1,721,239 research outputs found
Optimization of photoluminescent materials for lighting energy saving in the built environment
No full textIn the last decades, fossil fuels have become the primary resource for electricity generation, contributing to the aggravation of problems like global warming and ozone depletion. For this reason, innovative solutions are being continuously developed in order to improve energy efficiency in the construction sector. Beyond heating and cooling, urban lighting plays a significant role on the final energy consumption of a city, including both indoors and outdoors. In this work, photoluminescent materials are investigated as possible light sources to be implemented in urban lighting systems, focusing on the free-cost and renewable luminous gain they provide after being exposed to a proper radiation. In particular, commercially available photoluminescent powders are evaluated by means of spectroradiometric techniques and using a specifically designed experimental setup. Measurements are repeated for different intensities and wavebands of irradiation to identify the most promising “pigment-lamp” combination in terms of (i) luminous intensity and (ii) photoluminescence duration. Results show that the shorter the distance between the emission spectra of the exciting source and the photoluminescent powder, the better the performance of the latter. Therefore, the choice of both afterglow and exciting source cannot be independent from the final system's application and the required end-use lighting level
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Bioinspired daytime radiative cooling performance: a new experimental protocol for scaling up passive cooling through the atmospheric windows
No full textUrban overheating is a widely recognized consequence of human activities that contribute to climate change at the urban scale. This phenomenon has devastating effects, including increased energy demand for cooling, heightened air pollution, and associated health risks, particularly during heat waves and in energy-poor conditions. Consequently, cities worldwide are implementing strategic measures to mitigate and adapt to these urban heat islands. One effective approach to mitigation involves the use of cool materials, which possess the ability to reflect or re-emit thermal radiation due to various factors. Daytime radiative cooling is a specific application of cool materials that has the potential to achieve sub-ambient surface temperatures, making it suitable for urban surfaces such as roofs, facades, and streets. Despite the acknowledged potential of radiative cooling, there is a lack of detailed, replicable experimental protocols and numerical assessments in the existing literature. This gap can be addressed by adapting the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI), a crucial metric for quantifying this potential, and further enhancing its capabilities. In order to advance our understanding and application of radiative cooling, it is imperative to develop a comprehensive experimental protocol and conduct thorough numerical assessments. By doing so, we can unlock the full potential of cool materials and their ability to combat urban overheating. This research will contribute to the ongoing efforts to create sustainable and resilient cities that are better equipped to tackle the challenges posed by climate change
Sustainable production and consumption in remote working conditions due to COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: An environmental and user acceptance investigation
No full textIn response to the disruptive changes brought upon our society by the COVID-19 pandemic, most work activities and service providers had to resort to remote working. This is credited to reduce emissions for transportation, however the role of forced confinement within dwellings, especially if not designed for hosting working stations, deserves to be properly evaluated in terms of both user acceptance and long-term environmental impact. In this work, a dedicated survey campaign is used for investigating the potential pros and cons of remote working. In more detail, logistic regression and generalized linear models are used for capturing the effect of several independent variables on user acceptance of remote working. At a later stage, the main greenhouse gas emissions produced by each participant before and during remote working are assessed. According to the obtained results, the greater the distance between their home and workplace, the higher the acceptance score declared by the survey participants about remote working. Additionally, higher incomes and better-quality lifestyles with larger devotion to leisure activities also provide higher acceptance. Finally, the existence of a comfortable room to be used for work activities plays a crucial role on the declared acceptance. From an environmental point of view, remote working is always sustainable in case of long commuting distances (above 10 km) are avoided on a daily routine. In conclusion, a sensible use of remote working could reduce the environmental impact of any organization employing desk-workers as well as improve their work satisfaction and lifestyle
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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