bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NOx Emission Flux Measurements with Multiple Mobile-DOAS Instruments in Beijing
Authors: Huang Yeyuan , Li Ang , Xie Pinhua , Hu Zhaokun , Xu Jin , Fang Xiaoyi , Ren Hongmei , Li Xiaomei , Dang Bing
Published: August 2020

NOX (NOX = NO + NO2) emissions measurements in Beijing are of great significance because they can aid in understanding how NOX pollution develops in mega-cities throughout China. However, NOX emissions in mega-cities are difficult to measure due to changes in wind patterns and moving sources on roads during measurement. To obtain good spatial coverage on different ring roads in Beijing over a short amount of time, two mobile differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) instruments were used to measure NOX emission flux from April 18th to 26th, 2018. In addition, a wind profile radar provided simultaneous wind field measurements for altitudes between 50 m and 1 km for each ring road measurement. We first determined NOX emission flux of different ring roads using wind field averages from measured wind data. The results showed that the NOX emission flux of Beijing’s fifth ring road, which represented the urban part, varied from (19.29 ± 5.26) × 1024 molec./s to (36.46 ± 12.86) × 1024 molec./s. On April 20th, NOX emission flux for the third ring was slightly higher than the fourth ring because the two ring roads were measured at different time periods. We then analyzed the NOX emission flux error budget and error sensitivity. The main error source was the wind field uncertainty. For some measurements, the main emission flux error source was either wind speed uncertainty or wind direction uncertainty, but not both. As Beijing’s NOX emissions came from road vehicle exhaust, we found that emission flux error had a more diverse sensitivity to wind direction uncertainty, which improved our knowledge on this topic. The NOX emission flux error sensitivity study indicated that more accurate measurements of the wind field are crucial for effective NOX emission flux measurements in Chinese mega-cities. Obtaining actual time and high resolved wind measurements is an advantage for mega-cities’ NOX emission flux measurements. The emission flux errors caused by wind direction and wind speed uncertainties were clearly distinguished. Other sensitivity studies indicated that NOX/NO2 ratio uncertainty dominated flux errors when the NOX/NO2 ratio uncertainty was >0.4. Using two mobile-DOAS and wind profile radars to measure NOx emission flux improved the quality of the emission flux measuring results. This approach could be applied to many other mega-cities in China and in others countries.
Correction: Niculescu, S., et al. Synergy of High-Resolution Radar and Optical Images Satellite for Identification and Mapping of Wetland Macrophytes on the Danube Delta. Remote Sensing 2020, 12(14), 2188
Authors: Niculescu Simona , Boissonnat Jean-Baptiste , Lardeux Cédric , Roberts Dar , Hanganu Jenica , Billey Antoine , Constantinescu Adrian , Doroftei Mihai
Published: August 2020

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
A High Optical Throughput Spectral Imaging Technique Using Broadband Filters
Authors: Wang Duo , Chen Zhe , Zhang Xingxiang , Fu Tianjiao , OuYang Rui , Bi Guoling , Jin Longxu , Wang Xiaoxu
Published: August 2020

To address the miniaturization of the spectral imaging system required by a mounted platform and to overcome the low luminous flux caused by current spectroscopic technology, we propose a method for the multichannel measurement of spectra using a broadband filter in this work. The broadband filter is placed in front of a lens, and the spectral absorption characteristics of the broadband filter are used to achieve the modulation of the incident spectrum of the detection target and to establish a mathematical model for the detection of the target. The spectral and spatial information of the target can be obtained by acquiring data using a push-broom method and reconstructing the spectrum using the GCV-based Tikhonov regularization algorithm. In this work, we compare the accuracy of the reconstructed spectra using the least-squares method and the Tikhonov algorithm based on the L-curve. The effect of errors in the spectral modulation function on the accuracy of the reconstructed spectra is analyzed. We also analyze the effect of the number of overdetermined equations on the accuracy of the reconstructed spectra and consider the effect of detector noise on the spectral recovery. A comparison between the known data cubes and our simulation results shows that the spectral image quality based on broadband filter reduction is better, which validates the feasibility of the method. The proposed method of combining broadband filter-based spectroscopy with a panchromatic imaging process for measurement modulation rather than spectroscopic modulation provides a new approach to spectral imaging.
A WSN Layer-Cluster Key Management Scheme Based on Quadratic Polynomial and Lagrange Interpolation Polynomial
Authors: Wang Xiaogang , Yang Zhongfan , Feng Zhiqiang , Zhao Jun
Published: August 2020

