bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning Robotic Ultrasound Skills from Human Demonstrations
Authors: Li Miao , Deng Xutian
Published: June 2022

Robotic ultrasound system plays a vital role in assisting or even replacing sonographers in some cases. However, modeling and learning ultrasound skills from professional sonographers are still challenging tasks that hinder the development of ultrasound systems’ autonomy. To solve these problems, we propose a learning-based framework to acquire ultrasound scanning skills from human demonstrations1. First, ultrasound scanning skills are encapsulated into a high-dimensional multi-modal model, which takes ultrasound images, probe pose, and contact force into account. The model’s parameters can be learned from clinical ultrasound data demonstrated by professional sonographers. Second, the target function of autonomous ultrasound examinations is proposed, which can be solved roughly by the sampling-based strategy. The sonographers’ ultrasound skills can be represented by approximating the limit of the target function. Finally, the robustness of the proposed framework is validated with the experiments on ground-true data from sonographers.
Zoonotic Parasites and Vector-Borne Parasitoses
Authors: Omeragic Jasmin , Seric-Haracic Sabina , Kapo Naida
Published: June 2022

Zoonotic parasites and vector-borne zoonotic parasitoses of humans, especially when affecting immunocompromised persons mobilize researchers’ interest and increase parasitological, environmental, and interdisciplinary investigations worldwide. Climate, environmental and anthropomorphic influences had affected the distribution, occurrence, and adaptability of parasites in humans and animals, the level of environmental contamination with parasites and their developing forms, and the surge of vector competency. Knowledge of parasite biology and evolution shows that hybridization phenomena and adaptations may cause genetic diversity, affecting parasite virulence, antiparasitic drug resistance, acclimatization to new host species, and environmental conditions previously not recorded while leading to the emergence of new diseases and changing parasitism epidemiology. Many parasitic infections are emerging or re-emerging and are neglected with deliberating consequences for public and animal health as well as for food safety and security, especially in sub capacitated developing countries. Decrease of exposure of both animals and humans and negative consequences of zoonotic parasitoses requires raising awareness of researchers, policymakers, and the wider public. Modern diagnostic methods, surveillance, monitoring of parasitoses, and early detection systems followed by tailored containment and control actions provide grounds for sane assessments and investigation toward the cost-effective and efficient prevention programs for both human and animal populations.
Effects of Noise Associated with Pesticides in the Hearing and Vestibular Systems of Endemic Disease Combat Agents
Authors: Bender Moreira de Lacerda Adriana , Arruda de Souza Alcarás Patrícia , Cristina Alves Corazza Maria , Fuente Adrian , Simone Zeigelboim Bianca
Published: June 2022

The current study aimed to assess the effect of the concomitant exposure to noise and pesticides on the auditory and vestibular systems of endemic disease combat agents. The sample comprised 58 participants, males, divided into two groups. The exposed group (EG) comprised 40 agents, adults, exposed to the noise and pesticides. The control group (CG) comprised 18 participants, without exposure, paired according to age range and gender. The participants from both groups underwent conventional pure-tone audiometry and high-frequency audiometry, evoked otoacoustic emissions and suppression of the emissions, immittance testing, brainstem evoked response audiometry, and dichotic digits test. The vestibular assessment was only carried out in the experimental group. Results showed no difference between the groups in the findings of the pure-tone audiometry and suppression effect of the evoked otoacoustic emissions. Difference was evidenced between the groups in the acoustic reflex testing, the tympanometry, the brainstem evoked response audiometry, and the dichotic digits test, with worse results among the EG. In the vestibular assessment, there was the prevalence of altered tests among EG in 36.4% of the cases, more evidence for the peripheral vestibular dysfunction. In conclusion, noise and pesticide exposure impaired the auditory and vestibular systems of endemic disease control agents.
The Measurement of Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin in Umbilical Cord Blood and the Assessment of Its Relationship with Neonatal Results
Authors: İLTER Seckin , ERTUGRUL Sabahattin , DEGER İbrahim , KAPLAN İbrahim
Published: June 2022

Objectives: In this study, the relationship of cord blood Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) with neonatal diseases was investigated.

Methods: NGAL levels were measured in the cord blood of 180 babies born between 2015 and 2016. Patients were classified according to maternal diseases, neonatal diseases and demographic characteristics. Obtained data were compared with cord blood NGAL levels.

Results: In our study, the mean NGAL levels were 1283.99 ng/mL in boys and 1306.52 ng/mL in girls. Umbilical cord blood NGAL levels of infants diagnosed with intrauterine growth retardation (1913.4±2833.5 ng/mL) and prolonged premature rupture of membranes (2594.2±2037.1 ng/mL) were found to be statistically high (p0.05).

Conclusions: Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin, may be useful as a diagnostic biomarker in the evaluation of maternal and neonatal diseases. However, studies on larger patient populations are needed.
Plasma Galectin-9 Is a Useful Biomarker for Predicting Renal Function in Patients Undergoing Native Kidney Biopsy
Authors: Tsai Ming-Tsun , Yang Ruey-Bing , Ou Shuo-Ming , Tseng Wei-Cheng , Lee Kuo-Hua , Yang Chih-Yu , Chang Fu-Pang , Tarng Der-Cherng
Published: June 2022

Context.—

Galectin-9 reduces tissue damage in certain immune-mediated glomerular diseases. However, its role in structural and functional renal changes in patients with varying types of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is less clear.

