bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applications of Digital Twins in the Healthcare Industry: Case Review of an IoT-Enabled Remote Technology in Dentistry
Authors: Maddahi Yaser , Chen Siqi
Published: September 2022

Industries are increasing their adoption of digital twins for their unprecedented ability to control physical entities and help manage complex systems by integrating multiple technologies. Recently, the dental industry has seen several technological advancements, but it is uncertain if dental institutions are making an effort to adopt digital twins in their education. In this work, we employ a mixed-method approach to investigate the added value of digital twins for remote learning in the dental industry. We examine the extent of digital twin adoption by dental institutions for remote education, shed light on the concepts and benefits it brings, and provide an application-based roadmap for more extended adoption. We report a review of digital twins in the healthcare industry, followed by identifying use cases and comparing them with use cases in other disciplines. We compare reported benefits, the extent of research, and the level of digital twin adoption by industries. We distill the digital twin characteristics that can add value to the dental industry from the examined digital twin applications in remote learning and other disciplines. Then, inspired by digital twin applications in different fields, we propose a roadmap for digital twins in remote education for dental institutes, consisting of examples of growing complexity. We conclude this paper by identifying the distinctive characteristics of dental digital twins for remote learning.
User Identification Utilizing Minimal Eye-Gaze Features in Virtual Reality Applications
Authors: Asish Sarker Monojit , Kulshreshth Arun K. , Borst Christoph W.
Published: September 2022

Emerging Virtual Reality (VR) displays with embedded eye trackers are currently becoming a commodity hardware (e.g., HTC Vive Pro Eye). Eye-tracking data can be utilized for several purposes, including gaze monitoring, privacy protection, and user authentication/identification. Identifying users is an integral part of many applications due to security and privacy concerns. In this paper, we explore methods and eye-tracking features that can be used to identify users. Prior VR researchers explored machine learning on motion-based data (such as body motion, head tracking, eye tracking, and hand tracking data) to identify users. Such systems usually require an explicit VR task and many features to train the machine learning model for user identification. We propose a system to identify users utilizing minimal eye-gaze-based features without designing any identification-specific tasks. We collected gaze data from an educational VR application and tested our system with two machine learning (ML) models, random forest (RF) and k-nearest-neighbors (kNN), and two deep learning (DL) models: convolutional neural networks (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM). Our results show that ML and DL models could identify users with over 98% accuracy with only six simple eye-gaze features. We discuss our results, their implications on security and privacy, and the limitations of our work.
Evaluating the Effect of Multi-Sensory Stimulation on Startle Response Using the Virtual Reality Locomotion Interface MS.TPAWT
Authors: Truong Takara E. , Luttmer Nathaniel G. , Eshete Ebsa R. , Zaki Alia B. M. , Greer Derek D. , Hirschi Tren J. , Stewart Benjamin R. , Gregory Cherry A. , Minor Mark A.
Published: September 2022

The purpose of the study was to understand how various aspects of virtual reality and extended reality, specifically, environmental displays (e.g., wind, heat, smell, and moisture), audio, and graphics, can be exploited to cause a good startle, or to prevent them. The TreadPort Active Wind Tunnel (TPAWT) was modified to include several haptic environmental displays: heat, wind, olfactory, and mist, resulting in the Multi-Sensory TreadPort Active Wind Tunnel (MS.TPAWT). In total, 120 participants played a VR game that contained three startling situations. Audio and environmental effects were varied in a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) study. Muscle activity levels of their orbicularis oculi, sternocleidomastoid, and trapezius were measured using electromyography (EMG). Participants then answered surveys on their perceived levels of startle for each situation. We show that adjusting audio and environmental levels can alter participants physiological and psychological response to the virtual world. Notably, audio is key for eliciting stronger responses and perceptions of the startling experiences, but environmental displays can be used to either amplify those responses or to diminish them. The results also highlight that traditional eye muscle response measurements of startles may not be valid for measuring startle responses to strong environmental displays, suggesting that alternate muscle groups should be used. The study’s implications, in practice, will allow designers to control the participants response by adjusting these settings.
Visual Background Choice and Light Environment Affect Male Guppy Visual Contrast
Authors: Endler John A. , Raggay Dara-Marie , Maerowitz-McMahan Solomon , Reznick David N. , Fuller Rebecca C.
Published: September 2022

Male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) have multiple colored spots and perform courtship displays near the edges of streams in Trinidad in shallow water flowing through rainforest. Depending upon the orientation of the pair, the female sees the male displays against gravel or other stream bed substrates or against the spacelight—the roughly uniform light coming from the water column away from the bank. We observed courting pairs in two adjacent natural streams and noted the directions of each male display. We found that the female sees the male more often against spacelight than against gravel when females either faced the spacelight from the opposite bank or from downstream, or both. Visual modelling using natural substrate reflectances and field light measurements showed higher chromatic contrast of males against spacelight than against substrates independent of the two ambient light environments used during displays, but achromatic contrast depended upon the ambient light habitat. This suggests that courtship involves both chromatic and achromatic contrast. We conclude that the orientation of courting pairs and the ambient light spectrum should be accounted for in studies of mate choice, because the visual background and light affect visibility, and these differ with orientation.
Hydrological Forecasting under Climate Variability Using Modeling and Earth Observations in the Naryn River Basin, Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Pamirbek kyzy Merim , Chen Xi , Liu Tie , Duulatov Eldiiar , Gafurov Akmal , Omorova Elvira , Gafurov Abror
Published: September 2022

