bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aerobic Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural over Ag Nanoparticle Catalysts Stabilized by Polyvinylpyrrolidone with Different Molecular Weights
Authors: Xia Haian , An Jiahuan , Zhang Weizi
Published: August 2020

The metal–support interaction (MSI) has a remarkable effect on the catalytic properties, but how to precisely modulate its degree remains a huge challenge. Herein, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with three different molecular weights (MWs) (24, 58, and 130 kDa) was used as a capping agent to fabricate Ag nanoparticles (NPs) supported on ZrO2. The physiochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) techniques. The impacts of MSI on the catalytic activity and reaction kinetics for aerobic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were investigated. The results showed that the introduction of PVP with various MWs could efficiently tailor the interfacial interactions and charge transfers (CT) among PVP, the support, and Ag NPs, thereby affecting the oxidation activity of HMF. The turnover number (TON) for HMF oxidation decreases in the order of unsupported colloidal Ag clusters > Ag/ZrO2 (58,000) > Ag/ZrO2 (130,000) > Ag/ZrO2 (24,000) > Ag/ZrO2. The reason for this large difference in the catalytic activity for HMF oxidation is that various MWs of PVP result in a change of MSI, thereby facilitating CT from PVP to Ag metal sites. This study offers a new strategy for modulating MSI by varying the MW of capping agents, thereby tuning the catalytic properties in the oxidation of HMF.
Lipid Complications after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Bis Gabriela , Szlasa Wojciech , Sondaj Katarzyna , Zendran Iga , Mielcarek-Siedziuk Monika , Barg Ewa
Published: August 2020

HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) is a widely applied method of treatment of pediatric patients with leukemia and other bone marrow-associated disorders. Metabolic disturbances can appear as procedure side effects. This study aimed to report incidence of lipid and thyroid disorders and time of their onset in pediatric patients after HSCT. There were 198 pediatric patients (123 males) aged 0.5–20 years who were subjected to HSCT. Patients were mostly diagnosed with Acute Leukemia (n = 190). The analysis of lipids, thyroid hormones, and thyroid antibodies levels comprised one month before the HSCT to last follow up visit between 2016 and 2019 (median 3.8 ± 1.8 years after HSCT). In males, the triglycerides levels increased over two times in the course of HSCT in both patients with initially low and elevated HDL (high-density lipoprotein) levels. Most of the lipid disorders occurred in six months after HSCT. Patients treated with L-thyroxine exhibited decreased LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels. HDL remained at a lower level in males. Thyroid hormone abnormalities were evenly distributed in time until 4 years after HSCT. Patients require long term follow up including lipid metabolism and thyroid function analysis. HSCT survivors demand introduction of polyunsaturated fatty acids into the diet to reduce risk of developing the lipid complications.
Omega-6:Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio and Total Fat Content of the Maternal Diet Alter Offspring Growth and Fat Deposition in the Rat
Authors: Draycott Sally A. V. , Elmes Matthew J. , Muhlhausler Beverly S. , Langley-Evans Simon
Published: August 2020

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) have been shown to inhibit lipogenesis and adipogenesis in adult rats. Their possible early life effects on offspring fat deposition, however, remain to be established. To investigate this, female Wistar rats (n = 6–9 per group) were fed either a 9:1 ratio of linoleic acid (LA) to alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) or a lower 1:1.5 ratio during pregnancy and lactation. Each ratio was fed at two total fat levels (18% vs. 36% fat w/w) and offspring were weaned onto standard laboratory chow. Offspring exposed to a 36% fat diet, irrespective of maternal dietary LA:ALA ratio, were lighter (male, 27 g lighter; female 19 g lighter; p < 0.0001) than those exposed to an 18% fat diet between 3 and 8 weeks of age. Offspring exposed to a low LA (18% fat) diet had higher proportions of circulating omega-3 LCPUFA and increased gonadal fat mass at 4 weeks of age (p < 0.05). Reduced Srebf1 mRNA expression of hepatic (p < 0.01), gonadal fat (p < 0.05) and retroperitoneal fat (p < 0.05) tissue was observed at 4 weeks of age in male and female offspring exposed to a 36% fat diet, and hepatic Srebf1 mRNA was also reduced in male offspring at 8 weeks of age (p < 0.05). Thus, while offspring fat deposition appeared to be sensitive to both maternal dietary LA:ALA ratio and total fat content, offspring growth and lipogenic capacity of tissues appeared to be more sensitive to maternal dietary fat content.
Shoreline Extraction from WorldView2 Satellite Data in the Presence of Foam Pixels Using Multispectral Classification Method
Authors: Minghelli Audrey , Spagnoli Jérôme , Lei Manchun , Chami Malik , Charmasson Sabine
Published: August 2020

