bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Advanced Prototype of the Geohydroacoustic Ice Buoy
Authors: Sobisevich Leonid , Agafonov Vadim , Presnov Dmitriy , Gravirov Valentin , Likhodeev Dmitry , Zhostkov Ruslan
Published: December 2020

The new-generation geohydroacoustic buoy prototype is designed for simultaneous acquisition of acoustic, hydroacoustic, and seismoacoustic data in various environmental conditions, including onshore and offshore boreholes, yet is specifically targeted for operation in Arctic seas as an element of the distributed ice-class drifting antennas. Modular structure of the geohydroacoustic ice buoy incorporates the advanced data logger and a combination of sensors: vector–scalar hydroacoustic (0.01–2.5 kHz) accelerometer, broadband molecular–electronic (0.03–50 Hz) velocimeter, as well as optional hydrophones. The distinguishing feature of the geohydroacoustic buoy is its low power consumption responsible for consistent autonomous operation of the entire measurement system for at least one week. Results of continuous laboratory tests carried out at the geophysical observatory of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences (GS RAS) in Obninsk are presented. It has been confirmed via comparative analysis of recorded time series featuring microseismic noise and teleseismic earthquakes that the prototype well meets the high standards of modern seismology.
A Dynamic TDMA Scheduling Strategy for MANETs Based on Service Priority
Authors: Ye Yufeng , Zhang Xiangyin , Xie Lanfeng , Qin Kaiyu
Published: December 2020

Physical resource allocation strategy is a key factor affecting the performance of a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), which serves as a network model widely used in the sensor and detection field. For various perceived service information, it is significant for the allocation strategy to adapt to the dynamic service requirements and prioritize resource access for the service information with high priority to guarantee its real-time performance. In this paper, a novel dynamic time division multiple access (TDMA) scheduling strategy is proposed for MANETs. Firstly, a service priority-based dynamic TDMA scheduling (SP-DS) algorithm is presented, which introduces the service priority as a reference factor for slot allocation and fully considers the transmission throughput and end-to-end delay performance. Moreover, for improving the slot use of the whole system, a modified distributed color constraint heuristic (MD-CCH) scheme is presented to optimize the frame structure. The SP-DS and MD-CCH algorithms are combined to form the novel strategy. Simulation results have demonstrated that the proposed strategy has better performance in the slot use, slot allocation efficiency, end-to-end delay and transmission throughput compared with the existing slot allocation algorithms.
An Indirect Measurement Methodology to Identify Load Fluctuations on Axial Turbine Runner Blades
Authors: Soltani Dehkharqani Arash , Engström Fredrik , Aidanpää Jan-Olov , Cervantes Michel J.
Published: December 2020

Smooth integration of intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into the electrical grid induces new operating conditions of the hydraulic turbine by increasing the off-design operations, start/stops, and load variations. Therefore, hydraulic turbines are subject to unstable flow conditions and unfavorable load fluctuations. Predicting load fluctuations on the runner using indirect measurements can allow for optimized operations of the turbine units, increase turbine refurbishment time intervals, and avoid structural failures in extreme cases. This paper investigates an experimental methodology to assess and predict the flow condition and load fluctuations on a Kaplan turbine runner at several steady-state operations by performing measurements on the shaft in the rotating and stationary frame of references. This unit is instrumented with several transducers such as miniature pressure transducers, strain gages, and proximity probes. The results show that for any propeller curve of a Kaplan turbine, the guide vane opening corresponding to the minimum pressure and strain fluctuations on the runner blade can be obtained by axial, torsion, and bending measurements on the shaft. Torsion measurements on the shaft could support index-testing in Kaplan turbines particularly for updating the cam-curve during the unit operation. Furthermore, a signature of every phenomenon observed on the runner blade signals, e.g., runner frequency, rotating vortex rope components, and rotor-stator interaction, is found in the data obtained from the shaft.
E2JSL: Energy Efficient Joint Time Synchronization and Localization Algorithm Using Ray Tracing Model
Authors: Shams Rehan , Otero Pablo , Aamir Muhammad , Hanif Fozia
Published: December 2020

In underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs), localization and time synchronization are vital services that have been tackled independently. By combining localization and time synchronization, could save nodes energy and improve accuracy jointly. Therefore, it is of great significance to study joint synchronization and localization of underwater sensors with low energy consumption. In this paper, we propose the energy-efficient joint framework of localization and time synchronization, in which the stratification effect is considered by using a ray-tracing approach. Based on Snell’s law, ray tracing is applied to compensate for the variation of sound speed, this is one of the contributions of this article. Another contribution of this article is the iteration process which is used to improve the accuracy of localization and time synchronization. Simulation results show that the proposed joint approach outperforms the existing approaches in both energy efficiency and accuracy. This study also calculates Cramer-Rao lower bound to prove the convergence of the proposed technique along with the calculation of complexity of the proposed algorithm to show that the provided study takes less running time compared to the existing techniques.
Graphene-Doped Tin Oxide Nanofibers and Nanoribbons as Gas Sensors to Detect Biomarkers of Different Diseases through the Breath
Authors: Sánchez-Vicente Carlos , Santos José Pedro , Lozano Jesús , Sayago Isabel , Sanjurjo José Luis , Azabal Alfredo , Ruiz-Valdepeñas Santiago
Published: December 2020

