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Found 6334 publications
Enhancing UAV Autonomous Navigation in Indoor Environments Using Reinforcement Learning and Convolutional Neural Networks
Publication Name: Sisy 2024 IEEE 22nd International Symposium on Intelligent Systems and Informatics Proceedings
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 91-100
Description:
In recent years, the number of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications has increased. However, navigating them indoors is still tricky because no GPS signals are available, and the obstacles constantly change. This study exploits the collaboration between convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and reinforcement learning (RL) to overcome these challenges, improving the level of independence of UAVs in indoor settings. We present a new technique known as potential-based reward shaping, which directly incorporates expert knowledge into the reinforcement learning framework. This technique efficiently addresses the problem of sparse rewards that often hinder learning in conventional RL configurations. In addition, we have created a reflective reinforcement learning agent that systematically assesses its actions to prioritize those that result in the most substantial enhancements. We have extensively evaluated the performance of our method with the High-Definition Indoor Navigation (HDIN) dataset to show that our method continuously outperformed current non-introspective RL techniques in terms of decision-making speed and navigation accuracy in this evaluation. The results show that this new CNN-RL combination is feasible and suggests a scalable method for complex indoor navigation problems.
Open Access: Yes
New Insights Optimize Landing Strategies to Reduce Lower Limb Injury Risk
Publication Name: Cyborg and Bionic Systems
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 5
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Single-leg landing (SL) is often associated with a high injury risk, especially anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and lateral ankle sprain. This work investigates the relationship between ankle motion patterns (ankle initial contact angle [AICA] and ankle range of motion [AROM]) and the lower limb injury risk during SL, and proposes an optimized landing strategy that can reduce the injury risk. To more realistically revert and simulate the ACL injury mechanics, we developed a knee musculoskeletal model that reverts the ACL ligament to a nonlinear short-term viscoelastic mechanical mechanism (strain ratedependent) generated by the dense connective tissue as a function of strain. Sixty healthy male subjects were recruited to collect biomechanics data during SL. The correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between AICA, AROM, and peak vertical ground reaction force (PVGRF), joint total energy dissipation (TED), peak ankle knee hip sagittal moment, peak ankle inversion angle (PAIA), and peak ACL force (PAF). AICA exhibits a negative correlation with PVGRF (r = -0.591) and PAF (r = -0.554), and a positive correlation with TED (r = 0.490) and PAIA (r = 0.502). AROM exhibits a positive correlation with TED (r = 0.687) and PAIA (r = 0.600). The results suggested that the appropriate increases in AICA (30° to 40°) and AROM (50° to 70°) may reduce the lower limb injury risk. This study has the potential to offer novel perspectives on the optimized application of landing strategies, thus giving the crucial theoretical basis for decreasing injury risk.
Open Access: Yes
Inclusive growth: Literature review
Publication Name: Journal of International Studies
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Page Range: 205-232
Description:
The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of scholarly literature within the domain of inclusive growth. It meticulously categorises diverse approaches aimed at delineating the essence of inclusive growth, encompassing the articulation of principal objectives, and identifying challenges that inclusive growth endeavours to address. Furthermore, to enhance the organization of research and attain a nuanced understanding of prevalent, well-explored, and under-researched themes, the study advocates for a supplementary bibliometric analysis of publications on inclusive growth. Utilizing data extracted from the Scopus and Web of Science databases from 1995 to 2022, this research discerns notable scholarly interest in inclusive growth, particularly among academic communities in the United States, India, and Great Britain. The findings delineate several focal points within the realm of inclusive growth, including the determinants of developmental trajectories, the constituents and metrics of economic expansion, as well as the evaluation and prognostication of its outcomes. Moreover, the study underscores the significance, characteristics, and potential avenues of inclusive growth, alongside the imperative of financial inclusivity and its role in fostering equitable economic development. Additionally, it identifies key components essential for achieving sustainable development objectives, elucidating how inclusive growth initiatives are intricately linked to the mitigation of pervasive societal challenges such as poverty, inequality, and unemployment. By identifying prominent clusters of scholarly discourse, this research facilitates a nuanced comprehension of the most salient themes and issues animating the discourse on inclusive growth, thus providing a valuable foundation for future scholars and policymakers in this crucial area.
