bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Otto Engine: Classical and Quantum Approach
Authors: Peña Francisco J. , Negrete Oscar , Cortés Natalia , Vargas Patricio
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we analyze the total work extracted and the efficiency of the magnetic Otto cycle in its classic and quantum versions. As a general result, we found that the work and efficiency of the classical engine is always greater than or equal to its quantum counterpart, independent of the working substance. In the classical case, this is due to the fact that the working substance is always in thermodynamic equilibrium at each point of the cycle, maximizing the energy extracted in the adiabatic paths. We apply this analysis to the case of a two-level system, finding that the work and efficiency in both the Otto’s quantum and classical cycles are identical, regardless of the working substance, and we obtain similar results for a multilevel system where a linear relationship between the spectrum of energies of the working substance and the external magnetic field is fulfilled. Finally, we show an example of a three-level system in which we compare two zones in the entropy diagram as a function of temperature and magnetic field to find which is the most efficient region when performing a thermodynamic cycle. This work provides a practical way to look for temperature and magnetic field zones in the entropy diagram that can maximize the power extracted from an Otto magnetic engine.
Ensemble Fuzzy Feature Selection Based on Relevancy, Redundancy, and Dependency Criteria
Authors: Salem Omar A. M. , Liu Feng , Chen Yi-Ping Phoebe , Chen Xi
Published: July 2020

The main challenge of classification systems is the processing of undesirable data. Filter-based feature selection is an effective solution to improve the performance of classification systems by selecting the significant features and discarding the undesirable ones. The success of this solution depends on the extracted information from data characteristics. For this reason, many research theories have been introduced to extract different feature relations. Unfortunately, traditional feature selection methods estimate the feature significance based on either individually or dependency discriminative ability. This paper introduces a new ensemble feature selection, called fuzzy feature selection based on relevancy, redundancy, and dependency (FFS-RRD). The proposed method considers both individually and dependency discriminative ability to extract all possible feature relations. To evaluate the proposed method, experimental comparisons are conducted with eight state-of-the-art and conventional feature selection methods. Based on 13 benchmark datasets, the experimental results over four well-known classifiers show the outperformance of our proposed method in terms of classification performance and stability.
Experimental Performance Analysis of an Optical Communication Channel over Maritime Environment
Authors: Lionis Antonios , Peppas Konstantinos , Nistazakis Hector E. , Tsigopoulos Andreas D. , Cohn Keith
Published: July 2020

Free space optical communications (FSO), which make use of the visible and infrared spectrum for data transmission, offer significant advantages such as a very high data rate, security and immunity, low cost of installation and ease of use without any license restrictions. However, a significant challenge for FSO systems is their inherent constraints due to environmental conditions and especially atmospheric turbulence. This paper focuses on the experimental performance analysis of a real FSO system in a maritime environment. We propose a new model which allows an FSO link performance estimation over sea and depends upon point measurements of environmental parameters. The Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) has been measured and a second-order polynomial has been constructed using regression modeling to quantify its relation with macroscopic environmental parameters collected by a weather station. This model has then been validated against real meteorological data over different period of times and exhibited a reasonably strong correlation. Atmospheric turbulence has been determined using bulk estimates of the structure index parameter extracted from the same meteorological data, and thus allowed for a statistical correlation between turbulence and RSSI. In the second part of the paper, the probability distribution of the RSSI data has been investigated and the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence has been used to investigate the difference between probability distributions over the same variable. As an illustrative example of the process, the Weibull, Lognormal and Gamma distributions have been evaluated against the RSSI data probability distribution and the latter has proved to exhibit the best fit.
Impact of Meteorological Attenuation on Channel Characterization at 300 GHz
Authors: Lai Zhengrong , Yi Haofan , Guan Ke , Ai Bo , Zhong Wuning , Dou Jianwu , Zeng Yi , Zhong Zhangdui
Published: July 2020

Terahertz (THz) communication is a key candidate for the upcoming age of beyond-fifth-generation mobile networks (B5G) or sixth-generation mobile networks (6G) in the next decade and can achieve ultra-high data rates of dozens of gigabits or even terabits per second. As the carrier frequency increases from radio frequency (RF) to the THz band, the impact of meteorological factors on the wireless link is expected to become more pronounced. In this work, we first provide an overview of the attenuation caused by atmospheric gases, fog, and rain on terrestrial THz wireless communications using the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union-Radiocommunication (ITU-R). Measured data from the literature are used to predict the attenuation caused by snow. Because unfavorable weather conditions may harm sensitive measurement equipment, ray-tracing (RT) simulations are sometimes used as an alternative to extend sparse empirical data. In this study, the terrestrial channel in an urban scenario at 300 GHz, with a bandwidth of 8 GHz, is characterized using RT simulations under different meteorological factors. The key performance parameters are explored, including path loss (PL), Rician K-factor (KF), root-mean-square (RMS) delay spread (DS), and four angular spreads. The channel characteristics under different meteorological conditions studied in this work are expected to aid the design of future outdoor terrestrial THz communications.
Day-Ahead Forecasting for Small-Scale Photovoltaic Power Based on Similar Day Detection with Selective Weather Variables
Authors: Acharya Shree Krishna , Wi Young-Min , Lee Jaehee
Published: July 2020

