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In order to suppress the influence of uncertain disturbances on the trajectory tracking of hydraulic manipulator, a composite control strategy for the cutting electro-hydraulic driving system (CEHDS) of the tunneling robot is presented, which synthesizes the advantages of neural networks technique, recursive backstepping and adaptive control theory. The Lagrangian model with actuator dynamics is derived based on the practical tunneling robot. The back-stepping method is utilized for the strictly feedback state-space model. To address the matched and unmatched lumped uncertainties, the radial-basis-function neural networks (RBFNNs) are employed to approximate the unmatched term which contains the nonlinear friction torque and external cutting load in the mechanical subsystem. The nonlinear disturbance observer (NDOB) is utilized to estimate the matched lumped uncertainty in the hydraulic subsystem. Simultaneously, the adaptive robust mechanism is proposed to compensate the residual disturbances. Based on the Lyapunov theorem, the stability and the bounded tracking error of the CEHDS are obtained. The simulation and experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method in comparison with the common backstepping and PID-controller approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research activity aims to bridge the gap between gear geometry tolerances, eventual test rig uncertainties, and the resulting gear excitations represented by the static transmission error (STE) as the main source of whining noise. This article offers a detailed experimental investigation addressing the impact of manufacturing errors in the form of lead slope and profile slope errors. One of the major contributions of this article is related to the number of carried measurements, including six spur gear pair configurations. While most literature focuses on gear defects related to wear, cracks, or pitting, this study emphasizes the need to consider gear micro geometry tolerances to minimize vibroacoustic response at the source. The experiments under static conditions are conducted for various operating conditions and compared with numerical computational schemes. Latin Hypercube sampling is selected to compute the peak-to-peak static transmission error bounds. Results yield reliable prediction of the gear STE response even in the presence of deviations. The manufacturing errors cause different trends of STE response, with up to 8 μm difference at low torque. The robustness of the predictive numerical tool is validated, which enables further confident parametric studies. Finally, the dynamic behavior is investigated. Important differences are detected for gears having the same macro geometry and different manufacturing errors. The meshing excitations resulting from gear uncertainties lead to notable fluctuations in the dynamic responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The impact of the exposure to ionizing radiation in the offspring and next generation has been investigated in the last decades and currently is the subject of study of the ICRP Task Group 121. Studying the effects of radiation exposure in pre-conceptional and post-conceptional phases can be a challenge since potential effects to the fetus vary depending on the stage of fetal development. Epidemiology and radiobiology studies are the two sources of information one can use to correlate the radiation dose to the human body and tissues and the resulting effects. For a proper evaluation of the outcomes of such studies, and a correct appraisal of the exposure/dose-effect relationship, (i) reliable dosimetry, (ii) accurate reporting, and (iii) reproducibility of results are required. Although variables related to dose, including for instance source of radiation, geometry of irradiation, dose rate etc., are usually known, especially in radiobiology studies, often important details of the irradiation are not reported. Conclusions: Based on standards developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a review of the scientific studies used by the UNSCEAR to estimate the risk of hereditary effects, and by the ICRP in its current recommendations, was conducted to evaluate the way dosimetry was reported. Dosimetry and the related uncertainties were not adequately described in the vast majority of those studies. This does not necessarily mean that they do not provide relevant information, however it prevents from a thorough verification and reproduction of their findings. In order to guarantee the reliability and robustness of the process of revision of the estimates of risk and detriment it is therefore considered mandatory to include a careful check of the new relevant literature with regard to the criteria on the completeness and reproducibility of the dosimetric information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electric Power Automation Equipment / Dianli Zidonghua Shebei is the property of Electric Power Automation Equipment Press 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.)

