DEVELOPMENT AND CALIBRATION OF A GLOBAL GEOMETRIC DESIGN CONSISTENCY MODEL FOR TWO-LANE RURAL HIGHWAYS, BASED ON THE USE OF CONTINUOUS OPERATING SPEED PROFILES

Road safety is one of the most important problems in our society. It causes hundreds of fatalities every year worldwide. A road accident may be caused by several concurrent factors. The most common are human and infrastructure. Their interaction is important too, which has been studied in-depth for years. Therefore, there is a better knowledge about the driving task. In several cases, these advances are still not included in road guidelines. Some of these advances are centered on explaining the underlying cognitive processes of the driving task. Some others are related to the analysis of drivers’ response or a better estimation of road crashes. The concept of design consistency is related to all of them. Road design consistency is the way how road alignment fits drivers’ expectancies. Hence, drivers are surprised at inconsistent roads, presenting a higher crash risk potential. This PhD presents a new, operating speed-based global consistency model. It is based on the analysis of more than 150 two-lane rural homogeneous road segments of the Valencian Region (Spain). The final consistency parameter was selected as the combination of operational parameters that best estimated the number of crashes. Several innovative auxiliary tools were developed for this process. One example is a new tool for recreating the horizontal alignment of two-lane rural roads by means of an analytic-heuristic process. A new procedure for determining road homogeneous segments was also developed, as well as some expressions to accurately determine the most adequate design speed. The consistency model can be integrated into safety performance functions in order to estimate the amount of road crashes. Finally, all innovations are combined into a new road design methodology. This methodology aims to complement the existing guidelines, providing to road safety a continuum approach and giving the engineers tools to estimate how safe are their road designs.Camacho Torregrosa, FJ. (2015). DEVELOPMENT AND CALIBRATION OF A GLOBAL GEOMETRIC DESIGN CONSISTENCY MODEL FOR TWO-LANE RURAL HIGHWAYS, BASED ON THE USE OF CONTINUOUS OPERATING SPEED PROFILES [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/48543TESI

A survey on extremism analysis using natural language processing: definitions, literature review, trends and challenges

Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.Extremism has grown as a global problem for society in recent years, especially after the apparition of movements such as jihadism. This and other extremist groups have taken advantage of different approaches, such as the use of Social Media, to spread their ideology, promote their acts and recruit followers. The extremist discourse, therefore, is reflected on the language used by these groups. Natural language processing (NLP) provides a way of detecting this type of content, and several authors make use of it to describe and discriminate the discourse held by these groups, with the final objective of detecting and preventing its spread. Following this approach, this survey aims to review the contributions of NLP to the field of extremism research, providing the reader with a comprehensive picture of the state of the art of this research area. The content includes a first conceptualization of the term extremism, the elements that compose an extremist discourse and the differences with other terms. After that, a review description and comparison of the frequently used NLP techniques is presented, including how they were applied, the insights they provided, the most frequently used NLP software tools, descriptive and classification applications, and the availability of datasets and data sources for research. Finally, research questions are approached and answered with highlights from the review, while future trends, challenges and directions derived from these highlights are suggested towards stimulating further research in this exciting research area.CRUE-CSIC agreementSpringer Natur

Cova dels Calderons (La Romana, Alicante, Spain) and the Early Neolithic in the Vinalopó Valley (Alicante)

A propósito de los restos materiales recuperados en actividades clandestinas efectuadas en las décadas finales del siglo XX en la Cova del Calderons (La Romana, Alicante), se presentan las características de dicho yacimiento, haciendo especial hincapié en la ocupación neolítica. El análisis de la información que sobre el neolítico está disponible para la cuenca del río Vinalopó ha permitido ahondar en el desarrollo de una hipótesis sobre el proceso de implantación de las primeras comunidades agropecuarias en dicho territorio. En dicha hipótesis se expone cómo se pudo llevar a cabo la ocupación humana de este espacio, estableciendo que su origen se debe relacionar con un proceso de crecimiento, consolidación y expansión demográfica de grupos neolíticos por procesos de segmentación gestados desde otras cuencas próximas como las de los ríos Serpis y Clariano.With the starting point of the archaeological remains recovered during the clandestine activities carried out there in the final decades of the twentieth century, we present the main features of the site of Cova dels Calderons (La Romana, Alicante). We emphasize the characteristics of the Neolithic occupation. The analysis of the available information about the Neolithic in the Vinalopó river basin, allowed us to develop a hypothesis about the settlement process of the first farming communities in this territory. This hypothesis approaches how the colonization of this area could have been carried out, establishing that its origin must be related to a process of demographic growth, consolidation and expansion through segmentation processes initiated from other river basins nearby, as the Serpis and Clariano one