As photovoltaic (PV) power plants are an essential component of modern smart grids, the PV generation forecasting of such plants has recently been gaining interest. The forecasting results of PV power often suffer from large errors because of unusual weather conditions. In a learning-based forecasting model, the forecasting accuracy can be enhanced by using carefully selected data for training rather than all the data without any screening. That is, using a training set that only contains information obtained from similar days can help enhance the accuracy of learning-based PV forecasting. This paper proposes a forecasting method for small-scale PV generation. This method is based on long short-term memory; further, it detects similar days considering the different impacts of weather variables on PV power according to the day. This method can address issues caused by unnecessary learning from non-similar historical days. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits better performance than do existing similar day detection methods.
Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of Solar Air Collectors with Artificially Roughened Absorbers: A Comparative Review of Semi-Empirical Models
Authors: Araújo António
Published: July 2020

Due to the poor thermal characteristics of the air, the absorber roughness of solar air collectors is commonly artificially increased in order to enhance the heat transfer to the air stream. However, this is also accompanied by an undesirable increase in the pumping power due to increased friction losses. As a result, several authors have experimentally investigated several ways of maximizing the heat transfer while minimizing the friction losses of different absorbers, resulting in the development of semi-empirical functions relating the Nusselt number (a measure of heat transfer) and the friction factor (a measure of friction losses) to the Reynolds number and the roughness parameters considered for each absorber. The present paper reviews, considering the publications from the last ten years, these semi-empirical functions. Moreover, the optimum roughness parameters and operating conditions of the absorbers were estimated by finding the maximum values of two performance parameters (the thermo-hydraulic efficiency and effectiveness), calculated using the semi-empirical functions, in order to classify the absorbers in terms of their energy characteristics. This approach proves to be a rather effective way of optimizing the roughness characteristics of solar air collector absorbers. It is also concluded that, considering the range of absorbers analyzed here, generally, multiple V-shaped ribs with gaps provide the most effective roughness geometry.
A New Effective Method of Induction Machine Condition Assessment Based on Zero-Sequence Voltage (ZSV) Symptoms
Authors: Duda Arkadiusz , Sułowicz Maciej
Published: July 2020

Non-invasive diagnostic methods for electric machines’ diagnostics, which can be used during their operation in a drive system, are needed in many branches of the production industry. For the reliable condition assessment of electric machines, especially those operating in drive systems, various tools and methods have been suggested. One diagnostic method that has not been fully recognized and documented is a diagnostic method based on zero-sequence voltage component (ZSV) applications for the condition assessment of induction machines. In this paper, the application of ZSV in induction machine diagnostics is proposed. A factor that speaks in favor of applying this signal in such diagnostics is the high sensitivity of the signal to damage occurrence, and the distinct change of extracted symptoms in the case of asymmetry. It is possible to obtain a high signal amplitude, which simplifies its processing and the elaboration of reliable diagnostic factors. This ZSV-based method is also able to be applied to big machines used in industry. Due to the saturation effects visible in the ZSV signal, new diagnostic symptoms can appear, which allows for an easier condition assessment of certain machines. The usefulness of the described diagnostic method in machine condition assessment was shown through an equivalent circuit modeling process, finite element analysis, and laboratory tests of the machine.
Increased Selectivity for Butanol in Clostridium Pasteurianum Fermentations via Butyric Acid Addition or Dual Feedstock Strategy
Authors: Munch Garret , Mittler Justus , Rehmann Lars
Published: July 2020

Volatility of the petroleum market has renewed research into butanol as an alternate fuel. In order to increase the selectivity for butanol during glycerol fermentation with Clostridium pasteurianum, butyric acid can be added to the medium. In this manuscript, different methods of extracellular butyric acid addition are explored, as well as self-generation of butyric acid fermented from sugars in a co-substrate strategy. Molasses was used as an inexpensive sugar substrate, and the optimal molasses to glycerol ratio was found to allow the butyric acid to be taken back up into the cells and increase the productivity of butanol from all carbon sources. When butyric acid is added directly into the media, there was no significant difference between chemically pure butyric acid, or butyric acid rich supernatant from a separate fermentation. When low concentrations of butyric acid (1 or 2 g/L) are added to the initial media, an inhibitory effect is observed, with no influence on the butanol selectivity. However, when added later to the fermentation, over 1 g/L butyric acid is taken into the cells and increased the relative carbon yield from 0.449 to 0.519 mols carbon in product/mols carbon in substrate. An optimized dual substrate fermentation strategy in a pH-controlled reactor resulted in the relative carbon yield rising from 0.439 when grown on solely glycerol, to 0.480 mols C product/mols C substrate with the dual substrate strategy. An additional benefit is the utilization of a novel source of sugars to produce butanol from C. pasteurianum. The addition of butyric acid, regardless of how it is generated, under the proper conditions can allow for increased selectivity for butanol from all substrates.
On the Volterra-Type Fractional Integro-Differential Equations Pertaining to Special Functions
Authors: Singh Yudhveer , Gill Vinod , Singh Jagdev , Kumar Devendra , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy
Published: July 2020