This chapter discusses how the real options theory can be useful for understanding the adoption of human resources management (HRM) practices. The authors review how the real options theory has provided insights into the processes through which firms manage uncertainties involved in the adoption of HRM practices. The authors offer propositions for future HRM research from the real options perspective. The authors contend that analyzing HRM practice adoptions through the lens of real options theory can enhance our understanding of the mechanisms through which firms choose which HRM practices to adopt and how they adjust the timing, scale, and methods of investment in these practices. Specifically, the authors suggest that differences in information relevant to valuation of HRM options are the source of distinct choices of HRM options across firms. Finally, the authors propose advancing knowledge on HRM practice adoptions by using a portfolio of options approach, as well as considering factors like competitors, path dependence, and switching options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainties in transportation systems, especially in aerial transportation, have always caused many problems. Climatic conditions, repair and maintenance processes, and unexpected flight cancellations for various reasons are among the most important sources of uncertainties. Uncertainties lead to demand changing and spreads through the demand to upstream flights. These issues cause a lack of optimal allocation of aircraft to airlines, which incurs high costs. For this purpose, in this paper, a supply chain structure is presented for the optimal allocation of aircraft to different flight shifts (in the form of a state space model). The manner in which demand oscillation spreads due to the existence of uncertainties along the transportation network is investigated. The results show that the well-known phenomenon of the bullwhip effect (BWE) in supply chains occurs due to uncertainties. While identifying the uncertain parameters in allocation and order, the effects of demand oscillation (stability) in the uncertain network were controlled using self-tuning regulators (STR). The use of proven system identification features led to more knowledge of the proposed model. Also, using the supply chain model, at Tabriz Shahid Madani International Airport, while guaranteeing stability and reducing the bullwhip effect caused, the reference commands in the aircraft allocation room were well fulfilled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to EU policy goals, railway shall become the main pillar of a sustainable and smart mobility. This works outlines how the environmental sustainability of railway vehicles can be further improved by integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the simulation-based design process of lightweight railway vehicles and by considering environmental sustainability as an equal criterion for the design optimisation. The LCA for lightweight railway vehicles considering the manufacturing, operation and recycling phases is performed using a LCA tool. To link the LCA tool with the simulation-based development process of the vehicle, an interface is implemented. Process and vehicle parameters coming from the development process as well as datasets from LCA databases are used to parameterize the LCA model. By applying local and global sensitivity analyses, the most influencing design parameters with respect to the environmental impact can be identified and the effect of uncertainties studied. Based on the results, the environmental sustainability of the vehicle design can be optimised. The development process including LCA is illustrated for the application case of a railway vehicle bogie, exposed to high loads and design requirements. Different design configurations based on steel and carbon fibre composites are compared. For the assumed energy supply, it is the found that reduction in energy consumption during the operation phase overcompensates for energy-intensive production and recycling of carbon fibre composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional L1 adaptive controller utilizes high adaptation gain to quickly adapt time varying uncertainties and disturbances. However, it contaminates the control signal with high frequency components. To eliminate this high frequency signal, it uses a low pass filter with fixed structure. Yet, the main problem with this fixed structured filter is that it may cancel the estimated values of uncertainties and disturbances along with the high frequencies. To overcome this problem, in this research work, an adaptive fuzzy low pass filter is proposed in place of the fixed structured filter of the L1 adaptive controller. In this proposed research work, the filter changes its structure according to the time varying uncertainties and disturbances. Hence, the contributory part of this work is that the proposed adaptive fuzzy filter efficiently cancels out high frequency components without nullifying the estimated values of uncertainties and disturbances from the control signal. The stability of the proposed adaptive fuzzy filter-based L1 adaptive controller is guaranteed analytically. The proposed method is employed on an electromechanical actuator, viz., DC motor experimental setup to validate its effectiveness. Adequate cancellation of high frequency signal incurs smooth control signal which in turn provides lower control energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distortions of measured beta spectra are