bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting Plant Invasion in Urban Parks with Aerial Image Time Series and Residual Neural Network
Authors: Dutta Dipanwita , Chen Gang , Chen Chen , Gagné Sara A. , Li Changlin , Rogers Christa , Matthews Christopher
Published: October 2020

Invasive plants are a major agent threatening biodiversity conservation and directly affecting our living environment. This study aims to evaluate the potential of deep learning, one of the fastest-growing trends in machine learning, to detect plant invasion in urban parks using high-resolution (0.1 m) aerial image time series. Capitalizing on a state-of-the-art, popular architecture residual neural network (ResNet), we examined key challenges applying deep learning to detect plant invasion: relatively limited training sample size (invasion often confirmed in the field) and high forest contextual variation in space (from one invaded park to another) and over time (caused by varying stages of invasion and the difference in illumination condition). To do so, our evaluations focused on a widespread exotic plant, autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellate), that has invaded 20 urban parks across Mecklenburg County (1410 km2) in North Carolina, USA. The results demonstrate a promising spatial and temporal generalization capacity of deep learning to detect urban invasive plants. In particular, the performance of ResNet was consistently over 96.2% using training samples from 8 (out of 20) or more parks. The model trained by samples from only four parks still achieved an accuracy of 77.4%. ResNet was further found tolerant of high contextual variation caused by autumn olive’s progressive invasion and the difference in illumination condition over the years. Our findings shed light on prioritized mitigation actions for effectively managing urban invasive plants.
Measuring and Monitoring Urban Impacts on Climate Change from Space
Authors: Milesi Cristina , Churkina Galina
Published: October 2020

As urban areas continue to expand and play a critical role as both contributors to climate change and hotspots of vulnerability to its effects, cities have become battlegrounds for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Large amounts of earth observations from space have been collected over the last five decades and while most of the measurements have not been designed specifically for monitoring urban areas, an increasing number of these observations is being used for understanding the growth rates of cities and their environmental impacts. Here we reviewed the existing tools available from satellite remote sensing to study urban contribution to climate change, which could be used for monitoring the progress of climate change mitigation strategies at the city level. We described earth observations that are suitable for measuring and monitoring urban population, extent, and structure; urban emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants; urban energy consumption; and extent, intensity, and effects on surrounding regions, including nearby water bodies, of urban heat islands. We compared the observations available and obtainable from space with the measurements desirable for monitoring. Despite considerable progress in monitoring urban extent, structure, heat island intensity, and air pollution from space, many limitations and uncertainties still need to be resolved. We emphasize that some important variables, such as population density and urban energy consumption, cannot be suitably measured from space with available observations.
Reply to Comment on Choi et al. Correlation between Ionospheric TEC and the DCB Stability of GNSS Receivers from 2014 to 2016. Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 2657
Authors: Choi Byung-Kyu , Sohn Dong-Hyo , Lee Sang Jeong
Published: October 2020

Choi et al. (2019) suggested that ionospheric total electron content (TEC) and receiver differential code bias (rDCB) stability have a strong correlation during a period of two years from 2014 to 2016. This article is a response to Zhong et al. (2020), who pointed out that the long-term variations of the GPS DCBs are mainly attributed to the satellite replacement rather than the ionospheric variability. In this issue, we investigated the center for orbit determination in Europe (CODE) Global Ionosphere Maps (GIM) products from 2000 to 2020. In this study, changes in TEC and receiver DCB (rDCB) root mean squares (RMS) at Bogota (BOGT) station still have a clear correlation. In addition, there was a moderate correlation between satellite DCB RMS and rDCB RMS. As a result, we suggest that rDCB can be affected simultaneously by GPS sDCB as well as ionospheric activity.
A Two-Phase Cross-Modality Fusion Network for Robust 3D Object Detection
Authors: Jiao Yujun , Yin Zhishuai
Published: October 2020

A two-phase cross-modality fusion detector is proposed in this study for robust and high-precision 3D object detection with RGB images and LiDAR point clouds. First, a two-stream fusion network is built into the framework of Faster RCNN to perform accurate and robust 2D detection. The visible stream takes the RGB images as inputs, while the intensity stream is fed with the intensity maps which are generated by projecting the reflection intensity of point clouds to the front view. A multi-layer feature-level fusion scheme is designed to merge multi-modal features across multiple layers in order to enhance the expressiveness and robustness of the produced features upon which region proposals are generated. Second, a decision-level fusion is implemented by projecting 2D proposals to the space of the point cloud to generate 3D frustums, on the basis of which the second-phase 3D detector is built to accomplish instance segmentation and 3D-box regression on the filtered point cloud. The results on the KITTI benchmark show that features extracted from RGB images and intensity maps complement each other, and our proposed detector achieves state-of-the-art performance on 3D object detection with a substantially lower running time as compared to available competitors.
Analysis of the Dynamic Height Distribution at the Estuary of the Odra River Based on Gravimetric Measurements Acquired with the Use of a Light Survey Boat—A Case Study
Authors: Pyrchla Krzysztof , Tomczak Arkadiusz , Zaniewicz Grzegorz , Pyrchla Jerzy , Kowalska Paulina
Published: October 2020

