bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Indigenous and Introduced Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Growth and Phytochemical Content of Vegetatively Propagated Prunus africana (Hook. f.) Kalkman Provenances
Authors: Tchiechoua Yves H. , Kinyua Johnson , Ngumi Victoria Wambui , Odee David Warambo
Published: December 2019

Prunus africana bark contains phytochemical compounds used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. It has been shown that this plant establishes association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF are involved in nutrient uptake, which may also affect plant growth and secondary metabolites composition. However, there is no information regarding the role of AMF in the growth and phytochemical content of P. africana. A pot experiment was carried out to assess the response of 8 months old vegetatively propagated P. africana seedlings inoculated with indigenous AMF collected from Mount Cameroon (MC) and Mount Manengumba (MM) in Cameroon, Malava near Kakamega (MK) and Chuka Tharaka-Nithi (CT) in Kenya. Mycorrhizal (frequency, abundance and intensity), growth (height, shoot weight, total weight, number of leaf, leaf surface) and phytochemical (total phenol, tannin and flavonoids) parameters were measured three months after growth of seedlings from two provenances (Muguga and Chuka) with the following inoculation treatments: MK, CT, MC, MM, non-sterilized soil (NS) and sterilized sand as non-inoculated control. Results showed that seedling heights were significantly increased by inoculation and associated with high root colonization (>80%) compared to non-inoculated seedlings. We also found that AMF promoted leaf formation, whereas inoculation did not have any effect on the seedling total weight. AMF inoculum from MM had a higher tannin content, while no significant difference was observed on the total phenol and flavonoid contents due to AMF inoculation. Pearson’s correlation was positive between mycorrhizal parameters and the growth parameters, and negative with phytochemical parameters. This study is the first report on the effect of AMF on the growth and phytochemical in P. africana. Further investigations are necessary to determine the effect of single AMF strains to provide better understanding of the role of AMF on the growth performance and physiology of this important medicinal plant species.
Which Traits Make Weeds More Successful in Maize Crops? Insights from a Three-Decade Monitoring in France
Authors: Fried Guillaume , Chauvel Bruno , Munoz François , Reboud Xavier
Published: December 2019

A major aim in invasion biology is identifying traits distinguishing alien invasive and alien non-invasive plants. Surprisingly, this approach has been, so far, poorly used to understand why some arable weeds are abundant and widespread while others are rare and narrowly distributed. In the present study, we focused on the characteristics of successful weeds occurring in maize fields, one of the most important crops worldwide. Two national weed surveys conducted in France were used to identify increasing and decreasing species based on 175 and 484 surveyed fields in the 1970s and the 2000s, respectively. Weed trait values related to regional frequency, local abundance, and specialization to maize were identified with phylogenetic generalized least-squares (PGLS). We found a positive relationship between regional frequency and local abundance, i.e., the most widespread weeds were also locally more abundant. We highlighted that weeds with the C4 photosynthetic pathway and summer emergence were more abundant, more frequent, and more specialized to maize crops. More generally, we highlighted two successful strategies: On the one hand, traits related to a general weediness syndrome with rapid resource acquisition (high SLA and Ellenberg-N) and high colonization capacity (seed longevity, fecundity, and wind dispersal); on the other hand, traits related to specific adaptation to spring cultivation (thermophilous species with summer emergence, late flowering, and C4 photosynthetic pathway). Deviations from the abundancy–frequency relationships also indicated that species of the Panicoideae sub-family, species with Triazine-resistant populations, and neophyte species were more abundant than expected by their regional frequency. To some extent, it is therefore possible to predict which species can be troublesome in maize crops and use this information in weed risk assessment tools to prevent new introductions or favor early detection and eradication. This study showed how tools developed in functional and macro-ecology can be used to improve our understanding of weed ecology and to develop more preventive management strategies.
The Use of Devotional Objects in Catalan Homes during the Late Middle Ages
Authors: Crispí Marta
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this article is to study domestic devotion in Catalonia in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, based on the information provided by numerous post-mortem inventories and texts written by coetaneous spiritual authors such as Ramon Llull, Francesc Eiximenis and Saint Vincent Ferrer. Among the objects recorded in the inventories, pieces of furniture and devotional objects laypeople and clergymen used in their pious practices as “material” aid for personal prayer stood out. They were in keeping with the strong visual culture that pervaded the Late Middle Ages. There were retables, oratories and images of religious themes. However, the inventories also listed lesser known but equally recurring objects such as paternosters and Agni Dei. Painted cloths depicting religious scenes that decorated the homes of numerous wealthy Catalan-Aragonese families at that time were also present. Spiritual books such as books of hours and psalters, biblical texts, Legenda Aurea, etc., were mentioned as well. They were part of the incipient libraries of the laity in the Late Middle Ages.
The Influence of Prayer and Family Worship on Relationship Functioning among Married Adults in the Caribbean and Latin American
Authors: Lister Zephon , Seibert Gregory , Chance Se-Anne , Huelett Brittany , Wilson Leon , Wilson Colwick
Published: December 2019