This work presents the development of tin oxide nanofibers (NFs) and nanoribbons (NRs) sensors with graphene as a dopant for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) corresponding to different chronic diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis or diabetes). This research aims to determine the ability of these sensors to differentiate between gas samples corresponding to healthy people and patients with a disease. The nanostructures were grown by electrospinning and deposited on silicon substrates with micro-heaters integrated. The morphology of NFs and NRs was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). A gas line was assembled and programmed to measure a wide range of gases (ethanol, acetone, NO and CO) at different concentrations simulating human breath conditions. Measurements were made in the presence and absence of humidity to evaluate its effect. The sensors were able to differentiate between the concentrations corresponding to a healthy person and a patient with one of the selected diseases. These were sensitive to biomarkers such as acetone and ethanol at low operating temperatures (with responses above 35%). Furthermore, CO and NO response was at high temperatures (above 5%). The sensors had a rapid response, with times of 50 s and recovery periods of about 10 min.
Composite Laminate Delamination Detection Using Transient Thermal Conduction Profiles and Machine Learning Based Data Analysis
Authors: Gillespie David I. , Hamilton Andrew W. , Atkinson Robert C. , Bellekens Xavier , Michie Craig , Andonovic Ivan , Tachtatzis Christos
Published: December 2020

Delaminations within aerospace composites are of particular concern, presenting within composite laminate structures without visible surface indications. Transmission based thermography techniques using contact temperature sensors and surface mounted heat sources are able to detect reductions in thermal conductivity and in turn impact damage and large disbonds can be detected. However delaminations between Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) plies are not immediately discoverable using the technique. The use of transient thermal conduction profiles induced from zonal heating of a CFRP laminate to ascertain inter-laminate differences has been demonstrated and the paper builds on this method further by investigating the impact of inter laminate inclusions, in the form of delaminations, to the transient thermal conduction profile of multi-ply bi-axial CFRP laminates. Results demonstrate that as the distance between centre of the heat source and delamination increase, whilst maintaining the delamination within the heated area, the resultant transient thermal conduction profile is measurably different to that of a homogeneous region at the same distance. The method utilises a supervised Support Vector Classification (SVC) algorithm to detect delaminations using temperature data from either the edge of the defect or the centre during a 140 s ramped heating period to 80 °C. An F1 score in the classification of delaminations or no delamination at an overall accuracy of over 99% in both training and with test data separate from the training process has been achieved using data points effected by transient thermal conduction due to structural dissipation at 56.25 mm.
Two-Dimensional LiDAR Sensor-Based Three-Dimensional Point Cloud Modeling Method for Identification of Anomalies inside Tube Structures for Future Hypersonic Transportation
Authors: Baek Jongdae
Published: December 2020

The hyperloop transportation system has emerged as an innovative next-generation transportation system. In this system, a capsule-type vehicle inside a sealed near-vacuum tube moves at 1000 km/h or more. Not only must this transport tube span over long distances, but it must be clear of potential hazards to vehicles traveling at high speeds inside the tube. Therefore, an automated infrastructure anomaly detection system is essential. This study sought to confirm the applicability of advanced sensing technology such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) in the automatic anomaly detection of next-generation transportation infrastructure such as hyperloops. To this end, a prototype two-dimensional LiDAR sensor was constructed and used to generate three-dimensional (3D) point cloud models of a tube facility. A technique for detecting abnormal conditions or obstacles in the facility was used, which involved comparing the models and determining the changes. The design and development process of the 3D safety monitoring system using 3D point cloud models and the analytical results of experimental data using this system are presented. The tests on the developed system demonstrated that anomalies such as a 25 mm change in position were accurately detected. Thus, we confirm the applicability of the developed system in next-generation transportation infrastructure.
Guidance for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles in Confined Semistructured Environments
Authors: Milosevic Zorana , Fernandez Ramon A. Suarez , Dominguez Sergio , Rossi Claudio
Published: December 2020

In this work, we present the design, implementation, and testing of a guidance system for the UX-1 robot, a novel spherical underwater vehicle designed to explore and map flooded underground mines. For this purpose, it needs to navigate completely autonomously, as no communications are possible, in the 3D networks of tunnels of semistructured but unknown environments and gather various geoscientific data. First, the overall design concepts of the robot are presented. Then, the guidance system and its subsystems are explained. Finally, the system’s validation and integration with the rest of the UX-1 robot systems are presented. A series of experimental tests following the software-in-the-loop and the hardware-in-the-loop paradigms have been carried out, designed to simulate as closely as possible navigation in mine tunnel environments. The results obtained in these tests demonstrate the effectiveness of the guidance system and its proper integration with the rest of the systems of the robot, and validate the abilities of the UX-1 platform to perform complex missions in flooded mine environments.
Automatic Classification of Myocardial Infarction Using Spline Representation of Single-Lead Derived Vectorcardiography
Authors: Chuang Yu-Hung , Huang Chia-Ling , Chang Wen-Whei , Chien Jen-Tzung
Published: December 2020

