Relative Positioning Research Articles

Extended Scope and Understanding of Zinc-Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenases for Reduction of Cyclic α-Diketones.

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) are important tools for generating chiral α-hydroxyketones. Previously, only the ADH of Thauera aromatica was known to convert cyclic α-diketones with appropriate preference. Here, we extend the spectrum of suitable enzymes by three alcohol dehydrogenases from Citrifermentans bemidjiense (CibADH), Deferrisoma camini (DecADH), and Thauera phenylacetica (ThpADH). Of these, DecADH is characterized by very high thermostability; CibADH and ThpADH convert α-halogenated cyclohexanones with increased activity. Otherwise, however, the substrate spectrum of all four ADHs is highly conserved. Structural considerations led to the conclusion that conversion of diketones requires not only the expansion of the active site into a large binding pocket, but also the circumferential modification of almost all amino acid residues that form the first shell of the binding pocket. The constellation appears to be overall highly specific for the relative positioning of the carbonyl functions and the size of the C-ring.

Correlating Stokes Shift with Huang‐Rhys Parameter for Diatomic Molecules: Effects of Finite Temperature, Anharmonicity and Breakdown of Franck‐Condon Approximation

AbstractIn order to compute optical absorption and fluorescence spectra, the harmonic oscillator model for molecular vibrations under Franck‐Condon approximation for optical transition at absolute zero temperature is often considered for ease of numerical simulation, which never truly reproduce the experimental spectra. In this article, we show how systematic introduction of realistic situation, i. e., anharmonicity of vibrations, thermalization and non‐adiabatic transition leading to failure of Franck‐Condon approximation plays a colossal role in determining the spectral shape of a model diatomic molecule. In particular, we investigate how the Huang‐Rhys parameter, describing the relative positioning of the ground and excited electronic surfaces, is correlated with the Stokes shift, considering both right‐ and left‐shifted potential wells, which is crucial to estimate changes in molecular length‐scale from experimentally determined quantities. Further, the result for iodine is shown to have excellent agreement with experimental absorption spectrum. These findings are promised to bring insights into origin of spectral shapes in complex polyatomic molecules.

How do religious beliefs impact economic inactivity among British-Pakistani Muslim women?

ABSTRACT This article explores the relationship between economic inactivity and religiosity. The aim of the analysis of qualitative data presented here is to examine whether, and how, religious beliefs impact on decisions British-Pakistani Muslim women make about economic activity. Analysis of interview data reveals that none of the interviewees held the belief that economic activity was impermissible (haram) for women in Islam. However, some interviewees held religiously-informed beliefs that paid employment was undesirable, with marked differences in attitudes to economic activity by both age and migrant generation. Alongside this, interviewees described structural constraints to economic activity, for example, limited opportunities for well-paid, local, part-time work. Overall, religious beliefs emerge as significant in the lives of Muslim women because they allow them to make sense of, and find value in, their marginalised positions in relation to the labour market rather than as drivers of economic inactivity.

Analysing the impact of insulating material properties on the thermal performance of a novel composite precast concrete walling system exposed to elevated temperatures

The use of prefabricated elements is widely adopted in the construction sector to reduce the necessary on-site construction works and time, to maximise efficiency in material use and to mitigate on-site fabrication and assembly errors. The established use of such methodologies necessitates ongoing investigation and improvement of their performance both under normal loading conditions and when exposed to high temperatures. The present research proposes and assesses an innovative precast concrete wall composite section, incorporating insulation layers of varying thickness and position in relation to the fire source. Considering the combustibility of the incorporated insulation layer, sheds new light on the impact of the insulating material properties on the thermal performance of such innovative wall assemblies when exposed to fire. Quantifiable indicators are established, and qualitative conclusions are drawn, to aid with appropriate specification of materials and assemblies. Wall samples are subjected to a standard temperature–time curve as per EN1991-1-2 and their thermal and structural performance is reviewed and commented upon. It is concluded that the positioning of rockwool insulation against the fire front can reduce the temperature of the protected/non-exposed to fire side of the wall by up to 60 °C. The thickness and position of the insulation also lead up to a staggering 520 °C difference in the steel frame temperature when protected with 10 cm of rockwool compared to the same thickness of insulation installed on the non-exposed side of the assembly. A comparison between the performance of the surface-mounted expanded polystyrene to rockwool shows a temperature difference of up to 155 °C on the non-exposed boundary, for the same insulation thickness and positioning. The analysis is carried out through an experimentally validated 3D finite element model developed on COMSOL Multiphysics®.

