bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Damage Orientation and Depth Effect on the Guided Wave Propagation Behavior in 30CrMo Steel Curved Plates
Authors: Hu Chaojie , Yang Bin , Xuan Fu-Zhen , Yan Jianjun , Xiang Yanxun
Published: February 2020

In this paper, the guided wave propagation behavior in damaged 30CrMo steel curved plates was investigated experimentally and numerically. The effects of the notch orientation, depth in the curved plate, as well as its radius, on the wave propagation characteristics were mainly analyzed by the amplitude distribution curves and the directivity diagrams of A0/S0 (zero-th order of the symmetric/antisymmetric Lamb wave) modes. An ellipse-based algorithm was compiled to locate the notches in the curved plates. Results show that the normalized S0 wave amplitude in the circumferential orientation was the largest, and it increases as notch depth increases in the axial orientation. The A0 wave amplitude in axial orientation was the largest, while it decreases with the increasing of notch depth in the other orientations. The normalized A0 wave amplitude in axial orientation increases with the increasing of radius. With the increasing of radius, the other normalized A0/S0 amplitudes linearly decreased for the other paths. The ellipse-based algorithm has high notch localization accuracy, and the notch localization error increase from 0.005% to 1.47% with the notch depth decreasing from 5 mm to 1 mm in the curved plates. For the curved plates with different radius, the maximum notch localization error is 1.20%. These satisfactory results demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed algorithm in locating damages in the researched structure.
Visible Light-Driven p-Type Semiconductor Gas Sensors Based on CaFe2O4 Nanoparticles
Authors: Qomaruddin Qomaruddin , Casals Olga , Šutka Andris , Granz Tony , Waag Andreas , Wasisto Hutomo Suryo , Daniel Prades Joan , Fàbrega Cristian
Published: February 2020

In this work, we present conductometric gas sensors based on p-type calcium iron oxide (CaFe2O4) nanoparticles. CaFe2O4 is a metal oxide (MOx) with a bandgap around 1.9 eV making it a suitable candidate for visible light-activated gas sensors. Our gas sensors were tested under a reducing gas (i.e., ethanol) by illuminating them with different light-emitting diode (LED) wavelengths (i.e., 465–640 nm). Regardless of their inferior response compared to the thermally activated counterparts, the developed sensors have shown their ability to detect ethanol down to 100 ppm in a reversible way and solely with the energy provided by an LED. The highest response was reached using a blue LED (465 nm) activation. Despite some responses found even in dark conditions, it was demonstrated that upon illumination the recovery after the ethanol exposure was improved, showing that the energy provided by the LEDs is sufficient to activate the desorption process between the ethanol and the CaFe2O4 surface.
Wearable Piezoelectric-Based System for Continuous Beat-to-Beat Blood Pressure Measurement
Authors: Wang Ting-Wei , Lin Shien-Fong
Published: February 2020

Non-invasive continuous blood pressure measurement is an emerging issue that potentially can be applied to cardiovascular disease monitoring and prediction. Recently, many groups have proposed the pulse transition time (PTT) method to estimate blood pressure for long-term monitoring. However, the PTT-based methods for blood pressure estimation are limited by non-specific estimation models and require multiple calibrations. This study aims to develop a low-cost wearable piezoelectric-based system for continuous beat-to-beat blood pressure measurement. The pressure change in the radial artery was extracted by systolic and diastolic feature points in pressure pulse wave (PPW) and the pressure sensitivity of the sensor. The proposed system showed a reliable accuracy of systolic blood pressure (SBP) (mean absolute error (MAE) ± standard deviation (SD) 1.52 ± 0.30 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP, MAE ± SD 1.83 ± 0.50), and its performance agreed with standard criteria of MAE within 5 mmHg and SD within ±8 mmHg. In conclusion, this study successfully developed a low-cost, high-accuracy piezoelectric-based system for continuous beat-to-beat SBP and DBP measurement without multiple calibrations and complex regression analysis. The system is potentially suitable for continuous, long-term blood pressure-monitoring applications.
ME3CA: A Cognitive Assistant for Physical Exercises that Monitors Emotions and the Environment
Authors: Rincon Jaime A. , Costa Angelo , Novais Paulo , Julian Vicente , Carrascosa Carlos
Published: February 2020

Recent studies show that the elderly population has increased considerably in European society in recent years. This fact has led the European Union and many countries to propose new policies for caring services directed to this group. The current trend is to promote the care of the elderly in their own homes, thus avoiding inverting resources on residences. With this in mind, there are now new solutions in this direction, which try to make use of the continuous advances in computer science. This paper tries to advance in this area by proposing the use of a personal assistant to help older people at home while carrying out their daily activities. The proposed personal assistant is called ME3CA, and can be described as a cognitive assistant that offers users a personalised exercise plan for their rehabilitation. The system consists of a sensorisation platform along with decision-making algorithms paired with emotion detection models. ME3CA detects the users’ emotions, which are used in the decision-making process allowing for more precise suggestions and an accurate (and unbiased) knowledge about the users’ opinion towards each exercise.
An Improved Pedestrian Ttracking Method Based on Wi-Fi Fingerprinting and Pedestrian Dead Reckoning
Authors: Feng Bo , Tang Wei , Guo Guofa , Jia Xiaohong
Published: February 2020