Open Access: Yes
The relationship between bank lending and economic factors in the regions of Kazakhstan
Publication Name: Banks and Bank Systems
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 19
Issue: 4
Page Range: 1-16
Description:
Understanding the impact of economic factors on bank lending is crucial in Kazakhstan’s modern economy, characterized by volatile inflation and fluctuations in real wages. This paper aims to investigate the link between bank lending and economic factors such as inflation, real wages, and consumer expenditure in a regional context. Data from the Bureau of National Statistics and the National Bank, covering the period from 2012 to 2022, were used to uncover how economic factors influence bank lending. For the analysis, various economic indicators were integrated through normalization and averaging. Analysis reveals significant regional disparities in real wages and consumer expenditures, which impact the demand for bank credit. The results of the correlation matrix showed that both real wages (P-value < 0.001) and inflation (P-value < 0.001) significantly impact bank lending, with an R2 value of 0.998, indicating that the model explains 99.8% of the variation in bank lending. The regression analysis highlights that regions with higher real wages, such as Astana, Almaty, and Atyrau, provide the most favorable conditions for banking sector growth, demonstrated by a strong relationship between wages and bank lending. In contrast, regions with lower wage levels, such as Turkestan and Zhambyl, show a significantly weaker connection (around 0.65), reflecting their lower attractiveness for banking investment and emphasizing the need for policies to address social inequality. The Durbin-Watson test confirmed no autocorrelation in residuals (DW = 1.89), although heteroscedasticity was detected, suggesting the need for further model adjustments. The study emphasizes the importance of developing economic policies that can balance regional development and improve financial stability.
Open Access: Yes
Electrification of oil refineries through multi-objective multi-period graph-theoretical planning: A crude distillation unit case study
Publication Name: Journal of Cleaner Production
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 434
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Electrification using renewable energy sources is the key to paving a sustainable and cleaner future for the oil and gas sector, which is known to be a significant carbon dioxide emitter. Nevertheless, the suitability of the electrification designs heavily depends on the seasonal availability of renewable energy sources. This work proposes to use a multi-period graph-theoretical (P-graph) approach to determine the optimal retrofit strategy to achieve electrification with consideration of economic and environmental factors. Both single-period and multi-period models are considered via a graph-theoretical approach to rank and evaluate all the combinatorically feasible electrification pathways based on the overall performance. The effectiveness of the proposed method is developed using a crude distillation unit (CDU) case study adopted from a multinational company. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated using a crude distillation unit (CDU) case study shown in three different scenarios that include prioritizing economic aspect (Scenario 1), prioritizing environmental aspect (Scenario 2), and considering equal importance of both aspects (Scenario 3). For single-period operation, the results showed a mix of natural gas and hydropower energy, exclusive use of onshore wind energy, and a mix of onshore wind energy and biogas cogeneration energy for Scenario 1, Scenario 2, and Scenario 3, respectively. In contrast, the multi-period model also utilized nuclear energy for Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 given the seasonal availability constraint. Following that, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to see the effect of the absence of the most influential energy sources on the optimal solution of each scenario and the top solutions under budget and CO2 emission constraints. Pareto analysis is outlined to offer an understanding of tradeoffs between differently prioritized solutions that decision-makers can select. The combination of the proposed analysis provides a systemic approach towards transforming traditional industries towards a cleaner future via electrification.
