Hasil untuk "Communities. Classes. Races"

Davide Malvezzi, Nicola Musiu, Eugenio Mascaro et al.

Real-time estimation of vehicle-tire-road friction is critical for allowing autonomous race cars to safely and effectively operate at their physical limits. Traditional approaches to measure tire grip often depend on costly, specialized sensors that require custom installation, limiting scalability and deployment. In this work, we introduce RAGE, a novel real-time estimator that simultaneously infers the vehicle velocity, slip angles of the tires and the lateral forces that act on them, using only standard sensors, such as IMUs and RADARs, which are commonly available on most of modern autonomous platforms. We validate our approach through both high-fidelity simulations and real-world experiments conducted on the EAV-24 autonomous race car, demonstrating the accuracy and effectiveness of our method in estimating the vehicle lateral dynamics.

Naomi W. Kingau, Quinette A. Louw, Maria Y. Charumbira

Background: Kenya faces significant challenges in addressing the impact of various health conditions. Understanding the functioning problems associated with these conditions is crucial for informing targeted interventions and improving overall healthcare outcomes. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and types of functioning problems associated with health conditions contributing most to Years Lived with Disability in the adult Kenyan population and to identify the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) domains and categories most affected. Method: A scoping review was conducted. Searches were performed across multiple databases using relevant keywords and inclusion criteria. Studies published between January 2006 and December 2023 were eligible. Data were extracted from 39 eligible studies using a web-based software application (Rehab4all). Results: Major depressive disorder, human immunodeficiency virus, low back pain and fractures were identified as the leading conditions contributing to functioning problems in Kenya. The most prevalent problems included walking difficulties, paraesthesia, various forms of pain and depression. The most affected ICF domains were mobility (d4), sensory function and pain (b2) and mental (b1). Conclusion: The comprehensive description of functioning problems associated with priority health conditions in Kenya can be used to develop targeted interventions to improve health outcomes across affected domains. Contribution: This research enhances comprehension of disability burden guiding intervention development and policy formulation for improved rehabilitation and offers a platform for further evidence-based strategies to tackle the country’s complex health challenges.

Yike Yuan, Ziyu Wang, Zihao Huang et al.

Diffusion models have emerged as mainstream framework in visual generation. Building upon this success, the integration of Mixture of Experts (MoE) methods has shown promise in enhancing model scalability and performance. In this paper, we introduce Race-DiT, a novel MoE model for diffusion transformers with a flexible routing strategy, Expert Race. By allowing tokens and experts to compete together and select the top candidates, the model learns to dynamically assign experts to critical tokens. Additionally, we propose per-layer regularization to address challenges in shallow layer learning, and router similarity loss to prevent mode collapse, ensuring better expert utilization. Extensive experiments on ImageNet validate the effectiveness of our approach, showcasing significant performance gains while promising scaling properties.

Feng Yu, Yu Hu, Yang Su et al.

Most reinforcement learning(RL)-based methods for drone racing target fixed, obstacle-free tracks, leaving the generalization to unknown, cluttered environments largely unaddressed. This challenge stems from the need to balance racing speed and collision avoidance, limited feasible space causing policy exploration trapped in local optima during training, and perceptual ambiguity between gates and obstacles in depth maps-especially when gate positions are only coarsely specified. To overcome these issues, we propose a two-phase learning framework: an initial soft-collision training phase that preserves policy exploration for high-speed flight, followed by a hard-collision refinement phase that enforces robust obstacle avoidance. An adaptive, noise-augmented curriculum with an asymmetric actor-critic architecture gradually shifts the policy's reliance from privileged gate-state information to depth-based visual input. We further impose Lipschitz constraints and integrate a track-primitive generator to enhance motion stability and cross-environment generalization. We evaluate our framework through extensive simulation and ablation studies, and validate it in real-world experiments on a computationally constrained quadrotor. The system achieves agile flight while remaining robust to gate-position errors, developing a generalizable drone racing framework with the capability to operate in diverse, partially unknown and cluttered environments. https://yufengsjtu.github.io/MasterRacing.github.io/