Foam is often present in satellite images of coastal areas and can lead to serious errors in the detection of shorelines especially when processing high spatial resolution images (<20 m). This study focuses on shoreline extraction and shoreline evolution using high spatial resolution satellite images in the presence of foam. A multispectral supervised classification technique is selected, namely the Support Vector Machine (SVM) and applied with three classes which are land, foam and water. The merging of water and foam classes followed by a segmentation procedure enables the separation of land and ocean pixels. The performance of the method is evaluated using a validation dataset acquired on two study areas (south and north of the bay of Sendaï—Japan). On each site, WorldView-2 multispectral images (eight bands, 2 m resolution) were acquired before and after the Fukushima tsunami generated by the Tohoku earthquake in 2011. The consideration of the foam class enables the false negative error to be reduced by a factor of three. The SVM method is also compared with four other classification methods, namely Euclidian Distance, Spectral Angle Mapper, Maximum Likelihood, and Neuronal Network. The SVM method appears to be the most efficient to determine the erosion and the accretion resulting from the tsunami, which are societal issues for littoral management purposes.
Modeling Directional Brightness Temperature (DBT) over Crop Canopy with Effects of Intra-Row Heterogeneity
Authors: Du Yongming , Cao Biao , Li Hua , Bian Zunjian , Qin Boxiong , Xiao Qing , Liu Qinhuo , Zeng Yijian , Su Zhongbo
Published: August 2020

In order to improve the simulation accuracy of directional brightness temperature (DBT) and the retrieval accuracy of component temperature, a model considering intra-row heterogeneity to simulate the DBT angular distribution over crop canopy is proposed. At individual scale, the probability of leaf appearance is inversely proportional to the distance from central stem. On the basis of this assumption, we formulated leaf area volume density (LAVD) spatial distribution at three hierarchical scales: individual scale, row scale, and scene scale. The equations for directional gap probability and bi-directional gap probability were modified to adapt the heterogeneity of row structure. Afterwards, a straightforward radiative transfer model was built based on the gap probabilities. A set of simulated data was generated by the thermal radiosity-graphics combined model (TRGM) as the benchmark to evaluate both forward simulation and inversion ability of the new model; we compared the new DBT model against an existing model assuming row as homogeneous box. With the growth of crops, the canopy structure of row crops will gradually change from row structure to continuous canopy. The new DBT model agreed with the TRGM model much better than the homogeneous row model at the middle stage of the crop growth season. The new model and the homogeneous row model achieve similar accuracy at early stage and end stage. At the middle growth stage, the new model can improve the accuracy of soil temperature retrieval. We recommend the new DBT model as an option to improve the DBT simulation and component temperature retrieval for row-planted crop canopy. In particular, the more accurate component temperatures during the middle growth stage are fundamentally important in characterizing crop water status, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture, which are subsequently critical for predicting crop productivity.
Metrics of Coral Reef Structural Complexity Extracted from 3D Mesh Models and Digital Elevation Models
Authors: Fukunaga Atsuko , Burns John H. R.
Published: August 2020

Underwater photogrammetry has been increasingly used in coral-reef research in recent years. Habitat metrics extracted from resulting three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions can be used to examine associations between the structural complexity of the reef habitats and the distribution of reef organisms. We created simulated 3D models of bare surface structures and 3D reconstructions of coral morphologies to investigate the behavior of various habitat metrics that were extracted from both Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and 3D mesh models. Analyzing the resulting values provided us with important insights into how these metrics would compare with one another in the characterization of coral-reef habitats. Surface complexity (i.e., reef rugosity), fractal dimension extracted from DEMs and vector dispersion obtained from 3D mesh models exhibited consistent patterns in the ranking of structural complexity among the simulated bare surfaces and coral morphologies. The vector ruggedness measure obtained from DEMs at three different resolutions of 1, 2, and 4 cm effectively captured differences in the structural complexity among different coral morphologies. Profile curvature and planform curvature, on the other hand, were better suited to capture the structural complexity derived from surface topography such as walls and overhanging ledges. Our results indicate that habitat metrics extracted from DEMs are generally suitable when characterizing a relatively large plot of a coral reef captured from an overhead planar angle, while the 3D metric of vector dispersion is suitable when characterizing a coral colony or a relatively small plot methodically captured from various angles.
Graph-Based Data Fusion Applied to: Change Detection and Biomass Estimation in Rice Crops
Authors: Jimenez-Sierra David Alejandro , Benítez-Restrepo Hernán Darío , Vargas-Cardona Hernán Darío , Chanussot Jocelyn
Published: August 2020

The complementary nature of different modalities and multiple bands used in remote sensing data is helpful for tasks such as change detection and the prediction of agricultural variables. Nonetheless, correctly processing a multi-modal dataset is not a simple task, owing to the presence of different data resolutions and formats. In the past few years, graph-based methods have proven to be a useful tool in capturing inherent data similarity, in spite of different data formats, and preserving relevant topological and geometric information. In this paper, we propose a graph-based data fusion algorithm for remotely sensed images applied to (i) data-driven semi-unsupervised change detection and (ii) biomass estimation in rice crops. In order to detect the change, we evaluated the performance of four competing algorithms on fourteen datasets. To estimate biomass in rice crops, we compared our proposal in terms of root mean squared error (RMSE) concerning a recent approach based on vegetation indices as features. The results confirm that the proposed graph-based data fusion algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art methods for change detection and biomass estimation in rice crops.
A Phase-Coded Sequence Design Method for Active Sonar
Authors: Guan Chengyu , Zhou Zemin , Zeng Xinwu
Published: August 2020

