bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Satellite Determination of Peatland Water Table Temporal Dynamics by Localizing Representative Pixels of A SWIR-Based Moisture Index
Authors: Burdun Iuliia , Bechtold Michel , Sagris Valentina , Lohila Annalea , Humphreys Elyn , Desai Ankur R. , Nilsson Mats B. , De Lannoy Gabrielle , Mander Ülo
Published: September 2020

The OPtical TRApezoid Model (OPTRAM) is a physically-based approach for remote soil moisture estimation. OPTRAM is based on the response of short-wave infrared (SWIR) reflectance to vegetation water status, which in turn responds to changes of root-zone soil moisture. In peatlands, the latter is tightly coupled to water table depth (WTD). Therefore, in theory, the OPTRAM index might be a useful tool to monitor WTD dynamics in peatlands, although the sensitivity of OPTRAM index to WTD changes will likely depend on vegetation cover and related rooting depth. In this study, we aim at identifying those locations (further called ‘best pixels’) where the OPTRAM index is most representative of overall peatland WTD dynamics. In peatlands, the high saturated hydraulic conductivity of the upper layer largely synchronizes the temporal WTD fluctuations over several kilometers, i.e., even though the mean and amplitude of the WTD dynamics may vary in space. Therefore, it can be assumed that the WTD time series, either measured at a single location or simulated for a grid cell with the PEATland-specific adaptation of the NASA Catchment Land Surface Model (PEATCLSM), are representative of the overall peatland WTD dynamics. We took advantage of this concept to identify the ‘best pixel’ of all spatially distributed OPTRAM pixels within a peatland, as that pixel with the highest time series Pearson correlation (R) with WTD data accounting for temporal autocorrelation. The OPTRAM index was calculated based on various remotely sensed images, namely, Landsat, MODIS, and aggregated Landsat images at MODIS resolution for five northern peatlands with long-term WTD records, including both bogs and fens. The ‘best pixels’ were dominantly covered with mosses and graminoids with little or no shrub or trees. However, the performance of OPTRAM highly depended on the spatial resolution of the remotely sensed data. The Landsat-based OPTRAM index yielded the highest R values (mean of 0.7 across the ‘best pixels’ in five peatlands). Our study further indicates that, in the absence of historical in situ data, PEATCLSM can be used as an alternative to localize ‘best pixels’. This finding enables the future applicability of OPTRAM to monitor WTD changes in peatlands on a global scale.
Design and Implementation of High-Performance ECC Processor with Unified Point Addition on Twisted Edwards Curve
Authors: Islam Md. Mainul , Hossain Md. Selim , Hasan Moh. Khalid , Shahjalal Md. , Jang Yeong Min
Published: September 2020

With the swift evolution of wireless technologies, the demand for the Internet of Things (IoT) security is rising immensely. Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) provides an attractive solution to fulfill this demand. In recent years, Edwards curves have gained widespread acceptance in digital signatures and ECC due to their faster group operations and higher resistance against side-channel attacks (SCAs) than that of the Weierstrass form of elliptic curves. In this paper, we propose a high-speed, low-area, simple power analysis (SPA)-resistant field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation of ECC processor with unified point addition on a twisted Edwards curve, namely Edwards25519. Efficient hardware architectures for modular multiplication, modular inversion, unified point addition, and elliptic curve point multiplication (ECPM) are proposed. To reduce the computational complexity of ECPM, the ECPM scheme is designed in projective coordinates instead of affine coordinates. The proposed ECC processor performs 256-bit point multiplication over a prime field in 198,715 clock cycles and takes 1.9 ms with a throughput of 134.5 kbps, occupying only 6543 slices on Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGA platform. It supports high-speed public-key generation using fewer hardware resources without compromising the security level, which is a challenging requirement for IoT security.
RGB-D Object SLAM Using Quadrics for Indoor Environments
Authors: Liao Ziwei , Wang Wei , Qi Xianyu , Zhang Xiaoyu
Published: September 2020

Indoor service robots need to build an object-centric semantic map to understand and execute human instructions. Conventional visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) systems build a map using geometric features such as points, lines, and planes as landmarks. However, they lack a semantic understanding of the environment. This paper proposes an object-level semantic SLAM algorithm based on RGB-D data, which uses a quadric surface as an object model to compactly represent the object’s position, orientation, and shape. This paper proposes and derives two types of RGB-D camera-quadric observation models: a complete model and a partial model. The complete model combines object detection and point cloud data to estimate a complete ellipsoid in a single RGB-D frame. The partial model is activated when the depth data is severely missing because of illuminations or occlusions, which uses bounding boxes from object detection to constrain objects. Compared with the state-of-the-art quadric SLAM algorithms that use a monocular observation model, the RGB-D observation model reduces the requirements of the observation number and viewing angle changes, which helps improve the accuracy and robustness. This paper introduces a nonparametric pose graph to solve data associations in the back end, and innovatively applies it to the quadric surface model. We thoroughly evaluated the algorithm on two public datasets and an author-collected mobile robot dataset in a home-like environment. We obtained obvious improvements on the localization accuracy and mapping effects compared with two state-of-the-art object SLAM algorithms.
British Sign Language Recognition via Late Fusion of Computer Vision and Leap Motion with Transfer Learning to American Sign Language
Authors: Bird Jordan J. , Ekárt Anikó , Faria Diego R.
Published: September 2020