Influence of near-fault ground motion characteristics and the relative geographical positioning of sites on the seismic response of RC structures

PurposeThe objective of the study is to examine the response of reinforced concrete (RC) structures subjected to Near-Fault Ground Motions (NFGM) and highlight the importance of considering various factors including the influence of the relative geographical position of near-fault sites that can affect the structural response during an earthquake.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the response of a four-storey RC building subjected to NFGMs with varied characteristics like hanging wall and footwall in conjunction with directivity and the effect of pulse-like ground motions with rupture direction are investigated to understand the combined influence of these factors on the behavior of the structure. Furthermore, the capacity and demand of the structural element are investigated for computing the performance ratio.FindingsResults from this study indicate that the most unfavorable combinations for structural damage due to near-fault ground motion are the hanging wall with forward rupture, the fault normal component of ground motions, and pulse-like ground motions with forward directivity.Originality/valueThe results from this study provide valuable insight into the response of RC structures subjected to NFGM and highlight the importance of considering various factors that can affect the structural response during an earthquake. Moreover, the computation of capacity and demand of the critical beam indicates exceedance of desired limits, resulting in the early deterioration of the structural elements. Finally, the analytical analysis from the present study confirms that the hanging wall with forward ruptures, pulse-like motions, and fling steps are the most unfavorable combinations for seismic structural damage.

The Relative Positioning of Genotyping and Phenotyping for Tuberculosis Resistance Screening in Two EU National Reference Laboratories in 2023.

The routine use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) as a reference typing technique for Mycobacterium tuberculosis epidemiology combined with the catalogued and extensive knowledge base of resistance-associated mutations means an initial susceptibility prediction can be derived from all cultured isolates in our laboratories based on WGS data alone. Preliminary work has confirmed, in our low-burden settings, these predictions are for first-line drugs, reproducible, robust with an accuracy similar to phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (pDST) and in many cases able to also predict the level of resistance (MIC). Routine screening for drug resistance by WGS results in approximately 80% of the isolates received being predicted as fully susceptible to the first-line drugs. Parallel testing with both WGS and pDST has demonstrated that routine pDST of genotypically fully susceptible isolates yields minimal additional information. Thus, rather than re-confirming all fully sensitive WGS-based predictions, we suggest that a more efficient use of available mycobacterial culture capacity in our setting is the development of a more extensive and detailed pDST targeted at any mono or multi-drug-resistant isolates identified by WGS screening. Phenotypic susceptibility retains a key role in the determination of an extended susceptibility profile for mono/multi-drugresistant isolates identified by WGS screening. The pDST information collected is also needed to support the development of future catalogues of resistance-associated mutations.

An ionosphere-weighted calibration method with multi-station network corrections

Ionospheric delay is one of the most dominant error sources in GNSS fast relative positioning, especially for RTK positioning of medium and long baselines, which directly affects the ambiguity fixing successful rate and positioning accuracy. The strategy of combining ionospheric correction based on multi-reference station network with ionospheric weighted model is still one of the most effective methods for precise relative positioning. In this paper, a method of ionospheric weighted calibration model is presented. By using a large-scale reference station network at a certain period of time with ionospheric disturbance to obtain the prior ionospheric information required by the user, the GNSS precision relative positioning performance of the ionosphere-weighted calibration model in complex scenarios (the accuracy of prior ionospheric information will be reduced due to large-scale reference station network and ionospheric active scene) was systematically evaluated. The experimental results show that the ionosphere-weighted calibration (IWC) method can effectively reduce the influence of excessive ionospheric modeling residual on the positioning results, and significantly improve the fixed rate and positioning accuracy of RTK. Compared with the traditional ionosphere-fixed model based on virtual reference station (VRS) technology, the three-dimensional accuracy and fixed rate of the six rover stations are improved by 56% and 33.5% on average. Secondly, the prior ionospheric constraint intensity in IWC mode is controllable, which can effectively balance the relationship between initialization speed and positioning accuracy. On average, 94.3% of the time period of the six rover stations can complete the initialization and fixing within 10 epochs, which can basically meet the requirements of fast positioning. In addition, IWC model can ensure higher accuracy and better maintain fixed solution state after the ionospheric parameter convergence is completed. In the ionospheric disturbance stage, after a period of parameter convergence, high fixed rate and positioning accuracy can still be guaranteed.

