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Using a digital participatory platform to evaluate public space quality
Get PDFDecision-making processes in the planning, designing, and maintenance of public spaces still overwhelmingly do not allow for sufficient articulation and consideration of the needs and aspirations of local residents. Recent research shows that digital tools can facilitate social participation and allow stakeholders to voice and discuss their perceptions of public space usage. However, apart from legal challenges, limited budgets and digital literacy frequently constrain the use of digital information technology to such ends. This paper demonstrates how a novel digital participatory platform (DPP) named AMACHAN supports an in-situ public space quality evaluation in two Mexican cities. We evaluated the quality of six public spaces with local residents in the cities of Puebla and Mexico City. We also investigated what benefit and potential the involved government and other relevant stakeholders see in integrating a public space quality evaluation using a DPP into their work processes for public space management. Among government practitioners, we observed limited knowledge of implementing a public space evaluation using a DPP and spatial data. We provide insights into overcoming such challenges and demonstrate that bottom-up approaches motivate residents to use a DPP when they see that the data they contribute is discussed among decision-makers.</p
A multidecadal assessment of drought intensification in the Middle East and North Africa:The role of global warming and rainfall deficit
Get PDFThis study provides a comprehensive assessment of drought distribution and severity across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from 1981 to 2021, utilizing two widely recognized drought indices: the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We employed the CRU TS v. 4.07 datasets to assess changes in drought characteristics (e.g., frequency, intensity, duration, and severity) at the 12-months timescale for the main Koppen-Geiger climate zones in the region. Results indicate a significant shift from wetter conditions before 1998 to more frequent drought occurrences post-1998, particularly in northern MENA, including North Africa, the Levant, and western parts of the Arabian Peninsula, northern Iraq, and western Iran. Both the SPI and SPEI indicate significant positive changes in drought frequency across 19.4% of the MENA region during the period 1998–2021, compared to 12.9% in the earlier period of 1981–1997. The SPEI, which incorporates the effects of evapotranspiration, demonstrated a more pronounced increase in drought frequency and severity than the SPI, reflecting the growing impact of rising temperatures in the most recent decades. The region experienced more frequent and prolonged, but less intense, droughts in the past two decades. Spatially, the SPEI highlighted significant drought intensification in temperate and cold desert (CWb, BWk) zones across the region, primarily driven by increasing air temperatures. On the other hand, SPI tended to capture well the mild and moderate drought events, while it underestimated the severity of the most anomalous dry events (i.e., severe, extreme, and very extreme). For example, in comparison to the SPI, the SPEI indicated an increase of 15% in the areas affected by severe to very extreme droughts in arid regions (Aw). The study also noted discrepancies between the SPI and SPEI in hyper-arid regions like the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula (BWh), emphasizing the importance of using temperature-inclusive indices like SPEI for more accurate drought assessments in warmer and water-limited climates in the region. Our findings indicate that the SPEI can be seen as a more reliable indicator for understanding drought severity in the region in the context of global warming. Overall, our findings emphasize the urgency of adopting adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the increasing frequency and severity of droughts due to global warming.</p
Reactive balance and stepping strategy in persons using a transfemoral prosthesis
No full textBACKGROUND: Persons with a transfemoral amputation (TFA) have poorer balance compared to able-bodied persons (AB)[1,2]. Research shows additional contributions of the intact leg to compensate for the loss of an active ankle strategy on the prosthetic limb side[2]. Currently, it is unknown whether a) reactive balance is also affected in persons with TFA, b) whether this is influenced by the type of prosthetic suspension, and c) which leg they prefer to recover from perturbations. Insight into reactive balance may ultimately help to identify who has an increased fall risk.AIM: Determining whether reactive balance differs between persons with TFA and AB, and between types of prosthetic suspension (i.e. socket-suspended (SSP) versus bone-anchored (BAP)); and to identify which leg is used for stepping to recover from a perturbation.METHOD: Experienced