Objective.—

To investigate the association between plasma galectin-9 levels, proteinuria, tubulointerstitial lesions, and renal function in different CKD stages.

Design.—

We measured plasma galectin-9 levels in 243 patients undergoing renal biopsy for determining the CKD etiology. mRNA and protein expression levels of intrarenal galectin-9 were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining. Relationships between plasma galectin-9, clinical characteristics, and tubulointerstitial damage were analyzed with logistic regression. We investigated galectin-9 expression patterns in vitro in murine J774 macrophages treated with differing stimuli.

Results.—

To analyze the relationship between galectin-9 and clinical features, we divided the patients into 2 groups according to median plasma galectin-9 levels. The high galectin-9 group tended to be older and to have decreased renal function, higher proteinuria, and greater interstitial fibrosis. After multivariable adjustment, elevated plasma galectin-9 levels were independently associated with stage 3b or higher CKD. An analysis of gene expression in the tubulointerstitial compartment in the biopsy samples showed a significant positive correlation between intrarenal galectin-9 mRNA expression and plasma galectin-9 levels. Immunohistochemistry confirmed increased galectin-9 expression in the renal interstitium of patients with advanced CKD, and most galectin-9–positive cells were macrophages, as determined by double-immunofluorescence staining. In vitro experiments showed that galectin-9 expression in macrophages was significantly increased after interferon-γ stimulation.

Conclusions.—

Our findings suggest that plasma galectin-9 is a good biomarker for diagnosing advanced CKD.
Animais na Netflix: estudo das representações sociais e zoologia cultural
Authors: Silva Tainá Boa Nova Ribeiro , De Carvalho Vanessa Brasil , Massarani Luisa Medeiros
Published: June 2022

Neste artigo, analisamos a presença e as características dos animais não-humanos vivos encontrados em filmes e séries selecionados no catálogo da Netflix Brasil, tendo como base os conceitos de Representação Social e Zoologia Cultural. A análise possui cinco eixos, que incluem as classes taxonômicas, características físicas e comportamentais e os papéis que tiveram nas narrativas. Encontramos um total de 423 espécimes animais em 43 dos 48 títulos, contando com 29 que representaram papéis primários na narrativa, sendo o restante (394) figurantes. Em sua maioria, animais em papéis de conotação negativa são carnívoros, e tal recorte pode ter interferido na criação dos personagens, principalmente, em desenhos animados – nos quais verificamos uma representação exagerada e até irreal quanto à sua morfologia, o que os torna ainda mais ameaçadores.
A imprensa sindical em revista: uma análise da Revista do Brasil
Authors: Miani Rozinaldo Antonio
Published: June 2022

Há pelo menos quatro décadas, a imprensa sindical no Brasil vem se renovando e ampliando suas estratégias de comunicação para levar formação e informação aos trabalhadores com o propósito de subsidiar as lutas políticas e sindicais e de diversificar os vínculos com suas bases. Dentre essas estratégias, ganhou relevo a produção de revistas sindicais impressas que, por sua natureza mais generalista, tem pautado temas diversos e procurado atingir objetivos menos corporativos. Uma das mais importantes experiências de revista sindical impressa é a Revista do Brasil que circulou mensalmente entre 2006 e 2017. Nesse sentido, este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar a Revista do Brasil como uma experiência de imprensa sindical em revista, analisando as principais temáticas abordadas em suas capas e indicando as especificidades desse tipo de produção no âmbito da imprensa sindical.
PARÂMETROS OPERACIONAIS PARA IMPLANTAÇÃO DE UMA RECICLADORA DE RESÍDUOS DA CONSTRUÇÃO CIVIL
Authors: Cristo Aline Fátima Iensen de , Paula Marciéli Freitas de , Rossato Marivane Vestena , Zancan Flávia , Kesseler Nilmar Sandro , Piccinin Yvelise Giacomello
Published: June 2022

A construção civil desenvolve-se rapidamente e com ela aparecem os impactos ocasionados pela inadequada destinação dos resíduos provenientes desta atividade, ao meio ambiente e à sociedade. A reciclagem surge como alternativa para amenizar tais impactos. Neste sentido, este estudo exploratório e descritivo buscou desenvolver parâmetros operacionais para a instalação de uma recicladora de resíduos da construção civil. Estes foram elaborados a partir de um levantamento realizado com a empresa GR2 - Gestão de Resíduos Ltda., com a finalidade de obter conhecimento sobre as atividades, informações legais, operacionais, para seu devido funcionamento. Verificou-se que os parâmetros que atendem à problemática do trabalho, a partir dos objetivos propostos são: estrutura física para operacionalização do projeto; máquinas, equipamentos e veículos; matéria-prima; licenciamento; despesas administrativas; gastos com combustíveis; consumo de energia elétrica dos equipamentos no processo produtivo; mão-de-obra; e legalização da empresa.
DESEMPENHO COMPETITIVO DA AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR EM SANTA CATARINA
Authors: Sousa Eliane Pinheiro de , Bender Filho Reisoli , Coronel Daniel Arruda , Amorim Airton Lopes
Published: June 2022

