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Applied Sciences
Effect of Two-Photon Stark Shift on the Multi-Frequency Raman Spectra -
Microorganisms
Rhizophagy Cycle: An Oxidative Process in Plants for Nutrient Extraction from Symbiotic Microbes -
Applied Sciences
Medical Applications of Antibacterial 3D Printing Filament -
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
How Work-Related Smartphone Use During Non-Work Time and Sleep Quality Impact Next-Day Self-Control Processes at Work -
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The UK Scholarly Communication Licence: Attempting to Cut through the Gordian Knot of the Complexities of Funder Mandates, Publisher Embargoes and Researcher Caution in Achieving Open Access
Latest Articles
Head-Raising of Snake Robots Based on a Predefined Spiral Curve Method
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Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(11), 2011; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8112011 (registering DOI) - 23 October 2018
Abstract
A snake robot has to raise its head to acquire a wide visual space for planning complex tasks such as inspecting unknown environments, tracking a flying object and acting as a manipulator with its raising part. However, only a few researchers currently focus
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A snake robot has to raise its head to acquire a wide visual space for planning complex tasks such as inspecting unknown environments, tracking a flying object and acting as a manipulator with its raising part. However, only a few researchers currently focus on analyzing the head-raising motion of snake robots. Thus, a predefined spiral curve method is proposed for the head-raising motion of such robots. First, the expression of the predefined spiral curve is designed. Second, with the curve and a line segments model of a snake robot, a shape-fitting algorithm is developed for constraining the robot’s macro shape. Third, the coordinate system of the line segments model of the robot is established. Then, phase-shifting and angle-solving algorithms are developed to obtain the angle sequences of roll, pitch, and yaw during the head-raising motion. Finally, the head-raising motion is simulated using the angle sequences to validate the feasibility of this method.
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Depression and Its Association with Health-Related Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women in Korea
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(11), 2327; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112327 (registering DOI) - 23 October 2018
Abstract
Menopause is associated with depressive symptoms that can significantly affect a woman’s quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, participants (
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Menopause is associated with depressive symptoms that can significantly affect a woman’s quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, participants (n = 3860) were selected from the 2013–2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The sociodemographic characteristics, medical history of depression, and EQ-5D scores of the participants were obtained from the KNHANES dataset. Age, educational level, and income were associated with HRQoL in these participants. Moreover, depression exerted a considerable influence on HRQoL in postmenopausal women. The adjusted odds ratios in participants with depression for the EQ-5D dimensions were as follows: 5.52 (95% CI = 4.04–7.55, p < 0.001) for anxiety/depression, 3.86 (95% CI = 2.78–5.36, p < 0.001) for usual activities, and 2.52 (95% CI = 1.68–3.78, p < 0.001) for self-care. Our findings suggest a strong association between depression and HRQoL. Hence, preventing the onset or exacerbation of depression may significantly improve quality of life in postmenopausal women.
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A Practical Multi-Sensor Cooling Demand Estimation Approach Based on Visual, Indoor and Outdoor Information Sensing
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Sensors 2018, 18(11), 3591; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18113591 (registering DOI) - 23 October 2018
Abstract
The operating efficiency of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is critical for building energy performance. Demand-based control is an efficient HVAC operating strategy, which can provide an appropriate level of HVAC services based on the recognition of actual cooling “demand.” The
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The operating efficiency of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is critical for building energy performance. Demand-based control is an efficient HVAC operating strategy, which can provide an appropriate level of HVAC services based on the recognition of actual cooling “demand.” The cooling demand primarily relies on the accurate detection of occupancy. The current researches of demand-based HVAC control tend to detect the occupant count using cameras or other sensors, which often impose high computation and costs with limited real-life applications. Instead of detecting the occupant count, this paper proposes to detect the occupancy density. The occupancy density (estimated by image foreground moving pixels) together with the indoor and outdoor information (acquired from existing sensors) are used as inputs to an artificial neural network model for cooling demand estimation. Experiments have been implemented in a university design studio. Results show that, by adding the occupancy density, the cooling demand estimation error is greatly reduced by 67.4% and the R value is improved from 0.75 to 0.96. The proposed approach also features low-cost, computationally efficient, privacy-friendly and easily implementable. It shows good application potentials and can be readily incorporated into existing building management systems for improving energy efficiency.
