Relative Positioning Research Articles

Review of “Working Class Experiences of Social Inequalities in (Post-) Industrial Landscapes: Feelings of Class”

In the English-American rock band The Pretenders’ song “My City Was Gone,” Chrissie Hynde croons about no longer being able to recognize the landscape of her youth in Akron, Ohio as deindustrialization gave way to suburban sprawl. The song captures the familiar feeling of nostalgia for what once was, but it’s the lament of not being able to see herself reflected in a place that she once identified with that makes the song so poignant: “I was stunned and amazed/My childhood memories/Slowly swirled past/Like the wind through the trees.” This sentiment of backward-looking wistfulness—and the feeling that is evoked—is brought to life in Lars Meier’s Working-Class Experiences of Social Inequalities in (Post-) Industrial Landscapes. Far from Akron in the United States, Meier takes us into the similar world of South Nuremberg, Germany and introduces us to people who have lived and worked in the manufacturing sector that helped to build the city, but that is now declining as the city shifts its productive capacities more toward knowledge and service industries. His focus isn’t solely on what these workers feel about how their city has changed, but on the ways that they actually feel these changes. Class isn’t just a relational position; it has affective qualities as something that can be deeply felt, which is the core argument of the book.

Real-Time Relative Positioning Study of an Underwater Bionic Manta Ray Vehicle Based on Improved YOLOx

Compared to traditional vehicles, the underwater bionic manta ray vehicle (UBMRV) is highly maneuverable, has strong concealment, and is an emerging research field in underwater vehicles. Based on the completion of the single-body research, it is crucial to research the swarm of UBMRVs for the implementation of complex tasks, such as large-scale underwater detection. The relative positioning capability of the UBMRV is the key to realizing a swarm, especially when underwater acoustic communications are delayed. To solve the real-time relative positioning problem between individuals in the UBMRV swarm, this study proposes a relative positioning method based on the combination of the improved object detection algorithm and binocular distance measurement. To increase the precision of underwater object detection in small samples, this paper improves the original YOLOx algorithm. It increases the network’s interest in the object area by adding an attention mechanism module to the network model, thereby improving its detection accuracy. Further, the output of the object detection result is used as the input of the binocular distance measurement module. We use the ORB algorithm to extract and match features in the object-bounding box and obtain the disparity of the features. The relative distance and bearing information of the target are output and shown on the image. We conducted pool experiments to verify the proposed algorithm on the UBMRV platform, proved the method’s feasibility, and analyzed the results.

Words of Weather: A Glossary

Words of Weather: A Glossary

Three-dimensional single-molecule super-resolution imaging of proteins involved in primary cilia formation.

Primary cilia are organelles that protrude from the cell membrane of most human cells where they perform critical sensory and signaling functions. Defects and mutations in proteins in the primary cilium cause a range of diseases and syndromes collectively termed ciliopathies. Intracellular primary cilium formation begins with the recruitment of Golgi-derived pre-ciliary vesicles to the distal appendages of the mother centriole, but the molecular mechanisms behind the recruitment of the distal appendage proteins are not fully understood. The proteins Rab34 and MyosinVa were found through structured illumination microscopy (SIM) to be closely associated with these pre-ciliary vesicles during this step. However, because of the sub-diffraction size and three-dimensional (3D) structures of the centriole and of the involved proteins, higher resolution multi-target 3D microscopy is required to resolve their organization. To address this limitation, 3D two-color direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) was implemented, providing a single-molecule localization precision of roughly 20 nm in all dimensions. A two-channel 4f emissions system was constructed using a 2-μm axial range double helix phase mask for single-molecule localization in 3D through point spread function engineering. This system allowed for 3D single-molecule super-resolution imaging of Rab34 and MyosinVa in two different color-channels together with imaging of the centriolar protein FOP in both color-channels for context and precise channel registration. The resulting 3D super-resolved reconstructions revealed the nanoscale structures formed by these proteins at the pre-ciliary vesicles, the structural relation between Rab34 and MyosinVa, and their position in relation to the mother centriole.