O objetivo deste trabalho é identificar os fatores determinantes da competitividade da agricultura familiar em Santa Catarina (SC), através do Índice de Desempenho Competitivo da Agricultura Familiar (IDAF) e da análise de regressão múltipla, como também verificar se há diferença significativa na competitividade da agricultura familiar entre as mesorregiões desse Estado por meio dos testes paramétricos de Levene e t de Student para dados não pareados. Neste sentido, foi considerada uma amostra de 183 municípios do total de 293 pertencentes ao estado de Santa Catarina. Os dados foram coletados do Censo Agropecuário (2006), divulgados no site do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Os resultados indicaram que a agricultura familiar nos municípios catarinenses encontra-se, em geral, com nível de competitividade baixo e intermediário. A análise de regressão confirmou relação positiva entre a renda anual e os fatores de competitividade analisados. Ademais, verificou-se que há diferenças significativas na competitividade média da agricultura familiar entre a mesorregião do Vale do Itajaí e as mesorregiões da Grande Florianópolis e Serrana.
USO DE IMAGENS ORBITAIS MULTITEMPORAIS PARA CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE USO E OCUPAÇÃO DA TERRA NO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO BORJA
Authors: Schiavo Bruna Nascimento de Vasconcellos , Terra Lueni Gonçalves , Duarte Manoela Mendes , Gatiboni Thales Nascimento
Published: June 2022

O crescimento desordenado das cidades torna indispensável a necessidade de desenvolver políticas de planejamento ambiental eficazes. Para tal, são necessários estudos que visam entender as dinâmicas dessas ocupações em diferentes áreas. Diante disso, este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a dinâmica temporal do uso e ocupação da terra em São Borja – RS.  Mapas temáticos dos anos 2000, 2005 e 2010 foram elaborados. Os resultados apontaram que a classe definida como 'campo' apresentou a maior redução no período avaliado: de 51,97% do total mapeado em 2000 para 23,42% em 2010. A classe 'solo exposto e urbanização' foi a que apresentou maior crescimento: de 6,1% em 2000 para 22,63%. A classe 'florestas' obteve o mesmo comportamento, porém de forma menos significativa: de 16,05% no primeiro ano analisado para 24,53% em 2010. A classe denominada 'agricultura' mostrou comportamento variável ao longo do período estudado:  em 2000 apresentou 9,27%, no ano de 2005 o mapeamento apontou 25,14% e no último ano analisado esta porcentagem baixou para 14,57%. A classe de recursos hídricos se manteve com percentual semelhante em todos os anos mapeados (16,61%, 16,69% e 14,85% consecutivamente). Conclui-se que este estudo pode vir a ser uma ferramenta importante para delimitar, e promover, ações de planejamento ambiental e territorial pela esfera pública.
ANÁLISE MULTITEMPORAL DA EXPANSÃO URBANA DO MUNICÍPIO DE SENGARANHUNS - PE, ATRAVÉS DOSORIAMENTO REMOTO
Authors: Deus Rodolfo Alexandre da Silva Gomes de , Ramos Renilson Pinto da Silva , Costa Samuel Othon de Souza , Gomes Daniel Dantas Moreira
Published: June 2022

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo utilizar o sensoriamento remoto na análise da expansão urbana, buscando melhorar a identificação de áreas de crescimento da cidade e compreender da melhor forma o crescimento e expansão do município. Os estudos tomam por base o município de Garanhuns, no interior de Pernambuco. O sensoriamento remoto acaba proporcionando maior velocidade e objetividade no processo além de trazer consigo um número maior de dados para análise podendo assim servir de base para planejamentos atuais e futuros além de fornecer informações para controle e conhecimento da área em questão. Para análise além do Sensoriamento remoto foi utilizado o NDBI (Normalized Difference Built-up Index), como índice de identificação dos alvos escolhidos, por suas características de realce de corpos de edificações e construções em meio ao espectro eletromagnético, ele foi a melhor escolha para tornar o trabalho mais preciso e atual, na fomentação dos dados utilizou-se das imagens de satélite obtidas pelo LANDSAT-5 disponibilizadas pela USGS, tais imagens foram tratadas com o software ARCGIS 10.2.2, objetivando extrair o maior número possível de informações para melhor conhecimento do objeto de estudo.
ANÁLISE ESPAÇO-TEMPORAL DA COBERTUVA VEGETAL DO MUNICIPIO DE CAETÉS-PE, ATRAVÉZ DE DADOS DE IMAGENS DE NDVI
Authors: Bernardo Wilson dos Santos , Lima Carlos Eduardo Santos de , Santos Ezequiel de Melo , Silva Diego Vieira da , Gomes Daniel Dantas Moreira
Published: June 2022