Since current key management schemes are mainly designed for static and planar networks, they are not very suitable for the layer-cluster wireless sensor networks (WSNs), a WSN layer-cluster key management scheme based on quadratic polynomial and Lagrange interpolation polynomial is proposed, in which the main idea of this scheme along the research line of broadcast identity authentication, session key, group key, network key and personal key. Specifically, authentication key can be established on the basis of Fourier series for identity authentication; session key is established by a multiple asymmetric quadratic polynomial, in which session key information is encrypted by the authentication key to ensure the security of intermediate interactive information; based on the former two keys, group key is established on the basis of Lagrange interpolation polynomial, in which the nodes of the cluster are not directly involved; the generation and management of network key is similar to the group key, in which the establishment idea is to regard the BS and all cluster heads as a group; the generation and management of personal key is also similar to the group key, the difference is that the personal key can be obtained by cluster nodes through getting the Lagrange interpolation polynomial coefficients based on their own random key information. It is analyzed that the proposed layer-cluster key management scheme can guarantee the identity of network nodes firstly through forward authentication and reverse authentication, and session key, group key and network key will guarantee the independence of the keys’ management and avoids the problem of single point failure compared with LEAP protocol, and personal key will guarantee the privacy of network.
A New Approach to Estimate from Monitored Demand Data the Limit of the Coverage of Electricity Demand through Photovoltaics in Large Electricity Grids
Authors: Baena Francisco , Muñoz-Rodriguez Francisco José , Gómez Vidal Pedro , Almonacid Gabino
Published: August 2020

In a traditional large electricity grid without storage, there is a limit to the maximum photovoltaic energy that can be consumed as the demand and generation may not match, either in magnitude or in time. This paper aims to provide a new method to estimate the limit of the coverage of electricity demand by photovoltaics in large electricity grids. This new method eliminates the random and the periodic variability over time as it is based either on the load duration curve for demand and the output duration curve for PV generation. We will assume there is no energy storage or inter-network exchanges. Moreover, conditions for the best scenario for photovoltaics are provided in order to estimate the upper limit: photovoltaic overgeneration is not considered and a complete system flexibility is assumed. The knowledge of this limit will manage to provide not only a reference for the planning of the energy sector but also to analyze the viability of the integration of future photovoltaic projects in the electrical system. In order to illustrate the method, several large electricity grids have been analysed in order to determine the aforementioned limit. Values between 19.3% and 29.9% have been obtained.
Understanding Sensor Cities: Insights from Technology Giant Company Driven Smart Urbanism Practices
Authors: D’Amico Gaspare , L’Abbate Pasqua , Liao Wenjie , Yigitcanlar Tan , Ioppolo Giuseppe
Published: August 2020

The data-driven approach to sustainable urban development is becoming increasingly popular among the cities across the world. This is due to cities’ attention in supporting smart and sustainable urbanism practices. In an era of digitalization of urban services and processes, which is upon us, platform urbanism is becoming a fundamental tool to support smart urban governance, and helping in the formation of a new version of cities—i.e., City 4.0. This new version utilizes urban dashboards and platforms in its operations and management tasks of its complex urban metabolism. These intelligent systems help in maintaining the robustness of our cities, integrating various sensors (e.g., internet-of-things) and big data analysis technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence) with the aim of optimizing urban infrastructures and services (e.g., water, waste, energy), and turning the urban system into a smart one. The study generates insights from the sensor city best practices by placing some of renowned projects, implemented by Huawei, Cisco, Google, Ericsson, Microsoft, and Alibaba, under the microscope. The investigation findings reveal that the sensor city approach: (a) Has the potential to increase the smartness and sustainability level of cities; (b) Manages to engage citizens and companies in the process of planning, monitoring and analyzing urban processes; (c) Raises awareness on the local environmental, social and economic issues, and; (d) Provides a novel city blueprint for urban administrators, managers and planners. Nonetheless, the use of advanced technologies—e.g., real-time monitoring stations, cloud computing, surveillance cameras—poses a multitude of challenges related to: (a) Quality of the data used; (b) Level of protection of traditional and cybernetic urban security; (c) Necessary integration between the various urban infrastructure, and; (d) Ability to transform feedback from stakeholders into innovative urban policies.
Feature Selection for Health Care Costs Prediction Using Weighted Evidential Regression
Authors: Panay Belisario , Baloian Nelson , Pino José A. , Peñafiel Sergio , Sanson Horacio , Bersano Nicolas
Published: August 2020

Although many authors have highlighted the importance of predicting people’s health costs to improve healthcare budget management, most of them do not address the frequent need to know the reasons behind this prediction, i.e., knowing the factors that influence this prediction. This knowledge allows avoiding arbitrariness or people’s discrimination. However, many times the black box methods (that is, those that do not allow this analysis, e.g., methods based on deep learning techniques) are more accurate than those that allow an interpretation of the results. For this reason, in this work, we intend to develop a method that can achieve similar returns as those obtained with black box methods for the problem of predicting health costs, but at the same time it allows the interpretation of the results. This interpretable regression method is based on the Dempster-Shafer theory using Evidential Regression (EVREG) and a discount function based on the contribution of each dimension. The method “learns” the optimal weights for each feature using a gradient descent technique. The method also uses the nearest k-neighbor algorithm to accelerate calculations. It is possible to select the most relevant features for predicting a patient’s health care costs using this approach and the transparency of the Evidential Regression model. We can obtain a reason for a prediction with a k-NN approach. We used the Japanese health records at Tsuyama Chuo Hospital to test our method, which included medical examinations, test results, and billing information from 2013 to 2018. We compared our model to methods based on an Artificial Neural Network, Gradient Boosting, Regression Tree and Weighted k-Nearest Neighbors. Our results showed that our transparent model performed like the Artificial Neural Network and Gradient Boosting with an R2 of 0.44.
Infrared Thermography for the Detection and Characterization of Photovoltaic Defects: Comparison between Illumination and Dark Conditions
Authors: Gallardo-Saavedra Sara , Hernández-Callejo Luis , Alonso-García María del Carmen , Muñoz-Cruzado-Alba Jesús , Ballestín-Fuertes Javier
Published: August 2020

