bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Structure, Short-temporal Variability, and Dynamical Features of Small River Plumes as Observed by Aerial Drones: Case Study of the Kodor and Bzyp River Plumes
Authors: Osadchiev Alexander , Barymova Alexandra , Sedakov Roman , Zhiba Roman , Dbar Roman
Published: September 2020

Quadcopters can continuously observe ocean surface with high spatial resolution from relatively low altitude, albeit with certain limitations of their usage. Remote sensing from quadcopters provides unprecedented ability to study small river plumes formed in the coastal sea. The main goal of the current work is to describe structure and temporal variability of small river plumes on small spatial and temporal scales, which are limitedly covered by previous studies. We analyze optical imagery and video records acquired by quadcopters and accompanied by synchronous in situ measurements and satellite observations within the Kodor and Bzyp plumes, which are located in the northeastern part of the Black Sea. We describe extremely rapid response of these river plume to energetic rotating coastal eddies. We reveal several types of internal waves within these river plumes, measure their spatial and dynamical characteristics, and identify mechanisms of their generation. We suggest a new mechanism of formation of undulate fronts between small river plumes and ambient sea, which induces energetic lateral mixing across these fronts. The results reported in this study are addressed for the first time as previous related works were mainly limited by low spatial and/or temporal resolution of in situ measurements and satellite imagery.
Ground Moving Target Tracking and Refocusing Using Shadow in Video-SAR
Authors: Yang Xiaqing , Shi Jun , Zhou Yuanyuan , Wang Chen , Hu Yao , Zhang Xiaoling , Wei Shunjun
Published: September 2020

Stable and efficient ground moving target tracking and refocusing is a hard task in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data processing. Since shadows in video-SAR indicate the actual positions of moving targets at different moments without any displacement, shadow-based methods provide a new approach for ground moving target processing. This paper constructs a novel framework to refocus ground moving targets by using shadows in video-SAR. To this end, an automatic-registered SAR video is first obtained using the video-SAR back-projection (v-BP) algorithm. The shadows of multiple moving targets are then tracked using a learning-based tracker, and the moving targets are ultimately refocused via a proposed moving target back-projection (m-BP) algorithm. With this framework, we can perform detecting, tracking, imaging for multiple moving targets integratedly, which significantly improves the ability of moving-target surveillance for SAR systems. Furthermore, a detailed explanation of the shadow of a moving target is presented herein. We find that the shadow of ground moving targets is affected by a target’s size, radar pitch angle, carrier frequency, synthetic aperture time, etc. With an elaborate system design, we can obtain a clear shadow of moving targets even in X or C band. By numerical experiments, we find that a deep network, such as SiamFc, can easily track shadows and precisely estimate the trajectories that meet the accuracy requirement of the trajectories for m-BP.
A Frequency-Correcting Method for a Vortex Flow Sensor Signal Based on a Central Tendency
Authors: Li Bin , Wang Chengyi , Chen Jie
Published: September 2020

A vortex flow meter employs a sensor based on the piezoelectric vibration principle to realize vortex signal acquisition, and therefore the measurement results are susceptible to vibration noise. In this paper, the generalized mode method is proposed based on the central tendency characteristic of the vortex signal and combined with the existing filter bank method. The method combining filter bank with the generalized mode is designed and applied in the signal-processing system of the vortex flow meter, which makes up for the defect that the filter bank method cannot filter out the noise in the sub-band. The simulation experiments verify the feasibility and anti-interference performance of the algorithm. Meanwhile, a comparison with two FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) spectrum analysis methods shows that the algorithm designed in this paper requires a smaller sample size and achieves better real-time performance. The actual anti-vibration experiment and calibration experiment verify that the signal-processing system of a vortex flow meter ensures good accuracy and repeatability.
Power Efficient Secure Full-Duplex SWIPT Using NOMA and D2D with Imperfect CSI
Authors: Wang Jingpu , Song Xin , Ma Yatao , Xie Zhigang
Published: September 2020

The secure full-duplex (FD) simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) system and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) have been deemed two promising technologies for the next generation of wireless communication. In this paper, the network is combined with device-to-device (D2D) and a practical bounded channel state information (CSI) estimation scheme. A system total transmit power minimization problem is studied and formulated as a multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem via the weighted Tchebycheff approach. A set of linear matrix inequalities (LMI) is used to transform the non-convex form of constraints into the convex form. Considering the imperfect CSI of the potential eavesdropper for robust power allocation, a bounded transmission beamforming vector design along with artificial noise (AN) is used, while satisfying the requirements from the secrecy rates as well as the energy harvesting (EH) task. Numerical simulation results validate the convergence performance and the trade-off between the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) data transmit power. It is also shown that by FD and NOMA, the performance of the proposed algorithm is higher than that of half-duplex (HD) and orthogonal multiple access (OMA).
Underground Coal Mine Fingerprint Positioning Based on the MA-VAP Method
Authors: Song Mingzhi , Qian Jiansheng
Published: September 2020

