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Copyright of Journal of Wildland Fire Science is the property of Journal of Wildland Fire Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

For the first time in spaceflight history the flight of a fully reusable launch system with rocket propulsion appears possible within the next couple of years. Apart from the implications for the orbital launch market, a fully reusable system could also enable an entirely new class of commercial point-to-point transport on Earth. Rocket propelled point-to-point systems promise the ability to transport passengers or cargo to any suitable landing site on Earth with extremely short travel times (typically less than 90 min). In this study the primary focus is on DLR-SART's SpaceLiner 7 vehicle concept with an initial comparison to Starship, currently being developed by SpaceX. The trajectories are identified using multi-objective optimization with evolutionary algorithms. These allow the identification of a solution space with regard to multiple objectives, in this case minimal overflight of populated areas and minimal peak heat flux, while still respecting other constraints (e.g. structural loads). The population disturbance is computed by using a global population density database and integrating the number of people along the flight track. Ideally, the solution space consists of a pareto-front which correlates to the most optimal solutions possible for all objectives. The mission analysis identifies various feasible trajectories around the world. Primarily, these routes are going along less populated areas such as the oceans and the polar regions. Especially the latter enable large longitudinal changes during the flight and consequently connecting distant places on Earth. The critical routes are large longitudinal crossings around the equator where land masses must be overflown. These shall be reconsidered and/or improved in the future. Comparing SpaceLiner to Starship, it is found that the mission profiles vary significantly. While SpaceLiner uses its high lift-to-drag ratio in the higher atmosphere to manoeuvre around large land masses, Starship can only follow the direct route. In contrast, Starship flies higher into space and thereby might avoid having large population disturbances on ground. Only the re-entry and landing are critical as it does not have significant cross range capability. As a design option for the next iteration of the SpaceLiner development, SpaceLiner 8, it is planned to assess the possibility of using a smaller wing to follow a similar coast through space like Starship and have a steep re-entry at the end of the flight instead of a prolonged glide. • SpaceLiner trajectory optimization using evolutionary algorithms. • Hypersonic point-to-point trajectories between major population centres on Earth. • Analysis and minimization of overflown population to avoid sonic boom disturbance. • Comparison of flight characteristics between SpaceLiner and SpaceX Starship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze how good and efficient the low-cost carriers' connectivity is at their major airports by studying one of the largest low-cost carriers in the world, AirAsia Group. Weighted Connectivity Ratio is used in the calculation, applied with slight modifications to suit the operations of low-cost carriers at their airports. The results reveal that some airlines have very good connectivity, even when it is compared to the connectivity of several big full-service carriers in Europe. This research brings a novelty in the form of an analysis of connectivity of low-cost carriers, considering that most of the previous research only focused on the connectivity of full-service carriers that implement a hub-and-spoke strategy. This is important because low-cost carriers are currently present with a very rapid growth as an alternative flight option that is more affordable for passengers in addition to full-service carriers that have previously dominated the aviation market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As information technology advances, the need for distributed communications on the battlefield continues to grow. Moreover, NATO activities are multi-nation engagements, and necessitate communications between member countries and from the theater of operations back to command centers. The NATO Information Systems Technology (IST) 172 research task group has investigated non-satellite and non-high frequency (HF) technologies for beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) communications, creating links between disparate battlefield nodes. The study examines existing and emerging capabilities within the NATO member nations, and considering their applicability to six representative communications scenarios. The representative scenarios and the technologies which support BLOS are presented herein. An operational vignette is also presented which applies the solutions outlined