O uso do sensoriamento remoto tem sido amplamente utilizado por pesquisadores. A fim de obter melhores resultados sobre a constante dinâmica da cobertura vegetal. Este trabalho apresenta uma análise espaço-temporal utilizando o índice de vegetação por diferença normatizada (NDVI), através da utilização de técnicas de geoprocessamento e de Sensoriamento Remoto, utilizando imagens relacionadas aos anos de 1994, 2000 e 2010. A metodologia adotada consiste na pesquisa bibliográfica, e no tratamento de imagens de sensoriamento remoto, foram utilizadas imagens obtidas do satélite TM/LANDSAT 5, após a correção das imagens foi realizado o cálculo do NDVI, para que fosse possível classificar a vegetação e elaborar os mapas e obter os dados a respeito da distribuição da vegetação por toda área do município de Caetés-PE. Passada esta etapa, foram produzidos os gráficos e tabelas que permitiram uma análise comparativa entre os índices de vegetação relacionados de cada ano estudado.
ANÁLISE DO BANCO DE SEMENTES DO SOLO NA FLORESTA ESTACIONAL DECIDUAL DO ALTO URUGUAI – RS
Authors: Lazzari Laudison , Georgin Jordana , Borba Willian Fernando de
Published: June 2022

As alterações temporais na composição florística de uma comunidade, bem como as variações sazonais na frutificação e dispersão influenciam na abundância de sementes, no número de espécies e nas formas de vida disponíveis no solo de uma floresta. Este trabalho teve por objetivo analisar a composição e a densidade de espécies arbóreas presentes no banco de sementes no solo, com relação borda e interior, comparando os diferentes períodos sazonais do ano, presente em cada unidade amostral que ocorreram em três fragmentos de uma Floresta Estacional Decidual, localizada a 27° 23’ 45” S E 53º 25’ 53” W, no município de Frederico Westphalen-RS, Brasil. Para a avaliação serão coletadas 48 amostras, em cada um destes fragmentos, sendo 24 amostras na borda, em 12 pontos equidistantes e 24 amostras no interior da floresta, em 12 pontos  aleatórios, totalizando 144 amostras por período sazonal, efetuadas de três em três meses em cada um dos diferentes fragmentos. A primeira amostragem foi realizada no mês de agosto de 2010. Não houve diferença significativa na densidade do banco de sementes do solo em relação às distâncias, e não houve influência do efeito de borda.
CONTROLE E ESPACIALIZAÇÃO DOS PONTOS DE VAZAMENTOS EM REDES DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE ÁGUA DE ÁREAS URBANAS: CASO DO 3º SETOR DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE ÁGUA DA REGIÃO METROPOLITANA DE BELÉM
Authors: Santos Aline Christian Pimentel Almeida , Pereira José Almir Rodrigues
Published: June 2022

O artigo demonstra a importância do controle e da espacialização de pontos de ocorrência de vazamentos em redes de distribuição de água em áreas urbanas, utilizando o caso do 3º setor de distribuição de água da Região Metropolitana de Belém. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em quatro etapas. Na etapa 1 foram levantados dados da área de estudo. A etapa 2 foi destinada à construção do banco de dados georreferenciado e à organização das informações cartográficas. Nas etapas 3 e 4 foram realizados a classificação e o cruzamento dos dados obtidos utilizando Sistema de Informações Geográficas, respectivamente. Entre as informações espacializadas estão o número de vazamentos por data de ocorrência, por material, por diâmetro da tubulação, por logradouro, por bairro, dentre outros. Durante o período analisado foram detectados 248 vazamentos, sendo possível visualizar o logradouro e o bairro com maior incidência, a localização e o material da tubulação mais propícia a vazamentos, o tempo de duração etc. Com o trabalho foi possível verificar que o registro de dados e cruzamento das informações em SIG é uma alternativa para a atualização, monitoramento das atividades de operação, sendo solução eficaz para o controle de vazamentos em redes de distribuição de água potável.
AVALIAÇÃO DE DESEMPENHO AMBIENTAL DE UM FABRICANTE DE MÁQUINAS
Authors: Reis Juliano Angeli , Sellitto Miguel Afonso
Published: June 2022

O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar o desempenho ambiental de um fabricante de máquinas. Os objetivos específicos do artigo foram modelar o impacto ambiental do objeto; mensurar o modelo por questionário; e interpretar os resultados sob a ótica da estratégia operacional da empresa. Desempenho ambiental é uma medida que descreve como uma organização antrópica gerencia sua relação com o ambiente. Desempenho ambiental é uma medida intrinsecamente multidimensional. No modelo adotado neste artigo, as dimensões de medição são o atendimento à legislação, o consumo de recursos materiais e energéticos, as emissões atmosféricas, os efluentes, e os resíduos sólidos. O desempenho ambiental é medido em uma escala que varia entre zero e 100%. A avaliação foi baseada em indicadores de desempenho ambientais, separados em construtos, e julgados por questionário categórico. Sua medida pode ser usada como subsídio para o planejamento de políticas energéticas e ambientais. O resultado final do caso foi superior a 70%.
University teachers' perspectives on the quality of emergency remote teaching: The case of Serbia during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Stančić Milan , Senić-Ružić Mirjana
Published: June 2022