Wi-Fi based positioning has great potential for use in indoor environments because Wi-Fi signals are near-ubiquitous in many indoor environments. With a Reference Fingerprint Map (RFM), fingerprint matching can be adopted for positioning. Much assisting information can be adopted for increasing the accuracy of Wi-Fi based positioning. One of the most adopted pieces of assisting information is the Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR) information derived from inertial measurements. This is widely adopted because the inertial measurements can be acquired through a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) smartphone. To integrate the information of Wi-Fi fingerprinting and PDR information, many methods have adopted filters, such as Kalman filters and particle filters. A new methodology for integration of Wi-Fi fingerprinting and PDR is proposed using graph optimization in this paper. For the Wi-Fi based fingerprinting part, our method adopts the state-of-art hierarchical structure and the Penalized Logarithmic Gaussian Distance (PLGD) metric. In the integration part, a simple extended Kalman filter (EKF) is first used for integration of Wi-Fi fingerprinting and PDR results. Then, the tracking results are adopted as initial values for the optimization block, where Wi-Fi fingerprinting and PDR results are adopted to form an concentrated cost function (CCF). The CCF can be minimized with the aim of finding the optimal poses of the user with better tracking results. With both real-scenario experiments and simulations, we show that the proposed method performs better than classical Kalman filter based and particle filter based methods with both less average and maximum positioning error. Additionally, the proposed method is more robust to outliers in both Wi-Fi based and PDR based results, which is commonly seen in practical situations.
The Manifestation of Neighborhood Effects: A Pattern for Community Growth?
Authors: Cope Michael R. , Jackson Jorden E. , Sanders Scott R. , Erickson Lance D. , Morlan Tippe , Brown Ralph B.
Published: February 2020

Neighborhood effects, or the development of community by neighborhoods, are often studied in an urban context. Previous research has neglected to examine the influence of neighborhoods in nonurban settings. Our case study, however, contributes to the existing literature as it takes place in a small, rural-to-urban town at an important point in time where the town was urbanizing. We find that neighborhood effects also influence community satisfaction and attachment in Creekdale, an urbanizing town. Using survey data (N = 1006) drawn from the Creekdale Community Citizens Viewpoint Survey (CCVS), we find that, contrary to conventional wisdom, population size and density does not matter necessarily for an individual’s community attachment and satisfaction; community experience is shaped by neighborhood effects.
An Evaluation of Restocking Practice and Demographic Stock Assessment Methods for Cryptic Juvenile European Eel in Upland Rivers
Authors: Nzau Matondo Billy , Benitez Jean-Philippe , Dierckx Arnaud , Rollin Xavier , Ovidio Michaël
Published: February 2020

Restocking of the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla is widespread, but it is rarely scientifically evaluated. Methods used to assess its associated performance by estimating the survival rate and implement restocking for maximum recruitment in rivers have not yet been investigated. Based on two glass eel restocking events using a single release site/point and multiple sites per river performed in upland rivers (>340 km from the North Sea), the recruitment success of stocked eels was scientifically evaluated during a 3-year study using multiple capture-mark-recapture methods and mobile telemetry. We compared the observed data with the data estimated from the Telemetry, De Lury and Jolly-Seber stock assessment methods. For recruitment data, Telemetry was very close to Jolly-Seber, an appropriate stock assessment method for open populations. Using the best model of Jolly-Seber, survival probability was higher (>95%) in both restocking practices, but recruitment yields were higher and densities of stocked eels were lower in multiple sites compared to a single site. Our results suggest that Telemetry can help to rapidly assess cryptic juvenile eel stocks with good accuracy under a limited number of capture-mark-recapture sessions. Artificial dispersal of glass eels on several productive habitats/sites per river appears to be the better-suited practice for restocking.
Toward an Organizational Theory of Sustainability Vision
Authors: Kantabutra Sooksan
Published: February 2020

While vision is considered as the starting point for any transformation process toward sustainability, little is known about how such a vision looks. To fill in a fundamental gap in the corporate sustainability literature, the present study advances a theory of organizational vision into a coherent theory of sustainability vision. It adopts the theory-building approaches of covering-law, enlightenment, and process by comparing and contrasting a diverse set of relevant plausible, logical, empirical, and/or epistemological conjectures so that highlighting occurs to form the substance of the refined theory. The resulting theory of sustainability vision asserts that effective sustainability visions are characterized by the seven attributes of brevity, clarity, future orientation, stability, challenge, abstractness, desirability or ability to inspire and one imagery of stakeholder satisfaction. Relevant propositions and a model are introduced for future research, followed by practical implications.
Spatiotemporal Changes in Ecosystem Services along a Urban-Rural-Natural Gradient: A Case Study of Xi’an, China
Authors: Li Xiaoxuan , Zhang Hongjuan , Zhang Zhicheng , Feng Juan , Liu Kang , Hua Yawei , Pang Qian
Published: February 2020

