bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Update on the Effects of Glyceollins on Human Health: Possible Anticancer Effects and Underlying Mechanisms
Authors: Pham Thu Ha , Lecomte Sylvain , Efstathiou Theo , Ferriere Francois , Pakdel Farzad
Published: January 2019

Biologically active plant-based compounds, commonly referred to as phytochemicals, can influence the expression and function of various receptors and transcription factors or signaling pathways that play vital roles in cellular functions and are then involved in human health and diseases. Thus, phytochemicals may have a great potential to prevent and treat chronic diseases. Glyceollins, a group of phytoalexins that are isolated from soybeans, have attracted attention because they exert numerous effects on human functions and diseases, notably anticancer effects. In this review, we have presented an update on the effects of glyceollins in relation to their potential beneficial roles in human health. Despite a growing number of studies suggesting that this new family of phytochemicals can be involved in critical cellular pathways, such as estrogen receptor, protein kinase, and lipid kinase signaling pathways, future investigations will be needed to better understand their molecular mechanisms and their specific significance in biomedical applications.
A Narrative Review of The Role of Foods as Dietary Sources of Vitamin D of Ethnic Minority Populations with Darker Skin: The Underestimated Challenge
Authors: Guo Jing , Lovegrove Julie A. , Givens David I.
Published: January 2019

In recent years, vitamin D deficiency has attracted attention worldwide. Especially many ethnic minority populations are considered at high-risk of vitamin D deficiency, owing to a lesser ability to synthesis vitamin D from sunlight (ultraviolet B), due to the skin pigment melanin and/or reduced skin exposure due to coverage required by religious and cultural restrictions. Therefore, vitamin D intake from dietary sources has become increasingly important for many ethnic minority populations to achieve adequate vitamin D status compared with the majority of the population. The aim of the study was critically evaluate the vitamin D intake and vitamin D status of the ethnic minority populations with darker skin, and also vitamin D absorption from supplements and ultraviolet B. Pubmed, Embaase and Scopus were searched for articles published up to October 2018. The available evidence showed ethnic minority populations generally have a lower vitamin D status than the majority populations. The main contributory food sources for dietary vitamin D intake were different for ethnic minority populations and majority populations, due to vary dietary patterns. Future strategies to increase dietary vitamin D intake by food fortification or biofortification needs to be explored, not only for the majority population but more specifically for ethnic minority populations who are generally of lower vitamin D status.
Some Recent Results on High-Energy Proton Interactions
Authors: Dremin I. M.
Published: January 2019

Recent experimental results about the energy behavior of the total cross sections, the share of elastic and inelastic contributions to them, the peculiar shape of the differential cross section and our guesses about the behavior of real and imaginary parts of the elastic scattering amplitude are discussed. The unitarity condition relates elastic and inelastic processes. Therefore it is used in the impact-parameter space to get some information about the shape of the interaction region of colliding protons by exploiting new experimental data. The obtained results are described.
Natural Compounds and Derivatives as Ser/Thr Protein Kinase Modulators and Inhibitors
Authors: Guerra Barbara , Issinger Olaf-Georg
Published: January 2019

The need for new drugs is compelling, irrespective of the disease. Focusing on medical problems in the Western countries, heart disease and cancer are at the moment predominant illnesses. Owing to the fact that ~90% of all 21,000 cellular proteins in humans are regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation it is not surprising that the enzymes catalysing these reactions (i.e., protein kinases and phosphatases, respectively) have attracted considerable attention in the recent past. Protein kinases are major team players in cell signalling. In tumours, these enzymes are found to be mutated disturbing the proper function of signalling pathways and leading to uncontrolled cellular growth and sustained malignant behaviour. Hence, the search for small-molecule inhibitors targeting the altered protein kinase molecules in tumour cells has become a major research focus in the academia and pharmaceutical companies.
The Digital and the Real Universe. Foundations of Natural Philosophy and Computational Physics
Authors: Mainzer Klaus
Published: January 2019

