bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inverse scattering reconstruction of a three dimensional sound-soft axis-symmetric impenetrable object
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Authors: Borges Carlos , Lai Jun
Published: August 2020

In this work, we consider the problem of reconstructing the shape of a three dimensional impenetrable sound-soft axis-symmetric obstacle from measurements of the scattered field at multiple frequencies. This problem has important applications in locating and identifying obstacles with axial symmetry in general, such as, land mines. We obtain a uniqueness result based on a single measurement and propose a two-part framework for recovering the shape of the obstacle. In part 1, we introduce an algorithm to find the axis of symmetry of the obstacle by making use of the far field pattern. In part 2, we recover the shape of the obstacle by applying the recursive linearization algorithm (RLA) with multifrequency measurements of the scattered field. In the RLA, a sequence of inverse scattering problems using increasing single frequency measurements are solved. Each of those problems is ill-posed and nonlinear. The ill-posedness is treated by using a band-limited representation for the shape of the obstacle, while the nonlinearity is dealt with by applying the damped Gauss–Newton method. When using the RLA, a large number of forward scattering problems must be solved. Hence, it is paramount to have an efficient and accurate forward problem solver. For the forward problem, we apply separation of variables in the azimuthal coordinate and Fourier decompose the resulting problem, leaving us with a sequence of decoupled simpler forward scattering problems to solve. Numerical examples for the inverse problem are presented to show the feasibility of our two-part framework in different scenarios, particularly for objects with non-smooth boundaries.
Pygmy dipole resonance in the well-deformed even–even 152–162Gd
Authors: Guliyev E , Quliyev H , Kuliev A A
Published: August 2020

The electric dipole E1 strength in the well-deformed even–even 152–162Gd was calculated using a model based on translational and Galilean invariant quasi-particle random phase approximation (QRPA), where for the first time the highly-fragmented E1 strength has been predicted below the particle threshold energy. The predicted concentration of the electric dipole excitations exhausts less than 2% of the energy weighed sum rules (EWSR) below 20 MeV in rather good agreement with the experimental data for neighbor nuclei. Through cross sections, transition probabilities, and other properties, the electric dipole response was investigated in 152–162Gd for a wide range of excitation energies from 5 to 20 MeV. The calculation that was performed with the elimination of effects associated with deformation revealed that the effects associated with neutron excess play a more significant role in the formation of the pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) strength when compared to the effects associated with a changing deformation. The calculations indicate the presence of magnetic dipole excitations with summed M1 strengths in the energy region between 5 and 8 MeV was less than 10% of the total dipole strength in the same energy region. We also took into account a recent experimental study of 156Gd in our discussion and paid particular attention to this isotope.
Ab initio investigation of topological phase transitions induced by pressure in trilayer van der Waals structures: the example of h-BN/SnTe/h-BN
Authors: Lima Matheus P , Besse Rafael , Da Silva Juarez L F
Published: August 2020

The combination of two-dimensional crystals through the formation of van der Waals bilayers, trilayers, and heterostructures has been considered a promising route to design new materials due to the possibility of tuning their properties through the control of the number of layers, alloying pressure, strain, and other tuning mechanisms. Here, we report a density functional theory study on the interlayer phonon coupling and electronic structure of the trilayer h-BN/SnTe/h-BN, and the effects of pressure on the encapsulation of this trilayer system. Our findings demonstrated the establishment of a type I junction in the system, with a trivial bandgap of 0.55 eV, which is 10 % lower than the free-standing SnTe one. The almost inert h-BN capping layers allow a topological phase transition at a pressure of 13.5 GPa, in which the system evolves from a trivial insulator to a topological insulator. In addition, with further increase of the pressure up to 35 GPa, the non-trivial energy bandgap increases up to 0.30 eV. This behavior is especially relevant to allow experimental access to topological properties of materials, since large non-trivial energy bandgaps are required.
Dark-field signal extraction in propagation-based phase-contrast imaging
Authors: Gureyev T E , Paganin D M , Arhatari B , Taba S T , Lewis S , Brennan P C , Quiney H M
Published: August 2020

A method for extracting the dark-field signal in propagation-based phase-contrast imaging is proposed. In the case of objects consisting predominantly of a single material, or several different materials with similar ratios of the real decrement to the imaginary part of the complex refractive index, the proposed method requires a single image for extraction of the dark-field signal in two-dimensional projection imaging. In the case of three-dimensional tomographic imaging, the method needs only one image to be collected at each projection angle. Initial examples using simulated and experimental data indicate that this method can improve visualization of small sharp features inside a larger object, e.g. the visualization of microcalcifications in propagation-based x-ray breast cancer imaging. It is suggested that the proposed approach may be useful in other forms of biomedical imaging, where it can help one to obtain additional small-angle scattering information without increasing the radiation dose to the sample.
Sn-bridge type-Ⅱ PCN/Sn/SnO heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity
Authors: Chen Yefeng , Tang Dan , Wang Zhuhan , Yin Mengyun , Yang Qin , Zhou Yafen , Cheng Zhengjun , Wang Zhonghua , Zhang Kaiming , Zhou Limei
Published: August 2020

