bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Silver Fir Decline in Pure and Mixed Stands at Western Edge of Spread in Croatian Dinarides Depends on Some Stand Structure and Climate Factors
Authors: Ugarković Damir , Jazbec Anamarija , Seletković Ivan , Tikvić Ivica , Paulić Vinko , Ognjenović Mladen , Marušić Mia , Potočić Nenad
Published: May 2021

Silver fir is one of the most threatened conifer species in Croatia, especially at the western edge of its spread in Croatian Dinarides, where the decline in fir trees has resulted in significant ecological and economic issues. The aim of this study was to determine, over an 18-year monitoring period, the relationships of silver fir crown defoliation with climatic factors and structural attributes. We further analyzed the tree retention time in a given defoliation class and transition dynamics between defoliation classes, as well as the survival/mortality of trees. Data on silver fir defoliation were analyzed in two different forest types: in pure silver fir and in mixed silver fir and common beech stands. The climatic factors, primarily vegetation period air temperature, potential evapotranspiration, and dry season water deficit, were correlated with crown defoliation. Regarding the structural attributes, in the mixed stand with predominantly smaller trees, crown defoliation increased with reduced diameter at breast height, crown diameter, social class, and crown illumination. In the pure fir stand, crown defoliation increased with reduced crown diameter, greater crown asymmetry, greater crown illumination, and on trees with a stork’s nest crown. The retention time in defoliation classes differed for research sites. Transition dynamics were different only for trees in the highest defoliation class (dead trees). At the end of the study period, silver fir mortality was higher in the pure fir stand. Increased silver fir defoliation and mortality can be expected in the future, particularly in overmature stands under prolonged drought stress. Permanent forest monitoring could ensure the high-quality data needed for adaptive management of fir stands that could positively influence the structure of these stands and, thus, improve their health status.
Understanding Consumer Perspectives of Bio-Based Products—A Comparative Case Study from Ireland and The Netherlands
Authors: Gaffey James , McMahon Helena , Marsh Emily , Vehmas Kaisa , Kymäläinen Tiina , Vos John
Published: May 2021

The bioeconomy can support Europe’s transition to a low-carbon economy and help to meet key international, European and member state sustainability targets through the provision of bio-based products and energy derived from sustainably sourced biomass. A successful implementation of a bio-based economy in Europe will, however, require a profound transformation of our production and consumption patterns. Consumer behavior will play a major role in supporting the successful transition to a bio-based economy. This paper uses a structured quantitative survey approach to gain an understanding of consumer perspectives in relation to bio-based products. Conducted among 18–75-year-old consumers in Ireland and the Netherlands, the study indicates that consumers in both countries have a relatively positive outlook regarding bio-based products, with Irish consumers showing a slightly more positive outlook. The study finds that a larger majority of Irish consumers would prefer buying bio-based products as opposed to fossil-based products, while Irish consumers also have a slightly more positive impression than Dutch consumers that their consumer choices can be beneficial for the environment.
The Effects of Pro-Social and Pro-Environmental Orientation on Crowdfunding Performance
Authors: von Selasinsky Constantin , Lutz Eva
Published: May 2021

Reward-based crowdfunding is an alternative type of project financing in which a large and dispersed online crowd contributes relatively small financial amounts in exchange for innovative products or services. The crowd is driven by a broad set of motivations that also comprises sustainability awareness. However, empirical research on crowdfunding projects that feature social or environmental considerations provides inconclusive results. In our study, we enhance the understanding of whether a pro-social and pro-environmental orientation affects the performance of reward-based crowdfunding. We draw on the literature stream of social movements to explain how linguistic framing mobilizes individuals and relate this to how selection is enabled and action is guided in a crowdfunding setting. Based on a sample of 1049 projects from Kickstarter, we employ computer-aided text analysis (CATA) to capture the pro-social and pro-environmental orientation of the project descriptions and transcribed video pitches as linguistic constructs. We found that the level of pro-social or pro-environmental orientation has an inverted U-shaped effect on crowdfunding performance. Moreover, this relationship differs when crowdfunding projects feature a creative product or service idea. Our results suggest that entrepreneurs need to delicately balance a pro-social or pro-environmental orientation and find the “right” level of emphasis to create a competitive advantage.
Feasibility Study of Transferring Shared Bicycle Users with Commuting Demand to Flex-Route Transit—A Case Study of Nanjing City, China
Authors: Zhang Jin , Li Wenquan , Wang Guoqing , Yu Jingcai
Published: May 2021

