Showing papers by "Concordia University published in 2017"
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TL;DR: The qualitative and quantitative results prove the efficiency of SSA and MSSA and demonstrate the merits of the algorithms proposed in solving real-world problems with difficult and unknown search spaces.
3,027 citations
University of Warwick1, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital2, McGill University3, Forschungszentrum Jülich4, University of Düsseldorf5, Concordia University6, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg7, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit8, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research9, MIND Institute10, Stanford University11, University of California, Berkeley12, French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation13, Washington University in St. Louis14, Erasmus University Medical Center15, National University of Singapore16
TL;DR: Intentions from developing a set of recommendations on behalf of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping are described and barriers that impede these practices are identified, including how the discipline must change to fully exploit the potential of the world's neuroimaging data.
Abstract: Given concerns about the reproducibility of scientific findings, neuroimaging must define best practices for data analysis, results reporting, and algorithm and data sharing to promote transparency, reliability and collaboration. We describe insights from developing a set of recommendations on behalf of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping and identify barriers that impede these practices, including how the discipline must change to fully exploit the potential of the world's neuroimaging data.
544 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a comprehensive overview of the application of commercial TiO 2 photocatalysts for removal of VOCs in air is provided, including the reaction mechanisms and identified reaction intermediates/by-products for most prevalent VOC families.
Abstract: Inevitable presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor environment and their adverse impact on human health and productivity have encouraged the development of various technologies for air pollution remediation. Among these technologies, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is regarded as one of the most promising methods and has been the focus of many research works in the last two decades. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is by far the most investigated photocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of gaseous VOCs. This review article is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the application of commercial TiO 2 photocatalysts for removal of VOCs in air. First, the fundamentals of photocatalytic oxidation are briefly discussed and common TiO 2 -based photocatalysts are introduced. Then, the relations between the characteristics of photocatalysts (e.g. crystallinity, surface area and surface chemistry) and photocatalytic activity as well as the influence of key operating parameters on PCO processes are investigated. Afterwards, the reaction mechanisms and identified reaction intermediates/by-products for the most prevalent VOC families are reviewed. Finally, the paper discusses the deactivation of photocatalysts during PCO processes and some of the common regeneration techniques.
543 citations
TL;DR: Drawing on a global sustainability science and practice perspective, it is demonstrated that there must be greater attention on interlinkages in three areas: across sectors, across societal actors, and between and among low, medium and high income countries.
Abstract: On 25 September, 2015, world leaders met at the United Nations in New York, where they adopted the Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 goals and 169 targets set out an agenda for sustainable development for all nations that embraces economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. Now, the agenda moves from agreeing the goals to implementing and ultimately achieving them. Across the goals, 42 targets focus on means of implementation, and the final goal, Goal 17, is entirely devoted to means of implementation. However, these implementation targets are largely silent about interlinkages and interdependencies among goals. This leaves open the possibility of perverse outcomes and unrealised synergies. We demonstrate that there must be greater attention on interlinkages in three areas: across sectors (e.g., finance, agriculture, energy, and transport), across societal actors (local authorities, government agencies, private sector, and civil society), and between and among low, medium and high income countries. Drawing on a global sustainability science and practice perspective, we provide seven recommendations to improve these interlinkages at both global and national levels, in relation to the UN's categories of means of implementation: finance, technology, capacity building, trade, policy coherence, partnerships, and, finally, data, monitoring and accountability.
523 citations
TL;DR: This survey paper focuses on the enabling techniques for interweave CR networks which have received great attention from standards perspective due to its reliability to achieve the required quality-of-service.