in the report as an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suitable trajectories with minimum execution time are essential for an industrial robot to enhance productivity in pick and place operations. A novel point-to-point trajectory planning algorithm (PTPA) is proposed to improve the motion efficiency of industrial robots. The jerk profile for a trajectory model is determined by five intervals and the jerk constraint. According to the kinematic constraints and two shape coefficients, a velocity threshold and three displacement thresholds are calculated for an individual joint to transfer the proposed jerk motion profile into four specific profiles. The optimal trajectory model of the joint is developed for the minimum-time and jerk-continuous trajectory via the performance evaluation with the input displacement and three displacement thresholds. Moreover, time-based motion synchronization for all joints is taken into account in PTPA to decrease unnecessary burdens on the actuators. The simulations illustrate that the execution time by PTPA is more efficient than that by other techniques. The experiments of a point-to-point application on a real six-axis industrial robot show that the absolute errors at the end of the motion for all joints are within 0.04°. These results prove that PTPA can be an effective point-to-point trajectory planner for industrial robots [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The transiliac-transsacral screw placement is a clinical challenge for surgeons. This study explored a point-to-point coaxial guide apparatus assisting the transiliac-transsacral screw insertion and aimed to investigate the feasibility and accuracy of the guide apparatus in the treatment of posterior ring unstable pelvic fracture compared with a free-hand technique. Methods A retrospective study was performed to evaluate patients treated with transiliac-transsacral screws assisted by the point-to-point coaxial guide apparatus or free-hand technique. The intraoperative data of operative time and radiation exposure times were recorded. Postoperative radiographs and CT scans were performed to scrutinize the accuracy of screws position. The quality of the postoperative fracture reduction was assessed according to Matta radiology criteria. The pelvic function was assessed according to the Majeed scoring criteria at 6 months postoperatively. Results From July 2017 to December 2019, a total of 38 patients were included in this study, 20 from the point-to-point guide apparatus group and 18 from the free-hand group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in gender, age, injury causes, pelvic fracture type, screws level, and follow-up time (P > 0.05). The average operative time of the guide apparatus group for each screw was significantly less than that in the free-hand group (25.8 ± 4.7 min vs 40.5 ± 5.1, P < 0.001). The radiation exposure times were significantly lower in the guide apparatus group than that in the free-hand group (24.4 ± 6.0 vs 51.6 ± 8.4, P < 0.001). The intraosseous and juxtacortical rate of screw placement (100%) higher than in the free-hand group (94.4%). Conclusion The point-to-point coaxial guide apparatus is feasible for assisting the transiliac-transsacral screw in the treatment of posterior unstable pelvic fractures. It has the advantages of simple operation, reasonable design and no need for expensive equipment, and provides an additional surgical strategy for the insertion of the transiliac-transsacral screw.

An efficient algorithm for registration of two non-rigid objects based on geometrical transformation of the template object to target object is proposed. The transformation is considered as warping of the template onto the target. To choose the most suitable transformation from all possible warps, a registration algorithm should satisfy deformation constraints referred to as regularization of non-rigid objects. In this work, we use variational functionals for affine transformations. With the help of computer simulation, the proposed method for searching the optimal geometrical transformation is compared with that of common algorithms.

For the point-to-point (P2P) iterative learning control (ILC), the tracked-points are usually known. However, in many cases, time allocation can be regarded as an optimization variable to achieve optimal control energy. Also, in some situations, only information on certain dimensions in the output is needed to be tracked. Based on the combination of the above two aspects, this paper studies energy-optimal time allocation in P2P ILC with specified output tracking. An algorithm based on a two-stage optimization framework that integrates the norm-optimal ILC and the gradient method is proposed. The proposed algorithm is further extended to a system with input constraints, and its robustness is analyzed. Finally, simulation tests on a gantry robot are performed to validate the performance of the proposed algorithm.

