Identifying stops from mobile phone location data by introducing uncertain segments

Identifying stops is a primary step in acquiring activity‐related information from mobile phone location data to understand the activity patterns of individuals. However, signal jumps in mobile phone location data may create “fake moves,” which will generate fake activity patterns of “stops‐and‐moves.” These “fake moves” share similar spatiotemporal features with real short‐distance moves, and the stops and moves of trajectories (SMoT), which is the most extensively used stop identification model, often fails to distinguish them when the dataset has coarse temporal resolution. This study proposes the stops, moves, and uncertainties of trajectories (SMUoT) model to address this issue by introducing uncertain segment analysis to distinguish “fake moves” and real short‐distance moves. A real mobile phone location dataset collected in Shenzhen, China is used to evaluate the performance of SMUoT. We find that SMUoT improves the performance (i.e., 15 and 19% increase in accuracy and recall rate for a one‐hour temporal resolution dataset, respectively) of stop identification and exhibits high robustness to parameter settings. With a better reliability of “stops‐and‐moves” pattern identification, the proposed SMUoT can benefit various individual activity‐related research based on mobile phone location data for many fields, such as urban planning, traffic analysis, and emergency management.     

Lateral load distributions on grouped piles from dynamic pile‐to‐pile interaction factors

The load distributions of the grouped piles under lateral loads acting from one side of the pile cap could be approximately modeled using the elasticity equations with the assumptions that the underground structure is rigid enough to sustain the loads, and only small deformations of the soils are yielded. Variations of the soil–pile interactions along the depths are therefore negligible for simplicity. This paper presents the analytical modeling using the dynamic pile‐to‐pile interaction factors for 2 × 2 and 2 × 3 grouped piles. The results were found comparative with the experimental and numerical results of other studies. Similar to others' findings, it was shown that the leading pile could carry more static loads than the trailing pile does. For the piles in the perpendicular direction with the static load, the loads would distribute symmetrically with the centerline whereas the middle pile always sustains the smallest load. For steady‐state loads with operating frequencies up to 30 Hz, the pile load distributions would vary significantly with the frequencies. It is interesting to know that designing the pile foundation needs to be cautioned for steady‐state vibrations as they are a problem of machine foundation. However, for transient loads or any harmonic loads acting upon relatively higher frequencies, the pile loads could be regarded as uniformly distributed. It is hoped that the numerical results of this paper will be helpful in the design practice of pile foundation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using multiple‐variable indicator kriging to assess groundwater quality for irrigation in the aquifers of the Choushui River alluvial fan

This work attempted to locate clean and safe groundwater for irrigation use in the Choushui River alluvial fan. Multiple‐variable indicator kriging (MVIK) was adopted to evaluate numerous hydrochemical parameters for a standard of water quality for irrigation in Taiwan. Many hydrochemical parameters in groundwater were distinguished into three main categories—salinity/sodium hazard, nitrogen hazard and heavy metal hazard. Safe and potential hazardous regions of groundwater for irrigation were delineated according to different probabilities estimated by MVIK. The probabilistic results of the classifications gave an opportunity to explore the spatial uncertainty of the hazards and helped government administrators establish a sound policy associated with the development and management of groundwater resources. Analysis of the results indicate that the central distal‐fan and mid‐fan aquifers are the best places to extract clean and safe groundwater for irrigation, and the deep aquifer (exceeding 200 m depth) has wider regions with clean and safe groundwater for irrigation than shallow aquifers. The northern and southern aquifers, with multiple hazards, limit groundwater use for irrigation. Although the proximal‐fan aquifer is a zone of groundwater recharge, the high nitrogen content seriously affects the environment and is not suitable for irrigation use. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Automatic Detection and Classification of Coronal Mass Ejections

We present an automatic algorithm to detect, characterize, and classify coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) C2 and C3 images. The algorithm includes three steps: (1) production running difference images of LASCO C2 and C3; (2) characterization of properties of CMEs such as intensity, height, angular width of span, and speed, and (3) classification of strong, median, and weak CMEs on the basis of CME characterization. In this work, image enhancement, segmentation, and morphological methods are used to detect and characterize CME regions. In addition, Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers are incorporated with the CME properties to distinguish strong CMEs from other weak CMEs. The real-time CME detection and classification results are recorded in a database to be available to the public. Comparing the two available CME catalogs, SOHO/LASCO and CACTus CME catalogs, we have achieved accurate and fast detection of strong CMEs and most of weak CMEs.     

How to manipulate interactive E-book on learning natural catastrophe—An example of structural mechanics using power machine

Economic losses caused by natural disasters have increased rapidly in recent years. Therefore, learning about natural catastrophe will be helpful for saving life and reducing cost. This study explores the effect of using the interactive electronic book available from Lego Simple Power Machine sets for learning. The applications for Power Machine are wide, such as in robots manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and intelligent devices. Based on the theory of Human–Computer Interaction, user-centered design is a modern and widely practiced design philosophy rooted in the idea that users must take center-stage in the design of any computer system. An interactive electronic book is developed to test learning achievement with the Lego Simple Power Machine set. The results reveal that the attention of users can be improved and the image can also be improved during the interaction and operation process. Finally, this study proves that the interactive electronic book makes learning easier and faster than the traditional book.     

Large-scale simulation of watershed mass transport: a case study of Tsengwen reservoir watershed, southwest Taiwan

We present the large-scale simulation of watershed mass transport, including landslide, debris flow, and sediment transport. A case study of Tsengwen reservoir watershed under the extreme rainfall triggered by typhoon Morakot is conducted for verification. This approach starts with volume-area relation with landslide inventory method to predict temporal and regional landslide volume production and distribution. Then, debris flow model, Debris-2D, is applied to simulate the mass transport from hillslope to fluvial channel. Finally, a sediment transport model, NETSTARS, is used for hydraulic and sediment routing in river and reservoir. Near the water intake at the reservoir dam, the simulated sediment concentration is in good agreement with the measured one. The proposed approach gives good prediction and should help the management of reservoir operation and disaster prevention.     

Multipole Expansion: Unifying Formalism for Earth and Planetary Gravitational Dynamics

Surveys in Geophysics - The powerful method of multipole expansion has found wide utility in classical electromagnetics and quantum-mechanics. In contrast, the gravitational mechanics traditionally...     

On the multi-periodicities in the X-ray dipper XB 1916–053

Using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and the Nordic Optical Telescope, we have obtained the highest ever quality X-ray/white-light high-speed photometry of XB 1916–053. We refine the X-ray period ( P _X) to 3000.6±0.2 s via a restricted cycle counting approach. Using our complete optical light curve, we have extended the optical period ( P _opt) ephemeris by another 4 yr, providing further evidence for its stability, although a slightly longer period of 3027.555±0.002 s now provides a marginally better fit. Moreover, modulations at both P _X and P _opt are present in the optical data, with the former dominating the nightly light curves (i.e. a few cycles of data). We have also attempted to determine the 'beat' period, as seen in the repeating evolution of the X-ray dip structure, and the variation in primary dip phase. We find that a quasi-period of 4.74±0.05 d provides the best fit to the data, even then requiring phase shifts between cycles, with the expected 3.90-d 'beat' of P _X and P _opt appearing to be less likely. Finally, considering the nature of each of these temporal phenomena, we outline possible models, which could explain all of the observed behaviour of this enigmatic source, focusing on which of P _X or P _opt is the binary period.     

Crustal-scale seismic profiles across Taiwan and the western Philippine Sea

We have used combined onshore and offshore wide-angle seismic data sets to model the velocity structure of the Taiwan arc–continent collision along three cross-island transects. Although Taiwan is well known as a collisional orogen, relatively few data have been collected that reveal the deeper structure resulting from this lithospheric-scale process. Our southern transect crosses the Hengchun Peninsula of southernmost Taiwan and demonstrates characteristics of incipient collision. Here, 11-km-thick, transitional crust of the Eurasian plate (EUP) subducts beneath a large, rapidly growing accretionary prism. This prism also overrides the N. Luzon forearc to the east as it grows. Just west of the arc axis there is an abrupt discontinuity in the forearc velocity structure. Because this break is accompanied by intense seismicity, we interpret that the forearc block is being detached from the N. Luzon arc and Philippine Sea plate (PSP) at this point. Our middle transect illustrates the structure of the developing collision. Steep and overturned velocity contours indicate probable large-scale thrust boundaries across the orogen. The leading edge of the coherent PSP appears to extend to beneath the east coast of Taiwan. Deformation of the PSP is largely limited to the remnant N. Luzon arc with no evidence of crustal thickening to the east in the Huatung basin. Our northern transect illustrates slab–continent collision—the continuing collision of the PSP and EUP as the PSP subducts. The collisional contact is below 20 km depths along this transect NE of Hualien. This transect shows elements of the transition from arc–continent collision to Ryukyu arc subduction. Both of our models across the Central Range suggest that the Paleozoic to Mesozoic basement rocks there may have been emplaced as thick, coherent thrust sheets. This suggests a process of partial continental subduction followed by intra-crustal detachment and buoyancy-aided exhumation. Although our models provide previously unknown structural information about the Taiwan orogen, our data do not define the deepest orogenic structure nor the structure of western Taiwan. Additional seismic (active and passive), geologic, and geodynamic modeling work must be done to fully define the structure, the active deformation zones, and the key geodynamic process of the Taiwan arc–continent collision.     

An advanced analytical model for high damping rubber bearings

Base‐isolation technologies have been developed over the years in attempts to mitigate the effects of earthquakes on structures and potentially vulnerable contents in earthquake prone areas of the world. The high damping rubber bearing (HDRB) is a relatively recent and evolving technology of this kind. The isolator shifts the fundamental period of the base‐isolated structure to a value beyond the range of the plentiful energy‐containing periods of earthquake motions and supplies significant damping to dissipate energy caused by motions. Nevertheless, the highly non‐linear mechanical behaviour of the HDRB is so complex, especially at large strains, that it is difficult to model it analytically. In this paper, an extensive study of experimental tests for identifying the mechanical characteristics of the HDRB is presented. By modifying the Wen's model to include the rate‐dependent effects, an advanced analytical model in an incremental form for the HDRB is also proposed. A very good agreement between the analytical and experimental results has been obtained. It is illustrated that the proposed mathematical model can predict well the mechanical behaviour of HDRB bearings, even at large shear strain. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.