transfemoral SSP- and BAP-users and AB were recruited. Participants stood on a platform that moved at increasing perturbation intensities in forward, backward, prosthetic/non-preferred leg and intact/preferred leg stepping directions. Participants were instructed to recover their balance with a maximum of one step. The multiple stepping threshold was recorded (i.e maximum perturbation intensity (m/s2) at which one could still recover with one step), as well as the stepping leg used.RESULTS: We included 10 AB persons (age: 57±11years) and 20 persons with TFA; 10 BAP-users (age: 59±15years, time since amputation: 25±17years) and 10 SSP-users (age: 56±13years, time since amputation: 27±14years). Balance confidence (ABC-questionnaire) and balance capacity (Brief-BEST) were significantly lower in TFA compared to AB (90vs97% and 18vs24points, p<.001 and p<.001), with no significant differences between BAP and SSP. TFA achieved a significantly lower multiple stepping threshold in the backward direction (3.5m/s2, p=.005) and towards the prosthetic/non-preferred leg (2.5m/s2, p<.001) compared to AB (both: 4.5m/s2); no significant differences between BAP and SSP. In the backward, forward, and towards the intact side, the majority of TFA used side steps with their intact leg (90, 80, and 100%). Toward the prosthetic side, mainly the prosthetic leg was used (90%).DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Results suggest reduced reactive balance in persons with TFA, which might be a result of reduced sensory feedback and delayed responses[3]. No difference between type of prosthetic suspension were found. In contrast to the stepping strategy of stroke patients[4], people with TFA prefer using their affected leg to recover from a sideways perturbations towards the prosthetic side. These findings underpin the cautious behaviour of prosthetic-users during disturbances
Demo: Unlock every Doc: Transkribus and Document Recognition
No full textWe cordially invite you to participate in an immersive investigation of Transkribus, a pioneering instrument at the nexus of digital humanities, archival science, and artificial intelligence. Transkribus is the ideal use case that integrates traditional humanities scholarship with computational techniques, brings the tools in an easily understandable way of academia to users with different backgrounds, and applies AI so that users benefit without learning how to program. The Transkribus system was developed through EU-funded projects and employs advanced AI to automate handwritten text recognition, thereby reducing the time and expertise required for palaeographic analysis. With currently 225+ private and institutional members, 250,000 registered users, and 200+ public models available, Transkribus has significantly enhanced users’ ability to adaptively tackle diverse handwriting styles adaptively, becoming an invaluable asset for researchers, archivists, and students. During the demo, participants will receive practical feedback on using Transkribus' user-friendly, browser-based interface. They will learn how to navigate the platform, understand its AI-driven recognition process, and explore its potential applications in their research workflows.
Identifying small-scale gradients in sediment stability as early indicators of saltmarsh cliff initiation
No full textSaltmarsh cross-shore width is a critical determinant of the ecosystem services it can provide, particularly to what extent waves can be attenuated across its surface. Cliff initiation at the seaward saltmarsh edge is typically the key trigger of marsh retreat, causing the cross-shore marsh width and ecosystem service provisioning to be reduced. Unfortunately, the processes and conditions under which cliffs form remain unknown, making the moment of cliff initiation unpredictable
Energy flows:An algorithmic scheduling approach to electric vehicle charging
No full textOur energy system is transitioning away from a top-down fossil-fueled system towards a renewable-centric bidirectional system with volatile supply and demand that incorporates large synchronized loads. On top of that, the demand for electric energy is increasing as a result of among others the electrification of mobility and heating. While the need for grid expansion is undisputed, it is more sustainable, financially efficient, and timely to also invest into unlocking flexibility to mitigate peaks and match the volatile energy supply.This also applies to settings where loads and local generation share a grid connection. In such settings, an energy management system (EMS) is required to unlock the flexibility of for example the charging demand of an electric vehicle (EV) fleet to mitigate power peaks, reduce asset degradation and increase self-consumption of locally generated energy.The work presented in this thesis is motivated by one such emergent use case, namely an office environment with large-scale EV charging infrastructure in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The EV parking lot is integrated into an environment