Phase-coded sequences are widely studied as the transmitted signals of active sonars. Recently, several design methods have been developed to generate phased-coded sequences satisfying specific aperiodic or periodic autocorrelation sidelobe level metrics. In this paper, based on the majorization–minimization strategy and the squared iterative acceleration scheme, we propose a method to generate sequences with the periodic weighted integrated sidelobe level metric. Numerical simulations illustrate that the proposed method can effectively suppress the periodic autocorrelation sidelobe levels in specific time lags. Compared with other sequence design methods satisfying the periodic weighted integrated sidelobe level metric, our method improves the computational efficiency significantly. In addition, the proposed sequence demonstrates better matched filter performance in specific range intervals compared with its counterpart. The results suggest that the method could be applied as a valid and real-time design method for transmitted signals of active sonars.
Effect of Graphene Doping Level near the Metal Contact Region on Electrical and Photoresponse Characteristics of Graphene Photodetector
Authors: Jung Jaedong , Park Honghwi , Won Heungsup , Choi Muhan , Lee Chang-Ju , Park Hongsik
Published: August 2020

Graphene-metal contact is crucial to fabricate high-performance graphene photodetectors since the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the photodetector depends on the contact properties, and the influence of the contact properties is particularly dominant in short channel devices for high-speed applications. Moreover, junction properties between the channel graphene and graphene near the contact are also important to analyze the photoresponse because the built-in electric field in the junction determines the EQE of the photodetector. In this study, we investigated a relation between the photoresponse and the built-in electric field induced from the doping level difference in the junction between the channel graphene and graphene near the contact. The photoresponse could be enhanced with a high junction barrier height that is tuned by the doping level difference. In addition, we observed that the improved electrical characteristics of channel graphene do not guarantee the enhancement of the photoresponse characteristics of graphene photodetectors.
Rapid Detection of β-Lactamase-Producing Bacteria Using the Integrated Comprehensive Droplet Digital Detection (IC 3D) System
Authors: Li Yiyan , Cherukury Hemanth , Labanieh Louai , Zhao Weian , Kang Dong-Ku
Published: August 2020

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have emerged as an imminent global threat. The lack of rapid and sensitive diagnostic techniques leaves health care providers with inadequate resources for guiding therapy and risks the lives of patients. The traditional plate culturing methods for identifying antibiotic-resistant bacteria is laborious and time-consuming. Bulk PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and qPCR are limited by poor detection sensitivity, which is critical for the early-stage detection of bloodstream infections. In this study, we introduce a technique for detecting β-lactamase-producing bacteria at single-cell sensitivity based on a commercial β-lactamase sensor (Fluorocillin), droplet microfluidics, and a custom 3D particle counter. Bacteria-containing samples were encapsulated within picoliter-sized droplets at the single-cell level and cultured within water-in-oil droplets containing antibiotics and the Fluorocillin sensor. Then, fluorescent droplets were digitally quantified with the 3D particle counter, which is capable of analyzing milliliter-scale volumes of collected droplets within 10 min. The fluorescence signal from single-colony droplets was detectable in less than 5 h, and the 3D scanning was performed in less than 10 min, which was significantly faster than conventional culture-based methods. In this approach, the limit of detection achieved was about 10 bacterial cells per mL of sample, and the turnaround time from sample to result was less than 6 h. This study demonstrates a promising strategy for the detection of β-lactamase-producing bacteria using the recently developed IC 3D system.
Energy-Guided Temporal Segmentation Network for Multimodal Human Action Recognition
Authors: Liu Qiang , Chen Enqing , Gao Lei , Liang Chengwu , Liu Hao
Published: August 2020

To achieve the satisfactory performance of human action recognition, a central task is to address the sub-action sharing problem, especially in similar action classes. Nevertheless, most existing convolutional neural network (CNN)-based action recognition algorithms uniformly divide video into frames and then randomly select the frames as inputs, ignoring the distinct characteristics among different frames. In recent years, depth videos have been increasingly used for action recognition, but most methods merely focus on the spatial information of the different actions without utilizing temporal information. In order to address these issues, a novel energy-guided temporal segmentation method is proposed here, and a multimodal fusion strategy is employed with the proposed segmentation method to construct an energy-guided temporal segmentation network (EGTSN). Specifically, the EGTSN had two parts: energy-guided video segmentation and a multimodal fusion heterogeneous CNN. The proposed solution was evaluated on a public large-scale NTU RGB+D dataset. Comparisons with state-of-the-art methods demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed network.
SDN-Based Survivability Analysis for V2I Communications
Authors: Jin Li , Zhang Guoan , Zhu Hao , Duan Wei
Published: August 2020

In vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, various failures in the dynamic movement pose serious link interruptions. To study the continuous service quality for the V2I network when this issue happens, this paper proposes a survivability analysis and establishes the communication architecture for software-defined network (SDN)-based V2I communications. With the controllable advantages of SDN centralized management, the multi-path transmission control protocol is used to seamlessly switch the transmission information between the V2I links of each vehicle node. Specifically, according to the analysis of specific fault types for V2I links, the definitions of SDN-based V2I survivability is provided to establish the corresponding survivability mode. To further verify the survivability model, a full-state search is adopted by means of probability model checker PRISM. In addition, multi-directional probability and expected reward evaluation analyses are carried out from the point of view of time. The simulation results show that, with the failure of multiple V2I links, the network quality of service (QoS) correspondingly declines, but the network still survives, due to the multi-path transmission control protocol (MPTCP) action. Moreover, with a high fault repair rate, the service performance and survivability of the network is improved rapidly.
Sustainable Shopping Mall Rehabilitation
Authors: Lin Mu-Fa , Shih Shen-Guan , Perng Yeng-Horng
Published: August 2020