This article presents possible applications of a dynamic gravity meter (MGS-6, Micro-g LaCoste) for determining the dynamic height along the Odra River, in northwest Poland. The gravity measurement campaign described in this article was conducted on a small, hybrid-powered survey vessel (overall length: 9.5 m). We discuss a method for processing the results of gravimetric measurements performed on a mobile platform affected by strong external disturbances. Because measurement noise in most cases consists of signals caused by non-ideal observation conditions, careful attempts were made to analyze and eliminate the noise. Two different data processing strategies were implemented, one for a 20 Hz gravity data stream and another for a 1 Hz data stream. A comparison of the achieved results is presented. A height reference level, consistent for the entire estuary, is critical for the construction of a safe waterway system, including 3D navigation with the dynamic estimation of under-keel clearance on the Odra and other Polish rivers. The campaign was conducted in an area where the accuracy of measurements (levelling and gravimetric) is of key importance for shipping safety. The shores in the presented area of interest are swampy, so watercraft-based measurements are preferred. The method described in the article can be successfully applied to measurements in all near-zero-depth areas.
Tensor Decomposition for Spatial—Temporal Traffic Flow Prediction with Sparse Data
Authors: Yang Funing , Liu Guoliang , Huang Liping , Chin Cheng Siong
Published: October 2020

Urban transport traffic surveillance is of great importance for public traffic control and personal travel path planning. Effective and efficient traffic flow prediction is helpful to optimize these real applications. The main challenge of traffic flow prediction is the data sparsity problem, meaning that traffic flow on some roads or of certain periods cannot be monitored. This paper presents a transport traffic prediction method that leverages the spatial and temporal correlation of transportation traffic to tackle this problem. We first propose to model the traffic flow using a fourth-order tensor, which incorporates the location, the time of day, the day of the week, and the week of the month. Based on the constructed traffic flow tensor, we either propose a model to estimate the correlation in each dimension of the tensor. Furthermore, we utilize the gradient descent strategy to design a traffic flow prediction algorithm that is capable of tackling the data sparsity problem from the spatial and temporal perspectives of the traffic pattern. To validate the proposed traffic prediction method, case studies using real-work datasets are constructed, and the results demonstrate that the prediction accuracy of our proposed method outperforms the baselines. The accuracy decreases the least with the percentage of missing data increasing, including the situation of data being missing on neighboring roads in one or continuous multi-days. This certifies that the proposed prediction method can be utilized for sparse data-based transportation traffic surveillance.
Irradiance Restoration Based Shadow Compensation Approach for High Resolution Multispectral Satellite Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Han Hongyin , Han Chengshan , Huang Liang , Lan Taiji , Xue Xucheng
Published: October 2020

Numerous applications are hindered by shadows in high resolution satellite remote sensing images, like image classification, target recognition and change detection. In order to improve remote sensing image utilization, significant importance appears for restoring surface feature information under shadow regions. Problems inevitably occur for current shadow compensation methods in processing high resolution multispectral satellite remote sensing images, such as color distortion of compensated shadow and interference of non-shadow. In this study, to further settle these problems, we analyzed the surface irradiance of both shadow and non-shadow areas based on a satellite sensor imaging mechanism and radiative transfer theory, and finally develop an irradiance restoration based (IRB) shadow compensation approach under the assumption that the shadow area owns the same irradiance to the nearby non-shadow area containing the same type features. To validate the performance of the proposed IRB approach for shadow compensation, we tested numerous images of WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 acquired at different sites and times. We particularly evaluated the shadow compensation performance of the proposed IRB approach by qualitative visual sense comparison and quantitative assessment with two WorldView-3 test images of Tripoli, Libya. The resulting images automatically produced by our IRB method deliver a good visual sense and relatively low relative root mean square error (rRMSE) values. Experimental results show that the proposed IRB shadow compensation approach can not only compensate information of surface features in shadow areas both effectively and automatically, but can also well preserve information of objects in non-shadow regions for high resolution multispectral satellite remote sensing images.
Empirical Mode Decomposition Based Multi-Modal Activity Recognition
Authors: Hu Lingyue , Zhao Kailong , Zhou Xueling , Ling Bingo Wing-Kuen , Liao Guozhao
Published: October 2020

