Search

• 193 full-scale tests of tracked vehicles in a progressive slip condition reported. • Parabolic trends were found between DBP versus slip and torque versus slip. • Trends between STMN versus DBP, traction, and torque were influenced by slip. • A modest parabolic trend between sinkage and CP/CI ratio was discovered. In 2013, an extensive effort began to create a consolidated off-road vehicle mobility database named DROVE (Database Records for Off-road Vehicle Environments). DROVE consists of over 8,500 experimental test records measured over several decades for wheeled and tracked vehicles over various terrains. This paper introduces the third release of DROVE, which adds results from 193 tests primarily consisting of data for tracked vehicles on fine-grained soils in a progressive slip condition. Performance parameters considered in DROVE 3.0 include drawbar pull, torque, sinkage, and traction. These parameters were compared to mobility numerics, such as soil-track mobility number, contact pressure to cone index ratio, and mean maximum pressure. These parameters were used to develop mobility trends in this paper. DROVE is intended to be a resource for the mobility community applicable to many situations, including evaluating and advancing numerical simulations, improving closed-form algorithms, and understanding vehicular trends that can be used for development or purchase specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While people's social backgrounds clearly shape their adoption of digital technology and the Internet, their urban lifestyles and place of residence better explain their digital activities when they are online, and how they use technology. Most studies investigating individuals' use of digitization have neglected the effects of the physical built environment and the daily life of the community. Addressing this gap, this paper places digital practices in the socio-spatial world, and conceptualizes the term "urban digital lifestyle," which refers to the dynamic relationships among three dimensions: (1) the user's socioeconomic status, (2) the user's residency, with a focus on the locale's socio-spatial characteristics, and (3) the user's digital practices. Empirically, this paper uses a mixture of methods to analyze the digital usage of residents in four neighborhoods in Tel Aviv. The methods used are neighborhood prototype analysis, digital practices survey (n = 490), and spatial and GIS analyses. Although the results may at first glance support the argument that education and socioeconomic status have significant influence on digital practices, these practices also reflect many other factors associated with the urban lifestyle. Thus, locales, places and neighborhoods remain crucial socio-spatial categories that have a major influence on daily life in the digital age. • Conceptualization of Urban Digital Lifestyle (UDL) offers a new temporal reading of digital differences in a city. • UDL is a helpful category for juxtaposing user's socioeconomic status, user's digital practices, and locale's sociospatial characteristics. • UDL is a helpful tool to identify (1) types of digital lifestyles, and (2) clustering of these digital lifestyles in geographical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of geographic simulation methods in recent decades, a great deal of resources have accumulated to support their implementation. These resources can be divided into model resources for analyzing or predicting geographic phenomena or processes, data resources for representing the characteristics of real or simulated environment, and computing resources for supporting simulation tasks. These resources are characterized by geospatial distribution and are difficult to discover and reuse. OpenGMS has carried out a series of fundamental research to sharing and collaborating distributed resources on the web. On this basis, this paper presents the concept of the OpenGMS open portal. The portal adopts FAIR principles and supports resources sharing and reuse to facilitate collaboration and exchange between resource contributors and users. This paper takes applications of the portal in resource sharing and reuse case and online training courses as examples to illustrate how the portal can bridge contributors and users of resources. • The portal adopts FAIR principles and is integrated into OpenGMS platform. • The functional design for resource contributors and users is presented. • The portal attracts many users and amasses lots of geographic simulation resources. • The portal assists in model sharing and reuse among researchers in cyberspace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a survey regarding customer satisfaction as well as other aspects relating to the frequency and motivations of citizens going to a separate collection centre (SCC) for recyclables in a Southern Italian town. The study was carried out in 2015 to verify whether there were significant changes in the behaviours and opinions of the SCC’s users, who had been interviewed in 2013, in the light of the change of the local administration. The majority of the respondents (60.4%) coupled going to the SCC with other tasks, with 58.6% of them going to a supermarket. Therefore, future SCCs should localized near shopping centres (it would be preferable to have small and numerous SCCs). Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests showed how SCC’s users of the town under study behaved as a community. The percentage of respondents that declared to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ with the idea that only putrescibles and residue could be collected at their home, with all the other materials being collected at the SCC, increased from 56.6%, in 2013, up to 59.0%, in 2015. The percentage of respondents that declared going to the SCC due to environmental motivations was unanimous. Moreover, the saving of money for the community became the second preferred option, with a significant improvement (from 65.6%, in 2013, up to 93.2%, in 2015). Therefore, the community’s interests over the individual’s were privileged. The SCC’s users confirmed their attention to environmental issues even though the local administration changed. It is probable that this could be the result of maintaining high standard of service as well as a good job in terms of communication, continuous involvment of citizens and the adoption of good environmental practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has the potential to conserve resources while simultaneously empowering traditionally marginalized communities. Because classical equation-based modeling methods fail to capture the complexity of CBNRM, Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) has emerged as a useful method for modeling these systems. In this paper, we begin with a careful evaluation and sensitivity analysis of an existing ABM of community forest management that incorporates cheating and enforcement which we call the Cheating and Enforcement model. Our results reveal several emergent behaviors of the model that are paradoxical or inconsistent with real-world expectations. We then introduce the Monitoring and Sanctioning model which makes several modifications to the cheating and enforcement mechanisms of the original ABM. Analyzing this new model, we see that it does not exhibit several of the more unusual behaviors of the original model and reveals surprising consistency with real-world CBNRM systems. Finally, we discuss some limitations of this new model and potential areas of further improvement. • Cheating and Enforcement (C&E) model removes cheaters from agent-based simulations. • Removing cheaters leads to paradoxical emergent behaviors. • Monitoring and Sanctioning model (M&S) uses graduated sanctions for enforcement. • M&S model exhibits emergent behaviors in line with existing literature. • Monitoring, sanctioning, and institutions all impact biomass in the M&S model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In developing countries, particularly in Latin America, the rapid growth of urban areas has led to complex problems, including the exploitation of natural resources, environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Massive structures are being built to meet the housing demand. Moreover, there is excessive use of energy through appliances, interior lightning and air conditioning which generate GHG. This paper aims to propose green sustainable strategies to reduce GHG emissions associated with energy consumption in a social neighbourhood in Merida, Mexico. The strategies were eco-technology (efficient equipment) and green spaces (sedum + food production). Once the context is set, the study collected data about energy habits and consumption. The global warming potential (GWP) was calculated through a life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the level of GHG emissions associated with household energy consumption. The CO2eq emissions avoided by the transport of the food (tomatoes) from the production site to the consumer were calculated. Distribution, packaging and retail were included. All strategies combined can prevent up 1.06 tons CO2eq/year; this represents 67% of the emissions originating from a reference household (34% avoided by eco-technology, 24.5% fixed by green spaces and 8.4% avoided by food logistics). At city scale (112,000 houses) this represents 100,352 tons/CO2eq/year. This study supports the importance of integrating environmental quantitative tools in planning cities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Because of a recent surge of aging in place literature, we know a considerable amount about how older adults wish to remain in long lived-in homes and communities. However, there are still gaps in our knowledge. What happens when older adults live in a community that does not support their everyday needs? This paper represents an initial attempt to explore how one group of poor, non-white, central city residents in Detroit, Michigan make sense of and organize a new age-segregated home. Findings presented in this article are based on 30 in depth and photographic elicitation interviews with African American, low-income, older adults living in one Housing and Urban Development 202 (HUD 202). Findings suggest that participants in this sample cultivated a new urban space within the facility to compensate for the deficiencies of a deteriorated inner-city neighborhood. I use these findings to encourage broader conceptualizations and consideration for the aging in place model to be more inclusive to the lived experiences of older adults who occupy oppressed places. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper explores how assisted living residents construct personal understandings of congregate settings through the stories they tell. Using the narratives of Dorothy and Estelle, two 91-year-old participants, we examine how linkages between past experiences and present conditions enable residents to make sense of assisted living and cope with membership in a community comprised of diverse interests, backgrounds, and impairments. Our narrative analysis focuses on how individuals strive for continuity or new meaning in the face of chaos or disruption. Both participants characterize life in the facility in terms of prior personal and professional experiences that then inform their current behavior and feelings toward fellow residents. Although they profess to have little in common with these residents, both constitute assisted living in ways that enable them to enjoy their lives within the facility. Implications for studies using narrative analysis to examine transition into and satisfaction with congregate living are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: HIV prevention researchers have increasingly advocated structural interventions that address factors in the social, political and economic context to reduce disparities of HIV/AIDS among disadvantaged populations. This paper draws on data collected in three different types of low-income communities (n =6) in the San Salvador metropolitan area in El Salvador. Nine focus group discussions were conducted between January 2006 and July 2007, 6 with community leaders, and 3 with crack cocaine users, as well as in-depth interviews with 20 crack users and crack dealers. We explore opportunities and barriers to the implementation of a community-level, structural intervention. We first analyze the different forms of leadership, and other community resources including existing HIV prevention activities that could potentially be used to address the related problems of crack use and HIV in the communities, and the structural factors that may act as barriers to capitalizing on communities'' strengths in interventions. Each of the communities studied demonstrated different resources that stem from each community''s unique history and geographic location. HIV testing and prevention resources varied widely among the communities, with resources concentrated in one Older Central community despite a strong need in all communities. In many communities, fear of gang violence and non-responsiveness by government agencies to communities'' needs have discouraged community organizing. In the discussion, we offer concrete suggestions for developing and implementing structural interventions to reduce HIV risks that use communities'' different but complementary resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