Abstract: Due to the under-utilization problem of the allocated radio spectrum, cognitive radio (CR) communications have recently emerged as a reliable and effective solution. Among various network models, this survey paper focuses on the enabling techniques for interweave CR networks which have received great attention from standards perspective due to its reliability to achieve the required quality-of-service. Spectrum sensing provides the essential information to enable this interweave communications in which primary and secondary users are not allowed to access the medium concurrently. Several researchers have already considered various aspects to realize efficient techniques for spectrum sensing. In this direction, this survey paper provides a detailed review of the state-of-the-art related to the application of spectrum sensing in CR communications. Starting with the basic principles and the main features of interweave communications, this paper provides a classification of the main approaches based on the radio parameters. Subsequently, we review the existing spectrum sensing works applied to different categories such as narrowband sensing, narrowband spectrum monitoring, wideband sensing, cooperative sensing, practical implementation considerations for various techniques, and the recent standards that rely on the interweave network model. Furthermore, we present the latest advances related to the implementation of the legacy spectrum sensing approaches. Finally, we conclude this survey paper with some suggested open research challenges and future directions for the CR networks in next generation Internet-of-Things applications.
483 citations
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TL;DR: A comprehensive survey on fog computing is presented in this article, which critically reviews the state of the art in the light of a concise set of evaluation criteria and challenges and research directions.
Abstract: Cloud computing with its three key facets (i.e., IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) and its inherent advantages (e.g., elasticity and scalability) still faces several challenges. The distance between the cloud and the end devices might be an issue for latency-sensitive applications such as disaster management and content delivery applications. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) may also impose processing at locations where the cloud provider does not have data centers. Fog computing is a novel paradigm to address such issues. It enables provisioning resources and services outside the cloud, at the edge of the network, closer to end devices or eventually, at locations stipulated by SLAs. Fog computing is not a substitute for cloud computing but a powerful complement. It enables processing at the edge while still offering the possibility to interact with the cloud. This article presents a comprehensive survey on fog computing. It critically reviews the state of the art in the light of a concise set of evaluation criteria. We cover both the architectures and the algorithms that make fog systems. Challenges and research directions are also introduced. In addition, the lessons learned are reviewed and the prospects are discussed in terms of the key role fog is likely to play in emerging technologies such as Tactile Internet.
450 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple climate-carbon-cycle model with estimated ranges for key climate system properties from the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report is combined with a simple model to show that, with ambitious non-CO2 mitigation, net future cumulative CO2 emissions are unlikely to prove less than 250 GtC and unlikely greater than 540GtC.
Abstract: The Paris Agreement has opened debate on whether limiting warming to 1.5 °C is compatible with current emission pledges and warming of about 0.9 °C from the mid-nineteenth century to the present decade. We show that limiting cumulative post-2015 CO2 emissions to about 200 GtC would limit post-2015 warming to less than 0.6 °C in 66% of Earth system model members of the CMIP5 ensemble with no mitigation of other climate drivers, increasing to 240 GtC with ambitious non-CO2 mitigation. We combine a simple climate–carbon-cycle model with estimated ranges for key climate system properties from the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. Assuming emissions peak and decline to below current levels by 2030, and continue thereafter on a much steeper decline, which would be historically unprecedented but consistent with a standard ambitious mitigation scenario (RCP2.6), results in a likely range of peak warming of 1.2–2.0 °C above the mid-nineteenth century. If CO2 emissions are continuously adjusted over time to limit 2100 warming to 1.5 °C, with ambitious non-CO2 mitigation, net future cumulative CO2 emissions are unlikely to prove less than 250 GtC and unlikely greater than 540 GtC. Hence, limiting warming to 1.5 °C is not yet a geophysical impossibility, but is likely to require delivery on strengthened pledges for 2030 followed by challengingly deep and rapid mitigation. Strengthening near-term emissions reductions would hedge against a high climate response or subsequent reduction rates proving economically, technically or politically unfeasible.
439 citations
TL;DR: In this review, the impacts of some controlling parameters including the H2O2 and catalyst dosage, solution pH, initial contaminants concentrations, temperature, type of catalyst, intensity of irradiation, reaction time and feeding mode on the removal efficiencies of hetero/homogeneous Fenton processes are discussed.