In this article, we apply an integral transform-based technique to solve the fractional order Volterra-type integro-differential equation (FVIDE) involving the generalized Lorenzo-Hartely function and generalized Lauricella confluent hypergeometric function in terms of several complex variables in the kernel. We also investigate and introduce the Elazki transform of Hilfer-derivative, generalized Lorenzo-Hartely function and generalized Lauricella confluent hypergeometric function. In this article, we have established three results that are present in the form of lemmas, which give us new results on the above mentioned three functions, and by using these results we have derived our main results that are given in the form of theorems. Our main results are very general in nature, which gives us some new and known results as a particular case of results established here.
Four Thinkers in the Twentieth Century Genealogy of Mexicanidad: Justo Sierra, Samuel Ramos, José Vasconcelos, and Octavio Paz
Authors: Kaiser Ortiz John
Published: July 2020

The twentieth-century development of Mexicanidad underwent a series of treatments that changed how selfhood in Mexico was problematized and understood. Octavio Paz’s claim that Mexicanidad faced historical and philosophical obstacles in its development, such as the problem of solitude, allowed him to go beyond the accounts of Mexicanidad provided by Justo Sierra, José Vasconcelos, and Samuel Ramos. Paz’s account of Mexicanidad sought an explicit connection between the Mexican experience of solitude and the universal human experience of solitude. This paper demonstrates how Paz’s revised account addresses these and other problems in twentieth-century Latin American quests for national identity.
Correlation between the Spread of COVID-19 and the Interest in Personal Protective Measures in Poland and Portugal
Authors: Strzelecki Artur , Azevedo Ana , Albuquerque Alexandra
Published: July 2020

The pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has gained extensive coverage in public media and global news, generated international and national communication campaigns to educate the communities worldwide and raised the attention of everyone. The coronavirus has caused viral pneumonia in tens of thousands of people around the world, and the COVID-19 outbreak changed most countries’ routines and concerns and transformed social behaviour. This study explores the potential use of Google Trends (GT) in monitoring interest in the COVID-19 outbreak and, specifically, in personal protective equipment and hand hygiene, since these have been promoted by official health care bodies as two of the most protective measures. GT was chosen as a source of reverse engineering data, given the interest in the topic and the novelty of the research. Current data on COVID-19 are retrieved from GT using keywords in two languages—Portuguese and Polish. The geographical settings for GT are two countries: Poland and Portugal. The period under analysis is 20 January 2020, when the first cases outside China were known, to 15 June 2020. The results show that there is a correlation between the spread of COVID-19 and the search for personal protective equipment and hand hygiene and that GT can help, to a certain extent, understand people’s concerns, behaviour and reactions to sanitary problems and protection recommendations.
A Strategy for International Cooperation in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: Focusing on National Scientific Funding Data
Authors: Lee Doyeon , Heo Yoseob , Kim Keunhwan
Published: July 2020

The coronavirus crisis may lead to a deeper understanding of international collaborations for developing antivirals and vaccines that are essential to protect us from current and future health security threats. Beyond technical solutions, the government of South Korea needs to establish a timely strategic investment in coronavirus-related research and development (R&D) in order to enhance the capabilities for managing this new uncertainty in regard to the domestic health crisis. Thus, this study aims to provide useful information about the status of global coronavirus-related research from the South Korean government’s perspective. National funded projects stemmed from leading nations such as the United States, countries of the European Union, and Japan between 2012 and 2018. Six research fields were derived by clustering analysis and an expert-based approach, and then matched to those of South Korea. The comparative analysis among them allowed for the identification of the nations’ strengths and weaknesses, thereby laying the groundwork for strategic international research collaborations.
The Association between Perceived Social Hardship and Future Orientation among Hong Kong Young People: The Mediation Role of Belief in a Just World
Authors: Li Jian-Bin
Published: July 2020

A positive future orientation (FO) is associated with a range of positive outcomes. It is a crucial resilience factor that assists individuals to navigate developmental difficulties during the transition to young adulthood and during periods of social adversity. Exposure to negative social context threatens young people’s FO. The social demonstrations and the outbreak of coronavirus disease in Hong Kong over the past year have caused considerable hardship to the local society. Under such circumstance, young people in Hong Kong may develop a negative FO. Scant research has directly examined the relationship between perceived social hardship and FO as well as the underlying mechanism among Hong Kong young people. In this study, we tested the idea that young people’s perceived social hardship would be negatively related to FO via belief in a just world, a well-known foundation for individuals to think, feel, and plan their future. Participants were 554 students recruited from eight universities in Hong Kong. They filled in self-report questionnaires online. Results of structural equation modeling supported our hypothesis. These findings shed light on how to nurture Hong Kong young people to develop a positive mindset during periods of social hardship.
Identification and Functional Characterization of PtoMYB055 Involved in the Regulation of the Lignin Biosynthesis Pathway in Populus tomentosa
Authors: Sun Yiming , Ren Sha , Ye Shenglong , Tian Qiaoyan , Luo Keming
Published: July 2020