In this work, we show that a late fusion approach to multimodality in sign language recognition improves the overall ability of the model in comparison to the singular approaches of image classification (88.14%) and Leap Motion data classification (72.73%). With a large synchronous dataset of 18 BSL gestures collected from multiple subjects, two deep neural networks are benchmarked and compared to derive a best topology for each. The Vision model is implemented by a Convolutional Neural Network and optimised Artificial Neural Network, and the Leap Motion model is implemented by an evolutionary search of Artificial Neural Network topology. Next, the two best networks are fused for synchronised processing, which results in a better overall result (94.44%) as complementary features are learnt in addition to the original task. The hypothesis is further supported by application of the three models to a set of completely unseen data where a multimodality approach achieves the best results relative to the single sensor method. When transfer learning with the weights trained via British Sign Language, all three models outperform standard random weight distribution when classifying American Sign Language (ASL), and the best model overall for ASL classification was the transfer learning multimodality approach, which scored 82.55% accuracy.
Recent Advances in Electrochemical Monitoring of Chromium
Authors: Hilali Nazha , Mohammadi Hasna , Amine Aziz , Zine Nadia , Errachid Abdelhamid
Published: September 2020

The extensive use of chromium by several industries conducts to the discharge of an immense quantity of its various forms in the environment which affects drastically the ecological and biological lives especially in the case of hexavalent chromium. Electrochemical sensors and biosensors are useful devices for chromium determination. In the last five years, several sensors based on the modification of electrode surface by different nanomaterials (fluorine tin oxide, titanium dioxide, carbon nanomaterials, metallic nanoparticles and nanocomposite) and biosensors with different biorecognition elements (microbial fuel cell, bacteria, enzyme, DNA) were employed for chromium monitoring. Herein, recent advances related to the use of electrochemical approaches for measurement of trivalent and hexavalent chromium from 2015 to 2020 are reported. A discussion of both chromium species detections and speciation studies is provided.
Preparation and Application of Metal Nanoparticals Elaborated Fiber Sensors
Authors: Li Jin , Wang Haoru , Li Zhi , Su Zhengcheng , Zhu Yue
Published: September 2020

In recent years, surface plasmon resonance devices (SPR, or named plamonics) have attracted much more attention because of their great prospects in breaking through the optical diffraction limit and developing new photons and sensing devices. At the same time, the combination of SPR and optical fiber promotes the development of the compact micro-probes with high-performance and the integration of fiber and planar waveguide. Different from the long-range SPR of planar metal nano-films, the local-SPR (LSPR) effect can be excited by incident light on the surface of nano-scaled metal particles, resulting in local enhanced light field, i.e., optical hot spot. Metal nano-particles-modified optical fiber LSPR sensor has high sensitivity and compact structure, which can realize the real-time monitoring of physical parameters, environmental parameters (temperature, humidity), and biochemical molecules (pH value, gas-liquid concentration, protein molecules, viruses). In this paper, both fabrication and application of the metal nano-particles modified optical fiber LSPR sensor probe are reviewed, and its future development is predicted.
Small Antennas for Wearable Sensor Networks: Impact of the Electromagnetic Properties of the Textiles on Antenna Performance
Authors: Atanasova Gabriela , Atanasov Nikolay
Published: September 2020

The rapid development of wearable wireless sensor networks (W-WSNs) has created high demand for small and flexible antennas. In this paper, we present small, flexible, low-profile, light-weight all-textile antennas for application in W-WSNs and investigate the impact of the textile materials on the antenna performance. A step-by-step procedure for design, fabrication and measurement of small wearable backed antennas for application in W-WSNs is also suggested. Based on the procedure, an antenna on a denim substrate is designed as a benchmark. It demonstrates very small dimensions and a low-profile, all while achieving a bandwidth (|S11| < −6 dB) of 285 MHz from 2.266 to 2.551 GHz, radiation efficiency more than 12% in free space and more than 6% on the phantom. Also, the peak 10 g average SAR is 0.15 W/kg. The performance of the prototype of the proposed antenna was also evaluated using an active test. To investigate the impact of the textile materials on the antenna performance, the antenna geometry was studied on cotton, polyamide-elastane and polyester substrates. It has been observed that the lower the loss tangent of the substrate material, the narrower the bandwidth. Moreover, the higher the loss tangent of the substrate, the lower the radiation efficiency and SAR.
Pattern Synthesis of Linear Antenna Array Using Improved Differential Evolution Algorithm with SPS Framework
Authors: Zhang Ruimeng , Zhang Yan , Sun Jinping , Li Qing
Published: September 2020