In the age of digitization, the world seems to be reducible to a digital computer. However, mathematically, modern quantum field theories do not only depend on discrete, but also continuous concepts. Ancient debates in natural philosophy on atomism versus the continuum are deeply involved in modern research on digital and computational physics. This example underlines that modern physics, in the tradition of Newton’s Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis, is a further development of natural philosophy with the rigorous methods of mathematics, measuring, and computing. We consider fundamental concepts of natural philosophy with mathematical and computational methods and ask for their ontological and epistemic status. The following article refers to the author’s book, “The Digital and the Real World. Computational Foundations of Mathematics, Science, Technology, and Philosophy.”
Blends of Cyanate Ester and Phthalonitrile–Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Copolymers: Cure Behavior and Properties
Authors: Li Xiaodan , Zhou Fei , Zheng Ting , Wang Ziqiao , Zhou Heng , Chen Haoran , Xiao Lin , Zhang Dongxing , Wang Guanhui
Published: January 2019

Blends of cyanate ester and phthalonitrile–polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane copolymers were prepared, and their cure behavior and properties were compared via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, Fourier-transform far-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and rheometric studies. The copolymer blends showed high chemical reactivity, low viscosity, and good thermal stability (TG temperatures were above 400 °C). The glass-transition temperature of the blends increased by at least 140 °C compared to cyanate ester resin. The blends are suitable for preparing carbon-fiber-reinforced composite materials via a winding process and a prepreg lay-up process with a molding technique. The FTIR data showed that the polymerization products contained triazine-ring structures that were responsible for the superior thermal properties.
Facile and Green Preparation of Pectin/Cellulose Composite Films with Enhanced Antibacterial and Antioxidant Behaviors
Authors: Ye Shan , Zhu Zhongjie , Wen Yanyi , Su Chen , Jiang Lei , He Shu , Shao Wei
Published: January 2019

Novel bioactive films based on pectin and cellulose (PC) with different loadings of tea polyphenols and cinnamaldehyde were successfully prepared. A thermal stability was tested, and the results showed that the thermal stability decreased slightly after loading with cinnamaldehyde and tea polyphenols, compared to PC films. The antimicrobial and antioxidant capacities were also investigated. Results showed that PC composite films had good DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities and excellent antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus. Based on the results, the great antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the tea polyphenol and cinnamaldehyde loaded PC films make them suitable for food packaging and preservation.
Preparation of Porous Polymeric Membranes Based on a Pyridine Containing Aromatic Polyether Sulfone
Authors: Koromilas Nikos D. , Anastasopoulos Charalampos , Oikonomou Evdokia K. , Kallitsis Joannis K.
Published: January 2019

Polymeric membranes, based on a polysulfone-type aromatic polyether matrix, were successfully developed via the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. The polyethersulfone type polymer poly[2-(4-(diphenylsulfonyl)-phenoxy)-6-(4-phenoxy) pyridine] (PDSPP) was used as the membrane matrix, and mixed with its sulfonated derivative (SPDSPP) and a polymeric porogen. The SPDPPP was added to impart hydrophilicity, while at the same time maintaining the interactions with the non-sulfonated aromatic polyether forming the membrane matrix. Different techniques were used for the membranes’ properties characterization. The results revealed that the use of the non-sulfonated and sulfonated polymers of the same polymeric backbone, at certain compositions, can lead to membranes with controllable porosity and hydrophilicity.
Special Issue on “Transport of Fluids in Nanoporous Materials”
Authors: Gao Xuechao , Ji Guozhao , Bhatia Suresh K. , Nicholson David
Published: January 2019

Understanding the transport behavior of fluid molecules in confined spaces is central to the design of innovative processes involving porous materials and is indispensable to the correlation of process behavior with the material structure and properties typically used for structural characterizations such as pore dimension, surface texture, and tortuosity. [...]
Special Issue on Feature Papers for Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of the Founding of Processes
Authors: Henson Michael A.
Published: January 2019

