bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Local SVD Denoising of MRI Based on Sparse Representations
Authors: Leal Nallig , Zurek Eduardo , Leal Esmeide
Published: March 2020

Magnetic Resonance (MR) Imaging is a diagnostic technique that produces noisy images, which must be filtered before processing to prevent diagnostic errors. However, filtering the noise while keeping fine details is a difficult task. This paper presents a method, based on sparse representations and singular value decomposition (SVD), for non-locally denoising MR images. The proposed method prevents blurring, artifacts, and residual noise. Our method is composed of three stages. The first stage divides the image into sub-volumes, to obtain its sparse representation, by using the KSVD algorithm. Then, the global influence of the dictionary atoms is computed to upgrade the dictionary and obtain a better reconstruction of the sub-volumes. In the second stage, based on the sparse representation, the noise-free sub-volume is estimated using a non-local approach and SVD. The noise-free voxel is reconstructed by aggregating the overlapped voxels according to the rarity of the sub-volumes it belongs, which is computed from the global influence of the atoms. The third stage repeats the process using a different sub-volume size for producing a new filtered image, which is averaged with the previously filtered images. The results provided show that our method outperforms several state-of-the-art methods in both simulated and real data.
Performance Analysis of Geiger–Müller and Cadmium Zinc Telluride Sensors Envisaging Airborne Radiological Monitoring in NORM Sites
Authors: Borbinha Jorge , Romanets Yuriy , Teles Pedro , Corisco José , Vaz Pedro , Carvalho Diogo , Brouwer Yoeri , Luís Raul , Pinto Luís , Vale Alberto , Ventura Rodrigo , Areias Bruno , Reis Andre B. , Gonçalves Bruno
Published: March 2020

Radiological monitoring is fundamental for compliance with radiological protection policies in the aftermath of radiological events, such as nuclear accidents, terrorism, and out-of-commission uranium mines. An effective strategy for radiation monitoring is to use radiation detectors coupled with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), enabling for quicker surveillance of large areas without involving the need of human presence in the target area. The main aim of this study was to formulate the parameters for a UAV flight strategy in preparation for future field measurements using Geiger–Muller Counters (GMC) and Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) spectrometers. As a proof of concept, the prepared flight strategy will be used to survey out-of-commission uranium mines in northern Portugal. Procedures to assure the calibration of the CZT and verification of the GMCs were conducted, as well as a sensitivity analysis of the sensors considering different acquisition times, distance to source, and detector response time. This article reports specific parameters, such as UAV distance to ground, time of exposition, speed, and the methodology to perform the identification and calculate the activity of possible radioactive sources. An effective flight strategy is also presented, aiming to use radiation detectors coupled with UAVs to undertake extensive monitoring of areas with enhanced levels of environmental radiation, which is of prime importance due to the lasting hazardous effects of enhanced environmental radiation in the nearby ecosystem and population.
Refining Network Lifetime of Wireless Sensor Network Using Energy-Efficient Clustering and DRL-Based Sleep Scheduling
Authors: Sinde Ramadhani , Begum Feroza , Njau Karoli , Kaijage Shubi
Published: March 2020

Over the recent era, Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) has attracted much attention among industrialists and researchers owing to its contribution to numerous applications including military, environmental monitoring and so on. However, reducing the network delay and improving the network lifetime are always big issues in the domain of WSN. To resolve these downsides, we propose an Energy-Efficient Scheduling using the Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) (E2S-DRL) algorithm in WSN. E2S-DRL contributes three phases to prolong network lifetime and to reduce network delay that is: the clustering phase, duty-cycling phase and routing phase. E2S-DRL starts with the clustering phase where we reduce the energy consumption incurred during data aggregation. It is achieved through the Zone-based Clustering (ZbC) scheme. In the ZbC scheme, hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Affinity Propagation (AP) algorithms are utilized. Duty cycling is adopted in the second phase by executing the DRL algorithm, from which, E2S-DRL reduces the energy consumption of individual sensor nodes effectually. The transmission delay is mitigated in the third (routing) phase using Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and the Firefly Algorithm (FFA). Our work is modeled in Network Simulator 3.26 (NS3). The results are valuable in provisions of upcoming metrics including network lifetime, energy consumption, throughput and delay. From this evaluation, it is proved that our E2S-DRL reduces energy consumption, reduces delays by up to 40% and enhances throughput and network lifetime up to 35% compared to the existing cTDMA, DRA, LDC and iABC methods.
Sustainable Management of Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Global Research Trends
Authors: Abad-Segura Emilio , González-Zamar Mariana-Daniela , Infante-Moro Juan C. , Ruipérez García Germán
Published: March 2020