426 citations
Utrecht University1, United States Department of Energy2, National Autonomous University of Mexico3, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens4, University of Debrecen5, Leiden University6, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation7, University of Göttingen8, Maynooth University9, University of Seville10, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna11, Broad Institute12, Huazhong Agricultural University13, State University of Campinas14, International Sleep Products Association15, Université libre de Bruxelles16, University of Nottingham17, Aix-Marseille University18, Pasteur Institute19, King Abdulaziz University20, Institut national de la recherche agronomique21, University of Helsinki22, University of Amsterdam23, University of Ioannina24, University of St Andrews25, Saint Petersburg State University26, Spanish National Research Council27, Federal University of São Carlos28, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences29, Technical University of Berlin30, National Scientific and Technical Research Council31, Concordia University32, Kyungpook National University33, University of the Republic34, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology35, University of Sulaymaniyah36, University of Ljubljana37, Leibniz Association38, Stanford University39, Kansas State University40, Technical University of Denmark41, University of Wisconsin-Madison42, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory43, University of Jena44, University of São Paulo45, University of Kansas46, Université Paris-Saclay47, Imperial College London48, Vienna University of Technology49
TL;DR: In this article, a comparative genomics and experimental study of the aspergilli genus is presented, which allows for the first time a genus-wide view of the biological diversity of the Aspergillus and in many, but not all, cases linked genome differences to phenotype.
Abstract: Background: The fungal genus Aspergillus is of critical importance to humankind. Species include those with industrial applications, important pathogens of humans, animals and crops, a source of potent carcinogenic contaminants of food, and an important genetic model. The genome sequences of eight aspergilli have already been explored to investigate aspects of fungal biology, raising questions about evolution and specialization within this genus. Results: We have generated genome sequences for ten novel, highly diverse Aspergillus species and compared these in detail to sister and more distant genera. Comparative studies of key aspects of fungal biology, including primary and secondary metabolism, stress response, biomass degradation, and signal transduction, revealed both conservation and diversity among the species. Observed genomic differences were validated with experimental studies. This revealed several highlights, such as the potential for sex in asexual species, organic acid production genes being a key feature of black aspergilli, alternative approaches for degrading plant biomass, and indications for the genetic basis of stress response. A genome-wide phylogenetic analysis demonstrated in detail the relationship of the newly genome sequenced species with other aspergilli. Conclusions: Many aspects of biological differences between fungal species cannot be explained by current knowledge obtained from genome sequences. The comparative genomics and experimental study, presented here, allows for the first time a genus-wide view of the biological diversity of the aspergilli and in many, but not all, cases linked genome differences to phenotype. Insights gained could be exploited for biotechnological and medical applications of fungi.
349 citations
National Institute of Standards and Technology1, University of Florida2, Roskamp Institute3, Steno Diabetes Center4, University of Nebraska Medical Center5, University of California, San Diego6, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center7, Harvard University8, Kyushu University9, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention10, Uppsala University11, Southampton General Hospital12, University of California, Davis13, National University of Singapore14, Karolinska Institutet15, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute16, Brigham and Women's Hospital17, Columbia University Medical Center18, King Abdulaziz University19, New York Medical College20, University of Victoria21, Thermo Fisher Scientific22, Örebro University23, University of Michigan24, Biocrates Life Sciences AG25, Medical University of Graz26, Albert Einstein College of Medicine27, Wayne State University28, Concordia University29, Duke University30, Åbo Akademi University31, Medical University of South Carolina32, Kansas State University33, Max Planck Society34
TL;DR: The central theme of the interlaboratory study was to provide values to help harmonize lipids, lipid mediators, and precursor measurements across the community, and it was also initiated to stimulate a discussion regarding areas in need of improvement.