The high cost of an energy storage system (ESS) is a barrier to its use. This paper proposes a risk-based virtual ESS (VESS) service strategy for prosumers. The basic concept of the VESS service is to logically refer to a physical ESS by multiple users. The VESS service can install ESS with a larger capacity compared to the case of installing ESS individually. Therefore, the VESS reduces the cost barrier through economies of scale. Moreover, ESS is not always being utilized at its maximum in the VESS service. Considering the risk, a VESS can offer a greater capacity than an installed ESS capacity. In this paper, the VESS service model suggested considers not only the economic benefit of increasing the VESS installation capacity but also the value at risk arising from servicing a greater capacity. The VESS service problem is formulated as a convex problem according to the VESS installation capacity and service price by applying stochastic approximation and is optimally solved using the gradient descent method in an iterative manner. The simulation results demonstrate that, when the proposed service strategy is used, the service provider that considers the risk achieves a significantly greater economic benefit of around 30% for the 128-prosumer pair case as compared to the one that does not consider risk. The benefit of the prosumer is increased by approximately 3.5% for the 128-prosumer pair case because the mismatched quantity is reduced during the peer-to-peer energy transaction. In addition, it is discussed how the proposed VESS service strategy achieves benefit through unit ESS cost reduction by the economics of scale and achieves increased service capacity with the multi-user diversity gain of participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The transiliac-transsacral screw placement is a clinical challenge for surgeons. This study explored a point-to-point coaxial guide apparatus assisting the transiliac-transsacral screw insertion and aimed to investigate the feasibility and accuracy of the guide apparatus in the treatment of posterior ring unstable pelvic fracture compared with a free-hand technique. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to evaluate patients treated with transiliac-transsacral screws assisted by the point-to-point coaxial guide apparatus or free-hand technique. The intraoperative data of operative time and radiation exposure times were recorded. Postoperative radiographs and CT scans were performed to scrutinize the accuracy of screws position. The quality of the postoperative fracture reduction was assessed according to Matta radiology criteria. The pelvic function was assessed according to the Majeed scoring criteria at 6 months postoperatively. Results: From July 2017 to December 2019, a total of 38 patients were included in this study, 20 from the point-to-point guide apparatus group and 18 from the free-hand group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in gender, age, injury causes, pelvic fracture type, screws level, and follow-up time (P > 0.05). The average operative time of the guide apparatus group for each screw was significantly less than that in the free-hand group (25.8 ± 4.7 min vs 40.5 ± 5.1, P < 0.001). The radiation exposure times were significantly lower in the guide apparatus group than that in the free-hand group (24.4 ± 6.0 vs 51.6 ± 8.4, P < 0.001). The intraosseous and juxtacortical rate of screw placement (100%) higher than in the free-hand group (94.4%). Conclusion: The point-to-point coaxial guide apparatus is feasible for assisting the transiliac-transsacral screw in the treatment of posterior unstable pelvic fractures. It has the advantages of simple operation, reasonable design and no need for expensive equipment, and provides an additional surgical strategy for the insertion of the transiliac-transsacral screw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine concussion history, knowledge, and attitudes among Irish professional and amateur jockeys. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Questionnaire was distributed through e-mails sent to all licensed jockeys, over social media and during professional and amateur race meetings. Participants: An average of 23.6% (12%-44%) Irish professional and amateur jockeys (n 5 119) holding a license in 2017. Main Outcome Measures: Jockeys reported their previous concussion history, actions after their most recent concussion and responded to questions examining their knowledge and attitudes toward concussion. Results: Amateur (32.4%) and professional (19.6%) jockeys, who were never medically diagnosed over their career, suspected that they had sustained a concussion. Jockeys displayed good knowledge of concussion signs and symptoms; yet, one in 2 jockeys would continue to ride out the same day if they suspected they had a concussion. They were less likely if they had a race that day. Reasons for continuing to ride include not considering a concussion as serious (85.7%); risk of losing the ride (84.0%); not wanting to let anyone down (77.8%); and considered it a sign of weakness (74.1%). Risky behavior was more common after a suspected concussion than a medically diagnosed concussion. Conclusions: Underreporting of concussions is proposed as a serious concern, and concussion understanding and attitudes can impact reporting. To address the issue of underreporting of concussions in Irish horseracing, there is a need to educate jockeys and the wider racing community on the importance of timely concussion assessments and access to appropriate management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interference in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) predominantly affects the performance of the WSN. Energy consumption in WSN is one of the greatest concerns in the current generation. This work presents an approach for interference measurement and interference mitigation in point to point network. The nodes are distributed in the network and interference is measured by grouping the nodes in