bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antibacterial and Bonding Properties of Universal Adhesive Dental Polymers Doped with Pyrogallol
Authors: Kharouf Naji , Eid Ammar , Hardan Louis , Bourgi Rim , Arntz Youri , Jmal Hamdi , Foschi Federico , Sauro Salvatore , Ball Vincent , Haikel Youssef , Mancino Davide
Published: May 2021

This study investigated the antibacterial activity, bond strength to dentin (SBS), and ultra-morphology of the polymer–dentin interface of experimental adhesive systems doped with pyrogallol (PY), which is a ubiquitous phenolic moiety that is present in flavonoids and polyphenols. A universal adhesive containing 4-META and 10-MDP was used in this study. PY behaves as an antioxidant and anti-cancerogenic agent and it was incorporated into the adhesive at different concentrations (0.5 and 1 wt.%). The antibacterial activity and SBS were analyzed and the results were statistically analyzed. The ultra-morphology of the polymer–dentin interface was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At 24 h, a lower antibacterial activity was observed for the control adhesive compared to those with 0.5% and 1% PY. No difference was seen in SBS between the three groups at 24 h. After 6 months, the SBS of the 0.5% PY adhesive was significantly lower than the other tested adhesives. The specimens created with 1% PY adhesive presented a higher bond strength at six months compared with that found at 24 h. No morphological differences were found at the polymer–dentin interfaces of the tested adhesives. Pyrogallol may be incorporated into modern universal adhesive systems to preserve the polymer–dentin bonding interface and confer a certain degree of antibacterial activity.
Role of Yeasts in the Brewing Process: Tradition and Innovation
Authors: Iorizzo Massimo , Coppola Francesca , Letizia Francesco , Testa Bruno , Sorrentino Elena
Published: May 2021

Nowadays, in the beer sector, there is a wide range of products, which differ for the technologies adopted, raw materials used, and microorganisms involved in the fermentation processes. The quality of beer is directly related to the fermentation activity of yeasts that, in addition to the production of alcohol, synthesize various compounds that contribute to the definition of the compositional and organoleptic characteristics. The microbrewing phenomenon (craft revolution) and the growing demand for innovative and specialty beers has stimulated researchers and brewers to select new yeast strains possessing particular technological and metabolic characteristics. Up until a few years ago, the selection of starter yeasts used in brewing was exclusively carried out on strains belonging to the genus Saccharomyces. However, some non-Saccharomyces yeasts have a specific enzymatic activity that can help to typify the taste and beer aroma. These yeasts, used as a single or mixed starter with Saccharomyces strains, represent a new biotechnological resource to produce beers with particular properties. This review describes the role of Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts in brewing, and some future biotechnological perspectives.
Dynamics of Single Droplet Splashing on Liquid Film by Coupling FVM with VOF
Authors: Jin Yuzhen , Zhou Huang , Zhu Linhang , Li Zeqing
Published: May 2021

A three-dimensional numerical study of a single droplet splashing vertically on a liquid film is presented. The numerical method is based on the finite volume method (FVM) of Navier–Stokes equations coupled with the volume of fluid (VOF) method, and the adaptive local mesh refinement technology is adopted. It enables the liquid–gas interface to be tracked more accurately, and to be less computationally expensive. The relationship between the diameter of the free rim, the height of the crown with different numbers of collision Weber, and the thickness of the liquid film is explored. The results indicate that the crown height increases as the Weber number increases, and the diameter of the crown rim is inversely proportional to the collision Weber number. It can also be concluded that the dimensionless height of the crown decreases with the increase in the thickness of the dimensionless liquid film, which has little effect on the diameter of the crown rim during its growth.
Legislative Actions of the Republic of Poland Government and Religious Attitudes of Muslims in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kostecki Wojciech , Piwko Aldona Maria
Published: May 2021

The main objective of this paper is to determine the religious attitudes of Muslims living in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic and their reaction to restrictions on free access to religious practices introduced by the Government of Poland. The article is interdisciplinary, and the methodology combines elements of religious studies, political science of religion, and reference to communication and media studies (the importance of the role of the media in supporting government activities and the analysis of online access to Islamic religiosity during a pandemic). The study was conducted in February 2021, but the time frame of the analyzed issues ranges from 4 March 2020 to 28 February 2021, i.e., the year of the epidemic in Poland and the introduction by the Government of restrictions on religious gatherings and the response of the Muslim community to these restrictions. The analysis was carried out on the basis of the author’s in-depth interview scenario; it covers representatives of the clergy, religious teachers, and the boards of major Muslim religious unions and associations, as well as Islamic cultural foundations and the attitudes of believers. The study showed that the media and Internet publicity accompanying the introduction of government restrictions and restrictions had a greater impact on society than the civil rights guaranteed in the Polish Constitution. The article also formulates a political science reflection, which shows a significant effect of the Government’s actions on the religious community. Despite the constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom, religious communities in Poland have decided to suspend the exercise of these rights voluntarily.
StateChurch: Bringing Religion to Public Higher Education
Authors: Shaheen Musbah , Mayhew Matthew J. , Staples B. Ashley
Published: May 2021