Evaluating proxies for motion sickness in rodent

Motions sickness (MS) occurs when the brain receives conflicting sensory signals from vestibular, visual and proprioceptive systems about a person’s ongoing position and/or motion in relation to space. MS is typified by symptoms such as nausea and emesis and implicates complex physiological aspects of sensations and sensorimotor reflexes. Use of animal models has been integral to unraveling the physiological causality of MS. The commonly used rodents (rat and mouse), albeit lacking vomiting reflex, reliably display phenotypic behaviors of pica (eating of non-nutritive substance) and conditioned taste aversion (CTAver) or avoidance (CTAvoi) which utilize neural substrates with pathways that cause gastrointestinal malaise akin to nausea/emesis. As such, rodent pica and CTAver/CTAvoi have been widely used as proxies for nausea/emesis in studies dealing with neural mechanisms of nausea/emesis and MS, as well as for evaluating therapeutics. This review presents the rationale and experimental evidence that support the use of pica and CTAver/CTAvoi as indices for nausea and emesis. Key experimental steps and cautions required when using rodent MS models are also discussed. Finally, future directions are suggested for studying MS with rodent pica and CTAver/CTAvoi models.

Transference

ABSTRACT The article presents a view of transference from the early versions of transference by Classical/Structural analysts, through a variety of analytic positions that extend and implicitly question the concept of transference. After looking at Brenner and Bird's transference positions, we trace the beginning of relational analysis as articulated by Gill. The differences among several subsequent relational positions are then explicated. Self-Psychology is conceptualized as providing a clarification of Freud's view of narcissism leading to a new perspective on narcissistic transference states. The article concludes by detailing Contemporary Freudian concepts that integrate various object relation positions within an overriding Freudian theoretical structure. The Contemporary Freudian positions in some ways mirror Ogden's attempts to integrate diverse positions.

Development and validation of a probabilistic multistage algorithm for damage localization in piezo-monitored structures

All structures during operating life can be affected by faults induced by accidental events and operational conditions. Structural health monitoring systems can provide quasi-real-time diagnosis of the structure, thus enabling the condition-based maintenance approach. By means of piezoelectric transducers (PZTs) and ultrasonic guided waves (UGW), the structural integrity can be easily interrogated, even though laborious post-processing techniques are required to correctly interpret sensed data. This work aims to devise a new automatic diagnosis framework based on the propagation of UGW for thin-walled structures fault detection and localisation. Specifically, a fully automated damage identification algorithm was developed through a numerical dataset obtained by finite element simulations, and then validated experimentally. The case of study consisted of a square-shaped aluminium plate equipped with a five PZTs network. Five different damage positions and three different damage sizes were considered. The originality of the proposed algorithm lies in the data processing methodology as well as in its capability to detect damages located inside and outside the sensors network, even close to the panel edges. Algorithm provides, in less than 15 s, indications on the possible damage location and related probability position with a reduced dispersion with respect to other algorithms proposed in literature. A clear image is created displaying the damage position map. The visualisation of the damage position map on the surface of the monitored part allows successful damage imaging and would enable operators to address more efficiently the inspection procedures only in the highlighted areas, reducing maintenance and repair expenses.

More Than Identity: An Intersectional Approach to Understanding Mental-Emotional Well-Being of Emerging Adults by Centering Lived Experiences of Marginalization.

