bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of EjSVPs in Flower Initiation in Eriobotrya japonica
Authors: Jiang Yuanyuan , Peng Jiangrong , Zhang Zhike , Lin Shoukai , Lin Shunquan , Yang Xianghui
Published: November 2019

Flowering plants have evolved different flowering habits to sustain long-term reproduction. Most woody trees experience dormancy and then bloom in the warm spring, but loquat blooms in the cold autumn and winter. To explore its mechanism of flowering regulation, we cloned two SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) homologous genes from ‘Jiefanzhong’ loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.), namely, EjSVP1 and EjSVP2. Sequence analysis revealed that the EjSVPs were typical MADS-box transcription factors and exhibited a close genetic relationship with other plant SVP/DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-BOX (DAM) proteins. The temporal and spatial expression patterns showed that EjSVP1 and EjSVP2 were mainly expressed in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) after the initiation of flowering; after reaching their highest level, they gradually decreased with the development of the flower until they could not be detected. EjSVP1 expression levels were relatively high in young tissues, and EjSVP2 expression levels were relatively high in young to mature transformed tissues. Interestingly, EjSVP2 showed relatively high expression levels in various flower tissues. We analyzed the EjSVP promoter regions and found that they did not contain the C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element. Finally, we overexpressed the EjSVPs in wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 and found no significant changes in the number of rosette leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana; however, overexpression of EjSVP2 affected the formation of Arabidopsis thaliana flower organs. In conclusion, EjSVPs were found to play an active role in the development of loquat flowering. These findings may provide a reference for exploring the regulation mechanisms of loquat flowering and the dormancy mechanisms of other plants.
QSAR Models for Predicting Five Levels of Cellular Accumulation of Lysosomotropic Macrocycles
Authors: Norinder Ulf , Munic Kos Vesna
Published: November 2019

Drugs that accumulate in lysosomes reach very high tissue concentrations, which is evident in the high volume of distribution and often lower clearance of these compounds. Such a pharmacokinetic profile is beneficial for indications where high tissue penetration and a less frequent dosing regime is required. Here, we show how the level of lysosomotropic accumulation in cells can be predicted solely from molecular structure. To develop quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models, we used cellular accumulation data for 69 lysosomotropic macrocycles, the pharmaceutical class for which this type of prediction model is extremely valuable due to the importance of cellular accumulation for their anti-infective and anti-inflammatory applications as well as due to the fact that they are extremely difficult to model by computational methods because of their large size (Mw > 500). For the first time, we show that five levels of intracellular lysosomotropic accumulation (as measured by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry—LC-MS/MS), from low/no to extremely high, can be predicted with 60% balanced accuracy solely from the compound’s structure. Although largely built on macrocycles, the eight non-macrocyclic compounds that were added to the set were found to be well incorporated by the models, indicating their possible broader application. By uncovering the link between the molecular structure and cellular accumulation as the key process in tissue distribution of lysosomotropic compounds, these models are applicable for directing the drug discovery process and prioritizing the compounds for synthesis with fine-tuned accumulation properties, according to the desired pharmacokinetic profile.
Identification of Flower-Specific Promoters through Comparative Transcriptome Analysis in Brassica napus
Authors: Li Yan , Dong Caihua , Hu Ming , Bai Zetao , Tong Chaobo , Zuo Rong , Liu Yueying , Cheng Xiaohui , Cheng Mingxing , Huang Junyan , Liu Shengyi
Published: November 2019

Brassica napus (oilseed rape) is an economically important oil crop worldwide. Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a threat to oilseed rape production. Because the flower petals play pivotal roles in the SSR disease cycle, it is useful to express the resistance-related genes specifically in flowers to hinder further infection with S. sclerotiorum. To screen flower-specific promoters, we first analyzed the transcriptome data from 12 different tissues of the B. napus line ZS11. In total, 249 flower-specific candidate genes with high expression in petals were identified, and the expression patterns of 30 candidate genes were verified by quantitative real-time transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. Furthermore, two novel flower-specific promoters (FSP046 and FSP061 promoter) were identified, and the tissue specificity and continuous expression in petals were determined in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana with fusing the promoters to β-glucuronidase (GUS)-reporter gene. GUS staining, transcript expression pattern, and GUS activity analysis indicated that FSP046 and FSP061 promoter were strictly flower-specific promoters, and FSP046 promoter had a stronger activity. The two promoters were further confirmed to be able to direct GUS expression in B. napus flowers using transient expression system. The transcriptome data and the flower-specific promoters screened in the present study will benefit fundamental research for improving the agronomic traits as well as disease and pest control in a tissue-specific manner.
PlWRKY13: A Transcription Factor Involved in Abiotic and Biotic Stress Responses in Paeonia lactiflora
Authors: Wang Xue , Li Junjie , Guo Xianfeng , Ma Yan , Qiao Qian , Guo Jing
Published: November 2019