addressed by means of unfolding algorithms. Two different approaches, the Maximum-Likelihood ExpectationMaximization and the Tikhonov regularization, are tested on various simulated spectra, for which the initial spectrum to retrieve is known, and on a 99Tc spectrum measured with our dedicated setup. Statistical uncertainties of distorted measured spectra are propagated by determining the covariance matrices. Both algorithms provide satisfactory results but Tikhonov performs overall better for most of the studied radionuclides. Highlight is made on the necessity to employ at least two independent methods to ensure the accuracy of the unfolded spectra and to estimate the internal bias of each algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dysmenorrhoea affects many adolescents with significant impacts on education and well-being. In the UK, most of the adolescents who seek care (and many never do), will do so through general practice (primary care). Knowing how best to care for adolescents reporting menstrual pain is an area where UK general practitioners would like better guidance and resources. Methods: This mixed-methods narrative synthesis collates community and specialist evidence from 320 papers about adolescent dysmenorrhoea, with a UK general practice community health perspective. Results: We report a narrative summary of symptoms, cause, consequences and treatments for adolescent dysmenorrhoea. We highlight areas of tension or conflicted evidence relevant to primary care alongside areas of uncertainty and research gaps identified through this synthesis with input from lived experience advisers. Discussion: There is little evidence about primary care management of adolescent dysmenorrhoea or specific resources to support shared-decision making in general practice, although there are evidence-based treatments to offer. Primary care encounters also represent potential opportunities to consider whether the possibility of underlying or associated health conditions contributing to symptoms of dysmenorrhoea, but there is little epidemiological evidence about prevalence from within community health settings to inform this. The areas where there is little or uncertain evidence along the care journey for adolescent dysmenorrhoea, including at the interface between experience and expression of symptoms and potential underlying contributory causes warrant further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an end-user privacy and thermal comfort preserving approach for residential thermostatically controllable loads (TCLs) to provide demand response (DR) in grid services under uncertainties. Unlike the standard approach whereby a central utility-level control is used to control end-users loads, this paper splits the control effort between a central coordinating controller and local robust controllers. The Lagrangian relaxation (LR) method is applied by relaxing the power tracking constraint to obtain a hierarchical control framework with a local controller at each household level and a coordinating controller at the central utility level. Household-level local controllers are based on robust model predictive control (MPC) that relies on minimum household-specific information while accounting for thermal model parameter uncertainties and forecast errors associated with exogenous inputs. Considering inverter-type air conditioners as the TCL, the approach is validated using a practical signal corresponding to the Australian Energy Market Operator. The results demonstrate that accurate tracking of the load set-point signal can be achieved under a considerable range of uncertainties while preserving thermal comfort for end-users. Furthermore, the proposed DR scheme is computationally tractable and robust for real-world implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the event-triggered quantized stabilization of uncertain neutral systems. Specifically, based on the suitable Lyapunov functional and relax quadratic function negative determination property, event-triggered quantized controllers and other variable parameters are co-designed, allowing neutral network systems with or without uncertainties to stabilize asymptotically via variable separation approaches. Additionally, the feasible criteria are characterized as convex optimization problems. An example demonstrates the effectiveness and less conservativeness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and accurate method is proposed to estimate the anti-sliding safety factor between the main cable and middle saddle of three-pylon suspension bridges satisfying the prescribed reliability levels. It is developed based on the inverse reliability method. Uncertainties in the maximum static friction coefficient, the center angle of the saddle wound with cables, the cable force at the tight side and the cable force at the loose side are incorporated in the proposed method. The unique characteristic of the proposed method is that it offers a tool for the anti-sliding safety assessment between the main cable and middle saddle of three-pylon suspension bridges when the reliability level is specified as a target to be satisfied by the designer. The efficiency and accuracy of this method concerning a three-pylon suspension bridge are studied and numerical results prove its effectiveness. Finally, the effects of some important parameters on the anti-sliding safety factor between the main cable and middle saddle of three-pylon suspension bridges are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy-harvesting vibration control