Nonholonomic Research Articles

Exploring the innovative effort: duration models and heterogeneity

Perseverance in R&D effort is the first fundamental step towards any kind of innovation. We investigate the beginning of the innovation story, rather than its end, through duration models. Among the drivers of our unconventional IO approach, we focus on heterogeneity, path dependence and market power, measured as elasticity of firm-specific demand. The Schumpeterian hypothesis emerges at the firm level. Heterogeneity at the industry level reveals Schumpeterian and Arrovian patterns, as well as U-shaped and inverted U-shaped patterns. We suggest considering the entire supply chain from a holistic perspective when evaluating mergers and innovation policies that support small firms by reducing their financial uncertainty and improving their institutional environment.

Spatial Evolution and Driving Factors of Ecological Well-Being Performance in the Yellow River Basin

Ecological well-being performance (EWP) is a key indicator of sustainable development and has garnered significant research attention. This study measures the overall and stage-by-stage efficiency of the urban agglomerations in the Yellow River Basin based on the ends–means framework of steady-state economics. This study then delves into the spatiotemporal transfer characteristics of EWP through Moran’s I, and spatial Markov chains. Additionally, this research investigates the factors influencing EWP using a random forest model. The findings indicate a notable enhancement in EWP in the urban agglomerations in the YRB from 2006 to 2021, showing clear spatial agglomeration patterns. The shift in EWP types displays a “path dependence” effect, with distinct evolutionary paths influenced by spatial lag effects. Ecological input emerges as a key internal driver of EWP, while urbanization and technological advancements are highlighted as significant external factors. Industrial agglomeration and industrial structure also contribute to improving EWP. The findings of this study help to clarify the spatial and temporal characteristics of ecological welfare performance and its driving mechanisms in the urban agglomerations of the Yellow River Basin. This is conducive to the achievement of high-quality urban transformation and regional green development, and it provides a reference for the construction of an ecological civilization.

Can urbanization improve carbon performance?

Cities are the core carriers and key positions to achieve the dual carbon goals. It is of great significance to explore whether promoting urbanization can improve carbon emission performance, which is of great significance to comprehensively promote the goal of carbon neutrality. Based on the panel data from 2006 to 2021, this paper analyzes the spatial autocorrelation of carbon emission performance per unit space and the impact mechanism of urbanization process on it. The fixed-effect model was further used to identify the influencing factors of spatial carbon emission performance. The results show that: 1) China’s carbon emission performance per unit space is declining year by year. 2) There is a strong positive spatial correlation and stable path dependence on the performance of carbon emissions per unit space in each region. 3) To a certain extent, increasing the level of urbanization will reduce the carbon emission performance per unit space. 4) The urbanization process has a spatial spillover effect on the carbon emission performance per unit space of surrounding provinces, and the spatial spillover effect of industrial structure and energy consumption structure is more obvious than that of economic level, population density and urbanization rate. Based on the conclusions, this paper puts forward specific policy suggestions to reduce the carbon emission performance per unit space to help the low-carbon development of cities.

Load path dependence for passively and actively confined high-strength concrete

The assumption of load path independence has been instrumental in developing analysis-oriented stress-strain models for FRP-confined concrete. However, there remains no consensus on this assumption when applied to high-strength concrete (HSC). An axial stress gap is typically observed between active and passive confined HSC cases, even when their confinement conditions and deformations are identical. To address the existing research gap, this study conducted experimental tests on a series of HSC specimens under various levels of active and passive confinement. These tests aimed to assess the influence of the stress disparity between the two confinement mechanisms. Cyclic loading was also applied to the confined HSC specimens to derive damage indices (plastic strain, tangent unloading stiffness, and reloading stiffness) and to establish their relationship with the stress gaps. The findings revealed that the stress gap identified from different confinement types increases with the strength of the concrete. It also varies with the axial strain, exhibiting a trend that initially increases and then decreases. The test results further indicated that the presence of this stress difference is a response to internal damage within the concrete. Specifically, under different confinement paths, a reduction in the plastic strain difference that characterizes the damage will lead to a decrease in the stress gap. Moreover, under large deformations, the severe internal damage condition in concrete also reduces the damage differences for HSC experiencing different load paths, which in turn diminishes the stress gap. These insights provide a deeper understanding of how different confinement mechanisms affect the material properties of HSC under various load paths.