Religion and its practice have been found to significantly influence marital satisfaction and quality. However, there is a paucity of research that has explored these relationships among married adults living in the Caribbean and Latin America. This study examines the influence of prayer and family worship on relationship satisfaction, emotional attunement, conflict resolution and belief in traditional gender roles among Christian Caribbean and Latin American married adults. Data were gathered from 3997 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) adults in the Caribbean and Latin America. Hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations between religious practices (personal prayer, family worship, church attendance, and bible study) and relationship outcomes (relationship satisfaction, emotional attunement, conflict resolution, beliefs in traditional roles) independent of gender and level of education. The results suggest that married adults who spend more time in habitual prayer and at least weekly family worship experience higher levels of relationship satisfaction, emotional attunement and satisfaction with how conflicts were resolved. Additionally, married adults who were more likely to have a daily prayer life also reported having more egalitarian beliefs about roles and responsibilities in their relationships. These findings highlight the significant influence prayer and family worship have on relationship satisfaction and functioning.
Fine-Resolution Mapping of Soil Total Nitrogen across China Based on Weighted Model Averaging
Authors: Zhou Yue , Xue Jie , Chen Songchao , Zhou Yin , Liang Zongzheng , Wang Nan , Shi Zhou
Published: December 2019

Accurate estimates of the spatial distribution of total nitrogen (TN) in soil are fundamental for soil quality assessment, decision making in land management, and global nitrogen cycle modeling. In China, current maps are limited to individual regions or are of coarse resolution. In this study, we compiled a new 90-m resolution map of soil TN in China by the weighted summation of random forest and extreme gradient boosting. After harmonizing soil data from 4022 soil profiles into a fixed soil depth (0–20 cm) by equal area spline, 18 environmental covariates were employed to characterize the spatial pattern of soil TN in topsoil across China. The accuracy assessments from independent validation data showed that the weighted model averaging gave the best predictions with an acceptable R2 (0.41). The prediction map showed that high-value areas of soil TN were mainly distributed in the eastern Tibetan Plateau, central Qilian Mountains and the north of the Greater Khingan Range. Climate factors had a considerable influence on the variation of the soil TN, and land-use types played a pivotal part in each climate zone. This high-resolution and high-quality soil TN data set in China can be very useful for future inventories of soil nitrogen, assessments of soil nutrient status, and management of arable land.
Time Delay Evaluation on the Water-Leaving Irradiance Retrieved from Empirical Models and Satellite Imagery
Authors: Otto Peter , Vallejo-Rodríguez Ramiro , Keesstra Saskia , León-Becerril Elizabeth , de Anda José , Hernández-Mena Leonel , del Real-Olvera Jorge , Díaz-Torres José de Jesús
Published: December 2019

Temporal delays and spatial randomness between ground-based data and satellite overpass involve important deviations between the empirical model output and real data; these are factors poorly considered in the model calibration. The inorganic matter-generated turbidity in Lake Chapala (Mexico) was taken as a study case to expose the influence of such factors. Ground-based data from this study and historical records were used as references. We take advantage of the at-surface reflectance from Landsat-8, sun-glint corrections, a reduced NIR-band range, and null organic matter incidence in these wavelengths to diminish the physical phenomena-related radiometric artifacts; leaving the spatio-temporal relationships as the principal factor inducing the model uncertainty. Non-linear correlations were assessed to calibrate the best empirical model; none of them presented a strong relationship (<73%), including that based on hourly delays. This last model had the best predictability only for the summer-fall season, explaining 71% of the turbidity variation in 2016, and 59% in 2017, with RMSEs < 24%. The instantaneous turbidity maps depicted the hydrodynamic complexity of the lake, highlighting a strong component of spatial randomness associated with the temporal delays. Reasonably, robust empirical models will be developed if several dates and sampling-sites are synchronized with more satellite overpasses.
Atmospheric Correction of GOCI Using Quasi-Synchronous VIIRS Data in Highly Turbid Coastal Waters
Authors: Wu Jie , Chen Chuqun , Nukapothula Sravanthi
Published: December 2019

The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) sensor, with high temporal and spatial resolution (eight images per day at an interval of 1 hour, 500 m), is the world’s first geostationary ocean color satellite sensor. GOCI provides good data for ocean color remote sensing in the Western Pacific, among the most turbid waters in the world. However, GOCI has no shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands making atmospheric correction (AC) challenging in highly turbid coastal regions. In this paper, we have developed a new AC algorithm for GOCI in turbid coastal waters by using quasi-synchronous Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data. This new algorithm estimates and removes the aerosol scattering reflectance according to the contributing aerosol models and the aerosol optical thickness estimated by VIIRS’s near-infrared (NIR) and SWIR bands. Comparisons with other AC algorithms showed that the new algorithm provides a simple, effective, AC approach for GOCI to obtain reasonable results in highly turbid coastal waters.
Real-Time Optical Detection of Isoleucine in Living Cells through a Genetically-Encoded Nanosensor
Authors: Singh Shruti , Sharma Maheshwar Prasad , Alqarawi Abdulaziz A. , Hashem Abeer , Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi , Ahmad Altaf
Published: December 2019