The study deals with the quality of emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic in higher education in Serbia. We aimed to explore how university teachers assess the quality of ERT and whether their assessments are related to their previous online teaching experiences and their beliefs on the potentials of online teaching. The survey included 443 teachers from the University of Belgrade. The findings show that the teachers were not satisfied with the quality of ERT in terms of the interaction with students, students' motivation, and the quality of their engagement during classes. Teachers who had prior experience in online teaching and more positive beliefs regarding the potentials of online teaching/learning, used a greater variety of online tools, teaching methods, and activities during ERT and, in turn, were more satisfied with the quality of online teaching. Therefore, attention should be paid to expanding teachers' knowledge and awareness of the potentials of online teaching/learning as the ERT did not allow for its full potential to be realized.
Pesticide application equipment
Authors: Sedlar Aleksandar , Đukić Nikola , Bugarin Rajko , Višacki Vladimir , Vasić Filip
Published: June 2022

The purpose of pesticide application equipment is to enable uniform application of plant protection products (pesticides) to a specific target area, while minimizing the exposure of persons applying plant protection products. This can be achieved if the equipment are used only for the tasks for which they are intended and if they are properly set up, calibrated and maintained. A typical sprayer consists of a tank, pump, mixing system, supply pipes, control and monitoring unit and nozzles. In order to reduce drift, a nozzle must be selected that will provide the largest droplet size while at the same time adequately covering the treated object at a certain application rate. All elements and assemblies on the sprayer must be in good condition in order to ensure a good horizontal distribution of plant protection products. In the case of pesticide application machines, the technical correctness of all components is checked and their calibration is performed. Calibration is the process of measuring and adjusting the amount of plant protection product applied to the target area with specific plant protection product application equipment. Proper calibration is a basic but often overlooked task. What is crucial is that the right amount of plant protection products should be used. Insufficient plant protection products can result in inadequate control and thus waste of money, time and resources. Applying larger amounts of plant protection products than recommended may result in damage to crops or plantations, higher amounts of plant protection product residues, swelling or other movement outside the target area, poisoning of people, pets or wild animals entering the treated area, and lawsuits and penalties.
Economic assessment of industrial solar water heating system
Authors: Rehman Shafiqur , Sahin Ahmet , Al-Sulaiman Fahad
Published: June 2022

In the present work, solar water heating systems having nominal water usage of 24 cubic meters per day are considered. To identify the better option, both technologically and economically, a typical geographical location in Saudi Arabia, namely Abha, is considered. Internal rate of return (IRR) values for the solar collectors with glazing are found to be higher as compared with that of the unglazed type. The glazed type collectors are found to be more efficient, provide greater savings in fuel consumption, and result in the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The findings of this study can be used for locations with similar types of climatic conditions in any part of the world.
Effect of propane-methanol blending ratio on the stretched and unstretched flame speeds at elevated initial temperatures
Authors: Abdulraheem Ahmed , Saleh Adel , Shahad Haroun
Published: June 2022

The unstretched flame speed of the premixed propane-methanol/ air flames has been studied experimentally in a constant volume combustion chamber with central ignition. The experiments were done at atmospheric pressure and stoichiometric air/fuel ratio. Various blending ratios of methanol (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%) by volume, and different elevated initial temperatures (348 K, 373 K, and 398 K) were used in this study. In general, the results indicated that the unstretched flame speed increased with increasing both methanol blending ratio and initial temperature. For M60 the increment value of unstretched flame speed at Ti=398K was about 9% compared with that of pure propane and by elevating the initial temperature for the same blend ratio (M60) from 348 K to 398 K the increment value was about 8.8%. It is also noticed that Markstein length decreased with increasing both initial temperature and blending ratio, which is indicate that flame instability increased with increasing these parameters.
Adaptive model Predictive control for a magnetic suspension system under initial position dispersions and voltage disturbances
Authors: Al-Bakri Fawaz , Kafaji Salwan , Ali Hasan
Published: June 2022

A nonlinear magnetic suspension system consisting of a mechanical motion and electromagnetic circuit is considered in this paper. An online algorithm that is used to stabilize the suspended mass targeting the desired ball position, ball velocity and coil current is presented. A steady-state condition, in which the ball position, the ball velocity, and the coil current were assumed constant, was used as a reference trajectory for the closed-loop simulations. An adaptive model predictive control method was employed to control the coil voltage while the discrete plant model and operating conditions were changed at each time step. The effectiveness of the proposed control law was validated in the presence of disturbances in initial ball position, steady-state ball position, suspended mass, and voltage using the Monte-Carlo simulation method. The sinusoidal, step, and impulse voltage disturbances were applied consequently to the system while imposing random dispersions of the initial ball position. Numerical results with five hundred trials illustrated that the designed algorithm can stabilize the system and track the desired reference without exceeding the state and input constraints despite the wide range of dispersions in initial ball position, steady-state ball position, suspended mass, and input voltage disturbances.
Performance analysis of small scale variable pitch Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Authors: Kavade Ramesh , Ghanegaonkar Pravin
Published: June 2022