The porous g-C3N4 (PCN)/Sn/SnO ternary type-II heterojunction photocatalyst was synthesized by simple heat treatment combined with photodeposition. The results of a series of characterizations displayed that, with an electronic bridge structure, the type-II heterojunction photocatalyst has been successfully prepared. In the presence of PCN/Sn/SnO, RhB was degraded entirely in 40 min, and the conversion and selectivity of benzylamine oxidative reaction reached 99.9% within 6 h. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of PCN/Sn/SnO is attributed to high specific surface area and the metallic Sn0 acting as electron bridges at the interface between SnO and PCN, which can accelerate the speed of photogenerated electrons transmission and inhibit recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. After five cycles of operation, PCN/Sn/SnO maintained high photocatalytic activity. A reasonable photocatalytic reaction pathway was proposed via the free radical quenching test and mechanism analysis.
Assessing Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LULCC) Between 2009 and 2019 Using Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
Authors: Darren How J A , Mohd Hasmadi I , Farrah Melissa M
Published: August 2020

Cameron Highlands has witnessed multiple land encroachment activities as well as repeated deforestation leading to extensive land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) over the last 6 decades. This is due to the heightened increase in demand for urban growth as well as agricultural activities and tourism industries. This study aims to identify land cover classes and assess their changes in Cameron Highlands between 2009 and 2019. Geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing techniques were used to process and analyse Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 imageries with the Object-based Image Analysis (OBIA) classification technique. The result showed that the study area experienced large changes in both agriculture and urban, as well as primary forests. LULC change for agriculture nearly tripled in 10 years from 4.93% in 2009 to 12.63% in 2019. Moreover, urban development increased from 7.48% in 2009 and 9.12% in 2019. However, the expense of this is at the cost of primary forests declining by 59.44 km2 (8.87%) of total land area from 2009 until 2019. The overall accuracy of the classification achieved 94.6%. This study would be able to provide suggestions and a basis for LULCC as well as forest monitoring in other mountainous regions of the world.
Upscaling Remote Estimation on Relative Abundance of Chengal Trees in Tropical Rainforest using Modified Canopy Fractional Cover (mCFC) Approach
Authors: Hassan N , Hashim M , Numata S , Tarmidi M Z
Published: August 2020

Forest degradation and deforestation is crucial to be monitored. Thus, aggressive sustainable forest management is needed. Tree species composition estimations at large spatial scale is crucial to achieve sustainable forest management and monitor forest degradation and deforestation occurrences. Thus, monitoring by using remotely sensed data would be helpful to cover large spatial extend of tropical rainforest. However, due to coarse spatial resolution the estimation of tree species composition nearly impossible due to mixing pixel problem. Nonetheless, utilizing modified Canopy Fractional Cover (mCFC) would help to overcome mixing pixels in coarse spatial resolution satellite data. Accuracy of the results suggest that mCFC is suitable to be utilized for estimating relative abundance of Chengal at large extend area.
Development of landscape forest performance index to assess forest quality of managed forests
Authors: Afizzul M Muhamad , Yasmin Y Siti , Hamdan O
Published: August 2020

Besides timber and economic benefits, forest ecosystems provide other ecosystem services related to biological diversity and environmental functions of forests. Assessing some of the ecosystem services, which can be an indicator of forest quality at a landscape level requires the use of geospatial technology to achieve it. The aim of this work is to develop a forest performance index at the landscape level for mangrove forests. Several ecosystem services were identified and selected as indicators. The target value was set for each indicator and calculated into percentage value, which indicates progression to the target value, combined from field and geospatial data. The forest performance index was then produced by combining all indicators to get an overall performance of one particular forest area with respect to the target. The index was developed and tested at one of the best managed mangrove forests in the world, which is Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR) in Perak. Based on the index that has been developed, the forest quality of MMFR, which consists of 19 forest reserves, is classified as good forest with an overall score of 72 percent. Pulau Kecil and Telok Kertang forest reserves have shown a very good forest quality with an overall score over 80 percent. Other 17 forest reserves in MMFR shown good forest quality with a ranged index of 68.8 to 78.4 percent. This work can be a tool for assessing forest quality at landscape level for decision support in sustainable landscape management and can be applied on other regions.
Relationship of vegetation indices and SPAD meter readings with sugarcane leaf nitrogen under Pampanga Mill District, Philippines condition
Authors: Suplito M R , David F B , Olalia L C
Published: August 2020

