A novel word-independent gesture-typing continuous authentication scheme for mobile devices

In this study, we produce a new continuous authentication scheme for gesture-typing on mobile devices. Our scheme is the first scheme that authenticates gesture-typing interactions in a word-independent format. The scheme relies on groupings of features extracted from the word gesture after it has been reduced to parts common to all gestures. We show that movement sensors are also important in differentiating between users. We describe the feature extraction processes and analyse our proposed feature set. The unique process of our authentication scheme is presented and described. We collect our own gesture typing dataset including data collected during sitting, standing and walking activities for realism. We test our features against state-of-the-art touch-screen interaction features and compare feature extraction times on real mobile devices. Our scheme authenticates users with an equal error rate of 3.58% for a single word-gesture. The equal error rate is reduced to 0.81% when 3 word-gestures are used to authenticate

Teaching Ability and Sexuality

The author discusses reconciling their sexual identity and their chosen profession

Capacity of UK electricity generation assets in the 21st century, 2000 to 2019

This article examines changes and trends in the capacity of UK electricity generation assets in the period 2000 to 2019. In particular, the article draws attention to dramatic changes to capacity by fuel and technology, which drove changes in the generation mix. The data in this article are taken from chapters 5 and 6 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2020; the definitions are thus identical to those in DUKES. Note that fossil fuel-fired capacity totals in this article include coal, oil, mixed and dual fuelled conventional steam stations, combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) stations, gas turbines and oil engines and combined heat and power plants (electrical capacity only) as listed in DUKES table 5.7. Renewable electricity generation capacity includes hydroelectric (natural flow) stations, wind, solar, shoreline wave, tidal, bioenergy and waste as defined in DUKES table 6.4

Willingness-to-Pay for Halal and Branded Poultry in Northern Mozambique

While price typically drives consumers’ food purchasing decisions in low-income countries, religious attributes associated with food production and corporate branding could influence buying patterns. In Mozambique more than 46% of people were living below the poverty line of ($0.31 USD) per day in 2018. That being said, in the Nampula Province (the location of this study), which is the second poorest province in the country, over 25% of the population is Muslim and may be willing-to-pay (WTP) a premium for Halal meat products to uphold Islamic beliefs. Like many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, poultry is the fastest growing source of protein. Since large-scale domestic poultry industries are relatively new in Mozambique, brand loyalty is a new concept that has not empirically analyzed before in the literature. In this study we survey 312 consumers in Nampula, Mozambique using a Choice Based Modeling approach to estimate if consumers are WTP for chicken which was slaughtered according to Halal laws and chicken which branded by New Horizons (the largest chicken producer in Nampula). The results of this study are important as they show if consumers in low-income countries are WTP a premium for branded commodities and if consumers are WTP for religious production attributes. Following data collection using a researcher-developed survey instrument, logistic regression models were estimated using maximum-likelihood techniques to evaluate poultry-attribute preferences (independence was rejected). A random parameters logit (RPL) model estimated the mean and standard deviation associated with each attribute’s effect on the probability of purchasing poultry. Marginal WTP values were computed with respect to the price coefficient. Results of our sample could indicate that even in low-income countries like Mozambique, consumers are WTP a premium for branding. This would signal a need for further research in the future to determine if these results are generalizable to countries with similar economic structure. In communities like Nampula, this branding could be a proxy for food safety concerns, and these results are important as in many low-income countries commodities (such as live/processed chickens) have no branding associated with them. Even in the poorest part of Mozambique, Muslims are WTP a premium for Halal produced meat. This should signal to meat producers to market appropriately (via the Halal logo) in order to increase market share and overall sales without the exploitation (via price increases) of consumers. Interestingly, across the sample Halal was not a signal for food safety or quality, it was viewed simply as a religious attribute. These data are applicable to a real-world problem; the study was built around a real company in Mozambique, and the data will be shared with New Horizons to improve marketing efforts and hopefully increase accessibility and education about commodity products in third-world countries

Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2016 to 2019

This article examines the variation of electricity generation and consumption in the four nations of the United Kingdom. It updates and extends the previous version, published in December 2019. The UK data in this article are taken from chapters 5 and 6 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2020; the definitions are thus identical to those in DUKES. Tables 1 and 2 are included at the end of the main text and cover the latest four years (2016 to 2019 inclusive), with a revised timeseries for 2004 to 2019 in the accompanying Excel spreadsheet