This paper aims to develop an activity recognition algorithm to allow parents to monitor their children at home after school. A common method used to analyze electroencephalograms is to use infinite impulse response filters to decompose the electroencephalograms into various brain wave components. However, nonlinear phase distortions will be introduced by these filters. To address this issue, this paper applies empirical mode decomposition to decompose the electroencephalograms into various intrinsic mode functions and categorize them into four groups. In addition, common features used to analyze electroencephalograms are energy and entropy. However, because there are only two features, the available information is limited. To address this issue, this paper extracts 11 different physical quantities from each group of intrinsic mode functions, and these are employed as the features. Finally, this paper uses the random forest to perform activity recognition. It is worth noting that the conventional approach for performing activity recognition is based on a single type of signal, which limits the recognition performance. In this paper, a multi-modal system based on electroencephalograms, image sequences, and motion signals is used for activity recognition. The numerical simulation results show that the percentage accuracies based on three types of signal are higher than those based on two types of signal or the individual signals. This demonstrates the advantages of using the multi-modal approach for activity recognition. In addition, our proposed empirical mode decomposition-based method outperforms the conventional filtering-based method. This demonstrates the advantages of using the nonlinear and adaptive time frequency approach for activity recognition.
Underwater Ambiguity Elimination Method Based on Co-Prime Sensor Array
Authors: Lan Tian , Wang Yilin , Qiu Longhao
Published: October 2020

Recently, the direction of arrival estimation with co-prime arrays has gradually been applied in underwater scenarios because of its significant advantages over traditional uniform linear arrays. Despite the advantages of co-prime arrays, the spatial spectra obtained directly from conventional beamforming can be degraded by grating lobes due to the sparse spatial sampling in passive sensing applications, which will seriously deteriorate the estimation performance. In this paper, capon beamforming is applied to a co-prime sensor array as a pretreatment before high-resolution direction of arrival (DOA) estimation methods. The amplitudes extracted from the beam-domain outputs of two subarrays and the phases extracted from the cross-spectrum of the spatial spectrum are exploited to suppress the spurious peaks in beam patterns and eliminate ambiguities. Consequently, interference can be further mitigated, and the performance of high-resolution DOA methods will be guaranteed. Simulations show that the method proposed can improve the reliability and accuracy of DOA estimation with great value in practice.
Seabed Topography Changes in the Sopot Pier Zone in 2010–2018 Influenced by Tombolo Phenomenon
Authors: Makar Artur , Specht Cezary , Specht Mariusz , Dąbrowski Paweł , Burdziakowski Paweł , Lewicka Oktawia
Published: October 2020

Bathymetric surveys of the same body of water, performed at regular intervals, apart from updating the geospatial information used to create paper and electronic maps, allow for several additional analyses, including an evaluation of geomorphological changes occurring in the coastal zone. This research is particularly important in places where the shape of the coastal zone has been violently disturbed, including by human activity. Tombolo is such a phenomenon and it dynamically shapes the new hydrological conditions of the coastal zone. Apart from natural factors, it may be caused by the construction of hydrotechnical facilities in the littoral zone. It causes a significant disturbance in the balance of the marine environment, resulting in the bottom accretion and dynamic changes in the coastline. This has been the case since 2010 in Sopot, where the rapidly advancing tombolo is not only changing environmental relations but also threatening the health-spa character of the town by stopping the transport of sand along the coast. This paper analyses changes in seabed shape in the pier area in Sopot between 2010 and 2018. In the analysis, both archival maps and bathymetric surveys over a period of 8 years were used; based on these, numerical bottom models were developed and their geospatial changes were analyzed. The results showed that changes in the seabed in this area are progressing very quickly, despite periodic dredging actions organized by administrative bodies.
Analysis of Various Pickup Coil Designs in Nonmodule-Type GaN Power Semiconductors
Authors: Kim Ui-Jin , Kim Rae-Young
Published: October 2020

Gallium nitride (GaN) devices are advantageous over conventional Silicon (Si) devices in terms of their small size, low on-resistance, and high dv/dt characteristics; these ensure a high integrated density circuit configuration, high efficiency, and fast switching speed. Therefore, in the diagnosis and protection of a system containing a GaN power semiconductor, the transient state for accurate switch current measurement must be analyzed. The pick-up coil, as a current sensor for switch current measurement in a system comprising a surface-mount-device-type nonmodular GaN power semiconductor, has the advantages of a higher degree-of-freedom configuration for its printed circuit board, a relatively small size, and lower cost than other current sensors. However, owing to the fast switching characteristics of the GaN device, a bandwidth of hundreds MHz must be secured along with a coil configuration that must overcome the limitations of relatively low sensitivity of the conventional current sensor. This paper analyzes the pick-up coil sensor models that can achieve optimal bandwidth and sensitivity for switch current measurement in GaN based device. So four configurable pick-up coil models are considered and compared according to coil-parameter using mathematical methods, magnetic, and frequency-response analysis. Finally, an optimal coil model is proposed and validated using a double-pulse test.
Human and Animal Motion Tracking Using Inertial Sensors
Authors: Marin Frédéric
Published: October 2020