Many members of the WRKY family regulate plant growth and development. Recent studies have shown that members of the WRKY family, specifically WRKY13, play various roles in the regulation of plant stress resistance. To study the function of WRKY family members in peony, the PlWRKY13 gene (KY271095) was cloned from peony leaves. Sequence analysis and subcellular localization results revealed that PlWRKY13 has no introns, belongs to the type IIc subgroup of the WRKY family, and functions in the nucleus. The expression pattern of PlWRKY13 was analysed via real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), which showed that the expression of PlWRKY13 was induced by four types of abiotic stress, low-temperature, high-temperature, waterlogging and salt stress, and was positively upregulated in response to these stresses. In addition, the expression of PlWRKY13 tended to first decrease and then increase after infection with Alternaria tenuissima. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology was used to explore the function of PlWRKY13 in the resistance of Paeonia lactiflora to fungal infection further, and the results showed that PlWRKY13-silenced plants displayed increased sensitivity to A. tenuissima. The infection was more severe and the disease index (DI) significantly greater in the PlWRKY13-silenced plants than in the control plants, and the expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes was also significantly altered in the PlWRKY13-silenced plants compared with the control plants. The contents of the endogenous hormones jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) were measured, and the results showed that the JA content increased gradually after infection with A. tenuissima and that JA may play an active role in the resistance of P. lactiflora to pathogen infection, while the SA content decreased after PlWRKY13 silencing. The contents of the two hormones decreased overall, suggesting that they are related to the transcription of PlWRKY13 and that PlWRKY13 may be involved in the disease-resistance pathway mediated by JA and SA. In summary, the results of our study showed that PlWRKY13 expression was induced by stress and had a positive effect on the resistance of P. lactiflora to fungal infection.
Rethinking Maritime Education, Training, and Operations in the Digital Era: Applications for Emerging Immersive Technologies
Authors: Mallam Steven C. , Nazir Salman , Renganayagalu Sathiya Kumar
Published: November 2019

The use of simulators in maritime education and training is an essential component for developing seafarer competencies. Emerging immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) have created new and differing possibilities for maritime simulations and simulators. The increasing advancements and technical readiness of these systems have paved the way for a new generation and category of simulators and simulation-based experiences for professional education, training, and operations, which are relatively cheaper, more immersive, compact, and accessible in comparison to traditional configurations. Although the concept of utilizing VR, AR, and MR head-mounted display technologies for professional training and operations is not new, their recent developments and proliferation now allow for practical implementation and real-world application. Particularly, the adoption and integration of these technologies into the education, training, and operations of maritime industries provide new possibilities and paradigms to support operators and operations both on land and at sea. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concepts of VR, AR, and MR applications specifically for maritime education, training and operations, including the potential benefits, drawbacks, and limitations of these systems.
Study on the Design of an Underwater Chain Trencher via a Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Kim Jaebum , Kwon O Soon , Hai Nguyen Le Dang , Ko Jin Hwan
Published: November 2019

In this study, a genetic algorithm (GA) with an analytic model is adopted to conduct multi-objective optimization for design of an underwater chain trencher. The optimization problem is defined as minimizing a product of the chain power and weight subject to the uniaxial compressive strength, coefficient of traction, bar length (L), nose radius (R) and ratio of the chipping depth over the spacing (l/S), of which the ranges are determined based on the specifications of commercial trenchers satisfying established performance requirements and previous parametric studies. It is found that an optimal design of the GA was obtained with L and l/S close to their low bound and R far from its low bound while that of a simple parametric analysis was acquired with the three parameters close to their low bounds. Moreover, in the most severe soft rock and traction conditions, the power and weight in the optimal design obtained by the GA are turn to be within the feasible ranges of targeted commercial trenchers.
The Influence of Isotropic Surface Roughness of Steel Sliders on Ice Friction Under Different Testing Conditions
Authors: Velkavrh Igor , Lungevičs Jānis , Jansons Ernests , Klien Stefan , Voyer Joël , Ausserer Florian
Published: November 2019

Ice friction is affected by various system and surface-related parameters such as ice temperature, ambient air temperature and humidity, relative sliding velocity, specific surface pressures and surface texture (waviness, roughness) as well as the macroscopic geometry of the samples. The influences of these parameters cannot be easily separated from each other. Therefore, ice friction is a very complex tribological system and it is challenging to draw sound conclusions from the experiments. In this work, ice friction experiments with stainless steel samples that have different isotropic surface roughness values were carried out. Two tribological experimental setups were used: (i) an inclined ice track where the sliding velocity of the freely sliding steel samples was determined and (ii) an oscillating tribometer, where the coefficient of friction was assessed. For both experimental setups, the environmental parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity and ice surface temperature as well as the test parameters such as normal load and surface pressure were kept as constant as possible. The results of the experiments are discussed in relation to the ice friction mechanisms and the friction regimes.
Multi-Segmented Nanowires: A High Tech Bright Future
Authors: Wang Da-Shuang , Mukhtar Aiman , Wu Kai-Ming , Gu Liyuan , Cao Xiaoming
Published: November 2019