Newly installed renewable power capacity has been increasing incredibly in recent years. For example, in 2018, 181 GW were installed worldwide. In this scenario, in which photovoltaic (PV) energy plays a leading role, it is essential for main players involved in PV plants to be able to identify the failure modes in PV modules in order to reduce investment risk, to focus their maintenance efforts on preventing those failures and to improve longevity and performance of PV plants. Among the different systems for defects detection, conventional infrared thermography (IRT) is the fastest and least expensive technique. It can be applied in illumination and in dark conditions, both indoor and outdoor. These two methods can provide complementary results for the same kind of defects, which is analyzed and characterized in this research. Novel investigation in PV systems propose the use of a power inverter with bidirectional power flow capability for PV plants maintenance, which extremely facilitates the electroluminescence (EL) inspections, as well as the outdoor IRT in the fourth quadrant.
Morphology and Microstructure Evolution of Gold Nanostructures in the Limited Volume Porous Matrices
Authors: Yakimchuk Dzmitry V. , Bundyukova Victoria D. , Ustarroz Jon , Terryn Herman , Baert Kitty , Kozlovskiy Artem L. , Zdorovets Maxim V. , Khubezhov Soslan A. , Trukhanov Alex V. , Trukhanov Sergei V. , Panina Larissa V. , Arzumanyan Grigory M. , Mamatkulov Kahramon Z. , Tishkevich Daria I. , Kaniukov Egor Y. , Sivakov Vladimir
Published: August 2020

The modern development of nanotechnology requires the discovery of simple approaches that ensure the controlled formation of functional nanostructures with a predetermined morphology. One of the simplest approaches is the self-assembly of nanostructures. The widespread implementation of self-assembly is limited by the complexity of controlled processes in a large volume where, due to the temperature, ion concentration, and other thermodynamics factors, local changes in diffusion-limited processes may occur, leading to unexpected nanostructure growth. The easiest ways to control the diffusion-limited processes are spatial limitation and localized growth of nanostructures in a porous matrix. In this paper, we propose to apply the method of controlled self-assembly of gold nanostructures in a limited pore volume of a silicon oxide matrix with submicron pore sizes. A detailed study of achieved gold nanostructures’ morphology, microstructure, and surface composition at different formation stages is carried out to understand the peculiarities of realized nanostructures. Based on the obtained results, a mechanism for the growth of gold nanostructures in a limited volume, which can be used for the controlled formation of nanostructures with a predetermined geometry and composition, has been proposed. The results observed in the present study can be useful for the design of plasmonic-active surfaces for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based detection of ultra-low concentration of different chemical or biological analytes, where the size of the localized gold nanostructures is comparable with the spot area of the focused laser beam.
A Hybrid Approach: Dynamic Diagnostic Rules for Sensor Systems in Industry 4.0 Generated by Online Hyperparameter Tuned Random Forest
Authors: Mallak Ahlam , Fathi Madjid
Published: August 2020

In this work, a hybrid component Fault Detection and Diagnosis (FDD) approach for industrial sensor systems is established and analyzed, to provide a hybrid schema that combines the advantages and eliminates the drawbacks of both model-based and data-driven methods of diagnosis. Moreover, it shines the light on a new utilization of Random Forest (RF) together with model-based diagnosis, beyond its ordinary data-driven application. RF is trained and hyperparameter tuned using three-fold cross validation over a random grid of parameters using random search, to finally generate diagnostic graphs as the dynamic, data-driven part of this system. This is followed by translating those graphs into model-based rules in the form of if-else statements, SQL queries or semantic queries such as SPARQL, in order to feed the dynamic rules into a structured model essential for further diagnosis. The RF hyperparameters are consistently updated online using the newly generated sensor data to maintain the dynamicity and accuracy of the generated graphs and rules thereafter. The architecture of the proposed method is demonstrated in a comprehensive manner, and the dynamic rules extraction phase is applied using a case study on condition monitoring of a hydraulic test rig using time-series multivariate sensor readings.
Scaling the INGO: What the Development and Expansion of Canadian INGOs Tells Us
Authors: Cochrane Logan , Davis John-Michael
Published: August 2020

