scholarly journals Noise Generation and Acoustic Impact of Free Surface Hydropower Machines: Focus on Water Wheels and Emerging Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13051
Author(s):  
Emanuele Quaranta ◽  
Gerald Müller
Keyword(s):  
Free Surface ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Noise Generation ◽  
Scientific Domain ◽  
Low Head ◽  
Water Wheel ◽  
Acoustic Impact ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

The noise generated by free surface hydropower machines, e.g., water wheels, has led to complaints and to restrictions in their operation in urban areas. This problem generally occurs when water wheels are not well designed and are installed without expertise. Despite the relevance of the problem, and the growing interest in the use of water wheels at existing low head barriers, the acoustic impact of water wheels has not yet been properly addressed by the scientific community. Therefore, in this manuscript, the importance of the problem and the related scientific challenges are discussed, supported by case studies and theoretical considerations. A literature review on the topic is carried out, although little information is available in the scientific domain. The aim of this work is to increase the awareness on this problem, in order to stimulate future research and to suggest useful guidelines for future water wheel projects, thereby increasing the water wheel potential and reducing noise disturbance for people.

Conventions and temporal differences in painted faces: A study of posture and color distribution

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (11) ◽  
pp. 267-1-267-8
Author(s):  
Mitchell J.P. van Zuijlen ◽  
Sylvia C. Pont ◽  
Maarten W.A. Wijntjes
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
Human Face ◽  
Art Galleries ◽  
Art Collections ◽  
Color Distribution ◽  
Scientific Domain ◽  
The Face ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time

The human face is a popular motif in art and depictions of faces can be found throughout history in nearly every culture. Artists have mastered the depiction of faces after employing careful experimentation using the relatively limited means of paints and oils. Many of the results of these experimentations are now available to the scientific domain due to the digitization of large art collections. In this paper we study the depiction of the face throughout history. We used an automated facial detection network to detect a set of 11,659 faces in 15,534 predominately western artworks, from 6 international, digitized art galleries. We analyzed the pose and color of these faces and related those to changes over time and gender differences. We find a number of previously known conventions, such as the convention of depicting the left cheek for females and vice versa for males, as well as unknown conventions, such as the convention of females to be depicted looking slightly down. Our set of faces will be released to the scientific community for further study.

Fields of spatial research on urban areas in the context of organisational solutions to new forms of transportation

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-60
Author(s):  
Bartosz Czarnecki
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Transportation System ◽  
Present Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Large Share ◽  
Main Achievement ◽  
Self Driving Cars

Abstract The paper discusses the spatial consequences of the widespread use of self-driving cars and the resulting changes in the structure of urban areas. Analysing present knowledge on the technology, functionality and future forms of organisation of mobility with this type of means of transportation, conclusions are presented concerning the expected changes in the organisation of space in urban areas. The main achievement of the investigation is an outline of the fields of future research on the spatial consequences of a transportation system with a large share of self-driving cars.

scholarly journals Perceived and objective availability of green and blue spaces and quality of life in people with dementia: results from the IDEAL programme

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Tzu Wu ◽  
◽  
Linda Clare ◽  
Ian Rees Jones ◽  
Sharon M. Nelis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Deprivation Level ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Perceived Availability ◽  
People With Dementia

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between quality of life and both perceived and objective availability of local green and blue spaces in people with dementia, including potential variation across rural/urban settings and those with/without opportunities to go outdoors. Methods This study was based on 1540 community-dwelling people with dementia in the Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) programme. Quality of life was measured by the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease (QoL-AD) scale. A list of 12 types of green and blue spaces was used to measure perceived availability while objective availability was estimated using geographic information system data. Regression modelling was employed to investigate the associations of quality of life with perceived and objective availability of green and blue spaces, adjusting for individual factors and deprivation level. Interaction terms with rural/urban areas or opportunities to go outdoors were fitted to test whether the associations differed across these subgroups. Results Higher QoL-AD scores were associated with higher perceived availability of local green and blue spaces (0.82; 95% CI 0.06, 1.58) but not objective availability. The positive association between perceived availability and quality of life was stronger for urban (1.50; 95% CI 0.52, 2.48) than rural residents but did not differ between participants with and without opportunities to go outdoors. Conclusions Only perceived availability was related to quality of life in people with dementia. Future research may investigate how people with dementia utilise green and blue spaces and improve dementia-friendliness of these spaces.