In the last couple of decades, there has been a lot of progress in the synthesis methods of nano-structural materials, but still the field has a large number of puzzles to solve. Metal nanowires (NWs) and their alloys represent a sub category of the 1-D nano-materials and there is a large effort to study the microstructural, physical and chemical properties to use them for further industrial applications. Due to technical limitations of single component NWs, the hetero-structured materials gained attention recently. Among them, multi-segmented NWs are more diverse in applications, consisting of two or more segments that can perform multiple function at a time, which confer their unique properties. Recent advancement in characterization techniques has opened up new opportunities for understanding the physical properties of multi-segmented structures of 1-D nanomaterials. Since the multi-segmented NWs needs a reliable response from an external filed, numerous studies have been done on the synthesis of multi-segmented NWs to precisely control the physical properties of multi-segmented NWs. This paper highlights the electrochemical synthesis and physical properties of multi-segmented NWs, with a focus on the mechanical and magnetic properties by explaining the shape, microstructure, and composition of NWs.
Relationship between the Coordination Geometry and Spin Dynamics of Dysprosium(III) Heteroleptic Triple-Decker Complexes
Authors: Sato Tetsu , Matsuzawa Satoshi , Katoh Keiichi , Breedlove Brian K. , Yamashita Masahiro
Published: November 2019

When using single molecule magnets (SMMs) in spintronics devices, controlling the quantum tunneling of the magnetization (QTM) and spin-lattice interactions is important. To improve the functionality of SMMs, researchers have explored the effects of changing the coordination geometry of SMMs and the magnetic interactions between them. Here, we report on the effects of the octa-coordination geometry on the magnetic relaxation processes of dinuclear dysprosium(III) complexes in the low-temperature region. Mixed ligand dinuclear Dy3+ triple-decker complexes [(TPP)Dy(Pc)Dy(TPP)] (1), which have crystallographically equivalent Dy3+ ions, and [(Pc)Dy(Pc)Dy(TPP)] (2), which have non-equivalent Dy3+ ions, (Pc2− = phthalocyaninato; TPP2− = tetraphenylporphyrinato), undergo dual magnetic relaxation processes. This is due to the differences in the ground states due to the twist angle (φ) between the ligands. The relationship between the off-diagonal terms and the dual magnetic relaxation processes that appears due to a deviation from D4h symmetry is discussed.
Copper bis-Dipyridoquinoxaline Is a Potent DNA Intercalator that Induces Superoxide-Mediated Cleavage via the Minor Groove
Authors: Molphy Zara , McKee Vickie , Kellett Andrew
Published: November 2019

Herein, we report the synthesis, characterisation, X-ray crystallography, and oxidative DNA binding interactions of the copper artificial metallo-nuclease [Cu(DPQ)2(NO3)](NO3), where DPQ = dipyrido[3,2-f:2′,3′-h]quinoxaline. The cation [Cu(DPQ)2]2+ (Cu-DPQ), is a high-affinity binder of duplex DNA and presents an intercalative profile in topoisomerase unwinding and viscosity experiments. Artificial metallo-nuclease activity occurs in the absence of exogenous reductant but is greatly enhanced by the presence of the reductant Na-L-ascorbate. Mechanistically, oxidative DNA damage occurs in the minor groove, is mediated aerobically by the Cu(I) complex and is dependent on both superoxide and hydroxyl radical generation. To corroborate cleavage at the minor groove, DNA oxidation of a cytosine–guanine (5′-CCGG-3′)-rich oligomer was examined in tandem with a 5-methylcytosine (5′-C5mCGG-3′) derivative where 5mC served to sterically block the major groove and direct damage to the minor groove. Overall, both the DNA binding affinity and cleavage mechanism of Cu-DPQ depart from Sigman’s reagent [Cu(1,10-phenanthroline)2]2+; however, both complexes are potent oxidants of the minor groove.
Concepts and Core Principles of Fragment-Based Drug Design
Authors: Kirsch Philine , Hartman Alwin M. , Hirsch Anna K. H. , Empting Martin
Published: November 2019