Urban areas are the areas that are most strongly affected by human activities, which presents many challenges to the ecosystem and human well-being. Ecosystem services (ES) are a comprehensive indicator to measure the ecological effects of urbanization. To effectively identify and evaluate the impact of urbanization on ES, the spatial-temporal pattern of ES should be considered. According to the level of urbanization, Xi’an city is divided into four regions: the urban core area, the urban extended area, the rural area, and the ecological conservation area, then, five comprehensive ecosystem services (CES) are evaluated by In VEST model. The results showed the following: (1) There is an obvious spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of ES. The ecological conservation area is the hot spot of ES supply, and the low value is mostly distributed in the urban core area. (2) The CES in the urban extended area that has undergone the greatest change between 2000 and 2015, and the rates of change in the ecological conservation area are the smallest. (3) There is a significant correlation between urbanization and ES, and the correction between landscape urbanization and ES is the most significant. (4) The agglomeration relationship between urbanization and ES in different regions is not consistent. Regional division provides a new way to understand the interaction between urbanization and ES in time and space, so as to provide better guidance for policy makers in formulating sustainable development policies to alleviate the loss of ES caused by the process of urbanization.
Sustainability Reporting Quality of Peruvian Listed Companies and the Impact of Regulatory Requirements of Sustainability Disclosures
Authors: Loza Adaui Cristian R.
Published: February 2020

Regulations establishing mandatory sustainability reporting practices are proliferating around the world. The empirical evidence comparing sustainability reporting quality (SRQ) in the context of mandatory and voluntary institutional frameworks does not show consensus. Similarly, this occurs with studies addressing the effects of regulatory shocks on SRQ. Moreover, empirical evidence addressing SRQ in Latin American countries is scarce. To fill this gap, this study aims to explore the consequences of introducing new regulatory requirements for sustainability disclosure on SRQ of Peruvian companies. To reach that goal, 81 sustainability disclosure documents published between 2014 and 2016 by 27 companies included in the S&P/BVL Peru General Index of Lima’s Stock Exchange were analyzed using qualitative content analysis methods and adopting a multidimensional approach for SRQ evaluation. The findings show a constant improvement of SRQ regardless of the introduction of the new regulatory requirements. Furthermore, after the entry into force of new sustainability reporting obligations, the number of companies providing third-party independent assurance of the information contained in their sustainability disclosure documents decreases, suggesting that for the Peruvian case, regulatory requirements tend to discourage companies to invest in the credibility of their sustainability disclosure documents, and promote a symbolic application of sustainability disclosure standards.
Creating Sustainable Meals Supported by the NAHGAST Online Tool—Approach and Effects on GHG Emissions and Use of Natural Resources
Authors: Speck Melanie , Bienge Katrin , Wagner Lynn , Engelmann Tobias , Schuster Sebastian , Teitscheid Petra , Langen Nina
Published: February 2020

Every diet has an impact on an individual’s health status, the environment, as well as on social concerns. A growing number of meals are consumed in the out-of-home catering sector, in which a systematic sustainability assessment is not part of common practice. In order to close this gap, an instrument was developed as part of the NAHGAST project. After more than one year of using the NAHGAST online tool, it needs to be assessed what positive environmental influences can be realized by using the tool. For this reason, this article deals with the question of whether an online tool can enable stakeholders from the out-of-home consumption sector to revise their meals with regard to aspects of a sustainable diet. In addition, it will be answered how precise recipe revisions of the most popular lunchtime meals influence the material footprint as well as the carbon footprint. In conclusion, an online tool can illustrate individual sustainability paths for stakeholders in the out-of-home consumption sector and enables an independent recipe revision for already existing meals. The results show that even slight changes in recipes could lead to savings of up to a third in carbon footprint as well as in material footprint. In relation to the out-of-home consumption sector, this results in the potential for substantial multiplication effects that will pave the way for the dissemination of sustainable nutrition.
Thymelaea hirsuta and Echinops spinosus: Xerophytic Plants with High Potential for First-Generation Biodiesel Production
Authors: Helal Nesma M. , Alharby Hesham F. , Alharbi Basmah M. , Bamagoos Atif. A. , Hashim Ahmed M.
Published: February 2020

The negative impacts of fossil fuel on the environment should be replaced by clean and sustainable energy sources worldwide. Therefore, the use of biodiesel as a clean energy source is crucial. Biodiesel is produced from various natural resources through a transesterification process. Considering the importance of this topic, this study focuses on the assessment of oil properties of Thymelaea hirsuta and Echinops spinosus as primary sources for biodiesel production. The two investigated plants were collected from the Western Desert of Egypt. The results showed that the lignocellulosic content was about 57.3 and 79.8 g/100 g in E. spinosus and 59.1 and 82.8 g/100 g in T. hirsuta, respectively. The two investigated samples showed variable lipid contents (30.2–76.1%). The GC-MS fatty acid profile characterized seven FAs in E. spinosus and twelf FAs in T. hirsuta. The greatest CN was calculated in T. hirsuta (379.2) compared to the lowest in E. spinosus (229.9). Furthermore, the values of saponification number (SN) were 27.9 in E. spinosus and 16.07 in T. hirsuta. The value of higher heating value (HHV) was about 47.5 MJ/kg in E. spinosus and 48.3 MJ/kg in T. hirsuta. Meanwhile, T. hirsuta exhibited a higher induction period (IP) value (19.3 h) comparable to that of E. spinosus (4.3 h). The results revealed that both plants are potential sources for biodiesel production according to various international standards for biodiesel production, and this work appears to be one of the first reports regarding such wild xerophytic plants as promising new primary sources for biodiesel production in Egypt.
What Do We Still Need to Know about Employee Creativity: A fsQCA Approach
Authors: Song Yao , Gao Shikui , Zhao Yang , Singh Gaur Sanjaya
Published: February 2020

