne en fin de vie à domicile est influencée par de nombreux facteurs. Pour mieux comprendre de quelle manière ils s’articulent et interagissent, un modèle systémique intégré a été élaboré dans le cadre d’un programme national suisse. Il montre, d’une part, les facteurs de stress et les ressources mobilisables issus des différents niveaux du système (micro-, méso-et macro-système) et, d’autre part, que tout ne repose pas sur le proche aidant et le patient – les politiques, les institutions et les professionnels ayant aussi un rôle à jouer. Aussi, pour que cette expérience soit vécue de manière satisfaisante et que les proches aidants reçoivent le soutien adéquat, il importe d’intervenir à tous les niveaux du système.
Elle s’appelait JOIE
Authors: Indirli Vincent , Jaccaz Marie
Published: January 2016

Instinctivement nous associons volontiers accompagnement palliatif avec un âge avancé de la vie. Un nouveau-né est venu bousculer cette croyance à laquelle nous aimons adhérer nous évitant la confrontation avec nos limites. Et parce que la richesse que constitue le travail en équipe implique également des oppositions, cet accompagnement fut pour nous, à la fois compliqué et simple. Cet article a pour intention de partager, d’exposer comment nous avons pu passer d’un qualificatif à l’autre dans une situation qui ne nous laissait d’autre choix que celui de l’unité.
Supply Chain Management
Authors: Ramakrishna Y.
Published: January 2016

Majority of research conducted in Supply Chain Management worldwide relates to areas of supply chain like, definitions, its frameworks and strategies, supply chain design, achievement of competitive advantage through its successful implementation etc. But, vast part of this research is limited to only large scale enterprises and very limited research is done in supply chain related to SMEs sector. Also, the strategies and frameworks of SCM that are developed for these large enterprises are found to be not suitable and implementable in small scale enterprises. This lack of research with special focus on SCM is more pertinent to Indian SMEs and its much more less in small enterprises belonging to manufacturing sector. It is found that most of the strategies of SCM applicable and implementable in large enterprises are either difficult to implement or SMEs do not view those strategies seriously due to lack of understanding, implementation feasibility and awareness. Thus, there are many differences in the way the SCM is viewed and understood in SMEs when compared to that of large enterprises. This paper focuses on these differences of SCM with reference to challenges and difficulties in implementations when compared with large enterprises with the help of literature review. It is found that there exists a huge gap in understanding, appreciating and utilizing the practices of SCM in SME sector. The research is limited only to the secondary data available in published national / international journals. It is identified that SCM can be a potential tool for competitive advantage, cost minimization and optimal decision-making, risk-sharing in SMEs also. The paper identified the gaps, challenges and opportunities for SMEs in the implementation of SCM.
Service Quality in Supply Chain
Authors: Ullah Asad , Adil Mohd.
Published: January 2016

In manufacturing industries or the supply chain, very few attempts have been made in the past to measure service quality or to test the linkages between service quality with supplier's satisfaction and loyalty. Thus, to fill the existing void in the literature, an attempt has been made to conceptualise a model proposing linkages of service quality with supplier's satisfaction and loyalty in the supply chain of automotive industry. The research design for this paper includes a combination of literature review and a survey of 220 and 170 practitioners from four and two automobile manufacturing companies located in Northern India and Western India, respectively. Structural Equation Modelling Techniques (SEM) has been used to examine the relationships among the variables and to test the goodness fit of the proposed model. Set of propositions related to model was empirically tested at supplier-manufacturer dyad and with an optimum fit of model, found that the data fits the model.
Performance Measurement
Authors: Grover Neha
Published: January 2016