In this paper, an improved differential evolution (DE) algorithm with the successful-parent-selecting (SPS) framework, named SPS-JADE, is applied to the pattern synthesis of linear antenna arrays. Here, the pattern synthesis of the linear antenna arrays is viewed as an optimization problem with excitation amplitudes being the optimization variables and attaining sidelobe suppression and null depth being the optimization objectives. For this optimization problem, an improved DE algorithm named JADE is introduced, and the SPS framework is used to solve the stagnation problem of the DE algorithm, which further improves the DE algorithm’s performance. Finally, the combined SPS-JADE algorithm is verified in simulation experiments of the pattern synthesis of an antenna array, and the results are compared with those obtained by other state-of-the-art random optimization algorithms. The results demonstrate that the proposed SPS-JADE algorithm is superior to other algorithms in the pattern synthesis performance with a lower sidelobe level and a more satisfactory null depth under the constraint of beamwidth requirement.
A Multitiered Solution for Anomaly Detection in Edge Computing for Smart Meters
Authors: Utomo Darmawan , Hsiung Pao-Ann
Published: September 2020

In systems connected to smart grids, smart meters with fast and efficient responses are very helpful in detecting anomalies in realtime. However, sending data with a frequency of a minute or less is not normal with today’s technology because of the bottleneck of the communication network and storage media. Because mitigation cannot be done in realtime, we propose prediction techniques using Deep Neural Network (DNN), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN). In addition to these techniques, the prediction timestep is chosen per day and wrapped in sliding windows, and clustering using Kmeans and intersection Kmeans and HDBSCAN is also evaluated. The predictive ability applied here is to predict whether anomalies in electricity usage will occur in the next few weeks. The aim is to give the user time to check their usage and from the utility side, whether it is necessary to prepare a sufficient supply. We also propose the latency reduction to counter higher latency as in the traditional centralized system by adding layer Edge Meter Data Management System (MDMS) and Cloud-MDMS as the inference and training model. Based on the experiments when running in the Raspberry Pi, the best solution is choosing DNN that has the shortest latency 1.25 ms, 159 kB persistent file size, and at 128 timesteps.
A Displacement Field Perception Method for Component Digital Twin in Aircraft Assembly
Authors: Liang Bing , Liu Wei , Liu Kun , Zhou Mengde , Zhang Yang , Jia Zhenyuan
Published: September 2020

Full-field displacement perception and digital twins for core components play a crucial role in the precision manufacturing industry, such as aviation manufacturing. This paper presents a real-time full-field displacement perception method for the combination of online multipoint displacement monitoring and matrix completion theory. Firstly, a conceptual full-field displacement perception model based on the observed information of the multi-points is established. To obtain the full-field displacements of a core component, the component is divided into plentiful discrete points, including observed and unobserved points, based on which the relationship between the observed points and the full-field displacements is established. Then, the solution method of the full-field displacement perception model is proposed. Based on the matrix completion principle and the big data of the simulation, the optimization problem is employed to work out the model and, meanwhile, the pseudo-code is put forward. Finally, the full-field displacement perception experiments are performed. Repeated experiments show that the max error of the displacements calculated by the proposed method can be less than 0.094 mm and the median error can be less than 0.054 mm, while the average time frame can be less than 0.48 s, which is promising considering the high precision and efficiency requirements of the assembly of large aircraft.
Swarm-Intelligence-Centric Routing Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Shin Changsun , Lee Meonghun
Published: September 2020

The swarm intelligence (SI)-based bio-inspired algorithm demonstrates features of heterogeneous individual agents, such as stability, scalability, and adaptability, in distributed and autonomous environments. The said algorithm will be applied to the communication network environment to overcome the limitations of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Herein, the swarm-intelligence-centric routing algorithm (SICROA) is presented for use in WSNs that aim to leverage the advantages of the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. The proposed routing protocol addresses the problems of the ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) and improves routing performance via collision avoidance, link-quality prediction, and maintenance methods. The proposed method was found to improve network performance by replacing the periodic “Hello” message with an interrupt that facilitates the prediction and detection of link disconnections. Consequently, the overall network performance can be further improved by prescribing appropriate procedures for processing each control message. Therefore, it is inferred that the proposed SI-based approach provides an optimal solution to problems encountered in a complex environment, while operating in a distributed manner and adhering to simple rules of behavior.
MAKE-IT—A Lightweight Mutual Authentication and Key Exchange Protocol for Industrial Internet of Things
Authors: Choudhary Karanjeet , Gaba Gurjot Singh , Butun Ismail , Kumar Pardeep
Published: September 2020

Continuous development of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has opened up enormous opportunities for the engineers to enhance the efficiency of the machines. Despite the development, many industry administrators still fear to use Internet for operating their machines due to untrusted nature of the communication channel. The utilization of internet for managing industrial operations can be widespread adopted if the authentication of the entities are performed and trust is ensured. The traditional schemes with their inherent security issues and other complexities, cannot be directly deployed to resource constrained network devices. Therefore, we have proposed a strong mutual authentication and secret key exchange protocol to address the vulnerabilities of the existing schemes. We have used various cryptography operations such as hashing, ciphering, and so forth, for providing secure mutual authentication and secret key exchange between different entities to restrict unauthorized access. Performance and security analysis clearly demonstrates that the proposed work is energy efficient (computation and communication inexpensive) and more robust against the attacks in comparison to the traditional schemes.
Shedding Light on Nocturnal Movements in Parkinson’s Disease: Evidence from Wearable Technologies
Authors: Zampogna Alessandro , Manoni Alessandro , Asci Francesco , Liguori Claudio , Irrera Fernanda , Suppa Antonio
Published: September 2020