Religion undeniably impacts life in modern society in numerous ways. In the U.S., discussions about religion in public life often start at the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution as fundamental to the separation of church and state. Public higher education does not necessarily share established associations with any religion, but is not free from religious influence. Although Christian influences are undeniably present on public campuses, educators hesitate to discuss religion and spirituality due in part to a pedestrian understanding of the establishment clause and epistemologies that artificially equate secularism with intellectualism. This paper examines case studies conducted at five public U.S. institutions. Focus groups and interviews highlight what different public campuses are doing to address religious diversity, and how they are succeeding or failing to accommodate the needs of students. Findings indicate that executive leaders’ attitudes towards religious diversity on campus are essential for sustained interfaith efforts, but fell short without bottom-up buy-in. Faculty in particular served as key bottom-up leaders for interfaith motivation on campus with students often feeling most comfortable exploring different worldviews within the classroom. This study provides reasonable and responsible pathways toward helping locate religion within public education, and substantiating interfaith ideas as necessary for an informed and responsible global citizenry.
Targeted Therapy with Sirolimus and Nivolumab in a Child with Refractory Multifocal Anaplastic Ependymoma
Authors: Perruccio Katia , Mastronuzzi Angela , Lupattelli Marco , Arcioni Francesco , Capolsini Ilaria , Cerri Carla , Gurdo Grazia M. I. , Massei Maria Speranza , Mastrodicasa Elena , Caniglia Maurizio
Published: May 2021

Pediatric ependymoma (EPN) is the third most common central nervous system (CNS) tumor, with 90% arising intracranially. Management typically involves maximal surgical resection and radiotherapy, but patients’ outcome is poor. Moreover, there are only a few therapeutical options available for recurrent or refractory disease. In this report, we present the case of a 7-year-old girl with relapsed refractory multifocal grade III EPN who failed conventional treatments and experienced a stable and durable response to the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICPI) nivolumab in association with the mammalian target of rapamycin (m-TOR) inhibitor sirolimus. This experimental therapy was targeted on immune phenotypical analyses of the patient’s last relapse tumor sample, and this procedure should be routinely done to find new possible therapeutical approaches in recurrent solid tumors.
Safeguarding of Key Minerals Deposits as a Basis of Sustainable Development of Polish Economy
Authors: Kot-Niewiadomska Alicja , Galos Krzysztof , Kamyk Jarosław
Published: May 2021

Secure and sustainable supply of minerals is important for the stable development of a country’s economy, as well as the global economy. Poland’s economic performance—as a dynamically developing country—is also largely dependent on the availability of minerals and security of their supplies both from internal sources and form imports. In Poland, 42 key minerals—i.e., those of fundamental importance for the proper functioning of the economy and satisfying the living needs of the society—have been recently indicated. From among them, 19 key minerals have been recognized by authors as having a proven resource base in Poland and—on the other hand—having moderately- or strongly growing domestic consumption trends. An assessment of the mineral resource base for their production, a sufficiency of the resources of developed deposits, as well as possible means of undeveloped deposits safeguarding were analyzed and discussed. It was found that the long-term needs of the Polish industry can be satisfied only for some of them: coking coal, copper, and silver, as well as numerous industrial and construction minerals. Moreover, existence of a sufficient resource base and appropriate means of their safeguarding may potentially have a significant impact on Poland’s and Europe’s minerals security, in particular regarding several minerals for which Poland is an important supplier to the European market, i.e., coking coal, copper, silver, and elemental sulfur.
Classifying Forest Type in the National Forest Inventory Context with Airborne Hyperspectral and Lidar Data
Authors: Shoot Caileigh , Andersen Hans-Erik , Moskal L. Monika , Babcock Chad , Cook Bruce D. , Morton Douglas C.
Published: May 2021