Acoustics for a Sustainable Future

Sustainability is now at the core of everything we are do, from our personal daily lives to how we engineer the built environment and treat it in operation. The need for acousticians to consider sustainability is now, more than ever, a critical element in having acoustic interventions included in a design. The wide ranging terminology and acronyms associated with sustainability, abstract concepts of physiology and psychology around Health and Wellbeing, and passing references made in wider policy, standards and guidance, can be difficult to navigate and resolve with technical acoustic performance when applied in practice. Since much of an acousticians work centred on technical acoustic performance, much needed consideration to sustainability can often be overlooked. This paper seeks to provide a review of the current position in relation to sustainability, including references to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Life Cycle Analysis, The Circular Economy, and Whole Life Carbon including Embodied and Operational Carbon impacts that my arise from recommendations made by acoustic designers. Health and wellbeing impacts are also discussed, through reference to the Genius Loci and acoustic design as an integral element in the building design process, demonstrating how carefully considered acoustic design can contribute positively to Sustainable Communities.

Troubling the politics of island relation: The Comoros in between, on the edge, and as microcosm

Relational approaches are gaining strength in political geography and the field of island studies but are often insufficiently reflexive of their own relational positioning. This paper uses the case of the Comoro Islands to explore how scholars render places comprehensible and useful by setting them in general discourses of relation. In this case, relational approaches frequently construct Comoro as an island in-between, island on the edge, or island as microcosm. Based on a reading of English-language scholarship concerning the Comoros, the paper narrates the history of the Comoro Islands from these various relational perspectives before analysing their limitations in terms of serving islanders' needs and representing islanders’ experiences. The paper ultimately argues for the necessity of scholars to acknowledge that the relational narratives they construct are necessarily partial, oversimplified, and politicised representations of a much more complex geographic reality.

Yin-yang framework of decision-making: Development and assessment of Yin-yang decision-making styles questionnaire

Decision-making styles represent the typical manner individuals use to make decisions. This study aimed to develop and test the structure of a decision-making style questionnaire based on the Yin-yang framework of decision making. Two studies were carried out. In Study 1, we generated an initial item pool of 122 items using a theory-driven approach. Then three focus groups were used to finalize 54 items for the field testing. Third, using a hybrid of iterative exploratory factor analysis and ant colony optimization approach (n = 895), we identified 23 items that were deemed best to represent five constructs of the yin-yang framework of decision making: adaptability, relative positioning, self-awareness, proactivity, and prudence. In Study 2, we performed the validation study (n = 569) by testing three models of the yin-yang framework of decision making styles. We also explored age and sex differences. The results from two studies provide initial support for the factor structure and reliability of the Yin-yang decision-making questionnaires. The results were discussed in the context of the yin-yang framework and age and sex differences regarding these constructs.

Assessment of Attractiveness of the Baltic States for Foreign Direct Investment: The TOPSIS Approach

Foreign investment is one of the driving forces of a country’s economy. The global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in 2020 amounted to USD 1 trillion, but FDI distribution varies from country to country. Here, the questions arise as to what determines the choice of foreign investors, what the countries can do/are doing to attract FDI, and which Baltic states are the most attractive for FDI. Based on the scientific literature analysis, the definitions of FDI and the attractiveness for FDI, as referred to in the empirical study, are reviewed; the factors affecting FDI are singled out, and the methods/models that are applicable for assessing FDI are investigated. The major purpose of the article is to assess the attractiveness of the Baltic states for foreign direct investment. Research methods: comparative analysis of the concepts and methods available in the scientific literature, secondary data analysis, statistical data processing, and multi-criteria evaluation methods. The results of the assessment of the attractiveness of the Baltic states for foreign direct investment that were determined by applying the TOPSIS multi-criteria evaluation method helped to determine a country’s position in relation to its neighbors and revealed the criteria that weaken or strengthen this position. The results of the research can help the leaders of the states to select the relevant measures to improve their state’s FDI attractiveness in relation to other states.

