bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Structure of Inductive Proximity Sensor
Authors: Guo Yi-Xin , Lai Cong , Shao Zhi-Biao , Xu Kai-Liang , Li Ting
Published: May 2019

The inductive proximity sensor (IPS) is applicable to displacement measurements in the aviation field due to its non-mechanical contact, safety, and durability. IPS can increase reliability of position detection and decrease maintenance cost of the system effectively in aircraft applications. Nevertheless, the specialty in the aviation field proposes many restrictions and requirements on the application of IPS, including the temperature drift effect of the resistance component of the IPS sensing coil. Moreover, reliability requirements of aircrafts restrict the use of computational-intensive algorithms and avoid the use of process control components. Furthermore, the environment of airborne electronic equipment restricts measurements driven by large current and proposes strict requirements on emission tests of radio frequency (RF) energy. For these reasons, a differential structured IPS measurement method is proposed in this paper. This measurement method inherits the numerical separation of the resistance and inductance components of the IPS sensing coil to improve the temperature adaptation of the IPS. The computational complexity is decreased by combining the dimension-reduced look-up table method to prevent the use of process control components. The proposed differential structured IPS is equipped with a differential structure of distant and nearby sensing coils to increase the detection accuracy. The small electric current pulse excitation decreases the RF energy emission. Verification results demonstrate that the differential structured IPS realizes the numerical decoupling calculation of the vector impedance of the sensing coil by using 61 look-up table units. The measuring sensitivity increased from 135.5 least significant bits (LSB)/0.10 mm of a single-sensing-coil structured IPS to 1201.4 LSB/0.10 mm, and the linear approximation distance error decreased from 99.376 μm to −3.240 μm. The proposed differential structured IPS method has evident comparative advantages compared with similar measuring techniques.
Perceptions of the Public Transport Service as a Barrier to the Adoption of Public Transport: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Ramos Sara , Vicente Paula , Passos Ana M. , Costa Patrícia , Reis Elizabeth
Published: May 2019

This article presents the outcomes of a qualitative study involving users of public transportation in the metropolitan area of Lisbon in order to obtain a deeper understanding of attitudes towards public transport and to explore perceptions of the public transport service. It is important to know what people think and feel about public transport so that strategies can be designed to attract people to public transport. Ethnographic interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to identify factors that potentially influence people’s perceptions and determine their satisfaction, or dissatisfaction with the public transport service. The key findings suggest that public transport usage would increase if the level of service was brought in line with users’ expectations; more specifically, there should be a better connection between inter-modal options, more compliance with timetables, and a more appropriate response to users’ needs.
Injury Pain in Track and Field Athletes: Cross-Sectional Study of Mediating Factors
Authors: Timpka Toomas , Jacobsson Jenny , Bargoria Victor , Dahlström Örjan
Published: May 2019

This exploratory study aimed to investigate whether data from track and field athletes support a conceptual model where the perception of pain affects self-evaluated health directly, yet is also indirectly mediated through personal factors and external stressors. A cross-sectional study was performed among athletes (n = 278) competing at the highest national level in the sport. Data for the dependent and independent variables were collected using the EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) standardized measure of health status, and the mediator variables were collected by the Body Consciousness Scale (BCS-HA), Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ), Commitment to Exercise Scale (CtES), and Brief Cope survey instruments. Two hundred and twenty-five (81%) athletes provided complete data sets. A strong direct association (c = −16.49; p < 0.001) was found between pain and self-estimated health, and a global mediation was found through the mediators (mediation effect (ME), −1.814, 90% confidence interval (CI), −3.414, −0.351). Specific mediation was observed for body competence (ME, −0.721; 90% CI, −2.028, −0.097) and private body consciousness (ME, −0.514; 90% CI, −1.761, −0.017). In conclusion, we found a negative association between perceived pain and self-evaluated health among competitive track and field athletes, and we found that a portion of the association was mediated through mediating factors. Under the assumption that the analyzed pain data primarily represented noxious pain, the conceptual model of the relationships between pain and self-estimated health among high-level track and field athletes was supported.
Risk Prediction Model for Dengue Transmission Based on Climate Data: Logistic Regression Approach
Authors: Chandrakantha Leslie
Published: May 2019