Muhammad A. Bello, Usman Isah Ya’u

In the course of European imperial expansion, movement was done through rivers to penetrate the interior of Africa and establish colonial rule, thereby promoting commercial and industrial development at the expense of Africans. Following the British imperial penetration of the Nigerian area and the military conquest of its peoples, they utilized navigable rivers from the South to the North in the transportation of goods and services to a number of port-towns for redistribution and consumption in the hinterland. European manufactured goods were brought to the Nigerian coastal areas, including Burutu, one of the major ports through which goods were imported and evacuated by cargo ships. Through Burutu port on the Forcados River in the Niger Delta, large quantities of imported goods were transported by ships to Lokoja on the Niger River, Makurdi and Numan on the Benue River, to Nafada and Dadin Kowa ports on the Gongola River. At the same time, large tons of agricultural and forest products were exported through the same waterway. This paper, which is based largely on the use of archival records, examines the process of the utilization of the Gongola River flood waters in Northern Nigeria in the colonial water transportation of goods and services to the Forcados River in Southern Nigeria, thereby facilitating the process of the economic development of the country.

Jay L. Banner, Bryan A. Black, Darrel M. Tremaine

Abstract Developing sustainable urban systems is a fundamental societal challenge for the 21st century, and central Texas faces particularly synergistic challenges of a rapidly growing urban population and a projected increasingly drought-prone climate. To assess the history of urbanization impacts on watersheds here, we analyzed 51 cores from bald cypress trees in paired urban and rural watersheds in Austin, Texas. We find a significant contrast between rural and urbanized watersheds. In the rural watershed, tree-ring-width growth histories (“chronologies”) from 1844–2018 significantly and positively correlate (p < 0.01) with (1) one another, and (2) regional instrumental and proxy records of drought. In the urbanized watershed, by contrast, chronologies weakly correlate with one another, with instrumental records of drought, and with the rural chronologies and regional records. Relatively weak drought limitations to urban tree growth are consistent with the significant present-day transfer of municipal water from urban infrastructure by leakage and irrigation to the natural hydrologic system. We infer a significant, long-term contribution from infrastructure to baseflow in urbanized watersheds. In contrast to the common negative impacts of ‘urban stream syndrome’, such sustained baseflow in watersheds with impaired or failing infrastructure may be an unintended positive consequence for stream ecosystems, as a mitigation against projected extended 21st-century droughts. Additionally, riparian trees may serve as a proxy for past impacts of urbanization on natural streams, which may inform sustainable urban development.

Tatiana V. Gorbunova

This article examines the use of the Hangul image in the works of contemporary South Korean artists as a key element of South Korea’s cultural identity and self-definition. Created in the fifteenth century by King Sejong, Hangul has become an important symbol of the independence of Korean culture from Japanese culture and an element of Korean writing to facilitate literacy. In this way, Hangul played a key role in mass enlightenment by making knowledge accessible, connecting different segments of society, and serving as an important tool in the dissemination of culture and education. In today’s context of globalization and digitalization, artists are increasingly turning to the Korean alphabet, using it in their installations using digital technology and multimedia formats, allowing them not only to preserve cultural heritage but also to reinterpret it through the lens of the digital age. Through such works, Hangul acquires new forms of expression, becoming not just a writing, but also a significant visual and philosophical symbol. Examples of exhibitions and installations, such as those at the National Hangul Museum and the Gangseong Museum, demonstrate not only the significance of Hangul in preserving cultural heritage, but also its role as a bridge between tradition and innovation, confirming its relevance in contemporary society and its significance to Korean national identity. For example, an exhibition at the National Museum of Hangul (Seoul, 2017) focused on Hongminjonim, a treatise explaining the principles of the creation and use of the alphabet. Visual and sound elements created a unique space where the traditional Korean alphabet was perceived through a contemporary lens. Kang Ik Joon’s installation Gwanghwamun Ariran (2020), incorporating elements of digital technology, expresses political and cultural ideas, the pursuit of unity, and the preservation of memory. Kang Ik Joon through his installation “Hangul Wall” (2024) interprets the Korean alphabet into contemporary art without losing its meaning. Through the image of Hangul, the artists lay down a powerful visual image that does not leave their compatriot indifferent. In the context of globalization and technological change, Hangul retains its uniqueness as an important tool for expressing Korean identity and cultural memory. As a stimulus for creative processes, Hangul continues to inspire artists, creating a new space for self-expression.