The contribution of academic inventors to regional technological diversification: the Italian evidence

Abstract This article investigates the interplay between scientific and technological capabilities in regional technological diversification dynamics by looking at the contributions of academic inventors. Combining the evolutionary economic approach and the theories on regional innovation capabilities on the one hand, and the distinctive features of academic inventors and university–industry patenting on the other, we hypothesize that the participation of university-based inventors to local patenting activity positively influences the chance of regional technological diversification and mitigates the path dependency engendered by the constraining role of the technological relatedness. In addition, we hypothesize that academic inventors tend to push regional technological trajectories towards their portfolio of specializations, hence allowing a process of technological convergence. The empirical results highlight the key role of academic institutions in the development of new regional technological trajectories while contributing to the academic and policy debate on regional diversification strategies.

Criminalidad dependiente de la trayectoria histórica: gobernanza criminal después de la desmovilización paramilitar en Cali y Medellín

Objective/context: After the paramilitary demobilization in Colombia, Cali and Medellín—major cities with a long history of political and criminal violence—saw a decline in violence despite the continuing operation of criminal groups. Yet, while Cali remained more violent than the national average, with criminal groups displaying less ability to regulate local affairs and security, Medellín became less violent than the national average and criminal groups engaged in more intensive governance. Methodology: I compare these cities using case studies constructed through fieldwork and interviews with security officials, NGO and social leaders, and former members of groups, drawing on my long-term, ongoing research engagement in both locations. Conclusions: The contrast between these cities exemplifies varied manifestations of post-conflict criminality. I argue that this variation in criminal governance is connected to the wartime balance of power, specifically, the level of territorial control and political connections armed groups had before the demobilization. Where control and political connections of paramilitary before demobilization were high, post-conflict crime groups were more likely to engage in governance behaviors. By contrast, disputed territories during wartime were likely to experience less criminal governance. Drawing on path dependence ideas, I introduce an overlooked mechanism through which wartime orders affect criminal behavior: learning processes inside and outside criminal groups. Originality: I show that to fully understand post-conflict criminality, it is crucial to consider armed actors peripherally involved in the war but essential for territorial control, whereas to understand criminal governance, the mid-ranks of armed groups and learning processes are crucial.

MOMTA-HN: A Secure and Reliable Multi-Objective Optimized Multipath Transmission Algorithm for Heterogeneous Networks

With the rapid development of heterogeneous network technologies, such as mobile edge computing, satellite communications, self-organizing networks, and the wired Internet, satisfying users’ increasingly diversified and complex communication needs in dynamic and evolving network environments has become a critical research topic. Ensuring secure and reliable information transmission is essential for stable network operation in these complex environments. Addressing this challenge, this study proposed a secure and reliable multi-objective optimized multipath transmission algorithm for heterogeneous networks to enhance security and reliability during data transmission. The core principle of this algorithm was that multipath transmission can provide additional protection through redundant paths. This redundancy ensured that even if one path is attacked or fails, alternative paths can maintain data integrity and reachability. In this study, we employed the Optimized Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (ONSGA-II) to determine the range of the initial population and filter suitable paths by optimizing them according to different demand objectives. In the path selection process, we introduced an innovative deletion graph method, which ensures that redundant paths do not share any common links with the original paths, except when there are unique links. This approach enhances the independence of transmission paths and improves the security of the transmission process. It effectively protects against security threats such as single points of failure and link attacks. We have verified the effectiveness of the algorithm through a series of experiments, and the proposed algorithm can provide decision-makers with high-reliability and low-latency transmission paths in heterogeneous network environments. At the same time, we verified the performance of the algorithm when encountering attacks, which is superior to other classical algorithms. Even in the face of network failures and attacks, it can maintain a high level of data integrity and security.

Genieys, William & Darviche, Mohammad-Saïd (2023). Elites, Policies and State Reconfiguration. Transforming the French Welfare Regime. Cham: Switzerland. 198 Seiten. ISBN: 978-3-031-41582-1.