Isoleucine is one of the branched chain amino acids that plays a major role in the energy metabolism of human beings and animals. However, detailed investigation of specific receptors for isoleucine has not been carried out because of the non-availability of a tool that can monitor the metabolic flux of this amino acid in live cells. This study presents a novel genetically-encoded nanosensor for real-time monitoring of isoleucine in living cells. This nanosensor was developed by sandwiching a periplasmic binding protein (LivJ) of E. coli between a fluorescent protein pair, ECFP (Enhanced Cyan Fluorescent Protein), and Venus. The sensor, named GEII (Genetically Encoded Isoleucine Indicator), was pH stable, isoleucine-specific, and had a binding affinity (Kd) of 63 ± 6 μM. The GEII successfully performed real-time monitoring of isoleucine in bacterial and yeast cells, thereby, establishing its bio-compatibility in monitoring isoleucine in living cells. As a further enhancement, in silico random mutagenesis was carried out to identify a set of viable mutations, which were subsequently experimentally verified to create a library of affinity mutants with a significantly expanded operating range (96 nM–1493 μM). In addition to its applicability in understanding the underlying functions of receptors of isoleucine in metabolic regulation, the GEII can also be used for metabolic engineering of bacteria for enhanced production of isoleucine in animal feed industries.
A Machine Learning-Based Method for Automated Blockchain Transaction Signing Including Personalized Anomaly Detection
Authors: Podgorelec Blaž , Turkanović Muhamed , Karakatič Sašo
Published: December 2019

The basis of blockchain-related data, stored in distributed ledgers, are digitally signed transactions. Data can be stored on the blockchain ledger only after a digital signing process is performed by a user with a blockchain-based digital identity. However, this process is time-consuming and not user-friendly, which is one of the reasons blockchain technology is not fully accepted. In this paper, we propose a machine learning-based method, which introduces automated signing of blockchain transactions, while including also a personalized identification of anomalous transactions. In order to evaluate the proposed method, an experiment and analysis were performed on data from the Ethereum public main network. The analysis shows promising results and paves the road for a possible future integration of such a method in dedicated digital signing software for blockchain transactions.
Investigation and Modeling of Multi-Node Body Channel Wireless Power Transfer
Authors: Huang Yuxuan , Zhao Jian , Sun Wenyu , Yang Huazhong , Liu Yongpan
Published: December 2019

Insufficient power supply is a huge challenge for wireless body area network (WBAN). Body channel wireless power transfer (BC-WPT) is promising to realize multi-node high-efficiency power transmission for miniaturized WBAN nodes. However, the behavior of BC-WPT, especially in the multi-node scenario, is still lacking in research. In this paper, the inter-degeneration mechanism of a multi-node BC-WPT is investigated based on the intuitive analysis of the existing circuit model. Co-simulation in the Computer Simulation Technology (CST) and Cadence platform and experiments in a general indoor environment verify this mechanism. Three key factors, including the distance between the source and the harvester, frequency of the source, and area of the ground electrodes, are taken into consideration, resulting in 15 representative cases for simulation and experiments studies. Based on the simulation parameters, an empirical circuit model to accurately predict the received power of multiple harvesters is established, which fits well with the measurement results, and can further provide guidelines for designs and research on multi-node BC-WPT systems.
The Impact of Mobile Money on the Financial Performance of the SMEs in Douala, Cameroon
Authors: Talom Frank Sylvio Gahapa , Tengeh Robertson Khan
Published: December 2019

Often financially excluded by the traditional banking system, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in many developing countries have found in mobile money services (MMS) a sustainable alternative. Despite its potential in propelling inclusive growth, the use and adoption of mobile money (MM) by SMEs has generally been low in developing countries, and one of the reasons has been limited data that supported its impact on financial performance. As a result, there was a need to investigate the impact of the mobile money payment and receipt services on the financial performance of the SMEs in Cameroon. This paper implemented a mixed research paradigm with data collected through the administration of a survey questionnaire and from one-on-one in-depth interviews. A sample of 285 SMEs responded to the survey, while 12 owners/managing directors were purposively selected to participate in the personal interviews. Version 25 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to analyse the quantitative data, while the qualitative data was analysed along themes. The results were, after that, triangulated for credibility reasons. The concluding findings indicated that the mobile money payment and receipt services contributed of the order of 73% of the total variance in the turnover of the SMEs in Douala after they had begun to use the technology. By confirming the positive relationship between the use of mobile money services and the financial performance of businesses, it is hoped that all the relevant stakeholders will see this as a possible solution to the financial challenges that SMEs face in developing economies.
Evolution and Mechanism of the “Core–Periphery” Relationship: Micro-Evidence from Cross-Regional Industrial Production Organization in a Fast-Developing Region in China
Authors: Jin Lixia , Wang Changjian , Zhang Hongou , Ye Yuyao , Du Zhiwei , Zhang Yuling
Published: December 2019