Shared bicycle users with commuting purposes generally need to take a traditional public transit and then use the shared bicycle to complete the first/last mile transport. While shared bicycle provides convenient travel for travelers, it also brings a series of problems such as disorderly parking and road occupancy. Therefore, exploring the problem of travel mode shift between shared bicycle and public transit is of significance for improving the traffic environment and increasing the sharing rate of public transit. This paper introduces the flex-route transit system and quantitatively analyzes the rationality and feasibility of using flex-route transit to pick up and drop off shared bicycle users with commuting demand from the temporal perspectives. A flex-route transit route design model is established with the objective of minimizing the sum of vehicle driving time cost and passenger time cost, and the time cost models of the shared bicycle commuting system and the flex-route transit system are constructed, compared, and analyzed to explore the feasibility of flex-route transit picking up or dropping off shared bicycle users under different conditions. Through the subsequent sensitivity analysis, the influence of passenger demand density, fixed station spacing, and travel preference attributed to the two systems are analyzed separately. The results demonstrate that the flex-route transit can efficiently complete the picking up or dropping off for shared bicycle users under certain conditions.
Raychaudhuri Equation, Geometrical Flows and Geometrical Entropy
Authors: Horwitz Lawrence Paul , Namboothiri Vishnu S , Varma K Gautham , Yahalom Asher , Strauss Yosef , Levitan Jacob
Published: May 2021

The Raychaudhuri equation is derived by assuming geometric flow in space–time M of n+1 dimensions. The equation turns into a harmonic oscillator form under suitable transformations. Thereby, a relation between geometrical entropy and mean geodesic deviation is established. This has a connection to chaos theory where the trajectories diverge exponentially. We discuss its application to cosmology and black holes. Thus, we establish a connection between chaos theory and general relativity.
On the Stochastic Mechanics Foundation of Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Beyer Michael , Paul Wolfgang
Published: May 2021

Among the famous formulations of quantum mechanics, the stochastic picture developed since the middle of the last century remains one of the less known ones. It is possible to describe quantum mechanical systems with kinetic equations of motion in configuration space based on conservative diffusion processes. This leads to the representation of physical observables through stochastic processes instead of self-adjoint operators. The mathematical foundations of this approach were laid by Edward Nelson in 1966. It allows a different perspective on quantum phenomena without necessarily using the wave-function. This article recaps the development of stochastic mechanics with a focus on variational and extremal principles. Furthermore, based on recent developments of optimal control theory, the derivation of generalized canonical equations of motion for quantum systems within the stochastic picture are discussed. These so-called quantum Hamilton equations add another layer to the different formalisms from classical mechanics that find their counterpart in quantum mechanics.
The Second Wave of SARS-CoV-2 Circulation—Antibody Detection in the Domestic Cat Population in Germany
Authors: Michelitsch Anna , Schön Jacob , Hoffmann Donata , Beer Martin , Wernike Kerstin
Published: May 2021

Registered cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in the German human population increased rapidly during the second wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in winter 2020/21. Since domestic cats are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, the occurrence of trans-species transmission needs to be monitored. A previous serosurvey during the first wave of the pandemic detected antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in 0.65% of feline serum samples that were randomly sampled across Germany. In the here-presented follow-up study that was conducted from September 2020 to February 2021, the seroprevalence rose to 1.36% (16/1173). This doubling of the seroprevalence in cats is in line with the rise of reported cases in the human population and indicates a continuous occurrence of trans-species transmission from infected owners to their cats.
A Novel Graph-Based Vulnerability Metric in Urban Network Infrastructures: The Case of Water Distribution Networks
Authors: Ponti Andrea , Candelieri Antonio , Giordani Ilaria , Archetti Francesco
Published: May 2021

The key contribution of this paper is to embed the analysis of the network in a framework based on a mapping from the input space whose elements are nodes of a graph or the entire graph into an information space whose elements are probability distributions associated to objects in the input space. Specifically, a node is associated to the probability distribution of its node-to-node distances and the whole graph to the aggregation of these node distributions. In this space two distances are proposed for this analysis: Jensen-Shannon and Wasserstein, based respectively on information theory and optimal transport theory. This representation allows to compute the distance between the original network and the one obtained by the removal of nodes or edges and use this distance as an index of the increase in vulnerability induced by the removal. In this way a new characterization of vulnerability is obtained. This new index has been tested in two real-world water distribution networks. The results obtained are discussed along those which relate vulnerability to the loss of efficiency and those given by the analysis of the spectra of the adjacency and Laplacian matrices of the network. The models and algorithms considered in this paper have been integrated into an analytics framework which can also support the analysis of other networked infrastructures among which power grids, gas distribution, and transit networks are included.
Simulation of Extreme Precipitation in Four Climate Regions in China by General Circulation Models (GCMs): Performance and Projections
Authors: Zhang Mengru , Yang Xiaoli , Ren Liliang , Pan Ming , Jiang Shanhu , Liu Yi , Yuan Fei , Fang Xiuqin
Published: May 2021

In the context of global climate change, it is important to monitor abnormal changes in extreme precipitation events that lead to frequent floods. This research used precipitation indices to describe variations in extreme precipitation and analyzed the characteristics of extreme precipitation in four climatic (arid, semi-arid, semi-humid and humid) regions across China. The equidistant cumulative distribution function (EDCDF) method was used to downscale and bias-correct daily precipitation in eight Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) general circulation models (GCMs). From 1961 to 2005, the humid region had stronger and longer extreme precipitation compared with the other regions. In the future, the projected extreme precipitation is mainly concentrated in summer, and there will be large areas with substantial changes in maximum consecutive 5-day precipitation (Rx5) and precipitation intensity (SDII). The greatest differences between two scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) are in semi-arid and semi-humid areas for summer precipitation anomalies. However, the area of the four regions with an increasing trend of extreme precipitation is larger under the RCP8.5 scenario than that under the RCP4.5 scenario. The increasing trend of extreme precipitation in the future is relatively pronounced, especially in humid areas, implying a potential heightened flood risk in these areas.
Fournier Gangrene in a Patient With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treated With Dapagliflozin: A Case Report
Authors: Moon Jae Young , Lee Min Ro , Kim Jong Hun , Ha Gi Won
Published: May 2021