The Special Issue “Feature Papers for Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of the Founding of Processes” represents a landmark for this open access journal covering chemical, biological, materials, pharmaceutical, and environmental systems as well as general computational methods for process and systems engineering. [...]
Supercritical CO2 Transesterification of Triolein to Methyl-Oleate in a Batch Reactor: Experimental and Simulation Results
Authors: Yadav Geetanjali , Fabiano Leonard A. , Soh Lindsay , Zimmerman Julie , Sen Ramkrishna , Seider Warren D.
Published: January 2019

In earlier work (Silva et al., 2016; Soh et al., 2014a; Soh et al., 2015), the supercritical CO2 transesterification of triolein to methyl-oleate using Nafion solid-acid catalyst and large methanol/triolein molar feed ratios was carried out. Herein, these ratios are adjusted (from 50–550) to evaluate the yield of fatty acid methyl esters in batch laboratory reactors as temperature is varied from 80–95 °C and pressure is varied from 8.0–9.65 MPa. Also, to better understand the effect of varying these operating parameters, batch reactor simulations using the Soave-Redlich-Kwong Equation of State (RK-ASPEN EOS) in ASPEN PLUS are carried-out. A single-reaction kinetic model is used and phase equilibrium is computed as the reactions proceed. Experimental data are compared with these results.
Assessing Aspects of Acculturation in a Muslim American Sample: Development and Testing of the Acculturation Scale for Muslim Americans
Authors: Bagasra Anisah , Mackinem Mitchell
Published: January 2019

Acculturation of Muslims into the American culture continues to be a topic of deep interest. The purpose of this study was to examine acculturation in a sample of both American-born and Immigrant Muslim Americans. Two hundred and fifty five Muslim Americans completed a scale designed to assess two aspects of acculturation within the population: adherence to Islamic identity and conformity to American social norms. The survey was distributed in both a paper-based and online anonymous format consisting of demographic questions and the acculturation scale designed for this study. Results revealed that both immigrants and U.S. born Muslim Americans demonstrate a strong adherence to their Islamic identity and low levels of conformity to American social norms. American-born Muslims scored significantly lower on conformity to American social norms than immigrant Muslims. Study findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that Muslim Americans are less likely to sacrifice religious values to assimilate. Specific item results provide insight into what aspects of American culture Muslims are more willing to adopt, and which they are likely to shun. These findings demonstrate the challenges Muslim Americans face integrating in an increasingly hostile host culture.
Bondage of the Will: The Limitations of Political Theology in Measure for Measure
Authors: Besteman Bethany C.
Published: January 2019

Although Peter Lake and Debora Shuger have argued that Measure for Measure is hostile to Calvinist theology, I argue that the play’s world presents a Reformed theo-political sensibility, not in order to criticize Calvinism, but to reveal limitations in dominant political theories. Reformed theology informs the world of the play, especially with regards to the corruption of the human will through original sin. Politically, the sinfulness of the human will raises concerns about governments—despite Biblical commands to obey leaders, how can they be trusted if subject to the same corruption of will as citizens? Close analysis of key passages reveals that while individual characters in Measure suggest solutions that account in part for the corruption of the will, none of their political theories manage to contain the radical effects of sin in Angelo’s will. Despite this failure, restorative justice occurs in Act 5, indicating forces outside of human authority and will account for the comedic ending. This gestures towards the dependence of governments in a post-Reformation world on providential protection and reveals why the Reformed belief in the limitations of the human will point towards the collapse of the theory of the King’s two bodies.
Automatic Shadow Detection in Urban Very-High-Resolution Images Using Existing 3D Models for Free Training
Authors: Zhou Kaixuan , Lindenbergh Roderik , Gorte Ben
Published: January 2019

