bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved Accuracy of a Single-Slit Digital Sun Sensor Design for CubeSat Application Using Sub-Pixel Interpolation
Authors: Diriker Fuat Kaan , Frias Alexander , Keum Ki Hwan , Lee Regina S. K.
Published: February 2021

In recent years, we have seen significant improvements in the digital sun sensor (DSS) design enabled by advanced micro-systems fabrication and optical sensing technologies. In this paper, we propose a simple single-slit DSS concept with improved accuracy using sub-pixel interpolation. In considering the DSS design, we focused on several characteristics of the sun sensor, including field-of-view, sensor accuracy, complexity, and computational requirements. First, the optimal mask design was determined based on the simple geometry of the slit size, mask height and pixel width. Then, a two-step pixel read-out algorithm was implemented for sub-pixel level interpolation to determine the illumination ratio using 1-, 2-, 4- and 8-bit readouts. Lastly, the improved DSS was integrated with typical CubeSat, commercial-grade attitude sensors suite and a simple TRIAD method to determine the attitude of a CubeSat in LEO. Compared to standard 1-bit read-out mode (0.32 deg RMSE), 8-bit DSS achieves better than 0.01 deg RMSE. In a CubeSat scenario, improvements in attitude knowledge and control accuracy are marginal when using TRIAD, due to the significantly lower accuracy in other CubeSat-scale sensors (magnetometer, for example).
A Review of Insect Monitoring Approaches with Special Reference to Radar Techniques
Authors: Noskov Alexey , Bendix Joerg , Friess Nicolas
Published: February 2021

Drastic declines in insect populations are a vital concern worldwide. Despite widespread insect monitoring, the significant gaps in the literature must be addressed. Future monitoring techniques must be systematic and global. Advanced technologies and computer solutions are needed. We provide here a review of relevant works to show the high potential for solving the aforementioned problems. Major historical and modern methods of insect monitoring are considered. All major radar solutions are carefully reviewed. Insect monitoring with radar is a well established technique, but it is still a fast-growing topic. The paper provides an updated classification of insect radar sets. Three main groups of insect radar solutions are distinguished: scanning, vertical-looking, and harmonic. Pulsed radar sets are utilized for all three groups, while frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) systems are applied only for vertical-looking and harmonic insect radar solutions. This work proves the high potential of radar entomology based on the growing research interest, along with the emerging novel setups, compact devices, and data processing approaches. The review exposes promising insect monitoring solutions using compact radar instruments. The proposed compact and resource-effective setups can be very beneficial for systematic insect monitoring.
Microwave Specular Measurements and Ocean Surface Wave Properties
Authors: Hwang Paul A. , Ainsworth Thomas L. , Ouellette Jeffrey D.
Published: February 2021

Microwave reflectometers provide spectrally integrated information of ocean surface waves several times longer than the incident electromagnetic (EM) wavelengths. For high wind condition, it is necessary to consider the modification of relative permittivity by air in foam and whitecaps produced by wave breaking. This paper describes the application of these considerations to microwave specular returns from the ocean surface. Measurements from Ku and Ka band altimeters and L band reflectometers are used for illustration. The modeling yields a straightforward integration of a closed-form expression connecting the observed specular normalized radar cross section (NRCS) to the surface wave statistical and geometric properties. It remains a challenge to acquire sufficient number of high-wind collocated and simultaneous reference measurements for algorithm development or validation and verification effort. Solutions from accurate forward computation can supplement the sparse high wind databases. Modeled specular NRCSs are provided for L, C, X, Ku, and Ka bands with wind speeds up to 99 m/s.
A Secure and Lightweight Authentication Protocol for IoT-Based Smart Homes
Authors: Oh JiHyeon , Yu SungJin , Lee JoonYoung , Son SeungHwan , Kim MyeongHyun , Park YoungHo
Published: February 2021

With the information and communication technologies (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT) gradually advancing, smart homes have been able to provide home services to users. The user can enjoy a high level of comfort and improve his quality of life by using home services provided by smart devices. However, the smart home has security and privacy problems, since the user and smart devices communicate through an insecure channel. Therefore, a secure authentication protocol should be established between the user and smart devices. In 2020, Xiang and Zheng presented a situation-aware protocol for device authentication in smart grid-enabled smart home environments. However, we demonstrate that their protocol can suffer from stolen smart device, impersonation, and session key disclosure attacks and fails to provide secure mutual authentication. Therefore, we propose a secure and lightweight authentication protocol for IoT-based smart homes to resolve the security flaws of Xiang and Zheng’s protocol. We proved the security of the proposed protocol by performing informal and formal security analyses, using the real or random (ROR) model, Burrows–Abadi–Needham (BAN) logic, and the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool. Moreover, we provide a comparison of performance and security properties between the proposed protocol and related existing protocols. We demonstrate that the proposed protocol ensures better security and lower computational costs than related protocols, and is suitable for practical IoT-based smart home environments.
Optimization of Mixed Numerology Profiles for 5G Wireless Communication Scenarios
Authors: Correia Noélia , Al-Tam Faroq , Rodriguez Jonathan
Published: February 2021