In this review, a general introduction to fragment-based drug design and the underlying concepts is given. General considerations and methodologies ranging from library selection/construction over biophysical screening and evaluation methods to in-depth hit qualification and subsequent optimization strategies are discussed. These principles can be generally applied to most classes of drug targets. The examples given for fragment growing, merging, and linking strategies at the end of the review are set in the fields of enzyme-inhibitor design and macromolecule–macromolecule interaction inhibition. Building upon the foundation of fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) and its methodologies, we also highlight a few new trends in FBDD.
Long-Term High-Resolution Sediment and Sea Surface Temperature Spatial Patterns in Arctic Nearshore Waters Retrieved Using 30-Year Landsat Archive Imagery
Authors: Klein Konstantin P. , Lantuit Hugues , Heim Birgit , Fell Frank , Doxaran David , Irrgang Anna M.
Published: November 2019

The Arctic is directly impacted by climate change. The increase in air temperature drives the thawing of permafrost and an increase in coastal erosion and river discharge. This leads to a greater input of sediment and organic matter into coastal waters, which substantially impacts the ecosystems, the subsistence economy of the local population, and the climate because of the transformation of organic matter into greenhouse gases. Yet, the patterns of sediment dispersal in the nearshore zone are not well known, because ships do not often reach shallow waters and satellite remote sensing is traditionally focused on less dynamic environments. The goal of this study is to use the extensive Landsat archive to investigate sediment dispersal patterns specifically on an exemplary Arctic nearshore environment, where field measurements are often scarce. Multiple Landsat scenes were combined to calculate means of sediment dispersal and sea surface temperature under changing seasonal wind conditions in the nearshore zone of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk in the western Canadian Arctic since 1982. We use observations in the Landsat red and thermal wavebands, as well as a recently published water turbidity algorithm to relate archive wind data to turbidity and sea surface temperature. We map the spatial patterns of turbidity and water temperature at high spatial resolution in order to resolve transport pathways of water and sediment at the water surface. Our results show that these pathways are clearly related to the prevailing wind conditions, being ESE and NW. During easterly wind conditions, both turbidity and water temperature are significantly higher in the nearshore area. The extent of the Mackenzie River plume and coastal erosion are the main explanatory variables for sediment dispersal and sea surface temperature distributions in the study area. During northwesterly wind conditions, the influence of the Mackenzie River plume is negligible. Our results highlight the potential of high spatial resolution Landsat imagery to detect small-scale hydrodynamic processes, but also show the need to specifically tune optical models for Arctic nearshore environments.
Assessment of the Biomass Productivity Decline in the Lower Mekong Basin
Authors: Vu Quyet Manh , Lakshmi Venkat , Bolten John
Published: November 2019

This study aimed to delineate the geographic hotspots of negative trends in biomass productivity in the Lower Mekong Basin countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand) and identify correlated regional environmental and anthropogenic factors. A long-term time-series (1982–2015) of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index at a resolution of approximately 9.16 km × 9.16 km was used to specify the areas with significant decline or increase in productivity. The relationships between vegetation changes and land attributes, such as climate, population density, soil/terrain conditions, and land-cover types, were examined. Rainfall time-series maps were used to identify areas that might have been affected by land degradation from those correlated with rainfall. Most of the detected potentially degraded areas were found in Cambodia, the Northwest and the Highland of Vietnam, the Northern Mountains of Thailand and Laos, and the mountainous border between Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. About 15% of the total land area of these four countries experienced a reduction in biomass productivity during the 34-year study period. The map of hotspots of changes in productivity can be used to direct further studies, including those at finer spatial resolution that may support policy makers and researchers in targeting the strategies for combating land degradation.
Multicore-Processor Based Software-Defined Communication/Network Platform for Underwater Internet of Things
Authors: Luo Chaohui , Ma Biyun , Chen Fangjiong , Guan Quansheng , Yu Hua , Ji Fei
Published: November 2019

Software-defined acoustic modems (SDAMs) for underwater communication and networking have been an important research topic due to their flexibility and programmability. In this paper, we propose a reconfigurable platform for SDAMs based on the TI AM5728 processor, which integrates dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPUs and two TI C66x DSP cores. The signal processing and A/D, D/A for physical-layer communication are implemented in the DSP cores. The networking protocols and the application programs are implemented in the ARM cores. The proposed platform has the following characteristics: (1) Due to the high-performance dual-ARM cores, the whole NS3 network simulator can be run in the ARM cores. Network protocols developed in a software simulation platform (e.g., NS3 platform) can be seamlessly migrated to a hardware platform without modification. (2) A new physical-layer module associated with real acoustic channel is developed, such that a data packet generated from the application layer will be transmitted through a real acoustic channel. The results of networking experiments with five nodes are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed platform.
Optical Fiber Sensing Cables for Brillouin-Based Distributed Measurements
Authors: Bastianini Filippo , Di Sante Raffaella , Falcetelli Francesco , Marini Diego , Bolognini Gabriele
Published: November 2019