Up-to-date 3D city models are needed for many applications. Very-high-resolution (VHR) images with rich geometric and spectral information and a high update rate are increasingly applied for the purpose of updating 3D models. Shadow detection is the primary step for image interpretation, as shadow causes radiometric distortions. In addition, shadow itself is valuable geometric information. However, shadows are often complicated and environment-dependent. Supervised learning is considered to perform well in detecting shadows when training samples selected from these images are available. Unfortunately, manual labeling of images is expensive. Existing 3D models have been used to reconstruct shadows to provide free, computer-generated training samples, i.e., samples free from intensive manual labeling. However, accurate shadow reconstruction for large 3D models consisting of millions of triangles is either difficult or time-consuming. In addition, due to inaccuracy and incompleteness of the model, and different acquisition time between 3D models and images, mislabeling refers to training samples that are shadows but labeled as non-shadows and vice versa. We propose a ray-tracing approach with an effective KD tree construction to feasibly reconstruct accurate shadows for a large 3D model. An adaptive erosion approach is first provided to remove mislabeling effects near shadow boundaries. Next, a comparative study considering four classification methods, quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) fusion, support vector machine (SVM), K nearest neighbors (KNN) and Random forest (RF), is performed to select the best classification method with respect to capturing the complicated properties of shadows and robustness to mislabeling. The experiments are performed on Dutch Amersfoort data with around 20% mislabels and the Toronto benchmark by simulating mislabels from inverting shadows to non-shadows. RF is tested to give robust and best results with 95.38% overall accuracy (OA) and a value of 0.9 for kappa coefficient (KC) for Amersfoort and around 96% OA and 0.92 KC for Toronto benchmarks when no more than 50% of shadows are inverted. QDA fusion and KNN are tested to be robust to mislabels but their capability to capture complicated properties of shadows is worse than RF. SVM is tested to have a good capability to separate shadow and non-shadows but is largely affected by mislabeled samples. It is shown that RF with free-training samples from existing 3D models is an automatic, effective, and robust approach for shadow detection from VHR images.
Integration of UAV, Sentinel-1, and Sentinel-2 Data for Mangrove Plantation Aboveground Biomass Monitoring in Senegal
Authors: Navarro José Antonio , Algeet Nur , Fernández-Landa Alfredo , Esteban Jessica , Rodríguez-Noriega Pablo , Guillén-Climent María Luz
Published: January 2019

Due to the increasing importance of mangroves in climate change mitigation projects, more accurate and cost-effective aboveground biomass (AGB) monitoring methods are required. However, field measurements of AGB may be a challenge because of their remote location and the difficulty to walk in these areas. This study is based on the Livelihoods Fund Oceanium project that monitors 10,000 ha of mangrove plantations. In a first step, the possibility of replacing traditional field measurements of sample plots in a young mangrove plantation by a semiautomatic processing of UAV-based photogrammetric point clouds was assessed. In a second step, Sentinel-1 radar and Sentinel-2 optical imagery were used as auxiliary information to estimate AGB and its variance for the entire study area under a model-assisted framework. AGB was measured using UAV imagery in a total of 95 sample plots. UAV plot data was used in combination with non-parametric support vector regression (SVR) models for the estimation of the study area AGB using model-assisted estimators. Purely UAV-based AGB estimates and their associated standard error (SE) were compared with model-assisted estimates using (1) Sentinel-1, (2) Sentinel-2, and (3) a combination of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data as auxiliary information. The validation of the UAV-based individual tree height and crown diameter measurements showed a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.21 m and 0.32 m, respectively. Relative efficiency of the three model-assisted scenarios ranged between 1.61 and 2.15. Although all SVR models improved the efficiency of the monitoring over UAV-based estimates, the best results were achieved when a combination of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data was used. Results indicated that the methodology used in this research can provide accurate and cost-effective estimates of AGB in young mangrove plantations.
Battery Charger Prototype Design for Tire Pressure Sensor Battery Recharging
Authors: Kuncoro C. Bambang Dwi , Sung Min-Feng , Kuan Yean-Der
Published: January 2019