Understanding social determinants that shape pertinent developmental shifts during emerging adulthood (i.e., ages 18-25 years) and their associations with psychological health requires a nuanced approach. In our exploratory study, we investigated how multiple social identities and lived experiences generated by systems of marginalization and power (e.g., racism, classism, sexism) intersect in connection to the mental-emotional well-being of emerging adults (EAs). Eating and Activity Over Time (EAT, 2010-2018) data were collected from 1,568 EAs (mean age= 22.2 (standard deviation, 2.0) years) recruited initially in 2010 from Minneapolis/St. Paul schools. Conditional inference tree analyses were employed to treat "social location" and systems of marginalization and power as interdependent social factors influencing EAs' mental-emotional well-being outcomes: depressive symptoms, stress, self-esteem, and self-compassion. Conditional inference tree analyses identified EAs' subgroups with differing mean levels of mental-emotional well-being outcomes, distinguished primarily by marginalized social experiences (e.g., discrimination, financial difficulties) rather than social identities themselves. The relative positioning of EAs' experiences of social marginalization (e.g., discrimination) to their social identities (e.g., race/ethnicity) suggests that the social experiences generated by systems of privilege and oppression (e.g., racism) are more adjacent social determinants of mental-emotional well-being than the social identities used in public health research to proxy the oppressive systems that give them social meaning.

Философско-эстетическая интроспекция в поэзии М. Ахмедова (на материалах книги «На границе столетий»)

The aim of the study is determined by the identification of the main, most important components of the artistic and aesthetic introspection in M. Akhmedov’s works used by him taking into account the realities of human and society life at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries and determining the place of literature and the writer in it. The paper is novel in that it represents the first attempt to analyse M. Akhmedov’s poetic works from the book “On the Edge of the Century”, their artistic elements that form the basis of the poet’s philosophical and aesthetic introspection. The results of the study are as follows: the poetic works from M. Akhmedov’s book “On the Edge of the Century” are dedicated to the relevant themes in fiction, in which the role and purpose of a poet, citizen and person in society remains the main issue. The creative searches of M. Akhmedov are accompanied by ambiguous philosophical thoughts about man and life, among which the philosophical and aesthetic introspection serves as the fundamental meaning-forming core around which his poetic worldview is built. M. Akhmedov interprets the existence of man, the meaning of human life, the fate of man through the philosophical and aesthetic introspection of the events and facts of the turn of the centuries, through the understanding of his inner world in the world of new realities, his position in relation to the new spiritual climate at the turn of the centuries. Russian literature, along with Dagestan literature, had a significant impact on the evolution of M. Akhmedov’s artistic thought, his philosophical worldview.

Local private actors in transnational policy networks: A relational approach to studying policy transfers in Asia

AbstractMany documented cases of policy transfer in Asia involve small and medium enterprises as well as public enterprises but little is known about how and why these local private actors participate in transnational policy transfer networks. We propose a relational view of policy transfer to examine how agency is exercised in these kinds of transfer networks. We develop a typology of the engagement of these private actors—solutionist and entrepreneur—based on their relational position in the policy transfer process and illustrate its usefulness using two cases of policy transfer between: (1) Yokohama (Japan) and Cebu (Philippines) and (2) Singapore and New Clark City (Philippines). A common theme in these networks is the diffused nature of agency where local private actors are pulled in to provide epistemic resources.

Moisture absorption of 3D-printed PETG plastic samples

Introduction. The additive manufacturing method implies the emergence of emergent properties in the final product, not inherent in the original elements of the system individually. Performance properties of products obtained by FDM-printing are defined not only by the material properties, but also by printing parameters — nozzle and table temperature, layer thickness, printing speed, the direction of laying layers, their relative positioning, etc. Thus, when designing 3D-printed polymer products with the required characteristics one should consider the material – printing parameters system together. The results of the study of the effect of sorption characteristics of 3D-printed PETG plastic samples made by FDM-printing on their elastic-strength properties are presented.
 