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases worldwide and most patients suffer from MI without awareness. Therefore, early diagnosis and timely treatment are crucial to guarantee the life safety of MI patients. Most wearable monitoring devices only provide single-lead electrocardiography (ECG), which represents a major limitation for their applicability in diagnosis of MI. Incorporating the derived vectorcardiography (VCG) techniques can help monitor the three-dimensional electrical activities of human hearts. This study presents a patient-specific reconstruction method based on long short-term memory (LSTM) network to exploit both intra- and inter-lead correlations of ECG signals. MI-induced changes in the morphological and temporal wave features are extracted from the derived VCG using spline approximation. After the feature extraction, a classifier based on multilayer perceptron network is used for MI classification. Experiments on PTB diagnostic database demonstrate that the proposed system achieved satisfactory performance to differentiating MI patients from healthy subjects and to localizing the infarcted area.
Backward Walking Induces Significantly Larger Upper-Mu-Rhythm Suppression Effects Than Forward Walking Does
Authors: Lin Nan-Hung , Liu Chin-Hsuan , Lee Posen , Guo Lan-Yuen , Sung Jia-Li , Yen Chen-Wen , Liaw Lih-Jiun
Published: December 2020

Studies have compared the differences and similarities between backward walking and forward walking, and demonstrated the potential of backward walking for gait rehabilitation. However, current evidence supporting the benefits of backward walking over forward walking remains inconclusive. Considering the proven association between gait and the cerebral cortex, we used electroencephalograms (EEG) to differentiate the effects of backward walking and forward walking on cortical activities, by comparing the sensorimotor rhythm (8–12 Hz, also called mu rhythm) of EEG signals. A systematic signal procedure was used to eliminate the motion artifacts induced by walking to safeguard EEG signal fidelity. Statistical test results of our experimental data demonstrated that walking motions significantly suppressed mu rhythm. Moreover, backward walking exhibited significantly larger upper mu rhythm (10–12 Hz) suppression effects than forward walking did. This finding implies that backward walking induces more sensorimotor cortex activity than forward walking does, and provides a basis to support the potential benefits of backward walking over forward walking. By monitoring the upper mu rhythm throughout the rehabilitation process, medical experts can adaptively adjust the intensity and duration of each walking training session to improve the efficacy of a walking ability recovery program.
Carbonization Durability of Two Generations of Recycled Coarse Aggregate Concrete with Effect of Chloride Ion Corrosion
Authors: Chen Chunhong , Liu Ronggui , Zhu Pinghua , Liu Hui , Wang Xinjie
Published: December 2020

Carbonation durability is an important subject for recycled coarse aggregate concrete (RAC) applied to structural concrete. Extensive studies were carried out on the carbonation resistance of RAC under general environmental conditions, but limited researches investigated carbonation resistance when exposed to chloride ion corrosion, which is an essential aspect for reinforced concrete materials to be adopted in real-world applications. This paper presents a study on the carbonation durability of two generations of 100% RAC with the effect of chloride ion corrosion. The quality evolution of recycled concrete coarse aggregate (RCA) with the increasing recycling cycles was analyzed, and carbonation depth, compressive strength and the porosity of RAC were measured before and after chloride ion corrosion. The results show that the effect of chloride ion corrosion negatively affected the carbonation resistance of RAC, and the negative effect was more severe with the increasing recycling cycles of RCA. Chloride ion corrosion led to a decrease in compressive strength, while an increase in carbonation depth and the porosity of RAC. The equation of concrete total porosity and carbonation depth was established, which could effectively judge the deterioration of carbonation resistance of RAC.
Emergy and Sustainability Ternary Diagrams of Energy Systems: Application to Solar Updraft Tower
Authors: Elsayed Islam , Nishi Yoshiki
Published: December 2020

To facilitate sustainable energy development, one has to understand the limited availability of nonrenewable energy resources, and the ability of the earth to renew or recover. Emergy is an instrument that measures environmental loading, ecological economics, and regional sustainable development. In this study, emergy indicators are calculated to investigate the sustainability of solar updraft tower (SUT). SUT produces energy from the hot air, utilizing a combination of a solar collector, central tower, and air turbines. The results demonstrate that the sustainability of SUT grew as the size of the plant increased. Further, emergetic ternary diagrams are drawn to facilitate the comparison between SUT and various technologies. The resources-use efficiency of wind energy and SUT, 200 MW is found to be the lowest among all energy technologies presented in this research. Scenario analysis is performed to explore the future optimization directions. The results demonstrate that the development direction of SUT systems should mainly focus on reducing the materials demanded by the manufacturing and construction of its solar collectors. This study aims to demonstrate the value of emergy as a powerful instrument for drawing long-term sustainable strategies in energy markets for a greener tomorrow.
Study on the Compressive Behaviour of Sustainable Cement-Based Composites under One-Hour of Direct Flame Exposure
Authors: Vedrtnam Ajitanshu , Bedon Chiara , Barluenga Gonzalo
Published: December 2020