Brillouin distributed optical fiber sensing (Brillouin D-FOS) is a powerful technology for real-time in situ monitoring of various physical quantities, such as strain, temperature, and pressure. Compared to local or multi-point fiber optic sensing techniques, in Brillouin-based sensing, the optical fiber is interrogated along its complete length with a resolution down to decimeters and with a frequency encoding of the measure information that is not affected by changes in the optical attenuation. The fiber sensing cable plays a significant role since it must ensure a low optical loss and optimal transfer of the measured parameters for a long time and in harsh conditions, e.g., the presence of moisture, corrosion, and relevant mechanical or thermal stresses. In this paper, research and application regarding optical fiber cables for Brillouin distributed sensing are reviewed, connected, and extended. It is shown how appropriate cable design can give a significant contribution toward the successful exploitation of the Brillouin D-FOS technique.
Pixelated Carrier Phase-Shifting Shearography Using Spatiotemporal Low-Pass Filtering Algorithm
Authors: Yan Peizheng , Liu Xiangwei , Wu Shuangle , Sun Fangyuan , Zhao Qihan , Wang Yonghong
Published: November 2019

Shearography has been widely used in non-destructive testing due to its advantages in providing full-field, high precision, real-time measurement. The study presents a pixelated carrier phase-shifting shearography using a pixelated micropolarizer array. Based on the shearography, a series of shearograms are captured and phase maps corresponding to deformation are measured dynamically and continuously. Using the proposed spatiotemporal filtering algorithm in the complex domain, the set of phase maps are simultaneously low-pass filtered in the spatial and temporal domains, resulting in better phase quality than spatial low-pass filtering. By accumulating the temporally adjacent phase, the phase corresponding to large deformation can be evaluated; thus, large deformations can be accurately measured and protected from speckle noise, allowing internal defects to be easily identified. The capability of the proposed shearography is described by theoretical discussions and experiments.
Nitrogen Dynamics in an Established Alfalfa Field under Low Biochar Application Rates
Authors: Rocci Katherine S. , Fonte Steven J. , von Fischer Joseph C. , Cotrufo M. Francesca
Published: November 2019

Sustainable nitrogen (N) management in agroecosystems is crucial for supporting crop production and reducing deleterious N losses. Biochar application with N-fixing legumes offers promise for increasing soil N retention and input. Strategic, low application rates (112 kg ha−1) of pine and coconut feedstock biochars were tested in an established alfalfa (Medicago sativa) field. Soil inorganic N and plant growth, N concentrations, and δ15N were monitored over a growing season to follow mineral N availability, and plant N uptake and sourcing. Microbial and gene abundance and enzyme activity were measured to assess the potential for N cycling processes to occur. Biochar application had minimal effects on measured parameters. However, significant temporal dynamics in N cycling and correlations between alfalfa δ15N and soil N availability indicate differing plant N sourcing over time. Our findings indicate that low application rates of biochar in established alfalfa fields do not significantly affect N cycling, and that managing alfalfa to maximize N fixation, for example by intercropping, may be a better solution to increase N stocks and retention in this system. To determine when biochar can be beneficial for alfalfa N cycling, we need additional research to assess various economically-feasible biochar application rates at different alfalfa growth stages.
The Prevalence of Legal Performance-Enhancing Substance Use and Potential Cognitive and or Physical Doping in German Recreational Triathletes, Assessed via the Randomised Response Technique
Authors: Seifarth Sebastian , Dietz Pavel , Disch Alexander C. , Engelhardt Martin , Zwingenberger Stefan
Published: November 2019

This study investigated the use of performance-enhancing substances in recreational triathletes who were competing in German races at distances ranging from super-sprint to long-distance, as per the International Triathlon Union. The use of legal drugs and over-the-counter supplements over the previous year, painkillers over the previous 3 months, and the potential three-month prevalence of physical doping and or cognitive doping in this group were assessed via an anonymous questionnaire. The Randomised Response Technique (RRT) was implemented for sensitive questions regarding “prescription drugs […] for the purpose of performance enhancement […] only available at a pharmacy or on the black market”. The survey did not directly state the word “doping,” but included examples of substances that could later be classed as physical and or cognitive doping. The subjects were not required to detail what they were taking. Overall, 1953 completed questionnaires were received from 3134 registered starters at six regional events—themselves involving 17 separate races—in 2017. Of the respondents, 31.8% and 11.3% admitted to the use of dietary supplements, and of painkillers during the previous three months, respectively. Potential physical doping and cognitive doping over the preceding year were reported by 7.0% (Confidence Interval CI: 4.2–9.8) and 9.4% (CI: 6.6–12.3) of triathletes. Gender, age, experience in endurance sports, and number of weekly triathlon training hours were linked to potential physical or cognitive doping. Given the potentially relevant side effects of painkiller use and physical and or cognitive doping, we recommend that educational and preventative measures for them be implemented within amateur triathlons.
Pitch Angle Optimization by Intelligent Adjusting the Gains of a PI Controller for Small Wind Turbines in Areas with Drastic Wind Speed Changes
Authors: Chavero-Navarrete Ernesto , Trejo-Perea Mario , Jáuregui-Correa Juan-Carlos , Carrillo-Serrano Roberto-Valentín , Rios-Moreno José-Gabriel
Published: November 2019