Wood, which is mainly composed of lignified secondary cell wall, is the most abundant biomass in woody plants. Previous studies have revealed that R2R3-type MYB transcription factors are important regulators of the formation of the secondary cell wall in vascular plants. In this study, we isolated the R2R3-type MYB transcription factor gene PtoMYB055, which is mainly expressed in xylem and phloem tissue, from Populus tomentosa and demonstrate that PtoMYB055 is a key regulator of lignin biosynthesis. PtoMYB055 as a transcriptional activator is localized to the nucleus. Overexpression of PtoMYB055 upregulates expression of lignin biosynthetic genes in transgenic poplar plants, resulting in ectopic deposition of lignin in phloem tissue and an increase in thickness of the secondary cell wall. In sum, PtoMYB055 is a transcriptional activator that is involved in regulating lignin biosynthesis during the formation of the secondary cell wall in poplar.
Newborn Screening for Cystic Fibrosis: Over the Hump, Still Need to Fine-Tune It
Authors: Castellani Carlo
Published: July 2020

Today, newborn screening (NBS) is considered an essential component in the standards of care for cystic fibrosis (CF) [...]
Assessing Sustainable Rural Development Based on Ecosystem Services Vulnerability
Authors: Fernández Martínez Pascual , de Castro-Pardo Mónica , Barroso Víctor Martín , Azevedo João C.
Published: July 2020

Sustainable Rural Development is essential to maintain active local communities and avoid depopulation and degradation of rural areas. Proper assessment of development in these territories is necessary to improve decision-making and to inform public policy, while ensuring biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services supply. Rural areas include high ecological value systems but the vulnerability of environmental components in development indicators has not been sufficiently pinpointed. The main objective of this work was to propose a new sustainable rural development composite indicator (nSRDI) while considering an environmental dimension indicator based on ecosystem services vulnerability and social and economic dimension indicators established using a sequentially Benefit of the Doubt-Data Envelopment Analysis (BoD-DEA) model. It aimed also to test effects of weighting methods on nSRDI. The composite indicator was applied to 10 regions (comarcas) in the Huesca province, Spain, producing a ranking of regions accordingly. The indicator was further tested through the analysis of the effect of an equal and optimum weighting method on scores and rankings of regions. Results showed substantial differences in nSRDI scores/rankings when vulnerability was added to the process, suggesting that the environmental dimension and the perspective from which it is conceived and applied matters when addressing sustainable rural development.
Three-Way Decisions Making Using Covering Based Fractional Orthotriple Fuzzy Rough Set Model
Authors: Abosuliman Shougi S. , Abdullah Saleem , Qiyas Muhammad
Published: July 2020

On the basis of decision-theoretical rough sets (DTRSs), the three-way decisions give new model of decision approach for deal with the problem of decision. This proposed model of decision method is based on the loss function of DTRSs. First, the concept of fractional orthotriple fuzzy β -covering (FOF β -covering) and fractional orthotriple fuzzy β -neighborhood (FOF β -neighborhood) was introduced. We combined loss feature of DTRSs with covering-based fractional orthotriple fuzzy rough sets (CFOFSs) under the fractional orthotriple fuzzy condition. Secondly, we proposed a new FOF-covering decision-theoretical rough sets model (FOFCDTRSs) and developed related properties. Then, based on the grade of positive, neutral and negative membership of fractional orthotriple fuzzy numbers (FOFNs), five methods are established for addressing the expected loss expressed in the form of FOFNs and the corresponding three-way decisions are also derived. Based on this, we presented a FOFCDTRS-based algorithm for multi-criteria decision making (MCDM). Then, an example verifies the feasibility of the five methods for solving the MCDM problem. Finally, by comparing the results of the decisions of five methods with different loss functions.
Cubic q-Rung Orthopair Fuzzy Heronian Mean Operators and Their Applications to Multi-Attribute Group Decision Making
Authors: Zhang Baosheng , Mahmood Tahir , Ahmmad Jabbar , Khan Qaisar , Ali Zeeshan , Zeng Shouzhen
Published: July 2020

The cubic q-rung orthopair fuzzy set (Cq-ROFS) contains much more information to determine the interval valued q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (IVq-ROFSs) and q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (q-ROFSs) simultaneously for coping with the vagueness in information. It provides more space for decision makers (DMs) to describe their opinion in the environment of fuzzy set (FS) theory. In this paper, firstly, we introduce the conception of Cq-ROFS and their characteristics. Further, the Heronian mean (HM) operator based on Cq-ROFS, called the weighted HM operator, are explored. To overcome the deficiency of HM operator and keeping in mind the partitioned structure in real decision situations, we offer Cubic q-rung orthopair fuzzy partitioned HM operator and its weighted shape. An algorithm of the proposed operators based on multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems for the selection of best alternative among the given ones is established. Lastly, we provide an example to depict the authenticity and advantages of the exposed methods by contrasting with other existing drawbacks.
Effects of Rare Earth Elements on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of H13 Die Steel
Authors: Chen Rongchun , Wang Zhigang , He Jianguo , Zhu Fusheng , Li Chunhong
Published: July 2020