Digital transformation in the education sector has implied the involvement of sustainable management, in order to adapt to the changes imposed by new technologies. Trends in global research on this topic have been analyzed and studied, during the 1986–2019 period. To achieve this purpose, a bibliometric study of 1590 articles from the Scopus database has been applied. The results provided data on the scientific productivity of authors, journals, institutions, and countries that contribute to the development of this research area. The evidence reveals an exponential trend, with special interest in the last five years. The main categories are Social Sciences and Environmental Science. The most productive journal is Sustainability. The author with more articles is Mulder, from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. The most productive institution is Delft University of Technology. The USA is the country with the most academic publications and international collaborations in its studies. The main keywords used in the articles are “sustainability”, “sustainable development”, “higher education”, “innovation”, “technology”, “environmental technology”, “technological development”, and “environmental management”. Global research has followed a growing trend, with optimal publication levels in recent years.
Does Social Inducement Lead to Higher Open Innovation Investment? An Experimental Study
Authors: Dai Shuanping , Yang Guanzhong
Published: March 2020

This study, by conducting a laboratory experiment, investigates whether social inducement can be an external instrument to promote open innovation. The study’s findings suggest that social inducement, on average, leads subjects to invest more in open innovation projects. In particular, in an asymmetric inducement setting, both induced and non-induced subjects invest more and are more active in open innovation compared to a full inducement setting. Furthermore, economic uncertainty increases the effectiveness of social inducement, suggesting that open innovation is easier to promote in the presence of economic uncertainty. Our findings may suggest practitioners and policymakers applying public channels to communicate open innovation concepts with the public, which in turn helps the adoption of open innovation.
Contract Design for Enhancing Green Food Material Production Effort with Asymmetric Supply Cost Information
Authors: Li Xiaoying , Zhu Qinghua
Published: March 2020

In order to improve green performance and achieve sustainability goals, food companies see the need to adopt green supply chain management. However, ensuring a green supply is a tough task since food companies do not always have full information of their suppliers’ efforts in improving their green performance. This information asymmetry issue will lead the food producers to make poor decisions and cause a profit loss. Therefore, to fill this research gap, this study investigates a two-stage supply chain, which consists of one dominated food producer and a food supplier who has private knowledge of its green food material producing (GFMP) cost. To figure out how green performance is the major parameter that influences the decision-making of supply chain members under information asymmetry, this study first expands demand functions for both a food supplier and a producer, considering their influence on the green degree of the food products and associated consumer acceptance. It is found that under certain conditions, information sharing will improve the supplier’s green performance and increase the food producer’s profit. This study then presents the prerequisite of green cost information sharing by the food supplier. Furthermore, a newly designed menu of contracts, which combine the wholesale price contract and cost sharing contract, is proposed for the asymmetric information case to incentivize the food supplier to disclose the green effort information and improve the environmental and economic performance of the food supply chain. Numerical experiments are conducted through a case analysis to illustrate and validate the proposed models.
Pollution, Sources and Human Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Different Land Use Types under the Background of Industrial Cities
Authors: Xia Qing , Zhang Jiquan , Chen Yanan , Ma Qing , Peng Jingyao , Rong Guangzhi , Tong Zhijun , Liu Xingpeng
Published: March 2020

Residents in industrial cities may be exposed to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil that increase chronic disease risks. In this study, six types of PTEs (Zn, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb) in 112 surface soil samples from three land use types—industrial land, residential land, and farmland—in Tonghua City, Jilin Province were measured. The geological accumulation index and pollution load index were calculated to assess the pollution level of metal. Meanwhile, the potential ecological risk index, hazard index, and carcinogenic risk were calculated to assess the environmental risks. The spatial distribution map was determined by the ordinary kriging method, and the sources of PTEs were identified by factor analysis and cluster analysis. The average concentrations of Zn, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb were 266.57, 15.72, 72.41, 15.04, 20.52, and 16.30 mg/kg, respectively. The results of the geological accumulation index demonstrated the following: Zn pollution was present in all three land use types, As pollution in industrial land cannot be neglected, Cr pollution in farmland was higher than that in the other two land use types. The pollution load index decreased in the order of industrial land > farmland > residential land. Multivariate statistical analysis divided the six PTEs into three groups by source: Zn and As both originated from industrial activities; vehicle emissions were the main source of Pb; and Ni and Cu were derived from natural parent materials. Meanwhile, Cr was found to come from a mixture of artificial and natural sources. The soil environment in the study area faced ecological risk from moderate pollution levels mainly contributed by As. PTEs did not pose a non-carcinogenic risk to humans; however, residents of the three land use types all faced estimated carcinogenic risks caused by Cr, and As in industrial land also posed high estimated carcinogenic risk to human health. The conclusion of this article provides corresponding data support to the government’s policy formulation of remediating different types of land and preventing exposure and related environmental risks.
Solving the Multi-Depot Green Vehicle Routing Problem by a Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithm
Authors: Peng Bo , Wu Lifan , Yi Yuxin , Chen Xiding
Published: March 2020