strategy has been proposed and applied in different applications, including but not limited to automotive, mechanical, and civil engineering. However, when facing uncertainties from both internal and external environments, the robustness of its performance has rarely been evaluated. The energy-harvesting tuned mass damper (EHTMD) is a representative vibration control device integrated with the energy-harvesting function. This study investigates the robustness of an EHTMD installed on a structure with multi-uncertainties. First, the EHTMD modeling, the interval model, and the robustness evaluation framework are introduced. Uncertainties are considered for all parameters of an EHTMD, including the mechanical units, electromagnetic damper, and energy harvesting circuit. Subsequently, a series of dynamic simulations are performed on a damped benchmark single-degree-of-freedom frame with an EHTMD. The lower- and upper-bound structural vibration and generated power are estimated under free-vibration, harmonic-excitation, and random-excitation scenarios. The EHTMD performance robustness is evaluated through the interval response by incorporating the first-passage theory. The key factors in EHTMD that influence its robustness are identified. Results indicate promising robustness when using the energy-harvesting vibration control strategy to replace the conventional dampers, addressing one of the often-questioned issues of the energy-harvesting vibration control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the trajectory tracking control for a perturbed wheeled mobile robot (WMR) with slipping and skidding. The external disturbances and uncertainties caused by the slipping and skidding compose the "total" disturbance. By analyzing the stable state of the controlled system, the WMR reference model driven by a favorable disturbance is constructed. This article proposes an enhanced extended state observer (EESO) to reckon the difference between the "total" disturbance and the favorable disturbance. Then, a practical prescribed time tracking method is developed. By introducing a time‐dependent scaling function, the initial value restriction can be relaxed, and the peaking phenomenon caused by the EESO can be tolerated. With the proposed EESO and the prescribed time tracking controller, the estimation error is input‐to‐state stable, and the tracking control of WMR with global prescribed performance is achieved. Simulation results show the advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a coupla risk combinations and coping strategies have been developed for confronting conflicts between population-economy development and water resource management (PEWM) due to population-industry transformation (PIT) into a floodplain of the economic belt under climate change. A location-entropy-based PVAR (Panel Vector Autoregression) model coupla-risk analysis (LPCR) can be introduced into PEWM to reflect the adverse effects of population-industry transformation on a special function area (e.g., floodplain) of the economic belt, where the coupla risk map has been addressed. Meanwhile, an adaptive scenario analysis-based stochastic-fuzzy method (ASSF) can be joined to deal with multiple uncertainties and their interactions due to subjective and artificial factors. The proposed LPCR and ASSF can be integrated into a risk-based stochastic-fuzzy scenario method framework (RASF) to apply for a practical PEWM case study of the Yongding River floodplain in the context of the coordinative development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic belt, China. The results can be presented as follows: 1) the PIT was accelerated into the floodplain due to the fact that it can require more water resources, where each additional unit can promote the regional gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.019 units, increasing the water demand by 0.046 units. It can strengthen various risks such as water shortage, soil loss, and flood control investment in a floodplain of the economic belt; 2) the farmland returning to wetland (CFW) can decrease the water demand and shortage ratio (would be 0% at highest) for irrigation in the long run, but this would reduce the direct economic income of irrigation in the short run; 3) backward irrigative schemes and low water utilization efficiency require a cleaner production mode, which could reduce water shortages by 77.23 × 103m³ at the highest; and 4) the combined policy (S12) can reduce coupla risks (including the risk of water shortage, soil loss, and flood) compared to other individual policies (S2, S4, S6, and S8). The findings can assist local decision-makers to gain insights into adjusting interegional strategies not only for remitting population-resource stress in core cities but also for improving the resilience against drought and flood in a floodplain area, which is conducive of the special function of the floodplain to support an integrated sustainable development of the economic belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solutions of the general isoconversional kinetic equation were generated and compared assuming activation energies, E, which vary with the advance of the reaction, α. Series belonging to 4–5 heating rates were compared. TG curves simulated with highly varying activation energies could approximate well the curves simulated with first-order kinetics and constant E. This observation indicates that the information content of a series of TG curves at constant heating rates is not sufficient for the determination of activation