Text Entry in Immersive Head-Mounted Display-Based Virtual Reality Using Standard Keyboards

We study the performance and user experience of two popular mainstream text entry devices, desktop keyboards and touchscreen keyboards, for use in Virtual Reality (VR) applications. We discuss the limitations arising from limited visual feedback, and examine the efficiency of different strategies of use. We analyze a total of 24 hours of typing data in VR from 24 participants and find that novice users are able to retain about 60% of their typing speed on a desktop keyboard and about 40-45\% of their typing speed on a touchscreen keyboard. We also find no significant learning effects, indicating that users can transfer their typing skills fast into VR. Besides investigating baseline performances, we study the position in which keyboards and hands are rendered in space. We find that this does not adversely affect performance for desktop keyboard typing and results in a performance trade-off for touchscreen keyboard typing

Light-controlled reversible modulation of frontier molecular orbital energy levels in trifluoromethylated diarylethenes

Among bistable photochromic molecules, diarylethenes (DAEs) possess the distinct feature that upon photoisomerization they undergo a large modulation of their pelectronic system, accompanied by a marked shift of the HOMO/LUMO energies and hence oxidation/reduction potentials. The electronic modulation can be utilized to remote-control charge-as well as energy-transfer processes and it can be transduced to functional entities adjacent to the DAE core, thereby regulating their properties. In order to exploit such photoswitchable systems it is important to precisely adjust the absolute position of their HOMO and LUMO levels and to maximize the extent of the photoinduced shifts of these energy levels. Here, we present a comprehensive study detailing how variation of the substitution pattern of DAE compounds, in particular using strongly electron-accepting and chemically stable trifluoromethyl groups either in the periphery or at the reactive carbon atoms, allows for the precise tuning of frontier molecular orbital levels over a broad energy range and the generation of photoinduced shifts of more than 1 eV. Furthermore, the effect of different DAE architectures on the transduction of these shifts to an adjacent functional group is discussed. Whereas substitution in the periphery of the DAE motif has only minor implications on the photochemistry, trifluoromethylation at the reactive carbon atoms strongly disturbs the isomerization efficiency. However, this can be overcome by using a nonsymmetrical substitution pattern or by combination with donor groups, rendering the resulting photoswitches attractive candidates for the construction of remote-controlled functional systems

Planar millimeter wave radar frontend for automotive applications

A fully integrated planar sensor for 77 GHz automotive applications is presented. The frontend consists of a transceiver multichip module and an electronically steerable microstrip patch array. The antenna feed network is based on a modified Rotman-lens and connected to the array in a multilayer approach offering higher integration. Furthermore, the frontend comprises a phase lock loop to allow proper frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar operation. The latest experimental results verify the functionality of this advanced frontend design featuring automatic cruise control, precrash sensing and cut-in detection. These promising radar measurements give reason to a detailed theoretical investigation of system performance. Employing commercially available MMIC various circuit topologies are compared based on signal-tonoise considerations. Different scenarios for both sequential and parallel lobing hint to more advanced sensor designs and better performance. These improvements strongly depend on the availability of suitable MMIC and reliable packaging technologies. Within our present approach possible future MMIC developments are already considered and, thus, can be easily adapted by the flexible frontend design. Es wird ein integrierter planarer Sensor für 77 GHz Radaranwendungen vorgestellt. Das Frontend besteht aus einem Sende- und Empfangs-Multi-Chip-Modul und einer elektronisch schwenkbaren Antenne. Das Speisenetzwerk der Antenne basiert auf einer modifizierten Rotman- Linse. Für eine kompakte Bauweise sind Antenne und Speisenetzwerk mehrlagig integriert. Weiterhin umfasst das Frontend eine Phasenregelschleife für eine präzise Steuerung des frequenzmodulierten Dauerstrichradars. Die aktuellen Messergebnisse bestätigen die Funktionalit¨at dieses neuartigen Frontend-Designs, das automatische Geschwindigkeitsregelung, Kollisionswarnung sowie Nahbereichsüberwachung ermöglicht. Die Qualität der Messergebnisse hat weiterführende theoretische Untersuchungen über die potenzielle Systemleistungsfähigkeit motiviert. Unter Berücksichtigung von kommerziell erhältlichenMMICs werden verschiedene Schaltungstopologien auf der Grundlage des Signal-Rausch-Verhältnisses verglichen. Sowohl für sequenzielle als auch für parallele Ansteuerung der Antennenkeulen wird eine deutliche Leistungssteigerung ermittelt. Diese Verbesserungen hängen maßgeblich von der Verfügbarkeit geeigneter MMICs und einer zuverlässigen Aufbau- und Verbindungstechnik ab. Das vorliegende Frontend-Konzept kann auf Grund seiner Flexibilität leicht an derlei zukünftige Entwicklungen angepasst werden