The population growth demands a greater generation of energy, an alternative is the use of small wind turbines, however, obtaining maximum wind power becomes the main challenge when there are drastic changes in wind speed. The angle of the blades rotates around its longitudinal axis to control the effect of the wind on the rotation of the turbine, a proportional-integral controller (PI) for this angle achieves stability and precision in a stable state but is not functional with severe alterations in wind speed, a different response time is necessary in both cases. This article proposes a novel pitch angle controller based on auto-tuning of PI gains, for which it uses a teaching–learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm. The wind speed and the value of the magnitude of the change are used by the algorithm to determine the appropriate PI gains at different wind speeds, so it can adapt to any sudden change in wind speed. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by experimental results for a 14 KW permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind turbine located at the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro (UAQ), Mexico.
Collaborative Governance in Tourism: Empirical Insights into a Community-Oriented Destination
Authors: Bichler Bernhard Fabian , Lösch Magdalena
Published: November 2019

Governance offers valuable guidelines to steer and direct destinations. Recent tourism governance research has explored the role of multiple actors in governing destinations but has not comprehensively investigated the underlying collaborative governance (CG) processes such as face-to-face dialogue, trust-building, shared understanding, or supporting factors such as institutional setting or leadership. The objectives of this paper are to determine the drivers and barriers of CG in a community-oriented destination in South Tyrol (Italy). This aims to reveal the processes that drive collaboration between stakeholders. For this reason, the paper builds on a qualitative case study with 20 semi-structured interviews with key informants. The results highlight that destination leadership is an essential driver of CG. However, several barriers to CG emerged. First, the findings show that institutional transformation led to a lack of trust and increased insecurity. Second, the inclusion of salient actors such as residents in the decision-making and implementation phase is scarce. Third, our findings highlight that a shared understanding of future development directions is missing between stakeholders. The contribution of this paper is a refined assessment of CG in tourism with special attention to the role of leadership and institutional settings. The derived implications target the role of leadership to foster the development of a shared understanding and to embark on a collaborative learning process that provides visible and tangible outcomes in turbulent times.
Green Innovation Areas—En Route to Sustainability for Shrinking Cities?
Authors: Pallagst Karina , Vargas-Hernández José , Hammer Patricia
Published: November 2019

Green Innovation Areas have been developed in the US context of urban development in order to jump-start innovative solutions in abandoned areas. Prospective types of uses in these areas are not predetermined, but should be experimental and innovative. So far they can comprise vast greenhouse uses to less extensive clover fields, but their potential is not yet fully discovered. Implementing new and innovative economic uses in urban areas is relatively new in research for urban areas, in particular, when development types like bioeconomy are implemented. The joint German–Mexican research presented in this article aims at exploring the use of vacant inner urban spaces as Green Innovation Areas—discussing their potentials for sustainable development of shrinking cities.
Human Factor Preparedness for Decentralized Crisis Management and Communication in Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Bakos Levente , Dumitrașcu Dănuț Dumitru , Harangus Katalin
Published: November 2019

Crises are influencing the corporate sustainability. Long-term stakeholder value built in decades can be ruined by a middle scale crisis. In the new world of cyber-physical systems, scholars emphasize the decentralized, human–machine cooperation based disturbance handling. From information technology and communication (ICT) point of view the cyber-physical systems are ready for a sustainable, decentralized crisis management. The aim of the article is to present results of a research that has as objective to study the readiness of the human component of cyber-physical systems for a decentralized crisis management approach in industrial organizations. Two highly regulated industries—automotive and pharmaceutical industry- was selected; in all the studied organizations the continuous human-machine cooperation is a reality. The sample consisted of 151 respondents and a questionnaire-based survey was used. The study revealed the need for guidance and education for the personnel regarding the roles and competences of the different departments regarding the relationship with certain stakeholders. The study also reveals that apart from some explicitly regulated by law areas—fire safety, occupational health and safety, and some issues related to technological failures—the studied organizations are not prepared for unexpected situations. Also, our survey revealed that the members of the organization, others than top managers, are not prepared to handle ‘off the job-description’ situations.
Advancing Sustainable Consumption in Korea and Japan—From Re-Orientation of Consumer Behavior to Civic Actions
Authors: Lim Eunjung , Arita Shin , Joung Soonhee
Published: November 2019