The literature on international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) has focused primarily on large INGOs, which capture the majority of total INGO spending but represent a small number of total INGOs. Over the past two decades, the number of INGOs has more than tripled throughout the global North, which has ushered in a decentralization of the sector as an emerging class of small- and medium-sized INGOs increasingly share the same space once occupied solely by large INGOs. This study focuses on these INGOs in transition to explore how they differ from large INGOs that receive significant government funding and their pathways to scale. Using an original dataset of 1371 Canadian INGOs, we explored comparative differences related to funding sources, overhead, organizational age, country coverage, staff, and religion between the transitioning and small-scale INGOs. Our results identified several general insights for how INGOs transition: (1) Large INGOs are less likely to articulate a religious motivation, which may impede government funding; (2) INGOs are more likely to be headquartered in Ontario, which is closer to federal government offices; (3) low overhead expenditures inhibit small-scale INGOs from transitioning to medium- and large-scale INGOs; (4) organizational age plays a critical factor to scale-up as INGOs increase their experience and expertise; (5) generous compensation to attract talented staff offers an under-valued pathway to scale. Finally, our results demonstrate the diversity among INGOs in Canada and problematizes singular scale-up pathways, while underscoring the necessity of future research to explore scaling strategies through individual case studies.
Influence of Changes in Botanical Diversity and Quality of Wet Grasslands through Phenological Phases on Cow Milk Fatty Acid Composition
Authors: Dubljević Radisav , Marković Božidarka , Radonjić Dušica , Stešević Danijela , Marković Milan
Published: August 2020

Natural pastures in Montenegro, together with natural meadows, are the most important forage source and comprise 95% of the used agricultural area (UAA). The aim of this study was to estimate the changes in grassland biomass, chemical and floristic composition and fatty acid composition in milk of cows grazed on Agrostis stolonifera semi-natural wet grassland in the Central region of Montenegro. Investigation was conducted during three phenological phases: early vegetative, optimal vegetative and full reproductive phase. The chemical composition of the grassland biomass was changed through the phenological phases. A significant increase during the experimental period in the content of dry matter and crude fibers and a decrease in crude protein content were determined. The pasture community consisted of 52 species, belonging to 19 families. The total amount of plant species classified as excellent, very good and good quality was 7.69%, while medium quality plants amounted to 13.46%, low quality plants to 19.23%, valueless plants to 34.62% and toxic plants to 25%. The total quality index was 4.166. The highest quality index of this community was in the second phenological phase, then in the third phase the lowest quality was in the first phenological phase. According to the floristic composition and biomass quality, this lowland pasture can be qualified as being of moderate to good quality. The content of milk fat, protein and solid non-fat (SNF) was increased from the first to the third vegetation phase, but the differences between the phases were not significant (p > 0.05). The content of a majority of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) also increased, while the total content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) was high in the second phase and decreased significantly in the third phase. The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was constant in the first two phases, while it significantly decreased in the third phase. The highest content of most of MUFAs and PUFAs was obtained in the second phenological phase. The content of fatty acids in the third phase significantly affected (p < 0.05) by the phenological phase. This research contributes to the improvements in the grazing management of wet grasslands as well as the animal performances (milk yield and quality of milk).
Opinion Prediction of Hungarian Students for Real-Time E-Learning Systems: A Futuristic Sustainable Technology-Based Solution
Authors: Verma Chaman , Illés Zoltán , Stoffová Veronika , Bakonyi Viktória
Published: August 2020

This work is a new step towards the understanding of students’ opinions about the use of technology in learning and improvements to provide sustainable E-learning solutions. Every higher educational university tries to provide well-suited, updated, and trending technology-based education facilities to its students. The task of analyzing the student’s sentiment about technology delivers benefits not only to ICT administrators, but also to management to become aware of the technological concerns. The opinions of Hungarian university students were analyzed using the regression method. We investigated 165 primary samples supported by the four hypotheses. The reliability of the data sample was calculated as 0.91 with Cronbach alpha testing. The Pearson Momentum Correlation (PMC) proved that the suggested technology benefits had a linear positive association with the student’s opinion. Furthermore, technology usability was positively correlated with the benefits. The supporting results of the regression model evidenced the significant impact of technology usability and benefits on the opinions. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), we proposed significant features for the model that predicted students’ opinions using the educational benefit and usability parameters. These parameters statistically significantly predicted student’s opinions: F (2, 162) = 104.9, p < 0.05, R2 = 0.559. This study may be supportive of implementing the opinion mining model online and useful to university authorities to understand better the students’ sentiments about the current technological facilities provided. The authors proposed an opinion mining model to deploy on the university’s real-time “E-lection” sustainable technology.
Placement of Infrastructure for Urban Electromobility: A Sustainable Approach
Authors: Machado Cláudia A. Soares , Takiya Harmi , Yamamura Charles Lincoln Kenji , Quintanilha José Alberto , Berssaneti Fernando Tobal
Published: August 2020

