STATBOX Concept for Simulation of Urban Phenomena

AbstractAn urban environment is a dynamic system which is constantly changing in terms of space and time. There are two dimensions in any urban environment – the physical dimension and the functional dimension. All of the structures of an urban environment interact and people are the intermediaries in this process. The spatial structure of cities has been studied from various perspectives by architects, urban planners, environmental scientists, economists, geographers etc. Constant monitoring that is based on remote sensing, spatial statistics, simulation etc., is needed to make on going note of transformation in the various types of land use that exist, movement of people and business environment. Many authors stressed that using the GIS technology, the spatial features of geographic data can be introduced in the simulation and GIS, spatial analysis plays an important role in the development of geosimulation models. The integration of the virtual reality technology with a dynamic data model will gives a realistic representation and visualization of the real world. Such complex accessibility for the user with an excellent interaction and manipulation capabilities of the virtual environment will be used in different kind of projects connected with simulating urban phenomena or pedestrian/crowd movements. The presented system consists of the STATBOX units, comprising of video data storage. Data collected by STATBOX units is sent to the Main server, where the video data is processed to generate classified information. Based on the collected statistical data, as well as information on the location of the STATBOX units and GIS models of territory, the geosimulation model is automatically prepared. The model is adequate to the real world - no deep knowledge on the simulation techniques is needed to use the proposed system. A prototype of Riga central park performance model is used as an example of STATBOX data collection and simulation process. GIS system with integrated ortofoto map, digital route map, digital plan of landuse, are used as the basis for the model development. The result is a geosimulation model adequate to the pedestrian movement and ready for further experiments. The created system can be used by different users, like businessmen/investors, researchers, state and municipal institutions. However, the main target group is the SMEs, as they are more flexible and ready to take decision to change location than large companies

Graduate Catalog, 1999-2002, New Jersey Institute of Technology

https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/coursecatalogs/1004/thumbnail.jp

Forest landscapes and global change. New frontiers in management, conservation and restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference

This volume contains the contributions of numerous participants at the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference, which took place in Bragança, Portugal, from 21 to 24 of September 2010. The conference was dedicated to the theme Forest Landscapes and Global Change - New Frontiers in Management, Conservation and Restoration. The 128 papers included in this book follow the structure and topics of the conference. Sections 1 to 8 include papers relative to presentations in 18 thematic oral and two poster sessions. Section 9 is devoted to a wide-range of landscape ecology fields covered in the 12 symposia of the conference. The Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference register the growth of scientific interest in forest landscape patterns and processes, and the recognition of the role of landscape ecology in the advancement of science and management, particularly within the context of emerging physical, social and political drivers of change, which influence forest systems and the services they provide. We believe that these papers, together with the presentations and debate which took place during the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference – Bragança 2010, will definitively contribute to the advancement of landscape ecology and science in general. For their additional effort and commitment, we thank all the participants in the conference for leaving this record of their work, thoughts and science

An Investigation of Coarticulation Resistance in Speech Production Using Ultrasound

Sound segments show considerable influence from neighbouring segments, which is described as being the result of coarticulation. None of the previous reports on coarticulation in vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) sequences has used ultrasound. One advantage of ultrasound is that it provides information about the shape of most of the midsagittal tongue contour. In this work, ultrasound is employed for studying symmetrical VCV sequences, like /ipi/ and /ubu/, and methods for analysing coarticulation are refined. The use of electropalatography (EPG) in combination with ultrasound is piloted in the study. A unified approach is achieved to describing lingual behaviour during the interaction of different speech sounds, by using the concept of Coarticulation Resistance, which implies that different sounds resist coarticulatory influence to different degrees. The following research questions were investigated: how does the tongue shape change from one segment to the next in symmetrical VCV sequences? Do the vowels influence the consonant? Does the consonant influence the vowels? Is the vocalic influence on the consonant greater than the consonantal influence on the vowels? What are the differences between lingual and non-lingual consonants with respect to lingual coarticulation? Does the syllable/word boundary affect the coarticulatory pattern? Ultrasound data were collected using the QMUC ultrasound system, and in the final experiment some EPG data were also collected. The data were Russian nonsense VCVs with /i/, /u/, /a/ and bilabial stops; English nonsense VhV sequences with /i/, /u/, /a/; English /aka/, /ata/ and /iti/ sequences, forming part of real speech. The results show a significant vowel influence on all intervocalic consonants. Lingual consonants significantly influence their neighbouring vowels. The vocalic influence on the consonants is significantly greater than the consonantal influence on the vowels. Non-lingual consonants exhibit varying coarticulatory patterns. Syllable and word boundary influence on VCV coarticulation is demonstrated. The results are interpreted and discussed in terms of the Coarticulation Resistance theory: Coarticulation Resistance of speech segments varies, depending on segment type, syllable boundary, and language. A method of quantifying Coarticulation Resistance based on ultrasound data is suggested.sub_shsunpub143_ethesesunpu