With sustainability being one of the most common issues facing consumers and society today, this paper explores the status of sustainable consumption in Korea and Japan—societies expected to drive the changes pertaining to sustainable consumption in Asia. Although Korea and Japan have been implementing sustainability-related policies, there is still room for development of sustainability in terms of consumers’ participation. As sustainable consumption is defined as consumers’ environmental decision-making process, which requires cognitive efforts, it is necessary to understand individual’s sustainable consumption based on the conceptual model of behavior, in order to encourage the adoption of more sustainable consumer practices. Being grounded in the revised Theory of Reasoned Action, which adds consumers’ awareness, pro-environmental self-identity, and descriptive norm, this study contributes to a better empirical understanding of the factors that underlie sustainable consumption behaviors with respect to social-cognitive viewpoint. By involving a survey of Korean and Japanese respondents’ awareness, descriptive norm, practical behavior to 47 specific activities, as well as attitude and pro-environmental self-identity, the study works on two levels: on one level, it is a study of sustainability-related consumer activities and behaviors in Korea and Japan; on another level, it identifies key variables to explain sustainable consumption behavior through hierarchical regression analysis. The results show that among the numerous sectors requiring prioritized expansion of sustainable consumption, the area of consumer citizenship has received relatively little publicity. Another important finding is that the failure to practically engage in sustainability-related activities by consumers cannot simply be attributed to knowledge deficit, as consumers in both countries appropriately recognize sustainable consumption. Our results clearly illustrate that consumers perform sustainable consumption behavior based mostly on socially shared connotations—the descriptive norm—while the other key variables affecting sustainable consumption are awareness, and pro-environmental self-identity. However, we also observed that there is no significant effect on attitude, indicating that even a favorable attitude toward performing sustainability-related activities does not directly translate into actual behavior. This paper shows how consumer perceptions of the normality of environmentally friendly behaviors can be used for the design of strategies to promote sustainable consumption in Korean and Japanese societies. In addition, we provide practical guidelines for the expansion of sustainable consumption tailored for the characteristics of each society.
Social-Psychological Determinants of Serbian Tourists’ Choice of Green Rural Hotels
Authors: Grubor Aleksandar , Milicevic Nikola , Djokic Nenad
Published: November 2019

The significance of green rural tourism for sustainable development is widely recognized. In addition, a number of researches attempt to explain the green choice among tourists. Hereby, different theoretical approaches are used. The dynamic approach to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is implemented in this study. The approach considers that the influence of different elements of TPB (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control) on intention to visit green rural hotels is tested in the context of different phases in behavior change of the respondents (pre-decision, pre-action, action). According to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first implementation of the dynamic approach to the TPB in understanding green rural choice. During data analysis, multigroup structural equation modelling (SEM) was used. The results indicate that the existence and the strength of the influences of the elements of TPB are different in different phases of behavior change. Managerial implications for the studied market (Serbia) are also provided within the paper.
An Empirical Study on the Efficiency and Influencing Factors of the Photovoltaic Industry in China and an Analysis of Its Influencing Factors
Authors: Cai Hao , Liang Ling , Tang Jing , Wang Qianxian , Wei Lihong , Xie Jiaping
Published: November 2019

The photovoltaic (PV) industry in China is still in the early stage of development and is extremely unbalanced; breakthroughs in key technologies are necessary. To achieve high efficiency and sustainable development, it is important to identify the bottleneck of the whole industry chain through the analysis of overall industrial technical efficiency. Based on the current situation of the PV industry, this study builds the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to respectively evaluate the efficiency of PV devices and power generation in the PV industrial chain. The Tobit model is used to conduct an empirical analysis of the factors affecting the efficiency of the PV industry. The results show that the industrial efficiency of PV devices is at a medium level and that it is necessary to strengthen regulation and awareness at the industrial scale. However, the PV power generation industry as a whole is at a low efficiency level, especially the inadequate technical level, which has a negative impact on the improvement of industrial efficiency. Finally, countermeasures and suggestions at the enterprise and government level are put forward to improve the efficiency of the PV industry in China.
Flood Vulnerability Assessment through Different Methodological Approaches in the Context of North-West Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Authors: Nazeer Muhammad , Bork Hans-Rudolf
Published: November 2019