energies that vary with the advance of the studied reactions. The problem proved to be smaller when differential curves were compared in the same way; the uncertainties decreased by factors 0.2–0.5. There is a standard procedure of ASTM International (ASTM E2958-19, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1520/E2958-21) that describes the estimation of E from experiments carried out at a specific modulated temperature program. The reliability of this procedure was also tested and found to be low, though not as low as that of the evaluation of TG curves at linear temperature programs with usual heating rates. The work continues and complements a recent study of the author (Várhegyi in J Therm Anal Calorim 148:12835–12843, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term and stochastic variations can create negative effects on the delivery capability, and companies often adopt their processes accordingly. What is then ignored is the fact that causes for variations are often self-induced and, therefore, possible to affect. Proposed actions in current literature focus mainly on continuous improvement without explicitly emphasizing that certain behaviours, rules and routines have a direct impact on variations affecting the company. In this study, a framework of causes for self-induced variations is established with proposed actions for each cause to reduce the variations. The framework is situated relative to practice for the actions applied at six manufacturing companies. This study sought to increase the understanding of self-induced variations and where companies can apply the proposed framework for an overview of 22 causes and 60 appropriate actions to support the systematic reduction of self-induced variations that can be internally or externally generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional fixed value assessment of the renewable distributed energy hosting capacity of a distribution network cannot accurately and comprehensively reflect the change in hosting capacity; therefore, we propose the interval assessment method for the renewable distributed energy hosting capacity of a distribution network. The renewable distributed energy hosting capacity interval consists of an optimistic upper boundary and a pessimistic lower boundary. First, the optimistic upper bound is described by a deterministic model that takes into account the constraints of safe system operation. Second, the pessimistic lower bound is portrayed by a two-layer robust assessment model that accounts for the DG temporal uncertainty, DG spatial uncertainty, and active distribution network flexible resource dispatch uncertainty. Each pessimistic sub-model was constructed in turn, and then the model was solved by linear simplification using pairwise transformation, as well as McCormick relaxation. Finally, simulations were carried out in the IEEE 135 system, and the results validated the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper proposes a non‐fragile control approach for a non‐isolated two‐switch buck‐boost converter used as an on‐board charger for electric vehicles. The control scheme is based on a cascaded two‐loop configuration with non‐fragile Proportional Integral controllers in the inner current and the outer voltage loop. The control approach is based on designing a control law that can stabilize the closed‐loop system subject to uncertainties in the controller parameters while satisfying the H∞ norm bound constraint on disturbance attenuation. The proposed control technique helps to deal with inevitable uncertainties during the implementation of any control scheme. The proposed control technique is compared with the conventional approach and validated through experimental results. The experimental results are obtained from a 1‐kW laboratory prototype of a TSBB converter with an output voltage range of 150–400 V. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach effectively achieves good robustness against controller parameter variations and disturbances under various operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used the Chub mackerel Scomber japonicus and Blue mackerel S. australasicus samples derived from both scientific survey and fishing vessels between 2020 and 2023, and analyzed the influence of species identification, different data sources and time variations on individual growth. The results revealed that the fattiness of samples from fishing vessels was slightly lower than that of scientific survey, and the body mass of samples from scientific survey grew faster. The length-body mass relationship showed that under the same fork length, the body mass of Blue mackerel was lighter than that of Chub mackerel. The range of condition factor was 1.886x10-6-6.721x10-5, with the exponent coefficient b mostly greater than 3. Heterogeneity analysis indicated that there were significant influence of data sources and years on the mackerels' growth, without significant growth difference between Chub mackerel and Blue mackerel in Northwest Pacific Ocean. Therefore, time-varying growth parameters and their uncertainties from different data sources of mackerels are strongly suggested to be considered during the stock assessment and fishery management which require life history traits. Additionally, species distinguishment between two mackerels could be given lower priority during data collection and management, but still deserve concern in the future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny 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.)