The purpose of this chapter is to study what supply chain managers of a retail supply chain measure. In other words aim here to identify the key indicators for measuring retail supply chain performance. A qualitative approach is adopted. Published literature from refereed journals on supply chain performance measurement has been considered. Besides the need for organizations to adopt a holistic approach, firms remain focused on traditional financial measures (gross profit margin, Interest coverage, and debt and equity ratios). The chapter identifies key indicators for performance measurement and classifies them into four major categories: transport optimization, information technology optimization, inventory optimization and resource optimization. These key indicators are arranged precisely for retail industry. From a supply chain perspective, the non financial measures such as on-time delivery, training of employees, warehouse layout, etc. are also important aspects of measuring supply chain performance. Further research can be carried out to validate the relevance and applicability of identified indicators. The study can be further conducted to measure the interrelationships between the KPIs and their impact on financial performance of the firm. In this chapter the author attempts to identify the performance indicators specifically for retail supply chain. The identified measures are further categorized based on its operations.
Breaking the Frame of Digital, Dream, and Waking Realities
Authors: Gackenbach Jayne I. , Hakopdjanian Sarkis
Published: January 2016

Just as our dreaming reality is constructed, our waking reality may also be constructed. While our waking reality influences our lives the most, other constructed realities also have impact. Yet, never before has such a large part of the population been so widely affected by another constructed reality beyond dreaming; specifically, our technologically constructed digital reality through video game play. One potential consequence of video game play is breaking the illusion or ‘frame' of our dreams as reality through various dream experiences. Many of the world's wisdom traditions believe that waking reality is an illusion, and now this idea is supported by modern digital physics. While being aware of the illusory nature of waking reality is difficult, it may be easier to break the framework of perception or ‘wake up' to the true nature of reality in alternative realities, such as digital and dreaming. This chapter will review the evidence collected in the video game and dream laboratory to explore how video game play is breaking the frame within dreaming realities.
Vision Quest
Authors: Emory Doug
Published: January 2016

One source for consideration in the quest to develop media that are truly educational and therapeutic is to examine activities that rely on a high and prolonged sense of physical and psychological coherence. The concept of sense of coherence can be broadly defined as a view of life that allows people “to consider their external and internal resources, to identify and mobilize them, to promote effective coping by finding solutions, and to resolve tension in a health-promoting manner” (Mayer and Thiel, 2014, p.1), and is related to Jung's transcendent function—the removal of the separation between the conscious and unconscious mind (as cited in Campbell, p. 273). Paradoxically, enough, such an examination might profitably be directed toward activities such as extreme sports that, on their surface, appear to be primarily physical in nature.
Nanomaterials, Nanocomposites Uses in Construction
Authors: Ledererova Miriam
Published: January 2016

Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary, cross-cutting technology and incorporates a number of other areas. There are several definitions for it. Nanomaterials are now used for many purposes and in almost all industries, healthcare, engineering, construction, chemical industry, automobile industry to the aerospace industry. Construction is one of the industrial sectors that among the first identified nanotechnology as a promising technology. Nanotechnology, Department of the 21st century, has already become almost a normal part of construction.
Risk Analysis of Foundation Structures According to the Method of Founding
Authors: Bilanič Miroslav , Vlček Pavel , Kubečka Karel
Published: January 2016

Like the foundation structure, their proper design and good execution plays an important role in the issue of durability of structures, it is also very important to properly design and implement the base layer of foundation structures. Usually, the base layer formed viable subsoil, which are located in the subsoil. Substructure then form the base layer interaction system. The subsoil is not always such a layer that would allow the establishment directly to solid ground. Also, the material (mass concrete, reinforced concrete) foundation structures determines whether it is possible to establish a building directly on the hard soil or underlayer is necessary. Often such a base layer performs building materials arising as waste during mining (eg. coal) or as waste generated in blast furnaces (slag). Often the buildings are well established on the embankments. Individual types of base layers (subsoil) will be evaluated by a team of experts. The team consisted of 43 experts. These experts conducted an evaluation of each type of subsoil individually using the universal matrix of risk analysis - Umra. Umra method is based on the principle of comparative logical and numerical analysis assessing the degree (severity) of a danger to the the project or its component parts. A team of experts assesses the identified part of the problem (the project), which is subject to a certain risk. Number of parts of the problem evaluated by a team of experts is arbitrary, with different (or identical) parts can be handled independently by different expert teams with different number of experts.
Stone in the Restoration of Architectural Heritage - Deterioration of Stone Structures Caused by Humidity
Authors: Pauliny Pavol
Published: January 2016