the region of a specific diameter. Hence this approach is scalable and isextended to large scale WSN. Interference is measured in two stages. In the first stage, interference is overcome by allocating time slots to the node stations in Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) fashion. The node area is split into larger regions and smaller regions. The time slots are allocated to smaller regions in TDMA fashion. A TDMA based time slot allocation algorithm is proposed in this paper to enable reuse of timeslots with minimal interference between smaller regions. In the second stage, the network density and control parameter is introduced to reduce interference in a minor level within smaller node regions. The algorithm issimulated and the system is tested with varying control parameter. The node-level interference and the energy dissipation at nodes are captured by varying the node density of the network. The results indicate that the proposed approach measures the interference and mitigates with minimal energy consumption at nodes and with less overhead transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A method of point-to-point tracking control is proposed by combining ILC and MPC with updating-reference trajectory for batch processes. • A batch-to-batch updating-reference trajectory, which passes through the desired points, is designed as the tracking trajectory. • The updating reference relaxes the constraints for system output, which may lead to faster convergence and extensive range of application. • Convergence properties are analyzed theoretically, and sufficient convergence condition of output tracking error is derived. • Comparing with other point-to-point tracking control algorithms, the proposed method can perform better in robustness. A novel control technique is proposed by combining iterative learning control (ILC) and model predictive control (MPC) with updating-reference trajectory for point-to-point tracking problem of batch process. In this paper, a batch-to-batch updating-reference trajectory, which passes through the desired points, is firstly designed as the tracking trajectory within a batch. The updating control law consists of P-type ILC part and MPC part, in which P-type ILC part can improve the performance by learning from previous executions and MPC part is used to suppress the model perturbations and external disturbances. Convergence properties of the integrated predictive iterative learning control (IPILC) are analyzed theoretically, and the sufficient convergence conditions of output tracking error are also derived for a class of linear systems. Comparing with other point-to-point tracking control algorithms, the proposed algorithm can perform better in robustness. Furthermore, updating-reference relaxes the constraints for system outputs, and it may lead to faster convergence and more extensive range of application than those of fixed-reference control algorithms. Simulation results on typical systems show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Zhengzhou University (Natural Science Edition) is the property of Journal of Zhengzhou University (Natural Science Edition) Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A novel high-speed wireless transmitter (TX) architecture is presented that directly transforms incoming data bits into high-order $4^{M}$ -quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellation by adding multiple quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signals with appropriate amplitude ratios. The costly high-speed digital-to-analog converters (DACs) in conventional TXs are thus completely avoided, resulting in a highly integrated solution amenable to ultra-high speeds and operating frequencies. Design tradeoffs are analyzed in detail. Based on this article, a TX prototype at 115-GHz carrier frequency implementing the 16QAM direct-modulation scheme is fabricated in a 180-nm SiGe BiCMOS process ($f_{\text {MAX}} = 270$ GHz). Wireless testing at a 20-cm distance with 25-dBi horn antennas on both transmitting and receiving side measures 20-Gb/s data rate with an error vector magnitude (EVM) of −15.8 dB and modulated output power of +1 dBm. The TX consumes 520 mW of power and occupies 3.17 mm2 of active area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high cost of an energy storage system (ESS) is a barrier to its use. This paper proposes a risk-based virtual ESS (VESS) service strategy for prosumers. The basic concept of the VESS service is to logically refer to a physical ESS by multiple users. The VESS service can install ESS with a larger capacity compared to the case of installing ESS individually. Therefore, the VESS reduces the cost barrier through economies of scale. Moreover, ESS is not always being utilized at its maximum in the VESS service. Considering the risk, a VESS can offer a greater capacity than an installed ESS capacity. In this paper, the VESS service model suggested considers not only the economic benefit of increasing the VESS installation capacity but also the value at risk arising from servicing a greater capacity. The VESS service problem is formulated as a convex problem according to the VESS installation capacity and service price by applying stochastic approximation and is optimally solved using the gradient descent method in an iterative manner. The simulation results demonstrate that, when the proposed service strategy is used, the service provider that considers the risk achieves a significantly greater economic benefit of around 30% for the 128-prosumer pair case as compared to the one that does not consider risk. The benefit of the prosumer is increased by approximately 3.5% for the 128-prosumer pair case because the mismatched quantity is reduced during the peer-to-peer energy transaction. In addition, it is discussed how the proposed VESS service strategy achieves benefit through unit ESS cost reduction by the economics of scale and achieves increased service capacity with the multi-user diversity gain of participants.