Forest structure and composition regulate a range of ecosystem services, including biodiversity, water and nutrient cycling, and wood volume for resource extraction. Forest type is an important metric measured in the US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, the national forest inventory of the USA. Forest type information can be used to quantify carbon and other forest resources within specific domains to support ecological analysis and forest management decisions, such as managing for disease and pests. In this study, we developed a methodology that uses a combination of airborne hyperspectral and lidar data to map FIA-defined forest type between sparsely sampled FIA plot data collected in interior Alaska. To determine the best classification algorithm and remote sensing data for this task, five classification algorithms were tested with six different combinations of raw hyperspectral data, hyperspectral vegetation indices, and lidar-derived canopy and topography metrics. Models were trained using forest type information from 632 FIA subplots collected in interior Alaska. Of the thirty model and input combinations tested, the random forest classification algorithm with hyperspectral vegetation indices and lidar-derived topography and canopy height metrics had the highest accuracy (78% overall accuracy). This study supports random forest as a powerful classifier for natural resource data. It also demonstrates the benefits from combining both structural (lidar) and spectral (imagery) data for forest type classification.
Industrial Plume Properties Retrieved by Optimal Estimation Using Combined Hyperspectral and Sentinel-2 Data
Authors: Calassou Gabriel , Foucher Pierre-Yves , Léon Jean-François
Published: May 2021

Stack emissions from the industrial sector are a subject of concern for air quality. However, the characterization of the stack emission plume properties from in situ observations remains a challenging task. This paper focuses on the characterization of the aerosol properties of a steel plant stack plume through the use of hyperspectral (HS) airborne remote sensing imagery. We propose a new method, based on the combination of HS airborne acquisition and surface reflectance imagery derived from the Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI). The proposed method detects the plume footprint and estimates the surface reflectance under the plume, the aerosol optical thickness (AOT), and the modal radius of the plume. Hyperspectral surface reflectances are estimated using the coupled non-negative matrix factorization (CNMF) method combining HS and MSI data. The CNMF reduces the error associated with estimating the surface reflectance below the plume, particularly for heterogeneous classes. The AOT and modal radius are retrieved using an optimal estimation method (OEM), based on the forward model and allowing for uncertainties in the observations and in the model parameters. The a priori state vector is provided by a sequential method using the root mean square error (RMSE) metric, which outperforms the previously used cluster tuned matched filter (CTMF). The OEM degrees of freedom are then analysed, in order to refine the mask plume and to enhance the quality of the retrieval. The retrieved mean radii of aerosol particles in the plume is 0.125 μμm, with an uncertainty of 0.05 μμm. These results are close to the ultra-fine mode (modal radius around 0.1 μμm) observed from in situ measurements within metallurgical plant plumes from previous studies. The retrieved AOT values vary between 0.07 (near the source point) and 0.01, with uncertainties of 0.005 for the darkest surfaces and above 0.010 for the brightest surfaces.
Extreme Wind Speeds Retrieval Using Sentinel-1 IW Mode SAR Data
Authors: Gao Yuan , Sun Jian , Zhang Jie , Guan Changlong
Published: May 2021

With the improvement in microwave radar technology, spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is widely used to observe the tropical cyclone (TC) wind field. Based on European Space Agency Sentinel-1 Interferometric Wide swath (IW) mode imagery, this paper evaluates the correlation between vertical transmitting–horizontal receiving (VH) polarization signals and extreme ocean surface wind speeds (>40 m/s) under strong TC conditions. A geophysical model function (GMF) Sentinel-1 IW mode wind retrieval model after noise removal (S1IW.NR) was proposed, according to the SAR images of nine TCs and collocated stepped frequency microwave radiometer (SFMR) and soil moisture active passive (SMAP) radiometer wind speed measurements. Through curve fitting and regression correction, the new GMF exploits the relationships between VH-polarization normalized radar cross section, incident angle, and wind speed in each sub-swath and covers wind speeds up to 74 m/s. Based on collocated SAR and SFMR measurements of four TCs, the new GMF was validated in the wind speed range from 2 to 53 m/s. Results show that the correlation coefficient, bias, and root mean squared error were 0.89, −0.89 m/s, and 4.13 m/s, respectively, indicating that extreme winds can be retrieved accurately by the new model. In addition, we investigated the relationship between the S1IW.NR wind retrieval bias and the SFMR-measured rain rate. The S1IW.NR model tended to overestimate wind speeds under high rain rates.
Attenuation of Seismic Multiples in Very Shallow Water: An Application in Archaeological Prospection Using Data Driven Approaches
Authors: Schwardt Michaela , Wilken Dennis , Rabbel Wolfgang
Published: May 2021

