bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrasensitive and Highly Selective Graphene-Based Field-Effect Transistor Biosensor for Anti-Diuretic Hormone Detection
Authors: Selvarajan Reena Sri , Rahim Ruslinda A. , Majlis Burhanuddin Yeop , Gopinath Subash C. B. , Hamzah Azrul Azlan
Published: May 2020

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), which can be congenital or acquired, results from the failure of the kidney to respond to the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). This will lead to excessive water loss from the body in the form of urine. The kidney, therefore, has a crucial role in maintaining water balance and it is vital to restore this function in an artificial kidney. Herein, an ultrasensitive and highly selective aptameric graphene-based field-effect transistor (GFET) sensor for ADH detection was developed by directly immobilizing ADH-specific aptamer on a surface-modified suspended graphene channel. This direct immobilization of aptamer on the graphene surface is an attempt to mimic the functionality of collecting tube V 2 receptors in the ADH biosensor. This aptamer was then used as a probe to capture ADH peptide at the sensing area which leads to changes in the concentration of charge carriers in the graphene channel. The biosensor shows a significant increment in the relative change of current ratio from 5.76 to 22.60 with the increase of ADH concentration ranging from 10 ag/mL to 1 pg/mL. The ADH biosensor thus exhibits a sensitivity of 50.00 µA· ( g / mL ) − 1 with a limit of detection as low as 3.55 ag/mL. In specificity analysis, the ADH biosensor demonstrated a higher current value which is 338.64 µA for ADH-spiked in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and 557.89 µA for ADH-spiked in human serum in comparison with other biomolecules tested. This experimental evidence shows that the ADH biosensor is ultrasensitive and highly selective towards ADH in PBS buffer and ADH-spiked in human serum.
A Consortium Blockchain-Based Agricultural Machinery Scheduling System
Authors: Yang Haotian , Xiong Shuming , Frimpong Samuel Akwasi , Zhang Mingzheng
Published: May 2020

The introduction of a consortium blockchain-based agricultural machinery scheduling system will help improve the transparency and efficiency of the data flow within the sector. Currently, the traditional agricultural machinery centralized scheduling systems suffer when there is a failure of the single point control system, and it also comes with high cost managing with little transparency, not leaving out the wastage of resources. This paper proposes a consortium blockchain-based agricultural machinery scheduling system for solving the problems of single point of failure, high-cost, low transparency, and waste of resources. The consortium blockchain-based system eliminates the central server in the traditional way, optimizes the matching function and scheduling algorithm in the smart contract, and improves the scheduling efficiency. The data in the system can be traced, which increases transparency and improves the efficiency of decision-making in the process of scheduling. In addition, this system adopts a crowdsourcing scheduling mode, making full use of idle agricultural machinery in the society, which can effectively solve the problem of resource waste. Then, the proposed system implements authentication access mechanisms, and allows only authorized users into the system. It includes transactions based on digital currency and eliminates third-party platform to charge service fees. Moreover, participating organizations have the opportunity to obtain benefits and reduce transaction costs. Finally, the upper layers supervision improves the efficiency and security of consensus algorithm, allows supervisors to block users with malicious motives, and always ensures system security.
Dam Safety Evaluation Based on Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets and Evidence Theory
Authors: Shu Xiaosong , Bao Tengfei , Li Yangtao , Zhang Kang , Wu Bangbin
Published: May 2020

Considering the multi-sources, heterogeneity and complexity of dam safety assessment, a dam safety assessment model based on interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set and evidence theory is proposed to perform dam safety reliability evaluations. In the proposed model, the dynamic reliability based on the supporting degree is applied to modify the data from homologous information. The interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set is used to describing the uncertainty and fuzziness between heterogeneous information. Evidence theory is employed to integrate the data from heterogeneous information. Finally, a multiple-arch dam undergoing structural reinforcement is taken as an example. The evaluation result before reinforcement shows that the safety degree of the dam is low and the potential risk is more likely to be located at the dam section #13. From the geological survey before reinforcement, there exist weak fracture zone and broken mud belt in the foundation of the dam section #13. The comparison between the evaluation results before and after reinforcement indicates that the dam become safer and more stable after reinforcement.
Development of Willow Tree Yield-Mapping Technology
Authors: Leclerc Maxime , Adamchuk Viacheslav , Park Jaesung , Lachapelle-T. Xavier
Published: May 2020

With today’s environmental challenges, developing sustainable energy sources is crucial. From this perspective, woody biomass has been, and continues to be, a significant research interest. The goal of this research was to develop new technology for mapping willow tree yield grown in a short-rotation forestry (SRF) system. The system gathered the physical characteristics of willow trees on-the-go, while the trees were being harvested. Features assessed include the number of trees harvested and their diameter. To complete this task, a machine-vision system featuring an RGB-D stereovision camera was built. The system tagged these data with the corresponding geographical coordinates using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. The proposed yield-mapping system showed promising detection results considering the complex background and variable light conditions encountered in the outdoors. Of the 40 randomly selected and manually observed trees in a row, 36 were successfully detected, yielding a 90% detection rate. The correctly detected tree rate of all trees within the scenes was actually 71.8% since the system tended to be sensitive to branches, thus, falsely detecting them as trees. Manual validation of the diameter estimation function showed a poor coefficient of determination and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 10.7 mm.
Overhead Transmission Line Sag Estimation Using the Simple Opto-Mechanical System with Fiber Bragg Gratings—Part 2: Interrogation System
Authors: Skorupski Krzysztof , Harasim Damian , Panas Patryk , Cięszczyk Sławomir , Kisała Piotr , Kacejko Piotr , Mroczka Janusz , Wydra Michał
Published: May 2020

This article presents the use of a sensor with fiber Bragg grating along with an interrogation system used for monitoring the overhead lines’ wire elongation. The possible interrogation methods based on adjusted filters were considered. In the experimental part, three types of fiber Bragg grating pairs, characterized by a small shift in spectra in pairs and gratings with exact matching, were examined. The study showed that, by choosing the appropriate mechanical parameters of the elongation transformer with the optical parameters of the sensor and dedicated filter, the optomechanical system can be adjusted to the required range of overhead line wire sag observation. The range of sag depends on the distance between the poles, the wire type, and its real length in the span, which effectively determines the sag.
Modelling the Influence of Different Soot Types on the Radio-Frequency-Based Load Detection of Gasoline Particulate Filters
Authors: Walter Stefanie , Schwanzer Peter , Hagen Gunter , Haft Gerhard , Rabl Hans-Peter , Dietrich Markus , Moos Ralf
Published: May 2020

Gasoline particulate filters (GPFs) are an appropriate means to meet today’s emission standards. As for diesel applications, GPFs can be monitored via differential pressure sensors or using a radio-frequency approach (RF sensor). Due to largely differing soot properties and engine operating modes of gasoline compared to diesel engines (e.g., the possibility of incomplete regenerations), the behavior of both sensor systems must be investigated in detail. For this purpose, extensive measurements on engine test benches are usually required. To simplify the sensor development, a simulation model was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics® that not only allowed for calculating the loading and regeneration process of GPFs under different engine operating conditions but also determined the impact on both sensor systems. To simulate the regeneration behavior of gasoline soot accurately, an oxidation model was developed. To identify the influence of different engine operating points on the sensor behavior, various samples generated at an engine test bench were examined regarding their kinetic parameters using thermogravimetric analysis. Thus, this compared the accuracy of soot mass determination using the RF sensor with the differential pressure method. By simulating a typical driving condition with incomplete regenerations, the effects of the soot kinetics on sensor accuracy was demonstrated exemplarily. Thereby, the RF sensor showed an overall smaller mass determination error, as well as a lower dependence on the soot kinetics.
Wearable Inertial Sensors to Assess Gait during the 6-Minute Walk Test: A Systematic Review
Authors: Storm Fabio Alexander , Cesareo Ambra , Reni Gianluigi , Biffi Emilia
Published: May 2020

Wearable sensors are becoming increasingly popular for complementing classical clinical assessments of gait deficits. The aim of this review is to examine the existing knowledge by systematically reviewing a large number of papers focusing on the use of wearable inertial sensors for the assessment of gait during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), a widely recognized, simple, non-invasive, low-cost and reproducible exercise test. After a systematic search on PubMed and Scopus databases, two raters evaluated the quality of 28 full-text articles. Then, the available knowledge was summarized regarding study design, subjects enrolled (number of patients and pathological condition, if any, age, male/female ratio), sensor characteristics (type, number, sampling frequency, range) and body placement, 6MWT protocol and extracted parameters. Results were critically discussed to suggest future directions for the use of inertial sensor devices in the clinics.
Application of Modern Multi-Sensor Holter in Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Vavrinsky Erik , Subjak Jan , Donoval Martin , Wagner Alexandra , Zavodnik Tomas , Svobodova Helena
Published: May 2020

Modern Holter devices are very trendy tools used in medicine, research, or sport. They monitor a variety of human physiological or pathophysiological signals. Nowadays, Holter devices have been developing very fast. New innovative products come to the market every day. They have become smaller, smarter, cheaper, have ultra-low power consumption, do not limit everyday life, and allow comfortable measurements of humans to be accomplished in a familiar and natural environment, without extreme fear from doctors. People can be informed about their health and 24/7 monitoring can sometimes easily detect specific diseases, which are normally passed during routine ambulance operation. However, there is a problem with the reliability, quality, and quantity of the collected data. In normal life, there may be a loss of signal recording, abnormal growth of artifacts, etc. At this point, there is a need for multiple sensors capturing single variables in parallel by different sensing methods to complement these methods and diminish the level of artifacts. We can also sense multiple different signals that are complementary and give us a coherent picture. In this article, we describe actual interesting multi-sensor principles on the grounds of our own long-year experiences and many experiments.
Digital Financial Inclusion and Sustainable Growth of Small and Micro Enterprises—Evidence Based on China’s New Third Board Market Listed Companies
Authors: Yang Liu , Zhang Youtang
Published: May 2020

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and encourage the formalization and growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises through access to financial services. This study examines the impact and mechanism of the digital financial inclusion on the sustainable growth of small and micro enterprises in China. For this purpose, it uses the data from China’s New Third Board Market listed companies from 2011 to 2018 and the digital financial inclusion index of Peking University. The results show that the development of digital financial inclusion helps promote the sustainable growth of small and micro businesses, particularly in private, high-tech industries, and competitive markets. The impact mechanism of this development prevents any financial crisis caused by the capital structure imbalance and capital liquidity problems of small and micro enterprises by alleviating the financing constraints, thus promoting their sustainable growth. The research results show that, under the background of high-quality development of China’s economy, continuous promotion of digital financial inclusion and reshaping of the ecological pattern of the financial industry can provide steady financial support for the sustainable growth of small and micro enterprises, and realize the healthy development of micro enterprises and macro economy.
Habitat Banking and Its Challenges in a Densely Populated Country: The Case of The Netherlands
Authors: Gorissen Mechtilde M. J. , van der Heide C. Martijn , Schaminée Johannes H.J.
Published: May 2020

Due to a growing population, urbanization, industrialization and agriculture, the quality of nature and biodiversity globally has decreased enormously. This also applies to The Netherlands. Habitat banking is a market-based instrument for nature conservation and sustainable development to counteract this decrease. We analyze under which conditions habitat banking can indeed offer possibilities and opportunities for improving biodiversity, nature conservation and sustainable development in The Netherlands. For this, we first identify the shortcomings of mandatory nature compensation in The Netherlands and link them to current innovations in Dutch nature policy. In addition, we investigate three necessary instruments for a successful habitat banking system: (1) a system for nature valuation, (2) a method for creating ecological opportunity maps, and (3) the institutional setting in which habitat banking can be operationalized. We conclude that habitat banking contributes to solving the problems for nature and biodiversity and to sustainable development in The Netherlands, provided that this is primarily addressed (i) in the domain of voluntary nature compensation, (ii) in bottom-up pilots for integrated area development (in this article shortly referred to as area pilots) where the widest possible range of owners and users of these areas is involved, (iii) in a context of participatory decision-making and (iv) learning and experiment en route to social-ecological systems (SESs). To actually realize the added value of habitat banking for The Netherlands, further scientific research is required to collect and analyze empirical data from relevant stakeholders.
Sustainability Leadership in Higher Education Institutions: An Overview of Challenges
Authors: Leal Filho Walter , Eustachio João Henrique Paulino Pires , Caldana Adriana Cristina Ferreira , Will Markus , Lange Salvia Amanda , Rampasso Izabela S. , Anholon Rosley , Platje Johannes , Kovaleva Marina
Published: May 2020

Sustainability leadership entails the processes, which leaders, policymakers, and academics undertake in order to implement sustainable development policies and other initiatives within their organizations. It encompasses approaches, methods, and systemic solutions to solve problems and drive institutional policy towards a more sustainable organization. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) play a particularly important role, especially with regard to their institutional leadership role in promoting sustainable development. There is a paucity of research focusing on sustainability leadership in universities. In order to address this gap, this paper discussed the concept of sustainability leadership based on literature and empirical insights. The study aimed to understand the main characteristics of sustainability leaders at HEI and the main challenges they are confronted with. Secondary research questions involved gender issues and positive outcomes of sustainability leadership. The empirical component of the study consisted of an online-questionnaire survey performed among leaders (n = 50) from a set of universities in 29 countries. The sampling scheme was purposive, based on the membership in the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Program (IUSDRP). The study was explorative in nature, and the descriptive statistics were used for the analysis. Due to the purposive sampling, the participants from top management positions could be considered as experienced, and their views were assumed to be information-rich. With a self-evaluation, the respondents described their leadership style and their usual traits, with inclusive style and systemic thinking being predominant in the sample. Regarding the skills, the respondents selected the ability to innovate, to think long-term, and to manage complexity from a pre-defined set of options. Connectedness with interdisciplinarity and knowledge about organizational settings, as well as global challenges and dilemmas, were stated as important issues related to the knowledge required for being a leader. Regarding requirements for a change towards more sustainable universities’ curriculum adaptation, investments in education for sustainable development (ESD), sustainable procurement, and reporting were mentioned. The study also revealed that gender issues were taken seriously among the sampled institutions, which is an encouraging trend. Challenges seen in implementing sustainability leadership are, for instance, a lack of interest by the university administration and among some members of the academic community, as well as lack of expertise and materials or resources. Based on the empirical insights, a set of measures were listed and which may be adopted in the future, so as to allow leaders of Higher Education Institutions to enhance their sustainability performance.
Eco-Innovation Maturity Model: A Framework to Support the Evolution of Eco-Innovation Integration in Companies
Authors: Xavier Amanda , Reyes Tatiana , Aoussat Améziane , Luiz Leandro , Souza Lucas
Published: May 2020

The urgency for sustainable changes in product performance and around the processes of the different organizational areas highlights the potential of eco-innovation as a management strategy. However, this holistic approach to eco-innovation is still a challenge for businesses. In this sense, this research was structured on two central premises, which justify the central problem of the study. The first is that companies face organizational barriers to the implementation of eco-innovation in a holistic manner. The second is that companies face operational barriers to the implementation and global integration of eco-innovation, such as lack of models, methods, and support tools. This operational barrier mainly includes the lack of maturity approaches and prescriptive methods of eco-innovation evaluation. In order to overcome these barriers, this research proposes an Eco-innovation Maturity Model (Eco-Mi), a framework to support eco-innovation integration and evolution of organizational maturity. Based on a review of the literature, it was possible to develop a first version of the Eco-innovation Maturity Model, consisting of the eco-innovation maturity levels and a guide to eco-innovation practices. The model has been improved through expert evaluation with the use of the Delphi Method, which contributed to increase its validity and reliability. The results confirm the research hypothesis and, therefore, the validity of the Eco-Mi model as support for the integration and evolution of eco-innovation in organizations and as a reference for the field of knowledge.
Wind Generation Forecasting Methods and Proliferation of Artificial Neural Network: A Review of Five Years Research Trend
Authors: Nazir Muhammad Shahzad , Alturise Fahad , Alshmrany Sami , Nazir Hafiz. M. J , Bilal Muhammad , Abdalla Ahmad N. , Sanjeevikumar P. , M. Ali Ziad
Published: May 2020

To sustain a clean environment by reducing fossil fuels-based energies and increasing the integration of renewable-based energy sources, i.e., wind and solar power, have become the national policy for many countries. The increasing demand for renewable energy sources, such as wind, has created interest in the economic and technical issues related to the integration into the power grids. Having an intermittent nature and wind generation forecasting is a crucial aspect of ensuring the optimum grid control and design in power plants. Accurate forecasting provides essential information to empower grid operators and system designers in generating an optimal wind power plant, and to balance the power supply and demand. In this paper, we present an extensive review of wind forecasting methods and the artificial neural network (ANN) prolific in this regard. The instrument used to measure wind assimilation is analyzed and discussed, accurately, in studies that were published from May 1st, 2014 to May 1st, 2018. The results of the review demonstrate the increased application of ANN into wind power generation forecasting. Considering the component limitation of other systems, the trend of deploying the ANN and its hybrid systems are more attractive than other individual methods. The review further revealed that high forecasting accuracy could be achieved through proper handling and calibration of the wind-forecasting instrument and method.
Revisiting Internal Marketing for the Determinants of Job (Dis)Satisfaction by Using Asymmetric Approach
Authors: Cheng Cheng-Feng
Published: May 2020

Research in the fields of organizational behavior, human resources, or sustainable development management has paid much attention to employee job satisfaction and suggests it is critical to a firm obtaining a dominant position and gaining competitive advantage in a competitive environment. From the internal marketing perspective, how to satisfy employee job satisfaction to retain the valuable human resources needed to achieve sustainable development of the organization is a major concern of scholars and practitioners. However, most studies focus on above-average job satisfaction and relatively neglect below-average job satisfaction. Accordingly, this study categorized relevant antecedents into causal configurations for identifying the sufficient conditions of job (dis)satisfaction. Specifically, this study investigated how employees can achieve job satisfaction or dissatisfaction based on a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Most problems and theories of social science are formulated in terms of sets and set relations, while study employs asymmetric thinking in data analysis of previous linear relationships. The fsQCA found three and two causal configurations to be sufficient for high employee job satisfaction and dissatisfaction, respectively. For instance, the results indicate one configuration, namely task-related, innovation-related, coworker-related, and personal-related characteristics present but supervisor-related characteristics absent, can achieve high employee job satisfaction when the values of task-related, innovation-related, coworker-related, and personal-related characteristics are high with lower values of supervisor-related characteristics.
Adsorption of Fluorides in Drinking Water by Palm Residues
Authors: Collivignarelli Maria Cristina , Abbà Alessandro , Carnevale Miino Marco , Torretta Vincenzo , Rada Elena Cristina , Caccamo Francesca Maria , Sorlini Sabrina
Published: May 2020

Fluorides represent a significant problem in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In fact, this ion is essential for human health but, if taken in excess, it can cause dental and skeletal fluorosis. In LMICs, the pollution of groundwater from fluorides is of natural origin. Therefore, if providing alternative sources for drinking water (DW) supply is not possible, the use of specific processes for the removal of fluorides becomes essential. The adsorption on alternative materials, such as agro-food residues, can be a valid treatment for the removal of fluorides in the LMIC considering: (i) their optimal removal yields, (ii) the high availability, and (iii) the low cost. In recent years, the interest on the use of palm residues (PRs) becomes significant. Optimal pH, temperature, adsorbent dosage, and possible combination with metals to increase adsorption performances were deeply investigated. The activated PRs also present two other advantages: (i) very high surface area, and (ii) very low reduction in uptake capacity when regenerated. However, all tests were conducted with synthetic waters in laboratory-scale reactors while application on real-scale are absent. This makes other studies on this type of alternative adsorbent material still necessary.
Quintessential Inflation with Dynamical Higgs Generation as an Affine Gravity
Authors: Benisty David , Guendelman Eduardo I. , Nissimov Emil , Pacheva Svetlana
Published: May 2020

First, we propose a scale-invariant modified gravity interacting with a neutral scalar inflaton and a Higgs-like

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iso-doublet scalar field based on the formalism of non-Riemannian (metric-independent) spacetime volume-elements. This model describes, in the physical Einstein frame, a quintessential inflationary scenario driven by the “inflaton” together with the gravity-“inflaton” assisted dynamical spontaneous

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symmetry breaking in the post-inflationary universe, whereas the

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symmetry remains intact in the inflationary epoch. Next, we find the explicit representation of the latter quintessential inflationary model with a dynamical Higgs effect as an Eddington-type purely affine gravity.
Significance of Thermal Slip and Convective Boundary Conditions in Three Dimensional Rotating Darcy-Forchheimer Nanofluid Flow
Authors: Shafiq Anum , Rasool Ghulam , Khalique Chaudry Masood
Published: May 2020

This article is concerned with the nanofluid flow in a rotating frame under the simultaneous effects of thermal slip and convective boundary conditions. Arrhenius activation energy is another important aspect of the present study. Flow phenomena solely rely on the Darcy–Forchheimer-type porous medium in three-dimensional space to tackle the symmetric behavior of viscous terms. The stretching sheet is assumed to drive the fluid. Buongiorno’s model is adopted to see the features of Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis on the basis of symmetry fundamentals. Governing equations are modeled and transformed into ordinary differential equations by suitable transformations. Solutions are obtained through the numerical RK45-scheme, reporting the important findings graphically. The outputs indicate that larger values of stretching reduce the fluid velocity. Both the axial and transverse velocity fields undergo much decline due to strong retardation produced by the Forchheimer number. The thermal radiation parameter greatly raises the thermal state of the field. The temperature field rises for a stronger reaction within the fluid flow, however reducing for an intensive quantity of activation energy. A declination in the concentration profile is noticed for stronger thermophoresis. The Forchheimer number and porosity factors result in the enhancement of the skin friction, while both slip parameters result in a decline of skin friction. The thermal slip factor results in decreasing both the heat and mass flux rates. The study is important in various industrial applications of nanofluids including the electro-chemical industry, the polymer industry, geophysical setups, geothermal setups, catalytic reactors, and many others.
Inertial Mann-Type Algorithm for a Nonexpansive Mapping to Solve Monotone Inclusion and Image Restoration Problems
Authors: Artsawang Natthaphon , Ungchittrakool Kasamsuk
Published: May 2020

In this article, we establish a new Mann-type method combining both inertial terms and errors to find a fixed point of a nonexpansive mapping in a Hilbert space. We show strong convergence of the iterate under some appropriate assumptions in order to find a solution to an investigative fixed point problem. For the virtue of the main theorem, it can be applied to an approximately zero point of the sum of three monotone operators. We compare the convergent performance of our proposed method, the Mann-type algorithm without both inertial terms and errors, and the Halpern-type algorithm in convex minimization problem with the constraint of a non-zero asymmetric linear transformation. Finally, we illustrate the functionality of the algorithm through numerical experiments addressing image restoration problems.
Research on the Deposition Characteristics of Integrated Prefabricated Pumping Station
Authors: Wang Kai , Hu Jianbin , Liu Houlin , Zhang Zixu , Zou Li , Lu Zhaogang
Published: May 2020

Based on the discrete phase model (DPM) solid–liquid two-phase flow model and MATLAB image processing technology, an integrated prefabricated pumping station was taken as the research object to study deposition characteristics under different flow rates, different particle diameters, and different liquid levels. Considering the incomplete symmetry of the internal flow of the prefabricated pumping station, deposition characteristics of the prefabricated pumping station under single/double pumps were also analyzed. Double pumps were symmetrically distributed in the integrated prefabricated pump station, and the movement trajectories of particles at the bottom of the pump pit under the closing inlet valve were measured through the use of a high-speed photography experiment. Results showed that with the increase of the flow rate, the deposition rate of the separated prefabricated pumping station decreased. With an increase of the particle diameter, the movement of particles was farther away from the vertical barrier weir. In the range of particle diameter of 6 to 10 mm, the deposition rate decreased with the increase of the particle diameter. With the increase of the liquid level, the deposition rate decreased, first, and then increased again. In the case of the single pump operation, the deposition rate of the right pump operation was smaller than that of the left pump operation. The variation of the deposition rate when the right pump operated was basically the same as that when the dual pumps operated. The movement path of particle N1 was longer. With the decrease of the flow rate and the increase of the particle diameter, the following feature of the particle decreased, and it was easier to impact the walls and edges, which caused long-term deposition. The research results could provide some suggestions for the design of anti-deposition performance of prefabricated pumping station.
Integration of AHP and GTMA to Make a Reliable Decision in Complex Decision-Making Problems: Application of the Logistics Provider Selection Problem as a Case Study
Authors: Tuljak-Suban Danijela , Bajec Patricija
Published: May 2020

When solving a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making problem of any degree of complexity, many researchers rely on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). To consider mutual connections between criteria and clusters at the same level and not only the hierarchical structure between criteria and subcriteria, researchers often upgrade from AHP to the Analytic Network Process (ANP), which also examines the interdependency of criteria. However, the ANP method requires a large number of pairwise comparisons. In the case of a complex decision-making problem, the authors of this paper suggest upgrading the AHP method with the graph theory and matrix approach (GTMA) for several reasons: (1) The new method is based on digraphs and permanent value computation, which does not require a hypothesis about interdependency; (2) in case of similar alternatives, the distinguishable coefficient of the new method is higher than those computed for AHP and ANP; (3) the new method allows decision makers to rank comparable alternatives and to combine structurally similar methods without increasing the number of comparisons and the understanding of the results. The developed method (AH-GTMA) is validated by a numerical example of a complex decision-making problem based on a symmetrical set of similar alternatives, a third party logistic provider (3PLP) selection problem.
Framework of Specific Description Generation for Aluminum Alloy Metallographic Image Based on Visual and Language Information Fusion
Authors: Chen Dali , Liu Yang , Liu Shixin , Liu Fang , Chen Yangquan
Published: May 2020

The automatic generation of language description is an important task in the intelligent analysis of aluminum alloy metallographic images, and is crucial for the high-quality development of the non-ferrous metals manufacturing industry. In this paper, we propose a methodological framework to generate the language description for aluminum alloy metallographic images. The framework consists of two parts: feature extraction and classification. In the process of feature extraction, we used ResNet (residual network) and CNN (convolutional neural network) to extract visual features from metallographic images. Meanwhile, we used LSTM (long short term memory), FastText, and TextCNN to extract language text features from questions. Then, we implemented a fusion strategy to integrate these two features. Finally, we used the fused features as the input of the classification network. This framework turns the description generation problem into a classification task, which greatly simplifies the generation process of language description and provides a new idea for the description of metallographic images. Based on this basic framework, we implemented seven different methods to generate the language description of aluminum alloy metallographic images, and their performance comparisons are given. To verify the effectiveness of this framework, we built the aluminum alloy metallographic image dataset. A large number of experimental results show that this framework can effectively accomplish the given tasks.
Mass in de Sitter and Anti-de Sitter Universes with Regard to Dark Matter
Authors: Gazeau Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2020

An explanation of the origin of dark matter is suggested in this work. The argument is based on symmetry considerations about the concept of mass. In Wigner’s view, the rest mass and the spin of a free elementary particle in flat space-time are the two invariants that characterize the associated unitary irreducible representation of the Poincaré group. The Poincaré group has two and only two deformations with maximal symmetry. They describe respectively the de Sitter (dS) and anti-de Sitter (AdS) kinematic symmetries. Analogously to their shared flat space-time limit, two invariants, spin and energy scale for de Sitter and rest energy for anti-de Sitter, characterize the unitary irreducible representation associated with dS and AdS elementary systems, respectively. While the dS energy scale is a simple deformation of the Poincaré rest energy and so has a purely mass nature, AdS rest energy is the sum of a purely mass component and a kind of zero-point energy derived from the curvature. An analysis based on recent estimates on the chemical freeze-out temperature marking in Early Universe the phase transition quark–gluon plasma epoch to the hadron epoch supports the guess that dark matter energy might originate from an effective AdS curvature energy.
Iflavirus Covert Infection Increases Susceptibility to Nucleopolyhedrovirus Disease in Spodoptera exigua
Authors: Carballo Arkaitz , Williams Trevor , Murillo Rosa , Caballero Primitivo
Published: May 2020

Naturally occurring covert infections in lepidopteran populations can involve multiple viruses with potentially different transmission strategies. In this study, we characterized covert infection by two RNA viruses, Spodoptera exigua iflavirus 1 (SeIV-1) and Spodoptera exigua iflavirus 2 (SeIV-2) (family Iflaviridae) that naturally infect populations of Spodoptera exigua, and examined their influence on susceptibility to patent disease by the nucleopolyhedrovirus Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) (family Baculoviridae). The abundance of SeIV-1 genomes increased up to ten-thousand-fold across insect developmental stages after surface contamination of host eggs with a mixture of SeIV-1 and SeIV-2 particles, whereas the abundance of SeIV-2 remained constant across all developmental stages. Low levels of SeIV-2 infection were detected in all groups of insects, including those that hatched from surface-decontaminated egg masses. SeIV-1 infection resulted in reduced larval weight gain, and an unbalanced sex ratio, whereas larval developmental time, pupal weight, and adult emergence and fecundity were not significantly affected in infected adults. The inoculation of S. exigua egg masses with iflavirus, followed by a subsequent infection with SeMNPV, resulted in an additive effect on larval mortality. The 50% lethal concentration (LC50) of SeMNPV was reduced nearly 4-fold and the mean time to death was faster by 12 h in iflavirus-treated insects. These results suggest that inapparent iflavirus infections may be able to modulate the host response to a new pathogen, a finding that has particular relevance to the use of SeMNPV as the basis for biological pest control products.
Asian Zika Virus Isolate Significantly Changes the Transcriptional Profile and Alternative RNA Splicing Events in a Neuroblastoma Cell Line
Authors: Bonenfant Gaston , Meng Ryan , Shotwell Carl , Badu Pheonah , Payne Anne F. , Ciota Alexander T. , Sammons Morgan A. , Berglund J. Andrew , Pager Cara T.
Published: May 2020

The alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs expands a single genetic blueprint to encode multiple, functionally diverse protein isoforms. Viruses have previously been shown to interact with, depend on, and alter host splicing machinery. The consequences, however, incited by viral infection on the global alternative slicing (AS) landscape are under-appreciated. Here, we investigated the transcriptional and alternative splicing profile of neuronal cells infected with a contemporary Puerto Rican Zika virus (ZIKVPR) isolate, an isolate of the prototypical Ugandan ZIKV (ZIKVMR), and dengue virus 2 (DENV2). Our analyses revealed that ZIKVPR induced significantly more differential changes in expressed genes compared to ZIKVMR or DENV2, despite all three viruses showing equivalent infectivity and viral RNA levels. Consistent with the transcriptional profile, ZIKVPR induced a higher number of alternative splicing events compared to ZIKVMR or DENV2, and gene ontology analyses highlighted alternative splicing changes in genes associated with mRNA splicing. In summary, we show that ZIKV affects cellular RNA homeostasis not only at the transcriptional levels but also through the alternative splicing of cellular transcripts. These findings could provide new molecular insights into the neuropathologies associated with this virus.
Assessing Water Security in Water-Scarce Cities: Applying the Integrated Urban Water Security Index (IUWSI) in Madaba, Jordan
Authors: Aboelnga Hassan Tolba , El-Naser Hazim , Ribbe Lars , Frechen Franz-Bernd
Published: May 2020

Water security is a major concern for water-scarce cities that face dynamic water challenges due to limited water supply, climate change and increasing water demand. Framing urban water security is challenging due to the complexity and uncertainties of the definitions and assessment frameworks concerning urban water security. Several studies have assessed water security by granting priority indicators equal weight without considering or adapting to the local conditions. This study develops a new urban water security assessment framework with application to the water-scarce city of Madaba, Jordan. The study applies the new assessment framework on the study area and measures urban water security using the integrated urban water security index (IUWSI) and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a decision management tool to prioritise and distinguish indicators that affect the four dimensions of urban water security: drinking water, ecosystems, climate change and water-related hazards, and socioeconomic aspects (DECS). The integrated urban water security index (IUWSI) highlights the state of water security and intervention strategies in Madaba. The study reveals that urban water security in Madaba is satisfactory to meet basic needs, with shortcomings in some aspects of the DECS. However, Madaba faces poor security in terms of managing climate- and water-related risks. The IUWSI framework assists with a rational and evidence-based decision-making process, which is important for enhancing water resources management in water-scarce cities.
Seasonal Differences in Taxonomic Diversity of Rotifer Communities in a Hungarian Lowland Oxbow Lake Exposed to Aquaculture Effluent
Authors: Tóth Flórián , Zsuga Katalin , Kerepeczki Éva , Berzi-Nagy László , Körmöczi László , Lövei Gábor L.
Published: May 2020

With the intensification of aquaculture technologies, the amount of feed input and waste material is increasing, creating potentially negative impacts on freshwater habitats receiving effluent from such systems. Changes in biodiversity of zooplankton communities is often used to assess the effects of such impacts. Rotifers are suitable for bioindication of water quality due to their fast reaction to environmental changes. We examined seasonal changes in the diversity of rotifer communities along a 3.5 km section of the biggest oxbow lake in the Tisza River basin, Hungary, that received inflow from an intensive tank-based aquaculture farm. We detected a species-rich rotifer community with 26 species. Using the Rényi one-parameter diversity index families, we found that biodiversity increased away from the point of inflow in spring, but after a summer transition period the situation became partially reversed during autumn. At the beginning of the study period, the nutrient-rich effluent strengthened the dominance of common species, which decreased but did not disappear in summer. In autumn, the extra nutrient input delayed the decline of the rotifer community at the point of effluent.
Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Water Treated under Nitrogen with Low-Temperature Glow Plasma
Authors: Chwastowski Jarosław , Ciesielska Katarzyna , Ciesielski Wojciech , Khachatryan Karen , Kołoczek Henryk , Kulawik Damian , Oszczęda Zdzisław , Tomasik Piotr , Witczak Mariusz
Published: May 2020

Water treated with low-temperature, low-pressure glow plasma (GP) in contact with air stimulates various microorganisms, the growth of various plants and provides healthy breeding of various animals. In this paper, we present water treated with GP under oxygen-free nitrogen. It is potentially suitable for breeding anaerobic microorganisms, and increasing the crops of plants utilizing atmospheric nitrogen. Deionized water saturated with oxygen-free nitrogen was treated for 5 to 90 min with low-temperature glow plasma (GP). That operation produced nitrogen in various exited states depending on the treatment time. These excited nitrogen molecules built aqueous clathrates around them. The number and structure of those clathrates depended on the time of the treatment with GP. In terms of mass, density, pH, conductivity, surface tension, Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS), Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR), Raman and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectra as well as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), the macrostructure of water saturated with nitrogen treated with GP strongly depended on the treatment time. Based on the entropy criterion, the macrostructure formed on 30 and 5 min treatment was the most and least organized, respectively.
A Microstoria Italiana e os desafios biográficos na historiografia recente (1980-2000)
Authors: Carneiro Deivy
Published: May 2020

Pretende-se investigar alguns dos trabalhos e reflexões produzidas por historiadores ligados à micro-história italiana em relação à escrita biográfica e seus desafios. Examinaremos como alguns micro-historiadores se posicionaram, sobretudo no debate biográfico dos anos 1980-2000, e analisaremos como os trabalhos em questão avançaram para além da perspectiva denominada “Biografia Modal”. De maneira geral, analisaremos como a biografia foi pensada e desenvolvida pela historiadora Simona Cerutti em seu livro de 2012 e observamos como Maurizio Gribaudi pensa e realiza o estudo de trajetórias individuais em seu artigo Percorsi individuali ed evoluzione storica: quattro percorsi operai attraverso la Francia dell’ottocento, publicado na revista Quaderni Storici em 2001.
Una aproximación al estudio de la represión sobre las mujeres durante el Franquismo desde Historia del Derecho: las juzgadas en el Tribunal Regional de Responsabilidades Políticas
Authors: Velo i Fabregat Elisabet
Published: May 2020

En el presente artículo se reflexiona sobre el necesario estudio de la represión franquista ante los tribunales desde una perspectiva de género, que lea los expedientes más allá de la aplicación de la ley y se fije en aquellas circunstancias personales que puedan decantar la decisión del tribunal hacia la absolución o la penalización de la conducta enjuiciada. Circunstancias que, por otro lado, pueden ser elementos de subversión contra los estereotipos de género impuestos por el régimen franquista con la instauración del Nuevo Estado. Es responsabilidad de las historiadoras (e historiadores) del Derecho analizar los expedientes judiciales mirando más allá de lo relatado en los mismos, enfocando la represión desde una perspectiva de género y, además, feminista, que tenga en cuenta las circunstancias señaladas anteriormente y que detecte la presencia del patriarcado y el androcentrismo como un elemento más de la represión contra las mujeres (y contra el colectivo LGBTI, aunque no es objeto del presente artículo). Para iniciar la reflexión sobre la cuestión que nos ocupa se analizará el contenido de dos expedientes custodiados en el Archivo Central del Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Catalunya (TSJC) y de la Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona (APB) correspondientes al Tribunal Regional de Responsabilidades Políticas del franquismo, siendo éstos una primera aproximación a la materia, que se espera ampliar en un futuro inmediato. Revisando los expedientes han surgido una serie de dudas sobre la represión ejercida sobre hombres y mujeres cuanto las circunstancias personales de las personas procesadas: ¿Fue igual la represión sobre hombres y mujeres, independientemente de sus circunstancias de género?
Catolicismo, Vanguardia y mujeres. La refemenización de lo religioso en las obras de Norah Borges y Adalgisa Nery
Authors: Cabezas Laura
Published: May 2020

El artículo se detiene en la trayectoria de dos figuras importantes de la vanguardia latinoamericana: la artista plástica argentina Norah Borges y la poeta brasileña Adalgisa Nery. Insertas ambas en los contextos culturales, pero también religiosos de sus países, lidian con el paternalismo patriarcal que gobierna los dos espacios, el del catolicismo revitalizado en los años treinta y el del arte y la literatura modernos que traen el legado de los experimentos vanguardistas de los 20. Jugando con el alcance y los límites de sus “atributos” femeninos, ellas imaginan otros recorridos creativos y religiosos en sus obras y, al hacerlo, invitan a refeminizar la religión desde otro ángulo: la valorización del sentimiento como construcción de una afectividad no hegemónica en el caso de Norah y la apertura a la carne y al resto olvidado como crítica de género en el caso de Adalgisa.