Over the last few years, electric vehicles (EVs) have turned into viable urban transportation alternatives. Charging infrastructure is an issue, since high investment is needed and there is a lot of demand uncertainty. Seeking to fill gaps in past studies, this investigation proposes a set of procedures to identify the most adequate places for implementing the EV charging infrastructure. In order to identify the most favorable districts for the installation and operation of electric charging infrastructure in São Paulo city, the following public available information was considered: the density of points of interest (POIs), distribution of the average monthly per capita income, and number of daily trips made by transportation mode. The current electric vehicle charging network and most important business corridors were additionally taken into account. The investigation shows that districts with the largest demand for charging stations are located in the central area, where the population also exhibits the highest purchasing power. The charging station location process can be applied to other cities, and it is possible to use additional variables to measure social inequality.
Construction Safety Success Factors: A Taiwanese Case Study
Authors: Chen Wei Tong , Tsai I-Chen , Merrett Hew Cameron , Lu Shih Tong , Lee Yu-I , You Ji-Kai , Mortis Leonard
Published: August 2020

The international construction industry has long experienced high rates of occupational incidents resulting in serious injury and death. The high rate of fatal construction accidents has clearly highlighted the importance and urgency of safety management improvement for building and construction sites. This paper analyzed 33 nominated success factors of the site safety management (SSM) of building construction projects using Principle Components Analysis (PCA) to extract the success factors (SFs) of SSM in Taiwan. The internal relationships among these SFs were further explored using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the underlying relationships. The results of this study indicate that there are moderate correlations present between the selected SFs for SSM. Management behaviors, a safe work environment and safety resources, the safety behaviors of workers, and prevention and remedial actions were found to be the major influencers for SSM performance. Furthermore, the study shows that SSM in Taiwan is still overly focused on safe working conditions, to the detriment of workers’ safety perception and training. Further work is required to ensure that safety programs are agile enough to understand and adapt to the factors which influence SSM outcomes.
Analyzing the Performances of Water User Associations to Increase the Irrigation Sustainability: An Application of Multivariate Statistics to a Case Study in Italy
Authors: Zema Demetrio Antonio , Filianoti Pasquale , D’Agostino Daniela , Labate Antonino , Lucas-Borja Manuel Esteban , Nicotra Angelo , Zimbone Santo Marcello
Published: August 2020

Benchmarking techniques are useful and simple tools to analyze the performance of the collective irrigation in the Water User Associations (WUAs) towards an increase in service sustainability. Several benchmarking techniques have been proposed to process and predict performance indicators. Instead, some meaningful statistical techniques based on the distance of data samples, which overcome the limitations of the traditional benchmarking techniques, have never been applied to the collective irrigation sector. This study applies Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA), Multidimensional Scale Models (MDS), and Distance-Based Linear Models (DISTLM) as benchmarking techniques to evaluate the technical and financial performances of 10 WUAs in Calabria (Southern Italy). These benchmarking techniques revealed that the significant differences in the irrigated areas and financial self-sufficiency of the WUAs, shown by PERMANOVA, depend on the large variability of the remaining performance indicators. Both the MDS and DISTLM demonstrated that a higher number of associated users and larger irrigation service coverage allows an increase in the irrigated areas; this enlargement is facilitated if the water price and the size of the personnel staff decrease. The WUAs’ self-sufficiency is mainly influenced by the number of workers and the maintenance, organization, and management costs, while the impacts of the due service fees and water price are more limited; it is also convenient to increase the number of the associated farmers since this increases the economy of scale and the gross revenues of the irrigation service. Overall, from the analysis carried out for the regional case study, these benchmarking techniques seem to be powerful and easy tools to identify the problems of the irrigation service and help in planning the most suitable policies to improve the sustainability of the collective irrigation at the regional scale.
Mapping the Sharing Economy in China
Authors: Liu Chan , Chan Raymond K. H. , Wang Maofu , Yang Zhe
Published: August 2020

Harnessing the rapid development of mobile internet technology, the sharing economy has experienced unprecedented growth in the global economy, especially in China. Likely due to its increasing popularity, more and more businesses have adopted this label in China. There is a concern as to the essential meaning of the sharing economy. As it is difficult to have a universally accepted definition, we aim to map the sharing economy and demystify the use of it in China in this paper. We propose seven organizing essential elements of the sharing economy: access use rights instead of ownership, idle capacity, short term, peer-to-peer, Internet platforms mediated, for monetary profit, and shared value orientation. By satisfying all or only parts of these elements, we propose one typology of sharing economy, and to differentiate bona fide sharing economy from quasi- and pseudo-sharing economy. Finally, there are still many problems that need to be solved urgently in the real sharing economy from the perspective of the government, companies and individuals.
Effects of Zeolite and Biochar Addition on Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria and Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea Communities during Agricultural Waste Composting
Authors: Wu Xin , Ren Liheng , Zhang Jiachao , Peng Hui
Published: August 2020