The growing concerns about human pollution has motivated practitioners and researchers to focus on the environmental and social impacts of logistics and supply chains. In this paper, we consider the environmental impact of carbon dioxide emission on a vehicle routing problem with multiple depots. We present a hybrid evolutionary algorithm (HEA) to tackle it by combining a variable neighborhood search and an evolutionary algorithm. The proposed hybrid evolutionary algorithm includes several distinct features such as multiple neighborhood operators, a route-based crossover operator, and a distance- and quality-based population updating strategy. The results from our numerical experiments confirm the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed HEA in comparison with the best-performing methods in the literature and the public exact optimization solver CPLEX. Furthermore, an important aspect of the HEA is studied to assess its effect on the performance of the HEA.
Social Sustainability: Satisfying Owners and Communities by Multilevel Strategies of Contractors
Authors: Kawesittisankhun Kittipos , Pongpeng Jakrapong
Published: March 2020

In sustainable construction/production, the social dimension regarding owner and community satisfaction has received the least focus. To promote social sustainability, the multilevel strategies of contractors should be developed for owner and community satisfaction. However, a literature review shows that there are few studies on how multilevel strategies influence such satisfaction. Hence, this study aimed to analyze such influences. A survey was conducted to gather data from the Thai construction industry, and these data were then analyzed by a structural equation model (SEM). The results, for the first time, highlight that corporate strategy influences business strategy (direct influence = 0.98), which in turn influences functional strategy (direct influence = 0.93). Additionally, only functional strategy influences owner (direct influence = 0.84) and community satisfaction (direct influence = 0.66). Furthermore, parenting, cooperation, and equipment/machinery substrategies obtain the highest weights within the management levels of corporation, business, and function (regression weights = 0.49, 0.48, and 0.55), respectively. The work productivity and site organization indicators have the largest weights for owner and community satisfaction (regression weights = 0.47 and 0.57), respectively. The findings provide a guideline that helps contractors allocate their available resources to substrategies according to their regression weights, enhancing owner and community satisfaction.
A Conceptual Framework to Evaluate the Environmental Sustainability Performance of Mining Industrial Facilities
Authors: Angelakoglou Komninos , Gaidajis Georgios
Published: March 2020

The aim of this study is to strengthen the capacity of mining industries to assess and improve their environmental sustainability performance through the introduction of a relevant framework. Specific assessment categories and respective indicators were selected according to predefined steps. Sustainability threshold values were identified for each indicator to enable the comparison of the facility’s performance with a sustainability reference value. The application of the framework results in the extraction of an Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Mining Industries Index (IESAMI). The framework was applied to evaluate a mining facility in Greece, with a view to improve its applicability in parallel. The final score of environmental sustainability for the examined facility was 3.0 points (IESAMI = 3.0 points), indicating significant room for improvement where the company should aim to further enhance its sustainability performance.
Land Concentration, Land Grabbing and Sustainable Development of Agriculture in Romania
Authors: Burja Vasile , Tamas-Szora Attila , Dobra Iulian Bogdan
Published: March 2020

Land grabbing has become a priority topic in academic research and a political concern, due to interests in the dynamics of the phenomenon and its negative impact on the sustainable development of agriculture in rural areas. This phenomenon generates changes in production systems of agriculture with adverse environmental consequences, adversely affects socio-economic and cultural conditions and leads to lower overall efficiency in agriculture. This article analyses the links between land concentration, land grabbing and sustainable development of agriculture in Romania compared to other old and new EU-28 countries. The results of the research show that the land grabbing in Romania has a significant dimension compared to the other countries analyzed, which has led to an inadequate agrarian structure and adverse effects on the sustainable performance of agricultural holdings and the sustainable development of rural areas.
Mapping Functional Urban Green Types Using High Resolution Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Degerickx Jeroen , Hermy Martin , Somers Ben
Published: March 2020

Urban green spaces are known to provide ample benefits to human society and hence play a vital role in safeguarding the quality of life in our cities. In order to optimize the design and management of green spaces with regard to the provisioning of these ecosystem services, there is a clear need for uniform and spatially explicit datasets on the existing urban green infrastructure. Current mapping approaches, however, largely focus on large land use units (e.g., park, garden), or broad land cover classes (e.g., tree, grass), not providing sufficient thematic detail to model urban ecosystem service supply. We therefore proposed a functional urban green typology and explored the potential of both passive (2 m-hyperspectral and 0.5 m-multispectral optical imagery) and active (airborne LiDAR) remote sensing technology for mapping the proposed types using object-based image analysis and machine learning. Airborne LiDAR data was found to be the most valuable dataset overall, while fusion with hyperspectral data was essential for mapping the most detailed classes. High spectral similarities, along with adjacency and shadow effects still caused severe confusion, resulting in class-wise accuracies <50% for some detailed functional types. Further research should focus on the use of multi-temporal image analysis to fully unlock the potential of remote sensing data for detailed urban green mapping.
Sustainable Production from Shale Gas Resources through Heat-Assisted Depletion
Authors: Alafnan Saad , Aljawad Murtada , Glatz Guenther , Sultan Abdullah , Windiks Rene
Published: March 2020