The location selection mechanism and effect of industrial transfer have been widely considered in academia, but the influence of institutional factors on cross-regional industrial transfer and regional differences still need further investigation. Based on theories of economic geography as well as new economic geography (NEG) and its’ institutional transformation, this paper studies the form, mechanism, and effect of the “core–periphery” regional relationship between the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and non-Pearl River Delta (NPRD) areas in Guangdong Province from the micro perspective of industrial spatial organization. Based on a case study on the change of the cross-regional production spatial organization of ceramics enterprises between Foshan and Qingyuan, it is found that after three rounds of spatial reorganization, the production spatial organization of Foshan’s and Qingyuan’s ceramics industries has changed significantly, forming a multifactory, multilocation production spatial structure and regional production network, which further drives to form the regional functional division of “core–periphery”. Institution factors, especially environmental regulation and industrial transfer institutional arrangements, have become an important driving force for the current industrial transfer, but its impact on regional relations is still not a decisive factor. The path locking of the “core–periphery” mode has not been fundamentally broken through. Although the form of spatial inequality has greatly changed, in fact, it produces a new form of inequality. The economic, geographical, and political theoretical framework from the micro-perspective of enterprises will provide a possible theoretical explanation for the phenomenon of “pollution moving to the West, high-tech industry moving to the East, industrial output gathering to the East” in China.
Evolution of the Global Agricultural Trade Network and Policy Implications for China
Authors: Qiang Wenli , Niu Shuwen , Wang Xiang , Zhang Cuiling , Liu Aimin , Cheng Shengkui
Published: December 2019

Global agricultural trade plays an essential role in balancing supply and demand regarding agricultural products worldwide. Based on complex network theory, two types of agricultural trade networks weighted by the physical quantity and monetary value were built. In both networks, eight groups of agricultural products showed diverse variation in time and space. During 1986 to 2016, the total physical trade increased by 2.55 times with a gradual growth process, and total monetary value increased 1.98 times with fluctuation. The cumulative distribution of node degree and strength followed power-law distribution. Scale expansion and structure complexity of both networks reflected heterogeneity between nodes and the trend of agricultural economic globalization. Meeting demand and seeking greater returns are the main drivers of global agricultural trade development. Mainly developed countries occupied the important positions in the global agricultural trade network, but some emerging economies such as China, Brazil, and India became important sources of demand and supply. China not only needs to fully use international resources to meet demand for agricultural products, but also needs to ensure its own food security through multiple countermeasures.
Assessment of Passive Retrofitting Strategies to Improve the Thermal Performance of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Storage Area in Traditional Rural Olive Mills
Authors: Barreca Francesco , Praticò Pasquale
Published: December 2019

The quality of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is strongly correlated to the fatty acid alkyl esters (FAEE) content. High storage temperature leads to degradation of positive oil attributes in the long term, while low temperature develops rancidity quickly, thus reducing the consumer’s acceptance and, therefore, the shelf life of EVOO. In Calabria, there are many traditional olive mills, yet only few are utilized nowadays. This is mainly due to the low building performance—in particular to the temperature control inside the oil storage area. This paper illustrates the thermal analysis carried out on a famous historical olive mill located in Lamezia Terme, the best agricultural land in Calabria. A thermal retrofitting assessment was conducted, and eight different passive strategies were evaluated to improve the sustainability of the buildings.
Photogrammetry for Concentrating Solar Collector Form Measurement, Validated Using a Coordinate Measuring Machine
Authors: King Peter , Sansom Christopher , Comley Paul
Published: December 2019

Concentrating solar power systems currently have a high capital cost when compared with other energy generating systems. The solar energy is captured in the form of thermal energy rather than direct electrical, which is attractive as thermal energy is more straightforward and currently more cost-effective to store in the amounts required for extended plant operation. It is also used directly as industrial process heat, including desalination and water purification. For the technology to compete against other generating systems, it is crucial to reduce the electrical energy cost to less than $0.10 per kilowatt-hour. One of the significant capital costs is the solar field, which contains the concentrators. Novel constructions and improvements to the durability and lifetime of the concentrators are required to reduce the cost of this field. This paper describes the development and validation of an inexpensive, highly portable photogrammetry technique, which has been used to measure the shape of large mirror facets for solar collectors. The accuracy of the technique has been validated to show a whole surface measurement capability of better than 100 m using a large coordinate measuring machine. Qualification of facets of the MATS plant was performed during its installation phase, giving results of the shape, slope and intercept errors over each facet.
What is Interdisciplinarity in Practice? Critical Reflections on Doing Mobility Research in an Intended Interdisciplinary Doctoral Research Group
Authors: Villeneuve Dominic , Durán-Rodas David , Ferri Anthony , Kuttler Tobias , Magelund Julie , Mögele Michael , Nitschke Luca , Servou Eriketti , Silva Cat
Published: December 2019