Motion is key to health and wellbeing, something we are particularly aware of in times of lockdowns and restrictions on movement. Considering the motion of humans and animals as a biomarker of the performance of the neuro-musculoskeletal system, its analysis covers a large array of research fields, such as sports, equine science and clinical applications, but also innovative methods and workplace analysis. In this Special Issue of Sensors, we focused on human and animal motion-tracking using inertial sensors. Ten research and two review papers, mainly on human movement, but also on the locomotion of the horse, were selected. The selection of articles in this Special Issue aims to display current innovative approaches exploring hardware and software solutions deriving from inertial sensors related to motion capture and analysis. The selected sample shows that the versatility and pervasiveness of inertial sensors has great potential for the years to come, as, for now, limitations and room for improvement still remain.
A Two-Class Data Transmission Method Using a Lightweight Blockchain Structure for Secure Smart Dust IoT Environments
Authors: Park Joonsuu , Park KeeHyun
Published: October 2020

In smart dust IoT environments, a large number of devices with low computing power/resources are deployed to collect surrounding information. There are many issues to consider for an efficient and secure smart dust IoT environment. Sometimes the urgent sensed data needs to be transmitted immediately. In addition, there are potential problems related to security issues since the smart dust IoT systems may be deployed in hard-to-access areas. In this paper, we propose an effective transmission method for two-class sensed data for secure smart IoT systems. We divide the sensed data into two classes which consist of the urgent sensed data class (requiring urgent data transmission) and the normal sensed data class (with a slight transmission delay due to yielding to the urgent data transmission). In addition, for security reasons, the proposed transmission method uses two kinds of blockchains with the following two ledgers: (1) the urgent sensed data ledger, which is a ledger of data that needs urgent transmission; and (2) the normal sensed data ledger, which is a ledger of data that allows some delay. To be specific, the lightweight blockchain based on our earlier work is used for the normal sensed data transmission, whereas the modified conventional blockchain is used for the normal sensed data transmission. The experiments show that the performance of the proposed transmission method is better than the conventional transmission method in almost all sections. There is a 53% performance increase on average with regard to the transmission time. When the ratio of urgent sensed data is 0% (i.e., no urgent sensed data at all), the proposed transmission method is greater improved by as much as about 96%. This means that the lightweight blockchain scheme used in the proposed transmission method for the normal sensed data is very efficient.
Cost-Effective Electrochemical Activation of Graphitic Carbon Nitride on the Glassy Carbon Electrode Surface for Selective Determination of Serotonin
Authors: Kathiresan Vijayaraj , Rajarathinam Thenmozhi , Lee Seulah , Kim Suhkmann , Lee Jaewon , Thirumalai Dinakaran , Chang Seung-Cheol
Published: October 2020

A simple one-step electrochemical deposition/activation of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is highly desired for sensor configurations and remains a great challenge. Herein, we attempt an electrochemical route to exfoliate the g-C3N4 nanosheets in an aqueous solution of pH 7.0 for constructing a sensor, which is highly sensitive for the detection of serotonin (5-HT). The significance of our design is to exfoliate the g-C3N4 nanosheets, a strong electrocatalyst for 5-HT detection. Investigations regarding the effect of neutral pH (pH 7.0) on the bulk g-C3N4 and g-C3N4 nanosheets, physical characterization, and electrochemical studies were extensively carried out. We demonstrate that the g-C3N4 nanosheets have a significant electrocatalytic effect for the 5-HT detection in a dynamic linear range from 500 pM to 1000 nM (R2 = 0.999). The limit of detection and sensitivity of the designed 5-HT sensor was calculated to be 150 pM and 1.03 µA µM−1 cm−2, respectively. The proposed sensor has great advantages such as high sensitivity, good selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. The constructed g-C3N4 nanosheets-based sensor platform opens new feasibilities for the determination of 5-HT even at the picomolar/nanomolar concentration range.
Knowledge, Competences and Competitive Advantage of the Green-Technology Companies in Poland
Authors: Marczewska Magdalena , Jaskanis Adrianna , Kostrzewski Mariusz
Published: October 2020

The article deals with the issue of competitive advantages based on the knowledge of Polish green-technology companies. It aims to identify the sources of knowledge and indicate companies’ competences in acquiring knowledge, which are believed to be the basis of their market success. Empirical research presented in this article was based on qualitative studies using in-depth interviews. The obtained results allowed to identify the most important sources of knowledge that can be structured into the following pillars: research and development works, knowledge on the competitors, customers and recipients, green technology domestic market, and foreign markets for green technologies. Moreover, it allowed to identify the competences of green-technology companies in Poland and describe the process of acquiring these competences. The analysis of the collected data and the obtained results allowed to create a model of acquiring new knowledge by green-technology companies in Poland, which serves as a basis for these companies to gain distinctive competences.
The Structural Relationship among Career-Related Mentoring, Ambiguity Tolerance, and Job Search Effort and Behavior of Korean College Students
Authors: Kwon Yangyi , Kim Jhong Yun (Joy) , Keane Andrew
Published: October 2020