Advancements in drilling and production technologies have made exploiting resources, which for long time were labeled unproducible such as shales, as economically feasible. In particular, lateral drilling coupled with hydraulic fracturing has created means for hydrocarbons to be transported from the shale matrix through the stimulated network of microcracks, natural fractures, and hydraulic fractures to the wellbore. Because of the degree of confinement, the ultimate recovery is just a small fraction of the total hydrocarbons in place. Our aim was to investigate how augmented pressure gradient through hydraulic fracturing when coupled with another derive mechanism such as heating can improve the overall recovery for more sustainable exploitation of unconventional resources. Knowledge on how hydrocarbons are stored and transported within the shale matrix is uncertain. Shale matrix, which consists of organic and inorganic constituents, have pore sizes of few nanometers, a degree of confinement at which our typical reservoir engineering models break down. These intricacies hinder any thorough investigations of hydrocarbon production from shale matrix under the influence of pressure and thermal gradients. Kerogen, which represents the solid part of the organic materials in shales, serves as form of nanoporous media, where hydrocarbons are stored and then expelled after shale stimulation procedure. In this work, a computational representation of a kerogen–hydrocarbon system was replicated to study the depletion process under coupled mechanisms of pressure and temperature. The extent of production enhancement because of increasing temperature was shown. Moreover, heating requirements to achieve the enhancement at reservoir scale was also presented to assess the sustainability of the proposed method.
Quantum Black Holes in the Sky
Authors: Abedi Jahed , Afshordi Niayesh , Oshita Naritaka , Wang Qingwen
Published: March 2020

Black Holes are possibly the most enigmatic objects in our universe. From their detection in gravitational waves upon their mergers, to their snapshot eating at the centres of galaxies, black hole astrophysics has undergone an observational renaissance in the past four years. Nevertheless, they remain active playgrounds for strong gravity and quantum effects, where novel aspects of the elusive theory of quantum gravity may be hard at work. In this review article, we provide an overview of the strong motivations for why “Quantum Black Holes” may be radically different from their classical counterparts in Einstein’s General Relativity. We then discuss the observational signatures of quantum black holes, focusing on gravitational wave echoes as smoking guns for quantum horizons (or exotic compact objects), which have led to significant recent excitement and activity. We review the theoretical underpinning of gravitational wave echoes and critically examine the seemingly contradictory observational claims regarding their (non-)existence. Finally, we discuss the future theoretical and observational landscape for unraveling the “Quantum Black Holes in the Sky”.
The Determination of HIV-1 RT Mutation Rate, Its Possible Allosteric Effects, and Its Implications on Drug Resistance
Authors: Yeo Joshua Yi , Goh Ghin-Ray , Su Chinh Tran-To , Gan Samuel Ken-En
Published: March 2020

The high mutation rate of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) plays a major role in treatment resistance, from the development of vaccines to therapeutic drugs. In addressing the crux of the issue, various attempts to estimate the mutation rate of HIV-1 resulted in a large range of 10−5–10−3 errors/bp/cycle due to the use of different types of investigation methods. In this review, we discuss the different assay methods, their findings on the mutation rates of HIV-1 and how the locations of mutations can be further analyzed for their allosteric effects to allow for new inhibitor designs. Given that HIV is one of the fastest mutating viruses, it serves as a good model for the comprehensive study of viral mutations that can give rise to a more horizontal understanding towards overall viral drug resistance as well as emerging viral diseases.
Antibiotic use and serious complications following acute otitis media and acute sinusitis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Cushen Rebecca , Francis Nick A
Published: March 2020

Background

Most people with acute otitis media (AOM) and acute sinusitis (AS) do not benefit from antibiotics, and GPs are under increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic prescribing. Concern about the risk of complications can drive unnecessary prescribing.

Aim

To describe the incidence of serious complications following AOM and AS, and to determine whether antibiotics are protective.

Design and setting

This was a retrospective cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink database to identify patients diagnosed in general practice with AOM or AS between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 2012.

Method

The incidence of brain abscess and acute mastoiditis following AOM, and of brain abscess and orbital cellulitis following AS, were calculated, as was the association between antibiotics and the development of these complications and numbers needed to treat (NNT).

Results

The incidence of brain abscess and acute mastoiditis following AOM were 0.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01 to 0.20) and 5.62 (95% CI = 4.81 to 6.56) per 10 000 AOM episodes, respectively. The incidence of brain abscess and orbital cellulitis following AS was 0.11 (95% CI = 0.05 to 0.26) and 1.50 (95% CI = 1.17 to 1.90) per 10 000 AS episodes, respectively. Antibiotic prescription for AOM was associated with lower odds of developing acute mastoiditis (odds ratio [OR] 0.54; 95% CI = 0.37 to 0.79); NNT to prevent one case was 2181 (95% CI = 1196 to 5709). Antibiotic prescribing for AS was associated with lower odds of subsequent brain abscess (OR 0.12; 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.70); NNT to prevent one case was 19 988 (95% CI = 4951 to 167 099). No significant association between antibiotic prescription and development of orbital cellulitis following AS were found (OR 0.56; 95% CI = 0.27 to 1.12).

Conclusion

Serious complications following AOM and AS are rare. Antibiotics are associated with lower odds of developing complications, but the NNT are large.
Comparison of Centor and McIsaac scores in primary care: a meta-analysis over multiple thresholds
Authors: Willis Brian H , Coomar Dyuti , Baragilly Mohammed
Published: March 2020

Background

Centor and McIsaac scores are both used to diagnose group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) infection, but have not been compared through meta-analysis.

