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An Optimization Framework for Managing Resource Flows in Hubs for Circularity
Get PDFThe hub for circularity (H4C) is an emerging concept that extends the traditional boundaries of industrial symbiosis networks by facilitating resource exchanges not only within an industrial cluster but also with surrounding urban and rural areas. Unlocking the economic, environmental, and social benefits of such hubs requires efficiently exchanging different types of resources across space and time. This remains a major challenge as it involves cross-company coordination, managing trade-offs between economic and environmental sustainability goals, and accounting for uncertainties in waste availability, renewable energy generation, and market prices, among other. To address this challenge, in this study we first identify critical research and practical gaps through a comprehensive literature review on resource flow optimization in H4Cs and related concepts. Building on these insights, we propose a two-phase framework to model and optimize the H4C operations. The first phase involves data collection and synergy identification, which is illustrated in two real H4Cs in Spain and Türkiye. The second phase integrates predictive and prescriptive analytics to guide decision making in daily hub operations while accounting for uncertainties. Our study shows that different predictive and prescriptive methods are available to optimize resource flows in H4Cs. However, selecting and integrating the most appropriate techniques is non-trivial as it depends on the hub scale, data availability, uncertainty dynamics, and preferences of the decision maker. Thus, the proposed framework offers practical guidance for hub managers in choosing appropriate modeling and optimization tools, thereby supporting the implementation of efficient and sustainable H4C operations.</p
Engageing vulnerable urban populations in co-designing climate-resilient public spaces
No full textUrban blue and green spaces are known for mitigating climate events such as heatwaves and floods, while offering co-benefits that build health resilience for society. However, these benefits are not equitably distributed, with vulnerable community members and deprived neighbourhoods often facing limited access to green and blue spaces. Additionally, these individuals are often excluded from planning processes. Our project aims to counteract these barriers by addressing the needs and preferences of diverse communities and integrate them in urban climate project planning processes through a participatory co-design approach supported by geoinformation systems (GIS) and advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).Based on a systematic scoping literature review, we synthesized knowledge on the role of green and blue spaces in building resilience of vulnerable populations, particularly in the context of extreme weather events. Building on the resulting urban green and blue space for inclusive climate and health framework, we assessed the needs, perceptions, and barriers faced by vulnerable residents using mixed methods in Enschede, a mid-sized city in the Netherlands. The results inform the planning of AI-supported participatory co-design workshops engazing citizens and decision-makers in collaboration with Urbanist AI and the UT DesignLab. In a pilot workshop, students were involved in role-plays as personas, and jointly identified diverse needs related to thermal comfort, mobility, and safety. In another workshop, local citizens and decision-makers were engaged. This technology supported initiative brings together diverse perspectives from vulnerable groups and decision-makers, fostering collaborative and inclusive urban planning.The knowledge generated in this process is disseminated through science communication, inform collaborative educational initiatives, and contributes to developing climate-resilient public spaces codesigned to enhance inclusivity, resilience, and well-being for vulnerable urban populations
To Block Or Not To Block?:Evaluating Parental Controls Across Routers, DNS Services, and Software
Get PDFIn today’s society, ensuring the safety of children online has become a priority for parents, educators, and policymakers. Parental control systems are widely used to restrict access to age-inappropriate online content, offering a tool for protecting children from potential online risks. However, their blocking behavior across different technologies remains hidden and poorly analyzed. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis of seven parental control solutions: three provided by routers with built-in filtering functionalities (TP-Link, Netgear, and ASUS), two DNS-based services (OpenDNS and DNS.eu), and a software tool (Norton Family). Each system was tested by systematically visiting a large set of domains and recording which were blocked. We then classified all domains into content categories and used this classification to evaluate the consistency and selectivity of each parental control system. Our findings show that parental controls frequently fall short of providing adequate protection: Some systems fail to block up to 96% of sensitive domains, while others block appropriate content or apply inconsistent and arbitrary filtering rules. For example, ASUS allows access to over 95% of gambling websites, and Netgear exhibits internal inconsistencies, with one-third of the domains blocked under its ”Adult” settings remaining accessible under its stricter ”Child” setting. These results provide insight into the real-world operation of popular parental control technologies and show a methodology for evaluating category-based filtering at scale
A review for comparative text mining:From data acquisition to practical application
Get PDFSocial media provides customers with great opportunities to share their opinions regarding certain products and services. Comparative text, as an important expression form, deserves further exploration, since it contains considerable comparative information between different products and services. In this study, we review existing research on Comparative Text Mining (CTM) in the past 16 years. Basic concepts related to CTM are first described, and a general research framework is subsequently proposed. We then dive into each component of the research framework, ranging from data acquisition, comparative text identification (CTI), comparative relation extraction (CRE), to potential applications. In addition, we conduct extensive experimental analysis on existing methods for CTI and CRE, and clarify their limitations. Accordingly, we provide corresponding insights, and point out future research directions
Towards More Sustainable Mobile Networks:Is Cooperation the Key?