The effects of zeolite and biochar addition on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) communities during agricultural waste composting were determined in this study. Four treatments were conducted as follows: Treatment A as the control with no additive, Treatment B with 5% of zeolite, Treatment C with 5% of biochar, and Treatment D with 5% of zeolite and 5% biochar, respectively. The AOB and AOA amoA gene abundance as well as the ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) activity were estimated by quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The relationship between gene abundance and AMO enzyme activity was determined by regression analysis. Results indicated that the AOB was more abundant than that of AOA throughout the composting process. Addition of biochar and its integrated application with zeolite promoted the AOB community abundance and AMO enzyme activity. Significant positive relationships were obtained between AMO enzyme activity and AOB community abundance (r2 = 0.792; P < 0.01) and AOA community abundance (r2 = 0.772; P < 0.01), indicating that both bacteria and archaea played significant roles in microbial ammonia oxidation during composting. Using biochar and zeolite might promote the nitrification activity by altering the sample properties during agricultural waste composting.
Does Environmental Education Matter? Evidence from Provincial Higher Education Institutions in China
Authors: Ma Yuan , Men Jingzhi , Cui Wei
Published: August 2020

Environmental education pedagogy is divided into two categories: teacher-driven pedagogy and student-driven pedagogy. Their impacts on the environmental awareness of college students are analyzed using the propensity score matching method. The analysis results for 485 survey data points from college students show that both of these two pedagogies influence college students’ environmental awareness positively, and the effect of student-driven pedagogy is higher. The conclusion provides insight for the further development of college students’ environmental education.
Environmental and Economic Assessment of Castor Oil Supply Chain: A Case Study
Authors: Pari Luigi , Suardi Alessandro , Stefanoni Walter , Latterini Francesco , Palmieri Nadia
Published: August 2020

Among the species currently cultivated for industrial vegetable oil production, castor could be a good candidate for future investments due to the good resistance to pests, tolerance to drought, and suitability for marginal lands cultivation. In addition, the production of castor oil from Ricinus generates a large quantity of press cake, husks, and crop residues that, in a framework of bioeconomy, could be used as by-products for different purposes. Using a case study approach, the work presents results of the environmental impact assessment and economic feasibility of the production of castor oil from two different castor hybrids comparing four by-products management scenarios and two harvesting systems (manual vs. mechanical). Castor hybrid C-856 harvested manually and that involved only the soil incorporation of press cake obtained by the oil extraction resulted as the most sustainable. The hybrid C-1030 resulted as more profitable than C-856 when harvested with the combine harvester. The ratio between gross margin and GWP emissions was applied to calculate the economic performance (gross margin) per unit of environmental burden. Findings showed that Sc1B scenario in case of C-856 cultivar hybrid had a better ratio between economic performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere (€3.75 per kg CO2eq).
Multidimensional Construction Planning and Agile Organized Project Execution—The 5D-PROMPT Method
Authors: Leicht David , Castro-Fresno Daniel , Dìaz Joaquìn , Baier Christian
Published: August 2020

Although tremendous technological and strategic advances have been developed and implemented in the construction sector in recent years, there is substantial room for improvement in the areas of productivity growth, project performance, and schedule reliability. Thus, the present paper seeks to discover why the currently applied scheduling tools and the latest agile-based project organization approaches have not yet achieved their full potential. A missing interlinkage between the project’s design, cost, and time aspects within the project design phase and its sparse utilization throughout project execution were indicated as the driving contributors responsible for the slow progress in development. To fundamentally change this situation, an extensive and coherent project organization solution is proposed. The key process of this solution utilizes a 5D Building Information Model comprising tight concatenations between the individual model objects and the corresponding construction cost and time effort values. The key dates of a waterfall-based construction process simulation, set during the project planning phase, provide particular information to create a structure for agile organized project execution. The implementation of information feedback loops allows target/actual comparisons and contributes to continual improvements in future planning. A comparative case study was conducted with auspicious results on improvements in the overall project performance, and schedule and cost reliability.
The Role of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in Lassa Virus Cell Entry
Authors: Fedeli Chiara , Moreno Hector , Kunz Stefan
Published: August 2020

The zoonotic Old World mammarenavirus Lassa (LASV) causes severe hemorrhagic fever with high mortality and morbidity in humans in endemic regions. The development of effective strategies to combat LASV infections is of high priority, given the lack of a licensed vaccine and restriction on available treatment to off-label use of ribavirin. A better understanding of the fundamental aspects of the virus’s life cycle would help to improve the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Host cell entry and restriction factors represent major barriers for emerging viruses and are promising targets for therapeutic intervention. In addition to the LASV main receptor, the extracellular matrix molecule dystroglycan (DG), the phosphatidylserine-binding receptors of the Tyro3/Axl/Mer (TAM), and T cell immunoglobulin and mucin receptor (TIM) families are potential alternative receptors of LASV infection. Therefore, the relative contributions of candidate receptors to LASV entry into a particular human cell type are a complex function of receptor expression and functional DG availability. Here, we describe the role of two receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), Axl and hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR), in the presence and absence of glycosylated DG for LASV entry. We found that both RTKs participated in the macropinocytosis-related LASV entry and, regardless of the presence or absence of functional DG, their inhibition resulted in a significant antiviral effect.
Identification of Circovirus Genome in a Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) on the Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Levy Hila , Fiddaman Steven R. , Djurhuus Anni , Black Caitlin E. , Kraberger Simona , Smith Adrian L. , Hart Tom , Varsani Arvind
Published: August 2020