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease prevalent in more than one hundred tropical and subtropical countries. Annually, an estimated 390 million infections occur worldwide. It is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with the virus. It has become a major public health challenge in recent years for many countries, including Sri Lanka. It is known that climate factors such as rainfall, temperature, and relative humidity influence the generation of mosquito offspring, thus increasing dengue incidences. Identifying the climate factors that affect the spread of dengue fever would be helpful in order for the relevant authorities to take necessary actions. The objective of this study is to build a model for predicting the likelihood of having high dengue incidences based on climate factors. A logistic regression approach was utilized for model formulation. This study found a significant association between high numbers of dengue incidences and rainfall. Furthermore, it was observed that the influence of rainfall on dengue incidences was expected to be visible after some lag period.
Potentialities of Thermography in Ecocentric Education of Children: An Experience on Training of Future Primary Teachers
Authors: Ferreira Maria Eduarda , André Ana Catarina , Pitarma Rui
Published: May 2019

Current serious environmental issues, such as deforestation, compel compulsory school education on the need for reflection on pedagogical practices to promote education for environmental sustainability. The educational process about the “tree as living being” requires that content and attitudinal dimensions be deeply integrated. Therefore, meaningful learning of biological similarity—between tree and animal—needs to be prioritised. It will promote the development of tree protection attitudes. Under this approach, an action research was developed to contribute to a future primary teacher education model. A didactic-pedagogical intervention was designed. It was implemented to assess the educational potential of infrared thermography in the development of ecocentric education. A group of students attending the 3rd year of primary education participated in this qualitative case study. The results revealed that ecocentric conceptions were constructed bringing these children closer to scientific knowledge. It resulted in the development of conservation/protection tree attitudinal learning. It is also worth mentioning the contribution of this study to (re)think (re)construction of the formative process of future primary teachers in order to: direct the teaching–learning process to environment real problems; and to promote the necessary debate on the contribution of technology to achieve innovation of pedagogical practices.
Adsorption of Paracetamol in Hospital Wastewater Through Activated Carbon Filters
Authors: Macías-García Antonio , García-Sanz-Calcedo Justo , Carrasco-Amador Juan Pablo , Segura-Cruz Raúl
Published: May 2019

In recent years, pharmaceutical products have been causing a serious environmental problem in hospital wastewater and water purification plants. The elimination of these pollutants is difficult due to their resistance to biological degradation. Paracetamol has been detected in higher concentrations in hospital wastewater than in other buildings. Activated carbons are a good material for removing paracetamol from hospital wastewater. One of the starting materials to obtain activated carbons is kenaf, which is an easy plant to cultivate. To study the elimination of paracetamol from hospital wastewater by activated carbon, the textural and chemical characterization of activated carbon, as well as the kinetic study and the analysis of the paracetamol adsorption mechanism by the adsorbent, have been carried out. The activated carbon samples studied are micro-mesoporous, with high specific surface values. The chemical composition with presence of oxygen groups favours the adsorption process. The adsorption kinetics were adjusted to a pseudo-second order model. The adsorption mechanism followed the intraparticular diffusion model, carried out in two stages: a fast first stage on the surface of the adsorbent and a slow one inside the pore. Based on the kinetic study, the use of this type of carbon is a good application for the removal of paracetamol from hospital wastewater.
An Economic Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility in Korea
Authors: Choi Daeheon , Chung Chune Young , Young Jason
Published: May 2019

Around the globe, socially responsible activities are being integrated into regulations, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly being recognized as a means of sustaining a business and improving its competitiveness. South Korea has made a significant effort to encourage CSR activities in order to increase its firms’ competitive advantage. This study evaluates the sustainable development activities of Korean firms, and empirically analyzes the positive impact of CSR on corporate performance (CP) in Korea over a period of four years. A comparison by industry reveals that CSR has a greater impact on CP in the manufacturing sector than it does in the nonmanufacturing and service sectors. Furthermore, the results for consumption goods are more positive than those for industrial goods, because the former are, in general, more affected by customer feedback. A case study of three Korean firms was used to examine CSR implementation in Korea, recent activities undertaken by Korean firms, and the integration of CSR concepts into firms’ strategies.
Development of a Biogeochemical and Carbon Model Related to Ocean Acidification Indices with an Operational Ocean Model Product in the North Western Pacific
Authors: Ishizu Miho , Miyazawa Yasumasa , Tsunoda Tomohiko , Guo Xinyu
Published: May 2019

We developed a biogeochemical and carbon model (JCOPE_EC) coupled with an operational ocean model for the North Western Pacific. JCOPE_EC represents ocean acidification indices on the background of the risks due to ocean acidification and our model experiences. It is an off-line tracer model driven by a high-resolution regional ocean general circulation model (JCOPE2M). The results showed that the model adequately reproduced the general patterns in the observed data, including the seasonal variability of chlorophyll-a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen/phosphorus, dissolved inorganic carbon, and total alkalinity. We provide an overview of this system and the results of the model validation based on the available observed data. Sensitivity analysis using fixed values for temperature, salinity, dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity helped us identify which variables contributed most to seasonal variations in the ocean acidification indices, pH and Ωarg. The seasonal variation in the pHinsitu was governed mainly by balances of the change in temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon. The seasonal increase in Ωarg from winter to summer was governed mainly by dissolved inorganic carbon levels.
Resilience and Sectoral Composition Change of Italian Inner Areas in Response to the Great Recession
Authors: Urso Giulia , Modica Marco , Faggian Alessandra
Published: May 2019

This paper focuses on the response of Italian inner areas to the Great Recession. Inner areas represent the majority of the Italian territory and are very heterogeneous in terms of (unstable) growth trajectories and industrial composition. One key issue that has partially hindered a thorough empirical analysis of the development paths of these areas so far, is defining these inner areas. To this aim, we adopt the recent classification proposed by the National Strategy for Inner Areas (2014), which identified six categories based on the travel distance from service provision centers. Our purpose is to analyze the potential structural change of inner vs non-inner areas in the face of the 2007–2008 economic crisis, assessing their adaptive capacity to the recessionary disturbance and the factors underlying their industrial composition change. We found that urban poles and inner areas had different abilities to re-adapt their local industrial compositions in response to the economic crisis with obvious effects on their future resilience.
Motivations of the Culinary Tourist in the City of Trapani, Italy
Authors: Nicoletti Sandra , Medina-Viruel Miguel Jesús , Di-Clemente Elide , Fruet-Cardozo J. Vicente
Published: May 2019

Culinary tourism is a popular practice and the resulting economic activity has great potential to enhance the attractiveness of a tourist destination. When visitors search for unique and genuine gastronomic experiences in a visited area, gastronomy becomes a germane motivation for selecting a travel destination. This study addresses culinary tourism through segmentation of visitors to Trapani, Italy, concerning the importance of gastronomy in their choice of travel destinations. This study identifies three types of tourists with different degrees of interest in local gastronomy: survivors, enjoyers, and experiencers. According to the results of statistical analysis, experiencers (tourists with a great interest in local gastronomy) show the greatest appreciation for local food as well as being the group that makes the greatest economic impact in the area.
Application of Viewshed and Spatial Aesthetic Analyses to Forest Practices for Mountain Scenery Improvement in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Lee Kwang Youn , Seo Jung Il , Kim Kyoung-Nam , Lee Yohan , Kweon Hyeongkeun , Kim Jinki
Published: May 2019

Forest practices for mountainous areas can enhance the scenery value and function of forests. However, forest scenery management is rarely implemented except for conservation areas and public forests. In this study, we first used the viewshed analysis to extract visible and invisible zones from the surface areas of ordinary mountains in Korea, and then we used spatial aesthetic analysis to interpret the human-recognized characteristics on the visible zones of mountain scenery. Finally, based on the results of both analyses, reasonable guidelines for forest practice planning were proposed to improve the scenery of ordinary mountains. The result shows that the viewshed analysis made it possible to extract visible and invisible areas from the surface areas of ordinary mountains, and to determine the scale of zoning for forest practices to improve mountain scenery. In addition, using spatial aesthetic analysis, it was possible to explain the characteristics of mountain scenery according to distance and elevational differences between viewpoint and target, and to suggest a treatment target and direction for forest practices to improve the mountain scenery. This study is meaningful in that the viewshed and spatial aesthetic analyses were applied to evaluate the current scenery of ordinary mountains and to present guidelines for forest practice planning to promote their own scenery values.
Estimation of CO2 Emissions of Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle and Battery Electric Vehicle Using LCA
Authors: Kawamoto Ryuji , Mochizuki Hideo , Moriguchi Yoshihisa , Nakano Takahiro , Motohashi Masayuki , Sakai Yuji , Inaba Atsushi
Published: May 2019

In order to reduce vehicle emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) on a global scale, the scope of consideration should be expanded to include the manufacturing, fuel extraction, refinement, power generation, and end-of-life phases of a vehicle, in addition to the actual operational phase. In this paper, the CO2 emissions of conventional gasoline and diesel internal combustion engine vehicles (ICV) were compared with mainstream alternative powertrain technologies, namely battery electric vehicles (BEV), using life-cycle assessment (LCA). In most of the current studies, CO2 emissions were calculated assuming that the region where the vehicles were used, the lifetime driving distance in that region and the CO2 emission from the battery production were fixed. However, in this paper, the life cycle CO2 emissions in each region were calculated taking into consideration the vehicle’s lifetime driving distance in each region and the deviations in CO2 emissions for battery production. For this paper, the US, European Union (EU), Japan, China, and Australia were selected as the reference regions for vehicle operation. The calculated results showed that CO2 emission from the assembly of BEV was larger than that of ICV due to the added CO2 emissions from battery production. However, in regions where renewable energy sources and low CO2 emitting forms of electric power generation are widely used, as vehicle lifetime driving distance increase, the total operating CO2 emissions of BEV become less than that of ICV. But for BEV, the CO2 emissions for replacing the battery with a new one should be added when the lifetime driving distance is over 160,000 km. Moreover, it was shown that the life cycle CO2 emission of ICV was apt to be smaller than that of BEV when the CO2 emissions for battery production were very large.
Industrial Hemp Knowledge and Interest among North Carolina Organic Farmers in the United States
Authors: Dingha Beatrice , Sandler Leah , Bhowmik Arnab , Akotsen-Mensah Clement , Jackai Louis , Gibson Kevin , Turco Ronald
Published: May 2019

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa), has been proposed as a new crop that might be of interest to organic farmers in the North Carolina and other states in the United States. However, little is known about how organic farmers view this crop. We conducted a survey among North Carolina certified organic growers to ascertain their knowledge of, and willingness to adopt, industrial hemp. Contact information was obtained from a database of certified organic farmers in North Carolina and the growers were contacted by email and directed to complete an online questionnaire. Growers were asked a wide range of questions about farm characteristics, technology adoption, interest toward industrial hemp, and policy issues regarding hemp adoption. A total of 245 farmers were contacted; 64 started the survey and 35 responded to all questions. Our results indicate that 85% of North Carolina organic growers are interested in growing hemp on their farms and the majority wanted to learn more about the crop production practices, adapted cultivars, and legality of growing it. Seventy-five percent expressed interest in being certified growers while 52% wanted to grow industrial hemp primarily for cannabidiol (CBD) oil. Most (65%) respondents indicate they aspired to be among the first farmers in their area to grow and sell hemp. Growers who have tried new crops or new farming technology in the last three years were more likely to adopt industrial hemp production. These findings will help decision-makers understand the critical concerns of growers who are willing to adopt industrial hemp as an alternative income-generating enterprise.
Is Gastronomy A Relevant Factor for Sustainable Tourism? An Empirical Analysis of Spain Country Brand
Authors: Vázquez-Martinez Ulpiano J. , Sanchís-Pedregosa Carlos , Leal-Rodríguez Antonio L.
Published: May 2019

Tourism has become a fundamental industry for the economic growth of many countries. Due to this, there is growing competitiveness among the different destinations to attract as many tourists as possible. As a result, disciplines such as marketing have developed tools to differentiate some destinations from others and concepts such as place branding and country brand have emerged. One of the key factors forming the country brand is gastronomy, as food tourism is one way to reduce the growing problem of sustainability in tourism, as it impacts different aspects of the country’s environment. However, there is a great lack of scientific works that relate both variables. In this paper, we propose to establish that, in the case of Spain, tourists’ perception of Spanish gastronomy is a key element of its country brand. To do that, this study relies on the use of Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modeling (PLS-SEM) using a 496 cases data set.
The Effects of Product Consistency and Consumer Resistance to Innovation on Green Product Diffusion in China
Authors: Chang Yu , Zhang Tao
Published: May 2019

As consumers are becoming concernedabout environmental sustainability, firms are motivated to develop green products that adopt sustainable innovation or materials. This study contributes to the existing literature by specifically examining how consumers react to a firm’s green product introduction (i.e., the diffusion process of the green product) based on two factors: the extent to which the new green product shares common characteristics with the existing product offerings and the extent to which customers are resistant to innovation. The findings suggest that when firms introduce green products to the market, they need to consider the product consistency between existing product offerings and the new green product as well as the consumer resistance to new innovation.
Spatio-Temporal Pattern of Land Degradation along the China-Mongolia Railway (Mongolia)
Authors: Wang Juanle , Wei Haishuo , Cheng Kai , Li Ge , Ochir Altansukh , Bian Lingling , Davaasuren Davaadorj , Chonokhuu Sonomdagva , Nasanbat Elbegjargal
Published: May 2019

The increasingly serious problem of land degradation has a direct impact on the ecosystem and sustainable development in Mongolia. The influence of land degradation on the main China–Mongolia–Russia traffic arteries is currently unclear and poses a risk to the construction of transportation infrastructure. In this study, for the first time, we obtained land cover data from 1990, 2010, and 2015, at a 30 m, resolution based on the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) images along the China–Mongolia railway (Mongolia section). We then analyzed the change in the obtained land cover data using the geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis technology to obtain the land pattern and development trend of this region. Results showed that the newly-increased degraded land was distributed mainly in the center of the region and tended to expand northward. The joint effect of natural and socioeconomic factors resulted in land degradation. We speculated that the significant temperature fluctuation and the decrease in rainfall were the inducing factors. Population migration, overgrazing, infrastructure construction, unreasonable mineral exploitation, and rapid urbanization aggravate the degree of land degradation. It is thus necessary to use a broader view to observe patterns of desertification and variations in regions along the Railway facing its sustainable development.
A Novel Reverse Logistics Network Design Considering Multi-Level Investments for Facility Reconstruction with Environmental Considerations
Authors: Gao Xuehong
Published: May 2019

Reverse logistics is convincingly one of the most efficient solutions to reduce environmental pollution and waste of resources by capturing and recovering the values of the used products. Many studies have been developed for decision-making at tactical, practical, and operational levels of the reverse supply chain. However, many enterprises face a challenge that is how to design the reverse logistics networks into their existing forward logistics networks to account for both economic and environmental sustainability. In this case, it is necessary to design a novel reverse logistics network by reconstructing the facilities based on the existing forward logistics network. Multi-level investments are considered for facility reconstruction because more investment and more advanced remanufacturing technologies need to be applied to reduce the carbon emissions and improve facility capacities. Besides, uncertain elements include the demand for new products and return quantity of used products, making this problem challenging. To handle those uncertain elements, a bi-objective stochastic integer nonlinear programming model is proposed to facilitate this novel reverse logistics network design problem with economic and environmental objectives, where tactical decisions of facility locations, investment level choices, item flows, and vehicle assignments are involved. To show the applicability and computational efficiency of the proposed model, several numerical experiments with sensitivity analysis are provided. Finally, the trade-off between the profit and carbon emissions is presented and the sensitive analysis of changing several key input parameters is also discussed.
Proposed Consecutive Uncertainty Analysis Procedure of the Greenhouse Gas Emission Model Output for Products
Authors: Park Yoo-Sung , Yeon Sung-Mo , Lee Geun-Young , Park Kyu-Hyun
Published: May 2019

The study objective was to develop a method for an uncertainty analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission model output based on consecutive use of an analytical and a stochastic approach. The contribution to variance (CTV) analysis followed by the data quality analysis are the main feature of the procedure. When a set of data points of a certain input variable has a high CTV, but its data quality indicator (DQI) is good, then there is no need to iterate data collection of this input variable. This is because the DQI of this data set indicates that there is no room for the reduction of its variance, and the high variance must be its inherent attribute. Through the CTV analysis and data quality analysis, the identified input variables were selected as the input variables for the data from the iteration of data collection. The statistical parameters of the GHG emissions of the model were calculated using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). In the case study of a cattle dairy farm, the relative reduction in the CV value was 47.6%. In this study, a procedure was developed for the selection of the input variables for iteration of data collection to reduce their variance and subsequently reduce the uncertainty in the model output. The dairy cow case study showed that the uncertainty in the model output was decreased by the iteration of data collection, indicating that CTV analysis can be used to identify the input variables, contributing considerably to the uncertainty in the model output.
Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovation Performance: Evidence from the Chinese Construction Industry
Authors: Li Yongfu , Song Yu , Wang Jinxin , Li Chengwei
Published: May 2019

Knowledge economy era is an era driven by innovation, mainly based on the input of intangible assets which plays decisive roles in the long-term development of enterprises. The product value of enterprises is largely determined by their intellectual capital. Therefore, as pillars of China’s economy, construction enterprises must strengthen their investments in intellectual capital, and to achieve competitiveness in the market, enterprises must share knowledge with the other members of their networks. This study explores the relationship among the intellectual capital, knowledge sharing, and innovation performance of construction enterprises and the mediating effect of knowledge sharing on the relationship between intellectual capital and innovation performance by using data collected from a questionnaire survey. These data are analyzed along with the aforementioned relationships by using SPSS and a structural equation model. The findings indicate that intellectual capital not only has a direct positive influence on the innovation performance of construction enterprises but also positively affects their innovation performance through knowledge sharing. This paper concludes by presenting its limitations and the implications of its findings.
Factors Associated with Household Food Security in Zambia
Authors: Nkomoki William , Bavorová Miroslava , Banout Jan
Published: May 2019

Food security is a global challenge and threatens mainly smallholder farmers in developing countries. The main aim of this paper is to determine factors that are associated with food security in Zambia. This study utilizes the household questionnaire survey dataset of 400 smallholder farmers in four districts conducted in southern Zambia in 2016. To measure food security, the study employs two food security indicators, namely the food consumption score (FCS) and the household hunger scale (HHS). Two ordered probit models are estimated with the dependent variables FCS and HHS. Both the FCS and HHS models’ findings reveal that higher education levels of household head, increasing livestock income, secure land tenure, increasing land size, and group membership increase the probability of household food and nutrition security. The results imply that policies supporting livestock development programs such as training of farmers in animal husbandry, as well as policies increasing land tenure security and empowerment of farmers groups, have the potential to enhance household food and nutrition security.
Investigation of Photoelectron Properties of Polymer Films with Silicon Nanoparticles
Authors: Konstantinova Elizaveta A. , Vorontsov Alexander S. , Forsh Pavel A.
Published: May 2019

Hybrid samples consisting of polymer poly-3(hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and silicon nanoparticles were prepared. It was found that the obtained samples were polymer matrixes with conglomerates of silicon nanoparticles of different sizes (10–104 nm). It was found that, under illumination, the process of nonequilibrium charge carrier separation between the silicon nanoparticles and P3HT with subsequent localization of the hole in the polymer can be successfully detected using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. It was established that the main type of paramagnetic centers in P3HT/silicon nanoparticles are positive polarons in P3HT. For comparison, samples consisting only of polymer and silicon nanoparticles were also investigated by the EPR technique. The polarons in the P3HT and Pb centers in the silicon nanoparticles were observed. The possibility of the conversion of solar energy into electric energy is shown using structures consisting of P3HT polymer and silicon nanoparticles prepared by different methods, including the electrochemical etching of a silicon single crystal in hydrofluoric acid solution and the laser ablation of single-crystal silicon in organic solvents. The results can be useful for solar cell development.
Some Single-Valued Neutrosophic Power Heronian Aggregation Operators and Their Application to Multiple-Attribute Group Decision-Making
Authors: Zhao Shuping , Wang Dong , Liang Changyong , Leng Yajun , Xu Jian
Published: May 2019

The power Heronian aggregation (PHA) operator can use the advantages of power average and the Heronian mean operator, which together could take into account the interrelationship of the aggregated arguments, and therefore alleviate the effects caused by unreasonable data through considering the support degree between input arguments. However, PHA operators cannot be used to process single-valued neutrosophic numbers (SVNNs), which is significant for extending it to SVNNs. We propose some new PHA operators for SVNNs and introduce a novel MAGDM method on the basis of the proposed operators. Firstly, the definition, properties, comparison method, and operational rules of SVNNs are introduced briefly. Then, some PHA operators are proposed, such as the single-valued neutrosophic power Heronian aggregation (SVNPHA) operator, the single-valued neutrosophic weighted power Heronian aggregation (SVNWPHA) operator, single-valued neutrosophic geometric power Heronian aggregation (SVNGPHA) operator, single-valued neutrosophic weighted geometric power Heronian aggregation (SVNWGPHA) operator. Furthermore, we discuss some properties of these new aggregation operators and several special cases. Moreover, the method to solve the MAGDM problems with SVNNs is proposed, based on the SVNWPHA and SVNWGPHA operators. Lastly, we verified the application and effectiveness of the proposed method by using an example for the MAGDM problem.
A Note on States and Traces from Biorthogonal Sets
Authors: Triolo Salvatore
Published: May 2019

In this paper, following Bagarello, Trapani, and myself, we generalize the Gibbs states and their related KMS-like conditions. We have assumed that H 0 , H are closed and, at least, densely defined, without giving information on the domain of these operators. The problem we address in this paper is therefore to find a dense domain D that allows us to generalize the states of Gibbs and take them in their natural environment i.e., defined in L † ( D ) .
New Fixed Point Results for Modified Contractions and Applications
Authors: Işık Hüseyİn , Aydi Hassen , Md Noorani Mohd Salmi , Qawaqneh Haitham
Published: May 2019

In this study, we introduce a new type of contractive mapping to establish the existence and uniqueness of fixed points for this type of contraction. Some related examples are built demonstrating the superiority of our results compared to the existing onesin the literature. As applications of the results obtained, some new fixed point theorems are presented for graph-type contractions. Furthermore, sufficient conditions are discussed to ensure the existence underlying various approaches of a solution for a functional equation originating in dynamic programming.
Deoxynivalenol Modulates the Viability, ROS Production and Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Habrowska-Górczyńska Dominika Ewa , Kowalska Karolina , Urbanek Kinga Anna , Domińska Kamila , Sakowicz Agata , Piastowska-Ciesielska Agnieszka Wanda
Published: May 2019

Deoxynivalenol (DON), known as vomitoxin, a type B trichothecene, is produced by Fusarium. DON frequently contaminates cereal grains such as wheat, maize, oats, barley, rye, and rice. At the molecular level, it induces ribosomal stress, inflammation and apoptosis in eukaryotic cells. Our findings indicate that DON modulates the viability of prostate cancer (PCa) cells and that the response to a single high dose of DON is dependent on the androgen-sensitivity of cells. DON appears to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in cells, induces DNA damage, and triggers apoptosis. The effects of DON application in PCa cells are influenced by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NFΚB- HIF-1α signaling pathways. Our results indicate that p53 is a crucial factor in DON-associated apoptosis in PCa cells. Taken together, our findings show that a single exposure to high concentrations of DON (2–5 µM) modulates the progression of PCa.
Meaning and Attentional Guidance in Scenes: A Review of the Meaning Map Approach
Authors: Henderson John M. , Hayes Taylor R. , Peacock Candace E. , Rehrig Gwendolyn
Published: May 2019

Perception of a complex visual scene requires that important regions be prioritized and attentionally selected for processing. What is the basis for this selection? Although much research has focused on image salience as an important factor guiding attention, relatively little work has focused on semantic salience. To address this imbalance, we have recently developed a new method for measuring, representing, and evaluating the role of meaning in scenes. In this method, the spatial distribution of semantic features in a scene is represented as a meaning map. Meaning maps are generated from crowd-sourced responses given by naïve subjects who rate the meaningfulness of a large number of scene patches drawn from each scene. Meaning maps are coded in the same format as traditional image saliency maps, and therefore both types of maps can be directly evaluated against each other and against maps of the spatial distribution of attention derived from viewers’ eye fixations. In this review we describe our work focusing on comparing the influences of meaning and image salience on attentional guidance in real-world scenes across a variety of viewing tasks that we have investigated, including memorization, aesthetic judgment, scene description, and saliency search and judgment. Overall, we have found that both meaning and salience predict the spatial distribution of attention in a scene, but that when the correlation between meaning and salience is statistically controlled, only meaning uniquely accounts for variance in attention.
City-To-City Learning for Urban Resilience: The Case of Water Squares in Rotterdam and Mexico City
Authors: Ilgen Silvana , Sengers Frans , Wardekker Arjan
Published: May 2019

Cities worldwide are building ‘resilience’ in the face of water-related challenges. International networks have emerged through which urban communities draw on each other’s experiences and expertise in order to become resilient cities. Learning is a key principle in resilience-building, but thus far little empirical research is available on city-to-city learning and learning for urban resilience. This paper presents an analysis of how policy relevant knowledge on the notion of ‘Water Squares’ is exchanged between Rotterdam and Mexico City. We mobilize a framework composed of four distinct phases: exploration and marketing (phase 1), building pipelines (phase 2), translation and adoption (phase 3), and internalization and reflection (phase 4). Critical in first phase was introspective analysis of one’s own systems, strengths and weaknesses, rather than an outward-looking search for knowledge or mentees. During the second phase, the cities reframed their own narratives to match those of their counterparts as a way to create a mutual understanding of each other’s struggles and histories. This facilitated policy and knowledge exchange as equal partners on a basis of trust. In the third phase, strong local leaders were recruited into the process, which was key to anchor knowledge in the community and to reduce the risks of losing institutional memory in centralized, hierarchical institutions. For the fourth phase it should be stressed that by internalizing such lessons, cities might strengthen not only their own resilience, but also enhance future exchanges with other cities.
Optimization of Pump Start-Up Depth in Drainage Pumping Station Based on SWMM and PSO
Authors: Wang Hao , Lei Xiaohui , Khu Soon-Thiam , Song Lixiang
Published: May 2019

The pumps in multistage drainage pumping stations are often subject to frequent start-up and shutoffs during operation because of unreasonable start-up depths of the pumps; this will reduce the service lives of the pumps. To solve this problem, an optimization method for minimizing pump start-up and shutoff times is proposed. In this method, the operation of pumps in pumping station was optimized by constructing a mathematical optimization model. The storm water management model (SWMM) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) method were used to solve the problem and the optimal start-up depth of each pump is obtained. Nine pumping stations in Beijing were selected as a case study and this method was applied for multistage pumping station optimization and single pumping station optimization in the case study. Results from the case study demonstrate that the multistage pumping station optimization acquired a small number of pump start-up/shutoff times, which were from 8 to 114 in different rainfall scenarios. Compared with the multistage pumping station optimization, the single pumping station optimization had a bigger number of pump start-up/shutoff times, which were from 1 to 133 times, and the pump operating time was also longer, from 72 min to 7542 min. Therefore, the multistage pumping station optimization method was more suitable to reduce the frequency of pump start-up/shutoffs.
CURRENT STATE AND PROSPECTS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PEDAGOGICAL TECHNOLOGY OF INDIVIDUAL WORK AND SELF-TRAINING OF FORENSIC EXPERTS
Authors:   O. Kofanova; A. Kofanov
Published: May 2019

Experimental verification of the modern possibilities of introducing the technology of organization of individual work of students of the Educational and Scientific Institute (training of criminologists and experts).

The verification of the effectiveness of the implementation of the technology of organizing the individual work of students (the formative stage of the pedagogical experiment) is realized by comparing the results of the educational activities of the experimental and control groups of the students.

Key words: pedagogical technology, preparation of forensic experts, individual work, independent preparation.
DEYAKI ASPECTS OTSINKI RESULTS DOSLІDZHENNYA AT THE COURT-EXPERT DІYALNOSTI І VІDOBRAZHENNYA VISNOVKU
Authors:   P. Petkovich; V. Prisekaru
Published: May 2019

In this article authors touch the problems upon the expert activities, related to the evaluation of the results of the conducted researches and the reflection of these results and the expert’s conclusions regarding the proof of conclusions, analyzing the judicial practice of different countries. Explains the reasons for the different approaches of judicial experts to this part of the methodological and legal requirements and their impact on the judicial process as a whole. The authors present the results of the analysis of forensic practice of their own state. Emphasis in work is placed on the need for proper presentation of the stage of evaluation of research results when drawing up an expert opinion, so, how exactly at this stage the expert analysis is done, on the basis of the fundamental knowledge of scientific identification, diagnosis and proof. Also, the authors suggest ways to address the issues discussed.

Key words: expert research, legal process, forensic expert practice, expert assessment, proof, identification.
DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN COURT ON HUMAN RIGHTS AS MANDATORY ELEMENT OF JUDICIAL CONTROLIN CRIMINAL PROCEEDING
Authors: Plakhotnik O.
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this article is opening of necessity of application of ECHR practice in the decisions of the investigating judge to increase the value of judicial control over the observance of rights, freedoms and interests of individuals in criminal proceedings. The article includes analysis of the current legislation on the definition of judicial review at the pre-trial investigation stage. Judicial control is revealed through the powers of the investigating judge in criminal proceedings. There were examined opinions of scientists in relation to determinations of judicial control and function of investigation judge on the stage of pre-trial investigation. It is possible to draw conclusion from the analysis of the last scientific researches, that expansion of scopes of judicial control in a criminal production, it is a next step to rethink the value of judicial control in criminal proceedings. Decisions taken by the investigating judge should be based on the principles of legality and rule of law. The conclusion about the need to study the application of ECHR investigating judges to strengthen the role of the court at the stage of pre-trial investigation and reduction of procedural errors that can become new ECHR judgments against Ukraine. Judicial statistics and decision of consequence judges content are analysed with the use of practice of ECHR for 2018 and beginning 2019 years. Out of analysis of judicial statistics a conclusion is made that tendency on application of practice of ECHR in 2019 is slowly, but grows. The necessity of wide use of practice of ECHR courts is examined during realization of judicial control in a criminal proceedings. The estimation is given to expansion of the list of proceedings that must be carried out with the permission of the investigating judge. It is analyzed the shortcomings of the application of the ECHR practice courts and disadvantages such as the decision by the investigating judge ruling, not under criminal procedural rules. The practice of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court is analysed. It is given the risks of the work of the investigating judge, who can relate to undue interference in the work of law enforcement. It is noted the decision of the ECHR “Volokhi against Ukraine” dated November 2, 2006. It is concluded that the judicial review of the investigative actions should also include the application of the ECHR practice, and application of ECHR in the activities of the investigating judge at the pre-trial investigation stage is a prerequisite for respect for the rule rights in criminal proceedings and the strategic task for Ukraine.

Key words: European Court of Human Rights, court control, criminal proceedings.