Although a substantial body of mentoring research has been conducted on students attending four-year colleges, the interplay of career-related mentoring, ambiguity tolerance, and job search effort and behavior has not been seriously investigated. Therefore, we examined the relationship between career-related mentoring and ambiguity tolerance, as well as job search effort and behavior, for the purpose of understanding how to better assist undergraduate college students achieve preliminary job search success. Data were collected via pencil surveys administered to 300 undergraduate students selected by purposive sampling from four colleges in Seoul, Korea. Correlation analysis and covariance structure analysis were conducted to examine the relationships between variables. A Sobel test was also conducted to check the mediation effect of the model. Results were consistent with our hypotheses and showed that there was a significant, indirect, positive effect of career-related mentoring on job search effort and behavior, mediated through ambiguity tolerance. Our study contributes to career-related mentoring and job search research by providing empirical evidence supporting the results. It has implications for universities, mentoring program design, and career guidance professionals.
Governance Mechanisms and Barriers for Achieving Water Quality Improvements in Galapagos
Authors: Mateus Cristina , Valencia Melanie , DiFrancesco Kara , Ochoa-Herrera Valeria , Gartner Todd , Quiroga Diego
Published: October 2020

Human activities contribute to the degradation of water quality on the Galapagos Islands, affecting human health and Galapagos’ fragile ecosystem. Despite the numerous resources vested in water management, programs have yet to achieve measurable improvements in water quality. To identify the governance mechanisms and barriers to improving water quality, we applied a two-pronged strategy: a collaborative, bottom-up compilation and prioritization of technical specialists and stakeholders’ concerns, and an evaluation of top-down government plans. The comparison of priorities and programs shows four major themes that require attention: barriers to better governance, community involvement, research, and policy. The islands lack a transparent method for accountability of the funds designated for water management, the efficacy of implementation, and results and progress beyond government periods. Government projects have included limited public participation, resulting in projects that do not meet stakeholder’s needs and concerns. Furthermore, the majority of the programs have not been completed within the timeline or budgets allocated. We recommend implementing a participatory governance mechanism that responds to each island’s context, balances socioecological and policy priorities and evaluates past projects to have adequate benchmarking, mitigating a planning fallacy. All programs should be accompanied by a transparent monitoring system that ensures accountability and evaluates water quality programs’ efficiency and effectiveness, according to goals and indicators developed collaboratively. This research may aid practitioners in small island developing states (SIDS) around the globe that are struggling with similar water management and governance issues and who may benefit from taking a bottom-up and top-down approach to assessing technical specialists’ and local stakeholders’ concerns in relation to past, present and future government programs.
Human Rights and Precautionary Principle: Limits to Geoengineering, SRM, and IPCC Scenarios
Authors: Wieding Jutta , Stubenrauch Jessica , Ekardt Felix
Published: October 2020

: Most scenarios on instruments limiting global warming in line with the 1.5 °C temperature limit of the Paris Agreement rely on overshooting the emissions threshold, thus requiring the application of negative emission technologies later on. Subsequently, the debate on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and solar radiation management (SRM) (frequently subsumed under “geoengineering”) has been reinforced. Yet, it does not determine normatively whether those are legally valid approaches to climate protection. After taking a closer look at the scope of climate scenarios and SRM methods compiling current research and opinions on SRM, this paper analyses the feasibility of geoengineering and of SRM in particular under international law. It will be shown that from the perspective of human rights, the Paris Agreement, and precautionary principle the phasing-out of fossil fuels and the reduction in consumption of livestock products as well as nature-based approaches such as sustainable—and thus climate and biodiversity-smart—forest, peatland, and agricultural management strongly prevail before geoengineering and atmospheric SRM measures in particular. However, as all of the atmospheric SRM methods are in their development phase, governance options to effectively frame further exploration of SRM technologies are proposed, maintaining that respective technologies thus far are not a viable means of climate protection.
Perception-Based Study on the Value of Nature to People and Land Sparing for Nature in Brazil and Poland
Authors: Latawiec Agnieszka E. , Penna-Firme Rodrigo , Pena Ingrid A.B. , Strassburg Bernardo B.N. , Drosik Adam , Kubon Maciej , Latala Hubert , Grotkiewicz Katarzyna , Kubon Krzysztof , Teixeira Pedro , Rodrigues Lucas , Iribarrem Alvaro , Famielec Stanisław , Springer Dominika , Lucas Isabella Leite
Published: October 2020

Understanding perception about nature is paramount to understanding human behavior and decision making on the environment. We performed a survey-based study in Brazil and Poland to better understand the perception of land sparing for nature and the perceived value of nature. The countries were selected by intentional sampling and given their importance for local and global biodiversity conservation, and complex socio-ecological context of conservation versus agroforestry business. We performed an online questionnaire (N = 1030) in Brazil and face-to-face interviews in Poland (N = 322). We found that Brazilian respondents demonstrated more pro-environmental attitudes than Polish survey participants. Regarding the question: “How much nature that is left should be spared?”, nearly 51% of Brazilians answered “everything”, compared with 13% of Polish respondents. Just under half of the respondents from Poland (45.6%) indicated that half of the nature that is left should be spared. Brazilian respondents also perceived the intrinsic value of nature to a greater extent compared with Polish respondents; in total, 76% of Brazilians respondents entirely agreed that “Nature, its plants and animals have a value on their own, independent of their usefulness for us” versus 25% of Polish respondents. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the leverage points driving pro-environmental attitudes in both countries.
The Intrinsic Value of an Enterprise Determined by Means of the FCFE Tool
Authors: Jezkova Veronika , Rowland Zuzana , Machova Veronika , Hejda Jan
Published: October 2020