Circoviruses infect a variety of animal species and have small (~1.8–2.2 kb) circular single-stranded DNA genomes. Recently a penguin circovirus (PenCV) was identified associated with an Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) with feather disorder and in the cloacal swabs of three asymptomatic Adélie Penguins at Cape Crozier, Antarctica. A total of 75 cloacal swab samples obtained from adults and chicks of three species of penguin (genus: Pygoscelis) from seven Antarctic breeding colonies (South Shetland Islands and Western Antarctic Peninsula) in the 2015−2016 breeding season were screened for PenCV. We identified new variants of PenCV in one Adélie Penguin and one Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) from Port Charcot, Booth Island, Western Antarctic Peninsula, a site home to all three species of Pygoscelid penguins. These two PenCV genomes (length of 1986 nucleotides) share > 99% genome-wide nucleotide identity with each other and share ~87% genome-wide nucleotide identity with the PenCV sequences described from Adélie Penguins at Cape Crozier ~4400 km away in East Antarctica. We did not find any evidence of recombination among PenCV sequences. This is the first report of PenCV in Chinstrap Penguins and the first detection outside of Ross Island, East Antarctica. Given the limited knowledge on Antarctic animal viral diversity, future samples from Antarctic wildlife should be screened for these and other viruses to determine the prevalence and potential impact of viral infections.
A CRISPR/Cas9 Generated Bovine CD46-knockout Cell Line—A Tool to Elucidate the Adaptability of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Viruses (BVDV)
Authors: Szillat Kevin P. , Koethe Susanne , Wernike Kerstin , Höper Dirk , Beer Martin
Published: August 2020

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) entry into a host cell is mediated by the interaction of the viral glycoprotein E2 with the cellular transmembrane CD46 receptor. In this study, we generated a stable Madin–Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) CD46-knockout cell line to study the ability of different pestivirus A and B species (BVDV-1 and -2) to escape CD46-dependent cell entry. Four different BVDV-1/2 isolates showed a clearly reduced infection rate after inoculation of the knockout cells. However, after further passaging starting from the remaining virus foci on the knockout cell line, all tested virus isolates were able to escape CD46-dependency and grew despite the lack of the entry receptor. Whole-genome sequencing of the escape-isolates suggests that the genetic basis for the observed shift in infectivity is an amino acid substitution of an uncharged (glycine/asparagine) for a charged amino acid (arginine/lysine) at position 479 in the ERNS in three of the four isolates tested. In the fourth isolate, the exchange of a cysteine at position 441 in the ERNS resulted in a loss of ERNS dimerization that is likely to influence viral cell-to-cell spread. In general, the CD46-knockout cell line is a useful tool to analyze the role of CD46 for pestivirus replication and the virus–receptor interaction.
Seasonal Variations in Growth and Physiological Parameters Along with its Relationship with Various Haemato-Biochemical and Mineral Profiles in Black Bengal Goats in Free Range Rearing System
Authors: Perveen Shagufta , Das Pradip Kumar , Naskar Syamal
Published: August 2020

Determining animal growth and physiological parameters, their inter-relationship and correlation with various haemato-biochemical and mineral profile during summer and winter seasons in present climatic conditions are imperative for defining genetic potential and adaptation of black Bengal breed for higher meat production. The recorded body weight was found positively correlated with (P ≤ 0.01)height, heart girth and, linear length during both summer and winter season, indicating that they can be used to estimate body weight in black Bengal goats of different ages under field conditions where scales are not usually available. The pulse rate was found to be negatively correlated with (P ≤ 0.01)body weight during both the summer and winter season. Total erythrocyte count (TEC) was negatively correlated (P ≤ 0.05)with the weight during summer but positively (P ≤ 0.01) during the winter season.
Homo narrans – wymiar dziecięcego istnienia
Authors: Wojciechowska Justyna
Published: August 2020

Celem artykułu jest omówienie zagadnienia narracji. Podjęto w nim rozważania na temat istoty narracji w perspektywie kulturowej i edukacyjnej oraz rozwojowej dzieci. Zdefiniowano znaczenie obrazowania narracyjnego. Wykorzystano analizę literatury jako materiału źródłowego. Wskazano na ważność zagadnienia, jego rozwój w ostatnich latach oraz istotę pedagogicznego dyskursu kształcenia. Rozważania osadzono w kontekście istoty kultury i edukacji, które ściśle wiążą się ze sobą. Podkreślona została rola języka w życiu człowieka, a także w dyskursie pedagogicznym, jako tym, który kształtuje osobowość i wnętrze młodego pokolenia. Podkreślono fakt, iż zadaniem pedagogicznego dyskursu w całym procesie edukacji jest wykazanie dbałości o poziom kompetencji językowej uczniów, co warunkuje w przyszłości  istnienie człowieka w świecie. W dalszej części tekstu omówiono strukturę narracji wyodrębnioną i nazwaną przez Idę Kurcz. Wskazano również na rolę pedagogów, wychowawców, rodziców, którzy powinni z pełną świadomością i odpowiedzialnością dbać o narracyjny wymiar istnienia dziecka. Jednoznacznie stwierdzono nieodzowność narracji w życiu homo narrans, nie tylko w okresie dzieciństwa, ale również w życiu dorosłym, tym bardziej w czasach dominacji kultury obrazu oraz wzmożonego napływu wielości informacji.
Od słowa do opowieści. Usprawnianie kompetencji narracyjnych dziecka drogą doskonalenia zdolności opowiadania
Authors: Szurek Marzena , Zmuda Ewa
Published: August 2020

