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in Architecture & Planning
Periodicals

Challenges with Verifying Microbial Degradation of Polyethylene

Polyethylene (PE) is the most abundant synthetic, petroleum-based plastic materials produced globally, and one of the most resistant to biodegradation, resulting in massive accumulation in the environment. Although the microbial degradation of polyethylene has been reported, complete biodegradation of polyethylene has not been achieved, and rapid degradation of polyethylene under ambient conditions in the environment is still not feasible. Experiments reported in the literature suffer from a number of limitations, and conclusive evidence for the complete biodegradation of polyethylene by microorganisms has been elusive. These limitations include the lack of a working definition for the biodegradation of polyethylene that can lead to testable hypotheses, a non-uniform description of experimental conditions used, and variations in the type(s) of polyethylene used, leading to a profound limitation in our understanding of the processes and mechanisms involved in the microbial degradation of polyethylene. The objective of this review is to outline the challenges in polyethylene degradation experiments and clarify the parameters required to achieve polyethylene biodegradation. This review emphasizes the necessity of developing a biochemically-based definition for the biodegradation of polyethylene (and other synthetic plastics) to simplify the comparison of results of experiments focused for the microbial degradation of polyethylene.

Architecture & Planning• 2020• Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
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Periodicals

The OCO-3 mission: measurement objectives and expected performance based on 1 year of simulated data

Abstract. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) is NASA's next instrument dedicated to extending the record of the dry-air mole fraction of column carbon dioxide (XCO2) and solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) measurements from space. The current schedule calls for a launch from the Kennedy Space Center no earlier than April 2019 via a Space-X Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule. The instrument will be installed as an external payload on the Japanese Experimental Module Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) of the International Space Station (ISS) with a nominal mission lifetime of 3 years. The precessing orbit of the ISS will allow for viewing of the Earth at all latitudes less than approximately 52∘, with a ground repeat cycle that is much more complicated than the polar-orbiting satellites that so far have carried all of the instruments capable of measuring carbon dioxide from space. The grating spectrometer at the core of OCO-3 is a direct copy of the OCO-2 spectrometer, which was launched into a polar orbit in July 2014. As such, OCO-3 is expected to have similar instrument sensitivity and performance characteristics to OCO-2, which provides measurements of XCO2 with precision better than 1 ppm at 3 Hz, with each viewing frame containing eight footprints approximately 1.6 km by 2.2 km in size. However, the physical configuration of the instrument aboard the ISS, as well as the use of a new pointing mirror assembly (PMA), will alter some of the characteristics of the OCO-3 data compared to OCO-2. Specifically, there will be significant differences from day to day in the sampling locations and time of day. In addition, the flexible PMA system allows for a much more dynamic observation-mode schedule. This paper outlines the science objectives of the OCO-3 mission and, using a simulation of 1 year of global observations, characterizes the spatial sampling, time-of-day coverage, and anticipated data quality of the simulated L1b. After application of cloud and aerosol prescreening, the L1b radiances are run through the operational L2 full physics retrieval algorithm, as well as post-retrieval filtering and bias correction, to examine the expected coverage and quality of the retrieved XCO2 and to show how the measurement objectives are met. In addition, results of the SIF from the IMAP–DOAS algorithm are analyzed. This paper focuses only on the nominal nadir–land and glint–water observation modes, although on-orbit measurements will also be made in transition and target modes, similar to OCO-2, as well as the new snapshot area mapping (SAM) mode.

Architecture & Planning• 2019• Copernicus Publications
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Periodicals

Cloud Computing: Today and Tomorrow.

During the past few years, cloud computing has become a key IT buzzword. Although the definition of cloud computing is still "cloudy", the trade press and bloggers label many vendors as cloud computing vendors, and report on their services and issues. Cloud computing is in its infancy in terms of market adoption. However, it is a key IT megatrend that will take root. This article reviews its definition and status, adoption issues, and provides a glimpse of its future and discusses technical issues that are expected to be addressed.