The management of 5G resources is a demanding task, requiring proper planning of operating numerology indexes and spectrum allocation according to current traffic needs. In addition, any reconfigurations to adapt to the current traffic pattern should be minimized to reduce signaling overhead. In this article, the pre-planning of numerology profiles is proposed to address this problem, and a mathematical optimization model for their planning is developed. The idea is to explore requirements and impairments usually present in a given wireless communication scenario to build numerology profiles and then adopt one of the profiles according to the current users/traffic pattern. The model allows the optimization of mixed numerologies in future 5G systems under any wireless communication scenario, with specific service requirements and impairments, and under any traffic scenario. Results show that, depending on the granularity of the profiles, the proposed optimization model is able to provide satisfaction levels of 60–100%, whereas a non-optimized approach provides 40–65%, while minimizing the total number of numerology indexes in operation.
A Deep Learning-Based Camera Approach for Vital Sign Monitoring Using Thermography Images for ICU Patients
Authors: Lyra Simon , Mayer Leon , Ou Liyang , Chen David , Timms Paddy , Tay Andrew , Chan Peter Y. , Ganse Bergita , Leonhardt Steffen , Hoog Antink Christoph
Published: February 2021

Infrared thermography for camera-based skin temperature measurement is increasingly used in medical practice, e.g., to detect fevers and infections, such as recently in the COVID-19 pandemic. This contactless method is a promising technology to continuously monitor the vital signs of patients in clinical environments. In this study, we investigated both skin temperature trend measurement and the extraction of respiration-related chest movements to determine the respiratory rate using low-cost hardware in combination with advanced algorithms. In addition, the frequency of medical examinations or visits to the patients was extracted. We implemented a deep learning-based algorithm for real-time vital sign extraction from thermography images. A clinical trial was conducted to record data from patients on an intensive care unit. The YOLOv4-Tiny object detector was applied to extract image regions containing vital signs (head and chest). The infrared frames were manually labeled for evaluation. Validation was performed on a hold-out test dataset of 6 patients and revealed good detector performance (0.75 intersection over union, 0.94 mean average precision). An optical flow algorithm was used to extract the respiratory rate from the chest region. The results show a mean absolute error of 2.69 bpm. We observed a computational performance of 47 fps on an NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX module for YOLOv4-Tiny, which proves real-time capability on an embedded GPU system. In conclusion, the proposed method can perform real-time vital sign extraction on a low-cost system-on-module and may thus be a useful method for future contactless vital sign measurements.
The Assessment of Urbanization Effect and Sustainable Drainage Solutions on Flood Hazard by GIS
Authors: Ertan Seda , Çelik Rahmi Nurhan
Published: February 2021

Rapid and uncontrolled changes in land use patterns due to urbanization negatively affect urban rainfall-runoff processes and flood hazard. In this study, a method that included different sustainable drainage solutions, such as green infrastructure (GI) usage for flood hazard mitigation with various scenarios on a geographic information system (GIS) platform within a 1653 ha catchment of the Kağıthane Stream in İstanbul, Turkey is presented. Developed scenarios are as follows: scenario one (SN1) is the current situation; scenario two (SN2) used green roof application for buildings and a permeable surface for roads; scenario three (SN3) used only green roof application for buildings; scenario four (SN4) used a rainwater barrel for collecting roof water, a swale canal for collecting road water, and added additional structures to open areas to observe urbanization; scenario five (SN5) considered multiple GI implementations; and scenario six (SN6) considered full urbanization. The results indicate that greener infrastructure implementation provides benefits in reducing both the runoff coefficient and the peak flowrate, and the flood inundation area and number of structures affected by flood risk were decreased. The integrated evaluation system, which consisted of the geographic information system and the assessment of the 1D HEC-RAS hydrologic model, was applied to evaluate the GI usage and flood mitigation.
Strength Performance and Microstructure of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement-Stabilized Soft Soil
Authors: Liu Hailong , Zhao Jiuye , Wang Yu , Yi Nangai , Cui Chunyi
Published: February 2021

Calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) was used to stabilize a type of marine soft soil in Dalian China. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of CSA-stabilized soil was tested and compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC); meanwhile the influence of amounts of gypsum in CSA and cement contents in stabilized soils on the strength of stabilized soils were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests were employed to detect generated hydration products, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was conducted to analyze microstructures of CSA-stabilized soils. The results showed that UCS of CSA-stabilized soils at 1, 3, and 28 d firstly increased and then decreased with contents of gypsum increasing from 0 to 40 wt.%, and CSA-stabilized soils exhibited the highest UCS when the content of gypsum equaled 25 wt.%. When the mixing amounts of OPC and CSA were the same, CSA-stabilized soils had a significantly higher early strength (1 and 3 d) than OPC. For CSA-stabilized soil with 0 wt.% gypsum, monosulfate (AFm) was detected as a major hydration product. As for CSA-stabilized soil with certain amounts of gypsum, the intensity of ettringite (Aft) was significantly higher than that in the sample hydrating without gypsum, but a tiny peak of AFm also could be detected in the sample with 15 wt.% gypsum at 28 d. Additionally, the intensity of AFt increased with the contents of gypsum increasing from 0 to 25 wt.%. When contents of gypsum increased from 25 to 40 wt.%, the intensity of AFt tended to decrease slightly, and residual gypsum could be detected in the sample with 40 wt.% gypsum at 28 d. In the microstructure of OPC-stabilized soils, hexagonal plate-shaped calcium hydroxide (CH) constituted skeleton structures, and clusters of hydrated calcium silicates (C-S-H) gel adhered to particles of soils. In the microstructure of CSA-stabilized soils, AFt constituted skeleton structures, and the crystalline sizes of ettringite increased with contents of gypsum increasing; meanwhile, clusters of the aluminum hydroxide (AH3) phase could be observed to adhere to particles of soils and strengthen the interaction.
Usability Analysis of Andalusian Spas’ Websites
Authors: Anaya-Aguilar Rosa , Gemar German , Anaya-Aguilar Carmen
Published: February 2021

Health tourism is booming all over the world, and thermal spa tourism in Spain is a type of tourism aimed at integrating with nature, achieving sustainable development. In general, its facilities are located in areas specially protected by environmental legislation. This tourism sector attracts an increasingly wide market segment that has become more demanding and better informed and that more frequently uses the Internet to gather information. Tourists’ shopping and consumption habits are increasingly influenced by new information and communication technologies (ICTs), making these a topic of interest among academics and professionals. Website development has been shown to be an area of innovation for spa facilities, but evidence has also been found that this sector has experienced difficulty in adopting ICTs. This research sought to analyse spa websites’ usability by conducting an exploratory investigation of different websites’ contents. The results reveal that the use of new web technologies by spas is underdeveloped, although these facilities have achieved good positions in Internet search engines due to the synergistic effect of the official tourism websites. That is why most of them tell their story, detail their nature and the protection of their spaces. In this way, spas turn their websites into communication channels that convey to tourists their commitment to the environment and sustainable development.
Sustainable Destination Marketing Ecosystem through Smartphone-Based Social Media: The Consumers’ Acceptance Perspective
Authors: Sharmin Farzana , Sultan Mohammad Tipu , Badulescu Daniel , Badulescu Alina , Borma Afrodita , Li Benqian
Published: February 2021

The growth of technological revolutions and the subsequent acceptance of smart devices has increased the influence of sustainable marketing activities in the tourism industry. Due to the explosion of mobile technologies (e.g., smartphones, tablets) and social media adoption, consumers have been able to use these technologies at any time for destination marketing. However, understanding consumers’ sustainable marketing experiences from a destination perspective is a complex issue. At the moment, very few studies have focused on the effectiveness of smartphone-based social media in destination marketing. Hence, the main purpose of this study is to explore how consumers interpret and utilize smartphone-based social media for sustainable destination marketing. This study proposes an integrated framework that consists of the mobile technology acceptance model (MTAM) and the social media-based interaction, trendiness, and electronic-word-of-mouth (e-WoM). A questionnaire survey was used to collect data (n = 365), and valid data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The findings revealed that interaction, trendiness, and e-WoM indirectly affected satisfaction through mobile usefulness and mobile ease of use. At the same time, mobile usefulness and mobile ease of use directly affected satisfaction, which then significantly influenced the intention to utilize those factors towards sustainable destination marketing. This study highlights the technological affordances and the satisfaction of smartphone-based social media in sustainable marketing. Furthermore, the results can be used in the resource allocation process to ensure the success of the vision and mission of sustainable destination marketing efforts.
Review of Sewage Sludge as a Soil Amendment in Relation to Current International Guidelines: A Heavy Metal Perspective
Authors: Nunes Nuno , Ragonezi Carla , Gouveia Carla S.S. , Pinheiro de Carvalho Miguel Â.A.
Published: February 2021

Overexploitation of resources makes the reutilization of waste a focal topic of modern society, and the question of the kind of wastes that can be used is continuously raised. Sewage sludge (SS) is derived from the wastewater treatment plants, considered important underused biomass, and can be used as a biofertilizer when properly stabilized due to the high content of inorganic matter, nitrate, and phosphorus. However, a wide range of pollutants can be present in these biosolids, limiting or prohibiting their use as biofertilizer, depending on the type and origin of industrial waste and household products. Long-term applications of these biosolids could substantially increase the concentration of contaminants, causing detrimental effects on the environment and induce hyperaccumulation or phytotoxicity in the produced crops. In this work, some critical parameters for soils and SS agronomic use, such as organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK), and heavy metals concentration have been reviewed. Several cases of food crop production and the accumulation of heavy metals after SS application are also discussed. SS production, usage, and legislation in EU are assessed to determine the possibility of sustainable management of this bioresource. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines are addressed. The opportunity to produce bioenergy crops, employing sewage sludge to enhance degraded land, is also considered, due to energy security. Although there are numerous advantages of sewage sludge, proper screening for heavy metals in all the variants (biosolids, soil, food products) is a must. SS application requires appropriate strict guidelines with appropriate regulatory oversight to control contamination of agricultural soils.
Construction and Validity of an Instrument to Evaluate Renewable Energies and Energy Sustainability Perceptions for Social Consciousness
Authors: Acosta-Banda Adán , Aguilar-Esteva Verónica , Patiño Ortiz Miguel , Patiño Ortiz Julián
Published: February 2021

