514 research outputs found
What type of faculty member interacts with what type of firm? Some reasons for the delocalisation of university-industry interaction
33 pages, 6 tables.While there is significant interest in improving university-industry interaction, literature on the university side has tended not to focus on the characteristics of the personnel involved and has largely ignored the issue that there are differences between types of faculty member in their degrees of interaction. This question is especially relevant at regional level, as those faculty members who do interact with industry may show a preference for firms that are larger and technologically superior to those in the region. Most analysts, though, have tended to focus on the national level, particularly on those countries at the forefront of technological innovation. In the absence of any formal theory, we propose a two-step method to formulate the hypothesis that only selected faculty members interact with selected firms. First, we identify the type of faculty member who interacts with firms. Second, we examine whether this type of faculty member interacts with every type of firm. A test sample is drawn from the Valencian Community of Spain, a region with low absorptive capacity, where firms may show undesirable properties for university interaction. The results allow us to challenge the view that certain individual universities may show a higher propensity for interaction once we take into account differences between the individual characteristics of their faculty members. We also claim that in a region like the Valencian Community, faculty members who usually participate in contracts (male, holding an administrative position) do so mainly with larger firms, but not with firms from their own region, where they find lower technological standards. This partly explains the delocalisation of university-industry interaction.I wish to express my gratitude to the Valencian High Consultancy Council in R&D, for providing the funds to carry out this research.Peer reviewe
Sublattice synchronization of chaotic networks with delayed couplings
Synchronization of chaotic units coupled by their time delayed variables are
investigated analytically. A new type of cooperative behavior is found:
sublattice synchronization. Although the units of one sublattice are not
directly coupled to each other, they completely synchronize without time delay.
The chaotic trajectories of different sublattices are only weakly correlated
but not related by generalized synchronization. Nevertheless, the trajectory of
one sublattice is predictable from the complete trajectory of the other one.
The spectra of Lyapunov exponents are calculated analytically in the limit of
infinite delay times, and phase diagrams are derived for different topologies
Agile Data Offloading over Novel Fog Computing Infrastructure for CAVs
Future Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) will be supervised by
cloud-based systems overseeing the overall security and orchestrating traffic
flows. Such systems rely on data collected from CAVs across the whole city
operational area. This paper develops a Fog Computing-based infrastructure for
future Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) enabling an agile and reliable
off-load of CAV data. Since CAVs are expected to generate large quantities of
data, it is not feasible to assume data off-loading to be completed while a CAV
is in the proximity of a single Road-Side Unit (RSU). CAVs are expected to be
in the range of an RSU only for a limited amount of time, necessitating data
reconciliation across different RSUs, if traditional approaches to data
off-load were to be used. To this end, this paper proposes an agile Fog
Computing infrastructure, which interconnects all the RSUs so that the data
reconciliation is solved efficiently as a by-product of deploying the Random
Linear Network Coding (RLNC) technique. Our numerical results confirm the
feasibility of our solution and show its effectiveness when operated in a
large-scale urban testbed.Comment: To appear in IEEE VTC-Spring 201
Public Channel Cryptography: Chaos Synchronization and Hilbert's Tenth Problem
The synchronization process of two mutually delayed coupled deterministic
chaotic maps is demonstrated both analytically and numerically. The
synchronization is preserved when the mutually transmitted signal is concealed
by two commutative private filters that are placed on each end of the
communication channel. We demonstrate that when the transmitted signal is a
convolution of the truncated time delayed output signals or some powers of the
delayed output signals synchronization is still maintained. The task of a
passive attacker is mapped onto Hilbert's tenth problem, solving a set of
nonlinear Diophantine equations, which was proven to be in the class of
NP-Complete problems. This bridge between two different disciplines,
synchronization in nonlinear dynamical processes and the realm of the NPC
problems, opens a horizon for a new type of secure public-channel protocols
Improvement in the decadal prediction skill of the North Atlantic extratropical winter circulation through increased model resolution
In this study the latest version of the MiKlip decadal hindcast system is analyzed, and the effect of an increased horizontal and vertical resolution on the prediction skill of the extratropical winter circulation is assessed. Four different metrics – the storm track, blocking, cyclone and windstorm frequencies – are analyzed in the North Atlantic and European region. The model bias and the deterministic decadal hindcast skill are evaluated in ensembles of five members in a lower-resolution version (LR, atm: T63L47, ocean: 1.5∘ L40) and a higher-resolution version (HR, atm: T127L95, ocean: 0.4∘ L40) of the MiKlip system based on the Max Planck Institute Earth System model (MPI-ESM). The skill is assessed for the lead winters 2–5 in terms of the anomaly correlation of the quantities' winter averages using initializations between 1978 and 2012. The deterministic predictions are considered skillful if the anomaly correlation is positive and statistically significant. While the LR version shows common shortcomings of lower-resolution climate models, e.g., a storm track that is too zonal and southward displaced as well as