One of the important devices in a vehicle is the tire pressure sensor. This device couples with other instruments inside the vehicle assisting the drivers in knowing the correct information about their vehicle’s tire pressure. This information helps improve vehicle handling, increases gas mileage, and extends tire lifespan. Once mounted inside the tire, the tire pressure sensor is a stand-alone device. It is powered by a battery that has a limited operating life. Due to it being mounted inside the tire, the driver does not frequently check tire pressure sensor battery. If the battery runs out, battery replacement is not an effective option. This work presents a battery charging prototype that recharges the tire pressure sensor battery. The developed device uses electromagnetic principles to wirelessly transmit power to a device that needs power. We designed a prototype and conducted some laboratory scale experiments. Experimental and validation were based on a tire pressure sensor developed by Kenda Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd, Taiwan (R.O.C). This tire pressure sensor consumes power from a 4.8 V 700 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery. The experimental results show that the prototype can transmit 4.9 V induction voltage. The maximum current is up to 850 mA with the optimum transmission distance at around of 1.5 cm. This prototype recharges the tire pressure sensor battery wirelessly to extend its battery-power life.
Optimal Design Based on Closed-Loop Fusion for Velocity Bandwidth Expansion of Optical Target Tracking System
Authors: Mao Yao , Ren Wei , Luo Yong , Li Zhijun
Published: January 2019

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyro is one of the extensively used inertia sensors in the field of optical target tracking (OTT). However, velocity closed-loop bandwidth of the OTT system is limited due to the resonance and measurement range issues of MEMS gyro. In this paper, the generalized sensor fusion framework, named the closed-loop fusion (CLF), is analyzed, and the optimal design principle of filter is proposed in detail in order to improve measurement of the bandwidth of MEMS gyro by integrating information of MEMS accelerometers. The fusion error optimization problem, which is the core issue of fusion design, can be solved better through the feedback compensation law of CLF framework and fusion filter optimal design. Differently from conventional methods, the fusion filter of CLF can be simply and accurately designed, and the determination of superposition of fusion information can also be effectively avoided. To show the validity of the proposed method, both sensor fusion simulations and closed-loop experiments of optical target tracking system have yielded excellent results.
Extracellular Electrophysiology in the Prostate Cancer Cell Model PC-3
Authors: Cabello Miguel , Ge Haobo , Aracil Carmen , Moschou Despina , Estrela Pedro , Manuel Quero Jose , I. Pascu Sofia , R. F. Rocha Paulo
Published: January 2019

Although prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the male population, its basic biological function at a cellular level remains to be fully understood. This lack of in depth understanding of its physiology significantly hinders the development of new, targeted and more effective treatment strategies. Whilst electrophysiological studies can provide in depth analysis, the possibility of recording electrical activity in large populations of non-neuronal cells remains a significant challenge, even harder to address in the picoAmpere-range, which is typical of cellular level electrical activities. In this paper, we present the measurement and characterization of electrical activity of populations of prostate cancer cells PC-3, demonstrating for the first time a meaningful electrical pattern. The low noise system used comprises a multi-electrode array (MEA) with circular gold electrodes on silicon oxide substrates. The extracellular capacitive currents present two standard patterns: an asynchronous sporadic pattern and a synchronous quasi-periodic biphasic spike pattern. An amplitude of ±150 pA, a width between 50–300 ms and an inter-spike interval around 0.5 Hz characterize the quasi-periodic spikes. Our experiments using treatment of cells with Gd3⁺, known as an inhibitor for the Ca2⁺ exchanges, suggest that the quasi-periodic signals originate from Ca2⁺ channels. After adding the Gd3⁺ to a population of living PC-3 cells, their electrical activity considerably decreased; once the culture was washed, thus eliminating the Gd3⁺ containing medium and addition of fresh cellular growth medium, the PC-3 cells recovered their normal electrical activity. Cellular viability plots have been carried out, demonstrating that the PC-3 cells remain viable after the use of Gd3⁺, on the timescale of this experiment. Hence, this experimental work suggests that Ca2⁺ is significantly affecting the electrophysiological communication pattern among PC-3 cell populations. Our measuring platform opens up new avenues for real time and highly sensitive investigations of prostate cancer signalling pathways.
Reliability and Agreement of 3D Trunk and Lower Extremity Movement Analysis by Means of Inertial Sensor Technology for Unipodal and Bipodal Tasks
Authors: Van der Straaten Rob , Bruijnes Amber K. B. D. , Vanwanseele Benedicte , Jonkers Ilse , De Baets Liesbet , Timmermans Annick
Published: January 2019