Hemodynamic and Respiratory Changes following Prone Position in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients: A Clinical Study.

Limited data are available for the oxygenation changes following prone position in relation to hemodynamic and pulmonary vascular variations in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), using reliable invasive methods. We aimed to assess oxygenation and hemodynamic changes between the supine and prone posture in patients with ARDS and identify parameters associated with oxygenation improvement. Eighteen patients with ARDS under protective ventilation were assessed using advanced pulmonary artery catheter monitoring. Physiologic parameters were recorded at baseline supine position, 1 h and 18 h following prone position. The change in the Oxygenation Index (ΔOI) between supine and 18 h prone significantly correlated to the concurrent change in shunt fraction (r = 0.75, p = 0.0001), to the ΔOI between supine and 1 h prone (r = 0.73, p = 0.001), to the supine acute lung injury score and the OI (r = -0.73, p = 0.009 and r = 0.69, p = 0.002, respectively). Cardiac output did not change between supine and prone posture. Moreover, there was no change in pulmonary pressure, pulmonary vascular resistances, right ventricular (RV) volumes and the RV ejection fraction. The present investigation provides physiologic clinical data supporting that oxygenation improvement following prone position in ARDS is driven by the shunt fraction reduction and not by changes in hemodynamics. Moreover, oxygenation improvement was not correlated with RV or pulmonary circulation changes.

THE SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN THE CRIMINALISATION OF SEX WORK AND CORRUPT POLICING IN SEX WORK IN SOUTH AFRICA

Despite existing studies that prove the prevalence of corrupt policing of sex work in South Africa, corruption continues to be a common feature of sex workers’ experiences with police officers. In this article, it is argued that the criminalisation of sex work, which is the current legal model enforced in South Africa, has enabled and cemented corrupt practices in the policing of sex work. Whilst police officers occupy a position of power over all persons living in South Africa, due to their office and authority to enforce the law, it is argued that the police officer/sex worker dichotomy is deepened by the illegal status of the conduct that sex workers engage in. This dichotomy places sex workers in an extremely vulnerable position in relation to police corruption.

Unmanned ground vehicle‐unmanned aerial vehicle relative navigation robust adaptive localization algorithm

AbstractThe unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) can complete complex tasks through information sharing and ensure the mission execution capability of multiple unmanned carrier platforms. At the same time, cooperative navigation can use the information interaction between multi‐platform sensors to improve the relative navigation and positioning accuracy of the entire system. Aiming at the problem of deviation of the system model due to gross errors in sensor measurement data or strong manoeuvrability in complex environments, a robust and adaptive UGV‐UAV relative navigation and positioning algorithm is proposed. In this paper, the relative navigation and positioning of UGV‐UAV is studied based on inertial measurement unit (IMU)/Vision. Based on analyzing the relative kinematics model and sensor measurement model, a leader (UGV)‐follow (UAV) relative navigation model is established. In the implementation of the relative navigation and positioning algorithm, the robust adaptive algorithm and the non‐linear Kalman filter (extended Kalman filter [EKF]) algorithm are combined to dynamically adjust the system state parameters. Finally, a mathematical simulation of the accompanying and landing process in the UGV‐UAV cooperative scene is carried out. The relative position, velocity and attitude errors calculated by EKF, Robust‐EKF and Robust‐Adaptive‐EKF algorithms are compared and analyzed by simulating two cases where the noise obeys the Gaussian distribution and the non‐Gaussian distribution. The results show that under the non‐Gaussian distribution conditions, the accuracy of the Robust‐Adaptive‐EKF algorithm is improved by about two to three times compared with the EKF and Robust‐EKF and can almost reach the relative navigation accuracy under the Gaussian distribution conditions. The robust self‐adaptive relative navigation and positioning algorithm proposed in this paper has strong adaptability to the uncertainty and deviation of system modelling in complex environments, with higher accuracy and stronger robustness.