Rare cases of Fournier gangrene (FG) possibly associated with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have been reported. We present a case of a 66-year-old male patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus on oral metformin, glimepiride, and dapagliflozin therapy. He presented with pain in the perineum and scrotum for 5 days. The clinical finding, computed tomography finding, and laboratory data were matched with FG. Emergency surgical drainage, debridement of necrotic tissue, and diverting loop ileostomy formation were performed by a urologist and a surgeon. The patient had no complications from diabetes before the onset of FG, and serum glucose management was good at the onset of FG. This case shows an FG patient with good glucose management taking dapagliflozin and suggests a possible association between dapagliflozin and FG. Further evaluation and additional research on this relationship are needed.
Calcium polystyrene sulfonate associated colonic mucosal injury—innocent bystander or pathogenic culprit?: a case report and literature review
Authors: Piwchan Setthachai , Sripariwuth Ekawee , Sitthichaiyakul Peerayut
Published: May 2021

Colonic mucosal injury is rare, but may severely fatal, complications following the administration of calcium polystyrene sulfonate resins. The incidence rate is about 0.57%, administered without sorbitol, and increases to 1.8% when it is concomitant with sorbitol, especially in postoperative patients. In this case report, we demonstrated the case of a 77-year-old female with stage 3b chronic kidney disease presented with in-hospital hematochezia after 3 weeks of calcium polystyrene sulfonate administration. The colonoscopic findings showed several serpiginous ulcers with some oozing at descending and sigmoid colon. The histological findings revealed some focal inflammation and ulcerations with crystal-like materials, compatible with cation exchange resins. The recent in vitro study, explaining the pathogenesis of cation exchange resin-associated colonic mucosal injury, was also reviewed.
Research on the Relationship between Curling Referees’ State-Trait Anxiety and Their Decision Making Ability
Authors: Karataş Baykal , Bayraktar Gökhan
Published: May 2021

Curling sport is called “ice chess” due to its level of precision and the complex structure of strategic thinking to win. It is a sport branch that is tactically reminiscent of chess, and technically reminiscent of bowling (Yılmaz, 2018). In this study, it is aimed to research the relationship between curling referees’ state and trait anxiety, and their decision-making abilities. In this research, a method for descriptive and correlational survey model will be used to determine the current situation. The population of the study consists of 107 referees who take charge in the activities of the Turkey Curling Federation in 2021, and the sample of the study is 97 referees. In this study, the personal information form and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI), developed by Spielberger et al. (1970) and adapted into Turkish by Öner and Le Compte (1985), and the ‘’ Melbourne Decision Making I and II Scales ” developed by Mann et al. (1998) and adapted to Turkish by Deniz (2004) are used. Data analysis is performed in SPSS 22.0 program. It is observed that the referees participating in the study have moderate state and trait anxiety levels, their self-esteem levels are high, they use careful decision-making style at a high level, and they use avoidant, procrastination, and panic decision-making styles at a low level. It is observed that curling referees’ anxiety levels are low, and their decision-making levels are moderate.
The Investigation of Prospective Elementary Mathematics Teachers’ Problem Posing Self-Efficacy Beliefs
Authors: Erdoğan Fatma , Yıldız Feyza
Published: May 2021

Problem-solving and posing are skills at the center of mathematics education and mathematical thinking. However, little is still known about the affective aspects of problem-posing. This study aimed to determine the level of prospective elementary mathematics teachers’ problem-posing self-efficacy beliefs and to compare their beliefs according to the variables of gender, grade, and academic achievement levels. This study was carried out by survey method. Descriptive and causal-comparative survey research design was used in this study. The study group consisted of 130 prospective teachers studying at the Elementary Mathematics Education department in a state university, located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. Problem-Posing Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale was used as a data collection tool. In data analysis, descriptive statistics, the independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were used. Findings of the study indicated that levels of the prospective teachers’ PP self-efficacy beliefs were high. It was found in the present study that the problem-posing self-efficacy beliefs of the prospective teachers did not differ significantly with regard to gender. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was found between the prospective teachers’ problem-posing self-efficacy beliefs in terms of their grade and academic achievement. In the light of the research results, suggestions were presented.
Fixed and Dynamic Predictors of Willingness to Communicate in L2: A Review on New Paradigms of Individual Differences
Authors: Akdemir Ahmet Selçuk
Published: May 2021