In the era of globalization, increasing the nation’s industrial competitiveness, production value, and competitiveness is a challenge for every country. Therefore, Taiwan must strive for innovation, increase the added value of its products, and enhance industrial competitiveness. This promotes Taiwan’s survival under competition engendered by globalization. The study identified public places that influence consumer opinions of shopping malls to examine the intentionality of the relationship between people and shopping malls. Taiwan has many historical cultural parks that have been reduced to idle spaces. This research will enable historical creative parks. Through DAHP’s research methods, this research will determine the key factors in the public space of cultural shopping centers. Moreover, the study examined key factors that create a sense of culture in public space design. The relationship between the general public and shopping malls has various internationalities.
Selecting the Optimal Green Agricultural Products Supplier: A Novel Approach Based on GBWM and PROMETHEE II
Authors: Liu Zhengmin , Li Lin , Zhao Xiaolan , Sha Linbin , Wang Di , Wang Xinya , Liu Peide
Published: August 2020

Due to the uncertainty of natural factors and a larger global population, the work of supplying sustainable agricultural materials, especially green agricultural products, faces enormous challenges. How to effectively evaluate and select the most desirable green agricultural material supplier is an urgent issue for both agribusiness and government. In this paper, an integrated q-rung orthopair fuzzy (q-ROF) group best–worst method (GBWM) and the PROMETHEE II was introduced to availably solve such issue. Firstly, by taking similarity degree into account to solve incomplete weight information, a novel technique was constructed to determine the experts’ weight reasonably under the q-ROF context. Secondly, to improve consistency for group decision making and obtain a highly reliable selection result, the GBWM was used to derive criteria weights. Then, based on the proposed generalized p-norm knowledge-based score function, the PROMETHEE II was further improved to rank the feasible alternatives. After that, a representative case under the background of green agricultural material supplier selection was investigated in depth. Finally, the detailed comparative technique was conducted to verify the validity and superiority of the improved method.
Solar Metallurgy for Sustainable Zn and Mg Production in a Vacuum Reactor Using Concentrated Sunlight
Authors: Chuayboon Srirat , Abanades Stéphane
Published: August 2020

Solar carbothermal reduction of volatile metal oxides represents a promising pyro-metallurgical pathway for the sustainable conversion of both metal oxides and sunlight into metal commodities and fuels in a single process. Nevertheless, there are several scientific challenges in discovering suitable metal oxides candidates for the ease of oxygen extraction from metal oxides to enhance the reaction extent and in designing reactors for the efficient absorption of incident solar radiation to minimize losses. In this study, ZnO and MgO were considered as volatile metal oxides candidates, and their reaction behaviors were studied and compared through gas species production rate, metal oxides conversion, and yield. A solar reactor prototype was developed to facilitate solar carbothermal reduction of ZnO and MgO with different reducing agents comprising activated charcoal and carbon black. The process was operated in a batch operation mode under vacuum and atmospheric pressures to demonstrate the flexibility and reliability of this system for co-production of metals (Zn/Mg) and CO. As a result, decreasing total pressure enhanced conversion of ZnO and MgO, leading to increased Zn and Mg. However, in the case of ZnO, CO yield decreased with decreasing total pressure at the expense of favored CO2 as a result of the decrease of residence time. In contrast, CO2 formation was negligible in the case of MgO, and CO yield thus increased with decreasing pressure. Using activated charcoal as the reducing agent exhibited better conversion of both ZnO and MgO than carbon black thanks to the higher available specific surface area for chemical reactions. MgO and ZnO conversion above 97% and 78%, respectively, and high-purity Mg and Zn content were accomplished, as evidenced by the recovered products at the reactor outlet and filter containing pure metal. In addition, Mg product exhibited strong oxidation reactivity with air, thus requiring inert atmosphere for the handling of Mg-rich powders to avoid direct exposure to air.
Reviewing Truck Logistics: Solutions for Achieving Low Emission Road Freight Transport
Authors: Inkinen Tommi , Hämäläinen Esa
Published: August 2020

Low emission logistics have become an expected and desired goal in all fields of transportation, particularly in the European Union. Heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) are significant producers of emissions and pollution in inland transports. Their role is significant, as in multimodal transport chains truck transportation is, in most cases, the only viable solution to connect hinterlands with ports. Diesel engines are the main power source of trucks and their emission efficiency is the key challenge in environmentally sound freight transportation. This review paper addresses the academic literature focusing on truck emissions. The paper relies on the preliminary hypothesis that simple single solutions are nonexistent and that there will be a collection of suggestions and solutions for improving the emission efficiency in trucks. The paper focuses on the technical properties, emission types, and fuel solutions used in freight logistics. Truck manufacturing, maintenance, and other indirect emissions like construction of road infrastructure have been excluded from this review.
Paris Climate Agreement: Promoting Interdisciplinary Science and Stakeholders’ Approaches for Multi-Scale Implementation of Continental Carbon Sequestration
Authors: Chevallier Tiphaine , Loireau Maud , Courault Romain , Chapuis-Lardy Lydie , Desjardins Thierry , Gomez Cécile , Grondin Alexandre , Guérin Frédéric , Orange Didier , Pélissier Raphaël , Serpantié Georges , Durand Marie-Hélène , Derioz Pierre , Laruelle Goulven Gildas , Schwoob Marie-Hélène , Viovy Nicolas , Barrière Olivier , Blanchart Eric , Blanfort Vincent , Brossard Michel , Demenois Julien , Fargette Mireille , Heulin Thierry , Mahe Gil , Manlay Raphaël , Podwojewski Pascal , Rumpel Cornélia , Sultan Benjamin , Chotte Jean-Luc
Published: August 2020