Aim

To compare the performance of Centor and McIsaac scores at diagnosing patients with GABHS presenting to primary care with pharyngitis.

Design and setting

A meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies conducted in primary care was performed using a novel model that incorporates data at multiple thresholds.

Method

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched for studies published between January 1980 and February 2019. Included studies were: cross-sectional; recruited patients with sore throats from primary care; used the Centor or McIsaac score; had GABHS infection as the target diagnosis; used throat swab culture as the reference standard; and reported 2 × 2 tables across multiple thresholds. Selection and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers. QUADAS-2 was used to assess study quality. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were synthesised. Calibration curves were used to assess the transferability of results into practice.

Results

Ten studies using the Centor score and eight using the McIsaac score were included. The prevalence of GABHS ranged between 4% and 44%. The areas under the SROC curves for McIsaac and Centor scores were 0.7052 and 0.6888, respectively. The P-value for the difference (0.0164) was 0.419, suggesting the SROC curves for the tests are equivalent. Both scores demonstrated poor calibration.

Conclusion

Both Centor and McIsaac scores provide only fair discrimination of those with and without GABHS, and appear broadly equivalent in performance. The poor calibration for a positive test result suggests other point-of-care tests are required to rule in GABHS; however, with both Centor and McIsaac scores, a score of ≤0 may be sufficient to rule out infection.
Women’s experiences of diagnosis and management of polycystic ovary syndrome: a mixed-methods study in general practice
Authors: Hillman Sarah C , Bryce Carol , Caleyachetty Rishi , Dale Jeremy
Published: March 2020

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common lifelong metabolic condition with serious associated comorbidities. Evidence points to a delay in diagnosis and inconsistency in the information provided to women with PCOS.

Aim

To capture women’s experiences of how PCOS is diagnosed and managed in UK general practice.

Design and setting

This was a mixed-methods study with an online questionnaire survey and semi-structured telephone interviews with a subset of responders.

Method

An online survey to elicit women’s experiences of general practice PCOS care was promoted by charities and BBC Radio Leicester. The survey was accessible online between January 2018 and November 2018. A subset of responders undertook a semi-structured telephone interview to provide more in-depth data.

Results

A total of 323 women completed the survey (average age 35.4 years) and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 women. There were five key themes identified through the survey responses. Participants described a variable lag time from presentation to PCOS diagnosis, with a median of 6–12 months. Many had experienced mental health problems associated with their PCOS symptoms, but had not discussed these with the GP. Many were unable to recall any discussion about associated comorbidities with the GP. Some differences were identified between the experiences of women from white British backgrounds and those from other ethnic backgrounds.

Conclusion

From the experiences of the women in this study, it appears that PCOS in general practice is not viewed as a long-term condition with an increased risk of comorbidities including mental health problems. Further research should explore GPs’ awareness of comorbidities and the differences in PCOS care experienced by women from different ethnic backgrounds.
Yeats and Digital Pedagogy
Authors: Doggett Rob
Published: March 2020

As people who love and admire Yeats, we need to reckon with the fact that digital technology is profoundly transforming the ways that readers encounter and thus experience his poetry. I’ll begin on a mostly pessimistic note, arguing that digital media tends to encourage a mode of reading that is oriented toward the acquisition of practical knowledge and, in so doing, works to undercut the type of aesthetic experience that many of us traditionally associate with reading poetry. Next, I’ll briefly mention the lessons that we can learn from Yeats’s own efforts to use a new mass communication technology, radio, to encourage the public to see poetry as a living and communal form of art—which for him meant teaching people to appreciate those aural aesthetic qualities that are most apparent when a poem is chanted, sung, or read aloud. Finally, I’ll return to the relationship between Yeats’s poetry and digital technology in the present, offering a more hopeful take in which I’ll sketch out some of the ways that teachers can use digital tools to foster a mode of reading that, instead of fixating on practical knowledge, opens students up to the types of profound questions that this art form can evoke. Building on Marjorie Perloff’s work, this is a form of aesthetically-engaged reading that begins with the recognition “that a poem …is a made thing—contrived, constructed, chosen—and that its reading is also a construction on the part of the audience.”1
"Dragon-Ridden" Days: Yeats, Apocalypse, and the Anthropocene
Authors: Sen Malcolm
Published: March 2020