In this paper, the changeable pitching method is used to improve the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) power output for electric energy generations to partially meet the energy needs for domestic use in a place where continuous wind flow is available. The preset or unchangeable pitch turbines cannot start on their own because of negative tangential force acting on the blades of the turbine. Therefore, the variable pitching method is introduced to solve the starting problem of wind turbines and increase the turbine's efficiency in the form of a power coefficient. The cam and follower variable pitch method is employed for the present analysis. In this research paper, the analytical analysis is done with the momentum stream tube model named as DMST model. The turbine model is tested, and the test results show that the power coefficient (Cp) increases with tip speed ratio, and a maximum power coefficient of about 0.35 is obtained at l = 2.5 at 10 m/s wind speed.
Mobile technology module for pipeline maintenance: Design and simulation
Authors: Polishchuk M. , Yahlinskyi V.
Published: June 2022

Modern pipeline communications require periodic maintenance for various purposes, such as gas, oil, water station pipes, chimneys, and other pipelines. Such maintenance involves transport devices that operate autonomously inside pipelines, including in vertical tubes, and perform various technological operations, such as diagnosing the internal state of pipes, cleaning them, applying protective coatings, machining, welding, and the like processes. The article proposes a fundamentally new design of a mobile technological module for servicing the internal surfaces of pipelines. The main advantage of the proposed module is its ability to move along vertical pipelines of various diameters while overcoming the gravitational load. This effect is achieved by using elastic chambers in the module design. When compressed air or pressurized liquid is supplied to them, they periodically fix the module on the internal surfaces of the pipelines. The main economic effect is to reduce the cost of preventive maintenance to maintain the interior surfaces of vertical pipelines, that is, without their dismantling and with the simultaneous possibility of adapting transport devices to the pipeline topology. The article offers a description of the new design of the technological module and analytical dependencies for calculating the design parameters of the module. The results of modeling the parameters of the module are presented.
RETRACTION NOTE TO "DEVELOPMENT OF METHOD TO ASSESS SEPARATION PROCESS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERAL SLURRY"
Authors: Aleksandrova Tatiana , Potemkin Vasim
Published: June 2022

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief, in line with journal Publication Ethics based on guidelines and standards developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This article has been retracted at the request of the authors, because they determined mistakes in conducted research which demand additional check and clarification. Therefore, the results and conclusions could be incorrect. Both autors, Vadim Potemkin and Tatiana Aleksandrova, agree to this retraction.The Authors and Editors would like to apologize to readers for not uncovering these issues duringthe editorial process.Retracted paper detailsAuthors: Vadim Potemkin*, Tatiana Aleksandrova (*corresponding author)Affiliation: Saint Petersburg Mining University, Mineral Processing Department, Saint Petersburg, Russian FederationDOI: 10.5937/jaes0-31764JAES Paper identification: 19(2021)4, 894, 1120-1125
Polish agricultural sector in the context of farm to fork strategy
Authors: Kwasek Mariola , Kowalczyk Stanislaw
Published: June 2022

The article includes the research results in the field of food systems in Poland in the context of the F2F Strategy objectives. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of the objectives of the F2F Strategy on the food systems in Poland. The research method applied in the study is the critical analysis of the source literature, statistical methods and scenario method. Attention was paid to such elements of food systems as yields, soil fertility, biodiversity, water resources and land use. According to the research conducted, an increase in the yields of the main crop plants in Poland (ranging from 30% for potatoes to 66% for cereals) was the result of a growth in the consumption of mineral fertilizers by 51.2% and plant protection products by 266.7%, which, under the F2F Strategy objectives, should be reduced. In Poland, it is necessary to use mineral fertilizers in order to supplement the shortage of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. The resources of freshwater are at a level of 60.6 billion m3 , which classifies Poland in the group of EU countries mostly exposed to water shortage. One of the main objectives of the F2F Strategy is to achieve at least 25% of the EU's agricultural land under organic farming by 2030. With reference to Poland, this objective is particularly difficult to fulfil, because the share of organic farmland in the area of agricultural land from the record 4.6% in 2013 decreased to 3.5% in 2020.
International Protection and application of the Non-refoulement principle in countries with inadequate or inaccessible healthcare
Authors: Stojanović Bojan , Krasić Bogdan , Stojanović Zoran
Published: June 2022

The Coronavirus pandemic has once again exposed the dramatic differences between countries in terms of access to and quality of healthcare. With reference to the context of the Coronavirus pandemic, the authors analyze whether the endangered right to health, as a fundamental human right which is endangered through inadequate or inaccessible healthcare, can be the basis for granting the international protection or applying the principle of non-refoulement. This topic has been insufficiently covered both in legal theory and in legal documents, while the case law on this matter is still in the process of development. The current practice of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the right to asylum and health is not uniform, but it is to be expected that relevant case law and changes in the legal framework will ensue in the forthcoming period.
Psychological influence and causation in tort law
Authors: Cvetković Mihajlo
Published: June 2022

Causation is the prerequisite for establishing tort liability and the presumption for damage attribution to a particular defendant. Physical causation is often indisputable but psychological influence is largely problematic because people respond differently to the same stimuli, thus making causal uncertainty inevitable. Induction, incitement, intimidation, persuasion, provocation or seduction are all different, and they need to be valued accordingly. Damage caused by psychological influence is challenging because it sparks a key question: who is to blame-the person who succumbed to influence, or the "influencer" who exerts his psychological impact on another? The issue of causation is here intertwined with other elements of liability, such as culpa and wrongfulness. After providing an overview of Roman law on this matter, the article describes various relations in which the influencer, the tortfeasor and the plaintiff can find themselves regarding mutual psychological stimuli. The major forms and intensity of psychological influence are illustrated by cases from comparative judicial practice. Due to its immaterial nature, psychological influence calls for tailor-made evaluation criteria aimed at determining the legally relevant cause of specific damage (provocation formula). Moreover, the over-extensive concept of psychological influence may lead to unjustified burden for the influencer.
CNC Enabled Wood/Metal Composite Construction of (Relatively) High Performance Sailing Yachts
Authors: Barry Christopher D.
Published: June 2022