This book takes the hierarchical political system in France as a starting point to analyze the influence of elites on the reconfiguration of state and policy processes. Major reform developments in social policy are attributed to actors’ biographies and changing constellations. While the book thereby offers a detailed account of social policy reforms and individual backgrounds, it lacks a theoretical connection to the broader public policy research literature beyond elite sociology and path dependency. Thereby, a systematic and theoretically guided identification of mechanisms that link actor dynamics and policy outcomes is missing. Nevertheless, the impressively comprehensive interview data from several decades provides invaluable insights into influential actors within the state, serving as a resource for researchers, lecturers, and practitioners.

Adaptive region tracking control for multiple nonholonomic mobile robot systems subject to collision avoidance

Adaptive region tracking control for multiple nonholonomic mobile robot systems subject to collision avoidance

Elite persistence in Sierra Leone: What can names tell us?

Is elite persistence weaker in Africa than in other parts of the world, given historical barriers to intergenerational inheritance of status, such as limited private property rights and frequent economic and political crises? In the absence of linked intergenerational data, we use name analysis to address this question. Using surnames associated with two Sierra Leonean elites, Krio descendants of settlers and members of chiefly lineages, we measure elite persistence in politics, education and business since 1960. Both groups were highly overrepresented in elite positions at independence, and remain overrepresented today. Benchmarking our results against other countries shows that Sierra Leone's educational elites are as persistent as elsewhere, but elite persistence in the political sphere is lower than in the United Kingdom, our main comparator. We also show marked path dependence: chiefly descendants remain more overrepresented in politics and mining, while the Krio are highly over-represented in education and the professions.

Pattern of Care for the Bankruptcy Trustee: Is Transplantation to Indonesian Law Possible for SDGs?

Purpose: The centrality of the bankruptcy trustee in bankruptcy cases requires bankruptcy law to maintain and enforce the trustee's standard of care. In the United States, the formulation of this standard at least includes the form of liability, level of violation, and exceptions to the trustee's liability. In Indonesia, this standard does not yet exist, so the legal certainty is still questionable. Indeed, there is general provision in Article 1365 of the Indonesia Civil Code and special provision in Article 72 of the Indonesia Bankruptcy Act 2004, but they are considered ineffective. Efforts are needed to borrow this standard from the United States. The most appropriate way of convergence is to carry out legal transplant. Therefore, this article discusses this standard in the United States, describes the text and legal context in Indonesia, and ultimately reveals transplant with the concept of path dependence. Method: The research conducted is normative legal research, so that discussions are carried out on the legal principles of liability, violations, and exceptions; in addition to discussions on comparative laws that exist in the United States. Given that the focus is only on legal materials (secondary data), the research is purely doctrinal research. With document study all results are collected, which are then subjected to quantitative analysis. Results: Research was conducted on the legal history of bankruptcy, namely the legal system (sources, institutions, and legal procedures) and legal culture (compliance, justice, and dispute resolution). There are indeed similarities in institutions and legal procedures that apply to both countries, although there is differentiation in the sources of law for the application of standard. In addition, there is a fairly high discrepancy between the two countries regarding compliance and justice experienced by the community, in addition to the differences in the main mode of court in the eyes of the community.

AI governance in Asia: policies, praxis and approaches

ABSTRACT This article surveys the status quo of AI readiness and governance in Asia and identify Asian approaches of doing AI regulation and governance through policy and document analysis. We note that some Asian countries are moving from ‘soft regulation’ through strategies and guidelines to ‘hard regulation’ through rule-setting and laws on AI. We argue that their AI governance approaches are greatly influenced by the existing internet governance frameworks and suggest the importance of historical understandings of Internet, telecommunications, and digital technology and governance to identify the connections and influences – and ‘path dependency’ of past policies upon their current AI strategies and governance. We anticipate that the AI regulatory landscape in Asia will become a diverse and contentious space due to global AI competition among the EU, China and the U.S. as well as the pragmatic paths that many Asian countries may take considering their own histories, economies and politics.

Herglotz-type vakonomic dynamics and its Noether symmetry for nonholonomic constrained systems

In this paper, Herglotz-type vakonomic dynamics and Noether theory of nonholonomic systems are studied. Firstly, Herglotz-type vakonomic dynamical equations for nonholonomic systems are derived on the premise of Herglotz variational principle. Secondly, in terms of the Herglotz-type vakonomic dynamical equations, the Noether symmetry of Herglotz-type vakonomic dynamics is explored, and the Herglotz-type vakonomic dynamical Noether theorems and their inverse theorems are deduced. Finally, the conservation laws of Appell–Hamel case with non-conservative forces are analyzed to show the validity of our results.