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient in sugarcane that promotes vegetative growth and yield development. A study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of vegetation indices (NDVI and GNDVI) and SPAD meter readings with sugarcane leaf N and to introduce the best sampling date for the evaluation of plant N. SPAD meter readings (SMR), soil moisture, NDVI and GNDVI were gathered from 15 sampling sites in Pampanga Mill District, Philippines under different N fertilization practices and these were correlated with actual plant N. Six to thirteen, 21-28, 36-43, 100-107 and 147-154 days after fertilization (DAF) were sampling dates maintained each location. Results showed that SMR has a high positive correlation with plant N (0.86, 6-13 DAF), GNDVI (0.80, 147-154 DAF), soil moisture (0.79, 147-154 DAF) and NDVI (0.73, 147-154 DAF). Among sampling dates, it was recommended that 21 to 28 DAF using GNDVI and SPAD meter is best sampling date for evaluation of plant N status; since it coincides with stalk elongation stage and grand growth phase when rapid leaf production and vigorous vegetative development occur. Measurement of vegetation index and SPAD meter readings have potential in evaluating plant N through rapid assessment and ground validation, respectively.
Assessment of LULC Change and Its Impact on Soil Erosion Using GIS and Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation Model
Authors: Samsudin Sarah Hanim , Abdul Razad Azwin Zailti , Setu Anita , Ismail Mohd. Nadzari
Published: August 2020

Land use is one of the vital factors in estimating soil erosion over an area. Significant changes in spatio-temporal land use distribution might lead to water runoff which causes soil erosion events. It is important to assess the soil erosion risk for hydropower reservoir as part of sediment management activities. This study aims to assess the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on soil erosion risk at Chenderoh catchment in Perak. LULC distribution within the study area was mapped for 2008, 2010 and 2015 by using land use maps obtained from Department of Agriculture, Malaysia. The soil loss rate was measured using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) utilizing spatial data of rainfall factor, soil erodibility, topographical factor, conservation factor, and support practice factor. Average soil loss was calculated according to sub-catchment of Chenderoh, and it is found that the soil loss trend marginally increases from year 2008 to 2015. Based on soil erosion risk map results, it is found that conversion of forest land to agriculture is the main contributor to soil loss, which might be due to land clearance and agriculture practice activities.
Investigating the Impact of Land Use Change on Sediment Yield for Hydropower Reservoirs through GIS Application
Authors: Abdul Razad A Z , Samsudin S H , Setu A , Abbas N A , Sidek L Mohd , Basri H
Published: August 2020

Reservoir sedimentation is one of the most common lakes and reservoirs degradation. With land use change and more development in the catchment area, soil loss becomes more imminent causing more sediment yield into the reservoir. With this uprising trend, it is important to predict sediment yield using soil loss (RUSLE) and sediment delivery ratio (SDR). This modelling is simplified in GIS. This paper compiles prediction of sediment yield for reservoirs in Malaysia based on soil loss model (RUSLE) calculated in GIS for Cameron Highlands and Chenderoh (Perak). The analysis show that land use change increases sediment yield. Sediment yield rate for reservoirs in Cameron Highlands is higher than the sediment yield rate for Chenderoh.
Assessment of climate change impact on future streamflow at Bernam river basin Malaysia
Authors: Ismail H , Rowshon M K , Hin L S , Abdullah A F B , Nasidi N M
Published: August 2020

Climate change is anticipated to bring variability in future streamflows in various watersheds. Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT 2012 version) was evaluated using streamflow data (1976–2006), and assessed the potential impacts of climate change driven by projections from ten global climate models (GCMs) under three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) scenarios (RCPs 4.5, 6.0 and 8.5) on future streamflow (2010-2039), (2040-2069) and (2070-2099) at the Bernam River Basin, Malaysia. The model efficiency during calibration and validation, with coefficient of determination (R2), Nash-sutcliffe efficiency (NS), Percent Bias (PBIAS) and Root mean square error-standard deviation ratio (RSR) is 0.67, 0.62, -5.4 and 0.64; and 0.64, 0.61, -4.2 and 0.65, respectively. This shows that SWAT coupled with GIS extension is a good tool for continuous simulation. Future streamflow is projected to decrease in all future periods during main and off-seasons. However, the changes would be more pronounced during the off-season period with a significant decrease of -9.14 % under the worst-case scenario (RCP8.5). Therefore, the Basin may likely to experience tremendous pressure in the late century due to low streamflow, particularly during the off-season months.
Mapping Seasonal Variations of Grazing Land Above-ground Biomass with Sentinel 2A Satellite Data
Authors: Zumo Isa Muhammad , Hashim Mazlan
Published: August 2020