One problem for high performance yachts is to produce a light enough, strong enough structure. This is possible with modern fiberglass “composite” construction, but at substantial cost to produce the molds. Thus, composites are expensive for limited construction. However, the term “composite” means a combination of any two different materials. Prior to advent of fiberglass, “composite construction” meant a combination of wood and metal, generally wood planks and perhaps primary framing over steel, bronze or aluminum secondary framing and other heavy structure. Prince Edward’s, (later King Edward VII) famous yacht Britannia was yellow pine over steel frames and was certainly a high-performance yacht in her time. This system is now being used by a few builders of large, mainly traditional “revival” design yachts, but it is applicable to much wider range of boats and could help reduce the cost and increase the availability of limited run yacht construction (and possibly opportunities for yacht design commissions). The most important development is the ready availability of CAD/CAM/CNC design and cutting (for both metal and wood), but engineered wood, and modern coatings and adhesives, and even composite fastenings are also important enablers. The major framing structure is cut out of metal by plasma arc, water jet or laser cutters using standard metal industry techniques and equipment. The wood shell is made by strip planking, cold molding, or a combination, carvel or lap strake planking, or plywood. Planks or shell “plating” can be CNC cut as well, providing substantial reductions in labor for a oneoff or limited production boat compared to either making a mold for a fiberglass boat or for traditional wood construction. Finally, large heavy timbers are not required which not only reduces labor, but allows use of sustainable timber resources and sequesters the carbon that the tree took from the atmosphere while growing in a form that hopefully will last for some decades at least.
Wingsail Profile Optimisation Using Computationally Efficient Methods
Authors: Birch-Tomlinson William , Turnock Stephen , Prince Martyn
Published: June 2022

On any race yacht, having the ability to maximise boat speed is key to obtain race winning performances. To achieve this the sail or wing must be set at its optimum profile. To find the best wingsail profile the trend recently has been towards more computationally expense approaches, but can we use less intensive methods to contribute to the design and optimisation process when time and resource may be limited? With an extensive number of different flying shapes, a computationally efficient approach at accurately finding optimum wingsail profiles for any given wind speed and direction is required. Using a two-dimensional section of the wingsail, lift and drag characteristics were found using Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations within Star-CCM+. A modified lifting line (LL) model was programmed in Python which used the two-dimensional characteristics to give fast and accurate predictions of drive force and heeling moment for a twisted inflow. The LL code was verified using experimental data, and showed that with analytical corrections, accurate predictions of lift and induced drag could be obtained. 3D RANS simulations confirmed that the LL model with correct tuning of the root vortices could predict driving forces and heeling moments within 1% and 5% respectively for a typical range of angle of attacks (AoA) and wing shapes. LL predictions took ~8 seconds on a laptop compared to ~6 hours for 3D RANS simulations running on a High-Performance Computing cluster. A machine learning algorithm using Kernel ridge multivariate regression was trained to produce a surrogate model of the wingsail giving accurate predictions within 1% of the LL results. Using the surrogate model, performance predictions could be obtained in ~0.001 seconds showcasing the large computational savings. This method permitted an exhaustive search of different wingsail profiles, giving information on parameter trends such as AoA, camber, and twist. This provides a tool that could be adopted in a velocity prediction program (VPP) and used by sailors or designers to aid in the setup and trimming of wingsails for maximum performance.
Agent Based Match Racing Simulations: Starting Practice
Authors: Lidstrom D. , Lundh T. , Giovannetti L. Marimon
Published: June 2022

Match racing starts in sailing are strategically complex and of great importance for the outcome of a race. With the return of the America’s Cup to upwind starts and the World Match Racing Tour attracting young and development sailors, the tactical skills necessary to master the starts could be trained and learned by means of computer simulations to assess a large range of approaches to the starting box. This project used game theory to model the start of a match race, intending to develop and study strategies using Monte-Carlo tree search to estimate the utility of a player’s potential moves throughout a race. Strategies that utilised the utility estimated in different ways were defined and tested against each other through means of simulation and with an expert advice on match racing start strategy from a sailor’s perspective. The results show that the strategies that put greater emphasis on what the opponent might do, perform better than those that did not. It is concluded that Monte-Carlo tree search can provide a basis for decision making in match races and that it has potential for further use.
Real Time Heading Sensors Fusion and Fault Detection
Authors: Mathias Pia , Laurent Johann , Bomel Pierre , Kerhascoet Hugo
Published: June 2022

