The upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission, planned to launch in 2022, is the first mission to focus on measuring hydrological processes in Earth's surface water. As ...such, SWOT will vastly expand observations of global rivers ≥100 m wide. SWOT will provide a variety of data products, including a global vector river product containing water surface elevation (WSE), width, slope, and estimated discharge. Practical application and consistency of the SWOT vector products requires a prior global river network database divided into reaches. Here, we introduce the SWOT River Database (SWORD). SWORD will serve as the framework for the SWOT river vector products consisting of river reaches (∼10 km long) and nodes (∼200 m spacing). We generate SWORD by combining several global river‐ and satellite‐related data sets into one congruent product. When defining river reaches, we incorporate natural and human‐created river obstructions, basin boundaries, tributary junctions, and SWOT orbit track information. SWORD contains a total of 213,485 reaches and 10.7 million nodes. Globally, 77.3% of river reach lengths are between 10 and 20 km with a median reach length of 10.5 km. 95% of river reaches ≥10 km will have sufficient SWOT observations to provide discharge estimates at least once per orbit cycle. SWORD also contains many useful hydrologic and morphological attributes and is designed to be expandable in the future. Even before the launch of SWOT, it can serve as a framework for global hydrologic analyses using models, in situ measurements, and additional satellite observations.
Plain Language Summary
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission, planned to launch in 2022, is the first satellite with a specific aim to measure Earth's surface water fluctuations. SWOT will provide unprecedented observations of river water surface elevation, width, and slope. One product that will be provided is a vector‐based data set designed for large regional‐to‐global scale analyses. Because rivers are dynamic features that change frequently, the vector product will allow scientists to analyze the data most effectively if the SWOT observations are attached to an existing database that is static in space and time. Here we introduce the SWOT River Database (SWORD), which will serve as the framework for the SWOT river vector products consisting of river reaches (∼10 km long) and nodes (∼200 m spacing within reaches). When defining river reaches, we consider natural and human‐created boundaries as well as the boundaries of SWOT observation swaths. SWORD contains many useful hydrologic and morphological attributes, and it is designed to be expandable in the future. Even before the launch of SWOT, it can serve as a framework for modeling river flows at global scales and for conducting large‐scale hydrologic analyses using ground measurements and/or additional satellite observations.
Key Points
The SWOT River Database (SWORD) provides the foundation for SWOT river vector products including elevation, slope, width, and discharge
SWORD combines multiple global river‐ and satellite‐related data sets into a congruent product designed to integrate satellite observations
SWORD contains 213,485 river reaches (∼10 km in length) and 10.7 million nodes (∼200 m spacing) with a consistent topological structure
In this article, we address the experiences of Finnish frontline social workers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. We are interested in what types of challenges ...social workers faced in their everyday setting and what types of solutions they developed to meet these challenges. To find out this we asked 33 social workers to draft a free form personal diary from mid-March to the end of May 2020. The diary data is rare as it can authentically describe social workers’ moods and societal atmosphere in spring 2020.
The results of the study suggest that the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged social work at all levels, from face-to-face interactions to its global relations. The pandemic revealed not only the number of existing problems of social work, but also created new types of challenges. It demanded ultimate resilience from social workers and a new type of adaptive capacity from social welfare and social care institutions. The study makes it clear how social workers, in many ways, acted as the invisible and ‘last resort tailboards’ for society, communities and especially people in vulnerable positions, in a rapid and unprecedented crisis.Abstract
This article addresses the experiences of Finnish frontline social workers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. Two questions are addressed. First, ‘what types of challenges social work professionals faced’ in their everyday, ‘glocal’ pandemic setting and, second, what types of solutions they developed to meet these challenges. The data consist of 33 personal diaries that social work professionals created from mid-March to the end of May 2020. The diaries are analysed by a thematic content analysis and placed within the framework of a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis. The results suggest that the pandemic challenged social work at all levels, from face-to-face interactions to its global relations. The pandemic revealed not only the number of existing problems of social work, but also created new types of challenges. It demanded ultimate resilience from social workers and a new type of adaptive governance from social welfare institutions.