The access points (APs) in a coal mine wireless local area network (WLAN) are generally sparsely distributed. It can, with difficulty, satisfy the basic requirements of the fingerprint positioning based on Wi-Fi. Currently, the effectiveness of positioning is ensured by deploying more APs in an underground tunnel, which significantly increases system cost. This problem can be solved by using the Virtual Access Point (VAP) method that introduces virtual access points (VAPs), which can be virtually arranged in any part of the positioning area without installing actual access points. The drawback of the VAP method is that the generated received signal strength (RSS) value of a VAP is calculated based on the mapping of RSS value from only one corresponding access point (AP). This drawback does not consider the correlation between different AP signals and the generated RSS value of a VAP, which makes the modeling of fingerprint samples and real-time RSS collection incomplete. This study proposed a Multi-Association Virtual Access Point (MA-VAP) method takes into account the influence of multi-association. The multi-association coefficient is calculated based on the correlation between the RSS values of a VAP and multiple access points (APs). Then, the RSS value generated by a VAP is calculated using the multi-association function. The real-time collected RSS values from multiple APs related to this VAP are the input of the multi-association function. The influence of the number of VAPs and their arrangement on positioning accuracy is also analyzed. The experimental positioning results show that the proposed MA-VAP method achieves better positioning performance than the VAP method for the same VAP arrangement. Combined with the Weight K-Nearest Neighbors (WKNN) algorithm and Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) algorithm, the positioning error of the MA-VAP method of the error distance cumulative distribution function (CDF) at 90% is 4.5 m (with WKNN) and 3.5 m (with KPCA) in the environment with non-line-of-sight (NLOS) interference, and the positioning accuracy is improved by 10% (with WKNN) and 22.2% (with KPCA) compared with the VAP method. The MA-VAP method not only effectively solves the fingerprint positioning problem when APs are sparse deployed, but also improves the positioning accuracy.
Identification and Quantitative Determination of Lactate Using Optical Spectroscopy—Towards a Noninvasive Tool for Early Recognition of Sepsis
Authors: Budidha Karthik , Mamouei Mohammad , Baishya Nystha , Qassem Meha , Vadgama Pankaj , Kyriacou Panayiotis A.
Published: September 2020

Uninterrupted monitoring of serum lactate levels is a prerequisite in the critical care of patients prone to sepsis, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, or severe lung disease. Yet there exists no device to continuously measure blood lactate in clinical practice. Optical spectroscopy together with multivariate analysis is proposed as a viable noninvasive tool for estimation of lactate in blood. As an initial step towards this goal, we inspected the plausibility of predicting the concentration of sodium lactate (NaLac) from the UV/visible, near-infrared (NIR), and mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of 37 isotonic phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) samples containing NaLac ranging from 0 to 20 mmol/L. UV/visible (300–800 nm) and NIR (800–2600 nm) spectra of PBS samples were collected using the PerkinElmer Lambda 1050 dual-beam spectrophotometer, while MIR (4000–500 cm−1) spectra were collected using the Spectrum two FTIR spectrometer. Absorption bands in the spectra of all three regions were identified and functional groups were assigned. The concentration of lactate in samples was predicted using the Partial Least-Squares (PLS) regression analysis and leave-one-out cross-validation. The regression analysis showed a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.926, 0.977, and 0.992 for UV/visible, NIR, and MIR spectra, respectively, between the predicted and reference samples. The RMSECV of UV/visible, NIR, and MIR spectra was 1.59, 0.89, and 0.49 mmol/L, respectively. The results indicate that optical spectroscopy together with multivariate models can achieve a superior technique in assessing lactate concentrations.
Real-Time Size and Mass Estimation of Slender Axi-Symmetric Fruit/Vegetable Using a Single Top View Image
Authors: Huynh Tri , Tran Ly , Dao Son
Published: September 2020

Among the physical attributes of agricultural materials, mass, volume, and sizes have always been important quality parameters. Previous research focused mostly on volume estimation using stereo-based approaches, which rely on manual intervention or require a multiple-cameras set up or multiple-frames captures from different viewing angles to reconstruct the three-dimensional point-cloud information. These approaches are tedious and not suitable for practical machine vision systems. In this work, we only use a single camera mounted on the ceiling of the imaging chamber, which is directly above the fruit/vegetable to capture its top-view, two-dimensional image. We developed a method to estimate the mass/volume of agricultural products with axi-symmetrical shapes such as a carrot or a cucumber. The mass/volume is estimated as the sum of smaller standard blocks, such as chopped pyramids, an elliptical cone, or a conical cone. The computed mass/volume showed good agreement with analytical and experimental results. The weight estimation error is 95% for the case of the carrot and 96.7% for the cucumber. The method proved to be sufficiently accurate, easy to use, and rotationally invariant.
A Modified Residual-Based RAIM Algorithm for Multiple Outliers Based on a Robust MM Estimation
Authors: Wang Wenbo , Xu Ying
Published: September 2020