scholarly journals Constrained Urban Airspace Design for Large-Scale Drone-Based Delivery Traffic

Aerospace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Malik Doole ◽  
Joost Ellerbroek ◽  
Victor L. Knoop ◽  
Jacco M. Hoekstra
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fast Time ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Horizontal Structure ◽  
Traffic Demand ◽  
Demand Patterns

Large-scale adoption of drone-based delivery in urban areas promise societal benefits with respect to emissions and on-ground traffic congestion, as well as potential cost savings for drone-based logistic companies. However, for this to materialise, the ability of accommodating high volumes of drone traffic in an urban airspace is one of the biggest challenges. For unconstrained airspace, it has been shown that traffic alignment and segmentation can be used to mitigate conflict probability. The current study investigates the application of these principles to a highly constrained airspace. We propose two urban airspace concepts, applying road-based analogies of two-way and one-way streets by imposing horizontal structure. Both of the airspace concepts employ heading-altitude rules to vertically segment cruising traffic according to their travel direction. These airspace configurations also feature transition altitudes to accommodate turning flights that need to decrease the flight speed in order to make safe turns at intersections. While using fast-time simulation experiments, the performance of these airspace concepts is compared and evaluated for multiple traffic demand densities in terms of safety, stability, and efficiency. The results reveal that an effective way to structure drone traffic in a constrained urban area is to have vertically segmented altitude layers with respect to travel direction as well as horizontal constraints imposed to the flow of traffic. The study also makes recommendations for areas of future research, which are aimed at supporting dynamic traffic demand patterns.

The economic recession and subjective well-being in older adults in the Republic of Ireland

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Duffy ◽  
K. Mullin ◽  
S. O’Dwyer ◽  
M. Wrigley ◽  
B. D. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Future Health

ObjectiveSubjective well-being in older people is strongly associated with emotional, physical and mental health. This study investigates subjective well-being in older adults in Ireland before and after the economic recession that commenced in 2008.MethodsCross-sectional data from the biennial European Social Survey (2002–2012) were analysed for two separate groups of older adults: one sampled before the recession and one after. Stratification and linear regression modelling were used to analyse the association between subjective well-being, the recession and multiple potential confounders and effect modifiers.ResultsData were analysed on 2013 individuals. Overall, subjective well-being among older adults was 1.30 points lower after the recession compared with before the recession (s.e. 0.16; 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.61; p<0.001) [pre-recession: 16.1, out of a possible 20 (s.d. 3.24); post-recession:14.8 (s.d. 3.72)]. Among these older adults, the pre- and post-recession difference was especially marked in women, those with poor health and those living in urban areas.ConclusionsSubjective well-being was significantly lower in older adults after the recession compared with before the recession, especially in women with poor health in urban areas. Policy-makers need proactively to protect these vulnerable cohorts in future health and social policy. Future research could usefully focus on older people on fixed incomes whose diminished ability to alter their economic situation might make them more vulnerable to reduced subjective well-being during a recession.

scholarly journals Mosquito-Associated Viruses and Their Related Mosquitoes in West Africa

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 891
Author(s):  
Eric Agboli ◽  
Julien B. Z. Zahouli ◽  
Athanase Badolo ◽  
Hanna Jöst
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Valley Fever ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Mosquito Ecology ◽  
Abundance And Distribution

Mosquito-associated viruses (MAVs), including mosquito-specific viruses (MSVs) and mosquito-borne (arbo)viruses (MBVs), are an increasing public, veterinary, and global health concern, and West Africa is projected to be the next front for arboviral diseases. As in-depth knowledge of the ecologies of both western African MAVs and related mosquitoes is still limited, we review available and comprehensive data on their diversity, abundance, and distribution. Data on MAVs’ occurrence and related mosquitoes were extracted from peer-reviewed publications. Data on MSVs, and mosquito and vertebrate host ranges are sparse. However, more data are available on MBVs (i.e., dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, Zika, and Rift Valley fever viruses), detected in wild and domestic animals, and humans, with infections more concentrated in urban areas and areas affected by strong anthropogenic changes. Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes albopictus are incriminated as key arbovirus vectors. These findings outline MAV, related mosquitoes, key knowledge gaps, and future research areas. Additionally, these data highlight the need to increase our understanding of MAVs and their impact on host mosquito ecology, to improve our knowledge of arbovirus transmission, and to develop specific strategies and capacities for arboviral disease surveillance, diagnostic, prevention, control, and outbreak responses in West Africa.