The availability of water resources in Central Asia depends greatly on snow accumulation in the mountains of Tien-Shan and Pamir. It is important to precisely forecast water availability as it is shared by several countries and has a transboundary context. The impact of climate change in this region requires improving the quality of hydrological forecasts in the Naryn river basin. This is especially true for the growing season due to the unpredictable climate behavior. A real-time monitoring and forecasting system based on hydrological watershed models is widely used for forecast monitoring. The study’s main objective is to simulate hydrological forecasts for three different hydrological stations (Uch-Terek, Naryn, and Big-Naryn) located in the Naryn river basin, the main water formation area of the Syrdarya River. We used the MODSNOW model to generate statistical forecast models. The model simulates the hydrological cycle using standard meteorological data, discharge data, and remote sensing data based on the MODIS snow cover area. As for the forecast at the monthly scale, the model considers the snow cover conditions at separate elevation zones. The operation of a watershed model includes the effects of climate change on river dynamics, especially snowfall and its melting processes in different altitude zones of the Naryn river basin. The linear regression models were produced for monthly and yearly hydrological forecasts. The linear regression shows R2 values of 0.81, 0.75, and 0.77 (Uch-Terek, Naryn, and Big-Naryn, respectively). The correlation between discharge and snow cover at various elevation zones was used to examine the relationship between snow cover and the elevation of the study. The best correlation was in May, June, and July for the elevation ranging from 1000–1500 m in station Uch-Terek, and 1500–3500 m in stations Naryn and Big-Naryn. The best correlation was in June: 0.87; 0.76; 0.84, and May for the elevation ranging from 1000–3500 m in station Uch-Terek, and 2000–3000 m in stations Naryn and Big-Naryn. Hydrological forecast modeling in this study aims to provide helpful information to improve our under-standing that the snow cover is the central aspect of water accumulation.
Analysis of Hydraulic Performance and Flow Characteristics of Inlet and Outlet Channels of Integrated Pump Gate
Authors: Xie Chuanliu , Xuan Weipeng , Feng Andong , Sun Fei
Published: September 2022

The integrated pump gate structure can improve the shortcomings of traditional asymmetric pumping stations with large floor space, but its internal flow mechanism is not clear, which affects its efficient, stable, and safe operation. In order to reveal its internal fluid flow characteristics, numerical simulations based on the N-S equation with the SST k-ω turbulence model are used in this paper, and experimental validation is carried out. The test results yielded an efficiency of 60.50% near the design flow condition, corresponding to a flow rate of 11.5 L/s, a head of 2.7569 m, a hydraulic loss of 0.064 m in the inlet channel, and a hydraulic loss of 1.337 m in the outlet channel. The integrated pump gate has a uniform inlet water flow pattern, less undesirable flow pattern, and a large backflow vortex in the outlet water. This paper reveals the internal flow characteristics of its integrated pump gate inlet and outlet water, and the research results can provide some reference for the design, theoretical analysis, and application of similar integrated pump gates.
Brown Trout Upstream Passage Performance for a Fishway with Water Drops between Pools beyond Fish Passage Design Recommendations
Authors: Bravo-Córdoba Francisco Javier , Fuentes-Pérez Juan Francisco , García-Vega Ana , Peñas Francisco Jesús , Barquín José , Sanz-Ronda Francisco Javier
Published: September 2022

This work aims to assess brown trout (Salmo trutta) passage through a free-flow pool-weir-type fishway with hydrodynamic notches and extreme water drops between pools. It consists of an old-school fishway design, commonly constructed in salmon rivers of Spain during the period of 1950–1980. To assess their performance, a field test was designed with confined trial conditions during the spawning migratory season. The mean water drop between pools was 0.65 m and the total water height considered for the trial was 11.8 m. The monitoring was carried out using PIT telemetry. The initial hypothesis, considering the fishway design and assessment guidelines, classified this structure as hardly insurmountable. Results showed an ascent success of 19% with a median transit time of 29.1 min/m of ascended height. Larger fish and fishway sections with lower values of volumetric power dissipation were related to a better performance in the passage. The results suggest that in certain circumstances, such as limited construction areas where other design or management options are difficult to implement (e.g., canyons), this type of fishway may be an alternative for the upstream passage of at least a small proportion of the brown trout population, although a selection effect is expected.
Digestate of Fecal Sludge Enhances the Tetracycline Removal in Soil Microbial Fuel Cells
Authors: Cui Han , Wang Jing , Feng Kun , Xing Defeng
Published: September 2022