294 citations
University of Southern California1, Northern Arizona University2, MathWorks3, University of Arizona4, Australian National University5, United States Geological Survey6, Australian Antarctic Division7, University of Tasmania8, University of Maryland, College Park9, University of Melbourne10, Spanish National Research Council11, University of Cambridge12, University of Wollongong13, University of Bern14, Ca' Foscari University of Venice15, University of Texas at Austin16, University of Bergen17, Chinese Academy of Sciences18, Norwegian Polar Institute19, National University of Cuyo20, University of Washington21, University of Adelaide22, Victoria University of Wellington23, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research24, University of Montpellier25, National Taiwan Ocean University26, Columbia University27, Louisiana State University28, University of Maine29, Saint Petersburg State University30, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute31, Northumbria University32, Lund University33, Institut national de la recherche scientifique34, Tribhuvan University35, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology36, University of Ottawa37, Université catholique de Louvain38, Hirosaki University39, University of Gothenburg40, Xiamen University41, National Institute of Polar Research42, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology43, Aix-Marseille University44, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research45, Russian Academy of Sciences46, Autonomous University of Barcelona47, British Antarctic Survey48, University of Tübingen49, University of the Witwatersrand50, University of Brighton51, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research52, Université Paris-Saclay53, Sukachev Institute of Forest54, University of Toronto55, University at Buffalo56, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation57, Aarhus University58, University of Florence59, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University60, Paul Scherrer Institute61, University of Minnesota62, University of Regina63, Concordia University64, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research65, University of New South Wales66, University of the Ryukyus67, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration68, University of Colorado Boulder69, Lehigh University70, Free University of Berlin71, Australian Institute of Marine Science72
TL;DR: A community-sourced database of temperature-sensitive proxy records from the PAGES2k initiative, suited to investigations of global and regional temperature variability over the Common Era, and is shared in the Linked Paleo Data (LiPD) format, including serializations in Matlab, R and Python.
Abstract: Reproducible climate reconstructions of the Common Era (1 CE to present) are key to placing industrial-era warming into the context of natural climatic variability. Here we present a community-sourced database of temperature-sensitive proxy records from the PAGES2k initiative. The database gathers 692 records from 648 locations, including all continental regions and major ocean basins. The records are from trees, ice, sediment, corals, speleothems, documentary evidence, and other archives. They range in length from 50 to 2000 years, with a median of 547 years, while temporal resolution ranges from biweekly to centennial. Nearly half of the proxy time series are significantly correlated with HadCRUT4.2 surface temperature over the period 1850–2014. Global temperature composites show a remarkable degree of coherence between high- and low-resolution archives, with broadly similar patterns across archive types, terrestrial versus marine locations, and screening criteria. The database is suited to investigations of global and regional temperature variability over the Common Era, and is shared in the Linked Paleo Data (LiPD) format, including serializations in Matlab, R and Python.
TL;DR: A big picture perspective on work design research is taken and five key work design perspectives that map onto distinct historical developments are identified that build connections across the clusters and it is argued that there is scope for further integration.
Abstract: In this article we take a big picture perspective on work design research. In the first section of the paper we identify influential work design articles and use scientific mapping to identify distinct clusters of research. Pulling this material together, we identify five key work design perspectives that map onto distinct historical developments: (a) sociotechnical systems and autonomous work groups, (b) job characteristics model, (c) job demands-control model, (d) job demands-resources model, and (e) role theory. The grounding of these perspectives in the past is understandable, but we suggest that some of the distinction between clusters is convenient rather than substantive. Thus we also identify contemporary integrative perspectives on work design that build connections across the clusters and we argue that there is scope for further integration. In the second section of the paper, we review the role of Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) in shaping work design research. We conclude that JAP has played a vital role in the advancement of this topic over the last 100 years. Nevertheless, we suspect that to continue to play a leading role in advancing the science and practice of work design, the journal might need to publish research that is broader, more contextualized, and team-oriented. In the third section, we address the impact of work design research on: applied psychology and management, disciplines beyond our own, management thinking, work practice, and national policy agendas. Finally, we draw together observations from our analysis and identify key future directions for the field. (PsycINFO Database Record
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a comparative analysis to provide a state-of-the-art review of the recent attempts towards mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
TL;DR: Different from previous work, the wind effect is taken into the hypersonic flight dynamics for realistic analysis, and the novel controller is designed using compound estimation, where the NN and the DOB are constructed to deal with aerodynamic uncertainty and unknown disturbance.
Abstract: This paper investigates the disturbance observer (DOB)-based neural adaptive control on the longitudinal dynamics of a flexible hypersonic flight vehicle (HFV) in the presence of wind effects The coupling effect between flexible states and rigid body, and the accessional angle of attack (AOA) due to wind, is modeled as unknown disturbance, where the nonlinear DOB is constructed using the neural approximation For the weight update in neural networks (NNs), a novel algorithm is proposed with the additional prediction error derived from the serial–parallel estimation model (SPEM) using both neural approximation and disturbance estimation Different from previous work, the wind effect is taken into the hypersonic flight dynamics for realistic analysis, and the novel controller is designed using compound estimation, where the NN and the DOB are constructed to deal with aerodynamic uncertainty and unknown disturbance Simulation studies of a flexible HFV with wind effects show that the proposed controller can achieve high tracking accuracy, while the compound estimation can closely follow the system uncertainty with fast convergence
TL;DR: A taxonomy that categorizes the RA algorithms proposed in literature based on the approaches, criteria, common techniques, and network architecture is provided and the state-of-the-art resource allocation algorithms are reviewed according to the provided taxonomy.
Abstract: For conventional wireless networks, the main target of resource allocation (RA) is to efficiently utilize the available resources. Generally, there are no changes in the available spectrum, thus static spectrum allocation policies were adopted. However, these allocation policies lead to spectrum under-utilization. In this regard, cognitive radio networks (CRNs) have received great attention due to their potential to improve the spectrum utilization. In general, efficient spectrum management and resource allocation are essential and very crucial for CRNs. This is due to the fact that unlicensed users should attain the most benefit from accessing the licensed spectrum without causing adverse interference to the licensed ones. The cognitive users or called secondary users have to effectively capture the arising spectrum opportunities in time, frequency, and space to transmit their data. Mainly, two aspects characterize the resource allocation for CRNs: 1) primary (licensed) network protection and 2) secondary (unlicensed) network performance enhancement in terms of quality-of-service, throughput, fairness, energy efficiency, etc. CRNs can operate in one of three known operation modes: 1) interweave; 2) overlay; and 3) underlay. Among which the underlay cognitive radio mode is known to be highly efficient in terms of spectrum utilization. This is because the unlicensed users are allowed to share the same channels with the active licensed users under some conditions. In this paper, we provide a survey for resource allocation in underlay CRNs. In particular, we first define the RA process and its components for underlay CRNs. Second, we provide a taxonomy that categorizes the RA algorithms proposed in literature based on the approaches, criteria, common techniques, and network architecture. Then, the state-of-the-art resource allocation algorithms are reviewed according to the provided taxonomy. Additionally, comparisons among different proposals are provided. Finally, directions for future research are outlined.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that each practice is a hybrid of sharing and exchange, and provide several recommendations based on the nature of each practice's offering, such as swapping, bartering, trading, renting, sharing, and exchanging.
TL;DR: In this paper, a two-echelon sustainable supply chain system with deteriorating items consisting of one manufacturer and one retailer under carbon cap-and-trade regulation is studied, and the results show that cooperation between the manufacturer and retailer may lead to higher profit and lower carbon emissions.
TL;DR: This paper presents an approach to automatically identify design and requirement self-admitted technical debt using Natural Language Processing (NLP), and shows that the proposed approach can achieve a good accuracy even with a relatively small training dataset.
Abstract: The metaphor of technical debt was introduced to express the trade off between productivity and quality, i.e., when developers take shortcuts or perform quick hacks. More recently, our work has shown that it is possible to detect technical debt using source code comments (i.e., self-admitted technical debt), and that the most common types of self-admitted technical debt are design and requirement debt. However, all approaches thus far heavily depend on the manual classification of source code comments. In this paper, we present an approach to automatically identify design and requirement self-admitted technical debt using Natural Language Processing (NLP). We study 10 open source projects: Ant, ArgoUML, Columba, EMF, Hibernate, JEdit, JFreeChart, JMeter, JRuby and SQuirrel SQL and find that 1) we are able to accurately identify self-admitted technical debt, significantly outperforming the current state-of-the-art based on fixed keywords and phrases; 2) words related to sloppy code or mediocre source code quality are the best indicators of design debt, whereas words related to the need to complete a partially implemented requirement in the future are the best indicators of requirement debt; and 3) we can achieve 90 percent of the best classification performance, using as little as 23 percent of the comments for both design and requirement self-admitted technical debt, and 80 percent of the best performance, using as little as 9 and 5 percent of the comments for design and requirement self-admitted technical debt, respectively. The last finding shows that the proposed approach can achieve a good accuracy even with a relatively small training dataset.