Architecture & Planning• 2009• EtH Zurich
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Periodicals

Closing the Achievement Gap through Modification of Neurocognitive and Neuroendocrine Function: Results from a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of an Innovative Approach to the Education of Children in Kindergarten

Effective early education is essential for academic achievement and positive life outcomes, particularly for children in poverty. Advances in neuroscience suggest that a focus on self-regulation in education can enhance children's engagement in learning and establish beneficial academic trajectories in the early elementary grades. Here, we experimentally evaluate an innovative approach to the education of children in kindergarten that embeds support for self-regulation, particularly executive functions, into literacy, mathematics, and science learning activities. Results from a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 29 schools, 79 classrooms, and 759 children indicated positive effects on executive functions, reasoning ability, the control of attention, and levels of salivary cortisol and alpha amylase. Results also demonstrated improvements in reading, vocabulary, and mathematics at the end of kindergarten that increased into the first grade. A number of effects were specific to high-poverty schools, suggesting that a focus on executive functions and associated aspects of self-regulation in early elementary education holds promise for closing the achievement gap.

Architecture & Planning• 2014• Public Library of Science
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Periodicals

Applications of Multi-Omics Technologies for Crop Improvement

Multiple “omics” approaches have emerged as successful technologies for plant systems over the last few decades. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have paved a way for a new generation of different omics, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. However, metabolomics, ionomics, and phenomics have also been well-documented in crop science. Multi-omics approaches with high throughput techniques have played an important role in elucidating growth, senescence, yield, and the responses to biotic and abiotic stress in numerous crops. These omics approaches have been implemented in some important crops including wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), soybean ( Glycine max ), tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), maize ( Zea mays L.), millet ( Setaria italica L.), cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), Medicago truncatula , and rice ( Oryza sativa L.). The integration of functional genomics with other omics highlights the relationships between crop genomes and phenotypes under specific physiological and environmental conditions. The purpose of this review is to dissect the role and integration of multi-omics technologies for crop breeding science. We highlight the applications of various omics approaches, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics, and ionomics, and the implementation of robust methods to improve crop genetics and breeding science. Potential challenges that confront the integration of multi-omics with regard to the functional analysis of genes and their networks as well as the development of potential traits for crop improvement are discussed. The panomics platform allows for the integration of complex omics to construct models that can be used to predict complex traits. Systems biology integration with multi-omics datasets can enhance our understanding of molecular regulator networks for crop improvement. In this context, we suggest the integration of entire omics by employing the “phenotype to genotype” and “genotype to phenotype” concept. Hence, top-down (phenotype to genotype) and bottom-up (genotype to phenotype) model through integration of multi-omics with systems biology may be beneficial for crop breeding improvement under conditions of environmental stresses.

Architecture & Planning• 2021• Frontiers Media
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Periodicals

A Review on the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Imaging Sensors for Monitoring and Assessing Plant Stresses

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming a valuable tool to collect data in a variety of contexts. Their use in agriculture is particularly suitable, as those areas are often vast, making ground scouting difficult, and sparsely populated, which means that injury and privacy risks are not as important as in urban settings. Indeed, the use of UAVs for monitoring and assessing crops, orchards, and forests has been growing steadily during the last decade, especially for the management of stresses such as water, diseases, nutrition deficiencies, and pests. This article presents a critical overview of the main advancements on the subject, focusing on the strategies that have been used to extract the information contained in the images captured during the flights. Based on the information found in more than 100 published articles and on our own research, a discussion is provided regarding the challenges that have already been overcome and the main research gaps that still remain, together with some suggestions for future research.

Architecture & Planning• 2019• Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
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Periodicals

Initial Genomics of the Human Nucleolus

We report for the first time the genomics of a nuclear compartment of the eukaryotic cell. 454 sequencing and microarray analysis revealed the pattern of nucleolus-associated chromatin domains (NADs) in the linear human genome and identified different gene families and certain satellite repeats as the major building blocks of NADs, which constitute about 4% of the genome. Bioinformatic evaluation showed that NAD-localized genes take part in specific biological processes, like the response to other organisms, odor perception, and tissue development. 3D FISH and immunofluorescence experiments illustrated the spatial distribution of NAD-specific chromatin within interphase nuclei and its alteration upon transcriptional changes. Altogether, our findings describe the nature of DNA sequences associated with the human nucleolus and provide insights into the function of the nucleolus in genome organization and establishment of nuclear architecture.