The soil pollution of agricultural lands is increasingly being caused by the widely used antibiotic tetracycline (TC) in the animal husbandry industry. Soil microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) provide a promising strategy for the bioremediation of contaminated soil. However, our current understanding of the bioremediation of TC-contaminated soil by SMFC is still limited. Here, we investigated the influence of fecal sludge (FS) digestate on TC biodegradation efficiency and extracellular electron transfer in SMFCs. The addition of FS digestate was beneficial to electricity generation by SMFC, and thus enhanced the removal efficiency of TC in the SMFC. After 25 days, the SMFC with fecal sludge digestate showed a TC removal efficiency of 64.5%, compared to values of 25.2% and 21.4% observed for a SMFC and an open-circuit SMFC operating without the addition of fecal sludge digestate, respectively. Moreover, the addition of FS digestate was favorable for electricity generation by SMFCs, and the average current density and the maximum power density of the SMFC with fecal sludge digestate were 0.054 A/m3 and 8.85 W/m3, respectively. The enrichment of Desulfuromonas and Pseudomonas in the electrode biofilms might account for their high TC removal efficiency and electricity generation. The SMFC with fecal sludge digestate provides a promising approach for the simultaneous disposal of fecal sludge digestate and the bioremediation of antibiotics-contaminated-soil.
Numerical Simulation of Axial-Flow Pump Cavitation Based on Variable Frequency Speed Regulation
Authors: Ye Jincheng , Tan Linwei , Shi Weidong , Chen Cheng , Francis Egbo Munachi
Published: September 2022

In order to investigate the influence of variable voltage and variable frequency (VVVF) regulation on the cavitation performance of the axial-flow pump, numerical simulation and experiments were used to analyze the cavitation performance of an axial-flow pump under different VVVF modes. The VVVF modes were uniform acceleration with constant acceleration, variable acceleration with increasing acceleration, variable acceleration with decreasing acceleration, and its corresponding deceleration scheme. Furthermore, a comprehensive performance test rig was built for the pump to carry out cavitation visualization tests which verified the accuracy of numerical simulation. For the uniform acceleration scheme with constant acceleration, the change of flow field inside the impeller was stable, the expansion rate of cavitation was slow, and the growth rate of the cavitation volume was the slowest. For the variable acceleration scheme with decreasing acceleration, the cavitation extended rapidly due to the large initial velocity. For the variable acceleration scheme with increasing acceleration, cavitation extension was the slowest. The growth rate of the cavity volume of the two variable acceleration schemes was faster than that of the uniform acceleration scheme, and the changing trend was consistent. This feature indicates that the impeller rotation speed has a significant impact on cavitation, and excessive rotation speed will rapidly extend the cavitation. By monitoring the influence of cavitation on pressure distribution under VVVF, it was shown that the three acceleration schemes all produce large pressure fluctuation. For the uniform acceleration scheme with constant acceleration, the fluctuation range of pressure was more balanced, and the pressure dropped slowly. For the acceleration scheme with higher acceleration, the pressure fluctuation amplitude increased in the late stage of acceleration and the pressure decline speed accelerated. For the acceleration scheme with decreasing acceleration, the pressure showed a downward trend with violent fluctuations in the early stage and gradually tended to be flat in the late stage.
Determining Soil Available Water Capacity and Reasonable Irrigation Volume in Dryland Pasture
Authors: Jiang Ruijun , Li Tonglu , Jia Zhijie , Dong Yonglu
Published: September 2022

Among the methods used to describe soil-available water in terms of yield, field water capacity and permanent wilting coefficient were considered as the upper and lower boundaries, respectively, for normal plant growth. This study investigated the soil properties and groundwater resources of the Hailiutu pasture in Inner Mongolia, China. Soil water characteristics and hydraulic conductivity function curves of the pasture soil were measured based on filter paper method. Experimental results showed that air-entry and residual value were determined to be 34.6% and 13.1%, corresponding to the field water capacity and permanent wilting coefficient, respectively, and the available water capacity was 218.0 mm. The downward velocity of the soil wetting front in the silt is 3.0 mm/h. Site investigation revealed that the pasture was a natural capillary barrier, and its critical suction could optimize the upper boundary of irrigation. Considering the limited underground water resources, shallow water level, and the transpiration of Caragana Korshinskii in the pasture, an available drip irrigation method was designed. The spacing between drip irrigation pipes is 60 cm, the spacing between drip holes is 60 cm, the drip irrigation volume per hole is 475.2~838.8 mL/d, the drip irrigation time is 110~200 min at each night. Each hectare pasture exhausts 13.5~22.5 m3 water each day. Field tests showed that the proposed method is feasible and can be used for irrigation in dryland pastures.
Mathematical Model for the Movement of Two-Pipe Vehicles in a Straight Pipe Section
Authors: Jia Xiaomeng , Sun Xihuan , Li Yongye
Published: September 2022