The Paris Climate Agreements and Sustainable Development Goals, signed by 197 countries, present agendas and address key issues for implementing multi-scale responses for sustainable development under climate change—an effort that must involve local, regional, national, and supra-national stakeholders. In that regard, Continental Carbon Sequestration (CoCS) and conservation of carbon sinks are recognized increasingly as having potentially important roles in mitigating climate change and adapting to it. Making that potential a reality will require indicators of success for various stakeholders from multidisciplinary backgrounds, plus promotion of long-term implementation of strategic action towards civil society (e.g., law and policy makers, economists, and farmers). To help meet those challenges, this discussion paper summarizes the state of the art and uncertainties regarding CoCS, taking an interdisciplinary, holistic approach toward understanding these complex issues. The first part of the paper discusses the carbon cycle’s bio-geophysical processes, while the second introduces the plurality of geographical scales to be addressed when dealing with landscape management for CoCS. The third part addresses systemic viability, vulnerability, and resilience in CoCS practices, before concluding with the need to develop inter-disciplinarity in sustainable science, participative research, and the societal implications of sustainable CoCS actions.
Economic Convergence in EU NUTS 3 Regions: A Spatial Econometric Perspective
Authors: Postiglione Paolo , Cartone Alfredo , Panzera Domenica
Published: August 2020

The topic of economic convergence is still crucial in the European Union (EU) as promoting regional growth and the reduction of disparities remains a key objective. In this paper we investigate development and economic growth across EU regions. Particular attention is given to σ-convergence and β-convergence. These analyses are carried out for regional units corresponding to the third level of the NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) classification. Focusing on a refined geographical scale could offer a detailed picture of the regional growth dynamics within the EU. Additionally, we use a spatial augmented version of the conditional β-convergence model to take into account the spatial interdependencies among regions. Findings shed light on the impact of spatial interaction effects and on the need of territorial policies to achieve convergence in the EU. This aspect highlights how coordinating the regional development policies between regions is pivotal to achieve economic, as well as social and political stability within the EU.
Surviving after Cross-Border Acquisitions: How Business Relatedness, Host Country Experience, and Cultural Distance Affect Acquired Firms
Authors: Galavotti Ilaria , Cerrato Daniele , Cantoni Franca
Published: August 2020

The effects of cross-border acquisitions on the survival of target firms is attracting increasing academic interest. Specifically, whether cross-border acquisitions may hamper target firms’ performance or enhance their sustainable competitiveness represents a highly debated research question. Building on the knowledge-based perspective of mergers and acquisitions, this paper directs attention to absorptive capacity and investigates the likelihood of survival of target firms acquired by foreign investors. In particular, it examines the role played by three potential antecedent conditions of an acquiring firm’s absorptive capacity on the probability of the target firm’s survival: (a) The business relatedness between acquirer and target, (b) previous experience of the acquirer in the host country, and (c) the cultural distance between the countries of the acquiring and acquired firms. Based on a sample of 396 Italian firms acquired by foreign multinationals, results suggest that target firms are more likely to survive in case the acquirer benefits from previous country-level experience and in case of business relatedness, while the cultural distance between the home country of the acquiring firm and Italy does not prove to be a significant determinant of survival versus mortality of acquired subsidiaries. Overall, our analysis confirms that context familiarity, in terms of both country and business contexts, plays a fundamental role in determining the sustainable competitiveness of acquired firms.
Effect of Strain Variations on Lassa Virus Z Protein-Mediated Human RIG-I Inhibition
Authors: Huang Qinfeng , Liu Xiaoying , Brisse Morgan , Ly Hinh , Liang Yuying
Published: August 2020

Mammarenaviruses include several known human pathogens, such as the prototypic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) that can cause neurological diseases and Lassa virus (LASV) that causes endemic hemorrhagic fever infection. LASV-infected patients show diverse clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic infection to hemorrhage, multi-organ failures and death, the mechanisms of which have not been well characterized. We have previously shown that the matrix protein Z of pathogenic arenaviruses, including LASV and LCMV, can strongly inhibit the ability of the innate immune protein RIG-I to suppress type I interferon (IFN-I) expression, which serves as a mechanism of viral immune evasion and virulence. Here, we show that Z proteins of diverse LASV isolates derived from rodents and humans have a high degree of sequence variations at their N- and C-terminal regions and produce variable degrees of inhibition of human RIG-I (hRIG-I) function in an established IFN-β promoter-driven luciferase (LUC) reporter assay. Additionally, we show that Z proteins of four known LCMV strains can also inhibit hRIG-I at variable degrees of efficiency. Collectively, our results confirm that Z proteins of pathogenic LASV and LCMV can inhibit hRIG-I and suggest that strain variations of the Z proteins can influence their efficiency to suppress host innate immunity that might contribute to viral virulence and disease heterogeneity.
Cocktail Anti-Tick Vaccines: The Unforeseen Constraints and Approaches toward Enhanced Efficacies
Authors: Ndawula Charles , Tabor Ala E.
Published: August 2020