Seasonal variations have brought about significant changes in vegetation cover and spatial distribution in the past decade. Globally, grazing lands are experiencing a significant warming and drying process more especially the grazing lands in the Savannah and Sahel regions. This paper reports the study undertaken for mapping changes on the grass above ground biomass (GAB) due to these seasonal changes using Sentinel 2A Multispectral Instrument (MSI) data. Emphasising on the GAB, the main objective of this study is to map and model monthly GAB variations to their corresponding meteorological data. A set of selected widely used vegetation indices were applied to satellite data, and later were further regressed against corresponding in-situ GAB samples and weather data, hence, producing a predictor of GAB from satellite data. Sentinel 2A MSI data were acquired monthly from January to December 2018. Combined with precipitation and temperature data, the GAB variations on monthly scales were analysed. The results indicated that GAB determined and its seasonal variations shown good agreement (r = 0.8, p < 0.001) with corresponding in-situ verifications. Temperature was found inversely proportionally to GAB for the whole grazing calendar. Therefore, it was concluded that mapping GAB seasonal variations is achievable with Sentinel2 MSI, vast potential for input to grazing land management.
The Development of Continuous Hydrographic Datum Using Geodetic Based Approaches: A Review
Authors: Abd Rahman Mohd Faizuddin , Md Din Ami Hassan
Published: August 2020

The development of a continuous hydrographic datum along the coastal region for a precise datum determination for any hydrographic survey works is very important. The development started in 2005 by France that developed the first phase of Bathymetry with reference to the Ellipsoid (BATHYELLI) and its second phase in 2011. Then in 2009, the United Kingdom with collaboration with Ireland developed the Vertical Offshore Reference Frame (VORF), followed by the Continuous Chart Datum for Canadian Water (CCDCW) in 2010 by the Canadian Hydrographic Services (CHS) and Canadian Geodetic Survey (CGS). Then in 2018, Netherlands and Belgium collaborate to develop Vertical Reference Frame for the Netherlands (NEVREF) that consist of two elements which are Netherlands Quasi-Geoid 2018 (NLGEO2018) model and also Netherlands Lowest Astronomical Tide 2018 (NLLAT2018) model. Finally, the latest development of continuous hydrographic datum was conducted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 2019, a system known as Saudi Continuous Chart Datum (SCCD). Therefore, this paper provides a review of the approaches in creating a continuous hydrographic datum which encompasses the usage of tide gauge station, satellite altimetry, and interpolation algorithm, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Geoid Model and Hydrodynamic Ocean Tide Models. The findings show that the integration of tidal station, satellite altimetry, GNSS levelling and geoid model is the most appropriate solution for a continuous and accurate hydrographic datum along the coastal line. Finally, the future research direction is also discussed in this review paper.
Development of GIS Database for Infrastructure Management: Power Distribution Network System
Authors: Rahman M A , Abdul Maulud K N , Saiful Bahri M A , Hussain M S , Ridzuan Oon A O , Suhatdi S , Che Hashim C H , Mohd F A
Published: August 2020

Infrastructure management is an integral part of management in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). One of the important infrastructures is the power distribution network system. Integration of Geographical Information System (GIS) in the power distribution system provides an upgrade in method to collect, store, and handle the data more professionally. Web-GIS application platform allows online data sharing for authorizing the users to get access to spatial and non-spatial data of the power system. Interactive online mapping provides three important modules that are viewing the module, statistical module and query module. These three proposed module is to help the user become more understanding of the related data. This paper describes how the process starting from data collection until the production of Web-GIS for online data sharing in the electrical distribution network system in UKM. The proposed online application integrates all the spatial data with complete power distribution information. This Geospatial system is able to enhance the management quality for a better sustainable campus.
Paddy Monitoring in Seberang Perak, Malaysia Using Multi-Temporal Sentinel-1 Data
Authors: Hameed Azhar Abed , Mohamed Shariff Abdul Rashid Bin
Published: August 2020

Rice is considered the main food source for over 40% of the world population and plays a crucial role in countries’ food security, food management, and economic aspects. The value of SAR remote sensing in agricultural studies has its source of illumination and not limited to cloud cover. This makes it highly preferable over optical sensors in cloud-shrouded countries. The objective of the study is to assess the capability of Sentinel-1 data for determining paddy planting methods, identifying unhealthy paddy and an attempt made to differentiate rice varieties through correlation of in situ measurements and temporal variation of SAR backscattered signals. Six Sentinel-1 images are stacked to cover the entire paddy lifecycle. The correlated field data and plant backscatter showed that transplanted paddy has backscatter higher than broadcasted paddy. Two drops of paddy backscatter coefficient occurred, the first one, at the reproductive stage when paddy was attacked by bacteria and the second drop was at the ripening stage due to the attack of pests. The five rice varieties planted in Seberang Perak, Malaysia had the backscatter with insignificant differences that cannot confirm the Sentinel-1 capability to differentiate planted rice varieties. According to the obtained results, the time series of Sentinel-1 data has the capability for paddy rice growth monitoring.
Identification Spectral Signature of Weed Species in Rice using Spectroradiometer Handheld Sensor
Authors: Norasma C Y N , Alahyadi L A N , Fazilah F F W , Aliaa Roslan Siti Nur , Tarmidi Z
Published: August 2020