In the design process for a two-pipe vehicles transportation system, some simple mathematical models are required to quickly calculate the main characteristics of the system. For this purpose, an easy-to-handle mathematical model for the concentric annular gap flow is proposed, and the velocity expression for the concentric annular gap flow is solved using cylindrical coordinates. According to the force characteristics of the two-pipe vehicles, a mathematical model of the two-pipe vehicle motion is established, and the motion and force balance equations of the two-pipe vehicles are deduced. The experimental results are in good agreement with the model results. The factors affecting the two-pipe vehicles movement speed are analyzed, and the standard regression coefficient method in multiple regression analysis is used to determine the influence degree of each factor on the movement speed of the two-pipe vehicles. The research presented in this paper not only enriches the annular gap flow theory, but also provides a theoretical reference for the development of the two-pipe vehicles transportation technology and provides technical support for the realization of relevant industrial applications.
Ecological Quality Assessment of Greek Lowland Rivers with Aquatic Macrophytes in Compliance with the EU Water Framework Directive
Authors: Stefanidis Konstantinos , Dimitrellos Georgios , Sarika Maria , Tsoukalas Dionysios , Papastergiadou Eva
Published: September 2022

Aquatic macrophytes are one of the four biological quality elements (BQE) used for assessing the ecological status of inland waters according to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60). With this article, we present the methodological approach for the implementation of a WFD compliant macrophyte index to the riverine systems of Greece. In addition to the definition and harmonization of the ecological quality class boundaries, the results from the pilot application of the index and the ecological classification of the monitored river reaches are also presented. Aquatic plants and environmental parameters were sampled from 93 river reaches between 2012 and 2015. A multivariate analysis with optimal scaling (MVAOS) was conducted to define the main stressor gradient and to identify the least disturbed sites and the reference conditions that are required for the derivation of the ecological quality classes. The Macrophyte Biological Index IBMR for Greek rivers (IBMRGR) was calculated for all the sites and the boundaries for the five quality classes were derived according to the methodology proposed by the Mediterranean Geographic Intercalibration Group (MedGIG). The main findings showed that the hydromorphological modifications were the main environmental stressors that correlated strongly with the IBMRGR, whereas physicochemical stressors were of lesser importance. More specifically, the first principal component explained 51% of the total variance of the data, representing a moderately strong gradient of hydromorphological stress, whereas the second component explained 22.5%, representing a weaker gradient of physicochemical stress. In addition, the ecological assessment showed that almost 60% of the sites failed the WFD target of the “Good” ecological quality class, which agrees with classification assessments based on other BQEs for Greece and many Mediterranean countries. Overall, this work provides a first assessment of the ecological classification of Greek rivers with the BQE of aquatic macrophytes with significant implications for ecological monitoring and decision making within the frame of the WFD implementation.
Feasibility of Adding Twitter Data to Aid Drought Depiction: Case Study in Colorado
Authors: Mukherjee Sarbajit , Wang Simon , Hirschfeld Daniella , Lisonbee Joel , Gillies Robert
Published: September 2022

The use of social media, such as Twitter, has changed the information landscape for citizens’ participation in crisis response and recovery activities. Given that drought progression is slow and also spatially extensive, an interesting set of questions arise, such as how the usage of Twitter by a large population may change during the development of a major drought alongside how the changing usage facilitates drought detection. For this reason, contemporary analysis of how social media data, in conjunction with meteorological records, was conducted towards improvement in the detection of drought and its progression. The research utilized machine learning techniques applied over satellite-derived drought conditions in Colorado. Three different machine learning techniques were examined: the generalized linear model, support vector machines and deep learning, each applied to test the integration of Twitter data with meteorological records as a predictor of drought development. It is found that the integration of data resources is viable given that the Twitter-based model outperformed the control run which did not include social media input. Eight of the ten models tested showed quantifiable improvements in the performance over the control run model, suggesting that the Twitter-based model was superior in predicting drought severity. Future work lies in expanding this method to depict drought in the western U.S.
Estimation of Fractal Dimension of Suspended Sediments from Two Mexican Rivers
Authors: Zepeda Mondragon Hilda , Garcia Aragon Juan Antonio , Salinas Tapia Humberto , Krishnappan Bommanna G.
Published: September 2022