Willingness to communicate (WTC), a recent affective construct of SLA research, has experienced a paradigm shift regarding its nature. Current WTC research tends to define it as a dynamic and context-bound structure rather being in a linear and static disposition. New conceptualization is based on Complex Dynamic System (CDS) theory. This theory has been applied to SLA research to explain dynamic, non-linear and complex nature of SLA process. The convenience of CDS theory’s basic principles has led existing WTC structure to be re-shaped and revised to define it as a dynamic structure in contrast to its former definition which would recall WTC as a static and trait-like variable.
Phytochemical Screening, Antimicrobial Activity of Gemmotherapeutically White Mulberry (Morus Alba) Leaves
Authors: Faiz Abu Ul Hassan , Faiz Lariab Zahara
Published: May 2021

The present study was designed to find out phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of leaves of Mulberry plant. The phytochemical analysis was performed on quantitative and qualitative basis. The qualitative basis indicated the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, saponins and Anthraquinone. The quantitative analysis showed alkaloids (40%), glycosides (20.05%), flavonoids (14%), steroids (3.5%), tannins (11.9%) and saponins (11.5%) and anthraquinone (0.5%) presence. Antimicrobial activity against bacteria has been observed in the leaves of Mulberry (Morus alba) and showed zone of inhibition, Escherichia coli (7±3.3) mm, Staphylococcus aurous (8±3.1), Bacillus subtilis (9±2.5), Pasturella multocida (8±3.1) mm.
Profile of Antimicrobial Susceptibility from Cattles’s Milk Isolates Suffering from Mastitis in District Lahore
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Rehman Iqra , Sulehria Abdul Qayyum Khan , Butt Yasser Mustafa , Khan Abdul Majid , Ziauddin Azizah
Published: May 2021

Mastitis is highly prevalent infection in cattle causing cost-effective loss in dairy milk production. Escherichia coli is the most frequently isolated bacteria causing mastitis worldwide. The current study was performed to investigate the mastitis prevalence and effect of different antibiotics against pathogens causing it. In sum, 216 milk samples were collected randomly including 108 each from both cows and buffaloes. These samples were subjected to Surf Field Mastitis Test for prevalence of mastitis that found 18.50% and 23.14% in buffaloes and cows respectively. Mastitis was more prevalent both in buffaloes and cows at the age of 9-10 years that was reported in 35% and 32% respectively. The affected buffaloes showed 65% samples containg watery fluid having blood, pus and mucus whereas 36% samples of affected cows had mucus and watery fluid. Pus and blood content were found to be 12% and 16% respectively. Sub-clinical mastitis was prevalent as 56% and 55% in cows and buffaloes respectively while acute mastitis as 4% and 5% in similar fashion. In both groups Right-for part of udder was frequently affected than any other. Among commonly used four antibiotics, Norfloxacine was observed the most effective antibiotic to control mastitis as compared to Gentamycin, Penicillin and ciprofloxacin. The benefit of this study is to diagnose mastitis and use to isolate pathogens for further processing like antibiotic sensitivity and resistance. This study will help veterinarians in better selection of antibiotic to control mastitis.
Pengaruh Pendidikan Kewirausahaan dan Efikasi Diri terhadap Minat Berwirausaha Siswa SMK di Kota Semarang
Authors: Santoso Tri Adhi , Almadana Aulia Vidya
Published: May 2021

This study aims to determine the entrepreneurial intentions of vocational school students in Semarang City. The factors used to explain entrepreneurial intentions are entrepreneurship education and self-efficacy. This research was conducted in the city of Semarang. The number of samples used was 100 respondents using probability sampling techniques. The data that has been collected is processed using multiple regression analysis techniques. The data sources used are primary data and secondary data. The results showed that the two independent variables (Entrepreneurship Education and Self Efficacy) had a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial intentions of vocational school students in Semarang City.
APPLICATION OF E-MUSRENBANG: STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND PARTICIPATION OF COMMUNITY ASPIRATIONS IN SUNTER JAYA VILLAGE
Authors: F Firman
Published: May 2021