Lately, there has been a tendency in academia to call for more interdisciplinary research on sustainable mobility. However, there is a lack of empirical research on practiced interdisciplinarity. This paper seeks to address this by exploring the practices of an intended interdisciplinary doctoral research group. Specifically, it presents the study of a collaborative autoethnography using individual vignettes and qualitative data analysis. The results classify the identified interdisciplinary practices into three main categories: Interactions, productive processes, and negotiation processes, where interactions serve as a carrier for negotiation and productive processes. This also uncovers advantages and challenges associated with these interactions. Furthermore, the analysis reveals intersubjectivity as an important component of the infrastructure of interdisciplinarity involved in both processes. Finally, we call for a reevaluation of the hierarchical thinking about the different levels of interdisciplinarity, going from disciplinary to multidisciplinary to interdisciplinary to transdisciplinary research. We conclude that for interdisciplinarity to happen in practice, it requires having a combination of various disciplines, ontologies, and a common “wicked” problem to solve. We also find that developing an interdisciplinary research environment requires researchers to embark on a shared journey of reaching a higher level of intersubjectivity through continuous interactions and discussions, while also negotiating conflicts.
Weather Uncertainty and Efficacy of Fumigation in Tomato Production
Authors: Wu Feng , Qushim Berdikul , Guan Zhengfei , Boyd Nathan S. , Vallad Gary E. , MacRae Andrew , Jacoby Tyler
Published: December 2019

This study quantifies the effect of weather factors on fumigation efficacy in terms of weed control, tomato yield, and the overall economic performance of fumigants. High soil temperature was found to reduce the efficacy of all fumigants against nutsedge, while rainfall only reduced the efficacy of a limited number of fumigants. The fumigants’ economic performance over a range of weather conditions was further simulated to identify the fumigant that is most effective under diverse weather conditions. The results show that although 1,3-D:Pic:Kpam outperforms methyl bromide over the experiment period, methyl bromide is still the best treatment when accounting for the impact of weather variability. The study illustrates the sensitivity of fumigant efficacy to weather conditions and the importance of achieving consistent and sustainable efficacy. The regression model and the expected utility model, along with the simulation techniques, form a useful tool that can be applied across regions or crops.
Analysis of China Commercial Banks’ Systemic Risk Sustainability through the Leave-One-Out Approach
Authors: Zhang Xiaoming , Wei Chunyan , Zedda Stefano
Published: December 2019

One of the main issues in the recent Chinese financial reform is aimed at effectively measuring systemic risk and taking appropriate measures to ensure its sustainability and prevent new crises. In this paper, we firstly introduced the present macro-prudential policies implied in China and pointed out the existing problems. Secondly, we analyzed the banks’ assets riskiness and the banks’ probability to default, then, by means of a leave-one-out model, we measured each commercial bank systemic risk contribution. Thirdly, based on comprehensive empirical results and theoretical analysis, we provided some references for macro-prudential regulation and supervision. Results show that systemic risk is increasing in 2013–2017, in particular with reference to contagion risk, with a specific concentration within joint-stock commercial banks, suggesting a specific attention of regulators and supervisors for this category.
Cosmology and Matter-Induced Branes
Authors: Rubin Sergey G.
Published: December 2019

The extra space paradigm plays a significant role in modern physics and cosmology as a specific case. In this review, the relation between the main cosmological parameters—the Planck mass and the Cosmological constants—and a metric of extra space is discussed. Matter distribution inside extra space and its effect on the 4-dimensional observational parameters is of particular interest. The ways to solve the fine-tuning problem and the hierarchy problem are analyzed.
An Integrated MCDM Approach to Train Derailment Risk Response Strategy Selection
Authors: Zhang Huafeng , Sun Quanxin
Published: December 2019