Sampling programs for suspended sediment were carried out in the Usumacinta River and its tributary Grijalva River in Mexico during the years 2016 and 2017. Suspended sediment samples collected during these sampling programs were analyzed in the laboratory using a Rotating Annular Flume (RAF) fitted with a Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) to obtain the 2D images of the suspended sediment particles as they were undergoing floc reconstruction, and subsequently using a glass settling column fitted with inline digital holography set up to obtain 3D holograms of the fully flocculated sediment particles. From these high-resolution hologram images, the fractal dimension of the flocculated sediment particles was obtained using the classical box-counting method and an improved Triangular box-counting method. The estimated fractal dimension of flocculated sediment, which is a measure of floc compactness and structure that control the settling velocity of flocculated sediment was used to validate two empirical models to estimate the fractal dimension in terms of the floc sizes of suspended sediments of these two rivers. It is shown in this study that the floc characteristic can be analyzed in laboratory experiments after floc reconstruction with the use of an RAF and it offers a viable alternative to the costly in-situ sampling that is often carried out in ocean research. The digital holography method employed in this research offers an efficient methodology to obtain the floc fractal dimension. Regarding the innovative aspects and new contribution to science, we can say that we have developed a laboratory protocol to test river waters to establish floc properties such as fractal dimensions of flocs in this research which will help to test river waters on a routine basis with manageable costs. We can also say that we have developed models to predict the relationship between floc fractal dimension and floc size, which did not exist before.
Analyzing the Impacts of Sewer Type and Spatial Distribution of LID Facilities on Urban Runoff and Non-Point Source Pollution Using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)
Authors: Lee Jimin , Kim Jinsun , Lee Jong Mun , Jang Hee Seon , Park Minji , Min Joong Hyuk , Na Eun Hye
Published: September 2022

The negative changes in the hydrological cycle are increasing due to climate change and urbanization, resulting in deterioration of water quality and environmental issues. Although Low-Impact Development (LID) techniques studies have been conducted to solve this problem, the spatial distribution of LID facilities and sewer types has received less attention. In this study, it is proposed to analyze the effects of sewer type, the spatial distribution of LID facilities, and LID type on runoff and water quality using the Storm Water Management Model and to identify effective ways of improving the hydrological cycle and Non-Point Source (NPS) pollution associated with urbanization. As a result of the runoff reduction analysis, 68% of the rainfall was discharged at the outlet for separate sewers, 79% for combined sewers without storage tank, and 49% for combined sewers with storage tank. The LID scenario results showed the distributed LID application method has higher reduction efficiency of runoff and NPS pollution than the intensive application method. Moreover, intensive application of LID in downstream areas resulted in higher runoff reduction efficiency than the application of LID in upstream areas. It will be used not only in the hydrological cycle plan but also in NPS pollution management.
Effect of Animal Burrows on the Vulnerability of Levees to Concentrated Erosion
Authors: Ceccato Francesca , Malvestio Stefano , Simonini Paolo
Published: September 2022

Earth dams and levees often offer an attractive habitat for burrowing animals such as porcupines, nutria, badgers, etc. However, their activity may damage the earth structure, potentially leading to catastrophic failures. If the burrow system connects the waterside and the landside, water flows through the pipe and it can start concentrated erosion. This paper shows that the conditions to trigger concentrated erosion can be generated by a local instability mechanism of the landside slope in which the soil cover between the cavity and the surface is expulsed due to increasing water pressure. A simplified model based on the limit equilibrium method is proposed and compared with bi-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element analyses. This mechanism can better explain real failure cases. The results provide useful suggestions for the assessment of levee vulnerability to animal burrows and for the management of water retaining structures.
The Impact of Rainfall on Soil Moisture Variability in Four Homogeneous Rainfall Zones of India during Strong, Weak, and Normal Indian Summer Monsoons
Authors: Zheng Yangxing , Bourassa Mark A. , Ali M. M.
Published: September 2022

This observational study mainly examines the impact of rainfall on Indian soil moisture (SM) variability in four homogeneous rainfall zones (i.e., central India (CI), northwest India (NWI), south peninsula India (SPIN), and northeast India (NEI)) as defined by India Meteorological Department (IMD) during strong, weak, and normal Indian summer monsoons (ISMs), which are determined regionally for each homogeneous rainfall zone separately. This study uses the daily gridded (0.25° × 0.25°) rainfall data set provided by IMD and the daily gridded (0.25° × 0.25°) SM combined product version 06.1 from European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) over the period 1992–2020. Results reveal that monthly and seasonal mean SM in NWI, CI, and SPIN are overall higher during strong than during weak ISMs. The daily SM and its dependence on rainfall appear to be region-locked in space and phase-locked in time: Strong correlation and large response to rainfall generally occur in most parts of SPIN and NWI during June (June–July) of strong (weak) ISMs where SM values are relatively small; Weak correlation and small response generally occur in CI and NEI in July-September (August–September) of strong (weak) ISMs where SM values are relatively large. The phase-locked feature is associated with the features of ISMs. The region-locked feature is presumably associated with the local features, such as soil and vegetation types and/or environmental conditions. Both region-locked and phase-locked features cause regional distinct features in SM persistence.
Legislation and Policy on Pollution Prevention and the Control of Marine Microplastics
Authors: Li Yingying
Published: September 2022