Productions of rice in Malaysia is less compared to other rice producers such as Thailand. One of the reasons is lack of management in weeds. Losses due to weeds must be solved in rice production system, they interfere with the activities involved in the field throughout crop growing period. The main problem in rice field is to detect the presence of weeds among the paddy plant. It is hard to detect from plain sight for weeds in the green field by farmers. This research developed a technique to detect and control the weeds in the rice field. Spectral signature of weeds was collected and stored in the mobile apps for weed management application. The spectral signature of weeds species is unique and has their own characteristics. It can be used as a reference on how to detect weeds in the rice field using remote sensing. In this study, the result outcomes are mainly targeting to help all the paddy farmers in Malaysia to increase their production numbers of paddy. In addition, paddy farmers will be introduced with much advance technique to spot on the weeds that have been infesting in their paddy field and can prepare with what strategy to control on different kind of weeds. Different weed species has different physiological characteristics and it requires different type of strategy to counter the growth in the paddy field. Every weed in the paddy field need to be recognized in order to plan a control strategy. By using only naked eyes of a human and the limited view through the side view of the paddy field contributes to the problem of recognizing type of weeds that infesting the area.
Assessment of arable lands use in the VEGA satellite monitoring services on the example of Primorsky Krai, Russia
Authors: Denisov P V , Kashnitskiy A V , Loupian E A , Sereda I I , Tolpin V A , Troshko K A
Published: August 2020

The paper considers the possibility of arable lands use assessing by the facilities of satellite monitoring services VEGA. The services provide access to archived and operational satellite data of various spectral bands, spatial resolution and time ranges. They also implement various tools for interactive and automated processing of this data. These include comparative visual analysis of multi-temporal satellite imagery, visual analysis of multi-temporal color composites and graphs of vegetation indices dynamics, pixel-based and object-based classification. The main features of cultivated and abandoned arable lands are considered on the example of Primorsky Krai, Russia. It is shown that the object-based classification tool implemented in the services allows user to classify cultivated and abandoned arable lands with an accuracy above 90%.
Clay-carbonate aggregation in alluvial calcareous soils, Central Anatolia, Turkey
Authors: Kharitonova G V , Shein E V , Mikayilov F D , Dembovetskiy A V , Konovalova N S , Erol S A
Published: August 2020

An unexpectedly high infiltration capacity was determined for heavy-textured, clayey alluvial calcareous soils (Calcic Haploxerepts) in central Anatolia, Turkey, presumably due to the specific mineralogical contents. In order to unravel the phenomenon, clay mineralogy and morphology, soil microaggregate composition, and carbonate accumulations were studied in these soils via X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive analyses. Calcite and layered minerals were the principal components of the fine fraction. The percentages of clay, silt, and sand were 45, 54, and 1%, respectively. Illites were dominant in the clay fraction – 43–49%, whereas the content of smectites was rather small – 4– 6%. The results indicated that the principal factors of the high hydraulic capacity of the soils were (1) illitization, a process that is typical for arid and semi-arid soils, and (2) microaggregation involving pedogenic calcite, resulted in the formation of clay–calcite ultra-microaggregates maintaining elongated 3–10 μm in diameter micropores.
Simulation in the tasks of environmental monitoring of groundwater
Authors: Kozhevnikova T V , Manzhula I S , Kondratieva L M
Published: August 2020

An algorithm has been developed that allows the processing of experimental data that are included in the external monitoring database of the Tunguska groundwater deposit. The problem of groundwater quality deterioration due to river filtration is exacerbated during severe floods. In the work, the selection of mathematical methods for solving the problems of simulation modeling is performed. The possibility of applying the methods of k-means cluster analysis, tree clustering and principal component analysis to extract similar objects from experimental data is shown. Mathematical methods are used to identify patterns and assess the impact of floods on the Amur river on the quality of groundwater in the Tunguska field, from the standpoint of multivariate analysis. The results of using the algorithm are presented on the example of a sample from the database on the content of aromatic compounds in groundwater samples from wells and the Penzenskaya Protoka. It was established that the Penzenskaya Protoka is isolated by indicators of the content of organic compounds, and the wells are grouped by the year of sampling, which indicates significant differences in the content of aromatic compounds in groundwater in the river filtration zone. The hypothesis of a significant impact of the 2013 flood on the Amur river was indirectly confirmed on the quality of groundwater.
Recycling of waste from housing and communal services into secondary material resources based on the study of the qualitative composition of sewage sludge from Blagoveshchensk treatment facilities
Authors: Molchanova T G , Shelkovkina N S
Published: August 2020

The article considers the possibility of introducing low-waste technology as a method of production. It allows to have the most rational and integrated use of raw materials and energy in the cycle of raw resources, production, consumer and secondary resources, so that any impact on the environment does not disrupt its normal functioning. Intensification of agriculture and insufficient introduction of organic matter into the soil lead to a decrease in humus, which is the main fertilizer. Hence, there is an urgent need to maximize the production of all types of organic fertilizers, including non-traditional ones. Therefore, the priority aim in this field is to identify the possibility of using sewage sludge as a fertilizer to produce a good environmentally safe crop.
Land conservation as an integral part of the land use planning process
Authors: Makannikova M V , Belmach N V , Lapshakova L A
Published: August 2020

The article addresses the current issue facing the areas with ecological instability of landscapes due to the lands having experienced more than 70% of agricultural development and 50% of plowing. The presented data shows that the ecological stability of the area under study is unstable (0.06), with pronounced instability, and high anthropogenic load on the landscape (3.7). We assessed the results of monitoring the condition and use of lands in the Ivanovo district of the Amurskaya oblast, which showed that 254,811.91 hectares of land are exposed to natural and anthropogenic negative impact. Waterlogging causes the maximum natural negative impact – 171,333.32 hectares, so we propose to carry out the reconstruction of the Klyuchevskaya drainage system in the Ivanovo district on a land plot of 2,106 hectares, l allowing for more than 300 hectares of arable land to be used for agricultural purposes. To cope with the identified negative processes, we propose to implement the activities into the land-use planning scheme of the Ivanovo district. This will contribute to the restoration of significant land areas and their inclusion in agriculture. If these measures are introduced, the gross output and net income (28,238 million rubles, including the operating costs) will increase.
Efficiency of use of feed additives from local resources in cattle feed
Authors: Naumova L I , Klyuchnikova N F , Klyuchnikov M T
Published: August 2020

The problem of inadequate feeding in livestock production and associated significant economic losses has increased interest in the use of local natural feed resources in the diets of farm animals. In the last decade, domestic and international practice has proved that the use of biologically active substances in animal and poultry feed allows to get more products while reducing feed costs. It has been established that diets that are balanced for amino acid composition, vitamins and minerals increase the productive indicators of cattle by up to 30%. We thus conducted research on the use of the following natural adaptogens in farm animal feed as sources of trace elements and vitamins: Patrinia scabeosolistnaya, pine nut husk flour, brown seaweed from the Okhotsk sea, and dioecious nettle. Positive changes were noted in the experimental group. During the experimental period a larger gross milk yield was obtained, and the content of the mass fraction of fat in milk was also higher in the experimental group. Due to higher productivity in the experimental group of animals, there was a decrease in feed costs per unit of production.
Higher economic education as the basis of a new quality of management of the agro-industrial complex of the Far East
Authors: Latkin A P , Gorlov A V
Published: August 2020

The article analyzes the current state of higher economic education in the Russian Far East. The system of training economic specialists is considered in the context of the goals and objectives of state policy for the development of the Far Eastern Federal District. The features of the distribution of students in universities in the context of regions, levels and areas of training are revealed. Based on many years of studying the problems of developing economic education, the authors give suggestions for improving the efficiency of the system of training highly qualified personnel for the needs of the region’s agro-industrial complex.
Effect of growing conditions on the formation of reproductive organs in soybean varieties with different maturity dates
Authors: Sinegovskaia V T , Ochkurova V V , Boiarskii B S
Published: August 2020

The influence of sowing methods on the process of formation of reproductive organs was studied on new soybean varieties Sentyabrinka, Kitrossa, Kruzhevniza in the conditions of the Amur Region. Generally, the methods of sowing with different row spacing widths are applied individually for each soybean variety. Choosing unfavorable methods can lead to low yields and a lack of seed quality. The development of cultivation technologies is required for each cultivar with individual morphological and biological features, which leads to the need for research in this direction. One of the reasons for low soybean yield is abortion during flowering, the formation of pods and seeds. We aim to study the process of the formation of reproductive organs in Amur Region soybean varieties of a new generation, depending on the availability of nutritional area in soil due to the method of sowing. With a wide-row method of sowing, more favorable conditions are formed for the growth and development of plants, which is confirmed by the yield.
Ecological variability of the quality of oats varieties depending on vegetation conditions
Authors: Trifuntova I B
Published: August 2020

Studies were conducted on the environmental variability of the quality of oat varieties depending on the growing conditions in the Khabarovsk territory (Russia). In recent years, the demand for high-quality oat grain has increased. The conditions for cultivating grain crops in the same soil and climate zone are very diverse. The research was aimed at studying the influence of the environment during the growing season on the quality of oats. It was noted that the most affected indicators were grain filminess (coefficient of variation (CV) is 16.8%) and the content of lysine in the grain (CV is 18.8%). To an average extent, the conditions of the year affect the characteristics of the protein content in the grain (CV is 10.1%) and the nature of the grain (CV is 14.5%), which is determined by the ecological fitness of oat varieties when cultivated in the region. The low variability of the 1000 grain weight trait (CV is 9.4%) indicates a weak response of oat genotypes to changes in environmental conditions. Based on a set of quality indicators, the varieties of oats Marshal, Cardinal and Peredovik. The Marshall oats variety was characterized by a high and stable protein and lysine content. In the variety Peredovik, a high mass of 1000 grains and a full grain weight were noted. Over the years of research, the Cardinal oat variety had a low pitting and a large mass of 1000 grains. We recommend them for sustainable crops of high-quality grain for various food uses. These varieties of oats are recommended for cultivation in the Khabarovsk Territory.
Information support for strategic management processes’ in geoecology and agriculture
Authors: Turkov S L
Published: August 2020