(i) A new defense resource allocation approach is proposed. (ii) The Self-Contained GN is applied to community partition. (iii) The covariance matrix of each community is established. (iv) The MVM is used to allocate the defense resource. A Self-Contained Girvan-Newman Algorithm and Mean Variance Model combined approach is proposed to allocate the defense resource in road dangerous goods transportation network. Firstly, the weighted physical network without direction and its weighted service network with direction are established. The Self-Contained Girvan-Newman Algorithm is applied to separate the whole weighted physical network into several communities. Next, based on the service network, the covariance matrix of each separated community is established, the Mean Variance Model is used to allocate the defense resource for each community, which focuses on selecting the option with the lowest probability of loss caused by the dangerous goods transportation accident/risk. The case study is conducted by using the road network and the dangerous goods transportation volume of Dalian, China as the background. When the whole network is separated into 6 communities, the defense resource capability in the whole network is the best. The Power Function Allocation Model (PFAM) is applied as the comparison approach, the overall rescue capability of the network is defined and applied to evaluate the defense resource allocation schemes. The results show that, the approach proposed in this paper has better effectiveness than PFAM, especially when the whole network is separated into 6 communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the era of information technology, the elderly and disabled can be monitored with numerous intelligent devices. Sensors can be implanted into their home for continuous mobility assistance and non-obtrusive disease prevention. Modern sensor-embedded houses, or smart houses, cannot only assist people with reduced physical functions but help resolve the social isolation they face. They are capable of providing assistance without limiting or disturbing the resident''s daily routine, giving him or her greater comfort, pleasure, and well-being. This article presents an international selection of leading smart home projects, as well as the associated technologies of wearable/implantable monitoring systems and assistive robotics. The latter are often designed as components of the larger smart home environment. The paper will conclude by discussing future challenges of the domain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: The objectives of this paper were to identify specific factors associated with intact or disrupted social connectedness among Dominican women with chronic filarial lymphedema and better understand the impact of disrupted connectedness on their lives. Methods: Data were collected through 28 individual interviews and 3 focus group discussions of 28 women from filariasis-endemic areas of the Dominican Republic presenting with lymphedema of one or both legs. Results: The confluence of chronic and acute stressors with severity of lymphedema lead women to rely on others for social support. Women described complications of aging, disability, reduced social networks, and inability to adhere to cultural scripts as contributing to disrupted social connectedness. Conclusion: Social disconnectedness appears to exacerbate the negative consequences of living with lymphedema among women. Social connectedness and cultural scripts often define a social role for women that transcend physical deformity and disability, while disrupted social connectedness contributes to social isolation, depressive symptoms, and poor health outcomes. Practice implications: Further behavioral research into the contribution of intact social connectedness to resiliency and coping is warranted in order to develop effective interventions for women. Identifying women with disrupted social connectedness and engaging them in behavioral interventions to enhance natural social networks and create new or enhanced social support opportunities may mitigate the negative effects of social disconnectedness and improve quality of life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It is widely believed that the vast majority of microbes in the environment have-yet-to-be cultured using standard techniques. Bulk DNA from microbial communities is therefore often cloned into large insert vectors (e.g. bacterial artificial chromosomes [BAC] or cosmids) in order to study the genetic properties of these as yet (un)-cultured bacteria. In a typical BAC experiment, tens of thousands of clones are generated with only a small fraction of colonies containing the target(s) of interest. Efficient screening methodologies are therefore needed to allow targeted clone isolation. In this paper, we describe a rapid, inexpensive protocol that allows for the identification of specific 16S ribosomal RNA genes in a metagenomic library arrayed into 384-well microtiter plates. The rapid screening protocol employs Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis to identify wells containing specific T-RF peaks. A nested approach using multiplexed samples of 384, 48, 8, and single colony analysis is described and applied in order to survey a BAC library generated from a marine microbial community off the coast of