Marine microplastic pollution and plastic pollution are two different things but they are related. In the past 10 years, several countries and regions have issued a ban on microbeads. We analyze the above countries or regions according to three aspects: whether there is special legislation for marine microplastic pollution, the subject of the regulations, and the prevention and control measures. The common feature of the policy documents of these countries is that they target the ban of only microbeads and no other types of microplastics. Based on a comparative study, we found three dilemmas in the regulation of marine microplastic pollution. We conducted a comparative analysis of the legislation or policy documents of the above-mentioned countries and regions in order to identify how they solve the above difficulties. We summarized three legislative and policy regulation models and analyzed their respective advantages. Based on legal theories and empirical methods, some observations and suggestions are made regarding the regulation of primary and secondary microplastic pollution, especially in China’s situation.
Assessment of Agricultural Water Sufficiency under Climate and Land Use Changes in the Lam Takong River Basin
Authors: Insan Sudarat , Kuntiyawichai Kittiwet
Published: September 2022

To narrow the gap of agricultural water insufficiency in the Lam Takong River Basin, Thailand, we conducted an assessment of water availability and agricultural water demand under climate and land use changes. The water availability was estimated by SWAT, which was calibrated and validated during 2008–2012 and 2013–2018 against the observed daily discharge at the M.164 station. Measured and simulated discharges showed good agreement during calibration and validation, as indicated by values of 0.75 and 0.69 for R2 and 0.74 and 0.63 for Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency, respectively. The results of GCMs (IPSL-CM5-MR, NorESM1-M, and CanESM2) under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5 were calculated to investigate changes in rainfall and temperature during 2020–2099. The warming tendencies of future maximum and minimum temperatures were projected as 0.018 and 0.022 °C/year and 0.038 and 0.045 °C/year under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5, respectively. The future rainfall was found to increase by 0.34 and 1.06 mm/year under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5, respectively. As compared to the 2017 baseline, the future planted areas of rice, maize, and cassava were projected to decrease during 2020–2099, while the sugarcane plantation area was expected to increase until 2079 and then decline. The top three greatest increases in future land use area were identified as residential and built-up land (in 2099), water bodies (in 2099), and other agricultural land (in 2059), while the three largest decrease rates were paddy fields (in 2099), forest land (in 2099), and orchards (during 2059–2079). Under the increased reservoir storage and future climate and land use changes, the maximum and minimum increases in annual discharge were 1.4 (RCP 8.5) and 0.1 million m3 (RCP 4.5) during 2060–2079. The sugarcane water demand calculated by CROPWAT was solely projected to increase from baseline to 2099 under RCP 4.5, while the increase for sugarcane and cassava was found for RCP 8.5. The future unmet water demand was found to increase under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5, and the highest deficits would take place in June and March during 2020–2039 and 2040–2099, respectively. In this context, it is remarkable that the obtained results are able to capture the continued and growing imbalance between water supply and agricultural demand exacerbated by future climatic and anthropogenic land use changes. This research contributes new insight for compiling a comprehensive set of actions to effectively build resilience and ensure future water sufficiency in the Lam Takong River Basin.
Identifying Positive Deviant Farms Using Pareto-Optimality Ranking Technique to Assess Productivity and Livelihood Benefits in Smallholder Dairy Farming under Contrasting Stressful Environments in Tanzania
Authors: Shija Dismas Said , Mwai Okeyo A. , Migwi Perminus Karubiu , Komwihangilo Daniel M. , Bebe Bockline Omedo
Published: September 2022

In smallholder dairy-cattle farming, identifying positive deviants that attain outstanding performance can inform targeted improvements in typical, comparable farms under similar environmental stresses. Mostly, positive deviants are identified subjectively, introducing bias and limiting generalisation. The aim of the study was to objectively identify positive deviant farms using the Pareto-optimality ranking technique in a sample of smallholder dairy farms under contrasting stressful environments in Tanzania to test the hypothesis that positive deviant farms that simultaneously outperform typical farms in multiple performance indicators also outperform in yield gap, productivity and livelihood benefits. The selection criteria set five performance indicators: energy balance ≥ 0.35 Mcal NEL/d, disease-incidence density ≤ 12.75 per 100 animal-years at risk, daily milk yield ≥ 6.32 L/cow/day, age at first calving ≤ 1153.28 days and calving interval ≤ 633.68 days. Findings proved the hypothesis. A few farms (27: 3.4%) emerged as positive deviants, outperforming typical farms in yield gap, productivity and livelihood benefits. The estimated yield gap in typical farms was 76.88% under low-stress environments and 48.04% under high-stress environments. On average, total cash income, gross margins and total benefits in dairy farming were higher in positive deviants than in typical farms in both low- and high-stress environments. These results show that the Pareto-optimality ranking technique applied in a large population objectively identified a few positive deviant farms that attained higher productivity and livelihood benefits in both low- and high-stress environments. However, positive deviants invested more in inputs. With positive deviant farms objectively identified, it is possible to characterise management practices that they deploy differently from typical farms and learn lessons to inform the uptake of best practices and extension messages to be directed to improving dairy management.
Corporate University as a Business Accelerator in the Field of Education
Authors: Andriushchenko Kateryna , Liezina Anastasiia , Kuchai Oksana , Petukhova Helena
Published: September 2022