Fire is a significant threat to human life and civil infrastructures. Builders and architects are hankering for safer and sustainable alternatives of concrete that do not compromise with their design intent or fire safety requirements. The aim of the present work is to improve the residual compressive performance of concrete in post-fire exposure by incorporating by-products from urban residues. Based on sustainability and circular economy motivations, the attention is focused on rubber tire fly ash, aged brick powder, and plastic (PET) bottle residuals used as partial sand replacement. The selected by-products from urban residues are used for the preparation of Cement-Based Composites (CBCs) in two different proportions (10% and 15%). Thermal CBC behaviour is thus investigated under realistic fire scenarios (i.e., Direct Flame (DF) for 1 h), by following the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 834 standard provisions, but necessarily resulting in nonuniform thermal exposure for the cubic specimens. The actual thermal exposure is further explored with a Finite Element (FE) model, giving evidence of thermal boundaries effects. The post-fire residual compressive strength of heated concrete and CBC samples is hence experimentally derived, and compared to unheated specimens in ambient conditions. From the experimental study, the enhanced post-fire performance of CBCs with PET bottle residual is generally found superior to other CBCs or concrete. The structure–property relation is also established, with the support of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs. Based on existing empirical models of literature for the prediction of the compressive or residual compressive strength of standard concrete, newly developed empirical relations for both concrete and CBCs are assessed.
How Late Does Your Flight Depart? A Quantile Regression Approach for a Chinese Case Study
Authors: Zheng Zhe , Wei Wenbin , Zou Bo , Hu Minghua
Published: December 2020

Flight departure delays cost airlines and airports millions of dollars and become a systematic problem. The on-time performance at an airport is connected to and easily affected by delay propagation from previous operations of flights using the airport. In this paper, we employ both Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and quantile regressions to investigate the impact of various influencing factors on flight departure delay. By using historical flight records and weather information, the impacts of delay propagation-related and other factors are quantified to study the correlations between the explanatory and response variables. Three variables, including previous arrival delay, turnaround buffer time, and the first order of a day, are used to examine the propagation effects. We find that aircraft type, flying on a weekday, and being the first flight of a day have significant impacts on short departure delays. Ground buffer is conducive to mitigating delay propagation. For long delays, however, ground buffer cannot work in an efficient way, and the previous arrival effect is more important. Convective weather and aircraft type are the crucial factors in this situation. Interestingly, flying on a weekday suddenly becomes one of the main components under extreme delays. Meanwhile, propagated delay and airport congestion remain significantly impactful on the on-time performance.
Hybrid Intelligent Modelling in Renewable Energy Sources-Based Microgrid. A Variable Estimation of the Hydrogen Subsystem Oriented to the Energy Management Strategy
Authors: Casteleiro-Roca José-Luis , Vivas Francisco José , Segura Francisca , Barragán Antonio Javier , Calvo-Rolle Jose Luis , Andújar José Manuel
Published: December 2020

This work deals with the prediction of variables for a hydrogen energy storage system integrated into a microgrid. Due to the fact that this kind of system has a nonlinear behaviour, the use of traditional techniques is not accurate enough to generate good models of the system under study. Then, a hybrid intelligent system, based on clustering and regression techniques, has been developed and implemented to predict the power, the hydrogen level and the hydrogen system degradation. In this research, a hybrid intelligent model was created and validated over a dataset from a lab-size migrogrid. The achieved results show a better performance than other well-known classical regression methods, allowing us to predict the hydrogen consumption/generation with a mean absolute error of 0.63% with the test dataset respect to the maximum power of the system.
The AgTech Startup Perspective to Farmers Ex Ante Acceptance Process of Autonomous Field Robots
Authors: von Veltheim Friedrich Rübcke , Heise Heinke
Published: December 2020