Ticks are second to mosquitoes as vectors of disease. Ticks affect livestock industries in Asia, Africa and Australia at ~$1.13 billion USD per annum. For instance, 80% of the global cattle population is at risk of infestation by the Rhipicephalus microplus species-complex, which in 2016 was estimated to cause $22–30 billion USD annual losses. Although the management of tick populations mainly relies on the application of acaricides, this raises concerns due to tick resistance and accumulation of chemical residues in milk, meat, and the environment. To counteract acaricide-resistant tick populations, immunological tick control is regarded among the most promising sustainable strategies. Indeed, immense efforts have been devoted toward identifying tick vaccine antigens. Until now, Bm86-based vaccines have been the most effective under field conditions, but they have shown mixed success worldwide. Currently, of the two Bm86 vaccines commercialized in the 1990s (GavacTM in Cuba and TickGARDPLUSTM in Australia), only GavacTM is available. There is thus growing consensus that combining antigens could broaden the protection range and enhance the efficacies of tick vaccines. Yet, the anticipated outcomes have not been achieved under field conditions. Therefore, this review demystifies the potential limitations and proposes ways of sustaining enhanced cocktail tick vaccine efficacy.
Hacı Bektâş-ı Velî’nin Eserlerinde Geçen Akrabalık Adları
Authors: KOÇ Fatma
Published: August 2020

Bir dilde akrabalık adları o dildeki söz varlığı için önemli bir yer tutar. Bu durum Türk dili için de geçerli olmakla birlikte insan ilişkilerinin dile bir yansıması olarak da görülmelidir. Akrabalık insanların birbirleriyle olan ilişkilerinin belli bir yakınlığa göre konumunu bildirmektedir. Dolayısıyla bir dildeki akrabalık ile ilgili söz varlığının çok olması o dil için bir zenginlik olarak addedilmelidir. Toplumda sosyal paylaşımı, dayanışmayı ve yardımlaşmayı ayakta tutan unsur akrabalık bağlarıdır. Türk kültüründe akrabalık ilişkileri önemli bir yer tutmaktadır. Bu durum aynı zamanda sosyokültürel yapının ayakta kalmasını da sağlamıştır. Dil ve kültür birbiriyle sıkı bir ilişki içerisinde olduğu için sosyokültürel yapı doğal olarak söz varlığına da yansımıştır. Türkçe akrabalık bildiren kelimeler açısından zengin bir dildir. Çünkü Türk toplumu akrabalık ilişkilerine ve geleneklerine oldukça değer vermiştir. İnsanların sosyal ilişkilere ve kültürlerine son derece bağlı olması doğal olarak söz varlığını etkilemiştir. Çalışmada Hacı Bektâş-ı Velî’nin Makâlât, Velâyet-nâme, Fatihâ Tefsiri ve Besmele Tefsiri olmak üzere toplam dört eserinde yer alan akrabalık adlarının ortaya çıkarılmış ve bu noktada tarama yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Tespit yöntemiyle akrabalık değerine sahip olan sözcükler belirlenmiştir. Sözcükler gruplandırma yöntemi kullanılarak iki başlık altında toplanmış ve kategorize edilmiştir. Sonraki aşamada sözcükler, metindeki anlamına göre değerlendirilmiş olup metinde geçtiği yer ile birlikte cümle içinde verilmiştir. Cümlelerin ait olduğu metinlerin kısaltması ise cümlenin yanında belirtilmiştir. Tespit edilen sözcüklerin kullanım sıklıkları belirlenerek çıkarımlara ulaşmak hedeflenmiştir.
Klasik Türk Şiirinde Nağmelerin Tınısı ve Nâilî Divanı'nda Musiki Unsurları
Authors: ÇAKIR Mustafa Sefa
Published: August 2020

Tekâmül etmiş medeniyetlerde ilim, fikir, sanat gibi sahalar uyum içerisindedir ve bir bütünlük arz eder. Bu bütünlük farklı alanlar arasında olduğu gibi yalnız bir unsur içinde de görülebilir. Örneğin; şiir, musiki, minyatür gibi sanatın alt dallarını birlikte düşünmek mümkündür. Şiir ve musiki arasındaki bu birliktelik sadece şiirlerin bestelenmesiyle gerçekleşen bir ilişki olarak kalmamış ve klasik şiirimizde de klasik musikimizin unsurlarının çokça karşımıza çıkmasıyla tezahür etmiştir. Birçok şairin musiki unsurlarını kullandığını, divanların musikinin sesini mısralara taşıyacak ögelerle dolu olduğunu görmekteyiz. Bu çalışmada öncelikle klasik şiirde musiki ile ilgili kavramların kullanılışı ele alınmış ve ardından bir örnek olarak Nâilî Divanı'nda kullanılan musiki unsurları tespit edilmiştir. Böylelikle musikiye ait kavramları kullanmakta zengin bir isim olan Nâilî'nin Divan'ı bu açıdan incelenmiş ve şiir-musiki ilişkisini irdeleyen çalışmalara bir yenisi daha eklenmiştir. İncelemeler sonucunda görülmüştür ki Nâilî farklı musiki aletlerinden, makamlarından, kavramlarından vs. şiirlerinde çokça malzeme kullanmış ve bir anlamda musiki nağmelerini okurlarının kulaklarına mısralarıyla nakşetmiştir.
Contributions to the Andean Senecioneae (Compositae)—VI. Tackling the Identity of Senecio helianthemoides
Authors: Calvo Joel , Zárate Modesto
Published: August 2020