This paper deals with the determination of the intrinsic value of the company Seznam.cz, a.s. using discounted cash flow. Specifically, it is concerned with determining the value of the business from the perspective of the company’s shareholders. The Free Cash Flow to Equity (FCFE) method is chosen for analysis and determination of the value. According to this method, the specific FCFE values are discovered. However, the enterprise value must also be analyzed on the basis of other key indicators, such as financial leverage, the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) method, or the net present and future value of the FCFE. This is especially important so that the results can be put into mutual relations and a sufficient representative value of the FCFE results can be achieved. Input values stem from the company’s annual reports. From the results of the mentioned methods and indicators, it was found that the value of the FCFE is quite high, which means that the capital used is used appropriately. Based on the result of the continuing value of the FCFE, it can be said that the company’s intrinsic value is at a very good level.
Nonlocal Conservation Laws of PDEs Possessing Differential Coverings
Authors: Krasil’shchik Iosif
Published: October 2020

In his 1892 paper, L. Bianchi noticed, among other things, that quite simple transformations of the formulas that describe the Bäcklund transformation of the sine-Gordon equation lead to what is called a nonlocal conservation law in modern language. Using the techniques of differential coverings, we show that this observation is of a quite general nature. We describe the procedures to construct such conservation laws and present a number of illustrative examples.
Device-To-Device Communication in 5G Environment: Issues, Solutions, and Challenges
Authors: Adnan Mohd Hirzi , Ahmad Zukarnain Zuriati
Published: October 2020

Device-to-device (D2D) communication produces a new dimension in the mobile environment, easing the data exchange process between physically neighboring devices. To achieve an effective utilization of available resources, reduce latency, improve data rates, and increase system capacity, D2D communication utilizes nearby communicating devices. The mobile operator’s action to collect the short-range communications for maintenance of the proximity-based services and improve the performance of networks drives the development of D2D. This paper presents an extensive review of proposed solutions aiming to enhance the security in D2D communication. The main goal of the research is to present an extensive review of the recent advances in various D2D domains such as the discovery process, mode selection schemes, interference management, power control techniques and finally the mode selection for D2D applications for 5G technologies. Additionally, we highlight the open problems and identify the challenges with regard to the D2D communication problem.
The n-Pythagorean Fuzzy Sets
Authors: Bryniarska Anna
Published: October 2020

The following paper presents deductive theories of n-Pythagorean fuzzy sets (n-PFS). N-PFS objects are a generalization of the intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and the Yager Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs). Until now, the values of membership and non-membership functions have been described on a one-to-one scale and a quadratic function scale. There is a symmetry between the values of this membership and non-membership functions. The scales of any power functions are used here in order to increase the scope of the decision-making problems. The theory of n-PFS introduces a conceptual apparatus analogous to the classic theory of Zadeh fuzzy sets, consistently striving to correctly define the n-PFS algebra.
NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Hemodialysis and Hypertensive Patients with Intact Kidney Function
Authors: Ulrich Christof , Wildgrube Susann , Fiedler Roman , Seibert Eric , Kneser Leonie , Fick Sylvia , Schäfer Christoph , Markau Silke , Trojanowicz Bogusz , Girndt Matthias
Published: October 2020

Hypertension is not only an integrative characteristic of hemodialysis (HD) patients but is also very common in the general population. There is evidence that the inflammatory cytokine IL-β, regulated by the NLRP3 inflammasome via caspase-1, contributes to the hypertensive setting. Therefore, we investigated in an observational pilot study whether IL-1β secretion and inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis) are different in HD and hypertensive patients with intact kidney function. Twenty HD patients were age-, gender-, and diabetes-mellitus-matched to patients with hypertension and intact kidney function. Caspase-1 activity and pyroptosis rates were measured by flow cytometry. IL-1β was determined by qPCR and the ELISA technique. The inflammatory status (CRP) did not differ between both groups; however, the body mass index, a classical cardiovascular risk factor, was significantly elevated in blood pressure (BP) patients. BP patients had a higher frequency of caspase-1-positive monocytes compared to HD (p < 0.001). IL1-β protein secretion was significantly enhanced in BP, but ex vivo stimulation of blood cells resulted in higher pyroptosis rates in HD compared to BP patients (p < 0.01). Therefore, HD and BP patients differ in the extent of the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The consequences of overweight, present in BP patients, may contribute to the significantly higher inflammasomal induction level. Whether low pyroptotic rates are equivalent to a dysfunctional immune response or a high pyroptotic output corresponds to over-activation remains to be clarified.
A Review of Avian Influenza A Virus Associations in Synanthropic Birds
Authors: Shriner Susan A. , Root J. Jeffrey
Published: October 2020