The residual-based (RB) receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) detector is a widely used receiver integrity enhancement technology that has the ability to rapidly respond to outliers. However, the sensitivity and vulnerability of the residuals to the outliers are the weaknesses of the method especially in the case of multi-outlier modes. It is an effective method for enhancing the validity of residuals by robust estimation instead of least squares (LS) estimation. In this paper, a modified RB RAIM detector based on a robust MM estimation with a higher detection performance under multi-outlier modes is presented. A fast subset selection method based on the characteristic slope that could reduce the number of subsets to be calculated is also presented. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm maintains a more robust performance than the RB RAIM detector based on the LS estimator and M estimator with an IGG III function especially with the increase in the number of outliers. The proposed fast subset selection method can reduce the calculation time by at least 80%, demonstrating the practical application value of the algorithm.
Patterns of B Corps Certification: The Role of Institutional, Economic, and Political Resources
Authors: Putnam Rankin Caddie , Matthews Todd Lee
Published: September 2020

This paper explores the certification of companies as B Corps from 2007 through 2016, the first 10 years of certification. B Corps are for profit companies that promise to “Be a Force for Good” in our society. Over 2600 companies in over 50 countries are certified as B Corps, responding to demands for higher accountability, ethical behavior, and contributions to their environment and community. We focus here only on B Corps in the United States and analyze a state-level database we have developed of 851 companies that became certified in the first 10 years of certification, between 2007 and 2016. In the paper we ask: What conditions in the macro environment facilitate the spread of B Corps certification? This paper uses the framework of resource dependence theory and institutional theory to explore the diffusion of certification. We hypothesize that institutional, economic, and political resources in the external environment provide conditions that support B Corps certification.
Understanding the Effectiveness of Higher Education System: Evidences from Market Outcomes of Early University Graduates in Seven European Countries
Authors: Yue Zhen , Zhao Kai
Published: September 2020

Being enlightened by Richard Florida’s seminal work on the creative class, this paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of higher education institutions to cultivate a workforce with utilised skills that meet the demand of labour market in the context of sustainable socio-economic development. Based on the macro and micro data generated from Eurostat and the Europe Labour Force Survey (EU LFS), the supply and demand condition of early graduates and the mismatch rate between early graduates’ education backgrounds and actual jobs they undertook are estimated by a multinomial logit model in seven European countries. The findings suggest that, (1) higher education has a significant impact on the formation of specific sustainability competencies that contribute to the development of creative economy; (2) many creative workers also have a high probability of finding jobs that are not commensurate with their qualifications; (3) the effect of higher education policies appears to be heterogeneous across different countries. Therefore, we argue that policy makers should increase awareness about connecting internal measures of education system (e.g., course design) directly to aims and scopes of sustainable socio-economic development scenarios, and joint efforts shall be made to reduce such mismatch rates for particular subjects that are identified by regular monitoring procedures or programmes on the basis of full consideration of interests and reasonable requirements across different countries in Europe.
Diffusion of Building Information Modeling in Building Projects and Firms in Singapore
Authors: Liao Longhui , Teo Evelyn Ai Lin , Chang Ruidong , Zhao Xianbo
Published: September 2020

Building information modeling (BIM) implementation has been mandated in building projects in Singapore, but a wider adoption is still desired. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing BIM diffusion and examine how the factors influence firms with different project roles, firm sizes, and BIM implementation experience. The results of a pilot study, a questionnaire survey with 89 professionals, and five post-survey interviews showed that hindrances related to inadequate multi-party collaboration (whether formal or informal), conservative mindset, limited skills, costly infrastructure and training, and multi-discipline model integration were the most influential, whereas drivers associated with project leadership team’s strategic consensus, multi-disciplinary design coordination, training, and government regulations were top-ranked. Subgroup analyses between pairs of firms with different characteristics revealed that while construction firms and less experienced stakeholders tended to underestimate BIM implementation difficulties, small-medium contractors might underestimate relevant benefits. The findings and managerial recommendations help different types of firms prioritize resources to overcome hindrances, seize opportunities (such as gaining a competitive edge from BIM practical experience), and obtain support from workers executing BIM daily. With major stakeholders’ recognition and implementation, BIM can be successfully diffused in building projects and firms. The Singapore government and other countries can refer to this study when further issuing BIM diffusion policies.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns and Changes in Body Weight among Polish Women. A Cross-Sectional Online Survey PLifeCOVID-19 Study
Authors: Drywień Małgorzata Ewa , Hamulka Jadwiga , Zielinska-Pukos Monika A. , Jeruszka-Bielak Marta , Górnicka Magdalena
Published: September 2020

There is limited information on the relationships between restrictions linked to COVID-19 and changes in body weight. The aim of the study was to identify the body weight changes and their determinants in the nutritional and socio-demographic context during the COVID-19 pandemic in Polish women. During lockdown in Poland, 34% of women gained weight, while 18% of women reduced weight. As many as 44% of women with obesity before the pandemic increased their body weight, and 74% of women that were underweight reduced their body weight. In a group with weight gain, women increased their body weight by 2.8 kg on average and around 65% of them increased their total food intake. Unhealthy dietary changes and the negative lifestyle changes that comprised of an increase in screen time and a decrease in physical activity were found as key factors associated with weight gain. A higher risk of weight gain was associated with being obese before the pandemic or living in a macroeconomic region >50% of EU-28 GDP, while those younger in age and carrying out remote work had a higher chance of weight loss. Concluding, the specific conditions during lockdown worsened the nutritional status, which may increase the risk of complicatedness and mortality from COVID-19. It seems advisable to create dietary and lifestyle recommendations tailored to the individual needs of women who are underweight or have excessive body weight. More attention should be paid also to environmental impacts. Both, the reduction of excessive body weight and the maintenance of a normal weight should be based on the principle to eat and live sustainably and healthily.
Seasonality Effect Analysis and Recognition of Charging Behaviors of Electric Vehicles: A Data Science Approach
Authors: Dominguez-Jimenez Juan A. , Campillo Javier E. , Montoya Oscar Danilo , Delahoz Enrique , Hernández Jesus C.
Published: September 2020

Electric vehicles (EVs) presence in the power grid can bring about pivotal concerns regarding their energy requirements. EVs charging behaviors can be affected by several aspects including socio-economics, psychological, seasonal among others. This work proposes a case study to analyze seasonal effects on charging patterns, using a public real-world based dataset that contains information from the aggregated load of the total charging stations of Boulder, Colorado. Our approach targets to forecast and recognize EVs demand considering seasonal factors. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to provide a visual representation of the variables and their contribution and the correlation among them. Then, twelve classification models were trained and tested to discriminate among seasons the charging load of electric vehicles. Later, a benchmark stage is presented for regression as well as for classification results. For regression models, examined through Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), the random Forest provides better prediction than quasi-Poisson model widely. However, it was observed that for large variations in electric vehicles’ charging load, quasi-Poisson fits better than random forest. For the classification models, evaluated through Accuracy and the Area under the Curve, the Lasso and elastic-net regularized generalized linear (GLMNET) model provided the best global performance with accuracy up to 100% when evaluated on the test dataset. The results of this work offer great insights for enhancing demand response strategies that involve PEV charging regarding charging habits across seasons.
A Resonant Hybrid DC Circuit Breaker for Multi-Terminal HVDC Systems
Authors: Miyara Ryo , Nakadomari Akito , Matayoshi Hidehito , Takahashi Hiroshi , Hemeida Ashraf M. , Senjyu Tomonobu
Published: September 2020

High-voltage direct current (DC) transmission systems and multi-terminal direct current transmission systems are attracting attention for expanding the grid to promote introduction of renewable energy. Fault clearing in DC systems is difficult because there is no zero point of current. Hybrid circuit breakers are suitable for fault clearing in DC systems. Conventional hybrid circuit breakers have a hard-switching path that damages the switch. Hard switching damages the device and produces emissions due to harmonic noise. A novel resonant hybrid DC circuit breaker is proposed in this paper. The proposed circuit breaker reduces the damage to the switching device using soft switching due to the current zero point. The proposed circuit breaker is compared with conventional hybrid circuit breakers using numerical simulations. Interruption times and switching types of circuit breakers were compared. The simulation results of the fault clearing characteristics of the proposed breakers show that the proposed breakers have sufficient performance and are capable of stable reconnections in multi-terminal direct current transmission systems.
Development of Sustainable Marathon Running: The Consumer Socialization Perspective
Authors: Hsiao Chia-Huei , Wang Fong-Jia , Lu Yu-Cheng
Published: September 2020

The authors attempt to explain why the generally accepted models built on consumer socialization theory do not sufficiently capture supporting consumer socialization behavior. According to marketing literature, social interaction may influence consumer behavior. The purpose of this study is to understand the behavior of consumers engaged in marathon running. The authors use three types of consumer socialization constructed factors (intergenerational influences, peer influences, and traditional media) and examine their effects on event conformity. A total of 299 marathon runners who were runners in one or more marathon running responded to the survey. The findings highlight social interaction as an influence on the consumer behavior of those engaged in marathon running. Meanwhile, our support conformity moderated the relationship between the intergenerationally influenced and marathon running behavior in marathon events. The authors emphasize the importance of reflecting on different relationships (consumer-related skills, knowledge, and attitudes) in understanding supporting consumer socialization behavior.
Basic Soil Data Requirements for Process-Based Crop Models as a Basis for Crop Diversification
Authors: Wimalasiri Eranga M. , Jahanshiri Ebrahim , Suhairi Tengku Adhwa Syaherah Tengku Mohd , Udayangani Hasika , Mapa Ranjith B. , Karunaratne Asha S. , Vidhanarachchi Lal P. , Azam-Ali Sayed N.
Published: September 2020

Data from global soil databases are increasingly used for crop modelling, but the impact of such data on simulated crop yield has not been not extensively studied. Accurate yield estimation is particularly useful for yield mapping and crop diversification planning. In this article, available soil profile data across Sri Lanka were harmonised and compared with the data from two global soil databases (Soilgrids and Openlandmap). Their impact on simulated crop (rice) yield was studied using a pre-calibrated Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) as an exemplar model. To identify the most sensitive soil parameters, a global sensitivity analysis was performed for all parameters across three datasets. Different soil parameters in both global datasets showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower and higher values than observed values. However, simulated rice yields using global data were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than from observed soil. Due to the relatively lower sensitivity to the yield, all parameters except soil texture and bulk density can still be supplied from global databases when observed data are not available. To facilitate the wider application of digital soil data for yield simulations, particularly for neglected and underutilised crops, nation-wide soil maps for 9 parameters up to 100 cm depth were generated and made available online.
Analysis of Self-Concept in Adolescents before and during COVID-19 Lockdown: Differences by Gender and Sports Activity
Authors: González-Valero Gabriel , Zurita-Ortega Félix , Lindell-Postigo David , Conde-Pipó Javier , Grosz Wilhelm Robert , Badicu Georgian
Published: September 2020

An appeal has been issued to the scientific community to investigate physical, mental and emotional states, and pro-social behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, this study aims to investigate adolescents’ self-concept before and during a lockdown period in relation to gender and type/amount of physical activity or sports. The pre-lockdown sample of 366 adolescents were aged 13–17 years (M = 15.51 ± 0.65), of whom 192 (52.5%) were females and 174 (47.5%) were males. During the lockdown, the age range of the sample was 13–17 years (M = 14.57 ± 1.47), of whom 82 (60.3%) were females, and 54 (39.7%) were males. The Form-5 Self-concept Questionnaire (AF-5) was used to measure adolescents’ self-concept. There was a reduction in adolescents’ overall self-concept during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was positively associated with emotional well-being, with family and peers being essential factors in the development of an appropriate self-concept. Furthermore, girls’ self-concept, especially academic self-concept, was higher than that of boys during the lockdown. However, both physical and emotional self-concept were higher for boys than girls before the COVID-19 lockdown, although no differences were found during the lockdown. The findings reveal that physical activity was positively correlated to self-concept before and during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Existence and Uniqueness of the Solution for an Integral Equation with Supremum, via w-Distances
Authors: Ilea Veronica , Otrocol Diana
Published: September 2020

Following the idea of T. Wongyat and W. Sintunavarat, we obtain some existence and uniqueness results for the solution of an integral equation with supremum. The paper ends with the study of Gronwall-type theorems, comparison theorems and a result regarding a Ulam–Hyers stability result for the corresponding fixed point problem.
Visible Shapes of Black Holes M87* and SgrA*
Authors: Dokuchaev Vyacheslav I. , Nazarova Natalia O.
Published: September 2020

We review the physical origins for possible visible images of the supermassive black hole M87* in the galaxy M87 and SgrA* in the Milky Way Galaxy. The classical dark black hole shadow of the maximal size is visible in the case of luminous background behind the black hole at the distance exceeding the so-called photon spheres. The notably smaller dark shadow (dark silhouette) of the black hole event horizon is visible if the black hole is highlighted by the inner parts of the luminous accreting matter inside the photon spheres. The first image of the supermassive black hole M87*, obtained by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, shows the lensed dark image of the southern hemisphere of the black hole event horizon globe, highlighted by accreting matter, while the classical black hole shadow is invisible at all. A size of the dark spot on the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) image agrees with a corresponding size of the dark event horizon silhouette in a thin accretion disk model in the case of either the high or moderate value of the black hole spin, a≳0.75.
Renal Allograft Biopsies with Polyomavirus BK Nephropathy: Turin Transplant Center, 2015–19
Authors: Zanotto Elisa , Allesina Anna , Barreca Antonella , Sidoti Francesca , Gallo Ester , Bottino Paolo , Iannaccone Marco , Bianco Gabriele , Biancone Luigi , Cavallo Rossana , Costa Cristina
Published: September 2020

Background: In kidney transplant patients, polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN) represents a serious complication; the key factor for the development of PVAN is immunosuppression level and modulation of anti-rejection treatment represents the first line of intervention. Allograft biopsy and histology remain the criterion standard for diagnosing PVAN. Methods: All consecutive renal biopsies with the diagnosis of PVAN carried out at the University Hospital City of Health and Science of Turin over a five-years period were studied. Renal allograft biopsy was performed due to renal function alterations associated to medium-high polyomavirus BK (BKV)-DNA levels on plasma specimen. Results: A total of 21 patients underwent a first biopsy to diagnose a possible BKV nephropathy, in 18, a second biopsy was made, in eight, a third biopsy, and finally, three underwent the fourth renal biopsy; following the results of each biopsies, immunosuppressant agents dosages were modified in order to reduce the effect of PVAN. Conclusions: In this study, the clinical and histological features of 21 kidney transplant recipients with BKV reactivation and development of PVAN are described. To date, the only treatment for PVAN consists in the reduction of immunosuppressive agents, constantly monitoring viral load.
The Role of Birds of Prey in West Nile Virus Epidemiology
Authors: Vidaña Beatriz , Busquets Núria , Napp Sebastian , Pérez-Ramírez Elisa , Jiménez-Clavero Miguel Ángel , Johnson Nicholas
Published: September 2020

Reported human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in Europe increased dramatically in 2018. Lineage 1 strains had been circulating in Euro-Mediterranean countries since the early 1990s. The subsequent introduction of WNV lineage 2 has been responsible for the remarkable upsurge of European WNV outbreaks since 2004, including the dramatic increase in human cases observed since 2018. The virus exists in a natural cycle between mosquitoes and wild birds, with humans and horses acting as dead-end hosts. As the key vertebrate hosts in the transmission cycle of WNV, avian species have been the focus of surveillance across many countries. Raptors appear particularly susceptible to WNV infection, resulting in higher prevalence, and in some cases exhibiting neurological signs that lead to the death of the animal. In addition, birds of prey are known to play an important role as WNV reservoir and potentially amplifying hosts of infection. Importantly, raptor higher susceptibility/prevalence may indicate infection through predation of infected prey. Consequently, they are considered important target species when designing cost-effective surveillance for monitoring both seasonal WNV circulation in endemic countries and its emergence into new areas, where migrating raptors may play a critical role in virus introduction. This review summarizes the different aspects of the current knowledge of WNV infection in birds of prey and evaluates their role in the evolution of the epizootic that is spreading throughout Europe.
Aquatic Worm Assemblages along the Danube: A Homogenization Warning
Authors: Atanacković Ana , Šporka Ferdinand , Marković Vanja , Slobodnik Jaroslav , Zorić Katarina , Csányi Bela , Paunović Momir
Published: September 2020

In this study, we analyzed the impacts of different environmental conditions on aquatic worm communities along the Danube River, based on two longitudinal surveys, the Joint Danube Surveys 2 and 3 (JDS; 2007 and 2013). We identified the most important environmental factors (among analyzed groups) that shape worm communities: hydromorphlogical alterations, flow velocity and substrate (HYMO group), dissolved oxygen, nitrates and nitrites (physico-chemical parameters), zinc and nickel (metals), monobutyltin cation, benzo(b) fluoranthene and benzo(k)fluoranthene, polychlorinated biphenyls PCB 77 and PCB 118 (selected chemical determinants—organotin compounds, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—PAHs and PCBs). A homogenization of species composition of Oligochaeta assemblages along the Danube was confirmed. As one of main factors related to biotic homogenization, hydromorphological alterations represented by similar changes in flow velocity and substrates along Danube’s course could be singled out. Our results indicate that Oligochaeta could be used for the identification of the level of hydromorphological degradation in large rivers (homogenization), rather than for stressors classified as nutrient and organic pollutants. Our results provide additional evidence in risk assessment of the environment, contributing in water management and monitoring of the ecological status as proposed by the Water Framework Directive.
Comparison Study of Multiple Precipitation Forcing Data on Hydrological Modeling and Projection in the Qujiang River Basin
Authors: Song Yongyu , Zhang Jing , Meng Xianyong , Zhou Yuyan , Lai Yuequn , Cao Yang
Published: September 2020

As a key factor in the water cycle and climate change, the quality of precipitation data directly affects the hydrological processes of the river basin. Although many precipitation products with high spatial and temporal resolutions are now widely used, it is meaningful and necessary to investigate and evaluate their merits and demerits in hydrological applications. In this study, two satellite-based precipitation products (Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission, TRMM; Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM, IMERG) and one reanalysis precipitation product (China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, CMADS) are studied to compare their streamflow simulation performance in the Qujiang River Basin, China, using the SWAT model with gauged rainfall data as a reference. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) CMADS has stronger precipitation detection capabilities compared to gauged rainfall, while TRMM results in the most obvious overestimation in the four sub-basins. (2) In daily and monthly streamflow simulations, CMADS + SWAT mode offers the best performance. CMADS and IMERG can provide high quality precipitation data for data-scarce areas, and IMERG can effectively avoid the overestimation of streamflow caused by TRMM, especially on a daily scale. (3) The runoff projections of the three modes under RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) 4.5 was higher than that of RCP 8.5 on the whole. IMERG + SWAT overestimates the surface water resources of the basin compared to CMADS + SWAT, while TRMM + SWAT provides the most stable uncertainty. These findings contribute to the comparison of the differences among the three precipitation products and provides a reference for the selection of precipitation data in similar regions.
Attracting Foreign Investment to the Chinese Economy: the Latest Secured Approaches Law
Authors: Novoselova L.V.
Published: September 2020

The article examines the current trends of China's current policy in attracting foreign direct investment. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the law of the people's Republic of China on foreign investment, which came into force in 2020 and replaced the three previous laws on enterprises with foreign capital participation. Based on the results of this analysis, a significant increase in the legal protection of foreign entrepreneurs was found. The new system of investment administration based on the application of the «negative list for foreign investments» with a gradual transition from the permissive to the notification procedure for the creation of enterprises of foreign capital is evaluated. It is characterized by a multi-level system of preferential financing areas and, above all, the last generation of these territories, represented by experimental free trade zones. The role of foreign entrepreneurship in overcoming the consequences of the «coronacrisis» is highlighted.
Web Design Visual Comic Communication As A Visual Based Learning Media
Authors: Ilamsyah Ilamsyah , Wulandari Ria , Fahreza Rivaldy Rifki
Published: September 2020

In this era of digitalization, there is no denying that all daily activities are made easier by technological advancements. Not spared from the current learning activities have almost used the progress of digitalization in the delivery of information and learning materials efficiently and effectively. But the more rapid and development of learning methods are not matched by unique creations so that learning becomes boring and can reduce the attractiveness of learning. With the existence of visual communication that has developed, the animation media can be one of the efforts to attract and improve reading and learning, comic animation can be relied upon in the current era where it can cover all groups. The method used in this research is data collection and system design. This web design was created using Yii Framework and Adobe Illustrator. The results of this study aim to improve the quality of learning, making it easier for users to create comics, especially for beginners.
Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca) Muscle and Evaluation of Antioxidant and Copper Chelating Activities of the Hydrolysates
Authors: KOCADAĞ KOCAZORBAZ Ebru , KANATSIZOĞLU Meliha , ÇEKER Hanife Ttuğçe , MENFAATLİ Esra
Published: September 2020

Bioactive peptides that originate from different sources, such as plant, animal, fungi, bacteria, and venom, are specific protein fragments that have positive effects on the body functions and health of living organisms. Most of the discovered bioactive peptides from different protein sources showed various biological features, such as antihypertension, antioxidant, antithrombotic, antimicrobial, and anticancer immunomodulation. The aim of this study is the evaluation of biological activities of stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca) muscle tissue protein hydrolysate. Therefore, the homogenized muscle tissue of stingray was hydrolyzed by esperase and trypsin enzymes. Enzyme/substrate ratio, hydrolysis time, and degree were optimized. Moreover, the antioxidant (CUPRAC method) and metal chelating (copper chelating) activities of the hydrolysates were evaluated.
RONALD AUGUSTO: “Se a poesia tiver um lugar, ela estará fadada à decadência. A ocupação de um lugar indica equilíbrio, talvez mesmo uma forma de consagração. A poesia não pode abdicar de precipitações, sacudidelas, tendências, oscilações, enfim, movimento”.
Authors: Rodrigues Gonçalves Elen , De Almeida Pereira Edimilson
Published: September 2020

Esta entrevista permitirá analisar alguns dos aspectos mais instigantes do trabalho de Ronald Augusto como poeta e pensador, bem como seu entendimento acerca das relações estabelecidas entre a criação poética e suas tendências críticas. Nosso entrevistado lança um olhar aguçado não só sobre o cenário da poesia contemporânea, mas também sobre a ordem social e política do país.
A narrativa histórica em Zulmira Ribeiro Tavares: “Cortejo em abril”
Authors: De Araújo Guedes Flávia Cristina
Published: September 2020

Este artigo apresenta uma discussão sobre o conto “Cortejo em abril”, da paulistana Zulmira Ribeiro Tavares, publicado em livro homônimo, em 1998, pela Companhia das Letras. O enfoque analítico debruça-se sobre a figuração histórica do cortejo fúnebre de Tancredo Neves no conto em questão. Partindo da perspectiva teórica do filósofo húngaro György Lukács, elabora-se um debate entre Literatura e História, pondo em destaque as contradições existentes nas relações sociais figuradas no conto. O tom irônico e sarcástico nas narrativas de Zulmira Ribeiro Tavares, que tem como objetivo ridicularizar e desmascarar a alienação de uma classe, indica uma herança machadiana. Em “Cortejo em abril”, essa finalidade entra em confluência com o momento histórico vigente – a morte e o cortejo fúnebre de Tancredo Neves e a redemocratização no Brasil –, trazendo à tona também questões políticas para a reflexão do leitor. O conto mostra como a figura de Tancredo era importante e capaz de influenciar o cotidiano das pessoas, tanto de camadas mais baixas quanto mais altas, dado que a população brasileira depositava nele a esperança de uma fase mais positiva na política brasileira e na vida dos brasileiros, especialmente os mais pobres.
Ecos filosóficos: o personagem conceitual de Sérgio Sant’Anna
Authors: Gaião Erica
Published: September 2020

Tendo como referência o conto “A aula”, de Sérgio Sant’Anna, o presente estudo propõe uma breve análise das perspectivas filosóficas apresentadas pelo protagonista. Filosofia, literatura e produção de conceitos se entrelaçam na narrativa mordaz de Sant’Anna. O fazer literário funde-se ao fazer filosófico, por meio de um jogo cênico articulado pelo ficcionista, tendo como instrumento um personagem que produz conceitos. Para a reflexão proposta, destacam-se aspectos relevantes que permitam caracterizar, a partir da filosofia de Gilles Deleuze e Félix Guattari, o personagem conceitual que dá voz aos temas filosóficos evocados, intencionalmente ou não, por Sant’Anna, que reverberam questões fundamentais abordadas pela filosofia ocidental.
O deus carnal de Walmir Ayala
Authors: S. Luís Carlos
Published: September 2020

Pretendo analisar alguns aspectos da obra literária de Walmir Ayala, poeta e prosador de inegável qualidade, ultimamente caído no esquecimento. Tratarei de tópicos intertextuais da sua obra, mas focarei, principalmente, em características da sua poesia e do seu romance À beira do corpo. Assim, o Amor-Paixão vivido no seio de uma sociedade preconceituosa e fechada, a par da libertária e pessoalíssima concepção de Deus, de Ayala, enformam a minha análise, a qual espero possa trazer luz a alguns traços da sua singular obra.
Oswaldo Martins: o vazio positivo
Authors: Lima Luiz Costa
Published: September 2020