The effects of rare earth (RE) elements on the carbide distribution, transformation temperature, and mechanical properties of H13 die steels after annealing were systematically investigated by scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that the addition of RE elements is helpful in increasing the fraction of the disrupted M23C6 carbide along the grain boundaries, hindering the migration of grain boundaries and improving the crack-formation and expansion resistance of the carbides in the tensile process. With the addition of RE, the Ac3 temperature increased by 11.4 °C and the diffusion of carbon atoms was pinned during the austenitizing process. Moreover, the carbides were modified by rare earth elements, and RE-inclusion promoted the transition of brittle-type failure to ductile-type failure. Therefore, the impact energy, hardness, and ultimate tensile strength improved significantly in the RE-modified H13 die steels.
Natural Compounds from the Marine Brown Alga Caulocystis cephalornithos with Potent In Vitro-Activity against the Parasitic Nematode Haemonchus contortus
Authors: Taki Aya C. , Brkljača Robert , Wang Tao , Koehler Anson V. , Ma Guangxu , Danne Jill , Ellis Sarah , Hofmann Andreas , Chang Bill C. H. , Jabbar Abdul , Urban Sylvia , Gasser Robin B.
Published: July 2020

Eight secondary metabolites (1 to 8) were isolated from a marine sponge, a marine alga and three terrestrial plants collected in Australia and subsequently chemically characterised. Here, these natural product-derived compounds were screened for in vitro-anthelmintic activity against the larvae and adult stages of Haemonchus contortus (barber’s pole worm)—a highly pathogenic parasitic nematode of ruminants. Using an optimised, whole-organism screening system, compounds were tested on exsheathed third-stage larvae (xL3s) and fourth-stage larvae (L4s). Anthelmintic activity was initially evaluated on these stages based on the inhibition of motility, development and/or changes in morphology (phenotype). We identified two compounds, 6-undecylsalicylic acid (3) and 6-tridecylsalicylic acid (4) isolated from the marine brown alga, Caulocystis cephalornithos, with inhibitory effects on xL3 and L4 motility and larval development, and the induction of a “skinny-straight” phenotype. Subsequent testing showed that these two compounds had an acute nematocidal effect (within 1–12 h) on adult males and females of H. contortus. Ultrastructural analysis of adult worms treated with compound 4 revealed significant damage to subcuticular musculature and associated tissues and cellular organelles including mitochondria. In conclusion, the present study has discovered two algal compounds possessing acute anthelmintic effects and with potential for hit-to-lead progression. Future work should focus on undertaking a structure-activity relationship study and on elucidating the mode(s) of action of optimised compounds.
Microblade–Based Societies in North China at the End of the Ice Age
Authors: Zhang Meng
Published: July 2020

One of the most prominent cultural changes during the end of Ice Age in northeastern Asia was the adoption of microblade technology by prehistoric hunter–gatherers to deal with the challenge brought by the climate deterioration and oscillation during and post the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The Pleistocene to Holocene transition in North China witnessed the rise of broader spectrum subsistence alongside a series of cultural changes, including adoption of food production, highly mobile lifeways being replaced by sedentism, and the formation of new social organization based on their agricultural land–use patterns. From the perspective of technological change, this project aims to build a socio–ecological framework to examine the cultural change of prehistoric microblade–based societies. In contrast to previous studies, the present research employs a macroecological approach based on Binford’s Constructing Frames of Reference (2001) to reconstruct the behaviors and demography of prehistoric foraging groups, under both modern and LGM climate conditions. Three case studies are conducted to show cultural and technological changes among microblade–based societies in North China during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition.
Editorial: Special Issue “Emerging Sensor Technology in Agriculture”
Authors: Poblete-Echeverría Carlos , Fuentes Sigfredo
Published: July 2020

Research and innovation activities in the area of sensor technology can accelerate the adoption of new and emerging digital tools in the agricultural sector by the implementation of precision farming practices such as remote sensing, operations, and real-time monitoring [...]
Development of Nanoporous AAO Membrane for Nano Filtration Using the Acoustophoresis Method
Authors: Patel Yatinkumar , Janusas Giedrius , Palevicius Arvydas , Vilkauskas Andrius
Published: July 2020