Architecture & Planning• 2010• Public Library of Science
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Periodicals

Citizenship Rights for Immigrants: National Political Processes and Cross-National Convergence in Western Europe, 1980–2008

Immigrant citizenship rights in the nation-state reference both theories of cross-national convergence and the resilience of national political processes. This article investigates European countries' attribution of rights to immigrants: Have these rights become more inclusive and more similar across countries? Are they affected by EU membership, the role of the judiciary, the party in power, the size of the immigrant electorate, or pressure exerted by anti-immigrant parties? Original data on 10 European countries, 1980-2008, reveal no evidence for cross-national convergence. Rights tended to become more inclusive until 2002, but stagnated afterward. Electoral changes drive these trends: growth of the immigrant electorate led to expansion, but countermobilization by right-wing parties slowed or reversed liberalizations. These electoral mechanisms are in turn shaped by long-standing policy traditions, leading to strong path dependence and the reproduction of preexisting cross-national differences.

Architecture & Planning• 2012• University of Chicago Press
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Periodicals

Hydroponic Solutions for Soilless Production Systems: Issues and Opportunities in a Smart Agriculture Perspective

Soilless cultivation systems represent a valid opportunity for the agricultural production sector, especially in areas characterized by severe soil degradation and limited water availability. Furthermore, this agronomic practice embodies a favourable response towards an environmental-friendly agriculture and a promising tool in the vision of a general challenge in terms of food security. This review aims therefore at unravelling limitations and opportunities of hydroponic solutions used in soilless cropping systems focusing on the plant mineral nutrition process. In particular, this review provides information i) on the processes and mechanisms occurring in the hydroponic solutions that ensure an adequate nutrient concentration and thus an optimal nutrient acquisition without leading to nutritional disorders influencing ultimately also crop quality (e.g. solubilization/precipitation of nutrients/elements in the hydroponic solution, substrate specificity in the nutrient uptake process, nutrient competition/antagonism and interactions among nutrients); ii) on new emerging technologies that might improve the management of soilless cropping systems such as the use of nanoparticles and beneficial microorganism like plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs); iii) on tools (multi-element sensors and interpretation algorithms based on machine learning logics to analyse such data) that might be exploited in a smart agriculture approach to monitor the availability of nutrients/elements in the hydroponic solution and to modify its composition in realtime. These aspects are discussed considering what has been recently demonstrated at the scientific level and applied in the industrial context.

Architecture & Planning• 2019• Frontiers Media
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Periodicals

Immersive VR and Education: Embodied Design Principles That Include Gesture and Hand Controls

This article explores relevant applications of educational theory for the design of immersive virtual reality (VR). Two unique attributes associated with VR position the technology to positively affect education: 1) the sensation of presence, and 2) the embodied affordances of gesture and manipulation in the 3rd dimension. These are referred to as the two profound affordances of VR. The primary focus of this article is on the embodiment afforded by gesture and 3D for learning. The new generation of hand controllers induces embodiment and agency via meaningful and congruent movements with the content to be learned. Several examples of gesture-rich lessons are presented. The final section includes an extensive set of design principles for immersive VR in education, and finishes with the Necessary Nine which are hypothesized to optimize the pedagogy within a lesson.

Architecture & Planning• 2018• Frontiers Media
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Periodicals

A Churn Prediction Model Using Random Forest: Analysis of Machine Learning Techniques for Churn Prediction and Factor Identification in Telecom Sector

In the telecom sector, a huge volume of data is being generated on a daily basis due to a vast client base. Decision makers and business analysts emphasized that attaining new customers is costlier than retaining the existing ones. Business analysts and customer relationship management (CRM) analyzers need to know the reasons for churn customers, as well as, behavior patterns from the existing churn customers’ data. This paper proposes a churn prediction model that uses classification, as well as, clustering techniques to identify the churn customers and provides the factors behind the churning of customers in the telecom sector. Feature selection is performed by using information gain and correlation attribute ranking filter. The proposed model first classifies churn customers data using classification algorithms, in which the Random Forest (RF) algorithm performed well with 88.63% correctly classified instances. Creating effective retention policies is an essential task of the CRM to prevent churners. After classification, the proposed model segments the churning customer’s data by categorizing the churn customers in groups using cosine similarity to provide group-based retention offers. This paper also identified churn factors that are essential in determining the root causes of churn. By knowing the significant churn factors from customers’ data, CRM can improve productivity, recommend relevant promotions to the group of likely churn customers based on similar behavior patterns, and excessively improve marketing campaigns of the company. The proposed churn prediction model is evaluated using metrics, such as accuracy, precision, recall, f-measure, and receiving operating characteristics (ROC) area. The results reveal that our proposed churn prediction model produced better churn classification using the RF algorithm and customer profiling usingk-meansclustering. Furthermore, it also provides factors behind the churning of churn customers through the rules generated by using the attribute-selected classifier algorithm.