Corporate training is currently more flexible and acts as an accelerator in the field of training. The object of the current research is the system of education in corporate universities. The purpose of the work is to analyze the possibilities and experience of evaluating the effectiveness of training at a corporate university in order to identify tools that can be used to evaluate various performance indicators and to determine which of them can be transferred to other educational organizations. Possible shortcomings of the implementation of corporate training in the format of a corporate university as a separate legal entity are shown. To achieve this goal, we have identified suitable tools for evaluating the effectiveness of corporate training and evaluating its applicability in practice. As a result, the authors determined that the assessment of the effectiveness of corporate training in terms of indicators of the 1st and 2nd levels of the Kirkpatrick methodology can be easily carried out using various tools. Corporate universities usually use the necessary surveys during and after training for this purpose. The authors proposed to apply various methods of post-program support using appropriate educational technologies and mandatory assessment of participants sometime after training.
Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Economy of Chosen EU Countries
Authors: Pavolová Henrieta , Čulková Katarína , Šimková Zuzana
Published: September 2022

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the worst global crisis, having a considerable influence on the economy of individual states and whole regions. The present paper focuses on the evaluation of macroeconomic indicators influencing the economic development of selected EU countries due to the pandemic situation. The evaluation focuses on the Visegrad group countries through the TOPSIS method, providing a way to find out the best and the worst economic situation of the evaluated countries. Based on the results of the selected indicators in the countries, we found the trend of the economic development in the analyzed period, characterized by development disparities. According to the analyzed data, we constructed the order of the economic development in the countries. The results serve for the prediction of the economic development in the EU due to the pandemic situation from the perspective of the GDP and employment trend, as well as for the creation of future monetary and fiscal policies in the states. The results could also serve for possible scenarios of future pandemic impacts on the economies.
Put Gender on the Tender in Australian Public Projects
Authors: Tang Liyaning (Maggie) , Sohail Shaleeza , Shorthouse Emma , Sullivan Larissa , Williams Matthew
Published: September 2022

Australia’s construction industry throughout the last two decades has seen an increase in the number of women pursuing careers. The percentage it has increased by between 1998 and 2020 is a disappointing 0.2% despite the research, strategies, and initiatives the Australian Government has implemented during the interval. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and support the legislative notion of required gender percentages on tendering documents and how this change could increase the number of women in public projects. A systematic literature review of scholarly sources from the database Scopus was applied to develop a thematic analysis of women in the industry. The results found four themes: underrepresentation, barriers to career, education pathways, and opportunities for employment. These themes reinforced the need to introduce legislation such as gender requirements for public projects. Connections made were that gender legislation would increase the number of job opportunities, more jobs would encourage all levels of education to promote women in construction, more women in construction would improve their underrepresentation, and thus make women-centric problems in the workforce a more common issue and more likely to improve. The paper concludes that to see an increase in the number of women in Australia’s construction industry, the government must take enforceable legislative change. This change must start by creating legislation that requires organisations that want to tender with the government to have a minimum percentage of women in any proposed public works submission before it can be awarded.
Life Cycle Assessment under Uncertainty: A Scoping Review
Authors: Barahmand Zahir , Eikeland Marianne S.
Published: September 2022

Today, life cycle assessment (LCA) is the most widely used approach to model and calculate the environmental impacts of products and processes. The results of LCAs are often said to be deterministic, even though the real-life applications are uncertain and vague. The uncertainty, which may be simply ignored, is one of the key factors influencing the reliability of LCA outcomes. Numerous sources of uncertainty in LCA are classified in various ways, such as parameter and model uncertainty, choices, spatial variability, temporal variability, variability between sources and objects, etc. Through a scoping review, the present study aims to identify and assess the frequency with which LCA studies reflect the uncertainty and what are the tools to cope with the uncertainty to map the knowledge gaps in the field to reveal the challenges and opportunities to have a robust LCA model. It is also investigated which database, methodology, software, etc., have been used in the life cycle assessment process. The results indicate that the most significant sources of uncertainty were in the model and process parameters, data variability, and the use of different methodologies and databases. The probabilistic approach or stochastic modeling, using numerical methods such as Monte Carlo simulation, was the dominating tool to cope with the uncertainty. There were four dominant LCA methodologies: CML, ReCiPe, IMPACT 2002+, and TRACI. The most commonly used LCA software and databases were SimaPro® and Ecoinvent®, respectively.
Pacientes com necessidades especiais submetidos à anestesia geral balanceada em um centro de especialidade odontológica na região norte do Brasil
Authors: Pimenta Thais Caroline Alves de Freitas , Lima Michely Lima Brito Buarque de , Santos Rafaela Santos dos , Castro Micaele Maria Lopes , Lima Fabrício Viana Pereira , Pinto Cássio Gonçalves , Arraes Arianne Alexandre de Moraes , Pedreira Erick Nelo
Published: September 2022

