PERSONAL NAVIGATION: EXTENDING MOBILE MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES INTO INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS

This paper discusses some unconventional methods for indoor-outdoor navigation, based on the integration of self-contained sensors, including GPS, IMU, digital barometer, magnetometer compass, and a human locomotion model. The human locomotion model is used as navigation  sensor and it is handled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques that form an adaptive knowledge-based system (KBS), which is trained during the GPS signal reception, and is used to support navigation under GPS-denied conditions. A complementary technique used in our solution, which facilitates indoor navigation, is the image-based method (Flash LADAR). In this paper, the system design and an example performance analysis in the mixed indoor-outdoor environment are presented

Does Tolerance Reflect a More Inclusive Self-Construal? A Comparison of Poland, East and West Germany

Past research suggests that Poland and Germany differ in the inclusiveness of their “moral universe”, i.e. the breadth of the community to which people apply moral values and rules of fairness (Schwartz, 2007). It seems likely that this difference is reflected in a more or less inclusive definition of one’s ingroup. The present study investigated (1) whether there are indeed differences in ingroup inclusiveness as manifested in differential construals of the self in East and West Germany and Poland and (2) whether those differences are reflected in differences in tolerance. As expected, participants in West Germany had the most inclusive self-construal, followed by participants from East Germany and then Poland – both in terms of their absolute scores on the most inclusive level (being a member of humanity), and in terms of the relative importance of the different levels. A relationship between a more inclusive self-construal and tolerance was observed in West Germany, but not in East Germany and Poland. The results suggest that more inclusive and abstract levels of the self-construal are more closely linked to other abstract constructs such as values rather than a true reflection of people’s ingroup. In countries with a communist past where universal values or the concern for humanity at large have been used for ideological purposes, these values may have lost their original meaning and psychological significance, and are less linked to intergroup attitudes such as tolerance towards immigrants

Application of artificial intelligence in Geodesy – A review of theoretical foundations and practical examples

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the key technologies in many of today's novel applications. It is used to add knowledge and reasoning to systems. This paper illustrates a review of AI methods including examples of their practical application in Geodesy like data analysis, deformation analysis, navigation, network adjustment, and optimization of complex measurement procedures. We focus on three examples, namely, a geo-risk assessment system supported by a knowledge-base, an intelligent dead reckoning personal navigator, and evolutionary strategies for the determination of Earth gravity field parameters. Some of the authors are members of IAG Sub-Commission 4.2 – Working Group 4.2.3, which has the main goal to study and report on the application of AI in Engineering Geodesy

Multisensor navigation systems: a remedy for GNSS vulnerabilities?

Space-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies, such as the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) provide position, velocity, and timing information to an unlimited number of users around the world. In recent years, PNT information has become increasingly critical to the security, safety, and prosperity of the World's population, and is now widely recognized as an essential element of the global information infrastructure. Due to its vulnerabilities and line-of-sight requirements, GNSS alone is unable to provide PNT with the required levels of integrity, accuracy, continuity, and reliability. A multisensor navigation approach offers an effective augmentation in GNSS-challenged environments that holds a promise of delivering robust and resilient PNT. Traditionally, sensors such as inertial measurement units (IMUs), barometers, magnetometers, odometers, and digital compasses, have been used. However, recent trends have largely focused on image-based, terrain-based and collaborative navigation to recover the user location. This paper offers a review of the technological advances that have taken place in PNT over the last two decades, and discusses various hybridizations of multisensory systems, building upon the fundamental GNSS/IMU integration. The most important conclusion of this study is that in order to meet the challenging goals of delivering continuous, accurate and robust PNT to the ever-growing numbers of users, the hybridization of a suite of different PNT solutions is required

Preparation and characterization of magnetic Fe3O4/CdWO4 and Fe3O4/CdWO4/PrVO4 nanoparticles and investigation of their photocatalytic and anticancer properties on PANC1 cells

Fe3O4/CdWO4 and Fe3O4/CdWO4/PrVO4 magnetic nanoparticles were prepared at different molar ratios of PrVO4 to previous layers (Fe3O4/CdWO4) via the co-precipitation method assisted by a sonochemical procedure, in order to investigate the photocatalytic performance of these systems and their cytotoxicity properties. The physico-chemical properties of these magnetic nanoparticles were determined via several experimental methods: X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy, using a vibrating sample magnetometer and a scanning electron microscope. The average sizes of these nanoparticles were found to be in the range of 60-100 nm. The photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared nanostructures was measured by methylene blue degradation under visible light (assisted by H2O2). The magnetic nanosystem with a 1:2:1 ratio of three oxide components showed the best performance by the degradation of ca. 70 after 120 min of exposure to visible light irradiation. Afterwards, this sample was used for the photodegradation of methyl orange, methyl violet, fenitrothion, and rhodamine-B pollutants. Finally, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction was examined by releasing �OH under UV light in a system including terephthalic acid, as well as O2-, OH, and hole scavengers. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of each synthesized sample was assessed using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay against the human cell line PANC1 (cancer), and its IC50 was approximately 125 mg/L. © 2019 by the authors

Synthesis of magnetic fe3o4/znwo4 and fe3o4/znwo4/cevo4 nanoparticles: The photocatalytic effects on organic pollutants upon irradiation with uv-vis light

Magnetic Fe3O4/ZnWO4 and Fe3O4/ZnWO4/CeVO4 nanoparticles with different molar ratios of CeVO4 to other inorganic components were synthesized through co-precipitation with a sonochemical-assisted method. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods were used for the physico�chemical characterization of the obtained nanoparticles. As shown in the SEM images, the average sizes of the Fe3O4 /ZnWO4 and Fe3O4 /ZnWO4 /CeVO4 nanoparticles that formed aggregates were approximately 50�70 nm and 80�100 nm, respectively. The photocatalytic performance of these nanoparticles was examined by measuring methylene blue degradation under visible light (assisted by H2O2). The sample with a mass ratio of 1:2:1 (Fe3O4/ZnWO4/CeVO4, S4) exhibited optimal photocatalytic performance, and thus this sample was subsequently used for the photodegradation of different organic pollutants upon irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. Approximately 90 and 70 degradation of methyl violet and methylene blue, respectively, was observed after visible light irradiation. Additionally, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction was investigated by measuring ·OH release under UV light in a system with terephthalic acid and by measuring the release of·O2 �,·OH, and hole scavengers. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Safety, tolerability, and impact on allergic inflammation of autologous E.coli autovaccine in the treatment of house dust mite asthma - a prospective open clinical trial

Background: Asthma is increasing worldwide and results from a complex immunological interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Autovaccination with E. coli induces a strong TH-1 immune response, thus offering an option for the treatment of allergic diseases. Methods: Prospective open trial on safety, tolerability, and impact on allergic inflammation of an autologous E.coli autovaccine in intermittent or mild persistent house dust mite asthma. Determination of exhaled nitric monoxide (eNO) before and after bronchial mite challenge initially and after nine months of autovaccination. Results: Median eNO increase after autovaccination was significantly smaller (from 27.3 to 33.8 ppb; p=0.334) compared to initial values (from 32.6 to 42.2 ppb; p=0.046) (p=0.034). In nine subjects and a total of 306 injections, we observed 101 episodes of local erythema (33.3%; median of maximal diameter 2.5 cm), 95 episodes of local swelling (31.1%; median of maximal diameter 3 cm), and 27 episodes of local pain (8.8%). Four subjects reported itching at the injection site with a total of 30 episodes (9.8%). We observed no serious adverse events. All organ functions (inclusive electrocardiogramm) and laboratory testing of the blood (clinical chemistry, hematology) and the urine (screening test, B-microglobuline) were within normal limits. Vital signs undulated within the physiological variability. Conclusion: The administration of autologous autovacine for the treatment of house dust mite asthma resulted in a reduction of the eNO increase upon bronchial mite challenge. In nine subjects and 306 injections, only a few mild local reactions and no systemic severe adverse events were observed. EudraCT Nr. 2005-005534-12 ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT0067720

Synthesis of magnetic fe3o4/znwo4 and fe3o4/znwo4/cevo4 nanoparticles: The photocatalytic effects on organic pollutants upon irradiation with uv-vis light

Magnetic Fe3O4/ZnWO4 and Fe3O4/ZnWO4/CeVO4 nanoparticles with different molar ratios of CeVO4 to other inorganic components were synthesized through co-precipitation with a sonochemical-assisted method. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods were used for the physico�chemical characterization of the obtained nanoparticles. As shown in the SEM images, the average sizes of the Fe3O4 /ZnWO4 and Fe3O4 /ZnWO4 /CeVO4 nanoparticles that formed aggregates were approximately 50�70 nm and 80�100 nm, respectively. The photocatalytic performance of these nanoparticles was examined by measuring methylene blue degradation under visible light (assisted by H2O2). The sample with a mass ratio of 1:2:1 (Fe3O4/ZnWO4/CeVO4, S4) exhibited optimal photocatalytic performance, and thus this sample was subsequently used for the photodegradation of different organic pollutants upon irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. Approximately 90 and 70 degradation of methyl violet and methylene blue, respectively, was observed after visible light irradiation. Additionally, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction was investigated by measuring ·OH release under UV light in a system with terephthalic acid and by measuring the release of·O2 �,·OH, and hole scavengers. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

A Benchmarking Measurement Campaign to Support Ubiquitous Localization in GNSS Denied and Indoor Environments

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