Sheidy Yudhiasta, Joko Mijiarto

The Covid-19 pandemic has driven changes in various fields in the application of technology, including in the tourism sector. Increasing the use of social media is a new challenge for tourism workers to carry out digital marketing. However, human resources capable of using technology and conducting digital marketing in tourism management are not always available. The purpose of this community service is to improve the quality and ability of Sunrise Land Lombok (SLL) employees to digitize and use social media. The implementation of community service will be carried out from October to December 2022 by providing training and assistance SLL tourism workers. The stages carried out in this service include the stages of observation and interviews, training, mentoring, and evaluation. Based on observations and interviews with the director of SLL, it is known that SLL workers face several obstacles in utilizing social media. These obstacles include more understanding about creating engaging social media content. Based on these problems, the training materials provided include: 1) Content planning, Canva, and website training for scheduled posting; 2) Press release writing and copywriting training and 3) practice video editing using CapCut and VN. The training is carried out online and is divided into several meetings, with each meeting accompanied by assignments for workers to practice the material given during the delivery.

Tanisha Mink Aggarwal

At any given time, around half the incarcerated population in the United States works full-time. A large majority of incarcerated workers are engaged in “prison housework,” doing laundry, working in the kitchen, or providing janitorial services, etc. A smaller portion of individuals work in prison industries to produce goods and services for both government agencies and private corporations. National estimates for the annual value of prison and jail industrial output come to around $2 billion. Despite this, the average wage for incarcerated individuals working in state- owned industries is anywhere between $0.33 to $1.41 per hour. Mass incarceration and the prison industry have become seamlessly intertwined with America’s racially stratified economy. Wal-Mart, Victoria’s Secret, Boeing, Microsoft, and Starbucks are some of the many major U.S. companies that have partnered with prison industries in the past to profit off of free or underpaid labor. In the absence of clear Supreme Court ruling or guidance from Congress, it remains unclear whether incarcerated workers may be considered “employees” as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and therefore subject to the federal minimum wage protections. Without any guidance, lower courts have developed a patchwork of conflicting standards and formalistic dichotomies to address the issue of FLSA coverage for incarcerated workers. This Note analyzes the circuit split on the question of FLSA coverage and provides recommendations on how the Supreme Court should decide the issue. This Note goes on to advance a new “but-for” test for courts to adopt when deciding which kinds of incarcerated workers should be covered by the FLSA.

David Kane

A community is a collection of people who know and care about each other. The vast majority of college courses are not communities. This is especially true of statistics and data science courses, both because our classes are larger and because we are more likely to lecture. However, it is possible to create a community in your classroom. This article offers an idiosyncratic set of practices for creating community. I have used these techniques successfully in first and second semester statistics courses with enrollments ranging from 40 to 120. The key steps are knowing names, cold calling, classroom seating, a shallow learning curve, Study Halls, Recitations and rotating-one-on-one final project presentations.

Herman Herman, Fitriani Umar, Syahrul Mubarak et al.