TL;DR: A heuristic algorithm dubbed Greedy- ${k}$ -shortest paths (GSP) is proposed for the purpose of overcoming the MILP’s complexity and develop an efficient routing scheme whose results are comparable to those of READ's optimal counterparts.
Abstract: Traditionally, service-specific network functions (NFs) (e.g., Firewall, intrusion detection system, etc.) are executed by installation-and maintenance-costly hardware middleboxes that are deployed within a datacenter network following a strictly ordered chain. NF virtualization (NFV) virtualizes these NFs and transforms them into instances of plain software referred to as virtual NFs (VNFs) and executed by virtual machines, which, in turn, are hosted over one or multiple industry-standard physical machines. The failure (e.g., hardware or software) of any one of a service chain’s VNFs leads to breaking down the entire chain and causing significant data losses, delays, and resource wastage. This paper establishes a reliability-aware and delay-constrained (READ) routing optimization framework for NFV-enabled datacenter networks. READ encloses the formulation of a complex mixed integer linear program (MILP) whose resolution yields an optimal network service VNF placement and traffic routing policy that jointly maximizes the achieved respective reliabilities of supported network services and minimizes these services’ respective end-to-end delays. A heuristic algorithm dubbed Greedy- ${k}$ -shortest paths (GSP) is proposed for the purpose of overcoming the MILP’s complexity and develop an efficient routing scheme whose results are comparable to those of READ’s optimal counterparts. Thorough numerical analyses are conducted to evaluate the network’s performance under GSP, and hence, gauge its merit; particularly, when compared to existing schemes, GSP exhibits an improvement of 18.5% in terms of the average end-to-end delay as well as 7.4% to 14.8% in terms of reliability.
TL;DR: The proposed framework provides a systematic mean for evaluating the data that is generated by a given SZZ implementation and finds that current SZZ implementations still lack mechanisms to accurately identify bug-introducing changes.
Abstract: The approach proposed by Śliwerski, Zimmermann, and Zeller (SZZ) for identifying bug-introducing changes is at the foundation of several research areas within the software engineering discipline. Despite the foundational role of SZZ, little effort has been made to evaluate its results. Such an evaluation is a challenging task because the ground truth is not readily available. By acknowledging such challenges, we propose a framework to evaluate the results of alternative SZZ implementations. The framework evaluates the following criteria: (1) the earliest bug appearance, (2) the future impact of changes, and (3) the realism of bug introduction. We use the proposed framework to evaluate five SZZ implementations using data from ten open source projects. We find that previously proposed improvements to SZZ tend to inflate the number of incorrectly identified bug-introducing changes. We also find that a single bug-introducing change may be blamed for introducing hundreds of future bugs. Furthermore, we find that SZZ implementations report that at least 46 percent of the bugs are caused by bug-introducing changes that are years apart from one another. Such results suggest that current SZZ implementations still lack mechanisms to accurately identify bug-introducing changes. Our proposed framework provides a systematic mean for evaluating the data that is generated by a given SZZ implementation.
TL;DR: A simple real-time index of global human-induced warming is proposed and its robustness to uncertainties in climate forcing and short-term climate fluctuations is assessed.
Abstract: We propose a simple real-time index of global human-induced warming and assess its robustness to uncertainties in climate forcing and short-term climate fluctuations. This index provides improved scientific context for temperature stabilisation targets and has the potential to decrease the volatility of climate policy. We quantify uncertainties arising from temperature observations, climate radiative forcings, internal variability and the model response. Our index and the associated rate of human-induced warming is compatible with a range of other more sophisticated methods to estimate the human contribution to observed global temperature change.
TL;DR: A novel forest fire detection method using both color and motion features for processing images captured from the camera mounted on a UAV which is moving during the whole mission period is proposed.
Abstract: Due to their fast response capability, low cost and without danger to personnel safety since there is no human pilot on-board, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with vision-based systems have great potential for monitoring and detecting forest fires. This paper proposes a novel forest fire detection method using both color and motion features for processing images captured from the camera mounted on a UAV which is moving during the whole mission period. First, a color-based fire detection algorithm with light computational demand is designed to extract fire-colored pixels as fire candidate regions by making use of chromatic feature of fire and obtaining fire candidate regions for further analysis. As the pose variations and low-frequency vibrations of UAV cause all objects and background in the images are moving, it is challenging to identify fires defending on a single motion based method. Two types of optical flow algorithms, a classical optical flow algorithm and an optimal mass transport optical flow algorithm, are then combined to compute motion vectors of the fire candidate regions. Fires are thereby expected to be distinguished from other fire analogues based on their motion features. Several groups of experiments are conducted to validate that the proposed method can effectively extract and track fire pixels in aerial video sequences. The good performance is anticipated to significantly improve the accuracy of forest fire detection and reduce false alarm rates without increasing much computation efforts.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review the recent advancements in building predictive control with energy storage system and pay special attention to its limitations and abilities, while considering both loads and renewable energy production.
TL;DR: A number of guidelines are provided for researchers to follow and it is stressed that they need to address methodological shortcomings before concluding that ecological differences are unrelated to phylogenetic distances.
Abstract: The merger of phylogenies with ecology has given rise to the field of “community phylogenetics” predicated on the assumption that ecological differences among species can be estimated from phylogenetic relationships (the phylogenetic distance/ecological difference, PDED, hypothesis). A number of studies have failed to find strong support for this assumption, thus challenging the utility of phylogenetic approaches. This gap might highlight the fact that the PDED relationship is not useful for community assembly, but it is difficult to know because the lack of a relationship might also be due to a number of biological or methodological reasons, including inappropriate phylogenies, skewed distributions of phylogenetic distances, the lack of consideration of models of trait evolution, or the absence of sufficient niche space in experimental and observational venues. Each of these limitations, separately or combined, may confound recent experimental or observational results that examine relationships between phylogenetic distance and ecological differences. Notably, common evolutionary models can support alternative conclusions about the relationship between evolutionary distances and ecological differences than typically assumed and can change interpretations of community-based phylogenetic analyses. Here we review a number of issues that may lead to confounded effects in community phylogenetic analyses. In light of these potential pitfalls, we provide a number of guidelines for researchers to follow and stress that they need to address methodological shortcomings before concluding that ecological differences are unrelated to phylogenetic distances.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined whether the imposition of higher capital ratios is effective in reducing risk and improving the efficiency and profitability of banking institutions using a sample of 1992 banks from 39 OECD countries during the 1999-2013 period.
TL;DR: Different types of optimization problems, constraints and techniques as well as the optimization tools used in district energy systems are discussed.
TL;DR: It is shown that CMRA can be regarded as an atomic norm minimization model or a gridless version of the sparsity-based methods and can recover more signals than sensors with a well-designed array.
Abstract: It is known that there exist two kinds of methods for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation in the literature: the subspace-based method and the sparsity-based method. However, pervious works reveal that the former method cannot address the case in which the number of signals is larger than that of sensors, whereas the latter one always suffers from the influence of basis mismatch. In this paper, to overcome these two shortcomings, we propose a new method called covariance matrix reconstruction approach (CMRA) for both uniform linear array and sparse linear array. In particular, by exploiting the Toeplitz structure of the covariance matrix of the array output, we formulate a low-rank matrix reconstruction (LRMR) problem for covariance matrix recovery. The nonconvex LRMR problem is then relaxed by replacing the rank norm with the nuclear norm and solved using the optimization toolbox. Next, we retrieve the DOAs from the recovered covariance matrix by using the subspace-based methods and obtain an estimated number of signals as a byproduct. We also provide two algorithm implementations for the LRMR problem based on duality and alternating direction method of multipliers, respectively. It is shown that CMRA can be regarded as an atomic norm minimization model or a gridless version of the sparsity-based methods and can recover more signals than sensors with a well-designed array. Numerical experiments are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, in comparison with some of the existing methods.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors use reference points to evaluate financial performance, frame gain or loss positions, and guide strategic behavior, but there is little theoretical underpinning to explain how social per...