The construction and content validity of an instrument to evaluate the perception and social consciousness on renewable resources and energy sustainability was done. First, a review and analysis of the existing instruments in the literature was carried out. The instrument was constructed, then reviewed by three experts, and submitted to the judgment of nine experts. Finally, it was applied to a group of twenty people to evaluate instruction and question accuracy. The instrument is integrated with four dimensions: knowledge on renewable energy; the perception of benefits obtained from it; willingness to acquire renewable energy equipment and evaluation of the use of wind and solar energies importance; the degree of personal and social awareness on environmental care as well as information on specific habits on how important it is to promote and practice energy-saving and environmental sustainability. The experts’ revision process resulted in the approval of the instrument. Content validity (Aiken’s V > 0.75; VI > 0.50) was confirmed. The results of the pilot sample showed a favorable opinion, the understanding of the instructions and items, and the attainment of an optimal value in reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.8553). It was concluded that the instrument is valid to evaluate the perception and degree of consciousness on renewable energies and energy sustainability constructs.
A Model Free Adaptive Scheme for Integrated Control of Civil Aircraft Trajectory and Attitude
Authors: Jiang Gaoyang , Liu Genfeng , Yu Hansong
Published: February 2021

The adaptive trajectory and attitude control is essential for the four-dimensional (4D) trajectory operation of civil aircraft in symmetric thrust flight. In this work, an integrated trajectory and attitude control scheme is proposed based on the =multi-input multi-output (MIMO) model free adaptive control (MFAC) method. First, the full-form dynamic linearization technique is adopted to build the equivalent data model of aircraft. Also, the MIMO MFAC scheme with saturation constraint is designed to achieve an accurate tracking control for a given 4D trajectory and attitude. Besides, the performance limitations of aircraft are taken into consideration, and the MIMO MFAC scheme with hard constraints is designed. In addition, to improve the simulation efficiency, a control scheme with mixed constraints, i.e., saturation and hard constraints, is further proposed. It can be seen from the simulation results that the proposed method can perform an integrated control of the aircraft 4D trajectory and attitude without precise modeling, and the control performance is better than that of the model-based control method in terms of flight altitude and yaw angle control. The integrated data-driven control scheme proposed in this paper provides a theoretical solution for the precise operation of aircraft under 4D trajectory.
Application of Environment-Friendly Rhamnolipids against Transmission of Enveloped Viruses Like SARS-CoV2
Authors: Jin Ling , Black Wendy , Sawyer Teresa
Published: February 2021

In the face of new emerging respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV2, vaccines and drug therapies are not immediately available to curb the spread of infection. Non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as mask-wearing and social distance, can slow the transmission. However, both mask and social distance have not prevented the spread of respiratory viruses SARS-CoV2 within the US. There is an urgent need to develop an intervention that could reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. The key to preventing transmission is to eliminate the emission of SARS-CoV2 from an infected person and stop the virus from propagating in the human population. Rhamnolipids are environmentally friendly surfactants that are less toxic than the synthetic surfactants. In this study, rhamnolipid products, 222B, were investigated as disinfectants against enveloped viruses, such as bovine coronavirus and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). The 222B at 0.009% and 0.0045% completely inactivated 6 and 4 log PFU/mL of HSV-1 in 5–10 min, respectively. 222B at or below 0.005% is also biologically safe. Moreover, 50 μL of 222B at 0.005% on ~1 cm2 mask fabrics or plastic surface can inactivate ~103 PFU HSV-1 in 3–5 min. These results suggest that 222B coated on masks or plastic surface can reduce the emission of SARS-CoV2 from an infected person and stop the spread of SARS-CoV2.
Modeling Mongoose Rabies in the Caribbean: A Model-Guided Fieldwork Approach to Identify Research Priorities
Authors: Sauvé Caroline C. , Rees Erin E. , Gilbert Amy T. , Berentsen Are R. , Allibert Agathe , Leighton Patrick A.
Published: February 2021