There are several approaches to assess flood vulnerability as a proactive measure to reduce the risk of flooding. The indicator-based approach is primarily practiced from a policy point of view through the use of composite indicators. Composite indicators can be built from very easy to very complex and sophisticated methods. However, there are two complications that arise with this issue. On the one hand, the flood vulnerability index should be fairly simple, taking into account the interdisciplinary nature of various stakeholders involved in flood risk management. While on the other hand, addressing the issue of subjectivity or prejudice should be scientifically defensible. As there is no a single universally “best” methodological approach for the construction of composite indicator due to its data-specific nature for each individual study. The aim of this study is therefore to construct such an index of flood vulnerability that is not only intuitive to a variety of stakeholders, but also scientifically justified in the context of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Therefore, the current study demonstrated a detailed procedure to construct the flood vulnerability indices through different methodological approaches of data rescaling, weighting, and aggregation schemes, along with a fairly simple approach for robustness. For this purpose, data was collected through different (official) portals for the nine highly flood-prone districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was found that the weighting schemes had a greater influence on the flood vulnerability ranking of the selected districts compared to data rescaling and aggregation schemes. The simple model, which is the frequently using approach of building composite indicators in scientific community, was found to be appropriate for the selected data. The methodology adopted in the study can provide decision-makers and relevant authorities with a practical tool to identify and prioritize certain vulnerable areas and measures to mitigate current flood vulnerabilities while preparing for future flood risk mitigation in the province through a fairly simple and methodologically defensible approach.
On a Class of Optimal Fourth Order Multiple Root Solvers without Using Derivatives
Authors: Sharma Janak Raj , Kumar Sunil , Jäntschi Lorentz
Published: November 2019

Many optimal order multiple root techniques involving derivatives have been proposed in literature. On the contrary, optimal order multiple root techniques without derivatives are almost nonexistent. With this as a motivational factor, here we develop a family of optimal fourth-order derivative-free iterative schemes for computing multiple roots. The procedure is based on two steps of which the first is Traub–Steffensen iteration and second is Traub–Steffensen-like iteration. Theoretical results proved for particular cases of the family are symmetric to each other. This feature leads us to prove the general result that shows the fourth-order convergence. Efficacy is demonstrated on different test problems that verifies the efficient convergent nature of the new methods. Moreover, the comparison of performance has proven the presented derivative-free techniques as good competitors to the existing optimal fourth-order methods that use derivatives.
Path Renewal or Path Dependence? The Role of Industrial Culture in Regional Restructuring
Authors: Görmar Franziska , Harfst Jörn
Published: November 2019

In recent decades, manufacturing industries in Europe have undergone a deep transformation due to global market competition, automation, and adaptation to globalized production patterns. The impact of deindustrialization and regional restructuring has been particularly strong on regions outside of metropolitan areas, which may be locked in their specific development path and cannot benefit from agglomeration effects. However, scholars are increasingly shifting their attention to processes of regional renewal, emphasizing the strengths and potentials of such regions. Such potentials holds the concept of Industrial Culture which is defined as a particular cultural setting made up of certain intangible assets, such as skills, attitudes, traditions, tangible monuments, and artefacts. Based on the case study of the district of Zwickau, the authors identify three dimensions of Industrial Culture. These cultural, social, and economic aspects can be underscored by different—albeit often overlapping—actions, opening up new development options for the region if embedded in a broad network of regional actors. Industrial Culture can thus be perceived as a strategic concept to form a coherent approach of regional development by integrating various existing activities in a region.
The Effect of Knowledge Identification and Knowledge use on Performance of Small and Medium-Scaled Enterprises (SMEs): A Study of Apparel SMEs in Sri Lanka
Authors: Sirinaga I. P. W. , Khatibi Prof. (Dr.) Ali , Azam Dr. Ferdous
Published: November 2019

The previous empirical findings identified knowledge identification and knowledge use as two dimensions of knowledge management; however, both areas were not extensively studied in the literature. Therefore, the paper attempted to determine the nature of knowledge identification and knowledge use on the performance of apparel sector Small and Medium-scaled Enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka and also to analyze the effect of the performance of apparel SMEs. The population was determined from export performance indicators of the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka (EDB) as of 2017, and National Frame Work for SMEs in Sri Lanka was taken as the parameter to classify SMEs, which record annual turnover less than LKR 750 million. A simple random sampling technique was used as the sampling technique to ensure appropriate representation of the sample population. The owners of export-oriented apparel SMEs in Sri Lanka have been considered as respondents. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to gather primary data and SPSS 21 version was used to generate results.
PERKEMBANGAN KEBIJAKAN NILAI TUKAR RUPIAH DAN PERTUMBUHAN EKONOMI INDONESIA
Authors: Fitriyani Fitriyani , Sapha Diana , Rizki Cut Zakia , Aidar Nur , Ferayanti Ferayanti , Siregar Muhammad Ilhamsyah , Irmalis Amsal
Published: November 2019

This study aims to analyze the development of exchange rate system, inflation and economic growth policies in Indonesia. The model used is a descriptive analysis model by dividing 3 exchange rate regimes from 1978 to 2018. The data used is annual data sourced from the world bank, the federal reserve economic data, and Bank Indonesia. The results showed that the exchange rate system in Indonesia is fluctuated throughout the year. This has an impact on economic growth rate and inflation which is also unstable. Therefore, Bank Indonesia must stabilize the rupiah exchange rate. For further research, it is also advisable to further analyze how the 3 periods of the exchange rate regimes work effectively in transmitting monetary policy through the exchange rate channel to macro variables.Key Words: Exchange rate, growth rate, inflation