Abstract: Firms use reference points to evaluate financial performance, frame gain or loss positions, and guide strategic behavior. However, there is little theoretical underpinning to explain how social per...
University of Virginia1, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine2, University of Copenhagen3, Cornell University4, Concordia University5, George Washington University6, Case Western Reserve University7, University of Texas at Austin8, University of California, San Diego9, Yerkes National Primate Research Center10, Monash University, Clayton campus11
TL;DR: It is hypothesized that all these therapies alter central inhibitory and excitatory pathways and significantly affects quality of life in women and can effectively be managed by health care providers with appropriate assessments and individualized treatments.
Abstract: The objective of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health expert consensus panel was to develop a concise, clinically relevant, evidence-based review of the epidemiology, physiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a sexual dysfunction affecting approximately 10% of adult women. Etiologic factors include conditions or drugs that decrease brain dopamine, melanocortin, oxytocin, and norepinephrine levels and augment brain serotonin, endocannabinoid, prolactin, and opioid levels. Symptoms include lack or loss of motivation to participate in sexual activity due to absent or decreased spontaneous desire, sexual desire in response to erotic cues or stimulation, or ability to maintain desire or interest through sexual activity for at least 6 months, with accompanying distress. Treatment follows a biopsychosocial model and is guided by history and assessment of symptoms. Sex therapy has been the standard treatment, although there is a paucity of studies assessing efficacy, except for mindfulness-based cognitive behavior therapy. Bupropion and buspirone may be considered off-label treatments for HSDD, despite limited safety and efficacy data. Menopausal women with HSDD may benefit from off-label testosterone treatment, as evidenced by multiple clinical trials reporting some efficacy and short-term safety. Currently, flibanserin is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved medication to treat premenopausal women with generalized acquired HSDD. Based on existing data, we hypothesize that all these therapies alter central inhibitory and excitatory pathways. In conclusion, HSDD significantly affects quality of life in women and can effectively be managed by health care providers with appropriate assessments and individualized treatments.
21 Aug 2017
TL;DR: It is found that trivial packages are common and are increasing in popularity, making up 16.8% of the studied npm packages and 38,000 JavaScript applications, and that developers should be careful about which trivial packages they decide to use.
Abstract: Code reuse is traditionally seen as good practice. Recent trends have pushed the concept of code reuse to an extreme, by using packages that implement simple and trivial tasks, which we call `trivial packages'. A recent incident where a trivial package led to the breakdown of some of the most popular web applications such as Facebook and Netflix made it imperative to question the growing use of trivial packages. Therefore, in this paper, we mine more than 230,000 npm packages and 38,000 JavaScript applications in order to study the prevalence of trivial packages. We found that trivial packages are common and are increasing in popularity, making up 16.8% of the studied npm packages. We performed a survey with 88 Node.js developers who use trivial packages to understand the reasons and drawbacks of their use. Our survey revealed that trivial packages are used because they are perceived to be well implemented and tested pieces of code. However, developers are concerned about maintaining and the risks of breakages due to the extra dependencies trivial packages introduce. To objectively verify the survey results, we empirically validate the most cited reason and drawback and find that, contrary to developers' beliefs, only 45.2% of trivial packages even have tests. However, trivial packages appear to be `deployment tested' and to have similar test, usage and community interest as non-trivial packages. On the other hand, we found that 11.5% of the studied trivial packages have more than 20 dependencies. Hence, developers should be careful about which trivial packages they decide to use.