Berdasarkan UU No. 6 tahun 2014 pasal 86 dijelaskan antara lain bahwa desa berhak mendapatkan akses informasi melalui sistem informasi desa yang meliputi data desa, data pembangunan desa, kawasan perdesaan, serta informasi lain yang berkaitan dengan pembangunan desa dan pembangunan kawasan perdesaan. Hal ini menjadi tanggung jawab bersama dari semua pihak baik lembaga pendidikan, instansi pemerintah/swasta maupun pemerintah itu sendiri. Mitra dalam pengabdian ini ada yaitu Desa Bontokassi yang merupakan salah satu desa yang terletak di Kecamatan Parangloe, Kabupaten Gowa, Propinsi Sulawesi Selatan. Pengelolaan informasi yang terjadi di desa Bontokassi belum dilakukan secara optimal. Pengelolaan informasi belum dilaksanakan secara maksimal, dimana informasi ditampilkan dalam bentuk blog yang memiliki tampilan kurang menarik dan kurangnya ketersediaan informasi serta informasi yang tidak dinamis ditunjang dengan sumber daya manusia yang tidak memahami pengelolaan informasi berbasis website. Teknologi informasi saat ini memiliki peranan penting dalam organisasi, orang-orang yang bekerja didalamnya, serta hubungannya dengan masyarakat luas. Hampir semua perencanaan, kebijakan, pelayanan, dan pelaporan dipercayakan pada teknologi informasi sebagai alat untuk menjadikan pemerintah atau instansi lainnya lebih efektif, lebih bersahabat, dan memudahkan masyarakat dalam mendapatkan informasi dan pelayanan.

David Freire-Obregón, Javier Lorenzo-Navarro, Oliverio J. Santana et al.

Predicting an athlete's performance based on short footage is highly challenging. Performance prediction requires high domain knowledge and enough evidence to infer an appropriate quality assessment. Sports pundits can often infer this kind of information in real-time. In this paper, we propose regressing an ultra-distance runner cumulative race time (CRT), i.e., the time the runner has been in action since the race start, by using only a few seconds of footage as input. We modified the I3D ConvNet backbone slightly and trained a newly added regressor for that purpose. We use appropriate pre-processing of the visual input to enable transfer learning from a specific runner. We show that the resulting neural network can provide a remarkable performance for short input footage: 18 minutes and a half mean absolute error in estimating the CRT for runners who have been in action from 8 to 20 hours. Our methodology has several favorable properties: it does not require a human expert to provide any insight, it can be used at any moment during the race by just observing a runner, and it can inform the race staff about a runner at any given time.

Gennaro Angiello

Starting from the relationship between urban planning and mobility management, TeMA has gradually expanded the view of the covered topics, always following a rigorous scientific in-depth analysis. This section of the Journal, Review Notes, is the expression of a continuous updating of emerging topics concerning relationships among urban planning, mobility and environment, through a collection of short scientific papers. The Review Notes are made of four parts. Each section examines a specific aspect of the broader information storage within the main interests of TeMA Journal. In particular, the Urban practices section aims at presenting recent advancements on relevant topics that underlie the challenges that the cities have to face. The present note provides an overview of the policies and initiatives undertaken in four global cities in response to the Covid-19 outbreak: New York City (US), Beijing (CN), Paris (FR) and Singapore (SG). A cross-city analysis is used to derive a taxonomy of urban policy measures. The contribution discusses the effectiveness of each measures in providing answers to epidemic threats in urban areas while, at the same time, improving the sustainability and resilience of urban communities.

Isa Inuwa-Dutse, Mark Liptrott, Yannis Korkontzelos

A network is a composition of many communities, i.e., sets of nodes and edges with stronger relationships, with distinct and overlapping properties. Community detection is crucial for various reasons, such as serving as a functional unit of a network that captures local interactions among nodes. Communities come in various forms and types, ranging from biologically to technology-induced ones. As technology-induced communities, social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook connect a myriad of diverse users, leading to a highly connected and dynamic ecosystem. Although many algorithms have been proposed for detecting socially cohesive communities on Twitter, mining and related tasks remain challenging. This study presents a novel detection method based on a scalable framework to identify related communities in a network. We propose a multilevel clustering technique (MCT) that leverages structural and textual information to identify local communities termed microcosms. Experimental evaluation on benchmark models and datasets demonstrate the efficacy of the approach. This study contributes a new dimension for the detection of cohesive communities in social networks. The approach offers a better understanding and clarity toward describing how low-level communities evolve and behave on Twitter. From an application point of view, identifying such communities can better inform recommendation, among other benefits.