Autonomous vehicles not only provide a new impetus in the development of car models in the automotive industry—even in agriculture there has recently been talk of autonomous field robots (AFR). Great expectations are placed on these digital assistants from a wide variety of perspectives. However, it is still unclear whether they will make the transition from market niches to broad-based distribution. Apart from various factors, this depends on user acceptance of this new technology expected by the innovators, since this is likely to be essential for the further development of AFR. For this purpose, the ex ante user acceptance of farmers from the perspective of various AgTech startups with AFR involvement in Europe was investigated in this exploratory and qualitative study. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) served as the basis for the developed interview guideline. In summary, the results confirm that a variety of factors potentially influence farmer acceptance and AFR diffusion from the perspective of AgTech startups, with perceived usefulness being considered the main motivation for using AFR. The interviewed experts believe that AFR will initially be used in crops that have relatively high costs for crop protection treatments before becoming economically attractive for other crops. The basic prerequisite for a successful market launch is an adjustment of the legal framework, which sets standards in relation to AFR and thus, provides security in the production process. The results could support political decision-makers in dealing with this new technology and AFR manufacturers in the promotion of AFR.
Erratum: Ciurzyńska, A., et al. Eating Habits and Sustainable Food Production in the Development of Innovative “Healthy” Snacks (Running Title: Innovative and “Healthy” Snacks). Sustainability 2019, 11, 2800
Authors: Ciurzyńska Agnieszka , Cieśluk Piotr , Barwińska Magdalena , Marczak Weronika , Ordyniak Agnieszka , Lenart Andrzej , Janowicz Monika
Published: December 2020

The authors would like to make the following correction to the published paper [...]
Hybrid Cuckoo Search for the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem
Authors: Alssager Mansour , Othman Zulaiha Ali , Ayob Masri , Mohemad Rosmayati , Yuliansyah Herman
Published: December 2020

Having the best solution for Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is still in demand. Beside, Cuckoo Search (CS) is a popular metaheuristic based on the reproductive strategy of the Cuckoo species and has been successfully applied in various optimizations, including Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP). Although CS and hybrid CS have been proposed for CVRP, the performance of CS is far from the state-of-art. Therefore, this study proposes a hybrid CS with Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm for the CVRP, consisting of three improvements—the investigation of 12 neighborhood structures, three selections strategy and hybrid it with SA. The experiment was conducted using 16 instances of the Augerat benchmark dataset. The results show that 6 out of 12 neighborhood structures were the best and the disruptive selection strategy is the best strategy. The experiments’ results showed that the proposed method could find optimal and near-optimal solutions compared with state-of-the-art algorithms.
A Brief Review of Chiral Chemical Potential and Its Physical Effects
Authors: Yang Li-Kang , Luo Xiao-Feng , Segovia Jorge , Zong Hong-Shi
Published: December 2020

Nontrivial topological gluon configuration is one of the remarkable features of the Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Due to chiral anomaly, the chiral imbalance between right- and left-hand quarks can be induced by the transition of the nontrivial gluon configurations between different vacuums. In this review, we will introduce the origin of the chiral chemical potential and its physical effects. These include: (1) the chiral imbalance in the presence of strong magnetic and related physical phenomena; (2) the influence of chiral chemical potential on the QCD phase structure; and (3) the effects of chiral chemical potential on quark stars. Moreover, we propose for the first time that quark stars are likely to be a natural laboratory for testing the destruction of strong interaction CP.
The Unknown Unknowns: Recovering Gamma-Delta T Cells for Control of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Authors: Biradar Shivkumar , Lotze Michael T. , Mailliard Robbie B.
Published: December 2020

Recent advances in γδ T cell biology have focused on the unique attributes of these cells and their role in regulating innate and adaptive immunity, promoting tissue homeostasis, and providing resistance to various disorders. Numerous bacterial and viral pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV), greatly alter the composition of γδ T cells in vivo. Despite the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in controlling HIV and restoring health in those affected, γδ T cells are dramatically impacted during HIV infection and fail to reconstitute to normal levels in HIV-infected individuals during ART for reasons that are not clearly understood. Importantly, their role in controlling HIV infection, and the implications of their failure to rebound during ART are also largely unknown and understudied. Here, we review important aspects of human γδ T cell biology, the effector and immunomodulatory properties of these cells, their prevalence and function in HIV, and their immunotherapeutic potential.
Identifying Indicators to Evaluate Community-Managed Freshwater Protected Areas in the Lower Mekong Basin: A Review of Marine and Freshwater Examples
Authors: Loury Erin , Ainsley Shaara
Published: December 2020

Protected areas are frequently established as a management tool to conserve terrestrial and aquatic habitats and species. Monitoring and evaluation are a necessary part of adaptive management to determine whether such protected areas are effectively meeting their objectives. While numerous initiatives have developed methods to evaluate terrestrial and marine protected areas (MPAs), similar efforts and resources are lacking for freshwater protected areas (FPAs), which have become widespread as a community-based fisheries management approach in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB). This review summarizes published literature on the evaluation of marine and freshwater protected areas to provide guidance on the evaluation of community-managed FPAs in the LMB. Specifically, the review examines several indicators related to common objectives of aquatic protected areas and provides considerations for measuring these indicators in the context of community-managed freshwater protected areas in the LMB. Key conclusions include that first, FPAs should be established with clearly defined objectives, and these objectives should inform the selection of indicators for evaluation. Second, indicators identified for MPAs are highly relevant to FPAs, although methods may require adaptation to a freshwater environment. Finally, socioeconomic and governance indicators are overlooked in both MPA and FPA evaluations compared to biophysical indicators, and interdisciplinary assessment teams could ensure these indicators receive adequate consideration.
Evaluation in Carbon Dioxide Equivalent and CHG Emissions for Water and Energy Management in Water Users Associations. A Case Study in the Southeast of Spain
Authors: Melián-Navarro Amparo , Ruiz-Canales Antonio
Published: December 2020

