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This work proposes advanced emulation of the physical layer behavior of NB-PLC channels and the application of a channel emulator for the evaluation of NB-PLC systems. In addition, test procedures and reference channels are proposed to improve efficiency and accuracy in the system evaluation and classification. This work shows that the channel emulator-based solution opens new ways toward flexible, reliable and technology-independent performance assessment of PLC modems.

powerline communications, channel emulator, physical layer performance, transfer function, channel modeling

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Spatial-hearing ability has been found to vary widely across listeners. A survey of the existing auditory-space perception literature suggests that three main types of factors may account for this variability:- physical factors, e.g., acoustical characteristics related to sound-localization cues,- perceptual factors, e.g., sensory/cognitive processing, perceptual learning, multisensory interactions,- and methodological factors, e.g., differences in stimulus presentation methods across studies.However, the extent to which these–and perhaps other, still unidentified—factors actually contribute to the observed variability in spatial hearing across individuals with normal hearing or within special populations (e.g., hearing-impaired listeners) remains largely unknown. Likewise, the role of perceptual learning and multisensory interactions in the emergence of a multimodal but unified representation of “auditory space,” is still an active topic of research. A better characterization and understanding of the determinants of inter-individual variability in spatial hearing, and of its relationship with perceptual learning and multisensory interactions, would have numerous benefits. In particular, it would enhance the design of rehabilitative devices and of human-machine interfaces involving auditory, or multimodal space perception, such as virtual auditory/multimodal displays in aeronautics, or navigational aids for the visually impaired. For this Research Topic, we have considered manuscripts that:- present new methods, or review existing methods, for the study of inter-individual differences;- present new data (or review existing) data, concerning acoustical features relevant for explaining inter-individual differences in sound-localization performance;- present new (or review existing) psychophysical or neurophysiological findings concerning spatial hearing and/or auditory perceptual learning, and/or multisensory interactions in humans (normal or impaired, young or older listeners) or other species;- discuss the influence of inter-individual differences on the design and use of assistive listening devices (rehabilitation) or human-machine interfaces involving spatial hearing or multimodal perception of space (ergonomy).

spatial hearing --- HRTF (head related transfer function) --- Learning --- training --- adaptation --- spectral cues --- binaural cues --- Sound Localization --- mulltisensory interaction

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The specialty section Earthquake Engineering is one branch of Frontiers in Built Environment and welcomes critical and in-depth submissions on earthquake ground motions and their effects on buildings and infrastructures. Manuscripts should yield new insights and ultimately contribute to a safer and more reliable design of building structures and infrastructures. The scope includes the characterization of earthquake ground motions (e.g. near-fault, far-fault, short-period, long-period), their underlying properties, their intrinsic relationship with structural responses, and the true behaviors of building structures and infrastructures under risky and uncertain ground motions. More specific topics include recorded ground motions, generated ground motions, response spectra, stochastic modeling of ground motion, critical excitation, geotechnical aspects, soil mechanics, soil liquefaction, soil-structure interactions, pile foundations, earthquake input energy, structural control, passive control, active control, base-isolation, steel structures, reinforced concrete structures, wood structures, building retrofit, structural optimization, uncertainty analysis, robustness analysis, and redundancy analysis. This eBook includes four original research papers, in addition to the Specialty Grand Challenge article, on the critical earthquake response of elastic-plastic structures under near-fault or long-duration ground motions which were published in the specialty section Earthquake Engineering. In the early stage of dynamic nonlinear response analysis of structures around 1960s, a simple hysteretic structural model and a simple sinusoidal earthquake ground motion input were dealt with together with random inputs. The steady-state response was tackled by an equivalent linearization method developed by Caughey, Iwan and others. In fact, the resonance plays a key role in the earthquake-resistant design and it has a strong effect even in case of near-fault ground motions. In order to draw the steady-state response curve and investigate the resonant property, two kinds of repetition have to be introduced. One is a cycle, for one forced input frequency, of the initial guess of the steady-state response amplitude, the construction of the equivalent linear model, the analysis of the steady-state response amplitude using the equivalent linear model and the update of the equivalent linear model based on the computed steady-state response amplitude. The other is the sweeping over a range of forced input frequencies. This process is quite tedious. Four original research papers included in this eBook propose a new approach to overcome this difficulty. Kojima and Takewaki demonstrated that the elastic-plastic response as continuation of free-vibrations under impulse input can be derived in a closed form by a sophisticated energy approach without solving directly the equations of motion as differential equations. While, as pointed out above, the approach based on the equivalent linearization method requires the repetition of application of the linearized equations, the method by Kojima and Takewaki does not need any repetition. The double impulse, triple impulse and multiple impulses enable us to describe directly the critical timing of impulses (resonant frequency) which is not easy for the sinusoidal and other inputs without a repetitive procedure. It is important to note that, while most of the previous methods employ the equivalent linearization of the structural model with the input unchanged, the method treated in this eBook transforms the input into a series of impulses with the structural model unchanged. This characteristic guarantees high accuracy and reliability even in the large plastic deformation range. The approach presented in this eBook is an epoch-making accomplishment to open the door for simpler and deeper understanding of structural reliability of built environments in the elastic-plastic range.

earthquake engineering --- uncertainty --- Ground motion --- Structural parameter --- Interval analysis --- robustness --- redundancy --- Earthquake input energy --- double impulse --- critical excitation method --- Energy transfer function --- Upper bound of input energy --- Earthquake Response --- Critical response --- Elastic-plastic response --- Ductility factor --- Near-fault ground motion --- fling-step input --- forward-directivity input --- triple impulse --- Long-duration ground motion --- resonance --- Multiple impulse

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Developing techniques for assessing various risks and calculating probabilities of ruin and survival are exciting topics for mathematically-inclined academics. For practicing actuaries and financial engineers, the resulting insights have provided enormous opportunities but also created serious challenges to overcome, thus facilitating closer cooperation between industries and academic institutions. In this book, several renown researchers with extensive interdisciplinary research experiences share their thoughts that, in one way or another, contribute to the betterment of practice and theory of decision making under uncertainty. Behavioral, cultural, mathematical, and statistical aspects of risk assessment and modelling have been explored, and have been often illustrated using real and simulated data. Topics range from financial and insurance risks to security-type risks, from one-dimensional to multi- and even infinite-dimensional risks.

aggregate discounted claims --- Markovian arrival process --- partial integro-differential equation --- covariance --- multivariate gamma distribution --- multiplicative background risk model --- aggregate risk --- individual risk model --- collective risk model --- risk measure --- cumulative Parisian ruin --- stochastic orders --- surplus process --- renewal process --- discounted aggregate claims --- copulas --- archimedean copulas --- background risk --- systematic risk --- transfer function --- information processing --- order statistic --- concomitant --- ruin probability --- dual risk model --- constant interest rate --- integral equation --- Laplace transform --- numerical approximation --- maximal tail dependence --- clustering --- financial time series --- weighted cuts --- copula --- national culture --- survival analysis --- hazard model --- rating migrations --- advanced measurement approach --- confidence interval --- Monte Carlo --- operational risk --- value-at-risk --- central limit theorem --- insurance --- max-stable random fields --- rate of spatial diversification --- reinsurance --- risk management --- risk theory --- spatial dependence --- spatial risk measures and corresponding axiomatic approach --- n/a