Advanced Occupancy Measurement Using Sensor Fusion

With roughly about half of the energy used in buildings attributed to Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning (HVAC) systems, there is clearly great potential for energy saving through improved building operations. Accurate knowledge of localised and real-time occupancy numbers can have compelling control applications for HVAC systems. However, existing technologies applied for building occupancy measurements are limited, such that a precise and reliable occupant count is difficult to obtain. For example, passive infrared (PIR) sensors commonly used for occupancy sensing in lighting control applications cannot differentiate between occupants grouped together, video sensing is often limited by privacy concerns, atmospheric gas sensors (such as CO2 sensors) may be affected by the presence of electromagnetic (EMI) interference, and may not show clear links between occupancy and sensor values. Past studies have indicated the need for a heterogeneous multi-sensory fusion approach for occupancy detection to address the short-comings of existing occupancy detection systems. The aim of this research is to develop an advanced instrumentation strategy to monitor occupancy levels in non-domestic buildings, whilst facilitating the lowering of energy use and also maintaining an acceptable indoor climate. Accordingly, a novel multi-sensor based approach for occupancy detection in open-plan office spaces is proposed. The approach combined information from various low-cost and non-intrusive indoor environmental sensors, with the aim to merge advantages of various sensors, whilst minimising their weaknesses. The proposed approach offered the potential for explicit information indicating occupancy levels to be captured. The proposed occupancy monitoring strategy has two main components; hardware system implementation and data processing. The hardware system implementation included a custom made sound sensor and refinement of CO2 sensors for EMI mitigation. Two test beds were designed and implemented for supporting the research studies, including proof-of-concept, and experimental studies. Data processing was carried out in several stages with the ultimate goal being to detect occupancy levels. Firstly, interested features were extracted from all sensory data collected, and then a symmetrical uncertainty analysis was applied to determine the predictive strength of individual sensor features. Thirdly, a candidate features subset was determined using a genetic based search. Finally, a back-propagation neural network model was adopted to fuse candidate multi-sensory features for estimation of occupancy levels. Several test cases were implemented to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed occupancy detection approach. Results have shown the potential of the proposed heterogeneous multi-sensor fusion based approach as an advanced strategy for the development of reliable occupancy detection systems in open-plan office buildings, which can be capable of facilitating improved control of building services. In summary, the proposed approach has the potential to: (1) Detect occupancy levels with an accuracy reaching 84.59% during occupied instances (2) capable of maintaining average occupancy detection accuracy of 61.01%, in the event of sensor failure or drop-off (such as CO2 sensors drop-off), (3) capable of utilising just sound and motion sensors for occupancy levels monitoring in a naturally ventilated space, (4) capable of facilitating potential daily energy savings reaching 53%, if implemented for occupancy-driven ventilation control

High executive compensation:are current pay levels evidence of avarice or just reward for performance?

The primary objective of the thesis is to examine high executive pay trends in the AngloAmerican corporate system, in terms of its fairness and justice. Given that there is no objective standard for fair pay for executives, analysing the fairness of current pay trends would involve an examination on two levels: first, by looking at the pay setting process and possible irregularities within the latter which could compromise the integrity of the process as well as the outcome. Secondly, by putting high executive pay in a wider social context, an analysis against a background of wider income distribution. With respect to the latter, the thesis shows a causal relationship between high executive compensation and income inequality; the increase at the top end of the income distribution scale, could be attributable to the stagnation at the lower rungs. Considering the irregularities in the pay determination process and its role in income inequality, the thesis concludes that Anglo-American executive pay, at these levels, is unjust and in need of reform to enhance its fairness

Organizational Strategies to Reduce Workplace Stress in Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria

Successful strategies are critical for managers in the oil and gas industry to reduce workplace stress while improving employee performance and organizational profitability. Failure of organizations to manage employee occupational stress may lead to employee dissatisfaction, poor morale, diminished performance, reduced productivity, and damaged organization image. Grounded in the stress management intervention framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies managers of oil and gas companies use to reduce employee occupational stress and improve employee performance. Semistructured interviews were conducted with three managers in the oil and gas industry who developed strategies to reduce employee occupational stress. Organizational documentation and artifacts were reviewed as a secondary data collection method. Using Yin’s five-phase data analysis, interviews, and secondary data led to three themes: quality work-life balance; employee competence, training, and development; and corporate communication. A key recommendation is that managers in oil and gas companies implement quality work-life balance initiatives to improve employees\u27 health, well-being, and performance. The implications for positive social change include the potential to create employment opportunities for members of society, improving their health and wellbeing, while enabling organizations to positively impact society through the implementation of projects arising from improved organizational profitability

POTENTIALS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LANDSAT IMAGERY IN RELATION TO LAND USE /COVER IN OKITIPUPA METROPOLIS, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Landsat satellite imagery plays a crucial role in providing information on land use/cover modifications on local, regional, and global scales, especially where aerial photographs are missing. Monitoring land-use changes from past to present tends to be time-consuming especially when dealing with ground-truth information. Determining the past and current land-use change on Earth's surface using Landsat imagery tends to be effective and efficient when high-resolution imagery is unavailable. This study employed the use of Landsat satellite imagery to assess the past and present land use/cover using supervised classification and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The result of the supervised classification land use/cover showed that forest cover and woodland undergo rapid loss, while farmland, wetland, built-up, and waterbodies tend to experience gradual loss. The NDVI demonstrated that farmland and forest cover was the most affected land use/cover. Hence, land use/cover of the study area is affected by human activities, such as intensive farming, population size, and deforestation. &nbsp

Disease characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension treated with selexipag in real-world settings from the SPHERE registry (SelexiPag: tHe usErs dRug rEgistry)

BACKGROUND: Selexipag is an oral prostacyclin receptor agonist, indicated for pulmonary arterial hypertension to delay disease progression and reduce the risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension-related hospitalization. SelexiPag: tHe usErs dRug rEgistry (NCT03278002) was a US-based, prospective, real-world registry of selexipag-treated patients. METHODS: Adults with pulmonary hypertension (enrolled 2016-2020) prescribed selexipag were followed for ≤18 months, with data collected at routine clinic visits. Patients were defined as newly or previously initiated if they had started selexipag ≤60 days or \u3e60 days, respectively, before enrollment. RESULTS: The registry included 829 patients (430 newly initiated, 399 previously initiated; 759 with pulmonary arterial hypertension), of whom 55.6% were World Health Organization functional class (FC) 3/4; 57.3% were intermediate or high risk per Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL) 2.0. In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, 18-month discontinuation rates for adverse events were 22.0%, 32.0%, and 11.9%, and 18-month survival rates were 89.4%, 84.2%, and 94.5% in the overall, newly, and previously initiated patient populations, respectively. From baseline to month 18, most patients had stable or improved FC and stable or improved REVEAL 2.0 risk category status. Discontinuation for adverse events, hospitalization, and survival were similar regardless of patients\u27 individually tolerated selexipag maintenance dose. No new safety signals were identified. CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world analysis of patients initiating selexipag, most patients had stable or improved FC and REVEAL 2.0 risk category. Similar to the GRIPHON trial, outcomes with selexipag in this real-world study were comparable across maintenance dose strata, with no new safety signals

On the beauty of sadness: it’s okay to say, I am sad, thank you

ABSTRACTWe live in times when our culture is obsessed with happiness. The value of almost every aspect of our lives is increasingly judged in terms of their contribution to our happiness. Happiness has become the ultimate goal by which values and priorities are constructed and the only thing for which any action in pursuit of does not require justification. In contrast, sadness is increasingly abnormalized and pathologized. In this paper, an effort is made to counteract the narrative that sadness, a critical aspect of human life is abnormal or a pathological condition. The evolutionary benefits of sadness and its place in human flourishing are discussed. A rebranding of sadness is proposed that emphasizes the free expression of sadness in everyday greetings to remove it from its current negative state and promote many of its benefits including post-traumatic growth and resilience