New Jersey. Screening revealed a total of 50 different 16 rRNA genes within the BAC library. Overall, the multiplexing format provided a simple, cost effective methodology for detecting clones bearing a target gene of interest in a large clone library. However, the limitations of screening BAC libraries using PCR methodologies and recommendations for improved screening efficiency using this approach are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Empirical research on public libraries and social capital has primarily been oriented toward discovering how libraries contribute to social capital in local contexts, rather than contributing to solving the theoretical puzzles of the social capital literature. In spite of this, it has produced interesting findings that align with new developments in social capital research. These findings emphasize the significance of institutions in generating social capital. By outlining and applying the main theoretical perspectives on generating social capital, this paper analyzes the findings of the literature on public libraries and how social capital is created. Theoretical perspectives on social capital will undoubtedly benefit the study of social capital''s creation in and by the library. Including library-specific social capital research within the wider social capital research community can benefit social capital research in general. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: How, and to what extent, do patient organisations renew traditional forms of social participation and protest? This question is examined, drawing on a socio-historical case study of the Association Française contre les Myopathies—French Muscular Dystrophy Organisation (AFM). The originality of the AFM is that it has not been content to endorse the classic role of representation of people with muscular dystrophy (MD) and their families. It has also articulated and structured different social spaces that allow people suffering from genetic diseases and severe disabilities to be considered as fully-fledged human beings, persons, and citizens within those spaces. Based on quantitative data and methods, this paper aims to characterize this reconfiguration of social spaces that the AFM has undertaken. My contention is that it has given shape to a different form of collective mobilization, one in which the patient organisation is a mediator between different social actors, as much as a patients’ representative. It helps a new issue, here MD, to emerge so that the largest possible collective designate it as a general public concern. As we shall discuss, this renews the question of patients’ collective identity and citizenship. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In 1960, Del Webb launched a grand social experiment: the nation''s first large-scale ‘active adult’ community, Sun City, Arizona. Forty-four years hence, it is instructive to take stock of Sun City and its progeny. This paper excavates the social and cultural significance of age-restricted retirement communities, drawing on the voices of Sun City residents. Three tropes are revealed in interviews with Sun Citians about community and community life: birds of a feather, idyllic havens, and fortress mentality. Retirement communities display a striking dialectic, as they are places rich in meaning and collective identity in aging and, simultaneously, places of separation that speak to the potency of age, social class, and ethnicity as social borders. Retirement enclaves served as forerunners in the proliferation of master-planned, lifestyle communities that engender both resident well-being and social fragmentation in metropolitan America. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ATerm Library is a well-designed and well-known library in the term rewriting community. In this paper, we discuss the current garbage collector provided with the library and stress the fact that some peculiarities of this functional library could be taken advantage of by the memory management system. We explain how we designed and implemented GC2, a new mark-and-sweep generational garbage collector for the ATerm Library that builds upon these peculiarities. Experimental results on various programs validate our approach, and show that the performance of our new algorithm is very good. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents conclusions drawn from a comparative analysis of three qualitative case studies of participation processes at the regional level in Quebec''s healthcare system in Canada. Our objective is twofold: primarily, to draw on our observations to elaborate and discuss a sociological framework for the analysis of public participation; and secondarily, to use our data to criticise many pervasive but questionable preconceptions in the scientific literature on public participation. The framework used applies the social theory of P. Bourdieu in conjunction with the representation framework of H.F. Pitkin to demonstrate how any form of participation will imply some implicit or explicit delegation. The significance of the analysis is its focus on the social operations implied in these acts of delegation and in the use of the concept of symbolic struggles to understand the conflicts arising when the intrinsic legitimacy of the public is appropriated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Community ecology is in a current state of creative ferment, stimulated by the development of neutral models of community organization. Here, I reflect on recent papers by Scheffer and van Nes, and by Gravel et al., which illuminate how neutrality can emerge from ecological and evolutionary processes, thus suggesting ways to unify neutral and niche perspectives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since 1989, the Nature Conservation Society in Japan has been carrying out a project called the “Nature Feeling”, which is a nature walk project for the challenged people. The objective of this project was to expand opportunities for people with and without disabilities to get together and experience nature through walking. This paper will discuss the essence of the project from the visually challenged and their social participation point of view. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]