Avian influenza A viruses (IAV) have received significant attention due to the threat they pose to human, livestock, and wildlife health. In this review, we focus on what is known about IAV dynamics in less common avian species that may play a role in trafficking IAVs to poultry operations. Specifically, we focus on synanthropic bird species. Synanthropic species, otherwise known as peridomestic, are species that are ecologically associated with humans and anthropogenically modified landscapes, such as agricultural and urban areas. Aquatic birds such as waterfowl and shorebirds are the species most commonly associated with avian IAVs, and are generally considered the reservoir or maintenance hosts in the natural ecology of these viruses. Waterfowl and shorebirds are occasionally associated with poultry facilities, but are uncommon or absent in many areas, especially large commercial operations. In these cases, spillover hosts that share resources with both maintenance hosts and target hosts such as poultry may play an important role in introducing wild bird viruses onto farms. Consequently, our focus here is on what is known about IAV dynamics in synanthropic hosts that are commonly found on both farms and in nearby habitats, such as fields, lakes, wetlands, or riparian areas occupied by waterfowl or shorebirds.
Neutralizing Antibodies Targeting HIV-1 gp41
Authors: Caillat Christophe , Guilligay Delphine , Sulbaran Guidenn , Weissenhorn Winfried
Published: October 2020

HIV-1 vaccine research has obtained an enormous boost since the discovery of many broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) targeting all accessible sites on the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env). This in turn facilitated high-resolution structures of the Env glycoprotein in complex with bnAbs. Here we focus on gp41, its highly conserved heptad repeat region 1 (HR1), the fusion peptide (FP) and the membrane-proximal external region (MPER). Notably, the broadest neutralizing antibodies target MPER. Both gp41 HR1 and MPER are only fully accessible once receptor-induced conformational changes have taken place, although some studies suggest access to MPER in the close to native Env conformation. We summarize the data on the structure and function of neutralizing antibodies targeting gp41 HR1, FP and MPER and we review their access to Env and their complex formation with gp41 HR1, MPER peptides and FP within native Env. We further discuss MPER bnAb binding to lipids and the role of somatic mutations in recognizing a bipartite epitope composed of the conserved MPER sequence and membrane components. The problematic of gp41 HR1 access and MPER bnAb auto- and polyreactivity is developed in the light of inducing such antibodies by vaccination.
Relationship between Environmental Conditions and Structure of Macroinvertebrate Community in a Hydromorphologically Altered Pre-Alpine River
Authors: Zelnik Igor , Muc Tjaša
Published: October 2020

Hydromorphological alterations influence a wide range of environmental conditions as well as riparian vegetation and the structure of the macroinvertebrate community. We studied relationships between the structure and diversity of the macroinvertebrate community and hydromorphological and other environmental conditions in the river Gradaščica (central Slovenia). The Gradaščica river is a pre-Alpine torrential river that has been morphologically altered by humans. A selection of abiotic factors was measured, the ecomorphological status of the river was assessed, vegetation in the riparian zone was surveyed and benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled. Correlations between diversity and the structure of the macroinvertebrate community, environmental parameters and occurrence of invasive alien plant species in the riparian zone were identified. The significance of the influence of environmental parameters on the structure of the macroinvertebrate community was examined. We found that hydromorphological alterations in the river have had a significant influence on the diversity and composition of the macroinvertebrate community because of changes of flow velocity and the spread of invasive alien plant species that has followed those changes. Factors that also significantly influence the composition of macroinvertebrate community are distance from the source and conductivity. Our findings suggest minimization of further human hydromorphological changes of watercourses could prevent the loss of biodiversity of riverine ecosystems.
Drought Characterization and Trend Detection Using the Reconnaissance Drought Index for Setsoto Municipality of the Free State Province of South Africa and the Impact on Maize Yield
Authors: Abubakar Hadisu B. , Newete Solomon W. , Scholes Mary C.
Published: October 2020

The reconnaissance drought index (RDI) for the Setsoto municipality of the Free State province in South Africa was calculated for the period between 1985 and 2019 at 3 month (October–December), 6 month (October–March), and 12 month (October–September) intervals. Rainfall and minimum and maximum temperature data from four weather stations (Clocolan, Ficksburg, Marquard, and Senekal) were used for this study to characterize drought using “DrinC” software together with the Mann Kendall test with Sen’s slope to detect drought trends and the rate of change. Extreme, severe, and moderate droughts were recorded for all the stations, with RDIs ranging from −3.6 to −1.0 at different temporal scales. The years 1991, 1994, 2006, 2011, and 2015 were highlighted using the RDI 3, 6, and 12 month calculations. Results showed that the yield decreased either in the year of the drought or in the subsequent year, due to the exact timing of the low-rainfall events in the season and soil moisture storage. Yields were low, on average 2.5 tons ha−1 year−1, with high variability. Optimal growing conditions are essential in the early part of the season, October–December, for maximizing yield; if droughts are experienced at this time then the yield is more greatly impacted than if the droughts occur later in the season. Spatial analysis shows a large variability of drought patterns across the Municipality, over the years, with the 3 month RDI values giving a more detailed picture of this variability than the 6 and 12 month RDI values.
Field and Modeling Study on Saving Mineral Fertilizers, Increasing Farm Income and Improving Soil Fertility Using Bio-Irrigation with Drainage Water from Fish Farms
Authors: R. E. Abdelraouf , El-Sayed Ayman , Alaraidh Ibrahim A. , Alsahli Abdulaziz , El-Zaidy Mohamed
Published: October 2020