Get PDFTechnology has seamlessly integrated into our lives, transforming how we live, work, and interact. From refrigerators notifying us of missing groceries to smartphones serving as personal assistants, navigation tools, and entertainment hubs, innovation is always at our fingertips. To ensure such a seamless integration of the growing number of applications, these technologies rely heavily on advanced cellular infrastructures. However, the rapid expansion of connected applications is generating massive data traffic, raising significant concerns about energy consumption and, ultimately, the environmental sustainability of these networks. In this thesis, we investigate how cooperation within and among mobile networks can enhance sustainability by improving the energy efficiency and reducing overall power consumption. First, we analyse cooperation within a mobile network in the form of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and joint transmission coordinated multipoint (JT-CoMP) NOMA. By introducing a new power consumption model, PCM-κ, which accounts for the often-overlooked overhead of successive interference cancellation, we provide a more realistic evaluation of NOMA and JT-CoMP NOMA. Our numerical investigation shows that simplistic PCMs tend to overestimate the energy efficiency of the network and result in lower throughput and energy efficiency when users have lower rate requirements.In this thesis, we also examine cooperation among networks through active infrastructure sharing among mobile network operators (MNOs) on a country scale, referred to as national roaming (NR). Using Dutch network data, our analysis shows that NR can yield significant energy savings. Finally, we consider a future scenario combining both forms of cooperation, evaluating technologies such as cell-free massive MIMO and neutral hosts. A lamppost-based deployment with wireless fronthaul is studied, highlighting how CPU sharing among operators can consolidate load and enable low-power modes. This analysis offers a forward-looking perspective on how cooperative architectures can enhance energy sustainability in next-generation networks
A contextualized spatial network-based walkability index (CSWI) for the case study of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.:Expert workshops presentation, and questionnaire
No full textTools for measuring the factors of the built environment at different levels (area, route, and locationa)
Parametric study of barium titanate gradient thin films via off-center pulsed laser deposition
Get PDFThe deposition parameters used in complex oxide thin film growth are typically tuned to optimize functional properties with minimized heterogeneity, for instance in composition and crystalline structure. However, in pulsed laser deposition (PLD), gradients in film thickness and stoichiometry can be created deliberately by taking advantage of the anisotropic expansion of the plasma plume. Here, we use PLD with an off-center alignment to study barium titanate (BTO) thin films grown with a fluence sweep at constant pressure, and a pressure sweep at constant fluence. First, reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) is used to distinguish between 2D layer-by-layer, multi-level, and 3D island growth by observing both diffraction patterns and positional RHEED scans. Next, X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that the out-of-plane lattice parameter increases with higher fluence values and decreases with higher pressure. Lastly, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows that Ba-rich phases can form either at low fluence conditions or within the pressure range greater than 0.02 mbar but less than 0.2 mbar. This study highlights the potential of off-center PLD as an efficient way to study the effect of compositional gradients on the material properties of BTO and other multi-cation functional oxides.</p
Rapid Adaptation to Exoskeleton Balance Support in Perturbed Gait
Get PDFExoskeleton balance support can improve the ability to counteract perturbations. The process of human adaptation to this support, however, remains unclear. Here, we assessed how able-bodied individuals adapted to balance support provided by an ankle exoskeleton during walking, specifically when counteracting forward-directed pushes at the pelvis. Activation of the balance support led to immediate and clear reductions in both Center Of Mass (COM) displacement and soleus EMG activity. Further adaptations were observed across the first 35 perturbations for COM displacement and only across the first 5 perturbations for EMG activity before reaching a stable value. These findings demonstrate that adaptation to balance support is a rapid process. These results indicate that minimal training time is required for an individual to effectively utilize exoskeleton balance support.</p
Nihilism and Nazism:On Rauschning’s The Revolution of Nihilism
No full textThis article is an investigation into Hermann Rauschning’s 1939 book The Revolution of Nihilism: Warning to the West in which he claims that the Nazis should be viewed, not as driven by ideology, but as driven by nihilism. According to Rauschning, who was himself a former official in the Nazi Party, the Nazis had no goal or purpose other than to seek destruction for the sake of destruction, and thus were nihilists. As this view goes against both the standard understanding of Nazism (as driven by racist and nationalist ideologies) and of nihilism (as individualistic rather than political), this paper first investigates Rauschning’s arguments and then compares them against the analysis of Nazism offered by Hannah Arendt. Contrary to Rauschning, Arendt argues that Nazism was driven by a very specific racial ideology and she thus warns against viewing the Nazis as nihilists. By comparing and contrasting the arguments of Rauschning and of Arendt, this paper concludes by offering a better understanding of Nazism and of nihilism
Assessing water and health insecurity in informal settlements:Bringing Europe's invisible, marginalized Roma communities into focus. A systematic scoping review
No full textVulnerable groups at the margins of societies in Europe, such as Roma people, often live in unregulated housing, where they cannot access safe drinking water, sanitation and waste management. The invisibility of these groups and inaccessibility of reliable, up-to-date information complicates understanding of service gaps, related health risks, and the potential for assistance through targeted interventions. We conducted a systematic scoping review to capture the state of the art of water and health insecurity assessment in Roma communities in Europe. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018. Results showed a body of research reliant on disparate assessment methods, although most studies combined multiple methods. The studies often focused on narrow issues, neglecting a wider systems approach, or neglected the community entry, participation, and synthesis steps needed to adapt existing research approaches to more challenging settings and contexts. Some methods – though vital to understand water and health insecurity - were underrepresented. These included water quality testing, period prevalence of self-reported symptoms, and longitudinal approaches. Studies also failed to use the full potential of methods applied, for example using geospatial data for risk mapping risks or spatial analysis. Most studies fell short in providing detailed setting descriptions and ethical considerations, risks entailed, and strategies to counteract those. We propose alternatives to more systematically address data gaps and implement state-of-the-art assessment methods that better match the water and health service challenges posed by communities on the margins of society