This study explored employees behavior flexibility, status, and independence value as vital factors of employee creativity. Based on the theory of interaction creativity, we theorize the core factors, synergistic effects, and substitution effects of employee creativity. This paper adopted a qualitative approach using a self-administrated survey to collect data. Data were collected from 380 Chinese employees via an online and offline survey. The results contribute to creativity literature and expand the study on employee’s creativity performance. Moreover, it opens the black box of employee creativity from a new insight by exploring the effects of human resource flexibility and work values. The paper suggests that to obtain innovation and organizational sustainability, companies should not only advocate human resource flexibility management but also combine the work values of employees.
Locating Battery Swapping Stations for a Smart e-Bus System
Authors: Moon Joon , Kim Young Joo , Cheong Taesu , Song Sang Hwa
Published: February 2020

With the growing interest and popularity of electric vehicles (EVs), the electrification of buses has been progressing recently. To achieve the seamless operation of electric buses (e-Buses) for public transportation, some bus stations should play the role of battery swapping station due to the limited travel range of e-Buses. In this study, we consider the problem of locating battery swapping stations for e-Buses on a passenger bus traffic network. For this purpose, we propose three integer programming models (set-covering-based model, flow-based model and path-based model) to model the problem of minimizing the number of stations needed. The models are applied and tested on the current bus routes in the Seoul metropolitan area of South Korea.
Module-Based Product Configuration Decisions Considering Both Economical and Carbon Emission-Related Environmental Factors
Authors: Yang Dong , Li Jia , Wang Bill , Jia Yong-ji
Published: February 2020

With an increasing demand for green and environmentally friendly products, configuring a customized product from modular product design to satisfy both individualized customer requirements and environment restrictions has become a vital task for mass customization. In this paper, we addressed a module-based product configuration problem under carbon emission regulation, i.e., carbon cap-and-trade schema. The configuration problem under carbon cap-and-trade schema was formulated as a mixed-integer programming problem. Due to the NP-hard characteristics of the model, a genetic algorithm was employed to solve the configuration problems under carbon cap-and-trade. Experiments were carried out to analyze the effects of carbon emissions on product configuration decisions and carbon purchasing decisions. As a result, the range for carbon emission cap is suggested for both manufacturers and government agency, which provides the decision supporting for both customized and low-carbon production and green manufacturing.
Technological Differences, Theoretical Consistency, and Technical Efficiency: The Case of Hungarian Crop-Producing Farms
Authors: Baráth Lajos , Fertő Imre , Hockmann Heinrich
Published: February 2020

Effective agricultural policymaking requires the accurate estimation of the production technology and efficiency of farms. However, several methodological issues should be considered when modelling production and estimating technical efficiency. In this paper, we focus on two of these—technological heterogeneity and theoretical consistency—as implied in microeconomic theory. Heterogeneity in the efficiency literature is often evaluated using a variable intercept model. However, in farm production, it is likely that heterogeneity also affects the marginal productivity of production factors. Some earlier papers investigated the effect of unobserved heterogeneity on technical efficiency using latent class models, but the application of random parameter models is limited. One of our main contributions in this paper is that we apply a modified version of a random parameter model to investigate the effect of unobserved heterogeneity on production factors and efficiency. The second aim was to impose regularity conditions into the model through introducing linear and non-linear constraints and thereby investigate their significance. Third, we examined the relationship between unobserved heterogeneity and the natural and economic conditions of farms. Our findings show that heterogeneity has a greater effect on variation in output than technical efficiency; furthermore, the violation of theoretical consistency significantly influences the results. These findings also reveal that the explanatory power of regional natural and economic conditions is significant but not sufficient on the variance of estimated unobserved heterogeneity.
A Route Choice Model for Capturing Driver Preferences When Driving Electric and Conventional Vehicles
Authors: Jensen Anders F. , Rasmussen Thomas K. , Prato Carlo G.
Published: February 2020

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) play an important role in the needed transition away from fossil fuels and Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEVs). Although transport planning models and routing problem solutions exist for BEVs, the assumption that BEV drivers search for the shortest path while constraining energy consumption does not have any empirical basis. This study presents a study of actual route choice behavior of drivers from 107 Danish households participating in a large-scale experiment with BEVs and at the same time driving their ICEVs. GPS traces from 8968 BEV and 6678 ICEV routes were map matched to a detailed road network to construct observed routes, and a route choice model was specified and estimated to capture behavioral differences related to the vehicle type. The results reveal that drivers had a higher sensitivity to travel time and trip length when driving BEVs, and to route directness after receiving the BEV, regardless of vehicle type. The results suggest the need to revise the assumptions of transport planning models and routing problems for BEVs in order not to fail to predict what drivers will do by ignoring differences and similarities related to vehicle type.
The Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Trade: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Balogh Jeremiás Máté , Jámbor Attila
Published: February 2020