scholarly journals Measuring Walkability with Street Connectivity and Physical Activity: A Case Study in Iran

World ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-61
Author(s):  
Pouya Molaei ◽  
Liyaning Tang ◽  
Mary Hardie
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
International Physical Activity Questionnaire ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Street Connectivity ◽  
Walking Time ◽  
Activity Questionnaire

The walkability of urban areas is an important criterion related to the level of physical activity and public health of citizens. This research aims to measure this parameter in Golsar town located in Rasht, Iran. Two methods were used in this research: Street connectivity and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The principal variables of street connectivity were measured in four districts of Golsar by Geographic Information System (GIS) to rank each one. Then, the acquired results were compared by the average walking time of the respondents of the questionnaire. The comparison explicitly indicated that there is a strong positive correlation between the measures of street connectivity and people’s tendency to walk. As well, District 1 had the highest value of connectivity and the highest average time for walking amongst the four districts. This supports the contention that walkability and the level of outdoor physical activities of people in each district are undoubtedly under the influence of the variables of street connectivity. Nevertheless, the evaluation of other indexes such as proximity, land use mix, safety, and density in Golsar, in future research. can expand our perception of the walkability of this region.

scholarly journals Actors, Structure, and Processes: A Review and Conceptualization of Global Work Integrating IB and HRM Research

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Sebastian Reiche ◽  
Yih-teen Lee ◽  
David G. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
International Business ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Multinational Enterprise ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Global Work ◽  
Work Done ◽  
Advance Knowledge ◽  
Cross Fertilization

As organizations increasingly fulfill their customer needs by getting their work done globally, there is a pressing need for the scientific community to further advance knowledge on global work, especially in terms of how to better conceptualize and integrate it. A particular opportunity for such development involves the cross-fertilization between the international business (IB) and human resource management (HRM) literatures, which serve as the focal domains to study global work phenomena but have treated global work largely as separate research streams. We therefore edited a special issue to contribute to a more integrative understanding of various aspects of global work across both domains. In this opening article, we review existing research on global work in the multinational enterprise from both IB and HRM perspectives. Subsequently, we present a shared conceptualization of global work that helps integrate theoretical and empirical research in both fields. We then introduce the articles in this special issue, before developing an integrative agenda for future research on global work.

scholarly journals MIGRANTS REMITTANCES: MICROECONOMIC AND MACROECONOMIC CONTEXTS

2019 ◽  
pp. 51-58
Author(s):  
Andrej Přívara
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
External Financing ◽  
Individual Determinants ◽  
Migrant Remittances ◽  
Academic Debate

Global remittances flow has been rising considerably over the last decade. Their share in GDP reaches several tens of percent in some (especially developing) countries. That is why their impact on the country of the migrant`s origin has become a subject of controversial debate in the scientific community. This chapter provides a synthesis of views that have crystallized as part of an ongoing academic debate on remittance determinants and their impact on recipient countries. We aim to analyze the fundamental scientific opinions published on this topic and to outline possible directions for future research on migrant remittances. The chapter analyzes individual determinants as well as remittance effects on two levels: microeconomic and macroeconomic ones. The analysis concludes that remittances are an important source of external financing for the economies of developing countries. Nonetheless, they cannot be considered as a panacea for economic backwardness

scholarly journals Ako skúmať voľby v priestore mesta: prípad snemovných volieb 2017 v Prahe

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-181
Author(s):  
Daniel Kerekes
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Compositional Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Spatial Variance ◽  
Parliamentary Elections ◽  
Independence Movement ◽  
Unique Approach ◽  
The City

The study uses the 2017 parliamentary elections results to analyses spatial patterns of votes in the city of Prague. A unique approach combining contextual and compositional data is introduced. Census data and data indicating the quality of life are reassigned to a shared entity – an address point, and analysed via automatic linear modelling. The model explained 69 % of spatial variance of votes share for the conservative TOP 09 party and the winning ANO 2011 movement, but only 19  % for the Pirate Party and the Mayors and Independence movement. Future research might focus on finding variables which would explain spatial variance of these parties’ vote shares. Abother possibility is the development of a methodology for studying votes spatiality within urban areas, in order to develop a robust theory.

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