We applied the model-guided fieldwork framework to the Caribbean mongoose rabies system by parametrizing a spatially-explicit, individual-based model, and by performing an uncertainty analysis designed to identify parameters for which additional empirical data are most needed. Our analysis revealed important variation in output variables characterizing rabies dynamics, namely rabies persistence, exposure level, spatiotemporal distribution, and prevalence. Among epidemiological parameters, rabies transmission rate was the most influential, followed by rabies mortality and location, and size of the initial infection. The most influential landscape parameters included habitat-specific carrying capacities, landscape heterogeneity, and the level of resistance to dispersal associated with topography. Movement variables, including juvenile dispersal, adult fine-scale movement distances, and home range size, as well as life history traits such as age of independence, birth seasonality, and age- and sex-specific mortality were other important drivers of rabies dynamics. We discuss results in the context of mongoose ecology and its influence on disease transmission dynamics. Finally, we suggest empirical approaches and study design specificities that would provide optimal contributing data addressing the knowledge gaps identified by our approach, and would increase our potential to use epidemiological models to guide mongoose rabies control and management in the Caribbean.
Rational Design of a Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine Based on Conserved CTL Epitopes
Authors: Li Minchao , Zeng Jinfeng , Li Ruiting , Wen Ziyu , Cai Yanhui , Wallin Jeffrey , Shu Yuelong , Du Xiangjun , Sun Caijun
Published: February 2021

With the rapid global spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a safe and effective vaccine against human coronaviruses (HCoVs) is believed to be a top priority in the field of public health. Due to the frequent outbreaks of different HCoVs, the development of a pan-HCoVs vaccine is of great value to biomedical science. The antigen design is a key prerequisite for vaccine efficacy, and we therefore developed a novel antigen with broad coverage based on the genetic algorithm of mosaic strategy. The designed antigen has a potentially broad coverage of conserved cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes to the greatest extent, including the existing epitopes from all reported HCoV sequences (HCoV-NL63, HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2). This novel antigen is expected to induce strong CTL responses with broad coverage by targeting conserved epitopes against multiple coronaviruses.
Residual Proviral Reservoirs: A High Risk for HIV Persistence and Driving Forces for Viral Rebound after Analytical Treatment Interruption
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , Xu Huanbin
Published: February 2021

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically suppressed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication and become undetectable viremia. However, a small number of residual replication-competent HIV proviruses can still persist in a latent state even with lifelong ART, fueling viral rebound in HIV-infected patient subjects after treatment interruption. Therefore, the proviral reservoirs distributed in tissues in the body represent a major obstacle to a cure for HIV infection. Given unavailable HIV vaccine and a failure to eradicate HIV proviral reservoirs by current treatment, it is crucial to develop new therapeutic strategies to eliminate proviral reservoirs for ART-free HIV remission (functional cure), including a sterilizing cure (eradication of HIV reservoirs). This review highlights recent advances in the establishment and persistence of HIV proviral reservoirs, their detection, and potential eradication strategies.
Resilience in Complex Catchment Systems
Authors: Beevers Lindsay , Bedinger Melissa , McClymont Kerri , Visser-Quinn Annie
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we explore how we can use catchment resilience as a unifying concept to manage and regulate catchments, using structured reviews to support our perspective. Catchments are complex systems with interrelated natural, social, and technical aspects. The exposure, vulnerability, and resilience of these aspects (separately and in combination) are the latent conditions, which, when triggered by a hydrohazard, result in catchment impacts. In complex catchment systems, resilience is the ability to bounce back, the ability to absorb, and the ability to transform. When all three abilities are accounted for, we are forced to consider the interactions of the catchment system. Six main complexity concepts can be used to frame how we approach evaluating catchment resilience. These concepts are: natural-social-technical aspects, interactions, spatial scales, time scales, multiple forms of evidence, and uncertainty. In analysing these complexity concepts, we have found that there are several gaps in current practice. Requirements for future methodological approaches are suggested. Central to any effective approach is the incorporation of a linking systems or interaction analysis, which draws together the natural-social-technical system in a meaningful way. If our approaches do not begin to acknowledge the interdependencies and interactions, we may miss substantial opportunities to enhance catchment resilience.
Nitrogen Loss in Vegetable Field under the Simulated Rainfall Experiments in Hebei, China
Authors: Ma Baoguo , Guan Ronghao , Liu Liang , Huang Zhixi , Qi Shuanwang , Xi Zengfu , Zhao Ying , Song Shihao , Yang Hong
Published: February 2021

Agricultural non-point source pollution is one of the main factors contaminating the environment. However, the impact of rainfall on loss of non-point nitrogen is far from well understood. Based on the artificial rainfall simulation experiments to monitor the loss of dissolved nitrogen (DN) in surface runoff and interflow of vegetable field, this study analyzed the effects of rainfall intensity and fertilization scheme on nitrogen (N) loss. The results indicated that fertilizer usage is the main factor affecting the nitrogen loss in surface runoff, while runoff and rainfall intensity play important roles in interflow nitrogen loss. The proportion of DN lost through the surface runoff was more than 91%, and it decreased with increasing rainfall intensity. There was a clear linear trend (r2 > 0.96) between the amount of DN loss and runoff. Over 95% of DN was lost as nitrate nitrogen (NN), which was the major component of nitrogen loss. Compared with the conventional fertilization treatment (CF), the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied in the optimized fertilization treatment (OF) decreased by 38.9%, and the loss of DN decreased by 28.4%, but root length, plant height and yield of pak choi increased by 6.3%, 2.7% and 5.6%, respectively. Our findings suggest that properly reducing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer can improve the utilization rate of nitrogen fertilizer but will not reduce the yield of pak choi. Controlling fertilizer usage and reducing runoff generation are important methods to reduce the DN loss in vegetable fields.
Research on Small and Medium-Sized Towns: Framing a New Field of Inquiry
Authors: Wagner Madeleine , Growe Anna
Published: February 2021

In recent years, research and publication activity in the field of small and medium-sized cities (SMSCs) in an international context has been increasing. However, a survey of extant research remains missing. To bridge this gap, this paper presents a systematic and comprehensive review of the relevant literature revealing how various disciplines, from geography to economics, approach the topic from different perspectives, which can be related to various foci of sustainability. Empirical results show that the development and significance of SMSCs are influenced by spatial location and innovative activity, networking, and the intensity of cooperation with other cities. Additionally, transport infrastructure connections, control through network-related spatial planning approaches, and exceptional positioning of individual architectural buildings can play a decisive role. However, there is no singular understanding of SMSCs, with many different research perspectives distinguishable.
Autogestion, institutionnalisation, dissolution
Authors: Lourau René
Published: February 2021

• Institucionalización : fenómeno social muy general, historicamente comprobado por todos los movimientos sociales que conducen a una fijación, una normalisación, acompañadas de una vuelta al orden antiguo, a fin de limitar y de negar la capacidad de cambio. Frente a esta especie de fatalidad, un arte sociológico por excelencia, la autogestion, definida por su contenido lucha contra la institucionalización, tanto menos que por su contenido utópico, en si mismo indispensable. También la autodisolución, resultado frecuente de la experiencia autogestionaria que no estâ integrada (institu- cionalizada) es un fenomeno completamente normal, un criterio de validación de la autogestión.
Rencontres et autogestions revues et corrigées
Authors: Guigou Jacques
Published: February 2021

• En el momento en que la autogestion se convirtió en la ideologia de organizaciones, de partidos y de aparatos tecno-burocráticos, la estatización masiva de todas las relaciones sociales no deja de desarrollarse.

Por lo tanto, los encuentros sociales, los colectivos autónomos que crean los movimientos sociales de liberación, son portadores de una capacidad de análisis y de critica en acto de las alienaciones de la vida entera.

Este socio-analisis interno y externo del encuentro es a la vez causa y efecto de la avanzada de los movimientos sociales y del deterioro del Estado.
Pérou 1968-1980 : matériaux sur l’expérience autogestionnaire
Authors: Meister Albert , Retour Didier
Published: February 2021

Peru 1968-80, materials on experiments in self-management.

Collection of informative articles on the structures and functioning of cooperative, co -and self -managed institutions set up in Peru during 1968-80 as part of a policy aiming to promote new economic development. A study is made of transformations which were undertaken in the agricultural sector (agrarian reform, creation of cooperatives and work/peasant communities) and in the industrial sector (labor communities, socially-owned enterprises, and enterprises managed by workers). A presentation of the largest socially-owned firm in Peru, Lima Metripolitane, follows (interview).
Clinical Spectrum and Renal Outcome of Cryoglobulinemia in Hong Kong
Authors: Fung Winston Wing-Shing , Yip Terry Cheuk-Fung , Wong Vincent Wai-Sun , Chow Kai-Ming , Wong Grace Lai-Hung , Szeto Cheuk-Chun
Published: February 2021

Key Points

Hepatitis B is a common cause of cryoglobulinemia in southeast Asia as compared with hepatitis C in Western countries.

The presence of cryoglobulinemia in hepatitis B is associated with a worse renal event–free survival.

The renal prognosis of cryoglobulinemia appears to be affected by the underlying cause, with hepatitis B having a worse renal outcome.

Background

Cryoglobulinemia is a systemic disease and the clinical involvement is variable. The long-term renal outcome of cryoglobulinemia remains unclear, and most published series are from the Western world, with a high proportion of chronic hepatitis C. The objective is to determine the prevalence, causes, and renal outcome of cryoglobulinemia in Hong Kong.

Methods

We reviewed 289 patients with cryoglobulinemia in the public hospital database of Hong Kong between 2000 and 2019. The renal event–free survival, dialysis-free survival, and overall survival were analyzed according to the underlying etiologies, and compared with 7483 patients who tested negative for cryoglobulinemia during the same period.

Results

Among the patients with cryoglobulinemia, 68 (24%) had chronic hepatitis B, 69 (24%) had hepatitis C, and 14 (5%) paraproteinemia. They were followed for 62.7±58.0 months. The 5-year dialysis-free survival was 68%, 70%, 67%, and 83% for patients with cryoglobulinemia attributed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, paraproteinemia, and unknown etiology, respectively (P=0.05), and their 5-year overall survival was 61%, 58%, 22%, and 72%, respectively (P=0.002). Among patients with hepatitis B, the group with cryoglobulin had a worse renal event–free survival than those without (36% versus 43%, P=0.005), although their dialysis-free survival and all-cause mortality were similar. For patients with hepatitis C or paraproteinemia, the presence of cryoglobulin did not affect the renal outcome.

Conclusions

Hepatitis B is a common cause of cryoglobulinemia in southeast Asia, and the presence of cryoglobulinemia is associated with a worse renal event–free survival. The renal prognosis of cryoglobulinemia appears to be affected by the underlying cause, with hepatitis B having a worse renal outcome and patients with paraproteinemia having a worse overall survival than those with other causes of cryoglobulinemia.
Biopolymer Nanofibers for Nanogenerator Development
Authors: Bai Lulu , Li Qing , Yang Ya , Ling Shengjie , Yu Haipeng , Liu Shouxin , Li Jian , Chen Wenshuai
Published: February 2021

The development of nanogenerators (NGs) with optimal performances and functionalities requires more novel materials. Over the past decade, biopolymer nanofibers (BPNFs) have become critical sustainable building blocks in energy-related fields because they have distinctive nanostructures and properties and can be obtained from abundant and renewable resources. This review summarizes recent advances in the use of BPNFs for NG development. We will begin by introducing various strategies for fabricating BPNFs with diverse structures and performances. Then, we will systematically present the utilization of polysaccharide and protein nanofibers for NGs. We will mainly focus on the use of BPNFs to generate bulk materials with tailored structures and properties for assembling of triboelectric and piezoelectric NGs. The use of BPNFs to construct NGs for the generation of electricity from moisture and osmosis is also discussed. Finally, we illustrate our personal perspectives on several issues that require special attention with regard to future developments in this active field.
Retina-Inspired Organic Heterojunction-Based Optoelectronic Synapses for Artificial Visual Systems
Authors: Zhang Junyao , Lu Yang , Dai Shilei , Wang Ruizhi , Hao Dandan , Zhang Shiqi , Xiong Lize , Huang Jia
Published: February 2021

For the realization of retina-inspired neuromorphic visual systems which simulate basic functions of human visual systems, optoelectronic synapses capable of combining perceiving, processing, and memorizing in a single device have attracted immense interests. Here, optoelectronic synaptic transistors based on tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium (Ir(ppy)
3
) and poly(3,3-didodecylquarterthiophene) (PQT-12) heterojunction structure are presented. The organic heterojunction serves as a basis for distinctive synaptic characteristics under different wavelengths of light. Furthermore, synaptic transistor arrays are fabricated to demonstrate their optical perception efficiency and color recognition capability under multiple illuminating conditions. The wavelength-tunability of synaptic behaviors further enables the mimicry of mood-modulated visual learning and memorizing processes of humans. More significantly, the computational dynamics of neurons of synaptic outputs including associated learning and optical logic functions can be successfully demonstrated on the presented devices. This work may locate the stage for future studies on optoelectronic synaptic devices toward the implementation of artificial visual systems.
Satul românesc din Bărăganul Brăilei, între tradiție și modernism
Authors: Gagu Cristian
Published: February 2021

The Romanian village preserved, throughout the ages, the practices, traditions, magical rituals and superstitions inherited from the Dacian-Roman ancestors. Gathered in part and often linked to the great Christian celebrations and liturgical practices of the church, they became, together with the authentic Christian traditions, a constituent part of Romanians’ identity. Under the pressure of modernism, the development of large cities at the expense of the rural environment, the process started after World War II and aggravated by the destruction of many villages in the last period of the communist regime, some of these traditions began to fade. The opening of Romania to the West after the fall of the communist regime, from 1989, brought with it a rapid change in the attitudes of Romanians to the traditions and habits preserved and transmitted from ancient times in the Romanian villages, which began to appear compared to some of the events encountered in the sunset, which they borrowed without any discernment, accelerating the process further. Aware that the loss of these traditional values of the Romanian village can become irreparable with the passage of time, the Orthodox Romanian Church, in turn retaining an important cultural and spiritualtreasure created by the Romanian people in Around Christian values, he ordained that the year 2019 be the “Tribute year of the Romanian village”, a suitable opportunity to bring to the collective memory these lost traditions and customs, or about to be abandoned at the expense of some “imported” from the west, in Vogue Now especially in the great urban agglomerations, where they tend to migrate to rural communities as it is. The present study puts in light, punctually, some traditions that I have known and practiced in the village of Brăila’s Steppe where I lived my childhood, such as those related to the great religious celebrations over the year, by the important events in human life – birth, marriage and death – or those related to domestic life, social-community, etc., A general approach requiring a space that would exceed the frameworks of a study, due to the diversity and particularities. These traditions and customs, differ not only from an ethnographic area of the country to another, but also from one community to another.
The Sacrament of Confession as a Spiritual Event in the Lives of Children and Youth
Authors: Popescu Leontin
Published: February 2021