Train derailment can mainly cause not only economic losses in the shape of mangled rolling stock or infrastructure, but also more severely in causalities and disruptions of operations, yielding great impact on the sustainable development of railway industry. Considering various complex and symmetrical operational environments, as well as the characteristics of low frequency and high consequences of derailment accidents, risk response is undoubtedly underlined as one of the most critical components of risk management process. However, in practice, risk response does not receive enough attention in comparison with risk assessment that it lacks mature models and tools for selecting optimal strategy. This study constructs an integrated Multi Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) model for the selection of optimum train derailment risk response strategy for the first time. In the model, decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technology is connected with analytical network process (ANP) to obtain evaluation criteria and their relative weights, and both of the two methods can deal with the complex coupling relationship between the indicators in the system. Then, technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is proposed to screen the optimum plan in the proposed model. Further, the Delphi method is used through the whole process to acquire expert advice. In the end, this model is used to select shunting derailment risk response strategies in Huangyangcheng station, and the final results demonstrate that this technology is simple and practical, and can provide a credible and practical tool for railway safety managers and engineers to choose the best risk response strategy.
Impulsive Evolution Equations with Causal Operators
Authors: Jabeen Tahira , Agarwal Ravi P. , Lupulescu Vasile , O’Regan Donal
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we establish sufficient conditions for the existence of mild solutions for certain impulsive evolution differential equations with causal operators in separable Banach spaces. We rely on the existence of mild solutions for the strongly continuous semigroups theory, the measure of noncompactness and the Schauder fixed point theorem. We consider the impulsive integro-differential evolutions equation and impulsive reaction diffusion equations (which could include symmetric kernels) as applications to illustrate our main results.
Ultraperipheral vs. Ordinary Nuclear Interactions
Authors: Dremin I. M.
Published: December 2019

It is argued that the cross sections of ultraperipheral interactions of heavy nuclei can become comparable in value to those of their ordinary hadronic interactions at high energies. Simple estimates of corresponding “preasymptotic energy thresholds” are provided. The method of equivalent photons is compared with the perturbative approach. The situation at NICA/FAIR energies is discussed.
Hydrodynamic Characterization of Mugla Karst Aquifer Using Correlation and Spectral Analyses on the Rainfall and Springs Water-Level Time Series
Authors: Sağır Çağdaş , Kurtuluş Bedri , Razack Moumtaz
Published: December 2019

Karst aquifers have been an important research topic for hydrologists for years. Due to their high storage capacity, karst aquifers are an important source of water for the environment. On the other hand, it is safety-critical because of its role in floods. Mugla Karst Aquifer (SW, Turkey) is the only major water-bearing formation in the close environs of Mugla city. Flooding in the wet season occurs every year in the recharge plains. The aquifer discharges by the seaside springs in the Akyaka district which is the main touristic point of interest in the area. Non-porous irregular internal structures make the karsts more difficult to study. Therefore, many different methodologies have been developed over the years. In this study, unit hydrograph analysis, correlation and spectral analyses were applied on the rainfall and spring water-level time series data. Although advanced karst formations can be seen on the surface like the sinkholes, it has been revealed that the interior structure is not highly karstified. 100–130 days of regulation time was found. This shows that the Mugla Karst has quite inertial behavior. Yet, the storage of the aquifer system is quite high, and the late infiltration effect caused by alluvium plains was detected. This characterization of the hydrodynamic properties of the Mugla karst system represents an important step to consider the rational exploitation of its water resources in the near future.
Correction: Jaramillo, F.; et al. Priorities and Interactions of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with Focus on Wetlands. Water 2019, 11, 619
Authors: Jaramillo Fernando , Desormeaux Amanda , Hedlund Johanna , Jawitz James W. , Clerici Nicola , Piemontese Luigi , Rodríguez-Rodriguez Jenny Alexandra , Anaya Jesús Adolfo , Blanco-Libreros Juan F. , Borja Sonia , Celi Jorge , Chalov Sergey , Chun Kwok Pan , Cresso Matilda , Destouni Georgia , Dessu Shimelis Behailu , Di Baldassarre Giuliano , Downing Andrea , Espinosa Luisa , Ghajarnia Navid , Girard Pierre , Gutiérrez Álvaro G. , Hansen Amy , Hu Tengfei , Jarsjö Jerker , Kalantari Zahra , Labbaci Adnane , Licero-Villanueva Lucia , Livsey John , Machotka Ewa , McCurley Kathryn , Palomino-Ángel Sebastián , Pietron Jan , Price René , Ramchunder Sorain J. , Ricaurte-Villota Constanza , Ricaurte Luisa Fernanda , Dahir Lula , Rodríguez Erasmo , Salgado Jorge , Sannel A. Britta K. , Santos Ana Carolina , Seifollahi-Aghmiuni Samaneh , Sjöberg Ylva , Sun Lian , Thorslund Josefin , Vigouroux Guillaume , Wang-Erlandsson Lan , Xu Diandian , Zamora David , Ziegler Alan D. , Åhlén Imenne
Published: December 2019

The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper [...]
Structural Changes in the Field of Science
Authors: Korepanov E.N.
Published: December 2019

Article covers the recent changes in ownership of scientific organizations, structure of investments in fixed capital of science and the cost of research and development. It also analyses the dynamics of publication activity and citation of Russian authors and shows the increasing role of research and development in technological innovation and industrial development. Author recognizes overcoming of the rejection of science by production.
The Smart City concept: discussion points
Authors: Ivanov V.V. , Nurmukhametov R.K.
Published: December 2019