A shipboard integrated navigation algorithm based on smartphone built-in GNSS/IMU/MAG sensors

The rapid development of built-in sensors in smartphones has inspired a variety of ubiquitous public navigation applications. Nevertheless, previous works have focused on vehicle and pedestrian navigation by smartphones, with limited research on shipboard navigation. In this contribution, we designed a multi-sensors fusion navigation algorithm that integrates the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), inertial measurement unit (IMU), and magnetometer (MAG) to achieve high-precision horizontal positioning on shipboard for smartphones. Considering the changeable motion state of a ship and the setting of non-holonomic constraint (NHC) noise, a magnetometer-based turning detection method is proposed, and a NHC model with adaptive noise is constructed based on the turning detection results. We conducted a lake experiment in Taku Forts Lake, Tianjin, using sensor data collected from a Xiaomi MI8 through our self-developed ’Sensor Logger’ app. The experimental results demonstrated a high success rate of 94.22 % for magnetometer-based turning detection which can effectively detect turning motions. Compared to the traditional algorithm without constraint information, the roll, pitch and yaw accuracy improve by approximately 34.7 %, 17.9 %, and 57.9 %, respectively. Additionally, the position and velocity accuracy in the east and north directions improve to 0.0926 m, 0.1779 m, 0.0548 m/s, and 0.0589 m/s, respectively, representing enhancements of about 10.7 %, 7.4 %, 10.5 %, and 6.4 %. Overall, the proposed algorithm efficiently improves the shipboard navigation accuracy of smartphones, especially in terms of attitude accuracy.

Trajectory tracking of a mobile robot manipulator using fractional backstepping sliding mode and neural network control methods

ABSTRACT In this paper, a fractional adaptive backstepping sliding mode control system based on the Caputo-Fabrizio derivative for a 2-DoF mobile robot manipulator is designed and described. The fractional dynamics of the system are obtained using the Atangana-Baleanu derivative and the Euler-LaGrange formalism, which include external disturbances, parametric uncertainties, and nonholonomic constraints. A fractional sliding mode control strategy is designed for trajectory tracking tasks. In order to compensate for the chattering phenomenon, the proposed controller is combined with a fractional backstepping strategy. Additionally, the Caputo-Fabrizio derivative is introduced to further reduce the chattering effects and improve the driver performance. A fractional adaptive control law is used to cope with the parametric uncertainties, while adding robustness to external disturbances. To further improve system performance, a tracking control strategy based on a fractional neural network is added. For a comparative analysis, the conventional adaptive neural network backstepping sliding mode control is implemented. Numerical simulations are described and discussed to validate the effectiveness of our control system for trajectory tracking tasks under different operating conditions such as trajectory changes and external disturbances. Our proposed control system and its traditional counterpart were tuned using the Cuckoo optimization approach.

State-led versus market-led: How institutional arrangements impact collaborative governance in participatory urban regeneration in China

Both state-led and market-led institutional arrangements have been experimented in China to form collaborative governance among diverse stakeholders in participatory urban regeneration. Relatively less is known about how institutional arrangements as structural constraints impact the formation of collaborative governance. Building upon Giddens' structuration theory and collaborative governance theory, this paper develops a novel framework that converges on the reciprocity between structural and agency elements and applies it to two residential regeneration cases in Shenzhen. The findings reveal that in residential regeneration, the state-led institutional structure has a greater capacity than the market-led structure to create relational links for community participation. Various factors, including variations in land property rights, path dependencies and institutional certainties, explain the findings. The formation of collaborative governance relies on the shaping effect of structural elements on agents' behaviors in institutional design, including well-designed rules to regulate sanctions, constitute common meaning and premium-allocated resources in accordance with stakeholders’ responsibilities. These findings contribute to a better understanding of collaborative governance and help improve participatory urban regeneration policymaking in China.