A concept of a nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane as a vibro-active micro/nano-filter in a micro hydro mechanical system for the filtration, separation, and manipulation of bioparticles is reported in this paper. For the fabrication of a nanoporous AAO, a two-step mild anodization (MA) and hard anodization (HA) technique was used. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the surface morphology of nanoporous AAO. A nanoporous structure with a pore diameter in the range of 50–90 nm, an interpore distance of 110 nm, and an oxide layer thickness of 0.12 mm with 60.72% porosity was obtained. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to evaluate AAO chemical properties. The obtained results showed that the AAO structure is of hexagonal symmetry and showed where Al2O3 is dominant. The hydrophobic properties of the nanoporous surface were characterized by water contact angle measurement. It was observed that the surface of the nanoporous AAO membrane is hydrophilic. Furthermore, to determine whether a nanomembrane could function as a vibro-active nano filter, a numerical simulation was performed using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4 (COMSOL Inc, Stockholm, Sweden). Here, a membrane was excited at a frequency range of 0–100 kHz for surface acoustics wave (SAW) distribution on the surface of the nanoporous AAO using a PZT 5H cylinder (Piezo Hannas, Wuhan, China). The SAW, standing acoustic waves, and travelling acoustic waves of different wavelengths were excited to the fabricated AAO membrane and the results were compared with experimental ones, obtained from non-destructive testing method 3D scanning vibrometer (PSV-500-3D-HV, Polytec GmbH, Waldbronn, Germany) and holographic interferometry system (PRISM, Hy-Tech Forming Systems (USA), Phoenix, AZ, USA). Finally, a simulation of a single nanotube was performed to analyze the acoustic pressure distribution and time, needed to center nanoparticles in the nanotube.
Thermally Stable Wireless Patch Antenna Sensor for Strain and Crack Sensing
Authors: Li Dan , Wang Yang
Published: July 2020

Strain and crack are critical indicators of structural safety. As a novel sensing device, a patch antenna sensor can be utilized to wirelessly estimate structural strain and surface crack growth through resonance frequency shift. The main challenges for the sensor are other effects such as temperature fluctuation that can generate unwanted resonance frequency shift and result in large noise in the measurement. Another challenge for existing designs of patch antenna sensor is the limited interrogation distance. In this research, thermally stable patch antenna sensors are investigated for more reliable measurement. Fabricated on a substrate material with a steady dielectric constant, a new passive (battery-free) patch antenna sensor is designed to improve reliability under temperature fluctuations. In addition, another newly designed dual-mode patch antenna sensor is proposed to achieve a longer interrogation distance. Extensive experiments are conducted to characterize the patch antenna sensor performance, including thermal stability, tensile strain sensing, and emulated crack sensing. The two new patch antenna sensors are demonstrated to be effective in wireless strain and crack measurements and have potential applications in structural health monitoring (SHM).
Unbalanced Hybrid AOA/RSSI Localization for Simplified Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Le Anh Tuyen , Tran Le Chung , Huang Xiaojing , Ritz Christian , Dutkiewicz Eryk , Phung Son Lam , Bouzerdoum Abdesselam , Franklin Daniel
Published: July 2020

Source positioning using hybrid angle-of-arrival (AOA) estimation and received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is attractive because no synchronization is required among unknown nodes and anchors. Conventionally, hybrid AOA/RSSI localization combines the same number of these measurements to estimate the agents’ locations. However, since AOA estimation requires anchors to be equipped with large antenna arrays and complicated signal processing, this conventional combination makes the wireless sensor network (WSN) complicated. This paper proposes an unbalanced integration of the two measurements, called 1AOA/nRSSI, to simplify the WSN. Instead of using many anchors with large antenna arrays, the proposed method only requires one master anchor to provide one AOA estimation, while other anchors are simple single-antenna transceivers. By simply transforming the 1AOA/1RSSI information into two corresponding virtual anchors, the problem of integrating one AOA and N RSSI measurements is solved using the least square and subspace methods. The solutions are then evaluated to characterize the impact of angular and distance measurement errors. Simulation results show that the proposed network achieves the same level of precision as in a fully hybrid nAOA/nRSSI network with a slightly higher number of simple anchors.
Screening and Recognition of Chronic Kidney Disease in VA Health Care System Primary Care Clinics
Authors: Bansal Shweta , Mader Michael , Pugh Jacqueline A.
Published: July 2020

Background

The successful implementation of interventions targeted to improve kidney health requires early identification of CKD which involves screening at-risk populations as well as recognizing CKD. We aim to determine CKD screening and recognition rates, factors associated with these rates, and evaluate the effect of CKD awareness on delivery of care.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of veterans enrolled with Veterans Integrated Service Network 17 who had hypertension (HTN) and/or diabetes (DM) and were seen at least twice in primary care clinics within 18 months. The final cohort of 270,170 patients (52% HTN, 5% DM, and 44% both) was examined for serum creatinine/eGFR, urine protein/albumin, International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for CKD, and nephrology referral. CKD was defined as eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and/or urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) >30 mg/g at least twice 90 days apart. Clinical covariates, HTN control, and prescription rates of renal prudent medications and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were assessed.

Results

Overall, 254,831 (94%) patients had either eGFR, urine protein/albumin, or both. However, screening for protein/albuminuria was low (56%), particularly in patients with isolated HTN (35%). Of 254,831 patients, 92,900 (36%) had laboratory evidence of CKD and, of these, 40,586 (44%) were recognized to have CKD by ICD code and/or nephrology referral. CKD due to presence of uACR criteria alone had the lowest recognition (19%) as compared with CKD due to eGFR criteria (44%) or both (67%). Frequency of emergency room visits, hospitalization, and cardiac and endovascular procedures requiring contrast had the highest odds and races other than white had the lower odds of screening. In contrast, CKD recognition was high in races other than white and increased with worsening eGFR and increasing uACR. In screened and recognized CKD, prescription was higher for angiotensin inhibitors, statins, and diuretics, and was lower for NSAIDs.