Impact of ENSO-related rainfall variability on soybean yield in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Abstract: Rio Grande do Sul (RS) presents a known year-on-year unevenness for soybean production, mainly due to water availability. This study aimed to assess the climate effects, with special focus on rainfall during 25 soybean-growing seasons. Eleven sites were clustered according to soybean yield. The effect of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was considered in association with soil water balance. Neutral ENSO phases occurred in 32% of the years, while El Niño and La Ninã in 36% and 32%, respectively. No season presented difference of rainfall among Clusters under Neutral conditions. The limit of 800 mm rainfall for significant yield increments were only achieved in El Niño seasons. The combined effect of rainfall and soil type on soybean yield, represented by the actual soybean yields-water deficit relationship, led to a water cost from -3.7 to -15.2 kg mm-1 ha-1

Optically switchable transistors comprising a hybrid photochromic molecule/n-type organic active layer

Organic semiconductors can be easily combined with other molecular building blocks in order to fabricate multifunctional devices, in which each component conveys a specific (opto)electronic function. We have fabricated photoswitchable hybrid thin-film transistors based on an active bi-component material, consisting of an n-type fullerene derivative and a photochromic diarylethene that possesses light-tunable energy levels. The devices can be gated in two independent ways by either using an electrical stimulus via the application of a voltage to the gate electrode or an optical stimulus causing interconversion of the diarylethene molecules between their two isomers. Fine control over the device output current is achieved by engineering the diarylethenes' LUMO that can act as an intra-gap state controlled by a distinct wavelength in the UV or in the visible range. Importantly, the devices based on a mixed diarylethene/fullerene active layer preserve the high mobility of the pristine semiconductor

Detection of regulator genes and eQTLs in gene networks

Genetic differences between individuals associated to quantitative phenotypic traits, including disease states, are usually found in non-coding genomic regions. These genetic variants are often also associated to differences in expression levels of nearby genes (they are "expression quantitative trait loci" or eQTLs for short) and presumably play a gene regulatory role, affecting the status of molecular networks of interacting genes, proteins and metabolites. Computational systems biology approaches to reconstruct causal gene networks from large-scale omics data have therefore become essential to understand the structure of networks controlled by eQTLs together with other regulatory genes, and to generate detailed hypotheses about the molecular mechanisms that lead from genotype to phenotype. Here we review the main analytical methods and softwares to identify eQTLs and their associated genes, to reconstruct co-expression networks and modules, to reconstruct causal Bayesian gene and module networks, and to validate predicted networks in silico.Comment: minor revision with typos corrected; review article; 24 pages, 2 figure

A perspective on multinational enterprise’s national identity dilemma

This conceptual paper identifies gaps and contributes to the literature on ‘identity’ dilemmas faced by multinational enterprises operating in a globalised world. Various characteristics and business strategies of multinational enterprises are delineated and analysed through the lens of social identity theory and international business concepts such as market and institutional logic. Our analysis, based on multiple cases, and derived from a variety of industries and countries, associates the identity dilemma to informed business strategy. Our findings suggest that while multinational enterprises face identity dilemmas that they sometimes use to their advantage, it also poses several challenges. Through our conceptualisation, we derive five distinct propositions to shape future research directions

Enhancing the sustainability performance of Agri-Food Supply Chains by implementing Industry 4.0