Senecio helianthemoides Wedd. is transferred to the genus Chersodoma Phil. on the basis of its functionally dioecious breeding system and rounded, papillose-style branches. The new combination C. helianthemoides (Wedd.) J. Calvo & M. Zárate is published, and the recently published name C. tarijensis M. Zárate is synonymized with it.
Safety Measures of Journalists during Corona Pandemic in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Kazi M. Anisul , Ali Md. Sumon , Islam Asma , Nobel Shahariar Khan , Shajib Nazmul Hasan , Mamun Chowdhury Mohammad Abdullah Al , Islam Rydwanul
Published: August 2020

Among other frontline fighters, journalists have been the first responders to the pandemic of the "COVID-19" virus. Because of following professional responsibilities, they have become highly vulnerable to get exposed to the risk. As a result, providing safety measures to them has received the highest priority at this time. It has been urged by national and international organizations and associations to media employers to provide safety measures to their respective journalists. This study aims to examine the management of media employers of Bangladesh in providing safety measures to journalists. The study interviews 48 journalists of 12 newspapers and 12 television channels, selecting one reporter and one copy editor from each media. The results reveal that the majority of journalists received inadequate, non-standard, irregular, imbalanced, and improper safety measures while the rest got nothing because of the employer’s total negligence and financial crisis. The study also shows that the media employers failed to distribute safety measures between reporters and copy editors equally. Based on the findings, the study concludes by calling for a proper safety plan to protect journalists from health risks.
Obrona Cywilna w Polsce – proces transformacji po 1989r., stan obecny i propozycje modernizacji
Authors: Kopczewski Marian , Szmitkowski Paweł
Published: August 2020

Obrona cywilna w Polsce jest jednym z podmiotów odpowiedzialnych za bezpieczeństwo ludności cywilnej w sytuacji wystąpienia zarówno zagrożenia zewnętrznego militarnego bezpieczeństwa państwa jak i niebezpieczeństw wewnętrznych, wywołanych przez klęski żywiołowe i katastrofy przemysłowe. Jej formuła jest jednak przestarzała, zaś dokonywane na przestrzeni dziesięcioleci, zwłaszcza zaś po transformacji ustrojowej, próby reform nie przyniosły zadowalających rezultatów. Celem artykułu jest, poprzez wykorzystanie metody krytycznej analizy literatury przedmiotu oraz aktów normatywnych i raportów pokontrolnych, syntetyczne ukazanie procesu tych zmian, wskazanie jak wpłynęły one na obecną kondycję Obrony Cywilnej oraz zaproponowanie rozwiązania, które opierając się na sprawdzonych wzorcach zagranicznych, po odpowiednim zaadoptowaniu ich do warunków krajowych, pozwoli na przywrócenie funkcjonalności OC oraz jednoznacznie zakończy długoletnie spory kompetencyjne związanych z możliwością jej wykorzystania w sytuacji zagrożenia.
Aksjologiczne i antropologiczne uwarunkowania tożsamości narodowej młodych Polaków w świetle badań własnych. Implikacje dla bezpieczeństwa narodowego
Authors: Domalewska Dorota , Urych Ilona
Published: August 2020

Kształtowanie patriotyzmu i tożsamości narodowej ma kluczowe znaczenie dla przetrwania narodu. Ważnym obszarem budowania i wzmacniania patriotyzmu jest sport, który stanowi spoiwo tożsamości narodowej oraz wzmacnia takie wartości jak solidarność i tolerancja, co buduje aktywne postawy obywatelskie w społeczeństwie. Niniejszy artykuł ma w swym zasadniczym celu omówienie istoty patriotyzmu, tożsamości narodowej i tolerancji, które stanowią wymiar postawy jednostki wobec innych narodów oraz sportowego patriotyzmu, który stanowi istotne spoiwo tożsamości narodowej. Badanie przeprowadzono przy użyciu metody sondażu diagnostycznego. Analiza uzyskanych danych wskazuje na bardzo silne poczucie patriotyzmu, tożsamości narodowej i patriotyzmu sportowego wśród respondentów (N=508). Skala patriotyczna znacząco wpływała na wyniki skali tożsamości narodowej i sportowego patriotyzmu, nie różnicowała natomiast postawy tolerancji. Z kolei skala tolerancji istotnie korelowała ze skalą patriotyzmu, sportowego patriotyzmu, tożsamości narodowej. Jak wskazuje Strategia Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, ochrona i umacnianie tożsamości narodowej stanowi ważne zadanie państwa. Cele te można osiągnąć poprzez pielęgnowanie kultury narodowej, ochronę dziedzictwa kulturowego, aktywizację kapitału społecznego oraz wzmacnianie postaw patriotycznych.
Čāhārbāzār. Preliminary Report on the Identification of a Large Archaeological Site in Farāšband, in the Sasanian Province of Ardašīr-Xwarreh, Iran
Authors: Ghasemi Parsa , Noruzi Reza , Rezaei Aziz , Amiri Mosayeb , Ghezelbash Ebrahim
Published: August 2020

As a result of field survey and remote sensing of aerial photo and satellite imagery, a large archaeological site, probably belonging to the Sasanian period, was identified in Farāšband. This site covers an area of 14.4 square kilometers, very regular and walled, implanted on virgin land. The initial survey shows that it was probably a large geometric city consists of six large almost rectangular shape sections. Based on the archaeological evidence, this site has never been completed nor filled with population and had some gardens.
Dilemas Related to Potential Changes in the Taxation of Farms
Authors: Podstawka Marian Grzegorz
Published: August 2020