In Parkinson’s disease (PD), abnormal movements consisting of hypokinetic and hyperkinetic manifestations commonly lead to nocturnal distress and sleep impairment, which significantly impact quality of life. In PD patients, these nocturnal disturbances can reflect disease-related complications (e.g., nocturnal akinesia), primary sleep disorders (e.g., rapid eye movement behaviour disorder), or both, thus requiring different therapeutic approaches. Wearable technologies based on actigraphy and innovative sensors have been proposed as feasible solutions to identify and monitor the various types of abnormal nocturnal movements in PD. This narrative review addresses the topic of abnormal nocturnal movements in PD and discusses how wearable technologies could help identify and assess these disturbances. We first examine the pathophysiology of abnormal nocturnal movements and the main clinical and instrumental tools for the evaluation of these disturbances in PD. We then report and discuss findings from previous studies assessing nocturnal movements in PD using actigraphy and innovative wearable sensors. Finally, we discuss clinical and technical prospects supporting the use of wearable technologies for the evaluation of nocturnal movements.
Oxygen- and pH-Dependent Photophysics of Fluorinated Fluorescein Derivatives: Non-Symmetrical vs. Symmetrical Fluorination
Authors: McLoughlin Ciaran K. , Kotroni Eleni , Bregnhøj Mikkel , Rotas Georgios , Vougioukalakis Georgios C. , Ogilby Peter R.
Published: September 2020

Fluorescein, and derivatives of fluorescein, are often used as fluorescent probes and sensors. In systems where pH is a variable, protonation/deprotonation of the molecule can influence the pertinent photophysics. Fluorination of the xanthene moiety can alter the molecule’s pKa such as to render a probe whose photophysics remains invariant over a wide pH range. Di-fluorination is often sufficient to accomplish this goal, as has been demonstrated with compounds such as Oregon Green in which the xanthene moiety is symmetrically difluorinated. In this work, we synthesized a non-symmetrical difluorinated analog of Oregon Green which we call Athens Green. We ascertained that the photophysics and photochemistry of Athens Green, including the oxygen-dependent photophysics that results in the sensitized production of singlet oxygen, O2(a1Δg), can differ appreciably from the photophysics of Oregon Green. Our data indicate that Athens Green will be a more benign fluorescent probe in systems that involve the production and removal of O2(a1Δg). These results expand the available options in the toolbox of fluorescein-based fluorophores.
Advancing Pervious Pavements through Nomenclature, Standards, and Holistic Green Design
Authors: Sprouse Charles E. , Hoover Conrad , Obritsch Olivia , Thomazin Hannah
Published: September 2020

Researchers developing pervious pavements over the past few decades have commendably demonstrated long-term run-off reduction using a diverse collection of materials. Today, pervious pavements are widely recognized as a low impact development technique and a type of green infrastructure, and installations are proliferating throughout the United States and worldwide. The entire field of pervious pavements though, is being profoundly stunted by three persistent problems: conflicting nomenclature, flawed testing standards, and the absence of a holistic green design framework. This study examines each problem and proposes novel solutions. On nomenclature, a multi-channeled study of the terms “pervious”, “permeable”, and “porous” considers each word’s etymology and usage in the academic literature, in ASTM International standards, and by (U.S.-based) governmental entities. Support is found for using pervious pavements (i.e., “through” the “road”) as the over-arching category of all water passable pavements, branching down into porous pavements (i.e., “full of pores”, including porous asphalt and porous concrete) and permeable pavements (i.e., “containing passages”, often between paver units). ASTM International standards are shown to insufficiently account for the impact of paver unit size on infiltration rate, warranting the development of a more reliable testing method featuring variable infiltration ring size, shape, and placement. Finally, a ten-part holistic green design framework is elucidated for use in assessing candidate pavements and engineering new pavements, contextualizing the latest pervious pavement research and illuminating a brighter path forward.
Regional Differences in the Spatial Characteristics and Dynamic Convergence of Environmental Efficiency in China
Authors: Xu Shichun , Li Yiwen , Tao Yuan , Wang Yan , Li Yunfan
Published: September 2020