This study evaluates the reliability and agreement of the 3D range of motion (ROM) of trunk and lower limb joints, measured by inertial measurement units (MVN BIOMECH Awinda, Xsens Technologies), during a single leg squat (SLS) and sit to stand (STS) task. Furthermore, distinction was made between movement phases, to discuss the reliability and agreement for different phases of both movement tasks. Twenty healthy participants were measured on two testing days. On day one, measurements were conducted by two operators to determine the within-session and between-operator reliability and agreement. On day two, measurements were conducted by the same operator, to determine the between-session reliability and agreement. The SLS task had lower within-session reliability and agreement compared with between-session and between-operator reliability and agreement. The reliability and agreement of the hip, knee, and ankle ROM in the sagittal plane were good for both phases of the SLS task. For both phases of STS task, within-session reliability and agreement were good, and between-session and between-operator reliability and agreement were lower in all planes. As both tasks are physically demanding, differences may be explained by inconsistent movement strategies. These results show that inertial sensor systems show promise for use in further research to investigate (mal)adaptive movement strategies.
Ambient Vibration Testing of a Pedestrian Bridge Using Low-Cost Accelerometers for SHM Applications
Authors: Ali Azam , Sandhu Talha , Usman Muhammad
Published: January 2019

Damage detection and structural health monitoring have always been of great importance to civil engineers and researchers. Vibration-based damage detection has several advantages compared to traditional methods of non-destructive evaluation, such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) or ultrasonic testing, since they give a global response and are feasible for large structures. Damage detection requires a comparison between two systems states, the baseline or “healthy state”, i.e., the initial modal parameters, and the damaged state. In this study, system identification (SI) was carried out on a pedestrian bridge by measuring the dynamic response using six low-cost triaxial accelerometers. These low-cost accelerometers use a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS), which is cheaper compared to a piezoelectric sensor. The frequency domain decomposition algorithm, which is an output-only method of modal analysis, was used to obtain the modal properties, i.e., natural frequencies and mode shapes. Three mode shapes and frequencies were found out using system identification and were compared with the finite element model (FEM) of the bridge, developed using the commercial finite element software, Abaqus. A good comparison was found between the FEM and SI results. The frequency difference was nearly 10%, and the modal assurance criterion (MAC) of experimental and analytical mode shapes was greater than 0.80, which proved to be a good comparison despite the small number of accelerometers available and the simplifications and idealizations in FEM.
Changes in Quality of Life in Elementary School Children—The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP)
Authors: Fredriksen Per , Olsen Helene , Meza Trine
Published: January 2019

Background: Quality of life (QoL) studies may provide information of change in health status in the population. Few studies have followed up previous cross-sectional studies to investigate any change in the QoL status of healthy children. The aim of the current study is to compare QoL in children 6–12 years old in two large cross-sectional studies of healthy children completed a decade apart. Methods: In the current study children and parents from nine elementary schools (n = 2816) were included in a cross-sectional study investigating children’s QoL. Using the Life Quality in Children and Adolescents (ILC), completed by both children and parents, the global QoL-score was estimated for 2297 children and 1639 parental reports. These results were compared to a similar study performed in 2004. The scores from both studies were divided into categories of below average, average and above average QoL. The percentage change of QoL between the two studies is presented. Results: Our results show that parents report that more children have below and above average QoL in 2015 compared to 2004. In contrast, more children scored in the average and above average QoL category in 2015 than in 2004. Conclusion: Parents reported lower QoL and children higher QoL in 2015 compared to 2004.
An Empirical Study on the Impact of Foreign Strategic Investment on Banking Sustainability in China
Authors: Yang Wanping , Zhao Bingyu , Zhao Jinkai , Li Zhengda
Published: January 2019