In line with the development of international trade, environmental concerns have arisen as a global problem. International trade has the potential to increase environmental externalities such as transboundary pollution, deforestation, transportation and production relocation avoiding environmental standards. The share of agricultural goods in total export reached 15% in 2017. Since 2002, the proportion of unprocessed agricultural products have more than doubled, while the volume of processed goods in global trade has tripled. Despite the importance of agricultural trade worldwide, the number of studies exploring the trade-agriculture-environment nexus has so far been limited. This paper aims to provide an overview of the environmental impacts of agricultural trade based on the international economics literature published in recent years by way of a systematic literature review. Results suggest that most recent environmental studies do not view extended trade or trade liberalization in agriculture favourably. Only a limited number of papers state that a country or countries’ environment could benefit from agricultural trade, and only a few researchers have found that agricultural trade did not have any significant influence at all, or have instead found the effects on the environment to be ambiguous. Finally, the research reveals the most important consequences of pollution and offers potential solutions.
The Serological Prevalence of Rabies Virus-Neutralizing Antibodies in the Bat Population on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad
Authors: Seetahal Janine F. R. , Greenberg Lauren , Satheshkumar Panayampalli Subbian , Sanchez-Vazquez Manuel J. , Legall George , Singh Shamjeet , Ramkissoon Vernie , Schountz Tony , Munster Vincent , Oura Christopher A. L. , Carrington Christine V. F.
Published: February 2020

Rabies virus (RABV) is the only lyssavirus known to be present within the Caribbean. The island of Trinidad, is richly diverse in chiropteran fauna and endemic for bat-transmitted rabies with low RABV isolation rates observed in this population. We aimed to determine the seroprevalence of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) in light of spatio-temporal and bat demographic factors to infer the extent of natural exposure to RABV in the Trinidadian bat population. RVNA titers were determined by the RABV micro-neutralization test on 383 bat samples representing 21 species, comprising 30.9% of local bat diversity, from 31 locations across the island over 5 years. RVNA was positively detected in 33 samples (8.6%) representing 6 bat species (mainly frugivorous) with titers ranging from 0.1 to 19 IU/mL (mean 1.66 IU/mL). The analyses based on a multivariable binomial generalised linear mixed-effects model showed that bat age and year of capture were significant predictors of seropositivity. Thus, juvenile bats were more likely to be seropositive when compared to adults (estimate 1.13; p = 0.04) which may suggest early exposure to the RABV with possible implications for viral amplification in this population. Temporal variation in rabies seropositivity, 2012–2014 versus 2015–2017 (estimate 1.07; p = 0.03) may have been related to the prevailing rabies epizootic situation. Regarding other factors investigated, RVNA was found in bats from both rural and non-rural areas, as well as in both hematophagous and non-hematophagous bat species. The most common seropositive species, Artibeus jamaicensis planirostris is ubiquitous throughout the island which may potentially facilitate human exposure. The findings of this study should be factored into public health assessments on the potential for rabies transmission by non-hematophagous bats in Trinidad.
Individual Differences in Multisensory Interactions: The Influence of Temporal Phase Coherence and Auditory Salience on Visual Contrast Sensitivity
Authors: Chow Hiu Mei , Leviyah Xenia , Ciaramitaro Vivian M.
Published: February 2020

While previous research has investigated key factors contributing to multisensory integration in isolation, relatively little is known regarding how these factors interact, especially when considering the enhancement of visual contrast sensitivity by a task-irrelevant sound. Here we explored how auditory stimulus properties, namely salience and temporal phase coherence in relation to the visual target, jointly affect the extent to which a sound can enhance visual contrast sensitivity. Visual contrast sensitivity was measured by a psychophysical task, where human adult participants reported the location of a visual Gabor pattern presented at various contrast levels. We expected the most enhanced contrast sensitivity, the lowest contrast threshold, when the visual stimulus was accompanied by a task-irrelevant sound, weak in auditory salience, modulated in-phase with the visual stimulus (strong temporal phase coherence). Our expectations were confirmed, but only if we accounted for individual differences in optimal auditory salience level to induce maximal multisensory enhancement effects. Our findings highlight the importance of interactions between temporal phase coherence and stimulus effectiveness in determining the strength of multisensory enhancement of visual contrast as well as highlighting the importance of accounting for individual differences.
Economic and Environmental Costs and Benefits of Paper Mulberry: A Case Study of Islamabad-Pakistan
Authors: Hussain Anwar , Hayat Shah Syed Umar
Published: February 2020

Plants and trees make our cities more attractive and provide many ecosystem services but some of these also cost society in the form pollen allergy. According to an estimates 60-70 percent of the trees in Islamabad are of Paper mulberry. Thirty Percent people are effected each year from pollen allergy in Islamabad. This study evaluated age and gender wise effects of Pollen Allergy on health followed by proposing options for the alternatives of Paper Mulberry. The economic and environmental costs and benefits of Paper mulberry and its alternative plants were also quantified. The annual benefits and costs of Paper Mulberry and its alternative plants were estimated through “The National Tree Benefits Calculator”. Descriptive statistics along with expert opinion method was used for the analysis of the data. The pollen allergy affect children more as compared to other age groups and females more as compared to male. Urban respondents were effected more by pollen allergy as compared to rural respondents. Most of the respondents were found effected in the month of March. The average monthly health expenditures of the respondents from pollen were Rs. 879. Pine Rexburg and Kachnar are viable alternatives for Paper Mulberry from both economic and environmental viewpoints. Based on the findings it is concluded that Pine Rexburg and Kachnar are the best alternative for Paper Mulberry in Islamabad. The Capital Development Authority should replace Pine Rexburg and Kachnar with Paper Mulberry in the city. Besides, Government should arrange awareness program especially in the pollen month (March) and should provide free of cost treatment and preventives for the pollen patients.
Noi date despre aşezarea culturii Hamangia din zona Mangaliei / The remains of a new Hamangia site in Mangalia area
Authors: Pâslaru Ion , Colesniuc Sorin
Published: February 2020