Araştırma Türkiye’nin turizm sektörü hakkındaki bilgi ve deneyimini Kırgızistan ile paylaşmak amacıyla hazırlanmıştır. Araştırma kapsamında öncelikle Kırgızistan’ın farklı bölgelerinde faaliyet ...gösteren işletme yöneticilerinin turizm hakkındaki bilgi ve düşünceleri incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın amacına uygun olarak Kırgızistan’ın farklı bölgelerinde faaliyet gösteren turizm işletmelerinin 26 üst düzey yöneticisi Türkiye’deki eğitim programına kabul edilmiştir. Antalya’nın farklı bölgelerindeki otellerin yönetici ve departman sorumluları kendi uzmanlık alanları ile ilgili konuları teorik ve uygulamalı olarak aktarmışlardır. Eğitim programıyla birlikte çeşitli sosyal ve kültürel faaliyetlerle Türkiye’nin farklı zenginlikleri de tanıtılmaya gayret edilmiştir. Katılımcıların Türkiye’ye gelmeden önceki düşünceleri ile ziyaret sonrasındaki düşünceleri araştırılmıştır. Yapılan incelemeler sonucunda katılımcıların Türkiye hakkındaki eğitim öncesi ve sonrasındaki düşüncelerinde büyük farklılık olmadığı belirlenmiştir. Araştırma kapsamında katılımcılardan Türkiye ve Kırgızistan’ın turizm sektörüne ilişkin güçlü ve zayıf yönleri belirtmeleri de istenmiştir. Elde edilen bu veriler kullanılarak bir SWOT analizi yapılmıştır. Devlet desteği, tarihi ve doğal kaynakların zenginliği, pazarlama başarısı, hizmet kalitesi, konumu ve zengin turizm çeşitliliği Türkiye turizminin için güçlü yön olarak belirlenmiştir. Doğal güzellikleri, misafirperverliği, tarihi kaynakları, alternatif turizm potansiyeli ve uygun fiyat da Kırgızistan turizmi açısından öne çıkan unsurlarıdır. Kırgızistan’ın en zayıf yönü olarak belirtilen devlet desteği, Türk turizminin güçlü yönleri arasında gösterilmektedir. Kırgızistan Turizm Bakanlığı ve S. Ü. Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Koordinatörlüğü tarafından desteklenen 22401047 numaralı proje çıktısı olarak hazırlanmıştır.
In recent years, indoor positioning has emerged as a critical function in many end-user applications; including military, civilian, disaster relief and peacekeeping missions. In comparison with ...outdoor environments, sensing location information in indoor environments requires a higher precision and is a more challenging task in part because various objects reflect and disperse signals. Ultra WideBand (UWB) is an emerging technology in the field of indoor positioning that has shown better performance compared to others. In order to set the stage for this work, we provide a survey of the state-of-the-art technologies in indoor positioning, followed by a detailed comparative analysis of UWB positioning technologies. We also provide an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to analyze the present state of UWB positioning technologies. While SWOT is not a quantitative approach, it helps in assessing the real status and in revealing the potential of UWB positioning to effectively address the indoor positioning problem. Unlike previous studies, this paper presents new taxonomies, reviews some major recent advances, and argues for further exploration by the research community of this challenging problem space.
Due to its critical role in the shift to sustainable energy systems, hydrogen, 'hailed as the future energy carrier,' has attracted more attention. This review article provides a complete overview of ...recent advances in photocatalytic hydrogen production, particularly emphasizing In2S3 and In2S3-based photocatalysts. The article begins with a historical review and explains the critical motivations behind efficient hydrogen generation in the rising demand for clean energy before delving into the fundamental principles of semiconductor photocatalysis. The study emphasizes In2S3's importance in harvesting solar energy for hydrogen synthesis and its potential as a photocatalyst due to its outstanding features and compatibility with the solar spectrum. The review paper also sheds light on the various synthesis methods for fabricating of In2S3 and its composites. The article then focuses on photocatalytic hydrogen production using In2S3 and In2S3-based photocatalysts, reviewing recent improvements and innovations that have contributed to increased catalytic activity. The paper also summarizes the intrinsic characterization techniques used to determine the structural and optical properties of In2S3 photocatalysts, which include X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These approaches provide significant insights into understanding and enhancing the photocatalytic process. Furthermore, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis assesses the internal and external variables impacting In2S3 and In2S3-based photocatalytic hydrogen production. This research provides more detailed information about this technology's current situation and future hurdles. Finally, the study offers a peek into the future of photocatalytic hydrogen production with In2S3 and its composites, offering light on developing trends and areas for further research. This study is helpful for academics, policymakers, and stakeholders interested in sustainable hydrogen generation systems since it thoroughly examines current developments and prospects.
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●The need for hydrogen as a green fuel has been highlighted.●The fundamentals of a semiconductor and how In2S3 fits in the role of H2 production have been discussed.●The reaction mechanism of photocatalytic H2 evolution has been summarized.●The recent advances by In2S3-based photocatalysts in H2 production have been analyzed.●SWOT analysis has been conducted, and future prospects have been discussed.