Abstract: This study aims to determine the effectiveness and participation
of the application of e-musrenbang in Sunter Jaya Village. The type of
research used is descriptive research with a qualitative approach. Data
collection used is conducting observations, interviews and documentation.
The result showed that the effectiveness of the implementation of
development planning through e-musrenbang in Sunter Jaya Village can be
said to have been effective in terms of clarity of objectives, the application
of e-musrenbang understood by implementors in the preparation of
proposed priorities. Then, preparation of the right program, the availability
of facilities and infrastructure such as computers/laptops accessed by the
internet to include proposals into the e-musrenbang system so as to
facilitate the planned proposals and compiled from the result of the citizens’
crushing. Furthermore, e-musrenbang has been transparent because it can
be seen through the e-musrenbang https://musrenbang.jakarta.go.id system.
In addition, the participation of the community to attend musrenbang is good enough but not all can
attend because of several factors of routine activities. Accountability in Sunter Jaya Village is only
limited to collecting proposals that will be discussed in sub-districts, cities, and provinces, which will be
realized to the relevant OPD. Thus the effectiveness of the implementation of e-musrenbang has been
better than previous years so that in the future the planned proposals are made based on the needs of the
community and can be realized proposals that have been drafted and authorized.
FACTORS CAUSING DELAY IN TIME TO DOOR AT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT(ED) IN CASES OF ACUTE STROKE AND IT'S IMPACT ON OUTCOME AT TERTIARY CARE CENTRE
Authors: Yadav Yogender Kumar , Shah Dina J , Sharma Jyoti B , Pandey Nalini Bala
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of stroke management is highly dependent on post onset time of treatment. The study hypothesized that
perceptual, social and behavioral factors affect delay in seeking help after symptom onset and worsen the outcome and recovery.
OBJECTIVE: To look at the causes of delay in arrival to denitive care hospital ED after symptoms of acute stoke and its impact on patient's
clinical outcome.
METHODS: An observational prospective study conducted on 63 patients with signs and symptoms of acute stroke (CPSS/NIHSS positive)
reported to ED. Reasons for delay in arrival to ED observed. Patients divided into two groups, those who came within 4.5 hours of onset of acute
stroke symptoms and those who came after 4.5 hours. Impact of delay on patient's outcome studied at time of discharge as primary end-points in
terms of average length of stay (ALOS), complications and death. Secondary end-points evaluate in terms of improvement, deterioration and death
within 30th day. Statistical analysis using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test applied to compare both the groups. Odds ratio with 95 % condence
limit was also calculated.
RESULTS: There were multiple overlapping causes of delay; most frequently was “rst went to physician who doesn't treat stroke (8; 38.1%) and
non-availability of nearby stroke centre (8; 38.1%)”. Total 21 (33.34%) patients came after window period (4.5hours). Primary endpoints in terms
of ALOS (8 days compared to 9 days, p=0.48), complications (OR=1.4, 95%CI:0.2-8.8, p=0.74) and death (OR=3, 95%CI:0.4-19.3, p=0.24) at
time of discharge. Secondary endpoints in terms of improvement (OR=2.8, 95%CI:1.0-7.8, p=0.03), deterioration (OR=6.0, 95%CI:1.4-24.5,
p=0.01) and death within 30 days (OR=1.2, 95%CI:0.2-5.5, p=0.81).
CONCLUSION: Inadequate knowledge of stroke identication and management causes delay in arrival to hospital. This delay can cause
signicant impact on patient outcome and recovery
All Your Fake Detector Are Belong to Us: Evaluating Adversarial Robustness of Fake-news Detectors Under Black-Box Settings
Authors: Ali Hassan , Khan Muhammad Suleman , AlGhadhban Amer , Alazmi Meshari , Alzamil Ahmad , AlUtaibi Khaled , Qadir Junaid
Published: May 2021

Analyzing fake-news detectors under adversarial threat using the Text-Attack Library for a number of model hyper-parameters and attack settings.
TRIMMING FEATURE EXTRACTION AND INFERENCE FOR MCU-BASED EDGE NILM: A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
Authors: Tabanelli Enrico , Brunelli Davide , Benini Luca , Acquaviva Andrea
Published: May 2021

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) enables the disaggregation of the global power consumption of multiple loads, taken from a single smart electrical meter, into appliance-level details. State-of-the-Art approaches are based on Machine Learning methods and exploit the fusion of time- and frequency-domain features from current and voltage sensors. Unfortunately, these methods are compute-demanding and memory-intensive. Therefore, running low-latency NILM on low-cost, resource-constrained MCU-based meters is currently an open challenge. This paper addresses the optimization of the feature spaces as well as the computational and storage cost reduction needed for executing State-of-the-Art (SoA) NILM algorithms on memory- and compute-limited MCUs. We compare four supervised learning techniques on different classification scenarios and characterize the overall NILM pipeline’s implementation on a MCU-based Smart Measurement Node. Experimental results demonstrate that optimizing the feature space enables edge MCU-based NILM with 95.15% accuracy, resulting in a small drop compared to the most-accurate feature vector deployment (96.19%) while achieving up to 5.45x speed-up and 80.56% storage reduction. Furthermore, we show that low-latency NILM relying only on current measurements reaches almost 80% accuracy, allowing a major cost reduction by removing voltage sensors from the hardware design.
PulseEdit: Editing Physiological Signal in Facial Videos for Privacy Protection
Authors: Chen Mingliang , Liao Xin , Wu Min
Published: May 2021

Recent studies have shown that physiological signals can be remotely captured from human faces using a portable color camera under ambient light. This technology, namely remote photoplethysmography (rPPG), can be used to collect users' physiological status who are sitting in front of a camera, which may raise physiological privacy issues. To avoid the privacy abuse of the rPPG technology, this paper develops PulseEdit, a novel and efficient algorithm that can edit the physiological signals in facial videos without affecting visual appearance to protect the user's physiological signal from disclosure. PulseEdit can either remove the trace of the physiological signal in a video or transform the video to contain a target physiological signal chosen by a user. Experimental results show that PulseEdit can effectively edit physiological signals in facial videos and prevent heart rate measurement based on rPPG. It is possible to utilize PulseEdit in adversarial scenarios against some rPPG-based visual security algorithms. We present analyses on the performance of PulseEdit against rPPG-based liveness detection and rPPG-based deepfake detection, and demonstrate its ability to circumvent these visual security algorithms.
How immersive virtual reality methods may meet the criteria of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology: A software review of the Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL)
Authors: Kourtesis Panagiotis , E. MacPherson Sarah
Published: May 2021