[EN] In order to enhance the sustainability in the supply chain, its members should define and pursue common objectives in the three dimensions of the sustainability (economic, environmental and social). The Agri-Food Supply Chain (AFSC) is a network of different members such as farmers (producers), processors and distributors (wholesales, retailers.), etc.. In order to achieve the performance objectives of the AFSC, Industry 4.0 technologies can be implemented. The aim of this paper is to present a classification of these technologies according to two criteria: objective to be achieved (environmental or social) specified in the main issues to be covered in each objective and member of the AFSC supply chain where it is implemented. In this work, we focus on technologies that deal with environmental and social sustainability because economic sustainability will depend on the specific characteristics of the business (a supply chain using a specific Industry 4.0 technology may be profitable while others do not).This work has been funded by the Project GV/2017/065 "Development of a decision support tool for the management and improvement of sustainability in supply chains" funded by the Regional Government of Valencia. Authors also acknowledge the Project 691249, RUC-APS: Enhancing and implementing Knowledge based ICT solutions within high Risk and Uncertain Conditions for Agriculture Production Systems.Pérez Perales, D.; Verdecho Sáez, MJ.; Alarcón Valero, F. (2019). Enhancing the sustainability performance of Agri-Food Supply Chains by implementing Industry 4.0. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. 568:496-503. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28464-0_43S496503568Camarinha-Matos, L.M., Fornasiero, R., Afsarmanesh, H.: Collaborative networks as a core enabler of Industry 4.0. In: Camarinha-Matos, L.M., Afsarmanesh, H., Fornasiero, R. (eds.) PRO-VE 2017. IAICT, vol. 506, pp. 3–17. Springer, Cham (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65151-4_1Stich, V., Gudergan, G., Zeller, V.: Need and solution to transform the manufacturing industry in the age of Industry 4.0 – a capability maturity index approach. In: Camarinha-Matos, L.M., Afsarmanesh, H., Rezgui, Y. (eds.) PRO-VE 2018. IAICT, vol. 534, pp. 33–42. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99127-6_3Flores, M., Maklin, D., Golob, M., Al-Ashaab, A., Tucci, C.: Awareness towards Industry 4.0: key enablers and applications for internet of things and big data. In: Camarinha-Matos, L.M., Afsarmanesh, H., Rezgui, Y. (eds.) PRO-VE 2018. IAICT, vol. 534, pp. 377–386. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99127-6_32Seuring, S., Müller, M.: From a literature review to a conceptual framework for sustainable supply chain management. J. Clean. Prod. 16, 1699–1710 (2008)Prima, W.A., Xing, K., Amer, Y.: Collaboration and sustainable agri-food supply chain: a literature review. In: MATEC (2016). https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20165802004Pérez Perales, D., Alarcón Valero, F., Drummond, C., Ortiz, Á.: Towards a sustainable agri-food supply chain model. The case of LEAF. In: Ortiz, Á., Andrés Romano, C., Poler, R., García-Sabater, J.-P. (eds.) Engineering Digital Transformation. LNMIE, pp. 333–341. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96005-0_40Savastano, M., Amendola, C., Bellini, F., D’Ascenzo, F.: Contextual impacts on industrial processes brought by the digital transformation of manufacturing: a systematic review. Sustainability 11, 891 (2019)Varela, L., Araújo, A., Ávila, P., Castro, H., Putnik, G.: Evaluation of the relation between lean manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. Sustainability 11, 1439 (2019)Bonilla, S.H., Silva, H.R.O., da Silva, M.T., Gonçalves, R.F., Sacomano, J.B.: Industry 4.0 and sustainability implications: a scenario-based analysis of the impacts and challenges. Sustainability 10, 3740 (2018)Bányai, T., Tamás, P., Illés, B., Stankeviciute, Z., Bányai, A.: Optimization of municipal waste collection routing: impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on environmental awareness and sustainability. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 16, 634 (2019)Lin, K.C., Shyu, J.Z., Ding, K.: A cross-strait comparison of innovation policy under Industry 4.0 and sustainability development transition. Sustainability 9, 786 (2017)Kamble, S.: Sustainable Industry 4.0 framework: a systematic literature review identifying the current trends and future perspectives. In: Process Safety and Environmental Protection Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Part B, vol. 117, pp. 408–25. Institution of Chemical Engineers (2018)Franciosi, C., Iung, B., Miranda, S., Riemma, S.: Maintenance for sustainability in the Industry 4.0 context: a scoping literature review. IFAC-Pap. Online 51(11), 903–908 (2018)Bocken, N.M.P., Short, S.W., Rana, P., Evans, S.: A literature and practice review to develop sustainable business model archetypes. J. Clean. Prod. 65, 42–56 (2014)Bourlakis, M., Maglaras, G., Aktas, E., Gallear, D., Fotopoulos, C.: Firm size and sustainable performance in food supply chains: insights from Greek SMEs. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 152, 112–130 (2014)Garbie, I.H.: An analytical technique to model and assess sustainable development index in manufacturing enterprises. Int. J. Prod. Res. 52(16), 4876–4915 (2014)Beier, G., Niehoff, S., Ziems, T., Xue, B.: Sustainability aspects of a digitalized industry - a comparative study from China and Germany. Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf. Green Technol. 4, 227–234 (2017)Pérez, D., Verdecho, M.J., Alarcón, F: Industry 4.0 for the development of more sustainable decision support tools for agri-food supply chain management. In: 13rd International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management, XXIII, Gijón, Spain (2019)Xiaolin, L., Linnan, Y., Lin, P., Wengfeng, L., Limin, Z.: Procedia engineering county soil fertility information management system based on embedded GIS. Procedia Eng. 29, 2388–2392 (2012)Satyanarayana, G.V.: Wireless sensor based remote monitoring system for agriculture using ZigBee and GPS. In: 2013 (CAC2S), pp. 110–114 (2013)Phillips, A.J., Newlands, N.K., Liang, S.H.L., Ellert, B.H.: Integrated sensing of soil moisture at the field-scale: measuring, modeling and sharing for improved agricultural decision support. Comput. Electron. Agric. 107, 73–88 (2014)Liopa-tsakalidi, A., Tsolis, D., Barouchas, P.: Application of mobile technologies through an integrated management system for agricultural production. Procedia Technol. 8, 165–170 (2013). (Haicta)Yerpude, S., Singhal, T.K.: Impact of Internet of Things (IoT) data on demand forecasting. Indian J. Sci. Technol. 10, 5 (2017)Wolfert, S., Ge, L., Verdouw, C., Bogaardt, M.: Big data in smart farming – a review. Agric. Syst. 153, 69–80 (2017)Castka, P., Balzarova, M.A.: ISO 26000 and supply chains-on the diffusion of the social responsibility standard. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 111(2), 274–286 (2008)Stock, T., Obenaus, M., Kunz, S., Kohl, H.: Industry 4.0 as enabler for a sustainable development: A qualitative assessment of its ecological and social potential. Process. Saf. Environ. 118, 254–267 (2018)Verdecho, M.J., Pérez, D., Alarcón F.: Proposal of a customer-oriented sustainable balanced scorecard for agri-food supply chains. In: 12th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management, Girona, Spain, 12–13 July (2018)Valcour, P.M., Hunter, L.W.: Technology, organizations, and work-life integration. In: Kossek, E.E. Lambert, S.J. (eds.), Work and Life Integration: Organizational, Cultural, and Individual Perspectives, pp. 61–84. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah (2005)Arntz, M., Gregory, T., Zierahn, U.: The risk of automation for jobs in OECD countries: a comparative analysis. In: OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, no. 189. OECD Publishing, Paris (2016)Grubert, J., Langlotz, T., Zollmann, S., Regenbrecht, H.: Towards pervasive augmented reality: context-awareness in augmented reality. IEEE Trans. Vis. Comput. Graph. 23, 1 (2016)Velthuis, A.G.J.: New Approaches to Food-Safety Economics. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (2003)Sándor, Z.P., Csiszár, C.: Development stages of intelligent parking information systems for trucks. Acta Polytechnica Hungarica 10(4), 161–174 (2013)Scognamiglio, V., Arduini, F., Palleschi, G., Rea, G.: Biosensing technology for sustainable food safety. Trends Analyt. Chem. 62, 1–10 (2014)Brynjolfsson, E., McAfee, A.: The Second Machine Age. Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies. W.W. Norton & Company, London (2014)Smith, A., Caiazza, T.: Automation in everyday life (2017). http://assets.pewresearch.org/wpcontent/uploads/sites/14/2017/10/03151500/PI_2017.10.04_Automation_FINAL.pdfHefferon, K.L.: Nutritionally enhanced food crops; progress and perspectives. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 16, 3895–3914 (2015)Glass, S., Fanzo, J.: Genetic modification technology for nutrition and improving diets: an ethical perspective. Curr. Opin. Biotech. 44, 46–51 (2017)Moe, T.: Perspectives on traceability in food manufacture’. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 9(5), 211–214 (1998)Latino, M., Corallo, A., Menegoli, M.: From Industry 4.0 to Agriculture 4.0: how manage product data in agri-food supply chain for voluntary traceability, a framework proposed. In: 20th International Conference on Food and Environment (ICFE), Rome (2018)Linus, U.O.: Traceability in agriculture and food supply chain: a review of basic concepts, technological implications, and future prospects. J. Food Agric. Environ. 1(1), 101–106 (2003)Maumbe, B.M., Okello, J.: Uses of information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture and rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa: experiences from South Africa and Kenya. IJICTRDA 1(1), 1–22 (2010)Dlodlo, N., Kalezhi, J.: The internet of things in agriculture for sustainable rural development. In: International Conference on Emerging Trends in Networks and Computer Communications (ETNCC) (2015