 Materials and methods. Three groups of FDM-printed PETG 3D specimens were studied. Collection, preprocessing, analysis, statistical processing and visualization of the data were performed using Python programming language in an interactive Jupyter Notebook development environment.
 
 Results. It was found that the moisture content of 3D-printed polymer samples could be conventionally divided into the superstructural and microstructural levels. A comparison of moisture content limits in different moisture saturation conditions shows that the former exceeds the latter by 2 to 6 times depending on the specimen printing parameters. Moisture content of superstructure level has no statistically significant (for α = 0.01) effect on the ultimate tensile strength of the samples, regardless of the printing parameters of the samples. The moisture sorbed by the level of substructure presumably can act as a stress concentrator preventing the free flow of specimens beyond the ultimate tensile strength, which is reflected in the reduction of elongation at rupture.
 
 Conclusions. The obtained results allow taking into account the influence of moisture state on the elastic-strength properties of 3D printed articles and structures on the basis of PETG-plastics. This, in its turn, contributes to more accurate prediction of their behavior under real operating conditions.

FGO-GIL: Factor Graph Optimization-Based GNSS RTK/INS/LiDAR Tightly Coupled Integration for Precise and Continuous Navigation

As a relative positioning technique, LiDAR-Inertial Odometry (LIO) is known to suffer from drifting and can only provide local coordinates. To compensate for these shortages of LIO, an effective way is to integrate global navigation satellite system (GNSS) with LIO. In this contribution, we proposed a tightly coupled GNSS RTK/INS/LiDAR system under the factor graph optimization framework, termed as FGO-GIL, to achieve high-precision and continuous navigation in urban environments. This integration system fuses raw GNSS measurements (i.e., pseudorange and carrier phase measurements) with IMU and LiDAR information at the observation level atop a factor graph. Moreover, a keyframe-based nonlinear optimization scheme is designed to efficiently utilize measurements from the mixed heterogeneous sensors. Specifically, non-keyframes are united with IMU pre-integration for inter-frame optimization, which can provide accurate and high-frequency state predictions for the scan-matching of keyframes. Sparse keyframes are used to construct LiDAR factors through matching with the submap for sliding window optimization. To evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, real-world experiments are conducted in both campus and urban environments. The results demonstrate that our system can achieve continuous decimeter-level positioning accuracy in these complex environments, outperforming other state-of-the-art frameworks.

Marketing plan: household products cleaning company, in Villahermosa Tabasco

Aim: To analyze the different variables that affect the development of the household cleaning products company, in order to obtain the positioning in relation to the other competitors, to achieve a 30% market share and to move to the growth stage to achieve profits. Methodology used: SWOT analysis, considering the marketing variables (product, price, advertising, location), for the design of the model of the current situation of the company, obtaining an overall diagnosis and objective identification of the guidelines to be followed, generating market segmentation strategies that will achieve the main objective of the household cleaning products company in Villahermosa, Tabasco. Contribute: Identified opportunities for strategic alliances, including service providers and a significant number of potential customers, overworked population needing cleaning assistance, companies identified as competitors lacking adequate technology and unprofessional service.

Taiwan’s Critical Position in Indo-Pacific: India’s Response to China’s Reactions

“China Factor,” has always been a crucial element that shapes India’s attitude towards Taiwan. According to number of China experts, the journey of India- Taiwan relations have happened under the shadow of China only. Taiwan never featured prominently within India’s Act East Policy as always been overshadowed by much bigger Sino-Indian ties. In the last few years, the concept of Indo-Pacific region has received immense political, economic and strategic attention. Undoubtedly, India is among the politically and strategically major players in the region along with China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, the United States and countries of Southeast Asia. Taiwan constitutes a vital component of Indo-Pacific due to its crucial geographical position in the region. To a significant extent, it is also due to the island nation’s critical position in relation to Sino-US relations. Taiwan’s strategic location links the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and the Sea of Japan. Most importantly, they are used as critical sea routes for exporting and importing of goods worth $ 5.5 trillion annually, according to Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). These routes are extremely important for the import of energy resources to three East Asian countries – China, Japan and South Korea. Since the Indo-Pacific has turned into the center of global dynamism and trade agreements, undisruptive sea lines of communication are crucial for region’s growth and prosperity. However, China’s assertive policies and actions make Taiwan restless and worried. India looks at the Indo-Pacific as an open, libertarian and democratic zone. In the face of assertive China, assessing India’s reaction is crucial as it advocates rules -based, open, balanced liberal order and stable trading environment in the Indo-Pacific region. Being the largest democracy and among the fastest growing economies of the world, it is important for India to acknowledge Taiwan’s democratic position and economic capability. In fact, power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific have recently altered, and it’s the appropriate time for New Delhi to engage more politically and economically with Taiwan.