that also hosts a solar rooftop installation, a visitor's parking lot with another 50 charging spots and an office building with an electric heating system. Our analysis of the use case identifies information gaps and user acceptance as two major challenges for the successful deployment of energy management for such EV parking lots. While there are work-arounds to overcome those challenges in practice, they often rely on frequent re-optimization. Therefore, efficient optimization subroutines are crucial for an EMS to work properly.Based on these insights gained from the field, we develop a mathematical formulation of the underlying (offline) EV scheduling problem. The main contributions of this thesis are the development of (constructive) algorithms for this problem, their theoretical analysis, and their validation using data collected at the mentioned real-world parking lot. On top of that, in this thesis we relate the EV scheduling problem to (i) processor speed scaling and (ii) majorized flows, and evaluate the relevance of the developed algorithms to these other mathematical problems
Making an Archive Accessible: AI and the Overijssel Case Study
No full textArchives play an indispensable role in safeguarding cultural heritage, ensuring the preservation of historical records for future research and analysis. The Overijssel Provincial States archive, which spans from 1578 to 1795, offers a distinctive insight into the region's historical governance and the nature of public petitions. This poster shows the initial steps taken within the HAICu-Project to open up this archive
Sustainable Value Added:Proposition of a Leading Performance Indicator and Its Drivers
No full textSustainability and the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of the triple bottom line are increasingly crucial for businesses. However, current performance indicators and measurement systems predominantly focus on financial outcomes, leaving a gap in holistic sustainability assessment. This research addresses this gap by introducing a Key Performance Indicator called Sustainable Value Added (SUVA), which integrates three dimensions: Financial Value Added (FIVA), Environmental Value Added (ENVA), and Social Value Added (SOVA). Each dimension includes specific categories, subcategories, and indicators to evaluate sustainability performance comprehensively. By comparing targeted and achieved values, the SUVA framework enables systematic assessment and alignment of corporate sustainability strategies with business objectives. This research contributes to sustainability measurement by providing a flexible framework adaptable to various industries and organisational contexts, enhancing businesses’ ability to quantify and improve their sustainability performance.</p
An Investigation into Alternative Ways of Menstrual Cycle Tracking in Professional Sports
No full textAdvances in sports science and emerging interest in human– computer interaction highlighted the importance of tracking menstrual cycles (MC) for optimising athletic performance. However, existing MC-tracking solutions are often intrusive, labour intensive, or insufficiently tailored to the demanding routines of professional athletes. To address this gap, we collaborated with a professional women’s football club and explored athlete and coach needs. We conducted exploratory workshops with N=13 players and three coaches to uncover preferences MC tracking methods and to identify communication challenges around MC data. Drawing on these insights, we conceptually developed and evaluated (with N=19 athletes) a MC-tracking tool and a companion mobile app. Our findings highlight that MC data is inherently sensitive and must not be treated as just another parameter within the already multifactorial landscape of athletic performance and injury risks. We contribute to SportsHCI by providing a foundation for future research on the tracking of MC in sports
An Investigation into the Influence of Embodied Agents on the Social Presence Between Humans in Virtual Reality Rowing
No full textThis paper investigates the relations between the embodiment of virtual agents and the sense of social presence in virtual reality (VR) for rowing simulation. We carried out observations and an experimental study to investigate the role of embodied agents in social presence. We developed an embodied coxswain and set up an experimental study with two RP3 rowing machines, VR headsets, and various hardware and software components. Twenty-two participants tested the system under two conditions: with an embodied coxswain and with a non-embodied agent. Experiment results showed a significant increase in perceived social presence in the VR between participants when rowing together with the embodied coxswain. Our findings illustrate the challenges and benefits of more realistic coxswain representations in VR rowing and pave the path for further exploration into the virtual agent characteristics in other sports that can enhance social presence for colocated participants in VR settings