Decolonizing Policy Research as Restorative Research Justice: Applying an Indigenous Policy Research Framework (IPRF)

ABSTRACT What is required to decolonize policy research in doing knowledge production about Indigenous peoples? Policy studies has been complicit in maintaining a central methodological policy research problem: the ongoing prevalence of hegemonic imperial and colonial knowledge production practices in relation to Indigenous peoples. This problem persists through policy researchers producing anti-Indigenous genocidal native-place-invisibilization in scholarship. Ambiguous relationality is another mechanism through which elimination of the natives takes place in research – it is when researchers deliberately/unintentionally omit naming and visiblizing their positionality in relation to the native-places the researchers are working with. Undoing harms emerging from native-place-invisibilization and ambiguous relationality requires a ‘grounded normativity’ oriented native place consciousness, naming and visibilization of the native place(s) the researchers work on/with, respecting sovereign Indigenous research jurisdictions, and applying an Indigenous Policy Research Framework (IPRF). Decolonization as a solution to the policy problem being tackled in this paper looks like counter-hegemonic radical redistribution of power back to the community when conducting Indigenous policy research. The IPRF approach is formulated using a literature review methodology and consists of guiding questions and principles to help steward the processes of decolonizing policy research. The aim is to support the emergence of radically restorative research justice practices and repair historically harmful relations between knowledge-producing systems/institutions and the Indigenous communities about whom the knowledge production is done.

Predicting the distributions of Pouteria adolfi‐friederici and Prunus africana tree species under current and future climate change scenarios in Ethiopia

AbstractDistributions of potential ranges of plant species are not yet fully known in Ethiopia where high climatic variability and vegetation types are found. This study was undertaken to predict distributions of suitable habitats of Pouteria adolfi‐friederici and Prunus africana under current and two future climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 in 2050 and 2070) in Ethiopia. Eleven environmental variables with less correlation coefficients (r < 0.7) were used to make the prediction. Shifting in extents of habitat suitability and effects of elevation, solar radiation and topographic position in relation to the current and future climatic scenarios were statistically analysed using independent t‐test and linear model. We found decreasing area of highly suitable habitat from 0.51% to 0.46%, 0.36% and 0.33%, 0.24% for Prunus africana and 1.13% to 1.02%, 0.77% and 0.76%, 0.60% for Pouteria adolfi‐friederici, under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 by 2050 and 2070 respectively. Moist and dry afromontane forests are identified as the most suitable habitat for both species. Overall, our results suggest that climate change can promote dynamic suitable habitat niches under different future climate scenarios. Therefore, biodiversity conservation strategies should take into account habitat suitability dynamics issues and identify where to conserve species before implementing conservation practices.

A cluster positioning architecture and relative positioning algorithm based on pigeon flock bionics

Unmanned clusters can realize collaborative work, flexible configuration, and efficient operation, which has become an important development trend of unmanned platforms. Cluster positioning is important for ensuring the normal operation of unmanned clusters. The existing solutions have some problems such as requiring external system assistance, high system complexity, poor architecture scalability, and accumulation of positioning errors over time. Without the aid of the information outside the cluster, we plan to construct the relative position relationship with north alignment to adopt formation control and achieve robust cluster relative positioning. Based on the idea of bionics, this paper proposes a cluster robust hierarchical positioning architecture by analyzing the autonomous behavior of pigeon flocks. We divide the clusters into follower clusters, core clusters, and leader nodes, which can realize flexible networking and cluster expansion. Aiming at the core cluster that is the most critical to relative positioning in the architecture, we propose a cluster relative positioning algorithm based on spatiotemporal correlation information. With the design idea of low cost and large-scale application, the algorithm uses intra-cluster ranging and the inertial navigation motion vector to construct the positioning equation and solves it through the Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Multiple Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithms. The cluster formation is abstracted as a mixed direction-distance graph and the graph rigidity theory is used to analyze localizability conditions of the algorithm. We designed the cluster positioning simulation software and conducted localizability tests and positioning accuracy tests in different scenarios. Compared with the relative positioning algorithm based on Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), the algorithm proposed in this paper has more relaxed positioning conditions and can adapt to a variety of scenarios. It also has higher relative positioning accuracy, and the error does not accumulate over time.