Smart City is a new phenomenon of the ХХI-st century that reflects three latest world trends: a) an accelerating pace of urbanization; b) an active process of digitalization of economy and society; c) growing attention to the issues of sustainable urban development. All these trends intersect in the field of urban agglomeration. There are significant disagreement regarding the nature, substance and structure of «Smart City» concept. The difficulty in defining the concept of «Smart City» lies in the multidimensional nature of functions of the city itself that therefore requires a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis. The overview of the available scientific research shows that the concept of «Smart City» comprises four components: quality of life as a main goal; broad public participation in the development, monitoring and implementation of «Smart City» projects, sustainable urban development; widespread use of digital and other technologies in the economic, social and cultural spheres of city life. According to the authors currently there is much evidence to suggest that the modern concept of «Smart City» is being transformed into the concept of «Smart Sustainable City», when the emphasis is not only on information and communication technologies and human capital, but also on the achievement of the substantial development.
Interaction of the State and Business on Indicators of Values and Innovations of Public Health
Authors: Morozov V.A.
Published: December 2019

The article analyzes the state of public health on the example of domestic and foreign statistics, as well as prospects for its development and improvement. The state of relations and forms of interaction of budgetary medical institutions (state, municipal) with private clinics, as well as directly private clinics with the structures of municipal and state power are considered. The directions and ways of interaction of power and business structures for improvement of methods and forms of service of patients on the basis of indicators of values and innovations are offered.
Reclamation park as a tool to improve the efficiency of managing the agricultural sector (on the example of the Rostov region)
Authors: Abramenko I.P. , Novoselskaya L.A. , Revunov R.V. , Yanchenko
Published: December 2019

The article considers the reclamation park, which is an instrument of state stimulation of the development of economic entities of the agro-industrial complex on irrigated lands. On the example of the Rostov region, the authors analyzed the organizational, economic and regulatory mechanisms for the functioning of reclamation parks, as well as the socio-economic effects that arise in connection with the implementation of the specified tools. The results obtained can be used by state authorities of the Russian Federation, a constituent entity of the Russian Federation when drawing up plans for socio-economic development, developing strategies and programs, as well as by economic entities in managing agricultural activities.
Research and development of functional approach in economic systems management processes
Authors: Gerasimov B.N.
Published: December 2019

Management functions play an important role in any purposeful activity of individuals, organizations and society as a whole. The study of functional space in the framework of the activity of economic systems of the type «organization» was carried out. The parameters defining the content, purpose and criteria of each function within the management cycle are developed and described. The technologies of the most important functions of management in a typical format for the implementation of management processes and their parts are presented. The level of competence of specialists implementing management functions in solving professional problems is studied.
Concept and principles of building an integrated system of management of activities of regional gas supply system entities Kaliningrad region
Authors: Arunyants G.G.
Published: December 2019

The results of analysis of problems of regulation of gas supply complex of Kaliningrad region and main ways to increase its efficiency, as well as basic solutions for creation of a software complex Т-GAZ-2 automated calculation of natural gas tariffs for ACS of gas supply system subjects, geographically distributed and information connected to the regional automated information and control system (RAIS).
System approach to organization of aeronautical air traffic service
Authors: Borisov I.V.
Published: December 2019

The article substantiates the need for technological, organizational and economic modernization of the domestic system for the provision of air navigation services. The characteristic of the organization of air navigation services for air traffic as a high-tech system that is ergatic in nature is given. It is shown that ergatic functions serve as the basis for the professional activity of an aviation dispatcher, providing a reduction in the uncertainty in the relationships between the intra-system elements and external conditions in order to minimize risks during flights. The importance of creating an adequate job post for the dispatcher based on the SHEL model is disclosed. The measures of maximizing the approximation of operational training of duty dispatcher shifts to the conditions of actual flight operations are substantiated. It is proved that for a systematic solution to the problems of organizing state air navigation services, it is necessary to supplement their heterogeneous regulatory acts with the development of a full-fledged Federal Law «On Air Navigation Services in the Russian Federation».
Public-private partnership as a mechanism for the development of ecological tourism in specially protected areas of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation
Authors: Vorotnikov A.M. , Doronin N.S.
Published: December 2019

The vulnerability of Arctic ecosystems predetermines the development of ecotourism, which implies minimal anthropogenic impact on the places of residence and contributes to the preservation of natural objects. The key areas for ecotourism should be protected areas such as nature reserves and national parks, where, for example, ecological trails can run, tourist centers can be formed and awareness-raising activities can be carried out. Since protected areas are state-owned, and their status is not subject to change, the main model for the implementation of PPP projects in the field of tourism should be a concession agreement.
ДЕЯКІ ПРОБЛЕМИ МОРФОЛОГІЇ У СВІТЛІ НАУКОВОЇ КОНЦЕПЦІЇ С. І. ДОРОШЕНКА
Authors: Олексенко О. А.
Published: December 2019