The report discusses the current situation in the field of information support in solving the problems of sustainable development of regions in their application to the field of knowledge in geoecology and agriculture. The basis for such a combination of these areas of practical activity is their structural unity in the original object of study. The purpose of the research is to develop “human-machine” systems for making optimal management decisions in the field of strategic management of sustainable development processes of territories at the global, regional and local levels of the organization. Object of research: active, including “dissipative”, complex organized systems of the class “nature” – “society”. The starting points of the methodology and management theory are the following concepts: unified Field Theory (late XX century), new “Scientific revolutions” and “Sustainable development of regions”; the leading scientific methods are “noospheric” and “geosystem” approaches. The research results and their practical significance lead to the conclusion that it is necessary to move from differentiation of all available knowledge about Nature and Society to their full integration.
Safety Guidelines Concerning the Use of Protective Eyewear and Gauze During Laser Procedures
Authors: Wamsley Christine E , Hoopman John , Kenkel Jeffrey M
Published: August 2020

The advancement of laser technology has seen its use gain popularity across a wide range of specialties to treat diseases, as well as address aesthetic concerns. In order to protect both the patient and the healthcare personnel providing treatment, instruction and knowledge of laser safety remain of utmost importance. In this paper, we discuss the classification of laser systems, review ocular injuries that may be caused by inappropriate laser exposure, and provide background on laser protective eyewear. In addition, we highlight the current recommendations for proper eyewear during laser use outlined in the American National Standards Institute standard Z136.3, Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care. Finally, although it is common in some healthcare facilities to place gauze under external eye shields or use gauze alone over eyes during laser procedures, this practice poses an extreme risk to both patients and healthcare personnel. Therefore, we discuss why the use of gauze under eyewear for any laser procedures is not recommended, and instead, offer suggestions to consider when acquiring safe and comfortable patient eyewear.
The performance of permutations and exponential random graph models when analyzing animal networks
Authors: Evans Julian C , Fisher David N , Silk Matthew J
Published: August 2020

Social network analysis is a suite of approaches for exploring relational data. Two approaches commonly used to analyze animal social network data are permutation-based tests of significance and exponential random graph models. However, the performance of these approaches when analyzing different types of network data has not been simultaneously evaluated. Here we test both approaches to determine their performance when analyzing a range of biologically realistic simulated animal social networks. We examined the false positive and false negative error rate of an effect of a two-level explanatory variable (e.g., sex) on the number and combined strength of an individual’s network connections. We measured error rates for two types of simulated data collection methods in a range of network structures, and with/without a confounding effect and missing observations. Both methods performed consistently well in networks of dyadic interactions, and worse on networks constructed using observations of individuals in groups. Exponential random graph models had a marginally lower rate of false positives than permutations in most cases. Phenotypic assortativity had a large influence on the false positive rate, and a smaller effect on the false negative rate for both methods in all network types. Aspects of within- and between-group network structure influenced error rates, but not to the same extent. In "grouping event-based" networks, increased sampling effort marginally decreased rates of false negatives, but increased rates of false positives for both analysis methods. These results provide guidelines for biologists analyzing and interpreting their own network data using these methods.
GraphQA: protein model quality assessment using graph convolutional networks
Authors: Baldassarre Federico , Menéndez Hurtado David , Elofsson Arne , Azizpour Hossein
Published: August 2020

Motivation

Proteins are ubiquitous molecules whose function in biological processes is determined by their 3D structure. Experimental identification of a protein’s structure can be time-consuming, prohibitively expensive and not always possible. Alternatively, protein folding can be modeled using computational methods, which however are not guaranteed to always produce optimal results. GraphQA is a graph-based method to estimate the quality of protein models, that possesses favorable properties such as representation learning, explicit modeling of both sequential and 3D structure, geometric invariance and computational efficiency.

Results

GraphQA performs similarly to state-of-the-art methods despite using a relatively low number of input features. In addition, the graph network structure provides an improvement over the architecture used in ProQ4 operating on the same input features. Finally, the individual contributions of GraphQA components are carefully evaluated.

Availability and implementation

PyTorch implementation, datasets, experiments and link to an evaluation server are available through this GitHub repository: github.com/baldassarreFe/graphqa.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Double atrioventricular valve replacement using Melody™ transcatheter valves in an infant with unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect: a case report
Authors: Kahl Béatrice Susanne , Michel-Behnke Ina , Zimpfer Daniel
Published: August 2020

Background

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a successful one-stage double atrioventricular valve (AVV) replacement using two Melody™ transcatheter valves in an infant.