Topo‐bathymetric LiDAR (TBL) can provide a continuous digital elevation model (DEM) for terrestrial and submerged portions of rivers. This very high horizontal spatial resolution and high vertical accuracy data can be promising for flood plain mapping using hydrodynamic models. Despite the increasing number of papers regarding the use of TBL in fluvial environments, its usefulness for flood mapping remains to be demonstrated. This review of real‐world experiments focusses on three research questions related to the relevance of TBL in hydrodynamic modelling for flood mapping at local and regional scales: (i) Is the accuracy of TBL sufficient? (ii) What environmental and technical conditions can optimise the quality of acquisition? (iii) Is it possible to predict which rivers would be good candidates for TBL acquisition? With a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.16 m, results from real‐world experiments confirm that TBL provides the required vertical accuracy for hydrodynamic modelling. Our review highlighted that environmental conditions, such as turbidity, overhanging vegetation or riverbed morphology, may prove to be limiting factors in the signal's capacity to reach the riverbed. A few avenues have been identified for considering whether TBL acquisition would be appropriate for a specific river. Thresholds should be determined using geometric or morphological criteria, such as rivers with steep slopes, steep riverbanks, and rivers too narrow or with complex morphologies, to avoid compromising the quality or the extent of the coverage. Based on this review, it appears that TBL acquisition conditions for hydrodynamic modelling for flood mapping should optimise the signal's ability to reach the riverbed. However, further research is needed to determine the percentage of coverage required for the use of TBL as a source of bathymetry in a hydrodynamic model, and whether specific river sections must be covered to ensure model performance for flood mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shaftless rim-driven thruster (RDT) has many attractive features and it would improve the fault-tolerance of RDT to select the fault-tolerant permanent magnet motor (FTPMM) as the propulsion motor. The FTPMM works under severe marine environment and subjects to uncertainty and sensorless conditions. To overcome this problem, a sensorless speed tracking control is proposed for the FTPMM with general uncertainties, e.g. perturbing or time-varying parameters, unknown nonlinearities and bounded disturbances. Based on adaptive nonlinear damping, a robust adaptive observer is constructed to estimate the FTPMM speed. The proposed scheme ensures that all the dynamic signals of the closed system are bounded and it is not needed to estimate the uncertain parameters and disturbances of the system. Furthermore, the estimation errors and the tracking errors can converge to arbitrarily small values by adjusting design parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified by the simulation and experiment results. Furthermore, the stability of the control system and the robustness for the parameter uncertainty and load torque disturbance can be guaranteed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major changes in the functioning of prison institutions. Both inmates and prison staff have exposed themselves to risks (Gonçalves et al., 2023). Preventive measures such as quarantine, suspension of visitation rights and isolation of inmates in cells have contributed to the prevention and control of SARSThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused major changes in the functioning of prison institutions. Both inmates and prison staff have exposed themselves to risks (Gonçalves et al., 2023). Preventive measures such as quarantine, suspension of visitation rights and isolation of inmates in cells have contributed to the prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 disease in prisons (Hernando et al., 2023). The article presents the perspectives of social workers in Romanian penitentiaries on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on activities with incarcerated individuals, based on qualitative research. The findings indicate that while the National Penitentiary Administration (ANP) implemented effective measures to reduce infection spread, these measures negatively affected individual security, interpersonal relationships, and professional cooperation. The limitation of communication and interactions between inmates and between inmates and specialists led to increased alertness and professional fatigue.CoV-2 disease in prisons (Hernando et al., 2023). The article presents the perspectives of social workers in Romanian penitentiaries on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on activities with incarcerated individuals, based on qualitative research. The findings indicate that while the National Penitentiary Administration (ANP) implemented effective measures to reduce infection spread, these measures negatively affected individual security, interpersonal relationships, and professional cooperation. The limitation of communication and interactions between inmates and between inmates and specialists led to increased alertness and professional fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the interplay between emerging technologies and law. In recent years, identifying an appropriate regulatory framework for technological advancements has been a significant scholarly debate. Various theories and approaches have been proposed, ranging from soft law to hard law. We explore emerging technologies from both legal and regulatory perspectives, emphasizing the risks associated with them. We discuss how the relationship between law and technology has been approached, including the challenges of emerging technologies, factors influencing the adoption of laws, and strategies for regulation. We challenge the existing reactive approach to regulation in response to technological advancements. Instead, we advocate for a 'law by design' approach, which incorporates legal principles during the early stages of technological development, rather than trying to catch up with technology through legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of China Tourism Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

Urban building energy model (UBEM) is a powerful tool to simulate performance and evaluate efficiency of upgrades for a group of buildings under the urban context. However, the larger the scale/number of buildings, more parameters must be collected to create energy models that cover each individual building, causing more uncertainties. To reveal this, this study created a UBEM for the mixed modern and historic buildings at a campus in China. The calibrated set of UBEMs with the modeled results meeting the 20% error range, were then used to evaluate uncertainties of energy-savings of four building energy retrofit (BER) measures. The first measure, BER 1, was to preserve the historic values of buildings; BER 2 to meet green building design standard; BER 3 to achieve 20% more savings than BER 2; and BER 4 to utilize renewable photovoltaic energy. For BER 1, BER 2, and BER 3, the energy savings of buildings of different ages varied within 10%–44%. For BER 4, the energy savings of buildings varied within 49%–505%, respectively, where the reason for higher than 100% is energy production is much higher than energy demand. Similar results can be concluded for building functions, for BER 1, BER 2, and BER 3, the energy-saving potentials varied within 6%– 45%, while 97%–492% to BER 4. This study can provide an important and significant reference to apply UBEM in evaluating energy-efficient retrofits as well as other energy-related studies that consider uncertainties.