Clinical tools involving immersive virtual reality (VR) may bring several advantages to cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology. However, there are some technical and methodological pitfalls. The American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) and the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) raised 8 key issues pertaining to Computerized Neuropsychological Assessment Devices. These issues pertain to: (1) the safety and effectivity; (2) the identity of the end-user; (3) the technical hardware and software features; (4) privacy and data security; (5) the psychometric properties; (6) examinee issues; (7) the use of reporting services; and (8) the reliability of the responses and results. The VR Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL) is the first immersive VR neuropsychological battery with enhanced ecological validity for the assessment of everyday cognitive functions by offering a pleasant testing experience without inducing cybersickness. The VR-EAL meets the criteria of the NAN and AACN, addresses the methodological pitfalls, and brings advantages for neuropsychological testing. However, there are still shortcomings of the VR-EAL, which should be addressed. Future iterations should strive to improve the embodiment illusion in VR-EAL and the creation of an open access VR software library should be attempted. The discussed studies demonstrate the utility of VR methods in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology.
Deep Reinforcement Learning Versus Evolution Strategies: A Comparative Survey
Authors: Majid Amjad Yousef , Saaybi Serge , Rietbergen Tomas van , Francois-Lavet Vincent , Prasad R Venkatesha , Verhoeven Chris
Published: May 2021

Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) and Evolution Strategies (ESs) have surpassed human-level control in many sequential decision-making problems, yet many open challenges still exist.

To get insights into the strengths and weaknesses of DRL versus ESs, an analysis of their respective capabilities and limitations is provided.

After presenting their fundamental concepts and algorithms, a comparison is provided on key aspects such as scalability, exploration, adaptation to dynamic environments, and multi-agent learning.

Then, the benefits of hybrid algorithms that combine concepts from DRL and ESs are highlighted.

Finally, to have an indication about how they compare in real-world applications, a survey of the literature for the set of applications they support is provided.
Deep Reinforcement Learning Versus Evolution Strategies: A Comparative Survey
Authors: Majid Amjad
Published: May 2021

Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has the potential to surpass human-level control in sequential decision-making problems. Evolution Strategies (ESs) have different characteristics than DRL, yet they are promoted as a scalable alternative.

To get insights into their strengths and weaknesses, in this paper, we put the two approaches side by side. After presenting the fundamental concepts and algorithms for each of the two approaches, they are compared from the perspectives of scalability, exploration, adaptation to dynamic environments, and multi-agent learning. Then, the paper discusses hybrid algorithms, combining aspects of both DRL and ESs, and how they attempt to capitalize on the benefits of both techniques. Lastly, both approaches are compared based on the set of applications they support, showing their potential for tackling real-world problems.

This paper aims to present an overview of how DRL and ESs can be used, either independently or in unison, to solve specific learning tasks. It is intended to guide researchers to select which method suits them best and provides a bird's eye view of the overall literature in the field. Further, we also provide application scenarios and open challenges.
Validation of SMAP Soil Moisture at Terrestrial National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Sites Show Potential for Soil Moisture Retrieval in Forested Areas
Authors: Ayres Edward , Colliander Andreas , Cosh Michael , A. Roberti Joshua , Simkin Sam , Genazzio Melissa A.
Published: May 2021

Soil moisture influences forest health, fire occurrence and extent, and insect and pathogen impacts, creating a need for regular, globally extensive soil moisture measurements that can only be achieved by satellite-based sensors, such as NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP). However, SMAP data for forested regions, which account for ~20% of land cover globally, are flagged as unreliable due to interference from vegetation water content, and forests were underrepresented in previous validation efforts, preventing an assessment of measurement accuracy in these biomes. Here we compare over twelve thousand SMAP soil moisture measurements, representing 88 site-years, to in-situ soil moisture measurements from forty National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) sites throughout the US, half of which are forested. At unforested NEON sites, agreement with SMAP soil moisture (unbiased RMSD: 0.046 m3 m-3) was similar to previous sparse network validations (which include inflation of the metric due to spatial representativeness errors). For the forested sites, SMAP achieved a reasonable level of accuracy (unbiased RMSD: 0.06 m3 m-3 or 0.053 m3 m-3 after accounting for random representativeness errors) indicating SMAP is sensitive to changes in soil moisture in forest ecosystems. Moreover, we identified that both an index of vegetation water content and canopy height were related to mean difference, which incorporates measurement bias and representativeness bias, and suggests a potential approach to improve SMAP algorithm parameterization for forested regions. In addition, expanding the number and extent of soil moisture measurements at forested validation sites would likely further reduce mean difference by minimizing representativeness errors.
CD Home Nanogrid: Avoiding Standby Consumption and Diminishing Ripple Amplitudes
Authors: Cordova-Fajardo M.A. , Tututi E.
Published: May 2021

The nanogrids are the basic unit to develop more complex and stronger distributed systems. DC nanogrids allow a better performance and higher efﬁciency than the AC nanogrids. The lack of DC home appliances in the local market has resulted in a slow development of DC Home Nanogrids (DCHN). The Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and LED are used in power electronics as high efﬁciency and low cost lightning components. However, these devices represent a source of emission of harmonics in Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) systems, due to their nonlinear behavior. In this paper a mathematical model for the nonlinear loads and experimental results of the voltage and current ripple in a DCHN are presented. The CFL and LED lamps are used as our nonlinear loads for test the model. The model explains well the experimental results of how the ripple amplitude is reduced. We also present the effect of decreasing the ripple amplitude when it is incorporated an induction stove in standby mode to the DCHN, which also is explained by the model.
Penerapan Produk Wisata yang Berkelanjutan di DIY dalam Menyongsong Abad Samudra Hindia
Authors: Kiswantoro Amin
Published: May 2021

The southern coast of Yogyakarta is one area that has the potential to be developed as sustainable tourism in DIY, such as Parangtritis Beach, Glagah Beach and Baron Beach. This article discusses the system of processing sustainable tourism products that exist in the southern region of DIY in order to become leading tourism in welcoming the Indian Ocean Century. Research has been conducted using descriptive methods with a qualitative approach. Data collection was carried out using observation and interviews with Tiagulation analysis techniques and SWOT analysis. The results show that Parangtritis Beach is superior to Glagah Beach and Baron Beach in terms of developing attractiveness, facilities and accessibility. In addition, the relationship between the partnership pattern between the government and the tourism industry is very well coordinated and community empowerment is also seen as a mobilizer. Tourism product development, partnership patterns and community empowerment at Baron Beach have been carried out effectively and sustainably. Whereas in Glagah Beach, the processing of tourism products has experienced many obstacles, due to the construction of Yogyakarta's new airport which has an impact on the condition of tourism products as well as a shift in land use from the center of agro-tourism activities to the new airport area and lack of attention from the local government
Prediksi Jumlah Kunjungan Wisatawan Mancanegara ke Indonesia
Authors: Meimela Aida
Published: May 2021

Predict the number of foreign tourist's visit Indonesia. In 2020 the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has targeted the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia as many as 17 million visits. However, the number of foreign tourist visits decreased cumulatively (January- July 2020) by 64.64 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. Based on these conditions, it is significant to make accurate predictions to see if the target will be achieved or not in the future. One of the prediction methods used is Seasonal ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average). This model predicted the predictable number of foreign tourists visit in 2020 forecast to pass the target
Pengaruh Electronic Word of Mouth dan Daya Tarik terhadap Keputusan Berkunjung Wisatawan di Pinus Pengger Kabupaten Bantul
Authors: Yuliyani
Published: May 2021

This research attempts to learn the influence of electronic word of mouth and location on tourist decisions to visit the Pinus Pengger. The population in this research is the tourists who visited Pinus Pengger. The sample taken was 100 respondents. The method for the sampling is accidental sampling. The data collection technique was a questionnaire. The analysis of data used multiple regression analysis techniques. The results of this study indicate that together, electronic word of mouth, and attractiveness affect the decision to visit tourists in Pinus Pengger. Partially, electronic word of mouth affects the decision to visit tourists, while attractiveness does not affect the decision to visit tourists
Pengaruh Ketrampilan Bahasa Asing terhadap Kelancaran Operasional di Food and Beverage Product Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta
Authors: Kurniyati Nuharani Erningdyah
Published: May 2021

Pariwisata merupakan indrutri global, yang mempertemukan berbagai macam suku bangsa dalam operasionalnya. Sehingga, keterampilan berbahasa asing khususnya bahasa Inggris menjadi salah satu modal utama untuk dapat eksis dalam industri ini. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh kecakapan berbahasa Inggris karyawan food and beverage product kitchen Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta ketika melaksanakan pekerjaannya. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian deskriptif dengan kuisioner sebagai metode pengumpulan datanya.Metode penelitian yang digunakan kuantitatif asosiatif yaitu penelitian yang bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh ataupun hubungan antara dua variabel atau lebih. Teknik pengambilan sampel dengan teknik sensus atau sampling jenuh yaitu semua populasi,seluruh staff Food and Beverage Product Department Kemangi Bistro Hotel Hyatt Regency Yogyakartayang berjumlah 10 orang menjadi sample. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa nilai F_hitung yaitu 34,135 sedangkan nilai F_tabel yaitu 4,53. Nilai F_hitung 34,135 >F_tabel 4,53, dengan nilai signifikan 0,001 < 0,05 artinya bahwa kecakapan berbahasa Inggris (kemampuan menulis, kemampuan berbicra, kemampuan membaca, kemampuan mendengarkan) berpengaruh terhadap kelancaran operasional Food And Beverage Product Kitchen Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta. Diketahui Hasil koefisiensi determinasi atau R Square sebesar 0,965 atau 96,5%. Hal ini berarti variabel yang diteliti secara simultan berpengaruh terhadap variabel Kelancaran Operasional sebesar 96,5%. Sedangkan sisanya 3,5% dipengaruhi oleh variabel lain di luar persamaan regresi ini atau variabel yang tidak diteliti
Analisa Sikap Konsumen dalam Memilih Restoran Fast Food di Yogyakarta
Authors: Aryanto Nurwahyuli
Published: May 2021