În anul 2006, terenul din partea de sud-vest a municipiului Mangaliei a fost lotizat, pentru crearea unui nou cartier rezidenţial – Dobrogea I, descoperindu-se urmele unei aşezări neolitice aparţinând culturii Hamangia. Aceasta era situată pe un platou nu prea înalt de lângă lacul Mangalia. Noua aşezare a fost cercetată în două zone principale în 2006 şi 2007 : în sud-est şi în nord. Au fost cercetate un număr mare de locuinţe şi de bordeie. Săpăturile au adus la lumină statuete antropomorfe, foarte numeroase fragmente ceramice, diverse piese litice şi oase de animale. O altă aşezare a culturii Hamangia a fost identificată în anul 2007 în zona mănăstirii de pe malul stâng al lacului Tătlăgeacu Mare, la sud-est de localitatea 23 August, unde au fost descoperite o serie de materiale arheologice. Au fost recoltate din solul proaspăt arat fragmente ceramice, un număr impresionant de aşchii de silex, câteva nuclee şi multe piese microlitice, între care răzuitoare şi plăcuţe de silex. Rezultatele preliminare ale studiilor asupra monumentelor culturii Hamangia, ne duc la concluzia că în jurul Mangaliei sunt cel puţin trei aşezări neolitice aparţinând acestei culturi. Descoperirea noilor aşezări ne dă posibilitatea unor cercetări mai aprofundate, referitoare la faza târzie a culturii Hamangia şi a rolului ei în raporturile cu alte culturi sincrone cu ea.
Cercetările arheologice de la Caraşova-Grad (com. Caraşova, jud. Caraş-Severin). Campaniile arheologice 1998, 2000 şi 2001 / Les recherches archéologiques de Caraşova-Grad (com. Caraşova, dép. de Caraş-Severin). Les campagnes de fouilles 1998, 2000 et 2001
Authors: Oţa Liana , Oţa Silviu
Published: February 2020

Le présent article contient une localisation de la citadelle, l'histoire de la recherche, les données historiques concernant la citadelle, les résultats des fouilles archéologiques des campagnes 1998, 2000 et 2001. Suit une description du rocher sur lequel a été élevée la citadelle, les fosses de défense, une description des trois enceintes, des aménagements et des constructions de l''intérieur, ainsi que les phases de fonctionnement de la fortification. D'après les ressources documentaires et des découvertes archéologiques, elle est attestée du XIVe jusqu''au XVIe siècle. Du point de vue typologique, c’est une citadelle représentant des agrandissements successifs vers le sud et le sud-est, suivis des petits aménagements à l'intérieur à la suite d’une destruction à-peu-près complète. A l'intérieur de l'enceinte fonctionnait une citerne d'eau. Dans la portion du nord-ouest et celle de l'est se trouvait, probablement, dans chaque coté, une tour ayant une forme et un plan difficile à préciser. La citadelle a cessé de fonctionner pendant le XVIe siècle comme suite de deux grandes destructions, la première ayant comme cause une attaque suivie d'un incendie, et la deuxième ayant comme résultat une destruction totale de tous les murs.
A new AMS radiocarbon date for Middle Paleolithic Layer 4 of Ripiceni-Izvor, Romania
Authors: Doboş Adrian , Trinkaus Erik
Published: February 2020

An AMS date is presented for the Middle Paleolithic Layer 4 of Ripiceni-Izvor, Romania. The age of > 45,500 14C BP provides a minimum age for Layer 4 and indicates that previous age assessments for the Middle Paleolithic of Ripiceni-Izvor, obtained through conventional radiocarbon, underestimated the age of the level. The date further questions the late survival of the Middle Paleolithic in southeastern Europe.
Pietre romane refolosite în construcţii medievale din situl de la Alba Iulia / Roman stones used in Medieval constructions in the site from Alba Iulia
Authors: Izdrăilă Gabriel , Florescu Cristian
Published: February 2020

Archaeological research conducted at St. Michael’s Roman-Catholic Cathedral from Alba Iulia in the spring of 2011 revealed vestiges belonging to the Roman period, Middle Ages and Modern period. The research has been conducted within the project of restoration of the St. Michael’s Cathedral and of the Vauban Fortress of Alba Iulia. This study presents three stone pieces from the Roman times, re-used in constructions dating to the Medieval period and the beginning of the modern period. The first analyzed piece represents a funerary Roman inscription discovered in the ruins of a building dated to the 14th century. The text of the inscription refers to Marcus Granius Stabilianus, buried with two of his children (Marcus Granius Stabilianus and Grania Sabina). Based on the funerary inscription, the monument can be date between the first half of the 2nd century and the beginning of the 3rd century AD. The second piece represents the medallion of a funerary stele preserved in fragmentary state. The stele was discovered at the base of a lime kiln, generally dated in fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The medallion represents the deceased (male character) and his family. The last analyzed piece is a fragment of a Roman sarcophagus cover found in the foundation of the eastern pillar of the entrance into the Episcopal Palace’s courtyard. Every piece discussed in the present article was made of whiteyellow limestone.
Cercetări arheologice preventive la Nufăru, jud. Tulcea (II) / Recherches archéologiques préventives à Nufăru, dép. de Tulcea (II)
Authors: Damian Oana , Vasile Mihai , Samson Andra , Ene Daniel , Stănică Aurel
Published: February 2020