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Modelling Two Dimensional Affected Regions by “Seca” Disease with Proximity Diagrams
Proceedings 2018, 2(20), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2201303 (registering DOI) - 23 October 2018
Abstract
In this work we propose a mathematical model to determine the potentially propagation areas of the Mediterranean Quercus disease commonly referred to as “seca” in specific areas of Extremadura. To do it we will use optimal computational geometry algorithms based on proximity diagrams
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In this work we propose a mathematical model to determine the potentially propagation areas of the Mediterranean Quercus disease commonly referred to as “seca” in specific areas of Extremadura. To do it we will use optimal computational geometry algorithms based on proximity diagrams that permit to design a pathogen transmission map and to determine causing agents.
Full article
Determination of the Thermally Comfortable Air Temperature with Consideration of Individual Clothing and Activity as Preparation for a New Smart Home Heating System
Proceedings 2018, 2(19), 1224; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2191224 (registering DOI) - 23 October 2018
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to determine a thermally comfortable air temperature in an automated living room. This calculated temperature should serve as input for a user-specific and dynamic heating control in an automated living space. In addition to the usual physical
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The aim of this paper is to determine a thermally comfortable air temperature in an automated living room. This calculated temperature should serve as input for a user-specific and dynamic heating control in an automated living space. In addition to the usual physical factors (air temperature, humidity, air velocity and radiation temperature), individual clothing and activity should be taken into account. The calculation of such a temperature is based on different methods and indices which are usually used for the evaluation of the thermal comfort. The thermal insulation of the worn clothing is determined by 3 different methods. These is a radio frequency identification system, a thermal imaging camera system and a theoretical calculation of the clothing likely to be worn based on temperature data. The activity performed is only taken into account indirectly through the generated heart rate. All these methods are ultimately very well suited for use in temperature regulation in an automated home, but require further research and extensive evaluation.
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Impact of Beacon-Dependent Parameters on Bluetooth Low Energy Indoor Positioning Accuracy
Proceedings 2018, 2(19), 1223; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2191223 (registering DOI) - 23 October 2018
Abstract
Blue Low Energy technology is playing an important role nowadays in ubiquitous systems, being the beacons a key element. The configuration of parameters related to the beacons, such as their transmission power or their advertising interval should be studied in order to build
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Blue Low Energy technology is playing an important role nowadays in ubiquitous systems, being the beacons a key element. The configuration of parameters related to the beacons, such as their transmission power or their advertising interval should be studied in order to build fingerprinting indoor positioning systems based on this technology as accurate as possible. In this work, we study the impact and the interplay of those parameters in static indoor positioning as well as the orientation effect in the calibration phase. To reduce the time of data collection, a semi-automatic system is introduced.
Full article
Accessibility Index for Smart Cities
Proceedings 2018, 2(19), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2191219 (registering DOI) - 23 October 2018
Abstract
There is a growing social awareness about accessibility. The accessibility in cities and public spaces has become in an important issue in official agendas due to recent European directives. There are several studies on the way to improve accessibility in cities but they
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There is a growing social awareness about accessibility. The accessibility in cities and public spaces has become in an important issue in official agendas due to recent European directives. There are several studies on the way to improve accessibility in cities but they do not offer the possibility of view if solutions applied are valid over time. This paper proposes a method to measure the degree of accessibility of a city or urban area by using data from conflicting accessibility points collected by the own citizens. It will allow us to visualize in a concise way how accessible a city is and its progression in the time.
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