Summary: Middleware has become an essential element in the construction of distributed Internet of Things (IoT) applications. While it plays a central role in hiding the complexities of distribution, middleware systems have also been responsible for dealing with the uncertainties in IoT environments, such as changes during operation (e.g., inaccuracies in sensor data collection) and fluctuations in resource availability, for example, the battery. These uncertainties demand attention as they can result in application failures or, even worse, jeopardize the safety of applications. Existing middleware systems are being enhanced with self‐adaptive capabilities to address these uncertainties. It means they can make runtime adjustments to the middleware and applications (built atop them) without complete shutdowns. Despite the variety of available adaptive solutions, IoT applications often face uncertainties, each requiring a distinct adaptive action. For instance, the need to fine‐tune a thing's workload due to battery consumption is a common challenge. Furthermore, these applications are susceptible to changes occurring at various layers, presenting a complex challenge of managing them simultaneously. This paper introduces Middleware Extendify (MEx), a solution for building and executing IoT adaptive middleware systems. MEx simplifies the implementation of middleware and provides an underlying environment that executes the middleware and supports a range of adaptation mechanisms. This approach ensures that the middleware meets the evolving demands of applications and copes with changes at runtime. The evaluation of MEx encompasses different adaptive middleware implementations to measure the impact of the proposed adaptation mechanisms. The results indicate that adaptation comes with acceptable performance costs while offering the ability to fine‐tune middleware functionality or align IoT applications more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present article is to design a robust fractional-order (FO) finite-time (FnT) control able to tackle Hölder disturbances of second-order nonlinear systems. First, a novel sliding manifold with Arc-Tangent function is suggested for second nonlinear systems. It has been proven that the system states globally converge to the origin in FnT using the proposed sliding mode variable. To ensure a FnT stability of the sliding variable, a robust control is developed. By using fractional operators, a uniformly continuous control law is designed to tackle Hölder disturbances. Furthermore, the suggested approach is shown to be resistant to matched Hölder disturbances and uncertainties that are continuous but not necessarily differentiable. Moreover, the FnT stability of quadrotors using the proposed control, that is our second result. The quadrotor simulations analysis demonstrates the practicality of the proposed FnT controller in the presence of Hölder disturbances. • A simple nonlinear manifold design is proposed to ensure a finite-time convergence of quadrotors unlike the existing nonlinear sliding variables (Mousavi et al., 2021). • Hölder disturbances are addressed using fractional switching control law in the design of the proposed control scheme. • Compared to existing rejection disturbances (Ju et al., 2022; Labbadi and Cherkaoui, 2020; Razzaghian, 2022; Mousavi et al., 2021), the proposed FOFTC scheme has a faster convergence speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is one of the most intensively studied combinatorial optimisation problems for which numerous models and algorithms have been proposed. To tackle the complexities, uncertainties and dynamics involved in real-world VRP applications, Machine Learning (ML) methods have been used in combination with analytical approaches to enhance problem formulations and algorithmic performance across different problem solving scenarios. However, the relevant papers are scattered in several traditional research fields with very different, sometimes confusing, terminologies. This paper presents a first, comprehensive review of hybrid methods that combine analytical techniques with ML tools in addressing VRP problems. Specifically, we review the emerging research streams on ML-assisted VRP modelling and ML-assisted VRP optimisation. We conclude that ML can be beneficial in enhancing VRP modelling, and improving the performance of algorithms for both online and offline VRP optimisations. Finally, challenges and future opportunities of VRP research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]