On power and its corrupting effects: the effects of power on human behavior and the limits of accountability systems

ABSTRACTPower is an all-pervasive, and fundamental force in human relationships and plays a valuable role in social, political, and economic interactions. Power differences are important in social groups in enhancing group functioning. Most people want to have power and there are many benefits to having power. However, power is a corrupting force and this has been a topic of interest for centuries to scholars from Plato to Lord Acton. Even with increased knowledge of power’s corrupting effect and safeguards put in place to counteract such tendencies, power abuse remains rampant in society suggesting that the full extent of this effect is not well understood. In this paper, an effort is made to improve understanding of power’s corrupting effects on human behavior through an integrated and comprehensive synthesis of the neurological, sociological, physiological, and psychological literature on power. The structural limits of justice systems’ capability to hold powerful people accountable are also discussed

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Wetlands Soils Around an Industrial Area Using Combined GIS-Based Pollution Indices and Remote Sensing Techniques

Understanding variations of heavy metals and their anthropogenic influence on wetland soils are very imperative and crucial for environmental planning and sustainability. To assess heavy metal contamination in Ibese wetland soils, Nigeria, 30 soil surface (0–20 cm) samples clustered around industrial effluents, were collected and analyzed with atomic absorption spectrophotometer for copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd). Herein, the geo-accumulation (Igeo), and pollution index (PI), coupled with environmental (RS) remote sensing vegetation and water indices were employed as predictor models to assess heavy metals contamination of the area. The vegetation and water indices highlighted an intense decreasing vegetation trend and loss of waterbodies of the area, respectively. The results of the Igeo metals revealed that the wetland soils pollution ranged from uncontaminated to moderately contaminated, except Cd which ranged from moderately to heavy pollution. The PI shows a moderate significant pollution by Cu and Zn, except Cd which recorded considerable contamination. A very significant correlation was found between the metals and the spatial distribution pattern revealed that the contamination is related to the influence of uncontrolled human activities on soil properties like soil pH and organic carbon. The study suggested that adequate attention be directed to alert policymakers and stakeholders toward lessening the anthropogenic sources in the area for future control measures

MATERNAL MORTALITY IN NIGERIA: GUIDELINES AND POLICIES FOR REDUCTION

Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and also has the highest number of maternal deaths. The Nigerian Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) provides data for over the past few decades about the very poor state of its maternal health based on assessment of key indicators including contraceptive prevalence rate, MMR, ANC coverage, skilled birth attendance etc. The WHO has numerous guidelines to help direct the improvement of the MMR. The objective of this review is to highlight the various indicators of these guidelines in order to assess the current state of maternal health in Nigeria emphasizing on the public health importance of improving its MMR in order to improve the health of the country as a whole.MSc/MAnépegészségügyi MScango

Market Entry into Nigeria : Case study: Uros

The purpose of this thesis is to look into the telecommunication market on a business-to-business basis for foreign companies like Uros with partnership. It focuses on the Nigerian telecommunication market and the possibilities for entry. The thesis could also be of help to any foreign companies that wants to enter into the telecommunication market in Nigeria. The main reason for Uros to enter into the Nigerian market is to expand their network, gain more international audience to their product and would also help the company to gain access easily to any other African countries that has not been positively reached. The method used as data collection for this thesis is desktop research and some of the information gathered is qualitative. Qualitative data are gathered from interviews conducted majorly through telephone with the company owners, agency organizations and the exchange of e-mails with some staff members of these various organizations as primary sources, as well as theory-driven information from books and articles as secondary sources. In order to understand how to enter into the market, the author mention about the Nigerian telecommunication market, possibility of entry and how it can be achieved, and the importance of networking. During the course of this research, it was found out that the Finnish company is interested in investing in Nigeria but because it’s an entirely new market with different cultural issue, which makes trust a challenge. In this case it is advisable to use a 3rd party to run the internal affairs to the project for a successful entry deal. The result in this research explains better how to go about it