This study uses the undesirable output and super-efficiency slacks-based measure combined with window (WIN-US-SBM) data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the environmental efficiency (EE) in 30 Chinese provinces, from 2005 to 2016, explores regional differences in the EE, and uses the dynamic spatial Durbin model (DSDM) to analyze regional differences in effects of important factors on the convergence of EE. It reveals that EE in the eastern area is higher than EE in the central and western areas, and a positive spatial autocorrelation exists in the interregional EE. The difference in provincial EE gradually narrows over time and tends to converge to its own steady-state level. Economic growth reduces EE for the central and western areas and improves efficiency for the eastern area; economic growth from surrounding areas indirectly promotes local EE for the eastern area. Foreign direct investment (FDI) promotes EE in the eastern and central areas, and FDI in the adjacent areas has a positive effect on local EE for the eastern area. Export reduces EE for all areas, and export in surrounding areas indirectly promotes local EE for the central area. Industrialization reduces EE in the western area, and industrialization in the surrounding areas increases local EE for the eastern area. Energy efficiency promotes EE for the central area, urbanization increases EE for the central area, and urbanization of the surrounding areas reduces local EE for the eastern area.
Consumer Perception on Purchase Decision Factors and Health Indicators Related to the Quality and Safety of Meat Sold in Dibiteries in Dakar, Senegal
Authors: Orou Seko Malik , Ndour Andrée Prisca Ndjoug , Ossebi Walter , Saric Jasmina , Kreppel Katharina , Dao Daouda , Bonfoh Bassirou
Published: September 2020

Accelerated socio-economic and demographic changes have led to the transformation of eating habits in sub-Saharan African cities including Dakar, Senegal. The result is the proliferation of informal fast-food establishments, such as the ‘dibiteries’ serving braised sheep meat. However, owing to poor hygiene practices, consumption of dibiterie meat poses a public health concern. It was unclear how the dibiterie meat quality and safety were perceived among customers who define their own purchasing social norms. A total of 165 meat consumers were randomly selected and interviewed, from 165 dibiteries sampled by convenience in the Dakar region using a structured questionnaire. Results showed that purchase decisions were guided by trust in the salesperson’s expertise, the taste of the product, perceived risk of meat contamination, tenderness, price, the nutritional value, the smell and the colour and freshness of the meat. The perceived quality and safety of dibiterie meat was expressed by the ‘organoleptic quality’, ‘environment and service’ and ‘price and trust of the product’s safety’ factors. The majority of consumers (61%) were ‘less concerned’ about the safety of dibiterie meat, and the acceptable price range of the product was between $5.08 and $7.62. As this food product is gaining popularity in Dakar and the majority of our participating consumers do not show high levels of concern, we suggest stricter standards.
Multicriteria Decision Tool for Sustainable Reuse of Industrial Heritage into Its Urban and Social Environment. Case Studies
Authors: Claver Juan , García-Domínguez Amabel , Sebastián Miguel A.
Published: September 2020

Most of industrial heritage assets need new activities to ensure their survival. In addition, the collection of assets is very broad, many of their locations have now become central and are targets for speculation, and the nature of these sites displays great specialization. Consequently, processes for reusing these assets are necessary to conserve them, but they risk destroying features whose value has been inadequately identified. This work faces this multicriteria problem by adapting the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to create two independent criteria structures, one for heritage valuation and another for analyzing the spatial compatibility with new uses, and then connecting them considering the relations between criteria of both structures and the relevance of the heritage aspects involved. All this to select those activities that cause minimal harm to the heritage value to be conserved. This work analyses three case studies to evaluate the performance of a tool based on an adaptation of AHP. The results are exposed and some application guidelines are provided, since doubts in the way to applying and interpreting the criteria are in practice a common problem of this type of approaches and that is rarely addressed. Thus, this work shows the potential of the proposed tool as a resource for sustainable urban development strategies.
Standardized Green View Index and Quantification of Different Metrics of Urban Green Vegetation
Authors: Kumakoshi Yusuke , Chan Sau Yee , Koizumi Hideki , Li Xiaojiang , Yoshimura Yuji
Published: September 2020

Urban greenery is considered an important factor in sustainable development and people’s quality of life in the city. To account for urban green vegetation, Green View Index (GVI), which captures the visibility of greenery at street level, has been used. However, as GVI is point-based estimation, when aggregated at an area-level by mean or median, it is sensitive to the location of sampled sites, overweighing the values of densely located sites. To make estimation at area-level more robust, this study aims to (1) propose an improved indicator of greenery visibility (standardized GVI; sGVI), and (2) quantify the relation between sGVI and other green metrics. Experiment on an hypothetical setting confirmed that bias from site location can be mitigated by sGVI. Furthermore, comparing sGVI and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at the city block level in Yokohama city, Japan, we found that sGVI captures the presence of vegetation better in the city center, whereas NDVI is better at capturing vegetation in parks and forests, principally due to the different viewpoints (eye-level perception and top-down eyesight). These tools provide a foundation for accessing the effect of vegetation in urban landscapes in a more robust matter, enabling comparison on any arbitrary geographical scale.
Ocular Histopathological Findings in Semi-Domesticated Eurasian Tundra Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) with Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis after Experimental Inoculation with Cervid Herpesvirus 2
Authors: Sánchez Romano Javier , Sørensen Karen K. , Larsen Anett K. , Mørk Torill , Tryland Morten
Published: September 2020