Variable-length (VL) coding with feedback is a commonly used technique that can approach point-to-point Shannon channel capacity with a significantly shorter average codeword length than fixed-length coding without feedback. This paper uses the inter-frame coding of Zeineddine and Mansour, originally introduced to address varying channel-state conditions in broadcast wireless communication, to approach capacity on point-to-point channels using VL codes without feedback. The per-symbol complexity is comparable to decoding the VL code with feedback (plus the additional complexity of a small peeling decoder amortized over many VL codes) and presents the opportunity for encoders and decoders that utilize massive parallel processing, where each VL decoder can process simultaneously. This paper provides an analytical framework and a design process for the degree distribution of the inter-frame code that allows the feedback-free system to achieve 96% or more of the throughput of the original VL code with feedback. As examples of VL codes, we consider non-binary (NB) low-density parity-check (LDPC), binary LDPC, and convolutional VL codes. The NB-LDPC VL code with an 8-bit CRC and an average codeword length of 336 bits achieves 85% of capacity with four rounds of ACK/NACK feedback. The proposed scheme using shared incremental redundancy without feedback achieves 97% of that performance or 83% of the channel capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicast-Broadcast over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) technology, as introduced by the Long Term Evolution Advanced group, is expected to be part of the upcoming cellular systems offering resource efficiency to broadcast services. MBSFN transmission is suitable to serve multicast groups searching the same content. In addition, the fast emerging technology of femtocells networks and their hybrid nature can lead to efficient resource sharing between non-subscribed users when located inside their coverage. The focus of this manuscript is 2-fold; firstly, we have contacted simulation experiments to compare the MBSFN transmission with the traditional Point-To-Point transmission for various femtocell distributions and network topology changes; secondly, a novel multicast transmissions mechanism is proposed from non-subscribed users who exploit femtocells resources for broadcast services, without limiting user's data requirements. The simulation results lead to a significant system's performance in terms of average throughput, total capacity, and energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low cost carriers (LCC) have smaller cost advantages on the long- than on the short-haul compared to network carriers (FSNCs). Hence, revenue competitiveness is critical. To evaluate long-haul LCC performance, this paper contributes a new metric for bench-marking the revenue per equivalent flight capacity. Second, a revenue model combining traffic, fare, load factor, and seat data is developed. Third, the revenue per flight capacity is evaluated across selected city-pairs. Long-haul LCCs earn revenue per flight capacity comparable to FSNCs. Lower direct yields compensated by fewer low-yield connecting passengers and significantly more passengers per aircraft have been identified as key factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing academic literature is inconclusive about characteristics and viability of the long-haul low cost airline business model, whereas several airlines of this type are emerging. This article aims to validate its defining characteristics by clustering a sample of 37 transatlantic airlines using principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses along a newly constructed long-haul airline business model framework. To contribute to the evaluation of business model viability, cost differences between clusters are uncovered subsequently followed by a discussion of their sustainability. Key findings include the characterization of the emerging long-haul LCC business model and its significant differences from existing legacy hub and leisure carrier models. On a cluster average, 33% lower unit costs compared to legacy hub carriers were identified, of which 24 percentage points were evaluated as sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]