Discourses of collective remembering: contestation, politics, affect

ABSTRACT This article introduces the key issues and themes that the articles in the Special Issue aim to apply and develop in greater detail. First, we argue that the field of collective remembering can be conceived as a site of active contestation, rather than simply a means of communicating a historic past or our deontic position in relation to these pasts. Approaching collective remembering as a Lieu de Dispute allows us, in turn, to foreground three consequential dimensions of remembrance, which the articles in the issue examine in different ways: that collective remembering is an interpersonal, political and affective practice. This introduction discusses these three dimensions to collective remembering in greater detail, before outlining the remaining contents of the Special Issue.

ACCURACY ASSESSMENT OF PRECISE POINT POSITIONING WITH MULTI-CONSTELLATION GNSS DATA UNDER STRONG SOLAR BURST EFECTS

Solar variations modify a layer of the Earth’s upper atmosphere known as the ionosphere. This is of particular concern for the aviation sector because of the way its communications and navigation systems can be affected. At the same time, one of the most complex atmospheric effects is the response of ionospheric regions to geomagnetic storms. The ionospheric response during the same storm can vary in time in different locations, which can introduce significant errors/displacement (meters) in single-frequency relative GNSS positioning (DGNSS technology). The residual effect can be somewhat mitigated by using dual- or multi-frequency GNSS, but dual frequency is not a guarantee against degradation of relative observations results, especially during significant geomagnetic storms. In this regard, PPP absolute positioning technology can be effective. However, another atmospheric effect – ionospheric scintillation can have a significant impact on the accuracy of both GNSS positioning approaches. The main goal of this study was to analyze the effect of second-order ionospheric delay during geomagnetic storms and ionospheric scintillations on GNSS positioning using the PPP method. GNSS data corrected and uncorrected for higher-order ionospheric delay, respectively, were processed by the static PPP-AR method using the PRIDE-PPPAR ver.2.2.6 software for the selected periods of geomagnetic storms. From the analysis of the influence of second-order ionospheric errors, it follows that their values can reach almost 4 cm for first-frequency signals under different states of ionospheric disturbances for the GPS constellation and almost an order of magnitude less for the GNSS quadroconstellation. The appearance of stronger geomagnetic storms increases the second-order ionospheric errors by several millimeters.

Age-Based Digital Divide: Uses of the Internet in People Over 54 Years Old

<span lang="PT">The digitization process is widespread and unrelenting. Compared with other European countries, Spain has a good position in the latest data compiled in the Digital Economy and Society Index. Direct use of communication and information technologies is high among the regions in Spain, where the national average in the region of Valencia stands out. However, despite this context, differences between population groups continue to be observed in different dimensions of the digital divide. This article explores this multidimensional gap among the midlife and older adult population. The research design adopts a mixed-method sequential design (questionnaire-based survey, follow-up with semi-structured interviews) to explore social positions in relation to access and use of technologies and the meanings that people ascribe to such positions and actions. A telephone survey was conducted with 1,800 people over 54 years of age residing in Valencia in September 2021, followed by 67 in-depth interviews. The results suggest that demographic and socioeconomic characteristics (level of education, age, and gender) determine people’s position in the digital divide. Qualitative discourses qualify these results by elucidating key aspects that could be acting as protectors of digital and social exclusion. They are related to the social and family context and the characteristics of digital service providers. The findings are useful to guide both public policies to promote digital inclusion and private market actors when designing their digital strategies.</span>