Conclusions

Although overall CKD screening rate was high, screening of protein/albuminuria in isolated HTN and overall recognition of CKD was low in at-risk veterans. Increased recognition was associated with a favorable prescription rate for renal prudent medications.
Zašto je i kako Kraljevstvo Božje za djecu? Egzegetski prikaz Marko 10,13-16
Authors: Magda Ksenija , Šestak Tea
Published: July 2020

Ovaj se rad bavi egzegetskim pristupom Mk 10, 13-16, gdje Isus u prizoru s djecom podučava odrasle o kraljevstvu Božjem. Isus naglašava da „takvim pripada kraljevstvo Božje“ (Mk 10, 14). U središtu je pozornosti teza da kraljevstvo Božje pripada onima koji prepoznaju njegovu „kontrakulturu“ u odnosu na poredak u svijetu, prihvaćajući one najmanje i služeći najmanjima. To su ljudi koji sami sebe vide u potpunoj ovisnosti o Bogu, njegovoj ljubavi i milosti. Članak pokazuje da su u tom Markovom tekstu djeca ponajprije pokazna lekcija za Isusovu poduku učenicima. Isus nema namjeru pozivati odrasle na oponašanje djece u nekim navodnim dječjim nedužnim karakteristikama. Iako rad ne dijeli mišljenje da se ulazak u kraljevstvo Božje postiže nekom dječjom nevinošću, posredno ipak može mnogo govoriti o djeci, tj. kako ih oni koji pripadaju kraljevstvu Božjem trebaju prigrliti i blagoslivljati. Briga o „malenima“ (ne samo o djeci) je, naime, prvi znak da su ljudi prepoznali bit kraljevstva Božjega i da mu pripadaju.
THE THEME OF BESIEGED LENINGRAD IN THE LETTERS OF OLGA FREINDENBERG TO BORIS PASTERNAK IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 1940S
Authors: Mikurova Polina L.
Published: July 2020

The theme of besieged Leningrad contained in the letters of scholar-philologist, culture scientist Olga Freindenberg to her cousin Boris Pasternak is analysed in the paper. Since the correspondence was published relatively recently, its introduction to scientifi c circulation, determination of the subject and intentions of the correspondents seem to be important and topical. The article is intended for specialists-philologists, for all those interested in epistolary heritage of the 20th century.
The correspondence between Boris Pasternak and Olga Freindenberg referring to the period of the siege is represented by the author as a specifi c type of combined discourse which unite social and communicative, everyday, signifi cant and symbolic functions. It is a part of the single artistic and semantic canvas, the whole creative heritage of the cousins, the whole of their correspondence which lasted for more than half a century and was based on «everlasting» themes like creative work, meaning of existence, love, faith, humanism. The image of besieged Leningrad is represented in the letters as a starting point for correspondents’ philosophic considerations about such categories as existence, time and space, about meaning of existence. At the same time, the letters demonstrate their authors’ artistic talent and virtuous possession of the word, the ability to say important between the lines. The stylistics of Olga Freidenberg’s epistolary heritage, when syntax, along with lexical fi gurative, gives rise to vivid, tragic paintings of what is described, is analysed in the work.
CONCEPT OF STRESS AMONG WORKERS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
Authors: Kuvayeva Irina O.
Published: July 2020

The empirical research of the connection between the stress level and mental representations of stress (concept) is presented. We suggest that workers with high level of occupational stress have more differentiated representations of stress, and also the representatives of different type of routine work (traditional vs. innovative) differ in the concept «stress» and level of stress. The sample consists of 335 employees: 197 plant workers and 138 call centre’s operators. The organisation of the concept (stressors, state, consequences, process, coping) was diagnosed by a directed associative experiment. The level of occupational stress was determined by the system of Anna Leonova. The results highlight the correlation between level of stress and the representations of stress-management – workers with expressed stress signifi cantly more wrote the coping-strategies. Professional differences in the concept of stress and the level of stress were demonstrated. Operators were characterised by more occupational stress, more differentiated representations of state, consequences and process of stress. The similarity of mental representations about stress-factors and stress-management between two groups of participants was obtained.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES OF THE MOTIVATIONAL SPHERE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATIONS
Authors: Khrisanfova Lyudmila A. , Sibiryakova Irina A.
Published: July 2020

The article is devoted to the analysis of psychological characteristics, features of the motivational sphere and the interconnections between them among students of various professional orientations. What is used includes colour metaphor method, the Big Five Personality Test. Subjects include – 107 mathematicians and 55 athletes. The universal leading motive for self-determination, characteristic of youth, is identifi ed. Gender and occupational differences in the hierarchy of motives and in the relationships between motives and personality characteristics are found. Young athletes, unlike mathematicians, are more practical. Female athletes are more extroverted than female mathematicians. Extroversion is associated with motives
that involve active interaction with other people. Introversion involves targeting signifi cant people. Motivation to avoid failure is characteristic of ones disciplined, not prone to showing affection, characteristic of passive subjects. Motivation to succeed with dedication and awareness of their responsibilities is characteristic of subjects with developed self-control, with emotional social connections, is related to the shaping infl uence of the family and the mother.
THE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND PARENTAL RESILIENCE
Authors: Ivanova Yevgeniya V.
Published: July 2020

The article describes the results of the study of the emotional well-being of preschool children and its connection with the parental resilience. An empirical study was conducted on the basis of pre-school institutions in Moscow, using diagnostic methods: tests – for parents and teachers; projective tests – for children whose results were analysed using computer statistical methods in the computational methods of statistical data processing. As a result of the study, the signifi cance of the problem
of resilience in the context of modern digital environment and the theoretical concept of «emotional well-being of children» and its components are clarifi ed. A set of diagnostic methods for express diagnostics of the child’s emotional well-being
in a preschool educational institution has been selected and modifi ed. Two questionnaires were developed (for parents and for teachers) to assess the emotional well-being of preschoolers. A signifi cant relationship was found between indicators:
emotional well-being of preschool children and the parental resilience; features of child-parent relations, features of marital relationships. Using factor analysis, three groups of children with different levels of emotional well-being and three groups of parents with different levels of resilience, with children with low, medium and high levels of emotional well-being, are identifi ed and described.
Chromatographic separations and characterization of bioactive secondary metabolites of Apergillus quadrilineatus (MH109538) fungal strain
Authors: Bramki Amina , de Pauw Edwin , Frahtia Meriem , McCann Andrea , Mazzucchelli Gabriel , Dehimat Laid
Published: July 2020

In the interest of searching new antibiotic substances, the antibacterial effect of Aspergillus quadrilineatus fungal strain (MH109538) has been evaluated against sensitive bacteria (S. aureus, E. faecalis, B. subtilis and E. coli) and resistant bacteria (P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia), following the disks technique. The obtained result confirms the capacity of this strain to produce antibacterial molecules. In order to analyze and characterize these bioactive metabolites present in the crude extract, which was fractionated by column chromatography. The fractions were then separated by thin-layer chromatography. The detected spots were sampled and tested against the most sensitive bacteria (S. aureus). The results have revealed that only one fraction showed an antibacterial activity. This active fraction was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/MS) in order to obtain the elemental composition of the present compounds. The molecular ions fragmentation (LC/ MS/MS) were used to determine the deployed formula of these compounds. The analysis of the results by Xcalibur 2.2 software reveals the presence of 24 molecules, and this, based on the retention times of the peaks obtained in the chromatogram, where, the m/z ratios, the formulas, as well as the intensities of the various compounds detected are determined.
PRODUCTIVIDAD DE SIETE ASOCIACIONES Y DOS PRADERAS PURAS DE GRAMÍNEAS Y LEGUMINOSAS EN CONDICIONES DE PASTOREO
Authors: Moreno-Carrillo Miguel A. , Hernández-Garay Alfonso , Vaquera-Huerta Humberto , Trejo-López Carlos , Escalante-Estrada José A. , Zaragoza-Ramírez José L. , Joaquín-Torres Bertín M.
Published: July 2020

Con el objetivo de encontrar la mejor asociación que maximice el rendimiento de materia seca del forraje, se estudiaron siete asociaciones de dos gramíneas (Dactylis glomerata L. y Lolium perenne L.) y una leguminosa (Trifolium repens L.) en condiciones de pastoreo, en Texcoco, Estado de México. Se utilizaron siete asociaciones de trébol blanco (TB), ovillo (O) y ballico perenne (BP) que fueron (en %): 30:20:50 (TB:O:BP); 10:70:20 (TB:O:BP); 40:60 (TB:BP); 30:50:20 (TB:O:BP); 20:40:40 (TB:O:BP); 40:60 (TB:O) y 10:20:70 (TB:O:BP). Además se incluyeron dos praderas con gramíneas puras: 100 (BP); 100 (O). Los nueve tratamientos se distribuyeron en un diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones. Se evaluó el rendimiento de materia seca y la composición botánica. Las praderas fueron defoliadas por ovinos, cada cuatro semanas en primavera-verano y cada seis durante otoño-invierno. La asociación 10:20:70 (TB:O:BP) mostró el mayor rendimiento anual de materia seca, que superó en 66 % a la asociación 10:70:20 (TB:O:BP) y a la pradera pura de ovillo (P < 0.05). Entre estaciones, el mayor rendimiento anual de materia seca se presentó en primavera-verano y el menor en otoño-invierno, con 69 y 31 % del rendimiento anual. En promedio, ballico perenne, pasto ovillo y trébol blanco aportaron 47, 21 y 13 % respectivamente, al rendimiento anual de forraje. Con base en el rendimiento anual de forraje y su distribución estacional, la mejor asociación fue 10:20:70 (TB:O:BP).