Autorii prezintă rezultatele cercetărilor desfăşurate în campaniile 2008– 2011 într-un sit arheologic din nordul Dobrogei, integral suprapus de o localitate contemporană. Cercetarea este rezultatul desfăşurării unui proiect de amenajare a sistemului de canalizare a localităţii. După o trecere în revistă a datelor arheologice cunoscute (o cetate, construită în ultimul sfert al secolului al X-lea, după recucerirea regiunii Dunării de Jos de către Imperiul Bizantin, adăpostind niveluri de locuire, necropole, materiale arheologice databile în perioada cuprinsă între secolul al X-lea şi mijlocul secolului al XIII-lea), articolul prezintă noile descoperiri făcute pe reţeaua stradală a localităţii. Au fost cercetate structuri arheologice aparţinând epocilor fierului (elemente de locuire), romano-bizantină (morminte de inhumaţie), medio-bizantină (tronsoane din curtina de nord şi de sud a zidulului de incintă bizantin, elemente de vieţuire şi funerare) şi modernă (două zone cimiteriale). Cercetările arheologice preventive desfăşurate în perioada 2008– 2011 au confirmat şi completat achiziţiile ştiinţifice anterioare, referitor la traseul zidului de incintă bizantin, stratigrafia, topografia şi cronologia aşezărilor şi necropolelor. Imaginea mai completă şi mai nuanţată obţinută asupra potenţialului arheologic al sitului a oferit şi posibilitatea adaptării proiectelor constructive în vederea protejării vestigiilor.
Oriental amphorae discovered at Histria in the Acropolis Centre-South Sector (2014)
Authors: Bădescu Alexandru , Bivolaru Alexandra
Published: February 2020

Cele 75 de fragmente de amfore, prezentate în studiul de faţă, fac parte dintr-un lot format din 315 fragmente descoperite în campania 2014, la Histria, în sectorul Acropolă Centru-Sud. Materialul ceramic poate fi împărţit în unsprezece tipuri amforice şi trei tipuri de capace de amforă. Lotul ceramic descoperit numără 12.044 fragmente împărţite astfel : amfore (72,791%), ceramica de bucătărie (22,038%), ceramica neîncadrată într-o categorie (4,018%), opaiţe (0,232%), diverse (materiale de construcţie, ceramica de perioadă greacă, jetoane ; 0,921%). Statistica realizată pe întreg lotul ceramic descoperit demonstrează că amforele rămân cea mai importantă categorie ceramică, urmată de ceramica de bucătărie, ceramica neîncadrabilă şi diverse (materiale de construcţie, ceramica de perioadă greacă, jetoane). Lotul triat pentru prelucrare se împarte astfel : amfore (39,142%), ceramica de bucătărie (48,857%), opaiţe (7,428%) şi diverse (4,573%).
Late Roman C wares discovered at Histria in the Acropolis Centre-South sector (2013 and 2014)
Authors: Iliescu Iulia , Bottez Valentin , Ţârlea Alexandra , Liţu Alexandra , Bivolaru Alexandra
Published: February 2020

În acest studiu sunt publicate 132 fragmente ceramice care au fost descoperite în primii doi ani de cercetări arheologice în Sectorul Acropolă Centru-Sud (săpătură coordonată de o echipă de la Universitatea din București), la Histria. Acest lot ceramic cuprinde zece forme cu 18 tipuri de veselă de bucătărie. Această categorie de piese oferă informații importante referitoare la cronologia Sectorului Acropolă Centru-Sud și la relațiile economice ale Histriei (și ale Scythiei Minor) în perioada romană târzie.
The chipped stone assemblage from the Early Chalcolithic settlement at Isaiia – Balta Popii
Authors: Vornicu Diana-Măriuca
Published: February 2020

The paper presents, in detail, the investigations on the chipped stone assemblage discovered, during archaeological excavations, in the early Chalcolithic settlement at Isaiia - Balta Popii. The technological and typological analysis of the entire collection was accomplished taking into account the various raw materials that are its constituents. In the case of the raw material with the greatest frequency – the flint from the Moldavian Platform –, artefacts coming from all phases of the debitage are certified. The results obtained for Isaiia were then compared with those from other Precucuteni II - Tripolje A sites, highlighting the existence of technological and typological elements common for the lithic industries of the early Chalcolithic in Eastern Europe (North-East of Romania, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine).
Sourcing obsidian from prehistoric sites in northwest Romania
Authors: Boroneanţ Adina , Virag Cristian , Astaloş Ciprian , Bonsall Clive
Published: February 2020