Abstract: Polish farms are burdened with the following taxes: agricultural tax, forestry tax, property tax, motor vehicle tax, VAT, and excise tax.The research showed that small farms suffered losses in the years 2014-2018. However, income made by small farms (income of EUR 8,000 to 25,000) was burdened with all taxes ranging from 29.9% in 2014 to 67.05% in total. In 2018, middle-sized farms with income between EUR 50,000 and EUR100,000 had a share of all taxes in their income of about 4-6%. Very large farms (>EUR 500,000 of income) had a symbolic tax burden of ca. 1%.In the case of the tax burden on farms’ revenues, very small and small farms were in the worst situation, similarly as before. They recorded ca. 2.7% of taxes in their revenues. The medium-sized farms had a burden of ca. 1% of their revenues with all taxes. By contrast, the revenues of very large farms were burdened with symbolic taxes in the amount of ca. 0.2%. In this situation, while maintaining the current tax burden borne by farms, it should be remembered that the income tax rate and the revenue tax rate cannot exceed 5% and ca. 1%, respectively.
Methods of Forecasting Budget Revenues
Authors: Kozicki Bartosz , Waściński Tadeusz , Lisowska Agnieszka
Published: August 2020

In the article the author raises an issue related to the forecasting of budget revenue in Poland after previous analysis primary data on a monthly basis from 2011-2018.. The research data was obtained from the Central Statistical Office. The research was initiated with the analysis and evaluation of data concerning budget revenue in Poland dynamically. Then, on the basis of the results, the prognostic methods were selected. The methods were analyzed and evaluated. The best one was selected and applied in order to conduct the forecasting of the original series. The results obtained in the research were presented in the summary.
The Logistics Infrastructure Network of Belarus and its Universal Applications
Authors: Kugan Svetlana
Published: August 2020

The effective functioning of the logistics infrastructure is a prerequisite for the modernization of the regional and, as a result, the national economy, the transition to an innovative development path, as well as improving the population living standards. The study of historical patterns and characteristics of the development of logistics will allow us to determine the main directions for improving the activities of the logistics infrastructure and use appropriate management tools. The most important elements of the regional infrastructure are traditionally automobile and rail transport, which ensure republican and international relations of the region.
Prototipe Cscm (Coin Sorting And Counting Machine) Berbasis Arduino Uno R3 Studi Kasus : Koperasi Melati
Authors: Suheri Agus , Setiawan Widi Juniarti
Published: August 2020

Arduino merupakan perangkat keras sekaligus perangkat lunak yang memungkinkan siapa saja melakukan pembuatan prototipe suatu rangkaian elektronika yang berbasis mikrokontroler dengan mudah dan cepat. Arduino Integrated Development Equipment (Arduino IDE) adalah perangkat lunak yang digunakan untuk mengembangkan program dan memungkinkan program diunggah ke papan Arduino. Papan arduino merupakan papan elektronis yang berisi mikrokontroler berbasis ATMega, sedangkan mikrokontroler adalah sebuah keping (integrated circuit) yang mengandung prosesor alias sang pemroses dan sekaligus memori yang berguna untuk menyimpan data. Transaksi yang menggunakan uang koin biasanya membutuhkan waktu yang lebih lama dan tingkat kerumitan yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan menggunakan uang kertas biasa. Sebab lebih banyaknya elemen yang dihitung. Bahkan sering sekali terjadi kesalahan dalam penghitungan dan penyortiran uang koin tersebut. Dengan memanfaatkan teknologi mikrokontroler, yaitu menggabungkan Arduino dengan Sensor Infrared, Motor Servo, Motor DC, LCD 20x4, I2C, dan Keypad 4x4 nantinya akan menjadi CSCM (Coin Sorting and Counting Machine) yang dapat menghitung dan menyortir uang koin secara otomatis. Hasil penghitungan dan penyortiran uang koin akan ditampilkan pada LCD.Pada penelitian  ini diharapkan dapat membantu transaksi menggunakan uang koin menjadi lebih cepat dan mudah sehingga waktu dan tenaga yang digunakan lebih sedikit. Serta mengurangi tingkat kesalahan dalam penghitungan dan penyortiran uang koin.
SUBSTANTIATION OF THE NEED FOR ORGANIZATION OF A SPECIALLY PROTECTED NATURAL TERRITORY IN THE NEFTECUM CITY DISTRICT OF STAVROPOL REGION
Authors: Lysenko A.V. , Lysenko I.O. , Osipova T.V.
Published: August 2020

Specially protected natural territories (SPNA) occupy small areas of the Neftekumsky urban district of the Stavropol Territory. In this regard, it is relevant to justify the need to create protected areas on its territory thus making the natural landscapes of the district sustainable. The stability of landscapes was determined on the basis of the ecological-landscape principle. The indicators of landscape stability were obtained by calculating the values of the coefficients of ecological stability
of the landscape. For the Neftekumsky urban district of the Stavropol Territory, these studies were conducted for the first time. As a result of the studies, it was established that the representativeness and environmental value of the protected areas existing in the Neftekum urban district do not meet the requirements for the territorial organization of ecosystems of this type, the landscapes are conditionally stable and require the partial transformation of unstable landscape elements into stable ones, which is possible when organizing a new protected area in the territory counties.