How “baked in” ideas hinder ideational robustness: the International Monetary Fund and “fiscal space”

Abstract This paper brings insights into ideational robustness to bear on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) fiscal policy thinking. It advances understanding of both the IMF and the concept of ideational robustness by focusing on economic ideas as they are put into practice by expert economic institutions. The IMF has traditionally enjoyed a reputation as a hawkish enforcer of neoliberal doctrine and conservative fiscal discipline, foregrounding deficit bias and fiscal sustainability concerns. Capitalist crises, notably the 2008 crash and COVID, have seen public debt increase while rendering growth and stability increasingly elusive. This turbulence has spurred some rethinking of Fund fiscal ideas. The IMF has added the new concept of fiscal space to its policy commentary and advocacy. Fiscal space seeks to reconcile economic stabilization and supporting growth to the Fund’s overarching concern to maintain fiscal discipline and sustainability. A focus on how ideas are put into practice shows that long-standing Fund fiscal priorities are hardwired into operational frameworks, curtailing the new emphasis and adaptions. Thus, key to the institutional conditions of IMF fiscal policy actions are “baked in” economic ideas. These are operationalized through economic models, analytical tools, fiscal evaluation frameworks, and standard operating procedures. The “politics of economic method,” in the form of deliberation and contestation over different normative ideas that can underpin alternative constructions of such policy frameworks, plays an important role in shaping which economic ideas come to matter, and how, for the IMF. The Fund’s “fiscal space” episode can be interpreted as a quest for ideational robustness (through increased flexibility), which thus far remains unrealized due to the crucial role of these mechanisms, institutional conditions, and ideational path dependencies.

A robust interpolated model predictive control based on recurrent neural networks for a nonholonomic differential-drive mobile robot with quasi-LPV representation: computational complexity and conservatism

This paper presents an improved Model Predictive Control (MPC) for path tracking of a nonholonomic mobile robot with a differential drive. Nonlinear dynamics and nonholonomic constraints make the optimisation problem of MPC for the robot challenging. Nonlinear dynamics of the robots are expressed by a Linear Parameter Varying (LPV), and a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) solves the constrained optimisation problem, providing optimal velocities. Moreover, an interpolation-based approach has been introduced to augment the region of attraction. The algorithm ensures stability in the presence of bounded disturbances through the inclusion of free control moves in the control law. The controller efficiency has been evaluated in two scenarios in a hospital setting. The simulation results illustrate that the proposed method performs better than nonlinear MPC and standard LPV-based MPC in terms of computational cost, disturbance rejection, and region of attraction.

Changes in Our Government's Counterpart Support Policy, Logic of Evolution and Prospects for Reform

Coordinated regional development is inextricably linked to the practice of the counterpart support policy, and a scientific understanding of its historical process, evolutionary logic, and power mechanism is an important issue in realizing comprehensive economic and social progress and common prosperity. Based on the perspective of historical institutionalism, a panoramic overview of the internal logic of the change of the counterpart support system can help improve the foresight of reform. China's counterpart support system has experienced three stages: early germination, initial establishment and deep promotion, and the reform process has been deeply influenced by the transformation of the economic system, the requirements of regional coordinated development and the consensus of community values, and has shown obvious path dependence. The birth of the "factory-package commune" model, the convening of the National Conference on Border Defence, and the speeches made at the conference on post-disaster reconstruction are three key points in the development of the counterpart support system. The power mechanism for the evolution of the counterpart support system comes from the vertical "administrative contracting system" and the horizontal "competition tournament". In the future, the counterpart support system will continue to develop along the lines of scientific, intelligent and balanced development, exploring new modes of counterpart support, and pushing forward the improvement of the quality and effectiveness of counterpart support work.

Entrepreneurs' use of imagination in pivot decision: Toward a conceptual model

AbstractThe purpose of the paper is to open the black box of pivot decisions and to deepen our understanding of how entrepreneurs use their imagination in such a crucial moment of the entrepreneurial process. A pivot is a strategic decision made after a failure and challenges central assumptions about the entrepreneurial project. In turn, entrepreneurs can remain quite conservative in the generation of new options for their business and expose themselves to the risks of path dependency and escalation of commitment. Reconfiguring an initial idea requires specific cognitive skills and mechanisms. In this paper, we sketch a conceptual model explaining the relationships between creative, social, and practical imaginativeness and the generation of new business options, and how founders' cognitive mechanisms may moderate this relationship.