Na poesia de Oswaldo Martins, a afirmação do vazio não se confunde com a transparência negativa do vazio pleno, anterior à configuração da forma, mas declara a incompletude do que passa a existir na espessura da escrita que o formula. Desfazendo a linguagem congestionada em favor da invenção poética, a formulação positiva do vazio é impulsionada, ademais, pela recusa do ornamental. Na medida em que a palavra edulcorada cede espaço ao que provoca asco e arrisca ser rejeitada pelo leitor, a precipitação formal do recalcado, realçada pela repugnância que provoca a tematização da merda, e a criticidade que lateja na subversão do erótico presentificam a agressividade do que é omitido pelo louvor da beleza e pela nobilitação métrica da temática amorosa. Prova da força alcançada pelo recurso formal do autor, a exploração de contrastes não se restringe à violação dos hábitos linguísticos do leitor, senão que funciona como mecanismo de precisão, aperfeiçoado de poema em poema, para cumprir o avesso da ausência, que não suscita a espera por seu preenchimento. É o que explica a surpresa produzida diante de certos poemas em que, apesar de mínimos, seus componentes dão a impressão de serem muitos.
Questões Teóricas e Metodológicas para os Estudos de Políticas Públicas de Lazer
Authors: Santos Flávia da Cruz
Published: September 2020

Diante do atual momento do desenvolvimento alcançado pelos estudos de políticas públicas de lazer, este texto intenciona apontar as concepções teóricas e metodológicas contemporâneas de Bo Rothstein (1998) e Michael Mann (1991, 1993) sobre o social e o político como possibilidades teóricas e metodológicas para repensarmos tais estudos. Rothstein (1998) nos traz o debate sobre as concepções normativas das políticas, no que se refere aos valores, às concepções de justiça e às normas sociais, e apresenta sua proposta metodológica de confronto da teoria com a empiria. E Mann (1991, 1993) constrói a teoria das fontes do poder social, na qual aponta a existência de quatro fontes de poder, que se sobrepõem e interceptam umas às outras nas sociedades. Além disso, ele nos apresenta uma proposta metodológica que se aproxima da proposta apresentada por Rothstein (1998).
CONCEPÇÕES DOCENTES SOBRE ENSINO MÉDIO INTEGRADO NO INSTITUTO FEDERAL DE ALAGOAS
Authors: Carvalho Géssika Cecília
Published: September 2020

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar como os docentes do Instituto Federal de Alagoas concebem a questão do ensino médio integrado e da constituição do currículo que atenda a essa demanda. Teve como objetivos compreender as percepções docentes sobre o ensino médio integrado e o currículo integrado, identificando as estratégias utilizadas pelos docentes para promover o currículo integrado e analisando suas dificuldades para estabelecê-lo. Foi realizado com 23 docentes do Instituto Federal de Alagoas e utilizou como instrumentos metodológicos a pesquisa bibliográfica e a documental, bem como o questionário. Os resultados apontaram que os docentes compreendem em parte de que se trata o ensino médio integrado e 78,3% utilizam estratégias que julgam promovê-lo, embora 82,6% nunca tenham recebido formação para trabalhar com o currículo integrado. Além disso, a maior parte consegue estabelecer parcerias com outros professores, mesmo que não haja planejamento conjunto entre eles. Isso demonstra a necessidade da utilização de estratégias, como formações e oficinas, para que os docentes tenham maior compreensão do que é o currículo integrado e de maneiras para promovê-lo. Aponta também para a importância da promoção de momentos de integração, parcerias e planejamento entre os docentes.
ESTADO DA ARTE DAS PESQUISAS DESENVOLVIDAS NO ÂMBITO DO MESTRADO PROFISSIONAL EM EDUCAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL, TÉCNICA E TECNOLÓGICA NAS TEMÁTICAS ENSINO MÉDIO INTEGRADO, INTERDISCIPLINARIDADE E PROEJA
Authors: Silva Flavio Augusto Pagarine , Prestes Liliane Madruga
Published: September 2020

O presente artigo tem como foco investigar as pesquisas desenvolvidas pelos primeiros egressos do Mestrado Profissional em Educação Profissional, Técnica e Tecnológica (ProfEPT), enfocando as temáticas: ensino médio integrado, interdisciplinaridade e PROEJA. O referido curso vem sendo ofertado pela Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica (RFEPCT) desde o ano de 2017, e conta com turmas em 36 Instituições Associadas (IAs), ficando a coordenação nacional a cargo do Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo (IFES).  A metodologia adotada foi de caráter qualitativo e constou de revisão de literatura e mapeamento das dissertações e respectivos produtos, os quais estão disponibilizados, via web, no Catálogo de dissertações e teses e no Repositório de Objetos Educacionais, ambos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).  O referencial teórico que subsidiou as análises se pautou em autores/as, tais como, Santomé (1998), Frigotto (2008), Ramos (2008, 2010 e 2017), Pombo (2008), Fazenda (2008), Moll (2010), Moura (2012), entre outros/as. Os dados produzidos demonstraram que as pesquisas sobre as temáticas enfocadas ainda são incipientes no âmbito do Mestrado ProfEPT. Ao mesmo tempo, o estudo aponta para a relevância e a potencialidade das dissertações analisadas, cujos produtos educacionais visam à escuta, ao protagonismo e à visibilidade de jovens e adultos no contexto da educação profissional. Além disso, fornecem pistas e inspirações para o desenvolvimento de outras ações visando à promoção da formação onmilateral.