Dragons, being imaginary creatures, escape the umbra of extinction shadowing multiple species on earth today. We can trace their lineage from Homer (at least in the European tradition) to the personal mount of of Daenerys Targaryen, Drogon, in Game of Thrones; or, from Beowulf to J. R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Because they are textual creatures, dragons display a re-silience and capacity to mutate that makes them eloquent ontological signifiers in mythic narratives, as motifs of epistemological uncertainty in folklore and cultural memory, and as embodiments of extra-human/pre-modern intrusions in the workings of history. Whereas Chinese dragons are often beneficial to the human species, European variants (including those found in Celtic folklore) are not. Dragons spell death and destruction; they demand human sacrifices, as in the legend of St. George. Their appearance suggests power and menace of extraordinary dimensions, as in Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwock. (The Jabber-wock was first illustrated by John Tenniel in 1871 as a dragon, and the tradition continues well into the present day, in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, for example.) Dragons collude with destructive forces; their power to annihilate everything that stands for “human” is unwittingly referred to in Kanye West’s words above.2 I suggest in this essay that the image of the dragon offers us a portal into the highly ornate symbolic structures of W. B. Yeats’s historiography and his vision of the apocalyptic.
Supporting Coastal Resiliency by Investigating Tidal Reach and Inter-Connected Factors in Coastal Georgia
Authors: Rosenquist Shawn E. , Hintz Christopher J.
Published: March 2020

Increasing our understanding of the tidal dynamics, the extent of tidal reach, and storm surge impacts on near-coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina rivers is a significant research opportunity. It has the potential to yield benefits to sustainable planning, ecosystem protection, and risk management for regulators and state agencies, local municipalities, coastal residents, and other regional stakeholders. This study leveraged existing United States Geological Survey (USGS) water level data for the Savannah River, added additional water level gauges in key areas for less than one year, and analyzed these combined large data sets with modified wavelet analysis and Fourier analysis. One significant outcome of the research included confirmation of river mile 45, historically referred to as Ebenezer Landing, as the head of tide. We also provide information on the dynamics of wave propagation through the near-coastal area of the Savannah River, give indication of critical areas of concern for flooding resulting from interactions between the interconnected factors affecting elevated upstream flows and storm tides, and discuss relevance of study results for various stakeholders.
RESEARCH ON PREPARATION OF&NBSP; GAMMA ORYZANOL ANTI-AGING CREAM
Authors: Le Thi Minh Nguyet , Phan Thi Kim Lien
Published: March 2020

Background and Objectives: For a long time, Asian women have known to use rice water, rice bran for skin care, lightening dark spots and slowing down the aging process. Gamma Oryzanol, an ester mixture of trans-ferulic acid with phytosterols and triterpene alcohols extracted from rice bran oil, has been shown to have beneficial effects on the skin, especially its antioxidant and anti-aging effect. The aims of this research were to formulate Gamma Oryzanol-loaded anti-aging cream and to evaluate the product quality. Materials and Methods: Gamma Oryzanol was imported from Japan. Some formulation parameters such as emulsifi-ers, performance modifiers were investigated and the product quality was evaluated according to the criteria of drugs and cosmetics. Results: The excipients were chosen including 1% (w/w) of Lunamer with 3% (w/w) of Prolipid as emulsifiers and 8% (w/w) of mango seed butter as a state modifier in the formulation of Gamma Oryzanol anti-aging cream. The cream is ivory-white, thick, smooth, fragrant-smelling and satisfied all criteria of developed specification. Conclusion: The study was successful in the preparation of Gamma Oryzanol anti-aging cream.

Key words: Gamma Oryzanol, anti-aging cream, Franz cells.
DIABETES MANAGEMENT AT COMMUNE HEALTH CENTERS OF THUA THIEN HUE PROVINCE
Authors: Vo Duc Toan , Nguyen Nam Hung , Le Ho Thi Quynh Anh , Nguyen Minh Tam
Published: March 2020

Diabetes and its consequences have become serious public health problems in many countries. Enhancing continuity of care and diabetes management at primary care plays a crucial, sustainable and cost-effective role in health care.
Objectives: To describe the current situation of diabetes management at commune health centers (CHCs) in Thua Thien Hue province.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the total 152 CHCs in Thua Thien Hue province. Service availability and readiness assessment (SARA-WHO) instrument was used to assess diabetes management of CHCs.
Results: Diabetes diagnosis and/or treatment were available at 40.8% of CHCs surveyed. There was a low percentage of CHCs fully equipped for screening and early detection of diabetes (18.4%). Most of CHCs delivered prevention services regarding risk factors of diabetes. All CHCs weren’t equipped with adequate medication for diabetes management prescribed by the Ministry of Health. Metformin (33.6%) and gliclazide (28.3%) were offered at the CHCs.
Conclusion: Diabetes prevention and management services at grassroots level have not been fully and widely deployed throughout the province. It’s strongly recommended to enhance the availability and readiness of diabetes management services and to invest the essential supplies and medication for diabetes screening, early detection and treatment at primary care, particularly for CHCs in the rural and mountainous areas.