Relative-Position Estimation Based on Loosely Coupled UWB–IMU Fusion for Wearable IoT Devices

Relative positioning is one of the important techniques in collaborative robotics, autonomous vehicles, and virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) applications. Recently, ultra-wideband (UWB) has been utilized to calculate relative position as it does not require a line of sight compared to a camera to calculate the range between two objects with centimeter-level accuracy. However, the single UWB range measurement cannot provide the relative position and attitude of any device in three dimensions (3D) because of lacking bearing information. In this paper, we have proposed a UWB-IMU fusion-based relative position system to provide accurate relative position and attitude between wearable Internet of Things (IoT) devices in 3D. We introduce a distributed Euler angle antenna orientation which can be equipped with the mobile structure to enable relative positioning. Moving average and min-max removing preprocessing filters are introduced to reduce the standard deviation. The standard multilateration method is modified to calculate the relative position between mobile structures. We combine UWB and IMU measurements in a probabilistic framework that enables users to calculate the relative position between two nodes with less error. We have carried out different experiments to illustrate the advantages of fusing IMU and UWB ranges for relative positioning systems. We have achieved a mean accuracy of 0.31 m for 3D relative positioning in indoor line of sight conditions.

Trajectory-Robust RFID Relative Localization Based on Phase Profile Correlation

Indoor localization systems based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies are widely adopted in the Internet of Things (IoT). Many of these applications prefer to obtain the relative position of the target object rather than the absolute position. Existing relative positioning methods are subject to strict trajectory constraints and cannot work under nonstraight trajectories. RFID mobile localization which has high accuracy can also be used for relative positioning, but they require the acquisition of precise moving trajectory coordinates. To overcome these challenges, we propose a trajectory-robust relative localization algorithm (TRL), based on phase profiles’ correlation in this article. The intuition of TRL is that the phase of the backscattered signal has a linear mapping relationship with the distance between the reader and the antenna, so the closer the tag is to each other, the higher the correlation of their phase curves is. We use the dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm to calculate the correlation between the phase profiles of different tags and achieve relative localization of all the tags by sequentially determining their position intervals in the tag sequence. Compared with the state-of-the-art solutions, TRL gives greater flexibility to antenna movement and the demand for trajectory coordinates, and is it fully robust to trajectory error. A series of experimental results show that TRL has significant advantages over the current state-of-the-art schemes in terms of both accuracy and computation time.

Text2Simulate: A Scientific Knowledge Visualization Technique for Generating Visual Simulations from Textual Knowledge

Recent research has developed knowledge visualization techniques for generating interactive visualizations from textual knowledge. However, when applied, these techniques do not generate precise semantic visual representations, which is imperative for domains that require an accurate visual representation of spatial attributes and relationships between objects of discourse in explicit knowledge. Therefore, this work presents a Text-to-Simulation Knowledge Visualization (TSKV) technique for generating visual simulations from domain knowledge by developing a rule-based classifier to improve natural language processing, and a Spatial Ordering (SO) algorithm to solve the identified challenge. A system architecture was developed to structurally model the components of the TSKV technique and implemented using a Knowledge Visualization application called ‘Text2Simulate’. A quantitative evaluation of the application was carried out to test for accuracy using modified existing information visualization evaluation criteria. Object Inclusion (OI), Object-Attribute Visibility (OAV), Relative Positioning (RP), and Exact Visual Representation (EVR) criteria were modified to include Object’s Motion (OM) metric for quantitative evaluation of generated visual simulations. Evaluation for accuracy on generated simulation results were 90.1, 84.0, 90.1, 90.0, and 96.0% for OI, OAV, OM, RP, and EVR criteria respectively. User evaluation was conducted to measure system effectiveness and user satisfaction which showed that all the participants were satisfied well above average. These generated results showed an improved semantic quality of visualized knowledge due to the improved classification of spatial attributes and relationships from textual knowledge. This technique could be adopted during the development of electronic learning applications for improved understanding and desirable actions.