Household of the first farmers in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula

En este artículo se analiza la información arqueológica disponible en relación con las características organizativas de los primeros asentamientos del neolítico en las tierras del este de la península ibérica. Desde los planteamientos teóricos de la Arqueología Social se propone como unidad de observación y análisis el empleo de las áreas de actividad y de las unidades domésticas como forma de interpretar y dotar de mayor contenido al registro arqueológico recuperado. Las limitaciones espaciales en la excavación de diferentes lugares de asentamiento son las que han impedido reconocer las características de las unidades domésticas, cuyas bases materiales muestran que se trataría de las unidades básicas de producción en las que se basaría la organización social de aquellos primeros grupos neolíticos.In this article we analyse the archaeological data available for the study of the organisation of the first Neolithic settlements in the East of the Iberian Peninsula. From the theoretical perspective of Social or Marxist archaeology, we propose the use of activity areas and households as units of observation and analysis, understood as ways of better interpreting the archaeological record. The excavation of only reduced areas within an archaeological site has prevented us from recognising the characteristics of the early Neolithic domestic units. Their material evidences show that they would have been the basic production units, in which the social organisation of the first farmers in this area would be based

Influence of Lane Width on Semi-Autonomous Vehicle Performance

[EN] In the medium-term, the number of semi-autonomous vehicles is expected to rise significantly. These changes in vehicle capabilities make it necessary to analyze their interaction with road infrastructure, which has been developed for human-driven vehicles. Current systems use artificial vision, recording the oncoming road and using the center and edgeline road markings to automatically facilitate keeping the vehicle within the lane. In addition to alignment and road markings, lane width has emerged as one of the geometric parameters that might cause disengagement and therefore must be assessed. The objective of this research was to study the impact of lane width on semi-autonomous vehicle performance. The automatic lateral control of this type of vehicle was tested along 81 lanes of an urban arterial comprising diverse widths. Results showed that the semi-autonomous system tended to fail on narrow lanes. There was a maximum width below which human control was always required-referred to as the human lane width-measuring 2.5 m. A minimum width above which automatic control was always possible-the automatic lane width-was established to be 2.75 m. Finally, a lane width of 2.72 m was found to have the same probability of automatic and human lateral control, namely the critical lane width. Following a similar methodology, these parameters could be determined for other vehicles, enhancing the interaction between autonomous vehicles and road infrastructure and thus supporting rapid deployment of autonomous technology without compromising safety.García García, A.; Camacho-Torregrosa, FJ. (2020). Influence of Lane Width on Semi-Autonomous Vehicle Performance. Transportation Research Record. 2674(9):279-286. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198120928351S27928626749Lu, Z., Zhang, B., Feldhütter, A., Happee, R., Martens, M., & De Winter, J. C. F. (2019). Beyond mere take-over requests: The effects of monitoring requests on driver attention, take-over performance, and acceptance. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 63, 22-37. doi:10.1016/j.trf.2019.03.018Dogan, E., Rahal, M.-C., Deborne, R., Delhomme, P., Kemeny, A., & Perrin, J. (2017). Transition of control in a partially automated vehicle: Effects of anticipation and non-driving-related task involvement. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 46, 205-215. doi:10.1016/j.trf.2017.01.012Shen, S., & Neyens, D. M. (2017). Assessing drivers’ response during automated driver support system failures with non-driving tasks. Journal of Safety Research, 61, 149-155. doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2017.02.009Du, X., & Tan, K. K. (2016). Comprehensive and Practical Vision System for Self-Driving Vehicle Lane-Level Localization. IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 25(5), 2075-2088. doi:10.1109/tip.2016.2539683Du, X., & Tan, K. K. (2015). Vision-based approach towards lane line detection and vehicle localization. Machine Vision and Applications, 27(2), 175-191. doi:10.1007/s00138-015-0735-5Favarò, F., Eurich, S., & Nader, N. (2018). Autonomous vehicles’ disengagements: Trends, triggers, and regulatory limitations. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 110, 136-148. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2017.11.00