Portable X‐ ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (pXRF) was used to reveal the chemical signatures of 75 obsidian artefacts from seven sites in the Satu Mare region, ranging in age from Early Neolithic (late Starčevo‐ Criș culture) to Late Copper Age. The results reveal the origin of the obsidian to be the Carpathian 1 source area in eastern Slovakia, reinforcing the pattern documented elsewhere in Romania and in northern Bulgaria which indicates a clear preference for Carpathian 1 obsidian throughout the period from the later stages of the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age.
A case of cynophagy at Radovanu – Gorgana a doua settlement, Călăraşi County (2nd–1st centuries BC)
Authors: Bălășescu Adrian , Morintz Sebastian
Published: February 2020

Studiul arheozoologic al faunei de la Radovanu care provine din campania de cercetări arheologice din anul 2016 a evidențiat existența unor oase de câine cu urme antropice de dezarticulare, descărnare și ardere descoperite în trei gropi (Gr. 1, Gr. 7 și Gr. 8). Dintre cele 68 resturi de câine determinate specific, 20 prezintă astfel de urme antropice. Numărul minim de indivizi cărora le‐ au aparținut aceste resturi (68) este de cel puțin patru, toți adulți, iar dintre aceștia doi au fost consumați (20 de resturi prezintă stigmate antropice). Talia acestor animale are o valoare de 56,5 cm după Koudelka (N = 6, limite 52,9– 58 cm) sau de 57,4 cm după Harcourt (N = 6 ; limite 55,7– 58,9 cm). De asemenea, estimarea indicelui de gracilitate care are o valoare medie de 7,09 (N = 5 ; limite 6,68– 7,85) ne permite să concluzionăm că la Radovanu existau câini de talie medie (între 50 și 60 cm) și cu o robustețe medie (indice diafizar între 6,6– 8,9). Cazul cynofagiei de la Radovanu este unic în acest moment în peisajul arheozoologic românesc. Totuşi, observaţii formulate în urmă cu mai bine de 20 de ani ar fi putut sugera că acest fenomen exista în lumea geto‐ dacică numai dacă ne gândim la fragmentaritatea şi urmele de ardere observate în cazul oaselor de câine. În prezent, urmele de tăiere ale câinilor de la Radovanu sunt de necontestat, fapt care ne arată că specia era consumată.
KLASIFIKASI LEVEL KEMATANGAN BUAH TOMAT BERDASARKAN FITUR WARNA MENGGUNAKAN MULTI-SVM
Authors: Riska Suastika Yulia , Subekti Puji
Published: February 2020

Grouping of tomato maturity level is one way to pay attention to the quality of the tomatoes. The traditional way takes a long time and low accuracy, since the determination of the level of subjectively assessed. In addition, the importance of the classification of the level of maturity of tomatoes due to a period of tomato maturation process is relatively quick, so it can reduce the risk of rotting tomatoes. The dataset used in this study was 108 tomato image taken using three types of smartphones. The dataset is divided into 66 training data and testing the data 42. Improvements to the image preprocessing stage is done with adaptive histogram equalization and compared with the histogram equalization. In the feature extraction using color features of the R, G, and A *. The classification of the level of maturity of tomato is done by comparing the accuracy of using multi-SVM and KNN. In the Multi-SVM method using the highest percentage of kernel functions RBG is equal to 77.84%. While the method kNN highest percentage was 77.79% using a value of k = 3.
IMPLEMENTASI PENERAPAN INTERNET of THINGS(IoT)PADA MONITORING INFUS MENGGUNAKAN ESP 8266 DAN WEB UNTUK BERBAGI DATA
Authors: Sasmoko Dani , Wicaksono Yanuar Arief
Published: February 2020

The delivery of medical data is of utmost importance to the successful treatment of patients. Efforts have been made in implementing technology both in outpatient services as well as hospital treatments for patients. Internet of things (IoT) is a concept that aims to transmit inherrent data from a physical object through the internet, therefore enabling the receiver on the other end to monitor, process and eventually make decisions based on this data. In this research, the physical object is an intravenous infusion bottle. An ESP 8266 module is connected to a load sensor to measure the volume of the bottle and sends the data via the internet. THe monitoring of the bottle volume can then be done in real time and with precision, without having the nurse manually check the volume or relying on family members to alert the nurse station. The monitoring of the bottle volume has been successfuly done with measurements recorded on a MySQL database and accessible through the web.
APLIKASI PEMILIHAN STRATEGI PROMOSI PENERIMAAN MAHASISWABARU POLITEKNIK NEGERI TANAH LAUT MENGGUNAKAN METODE K-MEANS CLUSTERING
Authors: Julianto Veri , Permadi Jaka , Noviyanti Noviyanti
Published: February 2020

Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut in order to improve the new student admission, has adopted numerous type of promotion strategies. The strategies are among others high school visits, banner displays, brochure distribution, and promotions via social media. However, those strategies adopted by Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut are admittedly costly. Application of Selecting Promotion Strategy Enrollment of New Students in the Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut is an application used to help determine what kind of promotional strategy is likely to be more accurate and more planned as the guidance as well as the reference in order to increase the enrollment percentage of new students. The determination of such promotional media’s outcomes is supported by applying the method of K-Means Clustering to do the classification of promotional media data obtained from the result of students’ questionnaires. Obviously such thing becomes a solution to help determine the promotional strategy at Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut.