bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Very Local Subsidence Near the Hot Spring Region in Hakone Volcano, Japan, Inferred from InSAR Time Series Analysis of ALOS/PALSAR Data
Authors: Doke Ryosuke , Kikugawa George , Itadera Kazuhiro
Published: September 2020

Monitoring of surface displacement by satellite-based interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis is an effective method for detecting land subsidence in areas where routes of leveling measurements are undeveloped, such as mountainous areas. In particular, InSAR-based monitoring around well-developed hot spring resorts, such as those in Japan, is useful for conserving hot spring resources. Hakone Volcano is one of the major hot spring resorts in Japan, and many hot spring wells have been developed in the Owakudani fumarole area, where a small phreatic eruption occurred in 2015. In this study, we performed an InSAR time series analysis using the small baseline subset (SBAS) method and ALOS/PALSAR scenes of the Hakone Volcano to monitor surface displacements around the volcano. The results of the SBAS-InSAR time series analysis show highly localized subsidence to the west of Owakudani from 2006–2011 when the ALOS/PALSAR satellite was operated. The area of subsidence was approximately 500 m in diameter, and the peak rate of subsidence was approximately 25 mm/year. Modeling using a point pressure source suggested that the subsidence was caused by a contraction at approximately 700 m above sea level (about 300 m below the ground surface). The rate of this contraction was estimated to be 1.04 × 104 m3/year. Hot spring water is collected from a nearby well at almost the same depth as the contraction source, and its main dissolved ion component is chloride ions, suggesting that the hydrothermal fluids are supplied from deep within the volcano. The land subsidence suggests that the fumarole activity is attenuating due to a decrease in the supply of hydrothermal fluids from deeper areas.
Porous Silicon Gas Sensors: The Role of the Layer Thickness and the Silicon Conductivity
Authors: Ramírez-González Francisco , García-Salgado Godofredo , Rosendo Enrique , Díaz Tomás , Nieto-Caballero Fabiola , Coyopol Antonio , Romano Román , Luna Alberto , Monfil Karim , Gastellou Erick
Published: September 2020

We studied the influences of the thickness of the porous silicon layer and the conductivity type on the porous silicon sensors response when exposed to ethanol vapor. The response was determined at room temperature (27 ∘C) in darkness using a horizontal aluminum electrode pattern. The results indicated that the intensity of the response can be directly or inversely proportional to the thickness of the porous layer depending on the conductivity type of the semiconductor material. The response of the porous sensors was similar to the metal oxide sensors. The results can be used to appropriately select the conductivity of semiconductor materials and the thickness of the porous layer for the target gas.
Real-Time Abnormal Event Detection for Enhanced Security in Autonomous Shuttles Mobility Infrastructures
Authors: Tsiktsiris Dimitris , Dimitriou Nikolaos , Lalas Antonios , Dasygenis Minas , Votis Konstantinos , Tzovaras Dimitrios
Published: September 2020

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are already operating on the streets of many countries around the globe. Contemporary concerns about AVs do not relate to the implementation of fundamental technologies, as they are already in use, but are rather increasingly centered on the way that such technologies will affect emerging transportation systems, our social environment, and the people living inside it. Many concerns also focus on whether such systems should be fully automated or still be partially controlled by humans. This work aims to address the new reality that is formed in autonomous shuttles mobility infrastructures as a result of the absence of the bus driver and the increased threat from terrorism in European cities. Typically, drivers are trained to handle incidents of passengers’ abnormal behavior, incidents of petty crimes, and other abnormal events, according to standard procedures adopted by the transport operator. Surveillance using camera sensors as well as smart software in the bus will maximize the feeling and the actual level of security. In this paper, an online, end-to-end solution is introduced based on deep learning techniques for the timely, accurate, robust, and automatic detection of various petty crime types. The proposed system can identify abnormal passenger behavior such as vandalism and accidents but can also enhance passenger security via petty crimes detection such as aggression, bag-snatching, and vandalism. The solution achieves excellent results across different use cases and environmental conditions.
Self-Powered Non-Contact Triboelectric Rotation Sensor with Interdigitated Film
Authors: Wang Zhihua , Zhang Fengduo , Yao Tao , Li Na , Li Xia , Shang Jianfeng
Published: September 2020

Rotation detection is widely applied in industries. The current commonly used rotation detection system adopts a split structure, which requires stringent installation requirements and is difficult to miniaturize. This paper proposes a single-piece self-powered non-contact sensor with an interdigital sensitive layer to detect the rotation of objects. The electric field generated between a polyurethane (PU) film and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film is utilized for perceiving the rotation. The surface of the PU film is subjected to wet etching with sulfuric acid to increase the surface area and charge density. Through finite element analysis and experimental testing, the effects of the areas of the sensitive films as well as the horizontal and vertical distances between them on the output voltage are analyzed. Tests are performed on adjustable-speed motors, human arms, and robotic arms. The results show that the sensor can detect the speed, the transient process of rotation, and the swing angle. The proposed rotation sensor has broad application prospects in the fields of mechanical automation, robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT).
Simulation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) Swarm Diffusion
Authors: Petritoli Enrico , Cagnetti Marco , Leccese Fabio
Published: September 2020

The paper shows the simulation of the behavior of a swarm of underwater drones (AUV) diffused in a closed section of the sea and inserted from a single starting point: Based on a few essential rules, we will see how their behavior evolves and how they manage to spread throughout the area assigned to them. In the first part of this work, after defining the design of the vehicle, we introduce our vision of the swarm, its problems, and its strengths. Later, we show how to spread a series of underwater drones with “diffused intelligence” (swarm) and its microscopic diffusion model. In the last part, we present the simulation that supports our approach to the swarm.
In-Vivo Microsystems: A Review
Authors: French Paddy
Published: September 2020

In-vivo sensors yield valuable medical information by measuring directly on the living tissue of a patient. These devices can be surface or implant devices. Electrical activity in the body, from organs or muscles can be measured using surface electrodes. For short term internal devices, catheters are used. These include cardiac catheter (in blood vessels) and bladder catheters. Due to the size and shape of the catheters, silicon devices provided an excellent solution for sensors. Since many cardiac catheters are disposable, the high volume has led to lower prices of the silicon sensors. Many catheters use a single sensor, but silicon offers the opportunity to have multi sensors in a single catheter, while maintaining small size. The cardiac catheter is usually inserted for a maximum of 72 h. Some devices may be used for a short-to-medium period to monitor parameters after an operation or injury (1–4 weeks). Increasingly, sensing, and actuating, devices are being applied to longer term implants for monitoring a range of parameters for chronic conditions. Devices for longer term implantation presented additional challenges due to the harshness of the environment and the stricter regulations for biocompatibility and safety. This paper will examine the three main areas of application for in-vivo devices: surface devices and short/medium-term and long-term implants. The issues of biocompatibility and safety will be discussed.
Integrated Lab-on-a-Chip Optical Biosensor Using Ultrathin Silicon Waveguide SOI MMI Device
Authors: Y. Elsayed Mohamed , M. Sherif Sherif , S. Aljaber Amina , A. Swillam Mohamed
Published: September 2020

Waveguides with sub-100 nm thickness offer a promising platform for sensors. We designed and analyzed multimode interference (MMI) devices using these ultrathin platforms for use as biosensors. To verify our design methodology, we compared the measured and simulated spectra of fabricated 220-nm-thick MMI devices. Designs of the MMI biosensors based on the sub-100 nm platforms have been optimized using finite difference time domain simulations. At a length of 4 mm, the 50-nm-thick MMI sensor provides a sensitivity of roughly 420 nm/RIU and with a figure of merit (FOM) definition of sensitivity/full-width-at-half-maximum, the FOM is 133. On the other hand, using a thickness of 70 nm results in a more compact design—only 2.4 mm length was required to achieve a similar FOM, 134, with a sensitivity of 330 nm/RIU. The limits of detection (LOD) were calculated to be 7.1 × 10−6 RIU and 8.6 × 10−6 RIU for the 50 nm and the 70-nm-thick sensor, respectively. The LOD for glucose sensing was calculated to be less than 10 mg dL−1 making it useful for detecting glucose in the diabetic range. The biosensor is also predicted to be able to detect layers of protein, such as biotin-streptavidin as thin as 1 nm. The ultrathin SOI waveguide platform is promising in biosensing applications using this simple MMI structure.
Development and Calibration of an Eye-Tracking Fixation Identification Algorithm for Immersive Virtual Reality
Authors: Llanes-Jurado Jose , Marín-Morales Javier , Guixeres Jaime , Alcañiz Mariano
Published: September 2020

Fixation identification is an essential task in the extraction of relevant information from gaze patterns; various algorithms are used in the identification process. However, the thresholds used in the algorithms greatly affect their sensitivity. Moreover, the application of these algorithm to eye-tracking technologies integrated into head-mounted displays, where the subject’s head position is unrestricted, is still an open issue. Therefore, the adaptation of eye-tracking algorithms and their thresholds to immersive virtual reality frameworks needs to be validated. This study presents the development of a dispersion-threshold identification algorithm applied to data obtained from an eye-tracking system integrated into a head-mounted display. Rules-based criteria are proposed to calibrate the thresholds of the algorithm through different features, such as number of fixations and the percentage of points which belong to a fixation. The results show that distance-dispersion thresholds between 1–1.6° and time windows between 0.25–0.4 s are the acceptable range parameters, with 1° and 0.25 s being the optimum. The work presents a calibrated algorithm to be applied in future experiments with eye-tracking integrated into head-mounted displays and guidelines for calibrating fixation identification algorithms
BlendSPS: A BLockchain-ENabled Decentralized Smart Public Safety System
Authors: Xu Ronghua , Nikouei Seyed Yahya , Nagothu Deeraj , Fitwi Alem , Chen Yu
Published: September 2020

Due to the recent advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Edge-Fog-Cloud Computing technologies, the Smart Public Safety (SPS) system has become a more realistic solution for seamless public safety services that are enabled by integrating machine learning (ML) into heterogeneous edge computing networks. While SPS facilitates convenient exchanges of surveillance data streams among device owners and third-party applications, the existing monolithic service-oriented architecture (SOA) is unable to provide scalable and extensible services in a large-scale heterogeneous network environment. Moreover, traditional security solutions rely on a centralized trusted third-party authority, which not only can be a performance bottleneck or the single point of failure, but it also incurs privacy concerns on improperly use of private information. Inspired by blockchain and microservices technologies, this paper proposed a BLockchain-ENabled Decentralized Smart Public Safety (BlendSPS) system. Leveraging the hybrid blockchain fabric, a microservices based security mechanism is implemented to enable decentralized security architecture, and it supports immutability, auditability, and traceability for secure data sharing and operations among participants of the SPS system. An extensive experimental study verified the feasibility of the proposed BlendSPS that possesses security and privacy proprieties with limited overhead on IoT based edge networks.
Critical Success Factors for Sustainable Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Transition Conditions: An Empirical Study in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Amović Goran , Maksimović Rado , Bunčić Sonja
Published: September 2020

In the initial stages of the adoption and institutionalization of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), national governments of transitional economies have accepted, developed, and organized Public-Private Partnerships with varying degrees of success. This study aims to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) influencing the establishment of a sustainable Public-Private Partnership in transition conditions. In the first part of the paper, based on an extensive review of the literature, previous studies and relevant results in this field are presented as a background for this research. In the second part of this article, the survey used a factor analysis, which, with the application of the Principal Component Analysis and Varimax method with Kaiser normalization, has extracted four CSFs: (1) the establishment of a central PPP unit—knowledge center; (2) the establishment of a compatible legal/regulatory framework; (3) development of national PPP policies and strategies; and (4) standardization and transparency of the process. In the concluding remarks, the authors address the perspectives and methodological research constraints, examining possibilities to develop new knowledge and more efficient Public-Private Partnership implementation in the developing PPP markets of transitional economies.
Diagnosis of Administrative and Financial Processes in Community-Based Tourism Enterprises in Ecuador
Authors: Jaramillo-Moreno Bertha Cecilia , Sánchez-Cueva Irene Paola , Tinizaray-Tituana Dayana Gisell , Narváez Juan Carlos , Cabanilla-Vásconez Enrique Armando , Muñoz Torrecillas María José , Cruz Rambaud Salvador Cruz
Published: September 2020

In recent years, community-based tourism has become a source of income within indigenous and rural communities, either as a principal or complementary activity. However, the management of the administrative and financial processes of this type of enterprise was unknown. In this sense, this paper aims to analyze the state of these processes within the so-called Community-Based Tourism Enterprises (CBTEs) in the provinces of Pichincha, Napo, and Imbabura (Ecuador). For this purpose, a matrix was designed to collect information on the administrative and financial processes that an enterprise should have, detailing all their elements with their respective assessment. Also, an interview was administered to the 28 community leaders (one for each CBTE) to diagnose each issue of business management. In this diagnosis, it was concluded that, despite having a certificate from the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR), the Community-Based Tourism Enterprises have not implemented important administrative and financial processes such as a strategic plan, operational plan, market study, cost analysis, process manual, market plan, initial situation, results status, final status, or financial indicators. Therefore, in the long term, this leads to poor management of business resources, which can result in the closure of these enterprises.
Environmental Urban Plan for Failaka Island, Kuwait: A Study in Urban Geomorphology
Authors: Hassan Ahmed , G Almatar Muhammad , Torab Magdy , Allen Casey D
Published: September 2020

Failaka Island, located in the far east of Kuwait Bay about 20 km from the State of Kuwait’s coast, represents a focal point for regional geography and history, including natural wonders and archaeological sites dating to the Bronze, Iron, Hellenistic, Christian and Islamic periods. According to environmental data and in coordination with local authorities to develop an urban plan, the island is set to become the first tourist destination for the State of Kuwait. To achieve the Vision of Kuwait 2035, one of the planning objectives centers on Urban Planning for the Establishment of Environmental Cities that Achieve (UPEECA) environmental sustainability criteria. The article then, aims to propose the environmental urban plan for Failaka Island. Based around Environmental Analytical Hierarchical Processes (EAHP) and using the Field Calculator and ModelBuilder functions in ArcGIS, this research centers on the feasibility of carrying out an urban plan using suitability modeling that incorporates 4 factors and 13 criteria covering the island’s ecological and human composition. This study utilizes both remote sensing (Unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs for 3D imaging) and field study (ground truthing) to identify changes in land use and land cover—such as using sample analysis of the historical sites and soils for tracing evidence and creating/updating a soil map—and create the first geographic information systems (GIS) database for the island that can lead capable of generating a suitability model.
Organizational Adoption of Social Media in the Hospitality Industry: An Integrated Approach Based on DIT and TOE Frameworks
Authors: Pateli Adamantia , Mylonas Naoum , Spyrou Aggeliki
Published: September 2020

The importance of the organizational adoption of social media is increasingly raised in hospitality literature because of the recognition of Web 2.0 technologies as a significant tool for improving customer information searching and experience, as well as for enriching firm digital strategy. The present study seeks to empirically explore the determinant factors that affect a hospitality firm’s decision to adopt social media by following a theoretical approach that integrates the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT) with the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. Using survey data from 106 hospitality firms operating in Greece, and by applying structural equation modelling (SEM), we identify seven factors that influence the adoption of organizational social media adoption. These factors are grouped into three categories: Technological, organizational, and environmental. Out of the three groups of factors, technological features are considered as the most important ones in terms of their predicting power. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.
Evaluation of the Management Effectiveness of German National Parks—Experiences, Results, Lessons Learned and Future Prospects
Authors: Heiland Stefan , May Anja , Scherfose Volker
Published: September 2020

Since 2005 until today, experience has been gained in the preparation, implementation and impacts of the evaluation of the management effectiveness of German national parks. This process began with the development of a quality set containing fields of action, criteria, standards and a questionnaire to assess the state of national park management. This quality set was applied in the first voluntary full evaluation of German national parks, which took place from 2009 to 2012. An assessment of the full evaluation and the following interim evaluation (2015–2018) demonstrated the positive effects of the evaluation for the national parks, but also revealed some weaknesses of the quality set and the evaluation process. For this reason, work has been underway since 2019 to further improve the evaluation method; however, this has not yet been completed. The article provides an overview of the entire process. It concludes with considerations on the transferability of the evaluation method to other countries and gives some recommendations as to the most important aspects to be considered when evaluating the management effectiveness of national parks.
A New Model-Based Approach for the Evaluation of the Net Contribution of the European Union Rural Development Program to the Reduction of Water Abstractions in Agriculture
Authors: Soulis Konstantinos X. , Psomiadis Emmanouil , Londra Paraskevi , Skuras Dimitris
Published: September 2020

Agriculture is an essential driving force in water resources management and has a central role in the European Union’s Rural Development Programme (RDP). In this study, the solution developed addresses countries characterised by relatively small farms, vast spatial and temporal variability and severe data scarcity. The proposed model-based approach is directly relevant to the evaluation of agricultural policies affecting water abstraction based on multisource data. The evaluation process utilises an entirely spatially distributed, continuous hydrological model. The model provides a gridded output of the main hydrological balance components, as well as vegetation water deficit and irrigation water requirements, on a daily temporal step on a country scale. It provides information at the farm level and facilitates the estimation of water abstractions in agriculture, taking into consideration all the pertinent information included in the Integrated Administration and Control System database that is maintained by RDPs in Europe. Remote sensing data also are used to validate crop patterns. The obtained results were analysed to estimate the net effect of the RDP to the reduction of water abstractions in agriculture. This work produces valuable information concerning the evaluation of agricultural policies and the assessment of land use, and climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.
A Study on the Role of Web 4.0 and 5.0 in the Sustainable Tourism Ecosystem of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Authors: Duy Nguyen Thien , Mondal Subhra R. , Van Nguyen Thi Thanh , Dzung Pham Tien , Minh Doan Xuan Huy , Das Subhankar
Published: September 2020

This research discusses the role of Web 4.0 and 5.0 devices on the commercial sustainability for tourism in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. The study adopts a tourist perspective regarding the future implementation of Web 4.0 and 5.0 devices, focusing on the service quality of various tourism-associated services and assessing, in return, the extent to which the overall satisfaction and long-term patronage of tourists is affected. Usually, researchers conduct this test in various popular establishments where devices are intended for experimental use and tourists are supposed to have previous exposure to them, so that their perceptual thinking regarding the service quality of these devices can be studied. The tourists act as respondents for various establishments. We also asked subjective questions in a short interview to 10 professionals working in these establishments, which helped us in the quantitative survey process. As a mixed method study, it has covered both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the items and provided a holistic result. The results indicated that Web 4.0 and 5.0, along with the service quality offered by personnel working in the establishments, showed significant variance in holistic service evaluation for tourist satisfaction and loyalty. Very few service quality factors had a distinct variance in the output. After using a regression analysis for Web 4.0 and 5.0 devices and service quality, we found that Web 4.0 and 5.0 showed insignificant negative results. This study contributes to the incremental research on Web 1.0 to 5.0, specifically detailing how it affects tourists’ satisfaction and patronage. Moreover, from a management point of view, this study can help solve the financial riddle of various establishments in HCMCs tourism ecosystem for optimum fund management and better productivity.
Development of a Pragmatic IT Concept for a Construction Company
Authors: Böde Klaus , Różycka Agata , Nowak Paweł
Published: September 2020

The paper focuses on developing a comprehensive and pragmatic IT strategy for low-margin construction activities, which forms part of the realignment of the general business strategy and on refocusing the operational model. The main elements of the IT strategy formation are analysis of the current IT environment in terms of software and hardware, carrying out a gap analysis, and developing individual functional digitalization strategies in construction execution based on BIM (Building Information Modeling), business administration processes, communication, business intelligence (BI) and reporting, and data security. Further, a large emphasis is given to the sustainable strategy implementation in terms of hardware and software readjustments, their integration, user trainings, and defining the way forward. Research methodology and initial, chosen results of an extended questionnaire and construction company staff interviews are presented.
A Novel Green Rating System for Existing Buildings
Authors: Hazem Nahla , Abdelraouf Mohamed , Fahim I.S. , El-Omari S.
Published: September 2020

Green buildings are becoming an essential part of sustainable development. There have been several research trends for green buildings since 1995. The present study presents a roadmap for green/sustainable research trends and proposes a new green building rating system for existing buildings. A questionnaire was established and answered by experts, where answers were analyzed using the decision-making tool Analytical Hierarchy Process. Analytical Hierarchy Process is responsible for weighing and ranking the weights of alternatives. A novel checklist for existing buildings was structured and consisted of seven main categories, each comprised of different subcategories with different weights according to their importance and priority. The newly proposed rating system and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for maintenance and renovations were both used to evaluate a Nile University building in Egypt in order to identify how the environment affects the results of each rating system. The results showed that each rating system has its own criteria in evaluating the sustainability level of the building, which are each based on the country’s cultural and environmental conditions.
The Role of Feral Goats in Maintaining Firebreaks by Using Attractants
Authors: Pareja Javier , Baraza Elena , Ibáñez Miguel , Domenech Oriol , Bartolomé Jordi
Published: September 2020

The threat of large forest fires is increasing, and the main causes are the depopulation of rural areas, along with the effects of climate change. To counter this threat in recent decades, there have been numerous proposals and actions aimed at promoting grazing in the forest as a tool for controlling biomass fuel. However, the continued disappearance of traditional herds makes this activity difficult. Rural depopulation has also meant that domestic species become feral, being habitual in the case of goats. Currently, little is known about the role that feral goats can play in the fight against forest fires. In this work, an analysis is made on the effect of feral goats on the control of the vegetation in firebreak areas. Furthermore, the effect of attractants, such as water, salt, or food, on goat behavior is also studied. The study was carried out on the island of Mallorca, where a population of feral goats occupies the mountain areas, and where it is common for them to graze on the network of firebreaks. The results showed that these areas in themselves exert an attractive effect with respect to the neighboring forest, and that the herbaceous biomass is reduced. This effect was enhanced with the implementation of water and salt points, although only in certain periods of the year. In general, it was possible to reduce the phytovolume of many species without affecting biodiversity in the short or medium term. Therefore, strategic management of feral animals, aimed at firebreak areas, could contribute not only to reducing the risk of fires and, consequently, to the mitigation of climate change, but also to attracting these animals to the forests, thus avoiding their dispersion to conflictive places such as roads, residences, agricultural fields, and gardens.
Management Path of Concrete Beam Bridge in China from the Perspective of Sustainable Development
Authors: Su Dan , Liu Yi-Sheng , Li Xin-Tong , Chen Xiao-Yan , Li Dong-Han
Published: September 2020

More and more bridges have entered the maintenance stage, which has potential collapse hazards and threatens life and property safety. More attention has been paid to the improvement of maintenance management levels during the operation period in terms of extending the service life of the bridge, but less attention has been paid to it from the perspective of the whole life cycle. One hundred and ninety examples of concrete beam bridges in China were collected, based on which the collapse characteristics and collapse causes of concrete beam bridges were analyzed. The causes of bridge collapse come from all stages of bridge life cycle, including environmental factors and human factors. Moreover, the effects of the previous phase carry over to the next. Superficially, poor maintenance management during an operation led to bridge collapse. However, the root cause may have occurred at an earlier stage. On this basis, a fuzzy interpretation structure model (FISM) for concrete beam bridge deterioration is conducted. The model can decompose the complex and messy relationship among the factors of bridge collapse into a clear, multi–level and hierarchical structure. Compared with qualitative analysis, an ISM chart can directly reflect the relationship between collapse factors, which is convenient for further analysis. Poor maintenance management during operation is the direct cause, while improper planning, imperfect standards and weak supervision in the early stage are the fundamental causes. Finally, in order to improve the sustainability of concrete beam bridges scientifically, management suggestions are put forward for the participants involved in each stage of the bridge’s life cycle.
An Efficient Numerical Scheme for Variable-Order Fractional Sub-Diffusion Equation
Authors: Ali Umair , Sohail Muhammad , Abdullah Farah Aini
Published: September 2020

The variable-order (VO) fractional calculus can be seen as a natural extension of the constant-order, which can be utilized in physical and biological applications. In this study, we derive a new numerical approximation for the VO fractional Riemann–Liouville integral formula and developed an implicit difference scheme (IDS) for the variable-order fractional sub-diffusion equation (VO-FSDE). The derived approximation used in the VO time fractional derivative with the central difference approximation for the space derivative. Investigated the unconditional stability by the van Neumann method, consistency, and convergence analysis of the proposed scheme. Finally, a numerical example is presented to verify the theoretical analysis and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Earth-to-Earth Microwave Rain Attenuation Measurements: A Survey On the Recent Literature
Authors: Christofilakis Vasilis , Tatsis Giorgos , Chronopoulos Spyridon , Sakkas Alexandros , Skrivanos Anastasios , Peppas Kostas , Nistazakis Hector , Baldoumas Giorgos , Kostarakis Panos
Published: September 2020

Many works have been conducted relevant to rainfall measurements, while the first relevant ones were based on the power loss estimation function from wireless links located back to the early 1940s. It is notable, though, that this innovative idea conduced to many theoretical models correlating the signal attenuation to the rainfall intensity. This type of parameter strongly contributes to the mechanism of frequency attenuation above 10 GHz. Consequently, in the last twenty years, there has been a significant boost to this research topic. Researchers all around the world have worked thoroughly on the issue of estimating rain with the use of earth-to-earth microwave signal attenuation. Nevertheless, the issue remains intriguing and challenging. This paper presents a literature survey, of the last decade, on this challenging issue focusing on measurements from backhaul cellular microwave links and experimental setups. Research challenges and future trends are also presented.
Neutrino Cooling of Primordial Hot Regions
Authors: Belotsky Konstantin , El Kasmi Mohamed , Rubin Sergey
Published: September 2020

The effect of neutrino cooling of possible primary regions filled by hot matter is discussed. Such regions could be obtained from the primordial density inhomogeneities and survive up to the modern epoch. The inhomogeneities could be caused by a symmetry breaking during the inflationary stage. We show that the final temperature of such region should be ∼10 keV provided that the initial temperature is within the interval 10 keV ÷ 100 MeV. The cooling is realized due to the weak nuclear reactions containing n−p transition. The lower limit 10keV is accounted for by suppression of the reactions rates because of the threshold effect and particle concentration decrease.
Objective Bayesian Prediction of Future Record Statistics Based on the Exponentiated Gumbel Distribution: Comparison with Time-Series Prediction
Authors: Kim Yongku , Seo Jung In
Published: September 2020

The interest in the study of record statistics has been increasing in recent years in the context of predicting stock markets and addressing global warming and climate change problems such as cyclones and floods. However, because record values are mostly rare observed, its probability distribution may be skewed or asymmetric. In this case, the Bayesian approach with a reasonable choice of the prior distribution can be a good alternative. This paper presents an objective Bayesian method for predicting future record values when observed record values have a two-parameter exponentiated Gumbel distribution with the scale and shape parameters. For objective Bayesian analysis, objective priors such as the Jeffreys and reference priors are first derived from the Fisher information matrix for the scale and shape parameters, and an analysis of the resulting posterior distribution is then performed to examine its properness and validity. In addition, under the derived objective prior distributions, a simple algorithm using a pivotal quantity is proposed to predict future record values. To validate the proposed approach, it was applied to a real dataset. For a closer examination and demonstration of the superiority of the proposed predictive method, it was compared to time-series models such as the autoregressive integrated moving average and dynamic linear model in an analysis of real data that can be observed from an infinite time series comprising independent sample values.
Clinical, Cardiological and Serologic Follow-Up of Chagas Disease in Children and Adolescents from the Amazon Region, Brazil: Longitudinal Study
Authors: Neves Pinto Ana , Valente Vera , Valente Sebastião , Motta Tamires , Ventura Ana
Published: September 2020

Background: Outbreaks of Chagas disease (CD) by foodborne transmission is a problem related to deforestation, exposing people to triatomines infected by T. cruzi, in the Amazon region. Once involving long-time follow-up, the treatment efficacy of the CD during its acute phase is still unknown. The authors aim to describe the clinical and epidemiologic profile of children and adolescents with CD, as well as treatment and cardiac involvement during the follow-up. Methods: A descriptive cohort study was conducted from 1998 to 2013 among children and adolescents up to 18 years-old with confirmed diagnosis of CD. All participants met the criteria of CD in the acute phase. Results: A total of 126 outpatients were included and received treatment and follow-up examinations during a medium period of 10.9 years/person. Most of them (68.3%) had their diagnosis established during oral transmission outbreaks. The diagnostic method with the most positive results rate (80.9%) was the IgM class anti-T. cruzi antibody test as an acute phase marker, followed by the thick blood smears (60.8%). Acute myopericarditis was demonstrated in 18.2% of the patients, most of them with favorable evolution, though 2.4% (3/126) persisted with cardiac injury observed at the end point of the follow-up. Conclusions: Antibodies against T. cruzi persisted in 54.8% of sera from the patients without prognostic correlation with cardiac involvement. Precocious treatment can decrease potential cardiac complications and assure good treatment response, especially for inhabitants living in areas with difficult accessibility.
Case of Poliomyelitis Caused by Significantly Diverged Derivative of the Poliovirus Type 3 Vaccine Sabin Strain Circulating in the Orphanage
Authors: Korotkova Ekaterina A. , Prostova Maria A. , Gmyl Anatoly P. , Kozlovskaya Liubov I. , Eremeeva Tatiana P. , Baikova Olga Y. , Krasota Alexandr Y. , Morozova Nadezhda S. , Ivanova Olga E.
Published: September 2020

Significantly divergent polioviruses (VDPV) derived from the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) from Sabin strains, like wild polioviruses, are capable of prolonged transmission and neuropathology. This is mainly shown for VDPV type 2. Here we describe a molecular-epidemiological investigation of a case of VDPV type 3 circulation leading to paralytic poliomyelitis in a child in an orphanage, where OPV has not been used. Samples of feces and blood serum from the patient and 52 contacts from the same orphanage were collected twice and investigated. The complete genome sequencing was performed for five polioviruses isolated from the patient and three contact children. The level of divergence of the genomes of the isolates corresponded to approximately 9–10 months of evolution. The presence of 61 common substitutions in all isolates indicated a common intermediate progenitor. The possibility of VDPV3 transmission from the excretor to susceptible recipients (unvaccinated against polio or vaccinated with inactivated poliovirus vaccine, IPV) with subsequent circulation in a closed children’s group was demonstrated. The study of the blood sera of orphanage residents at least twice vaccinated with IPV revealed the absence of neutralizing antibodies against at least two poliovirus serotypes in almost 20% of children. Therefore, a complete rejection of OPV vaccination can lead to a critical decrease in collective immunity level. The development of new poliovirus vaccines that create mucosal immunity for the adequate replacement of OPV from Sabin strains is necessary.
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Freshwater Browning in the Zoige Alpine Wetland, Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zhang Zheyue , Qin Jihong , Sun Hui , Yang Jiyuan , Liu Yanyang
Published: September 2020

The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and its light-absorbing fraction (chromophoric dissolved organic matter; CDOM) in surface waters, particularly those draining organic-rich peatlands, have dramatically increased over the past decade due to climate change and human disturbance. To explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of DOC and CDOM in surface waters of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, we collected water samples from two rivers in the Zoige alpine wetland and from two rivers in its adjacent alpine-gorge region, during wet and dry seasons. DOC concentration ranged from 4.82 mg·L−1 to 47.83 mg·L−1, with a mean value of 15.04 mg·L−1, 2.84 times higher than the global average. The Zoige rivers had higher DOC concentration and highly terrigenous CDOM. Significantly higher DOC concentration was observed for the Zoige rivers in the wet season compared to the dry season. In contrast, the alpine-gorge rivers had higher DOC levels in the dry season. No significant correlations were observed between DOC and CDOM at all rivers due to the influence of autochthonous sources on the alpine-gorge rivers and intensive photochemical degradation of terrigenous DOM in the Zoige rivers. Significant relationships between CDOM and specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254) and between CDOM/DOC and SUVA254 were observed, indicating that the aromaticity of DOM in the rivers was mainly determined by CDOM. Moreover, the DOC/CDOM properties of the Hei River indicate critical human-induced water quality degradation. High DOC level and high browning degree were found in rivers in the Zoige alpine wetland, indicating that large amounts of terrigenous DOC were released to the aquatic systems of the region.
Modelling Projected Changes in Soil Water Budget in Coastal Kenya under Different Long-Term Climate Change Scenarios
Authors: Okello Cornelius , Greggio Nicolas , Giambastiani Beatrice Maria Sole , Wambiji Nina , Nzeve Julius , Antonellini Marco
Published: September 2020

The possible impacts that climate change will have on soil water budget and specifically on deep percolation, runoff and soil water content have been investigated using HYDRUS, a methodology based on numerical modelling simulations of vertical water movement in a homogenous soil column on a flat surface. This study was carried out on four typical soil types occurring on the Kenyan coast and the adjacent hinterlands of up to an elevation of 200 m above sea level (m a.s.l.) covered by five weather stations (two dry and three wet stations). Results show that deep percolation and runoff are expected to be higher in 2100 for both Relative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 2.6 and 8.5 scenarios than they were for the reference period (1986–2005). The average deep percolation is expected to increase by 14% for RCP 2.6 and 10% for the RCP 8.5, while the average runoff is expected to increase by 188% and 284% for the same scenarios. Soil water content is expected to either increase marginally or reduce depend in the same scenarios. The average soil water content is also expected to increase by 1% in the RCP 2.6 scenario and to decrease by 2% in the RCP 8.5 scenario. Increase in deep percolation through clay soil is expected to be the largest (29% in both scenarios), while sandy and sandy clay soil are expected to be the least influenced with an average increase of only 2%. Climate change is expected to impact runoff mostly in sandy soils, whereas the least affected would be clay loam soils. These results further support the assertion that the change in climate is expected to impact the recharge of aquifers by triggering an increase in infiltration under both scenarios.
Spatial Distribution of Integrated Nitrate Reduction across the Unsaturated Zone and the Groundwater Body in Germany
Authors: Knoll Lukas , Häußermann Uwe , Breuer Lutz , Bach Martin
Published: September 2020

Nitrate pollution in groundwater and its mitigation strategies is currently a topic of controversial debate in Germany, and the demand for harmonised approaches for the implementation of regulations is increasing. Important factors that need to be considered when planning mitigation measures are the nitrogen inputs into water bodies and the natural nitrate reduction capacity. The present study introduces a nationwide, harmonised and simplified approach for estimating nitrate reduction as an integral quantity across the unsaturated zone and the groundwater body. The nitrate reduction rates vary from 0% to 100%, and are on average 57%, with high values in the north of Germany and low values in the south. Hydrogeological characteristics are associated with the estimated nitrate reduction rates, whereby the influence of aquifer type and redox conditions are particularly relevant. The nitrate reduction rates are substantially higher in porous aquifers and under anaerobic conditions than in fractured, consolidated aquifers and under aerobic conditions. This contribution presents a harmonised conceptual approach to derive the nitrate reduction rate at a 1 km × 1 km resolution. This information can be used when planning and designing mitigation measures to meet the groundwater nitrate limits.
The influence of the disinfection method on the growth rate of fattening pigs
Authors: Geletiy D. , Solovykh A. , Ovchinnikov A. , Glushchenko M. , Vladimirov F.
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this research was to study the growth rate of pigs at different stages of fattening and the dependence of this parameter on the methods of final disinfection of premises in industrial pig farms. The final disinfection of the premises has been performed with using a highpressure cleaner (wet method) and a hot fogger (aerosol method). In order to measure the growth rate individual weighing of animals has been performed when the start stage, after 30, 60 and 90 days. The researches have been carried out on the basis of the pig-breeding farm APC Mashkino (village of Industria) on 52 heads pigs of French selection, the age of which was 73 days when staged. Animals of the control group during the fattening period have been housed in the premise prepared according to the technology established in the farm (final disinfection was performed using a high-pressure cleaner). Animals of the experimental group entered the premise the final disinfection in which was performed by aerosol method (using the hot fog generator). The working solution of the disinfectant has been prepared according to the instruction the concentration of the working solution was in accordance with the chosen method of final disinfection of the premises. It has been found aerosol method of final disinfection to increase average daily gain in the first fattening period (0–30 days) by 132 g/day, live weight by 7.84 kg. During the fattening period the growth rate of pigs changed unevenly. The fi rst (0–30 days) and the second (30–60 days) fattening stages have been characterized by the increase in the average daily gain, at the third (60–90 days) stage the decrease in the growth rate has been observed. It has been found according to the researches the use of aerosols for final disinfection have the positive influence on the growth rate of pigs during the first fattening period.
Typification of two Linnaean names in Atriplex (Amaranthaceae sensu APGIV) referred to ancient Flora Anglica by Hudson and Linnaeus
Authors: Iamonico Duilio
Published: September 2020

The typification of the names Atriplex marina and A. maritima is discussed. A. marina is lectotypified on a Petiver’s illustration and synonymised with A. littoralis (heterotypic synonym), whereas A. maritima wis neotypified on a specimen from BM and synonymised with and A. laciniata (homotypic synonym).
An account of common broomrape Orobanche minor (Orobanchaceae) in the British Isles
Authors: Thorogood Chris , Rumsey Fred
Published: September 2020

Common broomrape (Orobanche minor Sm.) is the most widespread and variable species in the British Isles and is the subject of much taxonomic confusion. Poor preservation in herbaria, coupled with the presence of cryptic host-specific races, have contributed to this. Here we review the taxonomic status of infraspecific taxa of O. minor in the British Isles, and provide a revised identification key, informed by morphology, ecology and molecular data. We describe two new varieties of O. minor s.l. that are ecologically distinct and discuss within the broader context of cryptic taxa in the subsection Minores (Beck-Mannagetta) Teryokhin in the British Isles and continental Europe. We suggest that delineating taxa objectively and reliably will be important for informing conservation priorities. Host identity and ecology, besides morphology, are essential considerations when identifying infraspecific taxa in this taxonomically challenging species.