Pemasaran merupakan kegiatan-kegiatan pokok yang dilakukan perusahaan untuk menjaga kelangsungan hidup perusahaan. Agar tujuan perusahaan tercapai maka kegiatan pemasaran perusahaan harus dapat memberikan kepuasan kepada konsumen. Komitmen restoran fast food kelancaran dan kelangsungan hidup suatu perusahaan juga mengetrapkan suatu sistem atau strategi yang kaitannya dengan restoran. Seperti misalnya perusahaan atau restoran itu memperhatikan adanya suasana restoran, pelayanan, service, menu hidangan, sarana parlor, display produk, serta atribut. Hal ini sangat terkait dengan sumber daya manusia juga selalu harus ditingkatkan , dan akhirnya mempunyai bobot atau nilai yang menjadi pilihan konsumen untuk bisa menjadi pelanggan atau masyarakat untuk sering melakukan pembelian
Peranan Manajemen Konflik pada Suatu Organisasi
Authors: Susilawati Heni
Published: May 2021

Konflik merupakan pertentangan antara seseorang dengan orang lain atau kelompok dengan kelompok lain dalam rangka memperebutkan sumber daya yang terbatas. Setiap manusia adalah individu yang unik. Artinya setiap orang memiliki pendirian dan perasaan akan sesuatu hal atau lingkungan yang nyata ini dapat menjadi faktor penyebab konflik sosial, sebab dalam menjalani hubungan sosial, seseorang tidak selalu sejalan dengan kelompoknya. Konflik biasanya timbul dalam organisasi sebagai hasil adanya masalah-masalah, komunikasi yaitu salah pengertian yang berkenaan dengan kalimat, bahasa yang sulit dimengerti atau informasi yang tidak lengkap; struktur yaitu pertarungan kekuasaan antar departemen, persaingan untuk, memperebutkan sumber daya-sumber daya yang terbatas atau saling ketergantungan dua atau lebih kelompok-kelompok kegiatan kerja untuk mencapai tujuan mereka; pribadi yaitu ketidak sesuaian tujuan atau nilai-nilai sosial pribadi karyawan dengan perilaku yang diperankan pada jabatan mereka, perbedaan dalam nilai-nilai persepsi. Konflik dapat berupa perselisihan (disagreement), adanya ketegangan (the presence of tension), atau munculnya kesulitan-kesulitan lain di antara dua pihak atau lebih.
A rare cause of breast masses in childhood: ALK positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma
Authors: Özay Mustafa , Keskin Zuhal , Şipal Sare , Orbak Zerrin , Alp Handan
Published: May 2021

Objective: Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) are the result of malign proliferation of lymphoid cells. According to the morphological, immunological and genetic characteristics of childhood NHLs, they are classified as Burkitt lymphoma (BL), Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a distinct form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) which accounts for 15% of all childhood lymphomas. We report a girl presented with a breast mass and diagnosed with systemic ALCL.

Case: A 14-year-old girl was referred to our hospital with without a painless mass in the left breast. Physical examination, it was seen two painless mass was found in the left breast. Also, a 2x2 cm, painless lymphadenopathy was found in the left axilla. She had no systemic symptoms In laboratory tests; hemoglobin, white blood cell count, platelet count, liver and kidney function tests, LDH, and uric acid levels were normal. In the imaging and metastasis screenings made to the patient; ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) showed two masses breast region. A large number of lymphadenopathies were detected in the left axillary, which surrounded the paraaortic, the paracaval, and the celiac truncus. She was found to have a hypermetabolic two masses in the breast (SUVmax=33.05) and lymphadenopathies (SUVmax=27.04) in the left axillary, paraaortic, the paracaval, and the celiac truncus on Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) scan. Excisional biopsy of the tumor mass in the breast was done and immunohistochemical analysis showed CD30 and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive ALCL. The patient was diagnosed with stage III anaplastic large cell lymphoma with systemic involvement and she began chemotherapeutic treatment, according to the NHL BFM 1995 protocol. Bone marrow aspirate was normal, and no malignancy was observed in the cerebrospinal fluid. After V-phase, AM block, and BM block treatments evaluation were performed with ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT according to protocol. In ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT, it was seen that the lymph nodes in the abdominal and the small mass in the breast were completely retracted, and another lymph nodes had no detected. These results showed that the response to the treatment was complete and the patient's chemotherapy was completed by continuing with the protocol. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT taken after the completion of chemotherapy revealed no evidence of mass or lymph node. The patient's controls continue smoothly.

Conclusions: Anaplastic large cell lymphoma should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of children presented with a breast mass. Treatment procedures should be planned according to the involvement site and spread of the disease.