Spermatozoa retrieved from the testis of men with high levels of sperm DNA fragmentation （SDF） in the neat semen tend to have better DNA quality. Given the negative impact of SDF on the outcomes of ...Assisted Reproductive Technology （ART）, an increased interest has emerged about the use of testicular sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection （Testi-ICSI）. In this article, we used a SWOT （strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats） analysis to summarize the advantages and drawbacks of this intervention. The rationale of Testi-ICSI is bypass posttesticular DNA fragmentation caused by oxidative stress during sperm transit through the epididymis. Hence, oocyte fertilization by genomically intact testicular spermatozoa may be optimized, thus increasing the chances of creating a normal embryonic genome and the likelihood of achieving a live birth, as recently demonstrated in men with high SDF. However, there is still limited evidence as regards the clinical efficacy of Testi-ICSI, thus creating opportunities for further confirmatory clinical research as well as investigation of Testi-ICSI in clinical scenarios other than high SDF. Furthermore, Testi-ICSI can be compared to other laboratory preparation methods for deselecting sperm with damaged DNA. At present, the available literature supports the use of testicular sperm when performing ICSI in infertile couples whose male partners have posttesticular SDF. Due to inherent risks of sperm retrieval, Testi-ICSI should be offered when less invasive treatments for alleviating DNA damage have failed. A call for continuous monitoring is nonetheless required concerning the health of generated offspring and the potential complications of sperm retrieval.
Taking into account the declaration from the Treaty of Rome (back in 1957), on environmental protection “the harmonization of environmental legislations and uniformity in the fight against certain ...forms of aid, so that technical barriers to the free circulation of goods would not arise due to different national links”, there is a need to develop Strategy(ies) in the Framework of Waste Management in order to reach the targets on 2050. Those Strategies aim to increase quality of life and change the way that citizens react in the great debates. Those Strategies should reduce the impact of several processes on the environment through product, processes, and corporate policies using green applicable sustainable resources and environmental management systems (such as ISO 14001, EMAS) as well as a number of activities (prevention, reduced, reused etc) measuring at the same time the impact on society. This paper provides a holistic approach processing how to develop, implement, monitor and improve a strategy (even an existing one) in the framework of waste management at a local level and or at a central level. The proposed methodology could be a useful tool for any policy makers, consultants, engineers, urban planners, academics etc., in order to develop and apply strategy related with household and/or food waste prevention, material reuse, waste reduce (i.e plastics, food, recyclables etc)., in the framework of household solid waste management and beyond. Moreover, the adoption of Strategy(ies) also aims to protect and enhance the Union's natural capital and to turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-carbon economy in the nearest future taking into acount also the European Green Deal stategy.
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•Historical evolution of waste strategies since the Treaty of Rome•Principles and guide to develop and implement waste strategy•Waste management strategy in the framework of circular economy•Inventor point of view for the development of a waste strategy
Bu çalışmada Kapadokya Bölgesi’nin turizm yönünden mevcut durumunu ortaya koyabilmek adına bir SWOT analizi yapılması, analizin sonuçları doğrultusunda ise bölge turizmini geliştirmek için önerilerde ...bulunulması amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada nitel bir yöntem izlenmiş ve model olarak ise durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Çalışma Kapadokya turizmi hakkında bilgi sahibi olan uzman, yönetici ve akademisyenlerin oluşturduğu 21 katılımcı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Verileri toplamada yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniği kullanılmış ve sonrasında toplanan veriler içerik analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Yapılan içerik analizi sonucunda Kapadokya Bölgesi’nin en güçlü özelliğinin bünyesinde bulundurduğu özgün jeomorfolojik oluşumlar (peribacaları) olduğu, en zayıf özelliğinin bölge içinde altyapı sorunlarının bulunması olduğu, en büyük fırsat unsurunun bölgede alternatif turizm türlerini gerçekleştirmek için yeterli potansiyelin bulunması olduğu, en büyük tehdidin ise bölgedeki jeomorfolojik yapıların ve doğal kaynakların tahribata uğraması olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır.
To measure “something that is not there”, is not easy and at the same time not fully understandable and perceived by the citizens. Several elements (such as, waste production, waste management cost, ...social attitude and behaviour, etc.) interrupt and disturb any strategy in the framework of waste management. Additionally, through the European Green Deal (EGD), Europe is trying to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, taking into account the Circular Economy Strategy (CES) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). A Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) breakdown was applied, to establish and organize key information's on the environmental performance (E.P) taking into consideration the existing pollution, reviewing the contemporary knowledge and existing implemented waste strategies on the driving forces, pressures, states and impacts. This paper includes several key performed indicators (KPIs), in order to evaluate the E.P of an area, through hybrid approach which cover among others, the waste compositional analysis, SWOT and PESTEL analysis, waste recycling and waste accumulation index, prevention activities, awareness activities etc. The results indicate that, the selected areas implement periodic measures, but they need to put more effort to boost their citizens to participate in any proposed waste strategy. Furthermore, the results are very valuable and helpful to policy makers, consultants, scientists, competent authorities, stakeholders etc., in order to design and promote synergies and activities (mainly in Local Authorities), to reach the proposed figures that EGD, proposed in relation with the CES as well as with the SDGs.
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•The implementation of KPIs to assess the level of Environmental Performance•Measuring Environmental Performance in the framework of Waste Strategies•Adoption of Circular Economy, UNSDGs targets in Insula Communities•Barriers in Local Authorities to adopt waste management practices
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