Stanley Bak, Johannes Betz, Abhinav Chawla et al.

High-performance autonomy often must operate at the boundaries of safety. When external agents are present in a system, the process of ensuring safety without sacrificing performance becomes extremely difficult. In this paper, we present an approach to stress test such systems based on the rapidly exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm. We propose to find faults in such systems through adversarial agent perturbations, where the behaviors of other agents in an otherwise fixed scenario are modified. This creates a large search space of possibilities, which we explore both randomly and with a focused strategy that runs RRT in a bounded projection of the observable states that we call the objective space. The approach is applied to generate tests for evaluating overtaking logic and path planning algorithms in autonomous racing, where the vehicles are driving at high speed in an adversarial environment. We evaluate several autonomous racing path planners, finding numerous collisions during overtake maneuvers in all planners. The focused RRT search finds several times more crashes than the random strategy, and, for certain planners, tens to hundreds of times more crashes in the second half of the track.

Ignat Georgiev, Christoforos Chatzikomis, Timo Völkl et al.

Accurately modeling robot dynamics is crucial to safe and efficient motion control. In this paper, we develop and apply an iterative learning semi-parametric model, with a neural network, to the task of autonomous racing with a Model Predictive Controller (MPC). We present a novel non-linear semi-parametric dynamics model where we represent the known dynamics with a parametric model, and a neural network captures the unknown dynamics. We show that our model can learn more accurately than a purely parametric model and generalize better than a purely non-parametric model, making it ideal for real-world applications where collecting data from the full state space is not feasible. We present a system where the model is bootstrapped on pre-recorded data and then updated iteratively at run time. Then we apply our iterative learning approach to the simulated problem of autonomous racing and show that it can safely adapt to modified dynamics online and even achieve better performance than models trained on data from manual driving.

Dorota Stefańska

W artykule zaprezentowano sylwetki żołnierzy związanych z szadkowską Polską Organizacją Wojskową, powstałą wiosną 1915 r. z inicjatywy Feliksa Szymańskiego. Są to najczęściej postacie mało znane, ale zasłużone w walce z okupantem i zaangażowane w działania prowadzące do odzyskania przez Polskę niepodległości. Informacje o tych osobach autorka zdobyła podczas badania źródeł archiwalnych, znajdujących się w Centralnym Archiwum Wojskowym Wojskowego Biura Historycznego w Warszawie. W artykule nie zabrakło też sylwetek szkoleniowców, m.in. Jerzego Neugebauera czy Stanisława Fruzińskiego. Zaprezentowane biogramy stanowią ważne źródło informacji na temat działalności szadkowskiej komórki POW.

Erik Kline, G. Bartlett, G. Lawler et al.

Kristinn Hermannsson, Peter G. McGregor, J. Kim Swales

This paper revisits the application of impact-study methods to the consumption expenditures of students. Whilst the academic literature on the subject is mature, it has traditionally applied simplifying assumptions concerning the exogeneity of expenditures, which tend to over- or underestimate the impact of local students, depending on the particular approach adopted. To resolve this issue, we invoke the principles of input–output analysis and specify a model where consumption expenditures can be partially endogenous and partially exogenous. The origin of the income used to fund consumption expenditures determines their exogeneity. This model is calibrated using the results from an income-expenditure survey. These general issues are relevant to any application of impact analysis where the initial injection is a consumption expenditure shock. The approach is demonstrated using Scottish data for 2013. Figures are produced, on a comparable basis, for the effects of the consumption expenditure of students from each of the Scottish higher education institutions (HEIs). We demonstrate that the biases introduced by employing the assumptions usually adopted in the literature are particularly distorting for HEIs that largely serve local students.