Water-layer multiples pose a major problem in shallow water seismic investigations as they interfere with primaries reflected from layer boundaries or archaeology buried only a few meters below the water bottom. In the present study we evaluate two model-driven approaches (“Prediction and Subtraction” and “RTM-Deco”) to attenuate water-layer multiple reflections in very shallow water using synthetic and field data. The tests comprise both multi- and constant-offset data. We compare the multiple removal efficiency of the evaluated methods with two traditional methods (Predictive Deconvolution and SRME). Both model-driven approaches yield satisfactory results concerning the enhancement of primary energy and the attenuation of multiple energy. For the synthetic test cases, the multiple energy is reduced by at least 80% for the Prediction and Subtraction approach, and by more than 60% for the RTM-Deco approach. The application to two field data sets shows a significant amplification of primaries formerly hidden by the first water-layer multiple, with a reduction of multiple energy of up to 50%. The waveforms obtained from FD modeling match the true waveforms of the field data well and small deviations in time and amplitude can be removed by a time shift of the traces as well as an amplitude adaption to the field data. The field data examples should be emphasized, where the tested Prediction and Subtraction approach works significantly better than the traditional methods: the multiples are effectively predicted and attenuated while primary signals are highlighted. In conclusion, this shows that this method is particularly suitable in shallow water applications. Both evaluated multiple attenuation approaches could be successfully transferred to two other 3D systems used in shallow water near surface investigations. Especially the Prediction and Subtraction approach is able to enhance the primaries for both tested 3D systems with the multiple energy being reduced by more than 50%.
Evaluation of Global Surface Water Temperature Data Sets for Use in Passive Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture
Authors: Zhang Runze , Chan Steven , Bindlish Rajat , Lakshmi Venkataraman
Published: May 2021

Inland open water bodies often pose a systematic error source in the passive remote sensing retrievals of soil moisture. Water temperature is a necessary variable used to compute water emissions that is required to be subtracted from satellite observation to yield actual emissions from the land portion, which in turn generates accurate soil moisture retrievals. Therefore, overestimation of soil moisture can often be corrected using concurrent water temperature data in the overall mitigation procedure. In recent years, several data sets of lake water temperature have become available, but their specifications and accuracy have rarely been investigated in the context of passive soil moisture remote sensing on a global scale. For this reason, three lake temperature products were evaluated against in-situ measurements from 2007 to 2011. The data sets include the lake surface water temperature (LSWT) from Global Observatory of Lake Responses to Environmental Change (GloboLakes), the Copernicus Global Land Operations Cryosphere and Water (C-GLOPS), as well as the lake mix-layer temperature (LMLT) from the European Centers for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) ERA5 Land Reanalysis. GloboLakes, C-GLOPS, and ERA5 Land have overall comparable performance with Pearson correlations (R) of 0.87, 0.92 and 0.88 in comparison with in-situ measurements. LSWT products exhibit negative median biases of −0.27 K (GloboLakes) and −0.31 K (C-GLOPS), whereas the median bias of LMLT is 1.56 K. When mapped from their respective native resolutions to a common 9 km Equal-Area Scalable Earth (EASE) Grid 2.0 projection, similar relative performance was observed. LMLT and LSWT data are closer in performance over the 9 km grid cells that exhibit a small range of lake cover fractions (0.05–0.5). Despite comparable relative performance, ERA5 Land shows great advantages in spatial coverage and temporal resolution. In summary, an integrated evaluation on data accuracy, long-term availability, global coverage, temporal resolution, and regular forward processing with modest data latency led us to conclude that LMLT from the ERA5 Land Reanalysis product represents the most optimal path for use in the development of a long-term soil moisture product.
Wave-Filtered Surf Zone Circulation under High-Energy Waves Derived from Video-Based Optical Systems
Authors: Rodríguez-Padilla Isaac , Castelle Bruno , Marieu Vincent , Bonneton Philippe , Mouragues Arthur , Martins Kevin , Morichon Denis
Published: May 2021

This paper examines the potential of an optical flow video-based technique to estimate wave-filtered surface currents in the nearshore where wave-breaking induced foam is present. This approach uses the drifting foam, left after the passage of breaking waves, as a quasi-passive tracer and tracks it to estimate the surface water flow. The optical signature associated with sea-swell waves is first removed from the image sequence to avoid capturing propagating waves instead of the desired foam motion. Waves are removed by applying a temporal Fourier low-pass filter to each pixel of the image. The low-pass filtered images are then fed into an optical flow algorithm to estimate the foam displacement and to produce mean velocity fields (i.e., wave-filtered surface currents). We use one week of consecutive 1-Hz sampled frames collected during daylight hours from a single fixed camera located at La Petite Chambre d’Amour beach (Anglet, SW France) under high-energy conditions with significant wave height ranging from 0.8 to 3.3 m. Optical flow-computed velocities are compared against time-averaged in situ measurements retrieved from one current profiler installed on a submerged reef. The computed circulation patterns are also compared against surf-zone drifter trajectories under different field conditions. Optical flow time-averaged velocities show a good agreement with current profiler measurements: coefficient of determination (r2)= 0.5–0.8; root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.12–0.24 m/s; mean error (bias) =−0.09 to −0.17 m/s; regression slope =1±0.15; coherence2 = 0.4–0.6. Despite an underestimation of offshore-directed velocities under persistent wave breaking across the reef, the optical flow was able to correctly reproduce the mean flow patterns depicted by drifter trajectories. Such patterns include rip-cell circulation, dominant onshore-directed surface flow and energetic longshore current. Our study suggests that open-source optical flow algorithms are a promising technique for coastal imaging applications, particularly under high-energy wave conditions when in situ instrument deployment can be challenging.
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Soil Salinity in the Yangtze River Estuary Using Electromagnetic Induction
Authors: Xie Wenping , Yang Jingsong , Yao Rongjiang , Wang Xiangping
Published: May 2021

Soil salt-water dynamics in the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) is complex and soil salinity is an obstacle to regional agricultural production and the ecological environment in the YRE. Runoff into the sea is reduced during the impoundment period as the result of the water-storing process of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which causes serious seawater intrusion. Soil salinity is a problem due to shallow and saline groundwater under serious seawater intrusion in the YRE. In this research, we focused on the temporal variation and spatial distribution characteristics of soil salinity in the YRE using geostatistics combined with proximally sensed information obtained by an electromagnetic induction (EM) survey method in typical years under the impoundment of the TGR. The EM survey with proximal sensing method was applied to perform soil salinity survey in field in the Yangtze River Estuary, allowing quick determination and quantitative assessment of spatial and temporal variation of soil salinity from 2006 to 2017. We developed regional soil salinity survey and mapping by coupling limited laboratory data with proximal sensed data obtained from EM. We interpreted the soil electrical conductivity by constructing a linear model between the apparent electrical conductivity data measured by an EM 38 device and the soil electrical conductivity (EC) of soil samples measured in laboratory. Then, soil electrical conductivity was converted to soil salt content (soil salinity g kg−1) through established linear regression model based on the laboratory data of soil salinity and soil EC. Semivariograms of regional soil salinity in the survey years were fitted and ordinary kriging interpolation was applied in interpolation and mapping of regional soil salinity. The cross-validation results showed that the prediction results were acceptable. The soil salinity distribution under different survey years was presented and the area of salt affected soil was calculated using geostatistics method. The results of spatial distribution of soil salinity showed that soil salinity near the riverbanks and coastlines was higher than that of inland. The spatial distribution of groundwater depth and salinity revealed that shallow groundwater and high groundwater salinity influenced the spatial distribution characteristics of soil salinity. Under long-term impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the variation of soil salinity in different hydrological years was analyzed. Results showed that the area affected by soil salinity gradually increased in different hydrological year types under the impoundment of the TGR.
Advanced Power Line Diagnostics Using Point Cloud Data—Possible Applications and Limits
Authors: Siranec Marek , Höger Marek , Otcenasova Alena
Published: May 2021

The advance in remote sensing techniques, especially the development of LiDAR scanning systems, allowed the development of new methods for power line corridor surveys using a digital model of the powerline and its surroundings. The advanced diagnostic techniques based on the acquired conductor geometry recalculation to extreme operating and climatic conditions were proposed using this digital model. Although the recalculation process is relatively easy and straightforward, the uncertainties of input parameters used for the recalculation can significantly compromise such recalculation accuracy. This paper presents a systematic analysis of the accuracy of the recalculation affected by the inaccuracies of the conductor state equation input variables. The sensitivity of the recalculation to the inaccuracy of five basic input parameters was tested (initial temperature and mechanical tension, elasticity modulus, specific gravity load and tower span) by comparing the conductor sag values when input parameters were affected by a specific inaccuracy with an ideal sag-tension table. The presented tests clearly showed that the sag recalculation inaccuracy must be taken into account during the safety assessment process, as the sag deviation can, in some cases, reach values comparable to the minimal clearance distances specified in the technical standards.
Temperature and Relative Humidity Profile Retrieval from Fengyun-3D/HIRAS in the Arctic Region
Authors: Hu Jingjing , Bao Yansong , Liu Jian , Liu Hui , Petropoulos George P. , Katsafados Petros , Zhu Liuhua , Cai Xi
Published: May 2021

The acquisition of real-time temperature and relative humidity (RH) profiles in the Arctic is of great significance for the study of the Arctic’s climate and Arctic scientific research. However, the operational algorithm of Fengyun-3D only takes into account areas within 60°N, the innovation of this work is that a new technique based on Neural Network (NN) algorithm was proposed, which can retrieve these parameters in real time from the Fengyun-3D Hyperspectral Infrared Radiation Atmospheric Sounding (HIRAS) observations in the Arctic region. Considering the difficulty of obtaining a large amount of actual observation (such as radiosonde) in the Arctic region, collocated ERA5 data from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and HIRAS observations were used to train the neural networks (NNs). Brightness temperature and training targets were classified using two variables: season (warm season and cold season) and surface type (ocean and land). NNs-based retrievals were compared with ERA5 data and radiosonde observations (RAOBs) independent of the NN training sets. Results showed that (1) the NNs retrievals accuracy is generally higher on warm season and ocean; (2) the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of retrieved profiles is generally slightly higher in the RAOB comparisons than in the ERA5 comparisons, but the variation trend of errors with height is consistent; (3) the retrieved profiles by the NN method are closer to ERA5, comparing with the AIRS products. All the results demonstrated the potential value in time and space of NN algorithm in retrieving temperature and relative humidity profiles of the Arctic region from HIRAS observations under clear-sky conditions. As such, the proposed NN algorithm provides a valuable pathway for retrieving reliably temperature and RH profiles from HIRAS observations in the Arctic region, providing information of practical value in a wide spectrum of practical applications and research investigations alike.All in all, our work has important implications in broadening Fengyun-3D’s operational implementation range from within 60°N to the Arctic region.
Complexity Analysis of a Versatile Video Coding Decoder over Embedded Systems and General Purpose Processors
Authors: Saha Anup , Chavarrías Miguel , Pescador Fernando , Groba Ángel M. , Chassaigne Kheyter , Cebrián Pedro L.
Published: May 2021

The increase in high-quality video consumption requires increasingly efficient video coding algorithms. Versatile video coding (VVC) is the current state-of-the-art video coding standard. Compared to the previous video standard, high efficiency video coding (HEVC), VVC demands approximately 50% higher video compression while maintaining the same quality and significantly increasing the computational complexity. In this study, coarse-grain profiling of a VVC decoder over two different platforms was performed: One platform was based on a high-performance general purpose processor (HGPP), and the other platform was based on an embedded general purpose processor (EGPP). For the most intensive computational modules, fine-grain profiling was also performed. The results allowed the identification of the most intensive computational modules necessary to carry out subsequent acceleration processes. Additionally, the correlation between the performance of each module on both platforms was determined to identify the influence of the hardware architecture.
Environmental Assessment of Upgrading Horticultural Side Streams—The Case of Unharvested Broccoli Leaves
Authors: Eriksson Mattias , Bartek Louise , Löfkvist Klara , Malefors Christopher , Olsson Marie E.
Published: May 2021

To facilitate transition to a sustainable food system, it is necessary to address food losses. A large proportion of waste occurs during primary production, with large quantities of edible crop parts left in the field at harvest. One such product is broccoli, where normally only around one-third of the edible parts of the plant are harvested in Sweden. Much of the broccoli plant consists of edible leaves and this side stream represents an unused resource with great potential. This study assessed the potential environmental savings that can be achieved by utilising broccoli side streams as a powder in soups and bread. Consequential and attributional life cycle assessments were conducted, based on scenarios relevant for growers in southern Sweden. The results showed that the scenario with the largest saving potential was to process the broccoli side streams into a powder for use in broccoli soup. The main saving was due to substitution of imported broccoli powder, which was assumed to be produced from broccoli florets using a more fossil-based energy mix. The second best scenario was to use the side-stream broccoli powder as a wheat substitute in bread but, since wheat flour is less resource-demanding than imported broccoli powder, the emission savings were lower in this case. However, replacing wheat flour with a vegetable-based product could provide additional health benefits that are important in achieving a healthy, locally available, and environmentally friendly diet suitable for a sustainable food system.
Factors Influencing the Adoption of COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors in Chile
Authors: Bronfman Nicolás C. , Repetto Paula B. , Cisternas Pamela C. , Castañeda Javiera V.
Published: May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic forced people worldwide to implement a series of preventive hygiene and distancing measures that have significantly altered their way of life. This study examined an adapted version of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on adopting preventive behavior against COVID-19. Data was collected using a web survey completed by 1004 college students a few weeks after the first wave of infections in Chile. Our findings show that the subjective norm was the strongest predictor of adopting preventive behaviors, followed by the knowledge level and perceived behavioral control. Contrary to expectations, we found no evidence that an attitude towards preventive action predicted actual adoption of preventive behavior against COVID-19. However, knowledge and social norms play a significant role. We discuss implications for effective risk communication.
Effects of CEO Overseas Experience on Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Listed Companies
Authors: Xu Zhaocheng , Hou Jingchuan
Published: May 2021

With increasing economic globalization, CEOs with overseas study or work experience play a crucial role in corporate strategic decision making, especially in emerging economies. Using Chinese manufacturing companies publicly listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, we explore the influence of CEO overseas experience on corporate social responsibility (CSR), based on the upper echelons theory and behavioral theory of the firm. We find that CEOs with overseas experience have a stronger CSR thinking concept and are more inclined to fulfill CSR than CEOs without overseas experience. We also analyze the effects of the organization’s external environment (market competition intensity) and internal resources (organizational slack resources) on this relationship, and find that all of these factors can strengthen the relationship. We find that the effect of CEO overseas study experience is stronger than that of overseas work experience; CEOs with overseas experience from developed countries such as Europe and the United States have a stronger effect on CSR; CEO overseas experience leads to better performance in state-owned enterprises; but when the CEO is also the chairman of the board, the effect of CEO overseas experience on CSR is weaker; female CEOs’ overseas experience has a stronger positive effect on CSR than male CEOs’; and the effect of CEO overseas experience on CSR is greater when the CEO is highly educated.
Perception of Malaria Chemoprevention Interventions in Infants and Children in Eight Sub-Saharan African Countries: An End User Perspective Study
Authors: Audibert Céline , Tchouatieu André-Marie
Published: May 2021

Preventive chemotherapy interventions have been identified as key tools for malaria prevention and control. Although a large number of publications have reported on the efficacy and safety profile of these interventions, little literature exists on end-user experience. The objective of this study was to provide insights on the perceptions and attitudes towards seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) and intermittent preventive treatment of infants (IPTi) to identify drivers of and barriers to acceptance. A total of 179 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with community health workers (CHWs), health center managers, parents of children receiving chemoprevention, and national decision makers across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The transcribed verbatim responses were coded and analyzed using a thematic approach. Findings indicate that, although SMC is largely accepted by end users, coverage remained below 100%. The main causes mentioned were children’s absenteeism, children being sick, parents’ reluctance, and lack of staff. Regarding IPTi, results from participants based in Sierra Leone showed that the intervention was generally accepted and perceived as efficacious. The main challenges were access to water, crushing the tablets, and high staff turnover. SMC and IPTi are perceived as valuable interventions. Our study identified the key elements that need to be considered to facilitate the expansion of these two interventions to different geographies or age groups.
Analysis of the Water Level Variation in the Polish Part of the Vistula Lagoon (Baltic Sea) and Estimation of Water Inflow and Outflow Transport through the Strait of Baltiysk in the Years 2008–2017
Authors: Szydłowski Michał , Artichowicz Wojciech , Zima Piotr
Published: May 2021

The Vistula Lagoon is located in both Poland and Russia along the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. It is connected to the Baltic Sea in the Russian part by the Strait of Baltiysk. The purpose of the paper is to identify the dominant factors underlying the water level variation mechanism at Tolkmicko in the Vistula Lagoon, revealed by a statistical analysis of the measured data and a discussion on the inflow and outflow transport variation through the strait, estimated by numerical modeling. Seawater transport is exceptionally valuable in terms of the hydrological water balance in the lagoon. Historical research on the hydrology of the lagoon shows that the water exchange in the lagoon is quite complex due to the presence of several different sources of water balance, such as seawater inflow, river inflow, groundwater inflow, precipitation, and evaporation. Unfortunately, there are no current data on seawater inflow and outflow through the Strait of Baltiysk due to the lack of continuous flow measurements in the strait. A novelty of the current work is an in-depth statistical analysis of the water level variation in the Polish part of the lagoon over a long time period and an estimation of water transport through the Strait of Baltiysk by use of a numerical model. The model reproduces well the water level variation responding to variations in the sea level outside the lagoon and the wind action over the lagoon. The years 2008–2017 were chosen as the analysis period. A two-dimensional free surface shallow water numerical model of the lagoon was adapted to simulate the water level variation in view of the wind over the lagoon and the sea level variation at one open boundary. Finally, it was concluded that the water level variation on the Polish side of the Vistula Lagoon is dominated by two factors: the water level in the Gulf of Gdańsk and the wind over the lagoon. The average annual marine water inflow into the Vistula Lagoon was estimated to be equal to 15.87 km3.
Effect of the Aerobic Denitrifying Bacterium Pseudomonas furukawaii ZS1 on Microbiota Compositions in Grass Carp Culture Water
Authors: Gong Wangbao , Gao Shuwei , Zhu Yun , Wang Guangjun , Zhang Kai , Li Zhifei , Yu Ermeng , Tian Jingjing , Xia Yun , Xie Jun , Ni Jiajia
Published: May 2021

Background: Although functional bacteria are widely used in aquaculture water treatment, whether they affect the indigenous microbiota and whether the impact is persistent remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to explore the denitrification effect of Pseudomonas furukawaii ZS1 isolated from a grass carp culture pond in nitrogen-rich aquaculture water, and determine whether its effect on the microbiota structure of the aquaculture water was persistent. Methods: Three each of treatment and control groups were set up, and P. furukawaii ZS1 was added to the treatment group. The concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, nitrite, and nitrate, and the pH of each sample were measured for eight consecutive days. Changes of microbiota composition in the water were analysed via high-throughput sequencing. Results: Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate concentrations were substantially lower in the treatment group than in the control group. There were significant differences in the microbiota structure between treatment and control groups, especially on days 2–7 after adding P. furukawaii ZS1. Furthermore, significantly enriched bacterial genera in the treatment group were initially higher in number than inhibited genera, but subsequently reverted to being lower in number. Conclusions: These results provide theoretical guidance for the effective use of P. furukawaii ZS1 to control aquaculture water.
UTILIZATION OF GYPSUM-BEARING WASTES IN MATERIALS OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND OTHER AREAS
Authors: Alfimova Nataliya , Pirieva Sevda , Titenko A.
Published: May 2021

rational environmental management is one of the priorities of the technological development of the Russian Federation and most countries of the world. Particularly important in this area is the work undertaken with previously generated and accumulated waste, a whole group of which is gypsum-bearing wastes (GBW), which includes by-products of various industries: phosphogypsum, borogypsum, chlorogypsum, ferrogypsum, citrogypsum, vitamin gypsum, etc. GBW features are similar compositions, prevalence, perennial volumes of stored reserves with stable dynamics of annual growth. This determines the relevance of research on the development of a unified methodology for converting GBW of various types into target products particularly for construction purposes, providing maximum energy efficiency and minimal generation of secondary waste. The starting point of the research is the monitoring of approaches developed by the scientific community which are presented in the article. It is shown that researchers are exploring several main areas of GBW conversion: components of Portland cement and clinker; single and multicomponent binders; direct raw materials for the production of building materials; and road construction. The latter two directions have the greatest potential capacity for the consumption of GBW. The general level of research on the issue is not exhaustive, but has the potential to improve on existing methods of processing and application and promote the search for new and more efficient methods
Structure-functional analyses of psychological readiness for specialists in physical culture and sport sphere
Authors: Sokolovskaia Svetlana V.
Published: May 2021

Among the many competences to determine the readiness level of specialist in the field of physical culture and sport sphere (FCS), the most important include those which constitute psychological readiness. We have developed and implemented a new structural-functional approach to the study and formation of psychological readiness. The practice of training specialists in the physical culture and sports sphere dictates the need to supplement the variety of competences reflected in Russia’s federal standards with superprofessional competences in order to achieve full psychological readiness of the specialist. We present a complex model of competences embedded in the structural components of psychological readiness – cognitive, motivational, operational, value-moral, reflexive. Structural and functional analysis of the model by the method of "competent judges" – employers allowed us to assess the functional significance of each competence in each of the components of readiness for the main specialties of the physical culture and sports sphere. The results of the study revealed a specific and differentiated influence of individual competences on the level of psychological readiness of graduates and specialists of different specialisations of a sports higher education institution.
External and internal orientation of personality of patient with a severe somatic disease
Authors: Nikitina Daria Nikitina А.
Published: May 2021

This article reveals the features of externality-internality in the context of experiencing a high-intensity stressor making a diagnosis that is associated with a threat to life. Part of the results of a comprehensive research project aimed at studying people diagnosed with meningioma (n = 64, from 30 to 70 years of age, Me = 54) is presented. All respondents signed an informed consent form before starting the study. Methods: Freiburg Personality Inventory, World Assumptions Scale, Impact of Event Scale. We used median analysis, K-means method, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05). The results show that in a difficult life situation associated with the diagnosis of meningioma, people with an external orientation, sociable and socially courageous, have low rates of posttraumatic stress and are characterised by a high degree of self-regulation, control, positive self-acceptance and a focus on justice, which is not typical for people who are shy, unsociable, and prone to an internal orientation. Ambivalent style, which includes different communication strategies, is typical for people with moderate rates of psychotraumatisation, lower self-regulation and self-rejection.
Advanced pedagogic support for the formation of self-development competence in university freshmen
Authors: Sysoeva Ekaterina V.
Published: May 2021

Among the mandatory requirements for the implementation of the main professional educational programmes in higher education is the formation of a universal self-development competence, which provides for forecasting, building and implementing the self-development trajectory that best meets their personal needs and aspirations. However, the results of a sociological study show that most university freshmen are unable to predict and implement the trajectory of self-development and note the lack of opportunities in this matter from teachers. One of the assistance types to university students can be advanced pedagogic support for the formation of self-development competence in university freshmen. The uniqueness of pedagogic support, conceptual foundations of which were developed by Oleg Gazman, is that it determines students' self-determination in a situation of choice and the subsequent independent solution of their problems. The anticipatory nature of pedagogic support for the formation of self-development competence in university freshmen is to provide students with a reason to think even before they have a problem. At the moment when a difficult moment appears in their real life, they already have a set of methods and techniques for its successful resolution. As a result of the theoretical research a refined definition of advanced pedagogic support for the formation of self-development competence in university freshmen is proposed from the position of the existential approach (Mikhail Rozhkov).