Recent public health concerns of the high-altitude tribal population of Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

India has a tribal population of 8.6%. Health concerns of the high-altitude tribal population in India play a vital role in overall socio-economic development and health transformation of the country. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the current health problems among the tribal population of Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. The study area encompasses one regional hospital (RH) in Keylong (the district headquarters), three community health centers (CHCs), and 16 primary health care centers (PHCs). In addition, the district has 37 sub-centers (SCs) and 21 Ayurveda dispensaries to serve the district. The data for this study were gathered over a 4-year period from records of daily out-patient department registration from the various health centers (RH, CHCs, and PHCs) from 2017 to 2020. In terms of communicable diseases, the population in the concerned region was more likely to have acute respiratory infection, enteric fever, tuberculosis, and typhoid. Hypertension, asthma, bronchitis, and diabetes mellitus type II were determined to be the most common non-communicable diseases. Acute respiratory disease, hypertension, diarrhea, accidental injuries, and eye problems were shown to be prevalent in the study area. The population's position in relation to these five diseases indicates the community's sensitivity to a variety of common conditions. There is a need to review the needs and priorities of the concerned population and create goals and targets to meet those needs using validated public health measures.

Flow Dynamics around Two Side by Side Circular Cylinders with Alternating Movements

The flow dynamics is analyzed through two-dimensional numerical simulations around two circular cylinders arranged side by side, with 4 combinations of alternating motions. All simulations are performed for Re = 1000, amplitude of oscillation (A) equal to 3, frequency ratio (fr) of 0.5, specific rotation (α) equal to 0.5 and different values of spacing ratio (L/D). It is verified that the combination of the type of movement, together with the position of one cylinder in relation to the other, exerts significant influence on the flow dynamics, as well as on the pressure distribution around the cylinder surface and on the average values of the fluid dynamics coefficients. The smallest value of the average pressure coefficient (Cp = -3.3), is obtained for the oscillating cylinder when placed side by side with the clockwise rotation cylinder, case 3 and L/D = 1.5. On the other hand, the lowest mean drag coefficient (Cd = 1.0788), is obtained for the cylinder with counterclockwise rotation, located in the lower position in relation to oscillating cylinder in the upper position, with spacing between them of 1.5. Furthermore, it is observed that the rotation movement is more effective in reducing drag than the rotation-oscillation movement, for the studied frequency ratio.

Understory epiphytic pteridophytes along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in the Atlantic Forest

Abstract Gradual climatic changes caused by mountains’ altitudinal variation promote alterations in the structure of ecological communities. Environmental changes are also expected according to the slope’s position in relation to the sea. In this study, we aimed to compare epiphytic pteridophyte communities along altitudinal gradients on opposite slopes in a section of the Atlantic Forest. We sampled a total of 10 sites in the montane and upper montane zones from the eastern (facing the sea) and western (facing away from the sea) slopes. A total of 1,742 individuals from 62 epiphytic species were recorded. The slopes showed similar epiphytic abundances and richness. Species richness showed a tendency to decrease with an increase in altitude on the western slope, and abundance was higher at intermediate altitudes, with no altitudinal trend in dominance. Conversely, on the eastern slope, there was no clear altitudinal pattern in richness or abundance; however, dominance increased with an increase in altitude from 1,200 to 1,800 m. Species compositions differed among altitudinal zones and between slopes. The eastern slope had lower species richness and no clear altitudinal gradient, although it was better preserved than the western one. Thus, there are differences in the community structure of epiphytic pteridophytes from the forest understory due to altitudinal variation and slope orientation, and these findings corroborate our hypotheses.