The reuse of new and non-traditional sources of water for the purpose of irrigation is the primary goal of all countries that are located in dry areas and suffer from water scarcity, including Egypt in particular. This study was conducted to determine the appropriateness and quantify the benefits of using fish farm wastewater (DWFF), as an alternative to fresh irrigation water (IW), for the irrigation of barley. Two types of water quality were tested for the irrigation of barley, namely DWFF and IW, in addition to four levels of fertilization rates, 100%N, 80%N, 60%N, and 40%N, where 100%N represents 156 kg of nitrogen per hectare. The results showed a positive effect of increasing the nitrogen fertilization rate with irrigation water on the crop with the use of DWFF and IW for irrigating barley in two seasons: 2017/2018 and 2018/2019. The yield when using DWFF for the irrigation of barley was higher than the yield when using IW, which was in the range of 5.1% and 25.9% in 2017/2018 and between 9.8% and 33.3% in 2018/2019. This was due to the additional amount of dissolved biological nitrogen and other nutrients contained in DWFF. Notably, an additional amount of dissolved nitrogen is inherent in DWFF (12.81 kg nitrogen ha−1 in 2017/2018 and 12.43 kg nitrogen ha−1 in 2018/2019) and other elements, such as phosphorus and potassium, which are two macronutrients for crops. The SALTMED model was used to simulate soil moisture content, water application efficiency, nitrogen concentration in the soil layer in the effective root zone, N uptake, the dry matter of grown barley, and yield and water productivity for all treatments, with R2 values of 0.94, 0.89, 0.99, 0.916, 0.89, 0.915, and 0.919 respectively. The research concluded that the use of DWFF is an effective alternative to IW for irrigating barley. It also helped to achieve higher yields while applying lower amounts of IW and chemical fertilizers. There are also additional benefits, such as reducing the drainage to the drainage network and increasing the income of farmers.
Characteristics of Ammonia Removal and Nitrifying Microbial Communities in a Hybrid Biofloc-RAS for Intensive Litopenaeus vannamei Culture: A Pilot-Scale Study
Authors: Xu Wujie , Xu Yu , Su Haochang , Hu Xiaojuan , Yang Keng , Wen Guoliang , Cao Yucheng
Published: October 2020

Ammonia is the main pollution factor of the aquatic environment in marine shrimp culture systems. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the combination of biofloc technology and nitrifying biofilter for the ammonia removal, a 70-day production trial was conducted in a simplified pilot-scale hybrid biofloc-based recirculating aquaculture system (biofloc-RAS) with the intensive culture of Litopenaeus vannamei. Nitrogen dynamics and nitrifying microbial communities were investigated in three replicated systems simultaneously under the conditions of high feed loading and zero water exchange. Along with biofloc development in the culture tank and biofilm formation in the nitrifying biofilter during the trial, nitrification could be fastly and effectively established in the system, which was indicated by the dynamics of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), NO2–-N, NO3–-N, and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations. Meanwhile, similar nitrifying microorganisms could be found between biofloc and biofilm, despite some differences in abundance, diversity, and composition of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. High TAN removal rate could be achieved and was significantly and positively correlated with abundances of these nitrifying microbial communities in both biofloc and biofilm, further indicating that both biofloc and biofilm could contribute highly to nitrification performance of the biofloc-RAS. The results of this study indicate a potential application of the biofloc-RAS in coastal intensive aquaculture.
Development of biological methods for the protection of Glycine max L. in the central zone of the Krasnodar Territory
Authors:   All-Russian Research Institute of Biological Plant Protection, Pushnya M.V. , Snesareva E.G. ,   All-Russian Research Institute of Biological Plant Protection, Rodionova E.Yu. ,   All-Russian Research Institute of Biological Plant Protection
Published: October 2020

The purpose of our study was to develop biological methods to protect soybean from pests. Lepidoptera is believed to be one of the most numerous groups of insects in this crop. As a conservative estimate, 20 species of Lepidoptera were found in soybean agrocenosis; the greatest damage to Glycine max L. caused Etiella zinkinella Tr. 1832 and Helicoverpa armigera Hb. 1805. It was shown that not less than 500 m distance of crops from the main reserve of pests – robinia and the use of early ripening varieties provided the minimum loss of bean yield (no more than 0.9 – 1.9%). The use of biological preparations based on B. thuringiensis – lepidocide and bitoxybacillin allowed reducing beans and seeds damage by pests by 20-30%.