The peculiarity of the diiepryslivnyk (participle) as a morphological unit of language generates scientific discussions, in particular, in the field of scientists’ constant attention there is a definition of its part-language affiliation. Linguists in their approaches to determine the place of the diiepryslivnyk in the morphological system of the Ukrainian language are divided into three groups. The first one is made up of those who consider the adverb to be the hybrid adverbial-verbal category, which is one of the forms of the verb, but has the potential to adverbialize. The second group includes those researchers who consider the diiepryslivnyk as a separate, independent part of the language that has features as verb and adverb, and their own semantic and grammatical marks. The third approach, common to modern grammatists, which include diiepryslivnyk to adverbs, regards it as a verbal adverb, emphasizing the verbaid character of this class of words. The aim of the article is to elucidate the views of Professor Doroshenko on this class of words. Speaking about the lexical meaning of the adverb, the scientist argues that although it has an verbal basis, but the meaning does not correspond to the verb, because it is transformed in accordance with its syntactic function - the procedural circumstance, and this is the specificity of the semantics of the diiepryslivnyk. Scientific research revealed the scientist’s original vision as for the syntactic, semantic, morphological and derivative features of the diiepryslivnyk, which gave the reason S. I. Doroshenko to support those linguists who speak in favor of giving the diiepryslivnyk the status of a separate part of speech.
ЛІНГВІСТИЧНА ШКОЛА ДОКТОРА ФІЛОЛОГІЧНИХ НАУК, ПРОФЕСОРА С. І. ДОРОШЕНКА
Authors: Чернушенко Н. М.
Published: December 2019

The article is dedicated to the 95th anniversary of doctor of philological sciences, professor, honored scientist and technician of Ukraine, Sergiy Doroshenko (Kharkiv State Pedagogic University named after Grygoriy Skovoroda), contains the information about linguistic school of the prominent teacher and philologist, the main points of his and his students’ research in the field of linguistics and linguodidactics at the end of ХХ – beginning of ХХІ century. The paper gives an overview of the dissertation researches of post-graduate students of the outstanding linguist, where the main findings in the branches of linguistics and linguodidactics are briefly represented..Sergiy Ivanovich is a prominent Ukrainian scholar, who has dedicated more than 65 years of his life to scientific and pedagogical activity at high school. His works on contemporary Ukrainian language, culture and teaching methods are well-known across Ukraine and abroad. His scientific students and followers work in different regions of Ukraine, Europe, and the USA. Through his tireless work, love to life, good temper our Teacher warmed the hearts of all who talked to him, generously gave his knowledge to colleagues and students, opened the golden gate into the wonderful world of linguistics. He has always radiated a positive charge, sparkles of humor, and pearls of language treasures.
ЕКСПРЕСІЯ ЯК ЧИННИК СТИЛЬОВОЇ ПЕРЕОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ РЕЛІГІЙНОЇ ЛЕКСИКИ
Authors: Ковтун А. А.
Published: December 2019

Due to a long stay on the periphery of the public consciousness, religious vocabulary has acquired a high permeability beyond the limits of its conventional style, although in the Ukrainian language it has always been an open system, refined through its active use. This stratum of vocabulary is quite rightly attributed to those that reflect the most active manifestations of the life of Ukrainians. Despite the lively interest of domestic linguists in the functioning of religious vocabulary outside the narrow professional segment of communication, the question of the actualization of religious vocabulary in the context of its stylistic reorganization in colloquial, artistic, publicistic and mass-media Ukrainian speech remains relevant. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of expressiveness as a factor in the reorientation of the stylistic features of religious lexemes against the background of the preservation of religious values outside of religious discourse. In the course of the study, it was established that, outside the religious sphere, expressiveness vividly accompanies the use of lexemes in religious meanings, while stimulating the stylistic modification of these units. The nature of expressiveness affects the emergence of new stylistic nuances (neutral → poetic, sublimely solemn, conversational, evaluative, etc.) that appear at a certain stage of development of the religious lexemes semantics due to the strengthening of separate semes of meaning with the actualization of its entire core. For example, the lexeme піп, once “bookish”, froze as a variant of meaning adapted to the colloquial speech elements due to the strengthening of such negative semes as avarice, gluttony, extortion, adaptability, manipulation. Repetition and pleonasm are stylistic figures that further reinforce such a characteristic feature of Ukrainians as expressiveness coupled with an explicit proclivity to judge people and phenomena. Such Old Kyivan and Old Ukrainian pleonastic phrases as красна» âhðà, правая âhðà, истинная âhðà, чистая âhðà could contribute to fixing the meaning religionin the lexeme âhðà (originally truth).