a negative bias of blocking frequencies over the eastern North Atlantic and Europe, the HR version counteracts these biases. Cyclones, i.e., their frequencies and characteristics like strength and lifetime, are particularly better represented in HR. As a result, a chain of significantly improved decadal prediction skill between all four metrics is found with the increase in the spatial resolution. While the skill of the storm track is significantly improved primarily over the main source region of synoptic activity – the North Atlantic Current – the other extratropical quantities experience a significant improvement primarily downstream thereof, i.e., in regions where the synoptic systems typically intensify. Thus, the skill of the cyclone frequencies is significantly improved over the central North Atlantic and northern Europe, the skill of the blocking frequencies is significantly improved over the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and eastern Europe, and the skill of the windstorms is significantly improved over Newfoundland and central Europe. Not only is the skill improved with the increase in resolution, but the HR system itself also exhibits significant skill over large areas of the North Atlantic and European sector for all four circulation metrics. These results are particularly promising regarding the high socioeconomic impact of European winter windstorms and blocking situations
A connected autonomous vehicle testbed: Capabilities, experimental processes and lessons learned
VENTURER was one of the first three UK government funded research and innovation projects on Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) and was conducted predominantly in the South West region of the country. A series of increasingly complex scenarios conducted in an urban setting were used to: (i) evaluate the technology created as a part of the project; (ii) systematically assess participant responses to CAVs and; (iii) inform the development of potential insurance models and legal frameworks. Developing this understanding contributed key steps towards facilitating the deployment of CAVs on UK roads. This paper aims to describe the VENTURER Project trials, their objectives and detail some of the key technologies used. Importantly we aim to introduce some informative challenges that were overcame and the subsequent project and technological lessons learned in a hope to help others plan and execute future CAV research. The project successfully integrated several technologies crucial to CAV development. These included, a Decision Making System using behaviour trees to make high level decisions; A pilot-control system to smoothly and comfortably turn plans into throttle and steering actuation; Sensing and perception systems to make sense of raw sensor data; Inter-CAV Wireless communication capable of demonstrating vehicle-to-vehicle communication of potential hazards. The closely coupled technology integration, testing and participant-focused trial schedule led to a greatly improved understanding of the engineering and societal barriers that CAV development faces. From a behavioural standpoint the importance of reliability and repeatability far outweighs a need for novel trajectories, while the sensor-to-perception capabilities are critical, the process of verification and validation is extremely time consuming. Additionally, the added capabilities that can be leveraged from inter-CAV communications shows the potential for improved road safety that could result. Importantly, to effectively conduct human factors experiments in the CAV sector under consistent and repeatable conditions, one needs to define a scripted and stable set of scenarios that uses reliable equipment and a controllable environmental setting. This requirement can often be at odds with making significant technology developments, and if both are part of a project’s goals then they may need to be separated from each other
Transpulmonary thermodilution using femoral indicator injection: a prospective trial in patients with a femoral and a jugular central venous catheter
INTRODUCTION: Advanced hemodynamic monitoring using transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) is established for measurement of cardiac index (CI), global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI) and extra-vascular lung water index (EVLWI). TPTD requires indicator injection via a central venous catheter (usually placed via the jugular or subclavian vein). However, superior vena cava access is often not feasible due to the clinical situation. This study investigates the conformity of TPTD using femoral access. METHODS: This prospective study involved an 18-month trial at a medical intensive care unit at a university hospital. Twenty-four patients with both a superior and an inferior vena cava catheter at the same time were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: TPTD-variables were calculated from TPTD curves after injection of the indicator bolus via jugular access (TPTDjug) and femoral access (TPTDfem). GEDVIfem and GEDVIjug were significantly correlated (rm = 0.88; P < 0.001), but significantly different (1,034 +/- 275 vs. 793 +/- 180 mL/m2; P < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated a bias of +241 mL/m2 (limits of agreement: -9 and +491 mL/m2). GEDVIfem, CIfem and ideal body weight were independently associated with the bias (GEDVIfem-GEDVIjug). A correction formula of GEDVIjug after femoral TPTD, was calculated. EVLWIfem and EVLWIjug were significantly correlated (rm = 0.93; P < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a bias of +0.83 mL/kg (limits of agreement: -2.61 and +4.28 mL/kg). Furthermore, CIfem and CIjug were significantly correlated (rm = 0.95; P < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated a bias of +0.29 L/min/m2 (limits of agreement -0.40 and +0.97 L/min/m2; percentage-error 16%). CONCLUSIONS: TPTD after femoral injection of the thermo-bolus provides precise data on GEDVI with a high correlation, but a self-evident significant bias related to the augmented TPTD-volume. After correction of GEDVIfem using a correction formula, GEDVIfem shows high predictive capabilities for GEDVIjug. Regarding CI and EVLWI, accurate TPTD-data is obtained using femoral access
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