Open Access: Yes
Novel Technique for Reducing Geometrical Inaccuracies of Clamped Workpiece During Machining: A Hybrid Method
Publication Name: Advances in Transdisciplinary Engineering
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 59
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 269-276
Description:
The aim of this paper is to provide a novel technique in production technology, which ensures the adequate tightening torque of workpiece by a vise connector to minimize the effect of elastic deformation, therefore geometrical inaccuracies roughness, during machining process. This effect emerges if the clamping force is excessively high, resulting in a deformed workpiece with a slightly convex surface. Once this surface is machined and the clamping force is released, the material returns to its initial shape and the newly machined flat surface will be concaved, resulting geometrical inaccuracy. The method is based on a simple workpiece, where the elastic deformation is numerically modelled and experimentally measured as a function of different clamping heights and tightening forces. During the experiments, the workpiece is tightened by bolts, step by step, and in each step, the deformation of the surface is measured with a coordinate measuring machine equipped with a Touch Probe Measurement system. This measurement process is followed by finite element modelling, where the same system, with identical boundary conditions (load, constraints, material properties), are computationally created to compare the numerically and experimentally obtained results. As a result of evaluating various cases, a user-friendly database was established that provides recommendations for specific geometry, position, and capture height. Our model can also propose a minimum clamping height if geometry, position, and maximum force(s) are specified during machining.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3233/ATDE240555
Literature review of impacts of mega-sport global events on destination sustainability and sustainability marketing—Reflection on Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup
Publication Name: Journal of Infrastructure Policy and Development
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 8
Issue: 12
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Qatar FIFA 2022 was the first FIFA Football World Cup to be hosted by an Arab state and was predicted by some to fail. However, it did not only succeed but also showed a new display of destination sustainability upon hosting mega-sport events and linked tourism. Yet, some impacts tend to be long-term and need further analysis. The study aims to understand both positive and negative impacts on destination sustainability resulting from hosting mega-sport events, using bibliometric analysis of published literature during the last forty-seven years, and reflecting on the recent World Cup 2022 tournament in Qatar. A total of 2519 sources containing 665 open-access articles with 10,523 citations were found using the keywords “sport tourism” and “mega-sport”. The study found various literature researching the economic impacts in-depth, less on environmental impacts, and much less on social and cultural impacts on host communities. Debates exist in the literature concerning presumed economic benefits and motivations for hosting, and less on actual results achieved. Although World Cup 2022 is considered the most expensive among previous versions, destination sustainability seems to have benefited from the event’s hosting. Socio-cultural impacts of hosting mega-sport events seem to be addressed to an extent in the Qatar version of the World Cup, as well as environmental impacts while creating a unique image for FIFA 2022 and the destination itself. FIFA showcased this as using carbon-neutral technologies to create the micro-climate including perforated walls in the eight state-of-the-art stadiums, with the incorporation of a circular modular design for energy and water efficiency and zero-waste deconstruction post-event. The global event also drew attention and respect to the local community and underprivileged groups such as people with disabilities. Further research is needed to understand the demand-side perspective including the local community of Qatar and the event’s participants, and to analyze the long-term impacts and lessons learned from the Qatari experience.
Open Access: Yes
From the order of things to the rule of the masses or historical lessons on the relationship between the State and the extensions of rights
Publication Name: Rechtskultur
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 97-112
Description:
It is a common belief that democratic development involves the extension of rights. Often, a desired extension of rights is one of the main social drivers of democratic transformation. In this study, within the framework of a legal history investigation, I am looking for the answer to the question of whether all extensions of rights are necessarily democratic, and how to distinguish between different extensions of rights and to judge the social usefulness of each extension of rights more accurately? I distinguish two sub-cases of the extension of rights, the subjective and objective versions with different normative consequences. I conclude that it is worth subjecting certain extensions of rights to legal, constitutional and political-social considerations. The extension of rights is not ab ovo or absolutely good, its judgment depends on the given circumstances.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: DOI not available
Cybersecurity and cybercrime: Current trends and threats
Publication Name: Journal of International Studies
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Page Range: 220-239
Description:
The rapid development of digital technologies and their active implementation in all spheres of the economy, on the one hand, contribute to increased control over the activities of economic entities, and on the other hand, create new challenges associated with the dynamic development of cybercrime. The purpose of the article is to analyze the global trends in cybercrime in 2016-2023 (by calculating national levels of cybercrime) and to model the mechanisms of combating it in order to form a global, open and safe cyberspace, protect the population from cyber threats and cyber fraud, increase the effectiveness of financial monitoring procedures and control over transactions in cyberspace. The article presents the dominant directions, evolutionary, temporal and spatial patterns of the development of crime in cyberspace, clustering of the countries,and identification of leaders and outsiders in the field of cybercrime (through visualization density maps based on the construction of self-organized Kohonen maps). The results of the calculations confirm a significant increase in the level of cybercrime in the world since 2016 (in particular, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and active digital transformation). A comparative analysis of the indicator across countries made it possible to distinguish those with the highest rates of cybercrime (Slovenia, Iceland, Moldova, Georgia) and those with a significantly higher level of cyber security (Greece, Belgium, France, Germany).
Open Access: Yes