Key words: Diabetes management, commune health center, primary care, SARA
Follow-up on Ujarassiorit mineral hunt finds and outreach activities, South-East Greenland
Authors: Poulsen Majken D. , Paulick Holger , Rosa Diogo , Van Hinsberg Vincent J. , Petersen Jonas , Thomsen Lærke L.
Published: March 2020

In connection with field work in South-East Greenland in 2014, we took the opportunity to examine the geology associated with potentially valuable mineral occurrences found by local rock collectors. The initial finds were made by local collectors as part of Ujarassiorit, which is an annual mineral hunt competition where anyone in Greenland can submit samples of rocks they have found in the countryside for closer examination by the Ministry of Mineral Resources (see www.ujarassiorit.gl). In the Tasiilaq region, Ujarassiorit resulted in finds of corundum, precious metal and base-metal mineral occurrences. Our intention was to locate the original sample sites with help from the local rock collectors, describe the geological context and assess the potential for mineral exploration. Further work will include laboratory analyses of rock samples and geological reporting.
ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЯ СИСТЕМИ РЕЙТИНГОВОГО ОЦІНЮВАННЯ РЕЗУЛЬТАТІВ ОСВІТНЬОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ ЯК ІНСТРУМЕНТУ УПРАВЛІННЯ ЯКІСТЮ В УМОВАХ ІНТЕГРАЦІЇ В ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКИЙ ПРОСТІР ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ
Authors: Karamyshev D.V.
Published: March 2020

У статті продовжено розвідки автора, що стосуються формування цілісної методології рейтингового оцінювання результатів діяльності закладів вищої освіти в Україні, що має на меті забезпечення належного функціонування, розвитку та підвищення конкурентоспроможності вітчизняної системи вищої освіти та її інтеграцію у світовий освітній простір і європейський простір вищої освіти. Наголошується, що результати діяльності закладів вищої освіти мають вимірюватися не лише екстенсивними показниками в абсолютних одиницях стосовно масштабу інтегрованості у глобальні системи та потужності ресурсної бази, а насамперед критеріями, які оцінюють досягнення стратегічної мети їх діяльності щодо забезпечення суспільних потреб і запитів. У якості концептуальної моделі оцінювання запропонована універсальна модель STEPS, що передбачає оцінювання результатів діяльності закладів вищої освіти за чіткими критеріями в межах п’яти категорій оцінювання. Також акцентується увага на тому, що для об’єктивізації результатів оцінювання та їх практичної значущості необхідно фокусувати оцінювання результатів діяльності закладів вищої освіти за конкретними напрямами підготовки в межах визначених галузей знань і спеціальностей. Сформульовано концептуальні засади та методичні підходи щодо розробки та запровадження індикаторів якості вищої освіти – інтегрованого галузевого індексу та предметного індексу оцінювання діяльності закладів вищої освіти.
ІДЕОЛОГІЯ ЯК ЗАСІБ СОЦІАЛЬНОЇ ІНТЕГРАЦІЇ, ІДЕНТИФІКАЦІЇ ТА МОБІЛІЗАЦІЇ УКРАЇНСЬКОГО СУСПІЛЬСТВА В УМОВАХ ГЛОБАЛІЗАЦІЇ
Authors: Makarenko O.M.
Published: March 2020

З’ясовано характерні ознаки сучасної ситуації в ідеологічній сфері нашої країни. Зроблено висновок про кризовий стан у забезпеченні ідеологічного підґрунтя процесу українського державотворення. Проаналізовано передумови та причини такого стану в зазначеній сфері. Окреслено вимоги до національної суспільно-державної ідеології Української держави в умовах глобалізації. Розглянуто підходи до розв’язання проблеми консолідації українського суспільства і інтеграції країни. На основі аналізу та врахування згаданих підходів визначено шляхи досягнення консолідації, самоідентифікації, мобілізації українського суспільства та інтеграції країни.
ОПТИМІЗАЦІЯ ІНСТРУМЕНТІВ ДЕРЖАВНОГО УПРАВЛІННЯ РЕГІОНАЛЬНИМ РОЗВИТКОМ В УМОВАХ ДЕЦЕНТРАЛІЗАЦІЇ
Authors: Nagorna Y.V.
Published: March 2020

Запропоновано напрями оптимізації державного управління регіональним розвитком України в умовах децентралізації; розглянуто основні наукові підходи до визначення регіонального розвитку та регіональної політики, а також історію розвитку регіональної політики в Україні. Визначено основні проблеми формування та реалізації регіональної політики України на сучасному етапі, виявлено особливості впливу на зазначений процес реформи децентралізації. Встановлено, що напрямами оптимізації державного управління регіональним розвитком є запровадження комплексних підходів щодо узгодження стратегій регіонального розвитку в умовах суспільних перетворень.
МІСЦЕ ГРОМАДСЬКОЇ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ В РОЗВИТКУ СИСТЕМИ КООРДИНАТ ДЕРЖАВИ І СУСПІЛЬСТВА
Authors: Tokar M.Yu.
Published: March 2020

Зроблено спробу висунути гіпотезу про важливість самоактуалізації громадської організації в розвитку системи координат держави і суспільства. Обґрунтовано важелі та принципи її самоактуалізації як процесу позиціювання в державному середовищі та організаційного самовдосконалення. Наголошено на можливості реалізації гіпотези про місце громадської організації в системі координат держави і суспільства в Україні, що виконує функцію “дзеркала-випрямляча”.
ОСНОВНІ ПРОБЛЕМИ ЩОДО УПРОВАДЖЕННЯ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНО-КОМУНІКАЦІЙНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ У ПУБЛІЧНИЙ СЕКТОР
Authors: Fisenko N.V.
Published: March 2020