Agriculture is an activity linked to the environment and has a great influence on climate change. As more and more crops are producing in less time, agricultural production is intensified and water consumption and energy demand is increasing. Since the energy consumed is not renewable, greenhouse gases (GHG) are emitted and their concentration in the atmosphere increases. The objective of this article is to apply various methodologies for the precise quantification of the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) and GHG emissions in the management of irrigation water and energy in ten water user’s associations (WUAs) in the southeast of Spain. All the studied WUAs include irrigation facilities. This paper is based on obtained data in different water and energy audits during 2017. The concept of “irrigation water management” considered in the article covers the process from its extraction through management data to its transport and application to crops through irrigation systems, as well as the reception of water. The way in which water and energy is used to irrigate crops is taken into account. Moreover, the type of energy used for irrigation and at what moment energy is demanded influence the total amount of generated GHG emissions. The tariff periods for electricity and the water needs of the crops planted also has to be taken into account, as well as the economic emissions valuation.
The VIRSIM Virtual Environment System for the Simulation Complex-es of Cosmonaut Training.
Authors: Mikhailyuk M.V. , Maltsev A.V. , Timokhin P.Yu. , Strashnov E.V. , Kryuchkov B.I. , Usov V.M.
Published: December 2020

Existing virtual reality (VR) technologies can be used in designing the new type simulation complexes that will allow improving quality of the technical facilities for cosmonaut training and expanding the range of modeling tasks. The paper considers the main potentials of the VirSim system and its applica-tion for space purposed simulators and simulation-modeling stands.
District-Level Health Management and Health System Performance: The Ethiopia Primary Healthcare Transformation Initiative
Authors: Liu Lingrui , Desai Mayur M. , Fetene Netsanet , Ayehu Temsgen , Nadew Kidest , Linnander Erika
Published: December 2020

Background: Despite a wide range of interventions to improve district health management capacity in low-income settings, evidence of the impact of these investments on system-wide management capacity and primary healthcare systems performance is limited. To address this gap, we conducted a longitudinal study of the 36 rural districts (woredas), including 229 health centers, participating in the Primary Healthcare Transformation Initiative (PTI) in Ethiopia. Methods: Between 2015 and 2017, we collected quantitative measures of management capacity at the district and health center levels and a primary healthcare key performance indicator (KPI) summary score based on antenatal care (ANC) coverage, contraception use, skilled birth attendance, infant immunization, and availability of essential medications. We conducted repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess (1) changes in management capacities at the district health office level and health center level, (2) changes in health systems performance, and (3) the differential effects of more vs less intensive intervention models. Results: Adherence to management standards at both district and health center levels improved during the intervention, and the most prominent improvement was achieved during district managers’ exposure to intensive mentorship and education. We did not observe similar patterns of change in KPI summary score. Conclusion: The district health office is a valuable entry point for primary healthcare reform, and district- and facility-level management capacity can be measured and improved in a relatively short period of time. A combination of intensive mentorship and structured team-based education can serve as both an accelerator for change and a mechanism to inform broader reform efforts.
Can Labelling Create Transformative Food System Change for Human and Planetary Health? A Case Study of Meat
Authors: Parker Christine , Carey Rachel , Haines Fiona , Johnson Hope
Published: December 2020

Background: One important way to transform food systems for human and planetary health would be to reduce the production and consumption of animals for food. The over-production and over-consumption of meat and dairy products is resource-intensive, energy-dense and creates public health and food equity risks, including the creation of superbugs and antimicrobial resistance, contamination and pollution of land and waterways, and injustice to animals and humans who work in the sector. Yet the continuing and expanding use of animals is entrenched in food systems. One policy response frequently suggested by parties from all sectors (industry, government and civil society) is voluntary or mandatory labelling reforms to educate consumers about the healthiness and sustainability of food products, and thus reduce demand. This paper evaluates the pitfalls and potentials of labelling as an incremental regulatory governance stepping-stone to transformative food system change. Methods: We use empirical data from a study of the regulatory politics of animal welfare and environmental claims on Australian products together with an ecological regulation conceptual approach to critically evaluate the potential of labelling as a regulatory mechanism. Results: We show that labelling is generally ineffective as a pathway to transformative food system change for three reasons: it does not do enough to redistribute power away from dominant actors to those harmed by the food system; it is vulnerable to greenwashing and reductionism; and it leads to market segmentation rather than collective political action. Conclusion: We suggest the need for regulatory governance that is ecological by design. Labelling can only be effective when connected to a broader suite of measures to reduce overall production and consumption of meat. We conclude with some recommendations as to how public health advocates and policy entrepreneurs might strategically use and contest labelling and certification schemes to build support for transformative food system change and to avoid the regressive consequences of labelling.
USO DE ADITIVOS NA NUTRIÇÃO DE RUMINANTES: REVISÃO
Authors: Danieli Beatriz , B. Schogor Ana Luiza
Published: December 2020