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is a common transmissible ocular disease in semi-domesticated Eurasian tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). In large outbreaks, IKC may affect tens of animals in a herd, with the most severe cases often requiring euthanasia due to the destruction of the affected eyes and permanent blindness. An experimental inoculation with cervid herpesvirus 2 (CvHV2), alone or in combination with Moraxella bovoculi, demonstrated that CvHV2 has the ability to cause clinical signs of IKC in previously unexposed reindeer. Tissues collected from upper and lower eyelids, lacrimal gland and cornea, were processed for light and transmission electron microscopy. Histopathological analysis of the eyes inoculated with CvHV2 showed widespread and severe pathological findings. Mucosal tissues from these eyes showed fibrinous and purulent exudates, hyperemia, hemorrhages, necrosis, vascular thrombosis, vascular necrosis, infiltration of mononuclear cells and neutrophils, and lymphoid follicle reaction, which matches the described histopathology of IKC in reindeer. Characteristic alpha-herpesvirus particles matching the size and morphology of CvHV2 were identified by transmission electron microscopy in the conjunctival tissue. The quantification of viral particles by qPCR revealed high copy numbers of viral DNA in all CvHV2 inoculated eyes, but also in the non-inoculated eyes of the same animals. The histopathology of eye tissues obtained from the CvHV2 inoculated reindeer and the lack of inflammation from bacterial infection, together with the detection of CvHV2 DNA in swabs from the inoculated and non-inoculated eyes of the same animals, verified that CvHV2 was the primary cause of the observed histopathological changes.
Analysis of Amino Acid Mutations of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype O Using both Heparan Sulfate and JMJD6 Receptors
Authors: Lee Gyeongmin , Hwang Ji-Hyeon , Kim Aro , Park Jong-Hyeon , Lee Min Ja , Kim Byounghan , Kim Su-Mi
Published: September 2020

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an economically devastating animal disease. Adapting the field virus to cells is critical to the vaccine production of FMD viruses (FMDV), and heparan sulfate (HS) and Jumonji C-domain-containing protein 6 (JMJD6) are alternative receptors of cell-adapted FMDV. We performed serial passages of FMDV O/SKR/Andong/2010, classified as the O/Mya-98 topotype/lineage and known as a highly virulent strain, to develop a vaccine seed virus. We traced changes in the amino acid sequences of the P1 region, plaque phenotypes, and the receptor usage of the viruses, and then structurally analyzed the mutations. VP3 H56R and D60G mutations were observed in viruses using the HS receptor and led to changes in the hydrogen bonding between VP3 56 and 60. A VP1 P208L mutation was observed in the virus using the JMJD6 receptor during cell adaptation, enabling the interaction with JMJD6 through the formation of a new hydrogen bond with JMJD6 residue 300. Furthermore, VP1 208 was near the VP1 95/96 amino acids, previously reported as critical mutations for JMJD6 receptor interactions. Thus, the mutation at VP1 208 could be critical for cell adaptation related to the JMJD6 receptor and may serve as a basis for mechanism studies on FMDV cell adaptation.
The feed base formation of an agricultural enterprise with using of digital technologies
Authors: Novikov N. , Blagov D. , Nikitin V. , Mitrofanov S. , Panfyorov N.
Published: September 2020

The issues of planning the feed base of an agricultural enterprise, taking into account the productivity of the livestock sector have been considered in the paper. The developed program is a single interconnected system with two blocks of tasks: animal husbandry and crop production. This connection allows us to make multivariate calculations that ensure the most rational use of acreage and material resources on the basis of an integrated approach to the design of the feed base, taking into account natural, organizational, economic and technological factors. Based on the example of the agricultural enterprise in the Ryazan region that specializes in the production of dairy and crop products, a calculation for planning the output of livestock products has been made, taking into account the necessary land resources to provide high-quality animal feed. Based on the annual structure of the ration, taking into account the summer and winter stall housing, the need for acreage for forage crops grown by the farm has been determined, which amounted to 582 ha. The planned productivity of dairy cattle was equal to 5000 kg per lactation. At the subsequent stages the need for organic, mineral, lime and micro-fertilizers has been determined, providing the necessary level of productivity of feed crops, provided that the humus of the soil is not deficient. Based on the proposed structure of the annual ration and the calculated share of perennial grasses (53,44 %), a positive dynamics of soil humus was obtained for the crop rotation as a whole. The inclusion of perennial grasses in the crop rotation will allow the farm to ensure planned production of livestock products while maintaining a deficit-free balance of soil humus. According to the supply of nitrogen given the crop need additional introduction of ammonium nitrate in the amount of 839,7 centners. In addition, calculations have been made according to the requirements of lime fertilizers, which found that the specified area must input dolomite 2219,8 t. Also the doses of mineral fertilizers required to obtain the planned yields of crops have been calculated. The use of the developed software product allowed us to determine the need for boron–containing fertilizers – 1,08 centner, manganese – 3,38 centners and copper-containing – 0,46 centner.
The use distribution properties of Poisson in the production of high-performance feed
Authors: Kostomakhin N. , Spesivtsev A.
Published: September 2020

In a market economics the main reference point for livestock enterprises is the factor of stability and financial well-being. With more than half of all expenses of livestock production is necessary for feed because livestock productivity is mainly dependent on feed, on their efficacy and safety must be first and foremost, the focus in feed production. Only under these environments can the growing productivity of animals, high quality of products and consistent reduction of its primecost be ensured. The influence of the feed base on the development of animal husbandry is shown in the following: properly balanced nutritional feed rations dramatically increase the productivity of animals, increase milk yield, and average daily gains of live weight. The use of biologically and economically effective rations of animals and poultry, first of all, helps to reduce the prime-cost of livestock products, achieve profitability of its production, increase competitiveness in domestic and global markets and ultimately improve the quality of life of Russians. The role of mathematics, including probability theory and mathematical statistics in feed production are indisputable. It makes it possible to build a mathematical model of the object under study, i.e. to describe its most significant features and properties in the language of mathematical concepts and equations. The examples of analytical calculations based on the use of Poisson distribution properties, which allow us to implement a model of high-performance feed with the content of biologically active substances of components in the specified diets of animals and poultry have been provided in the article. The results of the calculations have been summarized in the table to which this brief explanation.
Effectiveness of milk production when using by cows mineral and energy complex Reactor
Authors: Korshunova O. , Smirnova L.
Published: September 2020

The Vologda region is an area of developed dairy cattle breeding and the organization of comlete-fledged feeding of highly productive cows requires a special approach due to difficult soil and climatic conditions, which causes an insufficient balance of feed and rations. This paper has been solving the problem that is important for the region. The purpose of this work was to study the effectiveness of milk production with the use of the mineral and energy complex Reactor in feeding of cows. Researches on the effectiveness of using the feed additive Reactor have been carried out in the APC “Verny” in the Ustyuzhensky district in the Vologda region. In order to implement the set tasks 4 groups of cows of Black-and-White breed have been formed based on the principle of pairs-analogues, taking into account their age (2,4 lactation), live weight (540 kg), milk yield for 305 days of the last lactation (6250 kg) and physiological state. Cows of all groups have been received the main ration, but the animals of the 1st experimental group in the fresh period and the cows of the 2nd and 3rd experimental groups in the transit period have been additionally fed the mineral and energy complex Reactor. As the result of researches, new data on the zootechnical and economic feasibility of using this feed additive in the feeding of cows with the milk yield of 6000–7000 kg per lactation have been obtained, which allows identifying additional reserves for increasing milk yield with rational use of feed resources. The level of profitability of milk production for the period of increasing the milk yield in the control group was 10,4 %, and in the experimental group – 15,0; 16,8 and 20,7 %, respectively, i.e. there is the increase in this indicator by 1,5–2 times if the feed additive Reactor is used before and after calving.
Influence of the new pre-starter feed on metabolism and immune status of piglets
Authors: Milushev R. , Engovatov D. , Engovatov V.
Published: September 2020

A protein-vitamin-mineral concentrate (PVMC) containing plant protein has been developed for balancing compound feed for early weaned piglets. It uses a component from complete-fat fl axseeds, which contains polyunsaturated linolenic acid. The composition of the concentrate includes legumes, processed by special technology for the removal of anti-nutritional substances. Data on the effect of pre-starter compound feed containing the developed concentrate on the metabolism of nitrogenous substances in the body and some indicators of the neurohumoral link of the immunity of suckling pigs have been presented in the article. The animals had an intensive metabolism of nitrogenous substances. The total protein content in the blood serum was in the range of 65,53–65,73 g/l, and the ratio of albumins to globulins (coefficient A/G) was optimal – 1,55–1,67. The presence of a large amount of urea and glucose in the blood (3,05–3,72 and 6,60–5,80 mmol/l) has indicated that crossbred piglets had intensive synthetic processes associated with their growth. They contributed to the accumulation of M and G classes of immunoglobulins in the blood. The IgG content in the blood was 0,58–1,36 mg/ml, and IgM was 0,71–0,80 mg/ml. In terms of the amount of immunoglobulin G, the experimental group of piglets significantly exceeded the control group. Intestinal microbiocenosis in animals that have been received the new pre-starter compound feed was optimal. It has been dominated by positive microfloralactic acid and bifidum-bacteria, which inhibited the growth of pathogenic microflora, increasing the resistance of the piglets of the experimental group. Average daily gains in body weight were almost the same in both groups at the level of 253–254 g. Research results indicate that the new concentrate and pre-starter compound feed containing it had had the favorable effect on nitrogen metabolism and the immune status of the body of suckling piglets.
Role of Various Accentuated Parameters in Extenuating Tedious Experimental Analysis for Customized Centrifugal Pumps
Authors: F Paul Gregory , C.M. Balamurugan , R Gokul
Published: September 2020

The fluid power industry is engrossed with numerous applications befitting to pumps. Concocting experimental plans for investigations on innovative pumps require meticulous drafting and candor infused veracity. But if we stay to ground reality, contemporary technological advancement must also be taken into for the design of experiments. It is through fending contemporary literature and writings, that any scholar will be able to design an innovative experimental plan. In this article, the experimental findings from an innovative centrifugal pump have been discussed. The camaraderie between the experimental plan and the experimental results has been eviscerated, introducing the concept of accentuated parameters. The camaraderie is ascribed to the accentuated parameter. It is through the selection and utilization of certain accentuated parameters; any experimental finding can be scoured. This article illustrates the use of accentuated parameters and their effect on the findings.
¿Víctimas de primera o de segunda categoría? La compleja construcción social de una “jerarquía de las víctimas” en la Argentina posdictadura (1983-1987)
Authors: Lastra Soledad
Published: September 2020

Los desaparecidos y los campos de concentración de la última dictadura militar, fueron consagrados como las figuras principales excluyendo a otros sectores de afectados. Este artículo se propone analizar el proceso de construcción social de una “jerarquización de las víctimas” desplegado en los años ochenta en la transición a la democracia en Argentina. Para historizar este proceso, este trabajo analiza el papel de actores sociales y de organismos de derechos humanos, especialmente del equipo de Salud Mental del Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales. Este equipo trabajó en la atención psicológica a los exiliados argentinos que regresaron al país desde 1983. La hipótesis que guía este artículo señala que en el proceso de “jerarquización de las víctimas”, entre 1983 y 1987, existieron prácticas de mistificación, estigmatización y autosilenciamiento por parte de ciertos actores del campo de los afectados que se combinaron con límites conceptuales y analíticos a los que se enfrentaron los trabajadores de la salud mental para comprender los efectos de la violencia estatal.
Mos Maiorum como instrumento de control social de nobilitas romana
Authors: Pina Polo Francisco
Published: September 2020

El historiador en Roma lo es habitualmente en tanto que senador dotado de una auctoritas que le autoriza a redactar la historia de la comunidad. En última instancia, el mos maiorum al que da forma la historiografía romana del siglo II a.C. es un concepto de uso interno por parte de la aristocracia. Es un llamamiento a la cohesión de la aristocracia, que se representa a sí misma con unos valores que justifican su poder. El mos maiorum servía como símbolo de identificación de la aristocracia romana, vertebrador de la historia de Roma y elemento de cohesión de la élite social en aras del mantenimiento del orden establecido. Entronizaba un modelo político cuyo éxito era evidenciado por la expansión mediterránea de Roma, que por sí solo legitimaba a las clases dirigentes que habían estado a la cabeza del estado romano tradicionalmente.
Hilvanando historias:Mujeres y política en el pasado reciente latinoamericano de Andrea Andújar, Débora D'Antonio, Karin Grammático, María Laura Rosa (compiladoras)
Authors: Felitti Karina
Published: September 2020

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Conflictividad social en el Provincia de Tucumán durante la "Revolución Argentina”. El “Quintazo” o “Segundo Tucumanazo” de 1972
Authors: Nassif Silvia G.
Published: September 2020

Durante el período de la autodenominada “Revolución Argentina”, ocurrieron grandes  levantamientos de singular importancia en la provincia de Tucumán, mayormente conocidos como “Tucumanazos”. Éstos se inscriben en el ciclo de protestas que recorren la Argentina en oposición a la dictadura militar. Sin embargo, cada uno de estos levantamientos tuvo sus especificidades. En Tucumán, fueron motivados por causas históricas profundas, como fueron el cierre de 11 de los 27 ingenios azucareros existentes en la provincia y la intervención de las universidades nacionales, entre otras.Para la reconstrucción y análisis del “Quintazo” o “Segundo Tucumanazo” de junio de 1972 hemos requerido de fuentes orales y periodísticas, entre otras.
Familias pobres, niñas y benefactoras. Estrategias y expectativas en el centro y sureste de la provincia de Buenos Aires a principios del siglo xx
Authors: De Paz Trueba Yolanda
Published: September 2020

Este artículo propone un recorrido a través de una serie de casos en los cuales diversos actores sociales de comunidades del centro y sureste de la provincia de Buenos Aires, se acercaron a los asilos de huérfanas locales solicitando un lugar en ellos para niñas que atravesaban por situaciones de orfandad y abandono.El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar  los motivos que generaron estas peticiones, pero sobre todo la forma en que éstas fueron entabladas. Se busca reflexionar en torno a las estrategias que desarrollaron las familias trabajadoras a la hora de encarar la crianza de su prole.
En demanda de lo justo: conflictos por derechos en la Patagonia petrolera. Comodoro Rivadavia, 1932
Authors: Andújar Andrea
Published: September 2020

Este trabajo explora de qué manera ciertos trabajadores y trabajadoras vinculadas a la actividad petrolera en Comodoro Rivadavia edificaron nociones sobre lo justo. Para ello, examina las demandas por derechos expresadas en las huelgas que tuvieron lugar durante la primera mitad del año 1932, situando tales nociones, reivindicaciones y protestas en un entramado de relaciones que involucró tanto el ámbito productivo como el de la vida comunitaria y el hogar.