Functional Value of Amaranth as Applied to Sports Nutrition

Amaranth can be beneficial to health and sports, with multiple applications owing to varied concentration of phytochemical; the concentration of these compounds depends on the part or by-product employed. For example, as a food supplement, amaranth oil (rich in squalene) can exert cardiovascular properties, while amaranth extract (rich in nitrites) can increase nitric oxide production (therefore improving endurance performance). On the other hand, as a functional ingredient, its gluten-free flours (containing fibre) can act as probiotics, whereas its proteins (with a peculiar amino acid profile) support muscle recovery. The few clinical results with athletic population suggest it can contribute to improved aerobic metabolism, but there is insufficient clinical data to draw any conclusion. Further research warrants elucidation of amaranth phytochemicals as promising ergogenic aids in sports by high-quality human clinical trials with both standardised products and ingredients in athletic population

Denitrification Enzymes-Based Biosensors: the Case of Haloarchaeal Enzymes

In the last two decades, the increase in the use of artificial fertilizers and the disposal of industrial wastes have been the main factors responsible for the progressive increase in nitrate and nitrite levels in groundwater and soil. A variety of analytical strategies have been developed for nitrate and nitrite detection but electrochemical biosensors, which are simple, cheap, easily miniaturized and suitability for real-time detection, are proved to be a powerful tool. Various types of biosensors based on the use of whole cells or on the immobilization of denitrification enzymes have been developed, but their use is limited in environmental analysis under extreme conditions such as brines, acidic or basic wastewaters, salted soils, etc. Extremophilic denitrifying microorganism are good candidates for the development of new nitrate and nitrite biosensors and, in particular, haloarchaeal based biosensors would have advantages over bacterial based biosensors since the microorganisms and the purified denitrifying enzymes tolerate a wide range of temperature and salinity. This work summarizes new highlights on the potential uses of denitrifying haloarchaeal enzymes to make enzyme-based biosensors.This work was funded by research grant from the MINECO Spain (CTM2013-43147-R)

La Cova Sant Martí (Agost, Alicante) y las primeras comunidades neolíticas al sur de la cuenca del Serpis

Se presentan los resultados de la excavación realizada en el yacimiento de la Cova Sant Martí y se expone una hipótesis sobre el proceso de colonización de las cuencas meridionales próximas al río Serpis por parte de comunidades neolíticas. Palabras clave: Cova Sant Martí. Neolítico. Proceso de colonización.In this paper we present the evidences of excavation carried out in Sant Martí cave. We present a hypothesis about process of colonisation in the territory southern to Serpis river by the farmer communities. Key words: Sant Martí cave. Neolithic. Colonisation process.Se presentan los resultados de la excavación realizada en el yacimiento de la Cova Sant Martí y se expone una hipótesis sobre el proceso de colonización de las cuencas meridionales próximas al río Serpis por parte de comunidades neolíticas. Palabras clave: Cova Sant Martí. Neolítico. Proceso de colonización

A survey on extremism analysis using natural language processing: definitions, literature review, trends and challenges

Extremism has grown as a global problem for society in recent years, especially after the apparition of movements such as jihadism. This and other extremist groups have taken advantage of different approaches, such as the use of Social Media, to spread their ideology, promote their acts and recruit followers. The extremist discourse, therefore, is reflected on the language used by these groups. Natural language processing (NLP) provides a way of detecting this type of content, and several authors make use of it to describe and discriminate the discourse held by these groups, with the final objective of detecting and preventing its spread. Following this approach, this survey aims to review the contributions of NLP to the field of extremism research, providing the reader with a comprehensive picture of the state of the art of this research area. The content includes a first conceptualization of the term extremism, the elements that compose an extremist discourse and the differences with other terms. After that, a review description and comparison of the frequently used NLP techniques is presented, including how they were applied, the insights they provided, the most frequently used NLP software tools, descriptive and classification applications, and the availability of datasets and data sources for research. Finally, research questions are approached and answered with highlights from the review, while future trends, challenges and directions derived from these highlights are suggested towards stimulating further research in this exciting research area.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature