bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of heterogeneous reactions on global tropospheric chemistry
Authors: Ha Phuc T. M. , Taketani Fumikazu , Kanaya Yugo , Matsuda Ryoki , Sudo Kengo
Published: November 2020

Abstract. This study uses a chemistry-climate model CHASER (MIROC) to explore the roles of heterogeneous reactions (HRs) in global tropospheric chemistry. Three distinct HRs of N2O5, HO2, and RO2 are considered for surfaces of aerosols and cloud particles. The model simulation is verified with EANET and EMEP stationary observations, R/V MIRAI ship-based data, ATOM1 aircraft measurements, satellite observations by OMI, ISCCP, and CALIPSO-GOCCP, and reanalysis data JRA55. The heterogeneous chemistry facilitates improvement of model performance with respect to observations for NO2, OH, CO, and O3, especially in the lower troposphere. The calculated effects of heterogeneous reactions cause marked changes in global abundances of O3 (−3 %), NOx (−2.2 %), CO (+3.3 %), and global mean CH4 lifetime (+5.9 %). These global effects were contributed mostly by N2O5 uptake onto aerosols in the middle troposphere. At the surface, HO2 uptake gives the largest contributions, with a particularly significant effect in the North Pacific region (−24% O3, +68 % NOx, +8 % CO, and −70 % OH), mainly attributable to its uptake onto clouds. The RO2 reaction has a small contribution, but its global-mean negative effect on O3 is not negligible. In general, the uptakes onto ice crystals and cloud droplets that occur mainly by HO2 and RO2 radicals cause smaller global effects than the aerosol-uptake effects by N2O5 radicals (+1.34 % CH4 lifetime, +1.71 % NOx, −0.56 % O3, +0.63 % CO abundances). Nonlinear responses of tropospheric O3, NOx, and OH to the N2O5 and HO2 uptakes are found in the same modelling framework of this study (R > 0.93). Although all HRs showed negative tendencies for OH and O3 levels, the effects of HR(HO2) on the tropospheric abundance of O3 showed a small increment with an increasing loss rate. However, this positive tendency turns to reduction at higher rates (> 5 times). Our results demonstrate that the HRs affect not only polluted areas but also remote areas such as the mid-latitude sea boundary layer and upper troposphere. Furthermore, HR(HO2) can bring challenges to pollution reduction efforts because it causes opposite effects between NOx (increase) and surface O3 (decrease).
A new Lagrangian in-time particle simulation module (Itpas v1) for
atmospheric particle dispersion
Authors: Faust Matthias , Wolke Ralf , Münch Steffen , Funk Roger , Schepanski Kerstin
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Trajectory models are intuitive tools for airflow studies. But in general, they are limited to non-turbulent, i.e. laminar flow conditions. Therefore, trajectory models are not particularly suitable for investigating airflow within the turbulent atmospheric boundary layer. To overcome this, a common approach is handling the turbulent uncertainty as a random deviation from a mean path in order to create a statistic of possible solutions which envelops the mean path. This is well known as Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LPDM). However, the decisive factor is the representation of turbulence in the model, for which widely used models such as FLEXPART and HYSPLIT use an approximation. A conceivable improvement can be using a turbulence parameterisation approach based on the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) on high temporal resolution. Here, we elaborated this approach and developed the LPDM Itpas, which is online coupled to the German Weather Service's mesoscale weather forecast model COSMO. It allows for benefiting from the prognostically calculated TKE as well as from the high-frequent wind information. We exemplary demonstrate the model's applicability for a case study on agricultural particle emission in Eastern Germany. The results obtained are discussed with regard to the model's ability to describe particle transport within a turbulent boundary layer. Ultimately, the simulations performed suggest that the newly introduced method based on prognostic TKE sufficiently represents the particle transport.
SPATIAL ASSOCIATION TO CHARACTERIZE THE CLIMATE TELECONNECTION PATTERNS IN ECUADOR BASED ON SATELLITE PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES
Authors: Ballari D. , Campozano L. , Samaniego E. , Orellana D.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Climate teleconnections show remote and large-scale relationships between distant points on Earth. Their relations to precipitation are important to monitor and anticipate the anomalies that they can produce in the local climate, such as flood and drought events impacting agriculture, health, and hydropower generation. Climate teleconnections in relation to precipitation have been widely studied. Nevertheless, the spatial association of the teleconnection patterns (i.e. the spatial delineation of regions with teleconnections) has been unattended. Such spatial association allows to characterize how stable (heterogeneity/dependent and statistically significant) is the underlying spatial phenomena for a given pattern. Thus our objective was to characterize the spatial association of climate teleconnection patterns related to precipitation using an exploratory spatial data analysis approach. Global and local indicators of spatial association (Moran’s I and LISA) were used to detect spatial patterns of teleconnections based on TRMM satellite images and climate indices. Moran’s I depicted high positive spatial association for different climate indices, and LISA depicted two types of teleconnections patterns. The homogenous patterns were localized in the Coast and Amazonian regions, meanwhile the disperse patterns had a major presence in the Highlands. The results also showed some areas that, although with moderate to high teleconnection influences, had a random spatial patterns (i.e. non-significant spatial association). Other areas showed both teleconnections and significant spatial association, but with dispersed patterns. This pointed out the need to explore the local underlying features (topography, orientation, wind and micro-climates) that restrict (non-significant spatial association) or reaffirm (disperse patterns) the teleconnection patterns.
IDENTIFICATION OF AFFECTED HIGH-ALTITUDE WETLANDS IN THE NORTH CHILE USING LARGE LANDSAT TIME SERIES
Authors: Castillo D. , Russell A. , Caquilpan V. , Elgueta S.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. High-Andean wetlands from northern Chile are considered worldwide biodiversity hot spots, however, they are subdued to high anthropic pressure. The monitoring of state variables, such as vegetation, allows to know the ecosystem’s global condition, which could be assessed by the analysis of spectral vegetation indices. The main goal of this paper was to detect changes in the high-Andean wetland vegetation, with remote sensing tools, to focalize surveillance efforts and the use of resources from environmental agencies. NDVI time series were constructed spanning from 1986 to 2019 based on Landsat data, which were analyzed based on the vegetation change detection using BFAST Monitor method. Detected changes were categorized to highlight certain types of changes that were considered more relevant. Wetlands were separated in two rankings (A and B) based on detected changes and territorial context. From 5,622 wetlands, 81 were categorized into group A and 510 into group B. One affected wetland was used as study case to assess the method’s efficiency, being able to detect changes and assign a relative importance to the case. It is shown that the proposed method has the capacity to detect vegetation degradation processes in high-Andean wetlands and could improve in the efficiency and effectiveness of the environmental agencies control labors over these ecosystems.
QUALITY CONTROL RELEVANCE ON ACQUISITION OF LARGE SCALE GEOSPATIAL DATA TO URBAN TERRITORIAL MANAGEMENT
Authors: Filho A. G. G. , Borba P. , Silva V. H. S. , Cerdeira A. , Poz A. P. D.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Quality control (QC) of geospatial data is relevant to urban territorial management to ensure accurate data for government to make strategic decisions when planning cities. The acquisition and control of geospatial data in the Brazilian government must follow INDE - National Data Spatial Infrastructure - through the Technical Specifications. The cadastral cartography from urban areas in Brasilia was updated and divided into 10 areas. Acquired data includes classes, features, attributes and metadata on 1:1,000 scale. High resolution images and LIDAR data were used to assist the QC process. The first step of the QC was to check positional accuracy. Samples were applied for each class in the mapping block with 4% rate on the feature random selection and all features class had the same level of confidence. Then, three stages were automatically verified: logical consistency, commision and attribute thematic accuracy evaluations. The process also includes the visual interpretation for omission and classification, which involves a certain subjectivity. Everything was executed with QGIS, FME, Erdas Imagine, Postgresql, PostGIS and a plugin specifically developed for that, the DSGTools. The results show that in general, the quantity of errors were low. However, many errors were detected in the elements completeness and thematic accuracy, specially in áreas 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. In the opposite, the logical consistency and positional accuracy presented the lowest quantity of errors, which does not diminish the relevance of these errors, since it compromises the usability of the data.
FOREST DISTURBANCE DETECTION BY LANDSAT-BASED NDVI TIME SERIES FOR AYUQUILA RIVER BASIN, JALISCO, MEXICO
Authors: Gao Y. , Quevedo A. , Loya J.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Time series data have been applied for forest disturbance detection. The validation of detected changes is challenging partially because the validation data are often not readily available. Unlike multi-temporal change analysis, time series analysis not only detects areas of change but also reports time of change. Both spatial and temporal accuracy are therefore important for the accuracy assessment. Ayuquila River Basin (ARB) is one of the early action areas in Mexico for the implementation of REDD+ initiatives under UNFCCC. In ARB, shifting cultivation and cattle grazing often take place, resulting in degraded forestland. Sub-annual forest disturbance detection and estimation contribution to the improved local forest management and REDD+ implementation. Landsat-based NDVI time series data covering 1999–2018 were analysed using linear regression and the breakpoints of change and the magnitude of change were detected. Breakpoints with magnitude of change ranging from (−0.05) to (−0.2) were verified during a field campaign in October 2018. Here the magnitude of change is related with NDVI differences. Areas with magnitude of change higher than (−0.2) were identified as false changes. Verification data were generated by visually interpreting time series Landsat images of 2016–2018. In this way, areas with forest loss were identified. By stratified random sampling, 683 points were applied for the verification including 511 points of forests and 172 points of forest loss. It yields 75.84% for the overall accuracy of the change detection; for the detected forest loss as a category, the user’s accuracy is 88.89% and the producer’s accuracy is 0.46%. A possible reason for the very low producer’s accuracy is that the selected magnitude value (−0.2) is too low and some of the detected changes were filtered out.
EVALUATION OF TREE SPECIES CLASSIFICATION METHODS USING MULTI-TEMPORAL SATELLITE IMAGES
Authors: Saha A. , Sastry S. , Dave V. A. , Ghosh R.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Tree species classification is an important step towards forest monitoring and biodiversity conservation. This research study evaluates several multispectral image classification techniques for tree species over Ahwa village in Dang district, South Gujarat, India. Multispectral images consisting of 4 bands-R, G, B and NIR collected over 4 months was used. Object-based segmentation using mean shift, cluster-based using K-Means and Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) and pixel-based methods have been analyzed. Additionally, a new method of classification has been described using the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm. It outperformed supervised classification techniques with accuracy over 95%. The GMM+DTW model accurately reflected the actual species distribution found in the ground truth.
MAPPING THE USABILITY AND QUALITY OF BICYCLE PATHS USING A TERRAIN-INCLINATION-BASED CLASSIFICATION, STUDY CASE: DARCY RIBEIRO CAMPUS, UNIVERSITY OF BRASÍLIA, BRAZIL
Authors: Siqueira A. J. d. , Almo P. M. d. , Cicerelli R. E. , Machado R. F. C. , Almeida T.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Over the last decades, Brazilian cities have gone through a rapid process of urbanization. Population growth has brought the need for new technological and construction developments such as highways and housing centers. One of the most important factors related to this growth has to do with the capacity of locomotion, which is done especially by car. In Brasilia there is a large volume of cars circulating, which causes noise, air pollution, difficulty of locomotion during rush hours generated by traffic jam and stress that affects drivers and the general population. The bike stands out in this context because it is a vehicle considered clean for not polluting the environment and it is easily accessible to almost all social classes, being ideal for short to medium range routes. The University of Brasilia (UnB) has a considerable number of cyclists. The University has several bike lanes that have been built to connect the various departments along the campus. In this context, the purpose of this work is the elaboration of a slope map made from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to classify the bike lanes as critical or not. The DEM was made from a rectangular grid by the Anudem method and a final map in the 1 : 10000 scale was generated. The proportion of green areas and lampposts that cover the bike lanes on campus was also analyzed. The results characterize the bike lanes as non-critical in relation to the inclination, whereas the relation of number of lampposts as well as the vegetation that cover the area to the number of bike racks on campus was considered low.
AN UNSUPERVISED SEGMENTATION METHOD FOR REMOTE SENSING IMAGERY BASED ON CONDITIONAL RANDOM FIELDS
Authors: Soares A. R. , Körting T. S. , Fonseca L. M. G. , Neves A. K.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Segmentation is a fundamental problem in image processing and a common operation in Remote Sensing, which has been widely used especially in Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA). In this paper, we propose a new unsupervised segmentation algorithm based on the Conditional Random Fields (CRF) theory. The method relies on two levels of information: (1) that comes from an unsupervised classification with Fuzzy C-Means algorithm; (2) the 8-connected neighbourhood of a pixel. The algorithm was tested on a WorldView-2 multispectral image, with 2 m of spatial resolution. Results were evaluated using 6 quality measures, and their performance was compared with other image segmentation algorithms that are usually applied by the Remote Sensing community. Results indicate that the proposed algorithm achieved superior overall performance when compared others, despite some over-segmentation.
Open-source, 3D-printed, high-pressure (50 bar) liquid-nitrogen-cooled
para-hydrogen generator
Authors: Ellermann Frowin , Pravdivtsev Andrey , Hövener Jan-Bernd
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The signal of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude using hyperpolarization. In comparison to a broadly used Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) technique that is already used in clinical trials, the para-hydrogen (pH2) based hyperpolarization approaches are less cost-intensive, scalable and offer high throughput. However, a pH2 generator is necessary. Available commercial pH2 generators are relatively expensive (10,000–150,000 €). To facilitate the spread of pH2 hyperpolarization studies, here, we provide the blueprints and 3D-models as open-source for a low-cost (
Brief Communication: Simple-INSYDE, development of a new tool for flood damage evaluation from an existing synthetic model
Authors: Galliani Marta , Molinari Daniela , Ballio Francesco
Published: November 2020

Abstract. INSYDE is a multivariable, synthetic model for flood damage assessment to
dwellings. The analysis and use of this model highlighted some weaknesses,
linked to its complexity, that can undermine its usability and correct
implementation. This study proposes a simplified version of INSYDE which
maintains its multivariable and synthetic nature but has simpler
mathematical formulations permitting easier use and a direct analysis of
the relation between damage and its explanatory variables.
Laminar-turbulent transition characteristics of a 3-D wind turbine rotor blade based on experiments and computations
Authors: Özçakmak Özge Sinem , Madsen Helge Aagaard , Sørensen Niels Nørmark , Sørensen Jens Nørkær
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Laminar-turbulent transition behavior of a wind turbine blade section is investigated in this study by means of field experiments and 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) rotor simulations. The power spectral density (PSD) integrals of the pressure fluctuations obtained from the high-frequency microphones mounted on a blade section are analyzed to detect laminar-turbulent transition locations from the experiments. The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) velocities and the turbulence intensities (T.I.) measured from the field experiments are used to create several inflow scenarios for the CFD simulations. Results from the natural and the bypass transition models of the in-house CFD EllipSys code are compared with the experiments. It is seen that the bypass transition model results fit well with experiments at the azimuthal positions where the turbine is under wake and high turbulence, while the results from other cases show agreement with the natural transition model. Furthermore, the influence of inflow turbulence, wake of an upstream turbine, and angle of attack (AOA) on the transition behavior is investigated through the field experiments. On the pressure side of the blade section, at high AOA values and wake conditions, variation in the transition location covers up to 44 % of the chord during one revolution, while for the no-wake cases and lower AOA values, variation occurs along a region that covers only 5 % of the chord. The effect of the inflow turbulence on the effective angle of attack as well as its direct effect on transition is observed. Transition locations for the wind tunnel conditions and field experiments are compared together with 2-D and 3-D CFD simulations. In contrast to the suction side, significant difference in the transition locations is observed between wind tunnel and field experiments on the pressure side for the same airfoil geometry. It is seen that the natural and bypass transition models of EllipSys3D can be used for transition prediction of a wind turbine blade section for high-Reynolds-number flows by applying various inflow scenarios separately to cover the whole range of atmospheric occurrences.
Analysis of the effect of multi-level urban form on bikeshare demand: Evidence from seven large metropolitan areas in the United States
Authors: Nasri Arefeh , Younes Hannah , Zhang Lei
Published: November 2020

Bikeshare programs in their current form have been in place for several years in many cities across the United States. Encouraging people to use bikeshare for their daily routine travel has numerous social, economic, environmental, and health benefits. Therefore, it is important to understand factors influencing bikeshare use in different urban areas to improve the system and encourage more use. This paper investigates how the built environment at both local and regional scales influences bikeshare use in seven large metropolitan areas in the U.S. The study areas include Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Francisco, San Jose, and Washington, D.C., and the data consists of about 12 million bike trips from approximately 2,000 stations over a one-year period. In addition to linear regression models built for each individual city for comparison purposes, a multi-level mixed effect regression model is built to predict the number of trips originated from each station with respect to the local and regional built environment pattern. The results are consistent with previous research on the effect of land use at the local level on bikeshare demand and show that residential density, regional diversity, pedestrian-oriented road network density, and job accessibility via transit all have a significant positive effect on bikeshare demand. At the regional level, results suggest that the overall level of mixed-use development and overall bike-friendliness in the region (i.e., exclusive bike routes, right-of-way, and bike facilities) and higher congestion level in the region are significant factors influencing bikeshare activities and demand. Models developed in this study could be applied to other communities that are seeking to improve and/or expand their bikeshare systems, as well as cities planning to launch new bikeshare programs.
Physiological and Oxidative Effects of Native Piperaceae From Brazilian Amazon on Growth of Weed
Authors: Rafalski Claudiene , Ramos Alessandra De Rezende , Duarte Elizabeth Amélia Alves , Menezes Ilmarina Campos de , Oliveira Thiago Alves Santos de , Dos Santos Roseane Cavalcanti
Published: November 2020

The use of bioherbicides for the sustainable management of weeds is one of the main challenges of agriculture. With this approach, the application of complex (crude) extract has shown to be inore efficient and less expensive due to phytotoxic (together) presence, than single, isolated, or majority compounds. In this perspective, the aqueous extract of the five Piper spp. (Piper divaricatum, P. hispidum, P. marginatum, P. peltatum, and P. reticulatum) native from the Amazon region, Brazil were used to evaluate the physiological and oxidative effects on the emergence and growth of common weeds under controlled conditions and in greenhouse. The extract obtained in sufficient quantity and the expected inhibitory effect was used in biochemical assays again with lettuce (indicator plant) and weeds seedlings, focusing on antioxidative enzymes activity. We verify the allelopathic potential of the P. divaricatum and P. peltatum, which caused high toxicity to lettuce and weeds seedlings in vitro and in vivo assays. In both Piper extract at 1.5%, the emergence inhibition of weed seedlings was up to 70%. This concentration also influenced the growth of seedlings. As to responses of antioxidative enzymes, we found that lettuce seedlings were widely affected by the exposition of Piper extracts (P. divaricatum and P. peltatum) at 5%, with an input of 89%, 300%, and 290% on SOD, CAT, and APX activities, respectively. Thus, Piper divaricatum and P. peltatum are potent allelopathic species that could contribute to minimize the damage of crops caused by weed competitions.
“Student Disadvantage”: Key University Stakeholders’ Perspectives in South Africa
Authors: Gore Oliver Tafadzwa
Published: November 2020

Universities in South Africa seem to be struggling to create inclusive conditions for black students to succeed in their studies. The persistence of inequality in universities could be partly blamed on the use of the term ‘historically disadvantaged’, which is not defined in policy documents, and this has resulted in universities being unclear on what exactly to address in their transformation. Using the capability approach in this study, it is argued that policy should address the structural, institutional and environmental factors that contribute to student disadvantage, which prevent the development of opportunities and agency among students. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from key stakeholders who dealt with student affairs (university staff and student representative council [SRC] members) at one South African university with the aim of developing an understanding of student disadvantage from their perspective. The findings revealed that student disadvantage manifests through structural and institutional factors, namely a culture of racism, alienating university campuses, student poverty, university teaching, and gender inequality. The study recommends that universities consider addressing these factors in their transformation.
Grain Yield of Maize Hybrids in Response to Inoculation with Azospirillum sp. under Nitrogen Limiting Conditions in Huaura, Peru
Authors: Teodoro-Cerna Elin , Mendoza-Nieto Eroncio , Contreras-Liza Sergio Eduardo
Published: November 2020

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Azospirillum sp. inoculated with different nitrogen levels (0, 60, 90, 180 kg ha-1) on grain yield, yield components and agronomic traits of hybrid maize at the arid conditions of the central coast of Peru. The experimental design used was randomized complete block design with four replications per treatment, under the arrangement of subdivided plots, in which three corn hybrids were assigned to complete plots and four inoculant-N fertilization treatments, to the subplots. The results showed that for dose fertilization of 180 kg ha-1 of nitrogen (control), the grain yield of hybrid corn was similar as compared to 60-120 kg ha-1 N fertilization inoculated at 15 and 45 days with a native strain of Azospirillum sp., suggesting that the response in grain yield for hybrid corn can be balanced with nitrogen fertilization and inoculation with Azospirillum sp. 1x108 CFU mL-1 in conditions of arid soils, with possible impact on the use of this microorganism in the maize production system
Nomadic tourism: stakeholder collaboration management for tourism development in Mongolia
Authors: Gantemur Damba
Published: November 2020

This study has been produced for the purpose of furthering the debate on the importance of cultural identities in sustainable development processes by giving special emphasis to stakeholder collaboration management in the tourist industry. Tourism plays a critical role, both in strengthening cultural identity and promoting sustainable development. However, there issues that need to be addressed, such as, how tourism, especially community-based tourism (CBT) could help promote local culture, what is the role of key stakeholders, especially local people’s attitude towards sustainable development collaboration. These issues have been considered. So far, CBT is a kind of approach to promote sustainable tourism development, and also to be grounded the local circumstances. In other words, local cultural identity enriches and defines the CBT approach by way of matching local cultural identity and tourism development. Nomadic people are viewed as the key engine of their community, who epitomize the local identity. Finally, I propose “A nomad friendly tourism”, or “nomadic tourism” that can be seen as a development concept rather than CBT, and which is the practical tool that maintains the balance between natural and cultural landscape of the Mongols.
Vostok: 3D scanner simulation for industrial robot environments
Authors: Rossi Alessandro , Barbiero Marco , Carli Ruggero
Published: November 2020

Computer vision will drive the next wave of robot applications. Latest three-dimensional scanners provide increasingly realistic object reconstructions. We introduce an innovative simulator that allows interacting with those scanners within the operating environment, thus creating a powerful tool for developers, researchers and students. In particular, we present a novel approach for simulating structured-light and timeof-flight sensors. Qualitative results demonstrate the efficiency and reliability in industrial environments. By using the programmability of modern GPUs, it is now possible to make greater use of parallelized simulative approaches. Apart from the easy modification of sensor parameters, the main advantage in simulation is the opportunity of carrying out experiments under reproducible conditions, especially for dynamic scene setups. Moreover, thanks to a great computational power, it is possible to generate huge amounts of synthetic data which can be used as test datasets for training machine learning models.
State of railway traffic in Vojvodina after the attitudes and the postal development
Authors: Blagojević Aleksandar
Published: November 2020

Railway in Vojvodina have been built since 1856.According to a peace treaty it became a part of a railway network of a new country in 1918.Rails on that territory were not as destroyed in Vojvodina as they were in Serbia during the World War I but they were damaged and had barely any transporting ability. After the annexation of Vojvodina to Serbia, the existing rails were reconstructed, new rails and railway infrastructure were built and some new rules regarding railway traffic were introduced. During the first couple of years railway system in a new country was not centralized and it was controlled by five different regional sections, one of which was located in Subotica for territory of Backa, Banat and Baranja. In the period from 1923/24 to the World War II the railway system was centralized. Regarding the difficulties and problems that the new country had encountered, the development and the results of a management between the two World Wars were satisfying
Oral public hearing in an administrative dispute
Authors: Bjelica Renata
Published: November 2020

The right to an oral public hearing is covered by the right to a fair trial as a right guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms as well as by the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. In this sense, the Law on Administrative Disputes prescribes a rule for the court to establish the facts at an oral public hearing. This law prescribes exceptions to the rule, as well as cases in which the court will "always" and in which it is "obliged" to hold an oral public hearing. Analyzing the legal provisions, with reference to the relevant administrative and constitutional caselaw, and considering the present organization and capacity of the administrative judiciary, the author pointed to certain shortcomings of legislative solutions and administrative judicial decisions, and based on the conclusions drawn, tried to offer possible solutions so that, when it comes to holding a hearing before a court, a higher degree of fairness of trial could be achieved.
Criminal offense and Facebook
Authors: Petrašinović Stefan
Published: November 2020

The development of modern internet technologies has provided numerous ways for mass communication of people. One of these ways is through social networks. With more than two billion users worldwide, Facebook is the most massive social network of today and a powerful tool for sharing a wealth of data, images and other materials through their profiles, which may even be publicly accessible to an indefinite number of individuals. With such capabilities, Facebook is a suitable tool for various abuses and for committing various offenses. It is a common situation for users to post different statuses, photos, snapshots through profiles, or post comments on statuses, photos or snapshots, of offensive content. From the point of view of our positive criminal law, the criminal protection of the honor and reputation of the individual, as intangible human values, is not in dispute in these situations. However, the question arises of the legal qualification of such incriminated conduct, that is, whether through these acts of the perpetrators the basic or qualified form of the offense of offenses referred to in Art. 170 of the Criminal Code, given the particular means of enforcement. The author points out the facts and circumstances that influence the legal qualification of the criminal offense of insult through Facebook, its appearance, as well as various possible ways of its realization by several persons.
Smart Home Voice Assistants: A Literature Survey of User Privacy and Security Vulnerabilities
Authors: Sharif Khairunisa , Tenbergen Bastian
Published: November 2020

Intelligent voice assistants are internet-connected devices, which listen to their environment and react to spoken user commands in order to retrieve information from the internet, control appliances in the household, or notify the user of incoming messages, reminders, and the like. With their increasing ubiquity in smart homes, their application seems only limited by the imagination of developers, who connect these off-the-shelf devices to existing apps, online services, or appliances. However, since their inherent nature is to observe the user in their home, their ubiquity also raises concern of security and user privacy. To justify the trust placed into the devices, the devices must be secure from unauthorized access and the back-end infrastructure tasked with speech-to-text analysis, command interpretation, and connection to other services and appliances must maintain confidentiality of data. To investigate existing possible vulnerabilities, approaches to mitigate them, as well as general considerations in this emerging field, we supplement the findings of a recent study with results from a systematic literature review. We were able to compile a list of six main types of user privacy vulnerabilities, partially confirming previous findings, but also finding additional issues. We discuss these vulnerabilities, their associated attack vectors, and possible mitigations users can take to protect themselves.
Cumplimiento de las condenas contra Colombia por desplazamiento forzado interno en el Sistema Interamericano
Authors: Álvarez Rincón Johana , Quintero Sánchez Gabriel Alejandro
Published: November 2020

La población colombiana ha sido históricamente víctima de desplazamiento forzado interno, flagelo calificado hoy en día como delito de lesa humanidad. Los niveles de desplazamiento forzado ubican a Colombia encabezando los listados de las principales organizaciones en llevar a cabo el monitoreo de las estadísticas de desplazamiento forzado, de países con mayor índice de violaciones, de allí la importancia de vigilar el comportamiento del país. Por ello, partimos de considerar en un primer momento la información hoy disponible sobre la extensión geográfica de la violación, las causas y factores que influyen en los altos niveles y las circunstancias políticas, sociales y económicas que trae como consecuencia la presencia de este fenómeno. Concebimos además como asunto primordial tener en cuenta los niveles de cumplimiento de las sanciones impuestas por el Sistema Interamericano en las sentencias que han condenado la violación del derecho a la libre circulación consagrado en la Convención Americana de Derechos Humanos.
La discusión probatoria de las víctimas y la Sentencia T-025 de 2004. Una caracterización desde el constitucionalismo democrático
Authors: Lozano Amaya María Alejandra , Payán Rodríguez Ana Sofía , Ruiz González Luis Enrique
Published: November 2020

Este artículo, a partir de algunas nociones sobre constitucionalismo democrático y el papel de las cortes constitucionales en los Estados constitucionales y democráticos, busca caracterizar a la Corte Constitucional con ocasión de la expedición de la Sentencia T-025 sobre desplazamiento forzado, en una materia específica como es el aspecto probatorio para acreditar la condición de desplazado o víctima del conflicto e identificar la incidencia que la Sala Especial de Seguimiento tuvo en la garantía de los derechos de la población desplazada y en el diseño institucional de atención a las víctimas.
Expectation‐maximization‐based infrared target tracking with time‐varying extinction coefficient identification
Authors: Liu Shun , Liang Yan , Xu Linfeng , Zhang Wanying , Hao Xiaohui
Published: November 2020

Extinction coefficient (EC), as the key parameter of target intensity model, is assumed constant in classical infrared target tracking (IRTT) methods. However, it is a time‐varying and state‐coupled parameter related to complex atmosphere environment. To this end, this article proposes the problem of IRTT with time‐varying EC identification. Different from the constant EC case whose solution is the measurement augmentation, the time‐varying EC case brings out the new challenge: deep coupling between state estimation and parameter identification. In the expectation‐maximization framework, this article derives the joint identification and estimation optimization scheme, where the Taylor expansion variance error of intensity model is also identified to adaptively compensate the nonlinear approximation. Simulation examples show that the proposed scheme has better estimation accuracy than the existing augmented extended Kalman filter.
The Role of Demixing and Crystallization Kinetics on the Stability of Non‐Fullerene Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Hu Huawei , Ghasemi Masoud , Peng Zhengxing , Zhang Jianquan , Rech Jeromy James , You Wei , Yan He , Ade Harald
Published: November 2020

With power conversion efficiency now over 17%, a long operational lifetime is essential for the successful application of organic solar cells. However, most non‐fullerene acceptors can crystallize and destroy devices, yet the fundamental underlying thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of acceptor crystallization have received limited attention. Here, room‐temperature (RT) diffusion coefficients of 3.4 × 10−23 and 2.0 × 10−22 are measured for ITIC‐2Cl and ITIC‐2F, two state‐of‐the‐art non‐fullerene acceptors. The low coefficients are enough to provide for kinetic stabilization of the morphology against demixing at RT. Additionally profound differences in crystallization characteristics are discovered between ITIC‐2F and ITIC‐2Cl. The differences as observed by secondary‐ion mass spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and microscopy can be related directly to device degradation and are attributed to the significantly different nucleation and growth rates, with a difference in the growth rate of a factor of 12 at RT. ITIC‐4F and ITIC‐4Cl exhibit similar characteristics. The results reveal the importance of diffusion coefficients and melting enthalpies in controlling the growth rates, and that differences in halogenation can drastically change crystallization kinetics and device stability. It is furthermore delineated how low nucleation density and large growth rates can be inferred from DSC and microscopy experiments which could be used to guide molecular design for stability.
Structural Insight in the Interfacial Effect in Ferroelectric Polymer Nanocomposites
Authors: Liu Yang , Yang Tiannan , Zhang Bing , Williams Teague , Lin Yen‐Ting , Li Li , Zhou Yao , Lu Wenchang , Kim Seong H. , Chen Long‐Qing , Bernholc J. , Wang Qing
Published: November 2020

Both experimental results and theoretical models suggest the decisive role of the filler–matrix interfaces on the dielectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and electrocaloric properties of ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites. However, there remains a lack of direct structural evidence to support the so‐called interfacial effect in dielectric nanocomposites. Here, a chemical mapping of the interfacial coupling between the nanofiller and the polymer matrix in ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites by combining atomic force microscopy–infrared spectroscopy (AFM–IR) with first‐principles calculations and phase‐field simulations is provided. The addition of ceramic fillers into a ferroelectric polymer leads to augmentation of the local conformational disorder in the vicinity of the interface, resulting in the local stabilization of the all‐trans conformation (i.e., the polar β phase). The formation of highly polar and inhomogeneous interfacial regions, which is further enhanced with a decrease of the filler size, has been identified experimentally and verified by phase‐field simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This work offers unprecedented structural insights into the configurational disorder‐induced interfacial effect and will enable rational design and molecular engineering of the filler–matrix interfaces of electroactive polymer nanocomposites to boost their collective properties.
Shape‐Designable Polyhedral Liquid Marbles/Plasticines Stabilized with Polymer Plates
Authors: Fujiwara Junya , Geyer Florian , Butt Hans‐Jürgen , Hirai Tomoyasu , Nakamura Yoshinobu , Fujii Syuji
Published: November 2020

Polyhedral liquid marbles/plasticines are prepared using (sub)millimeter‐sized polymer plates as a stabilizer and water as an inner liquid. Precise control of size and shape can be successfully performed by tuning the size ratio of the water droplet and the plate, number of plates adsorbed to the droplet, coalescence (jointing) of multiple polyhedral liquid marbles/plasticines, and application of external mechanical stress. Thanks to interfacial jamming of the plates, plastic deformation of the liquid marbles/plasticines is achieved. The authors are able to fabricate liquid marbles/plasticines with various shapes including A–Z letters of alphabet. Liquid marble/plasticine with an aspect ratio exceeding 800, the largest aspect ratio ever reported, is also successfully prepared; the length of the liquid marble/plasticine exceeded 1.5 m. The liquid marbles can be picked up and be piled up on top of each other using tweezers or fingers. Furthermore, Janus‐type liquid marbles/plasticines with different curvatures and different stabilizers in a single liquid marble/plasticine can be fabricated by coalescence (jointing) of near‐spherical and cuboid liquid marbles/plasticines stabilized by plates with different sizes. An internal liquid flow from the near‐spherical liquid marble to the cuboid liquid marble/plasticine immediately after jointing is observed, making this system act as a micropump.
Aperiodic Metagratings for High‐Performance Multifunctional Acoustic Lenses
Authors: Qian Jiao , Xia Jian‐Ping , Sun Hong‐Xiang , Wang Yin , Ge Yong , Yuan Shou‐Qi , Yang Yihao , Liu Xiao‐Jun , Zhang Baile
Published: November 2020

Metagratings have provided great flexibility for controlling wave propagation by suppressing or enhancing diffraction of periodic unit cells or supercells with high efficiency. On the other hand, to achieve complex wavefront, modulations usually require phase profiles of the metagratings to be arbitrary. However, due to lack of a general theoretical framework, such high‐efficiency aperiodic metagratings remain elusive in reality. Here, a class of aperiodic metagratings based on the extension of the Snell's law that involves both the diffraction of unit cells and the aperiodic phase modulation of metagratings in acoustics is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The proposed aperiodic acoustic metagratings can be used to not only efficiently manipulate sound refraction or reflection for arbitrary incidence angle without the restriction of critical angles, but also to design complex wavefront modulations that enable high‐performance multifunctional devices. As a proof of concept, two types of multifunctional acoustic lenses that function completely differently by adjusting the distance between two aperiodic metagratings are experimentally realized. This work provides a new pathway toward complex modulations of the wavefront and diffraction for classical waves with high efficiency.
Highly Efficient Perovskite‐Based Electrocatalysts for Water Oxidation in Acidic Environments: A Mini Review
Authors: Song Hee Jo , Yoon Hyunseok , Ju Bobae , Kim Dong‐Wan
Published: November 2020

Proton‐conducting polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a promising technology for generating clean and sustainable hydrogen fuels from water. However, PEMWE requires the use of expensive electrocatalysts; the currently available electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) depend on noble metals (Ir, Ru). Since noble metals are expensive, commercialization of PEMWE remains elusive. In addition, PEMWE suffers from the very slow kinetics of the OER in acidic media. Thus, the development of noble‐metal‐reduced, highly active, and acid‐compatible oxygen evolution electrocatalysts is needed for the commercialization of PEMWE to be viable. In this regard, perovskite oxides have great potential for application as OER electrocatalysts in acidic media, because their multimetal‐oxide forms can reduce the use of noble metals, and their high structural and compositional flexibility can modulate the electronic structure and OER activity. In this review, current knowledge regarding state‐of‐the‐art perovskite oxides for acidic water oxidation electrocatalysts is summarized. First, the fundamental OER mechanism of electrocatalysts in acidic media is introduced briefly. Second, Ir‐ and Ru‐based perovskite oxides in acidic solutions are provided, focusing on their stability and OER activity. Finally, some challenges facing the development of perovskite oxide‐based electrocatalysts, and a perspective on their future are discussed.
Two cytotype niche shifts are of different magnitude in Solidago gigantea
Authors: Martino Maria , Semple John C. , Beck James B.
Published: November 2020

Premise

Polyploidy may serve to contribute to range size if autopolyploid cytotypes are adapted to differing ecological conditions. This study aims to establish the geographic distribution of cytotypes within the giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea), and to assess whether cytotypes exhibit differing ecological tolerances and morphology.

Methods

A range‐wide set of 629 Solidago gigantea individuals was obtained through field collecting, sampling from herbarium specimens, and incorporating existing chromosome counts. Cytotype of each unknown sample was estimated by observing allele numbers at twelve microsatellite loci, a strategy that was assessed by comparing estimated to known cytotype in 20 chromosome‐counted samples. Abiotic ecological differentiation was assessed for two transitions: diploid‐tetraploid and tetraploid‐hexaploid. Morphological differentiation among cytotypes was assessed.

Results

Microsatellite repeat variation accurately estimated cytotype in 85% of samples for which ploidy was known. Applying this approach to samples of unknown ploidy established that the three cytotypes are non‐randomly distributed. Although niche modeling and MANOVA approaches identified significant differences in macro‐climatic conditions for both cytotype transitions, the tetraploid to hexaploid transition was more substantial. Leaf length and width did not differ among cytotypes. Although leaf vestiture exhibited strong trends, no absolute differences were observed among cytotypes.

Conclusions

With the largest such study to date, we established niche transitions among giant goldenrod cytotypes of differing magnitudes. Collectively, this suggests that whole‐genome duplication has contributed to Solidago gigantea’s large range.