Objetivo: Verificar o perfil epidemiológico dos pacientes com necessidades especiais, assistidos em um Centro de Especialidade Odontológica (CEO) na região norte do Brasil, submetidos à anestesia geral balanceada, para a realização de procedimentos odontológicos, entre os anos de 2019 a 2021.  Material e Método: Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo descritivo com utilização de dados secundários. Os dados foram consultados em prontuários eletrônicos do centro, e as informações coletadas foram: idade, sexo e tipo de necessidade especial. Resultados: Foram analisados 260 prontuários. 78% dos pacientes estavam na faixa etária de 0 a 20 anos. A maioria era do sexo masculino (67%) e a necessidade especial mais prevalente foi o autismo. Conclusão: Conclui-se que estes pacientes precisam de abordagens multidisciplinares, sendo o papel do cirurgião-dentista indispensável para a prevenção de doenças bucais e manutenção de sua saúde oral. Sendo a anestesia geral um dos métodos de abordagens para o tratamento odontológico quando o atendimento ambulatorial não é possível.
Discurso de ódio: liberdade de expressão e delimitação jurídica do abuso de seu exercício
Authors: Matos Valmir Caliman
Published: September 2022

O presente artigo tem por escopo analisar conceitualmente o fenômeno do discurso de ódio – em ascensão hodiernamente – nos diversos âmbitos da vida social, bem como as consequências que essa prática carreia à coletividade. A melhor interpretação do fenômeno está intimamente relacionada à compreensão das denominadas fake news. Em suma, tenciona investigar eventuais balizas incidentes sobre o direito à liberdade de expressão, a partir da construção de precedentes pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal ao interpretar a Constituição Federal, de sorte que o exercício deste não extravase limites estabelecidos pela ordem jurídica, previstos justamente com o fim de tutelar outros direitos e garantias igualmente fundamentais dos indivíduos.
Colonização, política e educação no Brasil e na África do Sul: leituras e projeções comparativas
Authors: Silva Guilhermina Reis da , Vaz Amanda Juliana Costa
Published: September 2022

O estudo aborda aspectos da História da Educação Brasileira e Sul Africana, correlacionando algumas semelhanças e particularidades. Parte-se do pressuposto indagativo: o histórico da educação no Brasil teria correspondências com a África do Sul, considerando em comum traços da colonização na composição dos países? A ocupação do território desses países ocorreu por meio da exploração, tendo em comum interesses econômicos e o que haveria de semelhanças e/ou contradições? O ensaio tem por objetivo compreender aspectos da História da Educação na África do Sul e no Brasil, por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica, cujo foco propõe tecer os nexos das semelhanças e particularidades, dimensionando um exercício de história comparada, com traços comuns da origem do passado colonial português. Busca-se a fundamentação no aporte teórico de autores que abordam a História da Educação no Brasil do período colonial ao século XX, que evidencia uma reflexão acerca da dualidade elitismo x exclusão, bem como os efeitos do processo de colonização na escolarização. Além disso, dialoga com autores que problematizam a herança deixada na África do Sul pelo apartheid e suas consequências na educação, bem como a importância da cooperação mútua entre Brasil e África do Sul no que se refere às produções científicas e troca de experiências no campo educacional. Nas sínteses conclusivas, em concordância com os autores, pondera-se que ambos os países possuem uma democracia jovem, assim como semelhantes problemas alusivos às desigualdades sociais, desemprego e grupos oligárquicos que buscam privilégios em detrimento às necessidades da população.  Há também uma grande dificuldade em alcançar o ideal de nação igualitária, justiça social com oportunidades a partir de uma educação gratuita e de boa qualidade no Brasil e África do Sul.
As TIC como estratégia de ampliação da internacionalização acadêmica da pós-graduação Stricto Sensu
Authors: Lanzarini Joice Nunes , Gustsack Felipe , Oliveira Claudio José de
Published: September 2022

A transposição das fronteiras de educação superior, facilitada pelas TIC, pode trazer uma contribuição significativa para a qualidade da educação, mas para isso, segundo a UNESCO, as IES precisam saber como aproveitar o potencial das TIC para qualificar suas ações. Os Programas de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu, têm se consolidado como um espaço privilegiado para a produção e socialização do conhecimento a partir de suas ações de pesquisa em todas as áreas. Estes cursos são avaliados também pelo grau de internacionalização dos seus programas e de suas produções. Mas, de que maneira estes cursos têm se apropriado das TIC para ampliar a sua internacionalização acadêmica? Para responder esta questão, realizamos uma pesquisa qualitativa, na qual foram analisados o Documento de Área 2013 – Educação e as Propostas Pedagógicas dos Programas de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu da Área de Educação - PPGEdu ofertados no RS. Em cada proposta, destacamos as ações desenvolvidas por meio das TIC e seus objetivos. Desta maneira foi possível perceber como os diferentes PPGEdu estão se apropriando do potencial destas tecnologias para qualificar seus Projetos Pedagógicos e, principalmente, como as tem adotado como estratégia e ampliação da sua Internacionalização.