The Holy Sacraments are works seen, established by Christ the Saviour and entrusted to the Church, by means of which they bestow the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the believer. The sacrament is Christ through His ministers: bishops and priests. The necessity of the Holy Sacraments is undeniable, as they communicate God’s grace, which is the compulsory condition for redemption. The Sacrament of Confession is required by the condition of our life in this world, subject to sin and error of all sorts. We particularly tackle the Sacrament of Confession (of Confession or of Penitence), because it represents the most efficient way of individual catechization, being the Sacrament through which man re-news himself, as it serves to practically re-build the connection between God’s grace and man. Rightfully so, this Holy Sacrament has always been considered as “a good opportunity for individual pastoral identity”. Sitting in the confession chair, the priest or the bishop is not only a sacramental manager, but also “a teacher, an educator and a guide in the lives of the believers” of all ages. Beside its sacramental-therapeutical value, the educational-catechized and formative value of confession is indisputable. That is why confession has been regarded as anefficient means and a good opportunity for individual catechization, which is part of the priest’s activity, providing the chance for a real and honest dialogue, from man to man, between confessor and believer of any age. With children, confession will not be a substitute for the advice of professors or parents, or for school education, but it will have its well-defined role in the child’s life as a beginning of self-awareness. The child’s individual confession is a unique opportunity to cement a lasting personal connection, from man to man, from man to God, where the child can open up spiritually with all his problems, without the stress caused by the relationship professor-student, parent-son.
"...Went to Rome, and when all had assembled there...": Galla Placidia and the Theodosian retaking of the west in 425
Authors: Dunn Geoffrey D.
Published: February 2021

Galla Placidia, daughter of Theodosius I, half-sister of Arcadius and Honorius, wife of Constantius III, and mother of Valentinian III, spent much of her life on the move, living across the Roman empire of late antiquity from Barcelona to Istanbul. In nearly every instance her moves were the results of political circumstances she did not instigate but which she soon had under control. In the climax of Olympiodorus of Thebes' history we are told that Theodosius II, her nephew, sent Galla Placidia and the child Valentinian back to the West, from which they had been exiled, together with an army to defeat the usurper John, who had taken control of the western empire. While Olympiodorus attributes the initiative for this action to Theodosius, this paper argues that Galla Placidia's agency in taking advantage of John's usurpation to orchestrate her return to Italy should not be underestimated.
BERLIN NEUE NATIONALGALERIE. A CONTEMPORARY VIEW OF THE MODERN TEMPLE
Authors: Llombart Jesus Marco
Published: February 2021

Mies van der Rohe´s approach to architecture through a poetic structural skeleton, abstractly refined to become a universal prototype of the essence of form and spiritualization of space, can be best seen at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. This unique modern temple recently under refurbishment by the subtle pencil of David Chipperfield [1] will soon have to be prepared to receive the extra additional space designed by the winner competition office leaded by Herzog & De Meuron [2].

Despite the rebirth of the building´s prestige there is still a gap of knowledge on the construction philosophy pursued by Mies van der Rohe, who conceived the Galeria Project as a phenomenological duality of lightness and heaviness in within a constant game of oppositions, exquisitely intended to intensify human emotions. Far beyond a mere construction, the magnificent museum became a place where the Silesia stone terrace seemed to detain the historical time meanwhile the biotite grey steel structure was encapsulating a flexible space embracing the dynamic elapse of life.

The investigation undertaken by this author on the building´s original working drawings at the MvdR Archive in New York revealed unknown details which are helping nowadays to achieve a deeper understanding on the design and construction process of the iconic miesian museum. The underground ventilation channels running beneath the monolithic concrete plinth refreshing the interior volume with perfumed air from the garden´s lindens, altogether with the heroic columns and the freestanding glass membranes of the façades, resume today´s dilemma of the global high-tech city within the natural realm.
THE IMPACT OF THE POLITICAL REGIMES ON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PROTO-CZECHS, THE OLDEST GENERATION OF THE CZECH ELITES AND THE INTERWAR CZECHOSLOVAK ELITES
Authors: Cviklová Lucie
Published: February 2021

The role of the Proto-Czechs, the oldest generation of the elites and the interwar elites in the national memory can be advanced by showing the examples of the impact of the political regimes on the interpretation of the symbolic role of the individual elite members. The contribution draws on those concepts and methodological approaches that have been employed by the number of historians and historical sociologists such as historical consciousness, collective (social) memory and national memory; a major incentive for choice of the individual elite members were several sociological researchers on the Czech elites. The pluralist debates about the impact of the Czech elites and their contributions were launched in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and developed by the several generations of the Czech and the foreign historians. This thesis about the impact of the political regimes on the interpretation of the contributions of the Czech elites can be illustrated by (1)the current importance of the Proto‒Czech elites such as Saint Wenceslaus I. [Svatý Václav], (Saints) Cyril and Methodius, Božena Němcová and Karel Havlíček Borovský, (2)the popularity of the members of  the interwar political elite such as the economist Alois Rašín, the journalist Milena Jesenská, the politician Františka Plamínková and the diplomat Zdeněk Fierlinger, (3)the positive and negative reponse to the actions of the communist elites such as Rudolf Slánský, Klement Gottwald, Alexander Dubček and Gustav Husák and (4)the evaluation of the members of the communist counter-elite and later democratic elite such as Václav Havel and Petr Pithart.