Case summary

We report a successful case of double AVV replacement with Melody™ transcatheter valves in a 9-month-old infant with a right ventricular dominant atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD). The boy initially presented with borderline sized left-sided heart structures, congenital left AVV stenosis, ventricular displacement of the right AVV with high-grade insufficiency and moderate valvar pulmonary stenosis. Double AVV replacement was performed 2 months after an unsuccessful attempt to repair the defect with persisting left AVV stenosis, underfilling of the small left ventricle and high-grade right AVV, and pulmonary valve regurgitation, resulting in low cardiac output. During double Melody™ AVV replacement, the right ventricular outflow tract was replaced with a pulmonary homograft. The boy was discharged on post-operative Day 28 and presented with competent valves, no ventricular outflow tract obstruction and no paravalvular leak at 11 months of follow-up.

Discussion

The presented innovative approach allowed for biventricular correction of an unbalanced AVSD with unfavourable anatomy for standard techniques. The heart team should decide individualized, after careful assessment of cardiac anatomy and function, if the benefits of replacement of AVVs with Melody™ transcatheter valves may outweigh the benefits of univentricular palliation in case of unbalanced AVSD.
Pseudohyphal differentiation inKomagataella phaffii: investigating theFLOgene family
Authors: De Sonakshi , Rebnegger Corinna , Moser Josef , Tatto Nadine , Graf Alexandra B , Mattanovich Diethard , Gasser Brigitte
Published: August 2020

Many yeasts differentiate into multicellular phenotypes in adverse environmental conditions. Here, we investigate pseudohyphal growth in Komagataella phaffii and the involvement of the flocculin (FLO) gene family in its regulation. The K. phaffii FLO family consists of 13 members, and the conditions inducing pseudohyphal growth are different from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. So far, this phenotype was only observed when K. phaffii was cultivated at slow growth rates in glucose-limited chemostats, but not upon nitrogen starvation or the presence of fusel alcohols. Transcriptional analysis identified that FLO11, FLO400 and FLO5-1 are involved in the phenotype, all being controlled by the transcriptional regulator Flo8. The three genes exhibit a complex mechanism of expression and repression during transition from yeast to pseudohyphal form. Unlike in S. cerevisiae, deletion of FLO11 does not completely prevent the phenotype. In contrast, deletion of FLO400 or FLO5-1 prevents pseudohyphae formation, and hampers FLO11 expression. FAIRE-Seq data shows that the expression and repression of FLO400 and FLO5-1 are correlated to open or closed chromatin regions upstream of these genes, respectively. Our findings indicate that K. phaffii Flo400 and/or Flo5-1 act as upstream signals that lead to the induction of FLO11 upon glucose limitation in chemostats at slow growth and chromatin modulation is involved in the regulation of their expression.
Robotic Pet Use Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Hudson Janella , Ungar Rachel , Albright Laurie , Tkatch Rifky , Schaeffer James , Wicker Ellen R
Published: August 2020

Objective

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of robotic pets in alleviating loneliness for older adults.

Method

Self-reported lonely individuals with AARP Medicare Supplement plans insured by UnitedHealthcare who participated in a program with a robotic pet (n = 20) were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked to provide feedback about their experiences interacting with a robotic pet, their perceptions about the potential impact on loneliness, and recommendations for improving the program. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants’ responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Constant comparison and consensus-gaining processes were used to develop categories that later formed representative themes.

Results

Seven themes emerged from analysis: Openness to Adoption of Robotic Pet, Reactions to Pet and its Attributes, Integration of Pet in Daily Life, Strategic Utilization and Forging New Connections, Deriving Comfort and Camaraderie, Advice for Future Users, and Recommendations for Enhancing Ownership Experience. Participants living alone, with fewer social connections and less active lifestyles, derived the most benefit from interacting with their pets. Common responses to pets included cuddling, petting, grooming, and sleeping with them. Some shared or loaned their pets, while others refused to loan their pets to interested peers. Most reported showing their pets to others, which helped some facilitate communication and social connections.

Conclusion

Robotic pets may be an effective solution for alleviating loneliness in older adults, especially among those who live alone, have fewer social connections, and live less active lifestyles.
Study on roof-mounted radiant cooling system for LNG-fueled refrigerated vehicles
Authors: Wang Fang , Li Mengchu , Zhang Yanling , Liu Xianfei , Xie Dong , Zhang Qiongwei , Yang Huiling
Published: August 2020

A roof-mounted radiant cooling system incorporating a bypass structure, intended for use on liquid natural gas (LNG)-fueled refrigerated vehicles and offering stable dynamic regulation was designed. A model was established using the TRNSYS software package to simulate the operation of this system, and the effects of various factors on the refrigeration performance were analyzed. The quantitative relationship between the LNG flow rate and the ambient temperature was determined and a dynamic regulation strategy proposed. The results of this work show that, when the vehicle is operated at an economical speed, the cooling capacity provided by the system is greater than 1.2 kW, which meets the requirements for a refrigerated vehicle. The dynamic regulation approach developed in this study was found to allow use of the refrigerated vehicle under different climactic conditions and to improve the stability of the cooling system.