An assessment of inductive coupling roadway powered vehicles

The technical concept underlying the roadway powered vehicle system is the combination of an electrical power source embedded in the roadway and a vehicle-mounted power pickup that is inductively coupled to the roadway power source. The feasibility of such a system, implemented on a large scale was investigated. Factors considered included current and potential transportation modes and requirements, economics, energy, technology, social and institutional issues. These factors interrelate in highly complex ways, and a firm understanding of each of them does not yet exist. The study therefore was structured to manipulate known data in equally complex ways to produce a schema of options and useful questions that can form a basis for further, harder research. A dialectical inquiry technique was used in which two adversary teams, mediated by a third-party team, debated each factor and its interrelationship with the whole of the known information on the topic

Automotive technology status and projections. Volume 2: Assessment report

Current and advanced conventional engines, advanced alternative engines, advanced power train components, and other energy conserving automobile modifications which could be implemented by the end of this century are examined. Topics covered include gas turbine engines, Stirling engines, advanced automatic transmissions, alternative fuels, and metal and ceramic technology. Critical problems are examined and areas for future research are indicated

Automotive technology status and projections. Volume 1: Executive summary

Fuel economy, exhaust emissions, multifuel capability, advanced materials and cost/manufacturability for both conventional and advanced alternative power systems were assessed. To insure valid comparisons of vehicles with alternative power systems, the concept of an Otto-Engine-Equivalent (OEE) vehicle was utilized. Each engine type was sized to provide equivalent vehicle performance. Sensitivity to different performance criteria was evaluated. Fuel economy projections are made for each engine type considering both the legislated emission standards and possible future emissions requirements

Laws and Conventions in Language-Related Behaviors

The goal of this article is to look at language-related behaviors in light of a strict definition of direct perception. I highlight a key dimension, conventionality, which discriminates between behaviors that are coordinated with respect to law-based information and those that are not (and, therefore, do not qualify as direct perception according to the definition used in this article). The difference between conventional and law-based information does not break down clearly along obvious lines such as natural versus human-made, social versus nonsocial, or linguistic versus nonlinguistic. Therefore, it is necessary to take a task-specific approach to deciding whether a behavior is organized with respect to conventional or law-based information. A tacit assumption in ecological psychology seems to be that anything that has an effect on behavior must be grounded in the perception of an affordance and, therefore, must be guided by law-based information. In this article, I question this assumption. I suggest, instead, that ecological information can be based on both laws and conventions. This move allows us to maintain rigorous definitions of affordances and direct perception, suitable for underpinning action-control, while still expanding the ecological study of behaviors into those that rely on conventional information

Supporting learning with 3D interactive applications in early years

Early years education is an key element for the introduction of children in the education system. In order to improve this process, the aim of this study was to explore how guided interaction with 3D apps can fit into a preschool setting, how it can help children learn through playing and how it can improve their learning outcomes. A study was conducted with six classes of 87 students aged between 3 years to 6 years, over a 12-week period. Children used 10 inch Android tablets with a series of apps developed by our research team, about houses of the world, the skeleton & five senses and, animals. A quasi-experimental design based on a nonequivalent groups pretest and posttest de-sign revealed that an active behavior and better learning outcomes are obtained by children participating in the experimental groupCascales Martínez, A.; Martínez Segura, MJ.; Laguna- Segobia, M.; Pérez Lopez, DC.; Contero, M. (2014). Supporting learning with 3D interactive applications in early years. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 8524:11-22. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-07485-6_2S11228524Plowman, L., Stephen, C.: Children, Play and Computers in Preschool Education. British Journal of Educational Technology 36(2), 145–157 (2005)Tootell, H., Plumb, M., Hadfield, C., Dawson, L.: Gestural Interface Technology in early childhood education: A framework for fully-engaged communication. In: Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, art. no. 6479836, pp. 13–20 (2013)Marco, J., Cerezo, E.: Bringing Tabletop Technologies to Kindergarten Children. In: HCI 2009 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction–Celebrating People and Technology, pp. 103–111. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)Heft, T.M., Swaminathan, S.: Using Computers in Early Childhood Classrooms: Teachers’ Attitudes, Skills and Practices. Journal of Early Childhood Research 6(4), 169–188 (2006)Wang, X.C., Ching, C.C.: Social Construction of Computer Experience in a First-Grade Classroom: Social Processes and Mediating Artifacts. Early Education and Development 14(3), 335–361 (2003)Couse, L.J., Chen, D.W.: A Tablet Computer for Young Children? Exploring Its Viability for Early Childhood Education. Journal of Research on Technology in Education 43(1), 75–98 (2012)Kearney, J.: Educating Young Children - Learning and Teaching in the Early Childhood Years. Early Childhood Teachers’ Association (ECTA Inc.) 3(18) (2012)Rankothge, W.H., Sendanayake, S.V., Sudarshana, R.G.P., Balasooriya, B.G.G.H., Alahapperuma, D.R., Mallawarachchi, Y.: Technology Assisted Tool for Learning Skills Development in Early Childhood. In: Proc. of 2012 International Conference on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions (ICTer), pp. 165–168 (2012)Sandvik, M., Smørdal, O., Østerud, S.: Exploring iPads in Practitioners’ Repertoires for Language Learning and Literacy Practices In Kindergarten. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy 3(7), 204–221 (2012)Priyankara, K.W.T.G.T., Mahawaththa, D.C., Nawinna, D.P., Jayasundara, J.M.A., Tharuka, K.D.N., Rajapaksha, S.K.: Android Based e-Learning Solution for Early Childhood Education in Sri Lanka. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Computer Science & Education (ICCSE), pp. 715–718 (2013)Zanchi, C., Presser, A.L., Vahey, P.: Next Generation Preschool Math Demo: Tablet Games for Preschool Classrooms. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children, IDC 2013, pp. 527–530 (2013)Meyer, B.: Game-based Language Learning for Pre-School Children: A Design Perspective. Electronic Journal of e-Learning 11(1), 39–48 (2013)Straub, D.W.: Validating Instruments in MIS Research. MIS Quarterly 13(2), 147–169 (1989)Cook, T.D., Campbell, D.T., Day, A.: Quasi-experimentation: Design and Analysis Issues for Field Settings, pp. 19–21. Houghton Mifflin, Boston (1979)Buendía, L., Y Berrocal, E.: La Ética de la Investigación Educativa. Ágora Digital 1 (2011)Tojar, J., Serrano, J.: Ética e Investigación Educativa. RELIEVE 6(2) (2000)Cascales, A., Laguna, I., Pérez-López, D., Perona, P., Contero, M.: 3D Interactive Applications on Tablets for Preschoolers: Exploring the Human Skeleton and the Senses. In: Hernández-Leo, D., Ley, T., Klamma, R., Harrer, A. (eds.) EC-TEL 2013. LNCS, vol. 8095, pp. 71–83. Springer, Heidelberg (2013

Population Response of Three Quail Species to Habitat Restoration in South Texas

Maintaining and increasing usable space is paramount for maintaining and increasing wild quail. Aside from weather and other factors that can temporarily reduce densities, range-wide, no factor has as much influence on quail populations as the amount of habitat present across the landscape. In the field of quail management, ‘‘bad news’’ is the norm, as many articles begin by explaining how a select species has declined. Here we provide good news and use 4 empirical examples of population increases for 3 quail species following creation of usable space and restoration of patch connectivity. From 2008–2014, a suite of independent projects aimed at increasing usable space for quail was initiated across South Texas. These projects included 3 focused on northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), 1 focused on scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), and 1 landowner-executed project focused on Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae). Through the correction of attributes limiting habitat, bobwhite numbers increased 22–378% across 2 studies. On one particular study site, native grassland restoration resulted in the colonization of bobwhites from adjacent areas to 1 bobwhite/1.2 ha from nearly 0. For scaled quail in South Texas, reducing buffelgrass standing crop via grazing from about 2,240 kg/ha to 1,008 kg/ha resulted in the recolonization of a previously unoccupied habitat patch to a density of 1 scaled quail/6 ha. Finally, clearing monotypic stands of the invasive native plant, ash juniper (Juniperus ashei) in the Edwards Plateau of Texas, resulted in the reestablishment of native grasses and forbs and thus recolonization by Montezuma quail from nearby areas. Although habitat restoration and management can be a painstaking and lengthy process, addressing limiting factors to quail occupancy is the only known way to increase wild quail populations. We hope that highlighting these particular studies will provide inspiration to those interested in restoring and increasing quail across the US

Designing physical activity environments to accrue physical and psychological effects

Understanding how best to accrue benefits from designing physical activity and exercise programmes is needed to tackle global health problems related to physical inactivity and poor mental health. Some studies have implicated an important role for green exercise and physical activity, but there is a lack of clarity in current research. Therefore, more work is needed to understand how to design green physical activity and exercise environments that afford (invite) physical and psychological benefits to individuals. We examined whether exercising while viewing a dynamic or static image of a scene from nature would offer different affordances (invitations for behaviours to emerge), compared to the common conditions of self-selected entertainment. For this purpose, 30 participants (18 males and 12 females; age 27.5 ± 9 yrs; mass 67.6 ± 11.1 kg; stature 173.7 ± 8.2 cm) exercised in three experimental conditions in a counterbalanced design while: (i) viewing a video of a green environment, (ii) viewing a single static image of the green environment; and (iii), when using typical self-selected entertainment without viewing images of nature. A twenty-minute treadmill run was undertaken at the participants’ own self-selected speed in a laboratory while energy expenditure and psychological states (using PANAS) were assessed. Results showed no differences in energy expenditure (p > .05) or negative affect (p > .05) between conditions. However, data revealed significant differences in positive affect when participants ran with a static image and their own entertainment compared to running with a dynamic image. Results revealed how differences in affordances designed into physical activity environments can shape psychological states that emerge during exercise. Further research is needed on affordance design in physical activity and exercise by engineers, designers, planners and psychologists to explore effects of a range of simulated environments, with different target groups, such as fit and unfit individuals, elderly and children