З’ясовано позиції та підходи до вирішення основних проблем щодо упровадження інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій у публічний сектор. Доведено, що фокусування уваги на інформаційних технологіях в умовах, коли існують різноманітні політичні інтереси, відсутні кваліфіковані та мотивовані виконавці, фінансові ресурси, обладнання тощо є недоцільним та малоефективним.
РОЛЬ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ МОВНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ У ФОРМУВАННІ ГУМАНІТАРНОГО ПРОСТОРУ (НА ПРИКЛАДІ ХАРКІВСЬКОЇ ТА ДОНЕЦЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТЕЙ)
Authors: Kovalova T.V.
Published: March 2020

У статті розглядаються питання впливу державної мовної політики на формування гуманітарного простору українців. Досліджуються результати соціологічних опитувань українців щодо їх ставлення до мовних квот на телебаченні та мови навчання на всіх рівнях освіти. Засвідчується переважно позитивний результат державної мовної політики, спрямованої на формування української національної свідомості та мовної ідентичності як складових гуманітарного простору, особливо в умовах зовнішньої агресії.
СТРУКТУРНО-ФУНКЦІОНАЛЬНА СХЕМА СИСТЕМИ УПРАВЛІННЯ ПРОЦЕСАМИ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ НАСЕЛЕННЯ ТОВАРАМИ ПЕРШОЇ НЕОБХІДНОСТІ
Authors: Robochyi V.V.
Published: March 2020

Зроблено аналіз діючої системи управління процесами забезпечення населення товарами першої необхідності, наведено причини її малої ефективності та означені пропозиції і шляхи щодо удосконалення управління у зазначеній сфері.
Desigualdad de género en la prensa deportiva de El Mercurio
Authors: Mujica Johnson Felipe Nicolás , Concha López Rocío Fernanda
Published: March 2020

Las mujeres han sido despreciadas históricamente por la cultura androcentrista, lo cual se mantiene hasta la actualidad y es una realidad que atraviesa los diferentes ámbitos sociales. Por lo tanto, esta perspectiva patriarcal también se encuentra presente en el deporte y se reproduce a través de la prensa deportiva. Con la intención de indagar en esta problemática, se realizó este estudio que tuvo por objetivo analizar la presencia de hombres y mujeres en la sección deportiva del periódico chileno El Mercurio. La metodología utilizada responde a un enfoque mixto, con un diseño de estudio documental. La muestra documental fue extraída de la versión digital del periódico, la cual corresponde al contenido textual y fotográfico de las noticias deportivas de los últimos siete días del mes de mayo y agosto de 2018. En total se analizaron 478 noticias, que contenían 307 fotografías. Los resultados revelan una amplia desigualdad de género en la visibilidad de los deportes femeninos y masculinos. Igualmente, se identifica como las noticias relativizan el problema del sexismo y generan expectativas de logro favorables para el deporte masculino. Finalmente, se concluye que este periódico ha reproducido la cultura androcentrista por medio de su prensa deportiva
A FRACTAL INTERPOLATION FUNCTION THROUGH SHEAR FACTOR WITH PERTURBATION ERROR ANALYSIS
Authors: Arooj Tayba , Hussain Farsia , Hussain Malik Zawwar
Published: March 2020

Fractal interpolation (FI) is widely used in nonlinear issues of natural and social sciences as it provides a constructive way to describe an irregular structure of data. A new approach of FI function (FIF) is proposed in this paper to represent uncertainty of irregular data. The proposed method is based on vertical shear factor instead of vertical scaling factor which is used in existing FI. Experiments were performed using existing datasets which confirmed the practical usefulness of the proposed method. A comparison with existing methods was also made to further verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Furthermore, the criteria of the perturbed iterated function system (IFS) is proposed in order to satisfy the FI conditions and was explained with the help of an example. In addition, the error estimation between two IFS using the proposed refined equation is also presented.
Determinants of Culinary Business Performance
Authors: Garnasih Raden Lestari , Kurniawaty Kurniawaty , Suryatiningsih Dewita
Published: March 2020

Objective - Determination of the performance factors of the small culinary business sector is an important aim of this research. The research also aims to analyze the interconnectedness between the factors which generate competitive advantage and improve the performance of small and medium-sized enterprise businesses.

Methodology/Technique - Questionnaires were distributed to 115 such enterprises in the culinary field located in the city of Pekanbaru with the use of the cluster area a non-random sampling technique. In addition, a Likert scale was used to obtain responses from the participants, and the statistical analysis tool employed was PLS (Partial Least Squares).

Findings - The research reveals that business networking and human resource competencies are factors that influence the business performance of small entrepreneurs in the culinary sector. However, competitive advantage does not influence the effect of human resource competence and business networking on business performance.

Novelty - The variables studied in this culinary research field have not been comprehensively examined in previous studies.

Type of Paper - Empirical.

Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Business Networking; Culinary; Human Resources.

JEL Classification: M10, M16, M19.