In modern offshore racing, performance often depends on two main factors: a good autopilot and the right strategy decisions taken by the skipper. Some sensors are crucial to ensure the quality of those two keys of success, among which we can mention the heading sensors. Unfortunately, those sensors, whether magnetometers or GNSS based, are subject to disturbances and faults of various origins: magnetic disturbances from other devices, GPS fix or reception issues, sensor drift, etc. These sensor faults can cause an autopilot’s solution to diverge which can result in serious damage to the boat or the crew. Assurance of a valid measurement is therefore a key point to ensure reliability of autopilot systems and skipper’s decisions. This paper presents a method to produce consistent values of true heading and yaw rate while detecting sensor faults. The proposed solution relies on the hypothesis that sensors using different technologies and placed in different spots inside the boat will not be subject to identical and synchronised disturbances. Thus, by intelligently fusing the information coming from several sources, a continuous and consistent true heading measure can be maintained. A simple dynamic model for the heading and yaw rate is implemented and an asynchronous filter update is done depending on available measures. The difference between the estimated and the measured states is used to determine whether a sensor is faulty or valid and the update is done consequently; then the information on sensors status and quality of the estimation can be propagated. In the paper, we detail a method to detect faults in heading sensors and to provide a substitution value if necessary. The proposed model is validated by test campaigns that were conducted using both data logs and on-board tests. Results show that we can improve and maintain true heading measurement quality and detect and isolate faulty sensors.
O papel do dossel de uma floresta estacional semidecidual na definição microclimática próximo ao solo
Authors: Moreno Megg Cattem , Dias Patrícia Borges , Pezzopane José Eduardo Macedo , Amaral Genilda Canuto , Firmino Caroline Tavares , Toledo João Vitor
Published: June 2022

O microclima florestal influencia diversos processos ecológicos como a ciclagem de nutrientes e o crescimento das plantas. Objetivou-se caracterizar o microclima do sub-bosque de um remanescente de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual em comparação a um campo aberto durante a primavera em um remanescente florestal da Floresta Nacional de Pacotuba, localizado em Cachoeiro de Itapemirim – ES, sendo para isso, instaladas duas estações meteorológicas: uma no interior da floresta e uma na área aberta adjacente. Durante outubro e dezembro de 2019, foram realizadas medições diárias de saldo de radiação, radiação fotossinteticamente ativa, temperatura e umidade relativa do ar, temperatura da superfície do solo e temperatura do solo a 2 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm e 20 cm. A transmissão de radiação solar foi atenuada no interior florestal durante o dia, resultando em menor disponibilidade energética para os fluxos de calor sensível, calor latente e fluxo de calor no solo. À noite, porém, o dossel atuou como um anteparo a radiação de onda longa, conservando a energia no sistema, e tornando a variação microclimática reduzida no interior em comparação a área aberta.
Avaliação da biodegradabilidade e da liberação de substâncias bioativas incorporadas em filmes de amido
Authors: Ribeiro Lídia Damasceno , Romero Adriano Lopes , Romero Rafaelle Bonzanini
Published: June 2022

A pesquisa e desenvolvimento de novas substâncias bioativas e de formas farmacêuticas mais ambientalmente corretas, que sejam biodegradáveis, tem sido uma preocupação de estudos realizados nos últimos anos. No presente estudo avaliou-se a biodegradabilidade e a liberação de substâncias bioativas (ésteres derivados do anti-inflamatório naproxeno produzidos utilizando a estratégia de hibridação molecular) incorporadas em filmes de amido, cuja forma farmacêutica está relacionada à administração via transdérmica. As sínteses dos naproxenatos de timila e de eugenila, híbridos do naproxeno e dos fenóis naturais timol e eugenol, foram realizadas com rendimentos moderados. As características moleculares dessas substâncias, tal como: (i) o número de anéis aromáticos, fazem com que as mesmas sejam não biodegradáveis e; (ii) o caráter lipofílico, fazem com que a liberação das mesmas a partir de filmes de amido ocorra apenas quando a matriz polimérica estiver completamente hidratada. Avaliou-se filmes de amido com diferentes teores de plastificante (0 até 10%), observou-se que os mesmos apresentam aspecto visual translúcido e boa plasticidade, tendo como melhores resultados o filme contendo 8% de glicerina. As análises de MEV, DSC e TGA indicam que para esses sistemas a incorporação de substância bioativa não interfere na formação e propriedades térmicas dos filmes de amido. O estudo de liberação de substância bioativa em solução tampão fosfato-salino (pH 6,8) indica que os filmes liberam cerca de 80% do naproxeno incorporado em uma hora, com liberação constante até 50 horas. Esses resultados evidenciam que esse tipo de material possui grande potencial de aplicação para sistemas de liberação transdérmica de substâncias bioativas, principalmente para substâncias com caráter lipofílico acentuado. A partir das avaliações de biodegradação in silico e in vivo foi possível entender que, apesar das substâncias bioativas serem não biodegradáveis, os filmes de amido incorporados com substâncias bioativas são biodegradados, com redução de massa entre 52 a 80%, em condições ambientais. Levando em consideração que a massa de substância bioativa corresponde a um pequeno percentual da matriz polimérica, a biodegradação do filme de amido, assim como a não interferência da substância bioativa nesse processo, se torna o fator mais importante quando se considera um eventual descarte inadequado desse tipo de material.