4582 research outputs found
Sort by
Abnormal maximal finger tapping in abstinent cannabis users
No full textConclusions: Rhythmicity of finger tapping is abnormal in individuals with a history of cannabis use. The abnormality appears to be long lasting and adds to the list of functional changes present in abstinent cannabis users.
Associations of leisure-time sitting in cars with neighborhood walkability
No full textConclusion: This study found that residents of high walkable neighborhoods tended to spend less time sitting in cars. In particular, higher net retail area ratio, an indicator of tightly-spaced commercial areas, was strongly associated with less time in cars. Policy and planning initiatives to reduce car use require further evidence, particularly on the influence of neighborhood retail areas.
Robust multiple description coding - joint coding for source and storage
No full textWe propose a framework for robust content distribution in networks such that each network node stores a description of the source for users to access and it is robust against any single node failure. The fundamental problem is to identify the tradeoff among various parameters such as storage size, repair bandwidth and the level of distortion in the reconstructed estimate. We show that when we design a robust multiple description code, it is usually favourable that the descriptions should be as correlated as possible to reduce the amount of repair bandwidth in our network.
An adaptive belief representation for target tracking using disparate sensors in wireless sensor networks
No full textSensor diversity has been shown to increase the accuracy and robustness of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) target tracking. However, difficulties can arise due to disparity between sensor types. This paper seeks to address specifically those sensor measurements which require additional information from another source before they can be used to create a location estimate; such as a microphone mote, which requires knowledge of the target’s acoustic power before it can estimate a distance. A novel representation, called the Adaptive GRiD (Grid Representation of belief Distribution), is presented for such sensor measurements which facilitates fusion with other measurement types, overcoming disparity. This is accomplished using a state space which can expand to track extra parameters of the target apart from location, and subsequently contract when those parameters are no longer necessary. In this way the tracker can adapt to a variety of different sensor types whose measurements are mathematically related to target properties besides location. The proposed representation is evaluated for its effectiveness and suitability and shows promising results.
Comparative analysis of safety culture & risk perceptions among Latino and non-Latino workers in the construction industry
No full textConstruction job sites are among the most dangerous workplaces within all types of industries. There is growing evidence that safety culture and risk perception have a direct influence on worker perceptions about company priorities, safe work behaviors and resulting injury and death. This study investigated 341 construction workers using the Safety Culture and Risk Perception Survey to measure safety culture and risk perception among Latino and non- Latino workers in residential, commercial and heavy civil sectors in the Denver, CO, metropolitan area. Investigators compared the responses by ethnicity and construction sector. Results by ethnicity indicated that Latino workers were more concerned about the risk of injury and have more difficulty understanding safety rules and procedures than their non-Latino counterparts. Results by sector indicated that residential construction workers are younger and have higher levels of concern for injury risk than workers in the commercial and heavy civil sectors.
Australian irrigators' recognition of the need for more environmental water flows and intentions to donate water allocations
No full textFuture water policy strategies to address low environmental flows in the River Murray in Australia may include the continued development of programmes for irrigators to donate water. We identify and control for the interdependence between irrigators' recognition of the need for increased flows and their stated intention to donate seasonal allocations over time. The increased uncertainty of seasonal water allocations played one of the largest roles in negatively influencing both recognition and intention. An increase in the opportunity cost of water donation over time was negatively associated with intention. The identification of significant willingness to donate allocations supports the movement towards a more adaptive water policy approach.
Sensemaking of the regulation of windfarm development
No full textNew industries are continuously emerging. Legislation is used/or regulating a/these new industries. As a new indusny in South Australia, wind fann development was fast forwarded by the state govemment 's strategic target in renewable energy. In ten years, there were three fires, and the Not-in-My-Backyard (NIMBY) attitude is increasing. We use sensemaking as a research methodology to interpret the cues and examine the anomalies in the South Australian wind jann development. We examine archival analysis oflhe Act and Statutes, using a life cycle framework, to investigate if there is a gap in the legislation. We also examine the usefitlness of life cycle framework as a basis for legislative development in new industries.
Farmers' assessments of private adaptive measures to climate change and influential factors: a study in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
No full textAdaptation to climate change in agricultural settings depends on understanding farmers’ perceptions of the nature of climate change, their agency in adapting and the efficacy of adaptive measures themselves. Such knowledge can improve mitigation and adaptation strategies. This study addresses the limited understanding of how farmers appraise their private adaptive measures and influential factors. It uses data from structured interviews with 598 rice farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Based on protection motivation theory, farmers’ assessments of private adaptive measures were measured by perceived self-efficacy, perceived adaptation efficacy and perceived adaptation cost. Multiple regressions were used to understand significant factors affecting those assessments. Some demographic and socio-economic factors, belief in climate change, information and objective resources were found to influence farmers’ adaptation assessments. It is shown that the sources and quality of information are particularly important. The improvement of both the accessibility and usefulness of local services (e.g. irrigation, agricultural extension, credit and health care) is deemed a necessity for successful adaptation strategies in the Mekong Delta. The paper also shows the application of PMT in measuring farmers’ appraisals of private adaptive measures to climate change, thereby opening this area for further research.