O uso de aditivos na alimentação de ruminantes ainda é um dilema. Diante do avanço das pesquisas voltadas à nutrição de precisão, foram descobertos uma gama de substâncias. Estes produtos atuam positivamente sobre as características do alimento ou diretamente no desempenho animal e seu uso é permitido desde que não prejudiquem o valor nutritivo da ração. Aproximadamente quatro fatores devem ser considerados ao determinar se um aditivo alimentar deve ser usado: resposta esperada, retorno econômico, pesquisa disponível e respostas de campo. No entanto, a permissão do uso no Brasil é regulamentada pela IN 44/ 2015, e vai muito além destes fatores. Atualmente os aditivos agrupados em quatro categorias (tecnológico, zootécnico, sensorial ou nutricional) e inúmeros grupos funcionais. Nos últimos anos os nutricionistas têm afirmado que a maioria de seus clientes usam algum tipo de aditivo na ração, por este motivo há necessidade de se conhecer as alternativas, bem como as características do regulamento que administra o uso das substâncias.
Effect of fabric parameters on fragrance retention
Authors: DU LEI , WANG FU-XIANG , YANG JIA-LI , SHEN ZHUO-YING , ZHAO WEI-GUO , ZOU FENG-YUAN , ZHU HAI-FENG , XU SU-HONG
Published: December 2020

This study is to explore the effect of fabric parameters on fragrance retention, which was based on the olfactorymeasurement technology with the quantitative headspace method. The fragrance retention of different fabrics wasquantitatively evaluated by Electronic Nose (e-nose) at different time after volatilization. Quick-drying Tester was usedto test the fabric drying rate, which was related to fragrance retention. Besides, wicking property and porosity of fabrics,two factors of moisture transmission, were tested and calculated for analysis too. It was found that fabrics with the highercotton content had the better fragrance retention due to their hydrophilicity and water retention property of fibers. Plainfabric had the shorter fragrance retention than twill fabric since its lower porosity and the higher capillary pressure ledto the faster fragrance dissipation. As the fabric density increased or the yarn count decreased, the fragrance retentionincreased. Since their wicking properties decreased, the process of perfume diffusion would slow down. The data andmethods presented in this paper provide a basis for optimizing the parameters of fragrant fabric.
Analyses of body measurement with depth image data using motioncapture sensor
Authors: YÜKSEL HAKAN , OKTAV BULUT MELIHA
Published: December 2020

Sensors can capture and scan many objects in real time for military, security, health and industrial applications. Sensorscan be made smaller, cheaper and more energy efficient due to rapid changes in technology. Low-cost sensors areattractive alternatives to high cost laser scanners in recent years. The Kinect sensor can measure depth data with lowcost and high resolution by scanning the environment. In this study, this sensor collected data on users in front of ascanner, and the depth data results were tested. The process was repeated with four different body positions, and theresults were analysed. The sensor data was reliable versus real measurements. When compared the depth data takenby the sensor with the real measures, the reliability rate is found significance. The difference between the depth imagedata of different users, different positions and different body measures and real data is 0.35 to 1.15 cm. This shows thatthe sensor’s results are close to real data. When the accuracy of the sensor against real measurements is examined,it is seen that these values are between 98.46 % and 99.6 %. Thus, this depth image sensor is reliable and can be usedas an alternative and cheaper way for body measurements.
The importance of the peritoneal dialysis catheter material in orderto perform optimum dialysis in veterinary medicine
Authors: VIŢĂLARU BOGDAN ALEXANDRU , SCARLAT RAZVAN
Published: December 2020

This study was conducted on 44 dogs, aged between 10 months and 15 years, weighing between 0.9 and 8.5 kilograms,during 72 months. We created four batches of 11 dogs each. First batch received silicone peritoneal catheters with twoDacron cuffs, second batch received silicone peritoneal catheters without Dacron cuffs, third batch receivedpolypropylene peritoneal catheters with two Dacron cuffs and fourth batch received polypropylene peritoneal catheterswithout Dacron cuffs. All the dogs were treated with the same peritoneal dialysis solution, at the same interval, in thesame doses and at the same temperature and all the peritoneal catheters were straight Blake. In dogs from the firstbatch, we experienced minimum subcutaneous leaks of peritoneal dialysis solution and the catheters were permeablefor at least 90 days. In the second batch, we experienced constant and reduced subcutaneous leaks of peritonealdialysis solution and the catheters were permeable for at least 90 days. In the third batch, we experienced mediumsubcutaneous leaks of peritoneal dialysis solution and the catheters were permeable for at least 45 days. In the fourthbatch, we experienced important subcutaneous leaks of peritoneal dialysis solution and the catheters were permeablefor at most 15 days. The study conclusion is that the best peritoneal catheter it is represented by the silicone peritonealcatheters with two Dacron cuffs.
Is Taiwan a black swan phenomenon for local textile and clothing industry?A robust nonlinear regression-based model for stock exchange prediction
Authors: SPULBAR CRISTI , EHSANIFAR MOHAMMAD , BIRAU RAMONA , GORUN TIBERIU HORAȚIU , DOAGĂ IULIUS DANIEL , EJAZ ABDULLAH , ULLAL MITHUN S. , STANCIU CRISTIAN VALERIU
Published: December 2020

Local apparel and textile manufacturing industry in Taiwan is a sector of great importance for sustainable economicgrowth. A stock market is an effective barometer indicating the economic health of a country and Taiwan is a case evenmore special. However, is Taiwan a black swan phenomenon for local apparel and textile manufacturing industryconsidering its economic growth and financial perspectives? In addition to existing literature, this research articleprovides a new robust nonlinear regression-based model for stock exchange prediction for Taiwan stock market. Thefinancial data series used for the econometric analysis include the period from January 2000 to July 2018 for 13 mainstock markets from countries all around the globe, such as: Taiwan, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Canada, USA,Japan, Germany, France, UK, India, and China. The final multiple regression equation provides a new prediction modelfor Taiwan’s main stock market index. A sustainable economic growth in Taiwan is necessary to achieve major objectivessuch as social justice, poverty alleviation and natural environment protection. The stock market in Taiwan plays anessential role in order to stimulate economic growth and technological progress by attracting foreign investment andforeign capital. In a globalized economy, the inter-linkages between stock markets are complex and can significantlyinfluence Taiwan’s sustainable development.
Mobile learning during the era of COVID-19
Authors: Al-Emran Mostafa
Published: December 2020

A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 (Zhu et al., 2020). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic (Cucinotta & Vanelli, 2020). In responding to this pandemic, a series of precautionary measures have been taken forward on a global basis to combat the spread of the virus. One of such measures was the lockdown of educational institutions. To compromise between the delivery of learning to students and committing to social distancing, the transition to distance learning was the unavoidable option in such crises.
The Rights of the Accused in Islam
Authors: Al 'Alwani Taha J.
Published: December 2020

IntroductionAs a faith and a way of life, Islam includes among its most importantobjectives the realization of justice and the eradication of injustice. Justiceis an Islamic ideal under all circumstances and at all times. It is not to beaffected by one's preferences or dislikes or by the existence (or absence)of ties of blood. Rather, it is a goal to be achieved and an ideal to besought: "Surely, Allah commands justice and the doing of good" (Qur'an16:90); "And I was commanded to deal justly between you" (42:15); and"Allow not your mcor for a people to cause you to deal unjustly. Bejust, for that is closer to heeding" (5:8). There are also many hadiths inthe Sunnah that command justice and prohibit wrong. Moreover, theachievement of justice is one of the objectives towatds which humannatm inclines, while its opposite-injustice-is something that humansnaturally abhor.Allah has ordained measures by which justice may be known and bywhich it may be distinguished from its opposite. He has clarified themeans by which all people might achieve this objective, facilitated theways by which it may be accomplished, and made those ways (the mostimportant of which is the institution of judgment (qada), manifest to them ...
The Islamization of Knowledge
Authors: Al ‘Alwani Taha J.
Published: December 2020

IntroductionWithin the Islamization of Knowledge school, the idea of the Islamizationof Knowledge has always been understood as an intellectual andmethodological outlook rather than as an academic field, a specialization,an ideology, or a new sect. Thus, the school has sought to view issues ofknowledge and methodology from the perspectives of reform, inquiry, andself-discovery without any preconceptions, doctrinal or temporal constraints,or limitations on its intellectual horizons. The school is keenlyaware of the workings of time on ideas as they pass from stage to stage andmature and is therefore the first to say that the Islamization of Knowledgeis not to be understood as a set of axioms, a rigid ideology, or a religiousmovement. Rather, in order to comprehend the full meaning of the term, itmust be viewed as designating a methodology for dealing with knowledgeand its sources or as an intellectual outlook in its beginning stages.An ongoing critique and the attempt to derive particulars from the generalare essential to the process of development. The initial articulation ofthe Islamization of Knowledge undertaking and the workplan was thereforeproduced in general terms. At that early stage, the focus was on presentinga criticism of both traditional Muslim and western methodologies and thenintroducing the Islamization of Knowledge and explaining its significance.The first edition of the Islamization of Knowledge pointed out the principlesessential to any attempt to fashion an Islamic paradigm of knowledgebased on the. Islamic worldview and its unique constitutive concepts andfactors. It also addressed, briefly, the intellectual aspect of the Islamizationof Knowledge. The main focus, however, was on the practical aspects ofproducing textbooks for use in teaching the social sciences, as this was consideredthe first priority at a time when the Muslim world was losing its bestminds to the West and the western cultural and intellectual invasion.Accordingly, twelve steps were identified as the basis from which thepreparation of introductory social science texts might proceed ...