Over the centuries, stone as the elementary building material has not only been the substance used for constructing buildings but also the subject of arts and crafts. Aesthetics of stone has come into use in the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque as well as architectural works implemented in the 19th and 20th century. The diversity of use but mostly the range of stone masonry and elements in the whole volume of our architectural heritage is forcing us to look for effective protection methods. The deterioration of stone structures most frequently encountered include undoubtedly the undesired water intrusion and dampness which ultimately precludes habitability of interiors, causes the loss of thermo-physical properties as well as static distortion of the object. There are multiple methods of excessive dampness rehabilitation, which are, however, in case of valuable and protected works of architecture, limited to technological procedures in compliance with the principles of heritage protection. On the case studies of redevelopment of the burgher house in Banská Štiavnica and the Prónay manor house in Lučenec, we will present the available methods of rehabilitation and determinants for utilisation of the selected method.
Verification of Sealing Possibilities of Cement – Based Structures without Additional Surface Treatment
Authors: Šlanhof Jiří , Nečasová Barbora , Liška Pavel , Šimáčková Martina
Published: January 2016

The paper introduces the results of research study aimed at sealing possibilities of cement-based substrates. The intention of the presented research is to verify whether the permanent and reliable seal in materials can be implemented even without additional surface treatment. The task is approached experimentally, using test procedures based on relevant European technical standards. The tested substrate is made up of glass-fiber reinforced concrete facade elements intended for the final cladding of buildings without any further surface treatment. The selected substrate is 13 mm thick, one test sample consist of two identical pieces of substrate connected by chosen sealant. A group of ten industrially-produced, commonly available sealants by three manufacturers is included in the experimental measurements. The research brought an answer to the question of the sealing possibilities of an unprocessed structures and also solved the issue of the most suitable type of sealant meant for this purpose.
Indoor Environment Influenced by Radiant Effect of Floor Heating
Authors: Budiaková Mária
Published: January 2016

The paper is oriented on the indoor environment influenced by radiant effect of floor heating. Questionnaire survey has showed problems with providing quality of indoor climate in new office building in Bratislava. The cause of problems was formation of local thermal discomfort, in particular mainly radiant asymmetry. To clarify the radiant asymmetry, there were carried out experimental measurements with thermal manikin in a special microclimatic laboratory for the radiant floor heating. The scientific analysis and the outputs from measurements are presented in this paper. In the conclusion of this paper are introduced principals for designing the offices’ interiors without local thermal discomfort.
Potential of Vegetation in Improving Indoor Thermal Comfort and Natural Ventilation
Authors: Szkordilisz Flóra , Kiss Márton
Published: January 2016

According to the EPBD (2010) whilst improving the thermal performance of buildings good or at least tolerable thermal comfort conditions must be provided. But better thermal insulation and more airtight buildings increase the risk of summer overheating which makes mechanical cooling inevitable. This idea has been verified by the tendency of the last decade, when people were willing to install and use more frequently air conditioning devices during the summer heatwaves – increasing their energy consumption and electricity bills at the same time. We cannot neglect the importance of studies triggering an efficient way to minimise the cooling load of residential buildings by obstructing solar radiation.
The usage of plants in front of transparent surfaces of the façade can avoid indoor overheating. Deciduous plants obstruct buildings’ solar access so that the microclimate around the building is improved too. The use of Green Infrastructure in different levels of planning processes, which would provide sustainable solutions for urban management, is also prescribed in the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020.
Of course in order to investigate the actual effect of trees on indoor thermal comfort we should take into consideration a list of other factors: such as orientation the type and thermal properties of the windows / transparent structures used, and the thermal transmittance values and heat storage capacity of the building. If we have taken into consideration the mentioned factors during simulation we can prove the effectiveness of vegetation for each case.
Simulations are made on the base of transparency measurements carried out during the summer of 2014. The shading efficiency of trees is a species-specific attribute because of the varying crown structure and leaf density. Our analyses aimed at the quantification of the transmissivity of characteristic individuals of three frequently planted species (Celtis occidentalis, Sophora japonica, Tilia cordata). The measured data were the amount of transmitted shortwave radiation, compared with a measurement point under unobstructed sunlight.
In preliminary studies we have shown that depending on species – a tree in front of the façade can decrease the solar gain on internal horizontal surface up to ~18-30 per cents. As the tree obstructs the solar access of the wall and that of transparent surfaces, a difference in indoor comfort is to be observed too.
Analysis of the Internal Insulation of Renovated Building
Authors: Baďurová Silvia , Jošt Jozef , Bahleda Frantisek , Ďuďák Juraj
Published: January 2016

The trend in the new construction or renovation of buildings is based on reducing the energy demand of buildings. The required energy need for heating and provision of a satisfactory condition of the internal environment is determined by theoretical calculations. However, the fact that a building is energy efficient does not yet mean it is environmentally appropriate as well. Therefore, the environmental impact of building materials should also be assessed in their selection.The problem with restoring old buildings is to find the correct way how to restore the building while preserving its historical value. The paper presents an example of the reconstruction of the school building built in the year 1906. Reconstruction of the old building is a unique example of recovery. The modern and traditional techniques were used in the reconstruction. This is the first building in Slovakia, where is the front facade insulated with ecological materials (sheep wool, cork, cellulose, etc.) from the interior side and also utilization of alternative energy sources. Other parts of facade are insulated from the outside, with straw bales and wood fiber boards. Largely it has been preserving the original character of the building.Different types of wall structures are compared in theoretical evaluations. The criteria for the evaluation are the thermal resistance of construction (according to EU standards and norms), the weight of the wall and the environmental impact (according to OI3 methodology).
Contemporary State and Development of a Concept of Passive House
Authors: Kraus Michal , Bednářová Petra , Kubečka Karel
Published: January 2016

This paper deals with the development of requirements for the energy-passive construction. The main emphasis is focused on a new categorization of passive houses into classes according to the Passivhaus Institute: the Passive House Classic, the Passive House Plus and the Passive House Premium. The requirement for annual specific heating demand is unchanged, maximally 15 kWh/(m2·a). A new evaluation system of Energy Passive Houses is based on renewable primary energy (PER). The aim of the paper is a description and evaluation of various classes of energy passive houses, including feasibility analysis and model examples.
Influence of External Surface Resistance and Thermal Insulation Level on Energy Need for Cooling
Authors: Chmúrny Ivan
Published: January 2016

The value of the external surface resistance on the outside of the structure in the summer season affects the energy need for cooling buildings. The paper analyzes the convection and radiation in the external environment for the current climate conditions of Slovakia in terms of their impact on the value of the external surface resistance to heat transfer in the months when it is expected cooling of buildings. Analysis of the external surface resistance to heat transfer on the outside of the structure for the monthly method of calculating the energy need for heating and cooling.
Influence of Structural Design of Balcony Panels on the Course and the Size of Thermal Bridges
Authors: Lavický Miloš , Karlík Štěpán , Pěnčík Jan
Published: January 2016

This paper is focused on the static and thermal protection issues of the balcony panels design. The projecting part of the balcony panel, which is from a static point of view an overhanging end of a simply supported beam, is exposed to the direct effects of climate variations. Insulation of projecting part of the balcony panel is simple, but rarely applicable in practice, mainly due to a thickness of this cantilever structure with thermal insulation and balcony floor structure and therefore difficult height arrangement at the entrance to the balcony and problematic realization of the facade. Therefore, thermal insulation is usually placed at the edge of a single-leaf masonry or in the place of thermal insulation, which is place of the biggest static loading on the overhanging part of balcony panel. Possible solutions of contradictory requirements of statics and thermal protection and the impact of structural design on the course and the size of thermal bridges in the building envelope are shown on the analysis of balcony panels.
Hygrothermal Properties of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concretes
Authors: Nagy Balázs , Szagri Dóra
Published: January 2016

This paper defines the hygrothermal material properties (thermal conductivity, density, specific heat capacity, vapor diffusion coefficient and resistance, moisture storage function, water absorption coefficient and liquid transport coefficient) of steel fiber reinforced concretes that are widely used for industrial floors, based on laboratory measurements. The measured and calculated material properties are necessary to carry out a dynamic heat and moisture simulation of a component or a building containing steel fiber reinforced concrete layers.
LCA of Fibre Flax Thermal Insulation
Authors: Struhala Karel , Stránská Zuzana , Sedlák Jiří
Published: January 2016

This paper brings readers a study of Life-Cycle Assessment of thermal insulation panels made of the stems of fibre flax. This study uses cradle-to-gate system boundaries, which means that only growing and harvesting of flax and subsequent processing and manufacturing of the insulation material are included in the assessment. Transport between the facilities is also included, because it has significant impact on the results - the production facility is located in Czech Republic, but thanks to the costs main components (fibre flax stems and chemical additives) are grown or produced in various countries around the globe. The paper shows that production of such insulation material has environmental impacts comparable with other insulation materials. Conclusion of the paper includes discussion about share of individual parts of the production process (growing, harvesting, transport, processing and manufacturing) on the overall results and recommendations of changes that would lead to decrease the overall environmental impacts.
Cutting Edge: The RIG-I Ligand 3pRNA Potently Improves CTL Cross-Priming and Facilitates Antiviral Vaccination
Authors: Hochheiser Katharina , Klein Marika , Gottschalk Catherine , Hoss Florian , Scheu Stefanie , Coch Christoph , Hartmann Gunther , Kurts Christian
Published: January 2016

Protective immunity against intracellular pathogens involves the induction of robust CTL responses. Vaccination with protein Ags establishes such responses only when combined with immune-stimulatory adjuvants. In this study, we compared different adjuvants and identified triphosphate RNA (3pRNA) as especially effective at inducing CTL responses. 3pRNA sensing required IPS-1/MAVS signaling and induced type I IFN in plasmacytoid dendritic cells and macrophages, with the latter being more important for the adjuvant effect. Type I IFN acted on CD11c+ cells, especially on CD8α+ Batf3-dependent dendritic cells. Vaccination with OVA in combination with 3pRNA protected mice from a subsequent OVA-encoding adenovirus infection in a CD8+ cell–dependent manner and more efficiently than other adjuvants. In summary, 3pRNA is a superior adjuvant for CTL activation and might be useful to facilitate antiviral immunization strategies.
Chronically Elevated Levels of Short-Chain Fatty Acids Induce T Cell–Mediated Ureteritis and Hydronephrosis
Authors: Park Jeongho , Goergen Craig J. , HogenEsch Harm , Kim Chang H.
Published: January 2016

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are major products of gut microbial fermentation and profoundly affect host health and disease. SCFAs generate IL-10+ regulatory T cells, which may promote immune tolerance. However, SCFAs can also induce Th1 and Th17 cells upon immunological challenges and, therefore, also have the potential to induce inflammatory responses. Because of the seemingly paradoxical SCFA activities in regulating T cells, we investigated, in depth, the impact of elevated SCFA levels on T cells and tissue inflammation in mice. Orally administered SCFAs induced effector (Th1 and Th17) and regulatory T cells in ureter and kidney tissues, and they induced T cell–mediated ureteritis, leading to kidney hydronephrosis (hereafter called acetate-induced renal disease, or C2RD). Kidney hydronephrosis in C2RD was caused by ureteral obstruction, which was, in turn, induced by SCFA-induced inflammation in the ureteropelvic junction and proximal ureter. Oral administration of all major SCFAs, such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, induced the disease. We found that C2RD development is dependent on mammalian target of rapamycin activation, T cell–derived inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-17, and gut microbiota. Young or male animals were more susceptible than old or female animals, respectively. However, SCFA receptor (GPR41 or GPR43) deficiency did not affect C2RD development. Thus, SCFAs, when systemically administered at levels higher than physiological levels, cause dysregulated T cell responses and tissue inflammation in the renal system. The results provide insights into the immunological and pathological effects of chronically elevated SCFAs.