Przedmiotem artykułu jest opowieść potraktowana z perspektywy pedolingwistycznego namysłu nad narracją (będącą esencją opowieści szeroko rozumianej). W początkowych partiach tekstu zaprezentowane zostały najważniejsze zagadnienia teoretyczne dotyczące narracji i kompetencji narracyjnej, stanowiące punkt wyjścia do dalszych rozważań. Natomiast główna część pracy dotyczy możliwości wykorzystania umiejętności opowiadania (począwszy od najwcześniejszych lat życia) w procesie terapii logopedycznej nastawionej na usprawnianie komunikacji językowej i innych aspektów rozwoju dziecka. Celem artykułu jest więc podkreślenie znaczenia i funkcji opowieści po- traktowanej przez pryzmat oddziaływań terapeutycznych. Realizacji tego celu służy pokazanie specyfiki pracy logopedy nad rozwijaniem kompetencji narracyjnej, która w perspektywie, jaką przyjęły autorki, jest nie tylko finalnym efektem terapii, ale też ważnym narzędziem osiągnięcia sprawności w zakresie innych kompetencji kluczowych. Sprawność narracyjna staje się celem terapeutycznym i narzędziem budowania kompetencji w umysłach jednostek. Zaproponowane strategie postępowania i formy ćwiczeń oparte zostały na doświadczeniach autorek w pracy terapeutycznej stosowanej w odniesieniu do pacjentów z różnymi deficytami rozwojowymi. Jednocześnie w prezentowanych przykładach uwzględniono naukową dyskusję teoretyczną nad rolą narracji w szeroko zakrojonej terapii zaburzeń.
Etnofarmacología, riqueza terapéutica de México para el desarrollo social sostenible
Authors: Dorado Martínez Claudia
Published: August 2020

La Etnofarmacología es un campo interdisciplinario de la antropología cultural, la biología y la medicina; abarca las observaciones en campo, descripción del uso y preparación de los remedios, la determinación botánica del material obtenido, estudios fitoquímicos para aislar los compuestos presentes en las plantas, así como los estudios farmacológicos; por lo que es una ciencia que ha cobrado gran importancia. En este estudio se realizó un análisis documental en torno al concepto de Etnofarmacología en México en MEDLINE a partir de 1960, así como documentos sobre las comunidades indígenas de México y las características de atención a la salud en nuestro país. Los resultados muestran que las investigaciones sobre plantas medicinales y Etnofarmacología tienen una larga y fecunda historia en México y un sorprendente aumento en publicaciones sobre Etnofarmacología. La mayoría de los trabajos analizados son estudios interdisciplinarios en los que participaron diversas universidades y grupos de trabajo, muchos son reportes de estudios de campo lo que indica que la Etnofarmacología es una ciencia joven con gran capacidad de desarrollo y una potencial generadora de propuestas terapéuticas
La socioformación como vínculo en dos programas de turismo presenciales en Acapulco
Authors: Niño Gutiérrez Naú Silverio
Published: August 2020

Las relaciones entre los programas de Licenciatura en Gestión Turística (LGT) y la Maestría en Ciencias: Gestión Sustentable de Turismo (MCGST) de la Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (UAGro) implican un compromiso conceptual y teórico-metodológico. El objetivo fue exponer cinco coincidencias entre la LGT y la MCGST para la construcción de indicadores sobre el talento humano formado. La metodología empleada consistió en trabajo de gabinete acerca de la Misión, Visión, Objetivos, Justificación y Producto de la LGT y MCGST. Los resultados fueron: 1) cada año los egresados de la LGT se incorporan a estudiar la MCGST integrante del Padrón Nacional de Posgrados de Calidad (PNPC) acreditado ante el Consejo Nacional Ciencia y Tecnología (Conacyt), 2) visión de contribuir a consolidar el turismo sustentado en el patrimonio natural y cultural de Guerrero y 3) existe gran potencial de trabajo en el logro del desarrollo turístico sostenible a nivel local. Conclusiones: a) a través del turismo se puede lograr el Desarrollo Sustentable en sitios concretos y b) la Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y Protección al Ambiente (LGEEyPA), coadyuva a lograr el desarrollo turístico sustentable local.