Architecture & Planning• 2019• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
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Finding a roadmap to achieve large neuromorphic hardware systems

Neuromorphic systems are gaining increasing importance in an era where CMOS digital computing techniques are reaching physical limits. These silicon systems mimic extremely energy efficient neural computing structures, potentially both for solving engineering applications as well as understanding neural computation. Toward this end, the authors provide a glimpse at what the technology evolution roadmap looks like for these systems so that Neuromorphic engineers may gain the same benefit of anticipation and foresight that IC designers gained from Moore's law many years ago. Scaling of energy efficiency, performance, and size will be discussed as well as how the implementation and application space of Neuromorphic systems are expected to evolve over time.

Architecture & Planning• 2013• Frontiers Media
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A Survey on Concepts, Applications, and Challenges in Cyber-Physical Systems

The Cyber-Physical System (CPS) is a term describing a broad range of complex, multi-disciplinary, physically-aware next generation engineered system that integrates embedded computing technologies (cyber part) into the physical world. In order to define and understand CPS more precisely, this article presents a detailed survey of the related work, discussing the origin of CPS, the relations to other research fields, prevalent concepts, and practical applications. Further, this article enumerates an extensive set of technical challenges and uses specific applications to elaborate and provide insight into each specific concept. CPS is a very broad research area and therefore has diverse applications spanning different scales. Additionally, the next generation technologies are expected to play an important role on CPS research. All of CPS applications need to be designed considering the cutting-edge technologies, necessary system-level requirements, and overall impact on the real world.

Architecture & Planning• 2014• Korea Society of Internet Information
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Periodicals

SELECTION OF THE EFFECTIVE DWELLING HOUSE WALLS BY APPLYING ATTRIBUTES VALUES DETERMINED AT INTERVALS

The higher life quality standards, the changes of habits and new well‐being requirements have led to an increase in the demand for housing. Decision‐making problems in construction management often involve a complex decision‐making process in which multiple requirements and conditions have to be taken into consideration simultaneously. However, not every attribute used in multidimensional scaling is equally and precisely weighted in the real world. Thus quantitative and qualitative assessments are often required to deal with uncertainty, subjective and imprecise data. The accuracy of performance measures in common multi-attribute methods is usually assumed to be accurate. Grey theory is a new technique for performing prediction, relational analysis and decision‐making in many areas. This paper considers the application of grey relations methodology for defining the utility of an alternative and is proposed as a method of multiple criteria COmplex PRoportional Assessment of alternatives with Grey relations (COPRAS‐G). In this model parameters of the alternatives are determined by the grey relational grade and are expressed in intervals. A case study of assessing external walls of four alternatives was used to demonstrate the applicability and the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results show that this method can be implemented as an effective decision aid in multi‐attribute selection. Santrauka Straipsnio tikslas – pasiūlyti alternatyvią daugelio rodiklių vertinimo metodiką. Šios metodikos išskirtinumas – rodiklių reikšmės, aprašomos intervalais. Tai labiau atitinka realias aplinkos sąlygas ir galimas reikšmes. Modelis su intervaluose pateiktomis efektyvumo rodiklių reikšmėmis pritaikytas E. K. Zavadsko ir A. Kaklausko sukurtam metodui COPRAS (Complex Proportional Evaluation). Taip gautas naujas metodas COPRAS-G. Šis metodas pritaikytas daugiabučių namų išorinių sienų efektyvumo vertinimo uždaviniui spręsti. Sudaryta efektyvumo rodiklių sistema, nustatyta efektyvumo rodiklių reikšmė, rodiklių rangas. Pagal sudarytą modelį pritaikę COPRAS-G metodą, galime spręsti daugelį statybos, vadybos alternatyvų vertinimo uždavinių.

Architecture & Planning• 2008• Taylor & Francis
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Editors’ perspectives: road vehicle suspension design, dynamics, and control

This paper provides an overview of the latest advances in road vehicle suspension design, dynamics, and control, together with the authors’ perspectives, in the context of vehicle ride, handling, and stability. The general aspects of road vehicle suspension dynamics and design are discussed, followed by descriptions of road-roughness excitations with a particular emphasis on road potholes. Passive suspension system designs and their effects on road vehicle dynamics and stability are presented in terms of in-plane and full-vehicle arrangements. Controlled suspensions are also reviewed and discussed. The paper concludes with some potential research topics, in particular those associated with the development of hybrid and electric vehicles.

Architecture & Planning• 2010• Taylor & Francis
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Generative AI in Medicine and Healthcare: Promises, Opportunities and Challenges

Generative AI (artificial intelligence) refers to algorithms and models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, that can be prompted to generate various types of content. In this narrative review, we present a selection of representative examples of generative AI applications in medicine and healthcare. We then briefly discuss some associated issues, such as trust, veracity, clinical safety and reliability, privacy, copyrights, ownership, and opportunities, e.g., AI-driven conversational user interfaces for friendlier human-computer interaction. We conclude that generative AI will play an increasingly important role in medicine and healthcare as it further evolves and gets better tailored to the unique settings and requirements of the medical domain and as the laws, policies and regulatory frameworks surrounding its use start taking shape.

Architecture & Planning• 2023• Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
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A Survey on AI-Driven Digital Twins in Industry 4.0: Smart Manufacturing and Advanced Robotics

Digital twin (DT) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have grown rapidly in recent years and are considered by both academia and industry to be key enablers for Industry 4.0. As a digital replica of a physical entity, the basis of DT is the infrastructure and data, the core is the algorithm and model, and the application is the software and service. The grounding of DT and AI in industrial sectors is even more dependent on the systematic and in-depth integration of domain-specific expertise. This survey comprehensively reviews over 300 manuscripts on AI-driven DT technologies of Industry 4.0 used over the past five years and summarizes their general developments and the current state of AI-integration in the fields of smart manufacturing and advanced robotics. These cover conventional sophisticated metal machining and industrial automation as well as emerging techniques, such as 3D printing and human-robot interaction/cooperation. Furthermore, advantages of AI-driven DTs in the context of sustainable development are elaborated. Practical challenges and development prospects of AI-driven DTs are discussed with a respective focus on different levels. A route for AI-integration in multiscale/fidelity DTs with multiscale/fidelity data sources in Industry 4.0 is outlined.

Architecture & Planning• 2021• Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
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C4MIP – The Coupled Climate–Carbon Cycle Model Intercomparison Project:experimental protocol for CMIP6

Abstract. Coordinated experimental design and implementation has become a cornerstone of global climate modelling. Model Intercomparison Projects (MIPs) enable systematic and robust analysis of results across many models, by reducing the influence of ad hoc differences in model set-up or experimental boundary conditions. As it enters its 6th phase, the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) has grown significantly in scope with the design and documentation of individual simulations delegated to individual climate science communities. The Coupled Climate–Carbon Cycle Model Intercomparison Project (C4MIP) takes responsibility for design, documentation, and analysis of carbon cycle feedbacks and interactions in climate simulations. These feedbacks are potentially large and play a leading-order contribution in determining the atmospheric composition in response to human emissions of CO2 and in the setting of emissions targets to stabilize climate or avoid dangerous climate change. For over a decade, C4MIP has coordinated coupled climate–carbon cycle simulations, and in this paper we describe the C4MIP simulations that will be formally part of CMIP6. While the climate–carbon cycle community has created this experimental design, the simulations also fit within the wider CMIP activity, conform to some common standards including documentation and diagnostic requests, and are designed to complement the CMIP core experiments known as the Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima (DECK). C4MIP has three key strands of scientific motivation and the requested simulations are designed to satisfy their needs: (1) pre-industrial and historical simulations (formally part of the common set of CMIP6 experiments) to enable model evaluation, (2) idealized coupled and partially coupled simulations with 1 % per year increases in CO2 to enable diagnosis of feedback strength and its components, (3) future scenario simulations to project how the Earth system will respond to anthropogenic activity over the 21st century and beyond. This paper documents in detail these simulations, explains their rationale and planned analysis, and describes how to set up and run the simulations. Particular attention is paid to boundary conditions, input data, and requested output diagnostics. It is important that modelling groups participating in C4MIP adhere as closely as possible to this experimental design.

Architecture & Planning• 2016• Copernicus Publications
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