In order to improve the banking sustainability in China, China’s government has announced that the restrictions on foreign shareholding ratio in domestic banks will be canceled. However, the effectiveness of foreign strategic investment needs checking. In addition, under the new policy, the method by which banks formulate appropriate internal decisions about introducing foreign strategic investment is an important issue for bank managers. Continuous productivity growth will bring sustainable development; therefore, the aims of this paper are: (1) to find the relationship between foreign strategic investment and productivity change of China’s banks, and to verify the effectiveness of introducing foreign strategic investment; (2) to find the optimal foreign shareholding ratio; (3) to show how foreign strategic investment affects the productivity of China’s banks, i.e. the transmission mechanism between them, and to provide bank managers with evidence and support for making decisions on introduction of foreign strategic investment. This paper employs the Malmquist-Luenberger index and combines it with Epsilon-based-measure to derive a new index, i.e. the EBM-Malmquist-Luenberger index, to measure the dynamic productivity change of China’s banks. In addition, the dynamic panel data and system GMM estimator are used to analyze the transmission mechanism as well as the impact of foreign strategic investment on the productivity of China’s banks. The results revealed three facts. First, when the foreign shareholding ratio increases within a given range, foreign strategic investment continuously improves the productivity and sustainability of China’s banks. Second, an inverse N-shaped relation between foreign strategic investment and productivity growth of China’s banks is supported, and the optimal foreign shareholding ratio is 20.16%. Last but not least, foreign strategic investment improves the productivity and sustainability of China’s banks, mainly through changing scale efficiency. The results of this paper may provide support for policy formulation of China’s banks.
Joint Determination of Residential Relocation and Commuting: A Forecasting Experiment for Sustainable Land Use and Transportation Planning
Authors: Lim Jaewon , Kim Jae Hong
Published: January 2019

This article applies matrix forecasting methods to the investigation of residential relocation and commuting patterns that are highly interconnected, but often analyzed separately. More specifically, using recent inter-county migration and commuting pattern data for the three largest metropolitan areas in California, it examines how residential relocation and commuting are associated in the regions and whether a unified framework—in which household relocation and commuting flow matrices are jointly determined—can improve the forecasting performance. The relocation–commuting association is found to differ substantially by region, suggesting the importance of region-specific factors in shaping the interrelationship. Joint forecasting, however, can attain a higher accuracy compared to the two separate projections, although the forecasting performance varies based on the method employed.
Impacts of Strict Cropland Protection on Water Yield: A Case Study of Wuhan, China
Authors: Ke Xinli , Wang Liye , Ma Yanchun , Pu Kunpeng , Zhou Ting , Xiao Bangyong , Wang Jiahe
Published: January 2019

Land use and land cover change is a critical factor of ecosystem services, while water yield plays a vital role in sustainable development. The impact of urban expansion on water yield has long been discussed, but water yield change resulting from cropland protection is seldom concerned. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impacts of cropland protection on water yield by comparing the water yield in two cropland protection scenarios (i.e., Strict Cropland Protection scenario and No Cropland Protection scenario). Specifically, the LAND System Cellular Automata for Potential Effects (LANDSCAPE) model was employed to simulate land use maps in the two scenarios, while Water Yield module in the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model was used to calculate water yield. The results show water yield would increase by 8.7 × 107 m3 in the No Cropland Protection scenario and 9.4 × 107 m3 in the Strict Cropland Protection scenario. We conclude that implementation of strict cropland protection in rapid urbanizing areas may cause more water yield, which is also a prerequisite of potential urban flooding risk. This study throws that it is not wise to implement strict cropland protection policy in an area of rapid urbanization.
Getting Environmental Information from Construction Cost Databases: Applications in Brazilian Courses and Environmental Assessment
Authors: Borja Luis Claudio A. , César Sandro Fábio , Cunha Rita Dione A. , Kiperstok Asher
Published: January 2019

The traditional decision-making process in construction is still driven by factors such as cost and time, not adequately addressing indicators to control their environmental impacts. So, how to improve environmental communication to incorporate sustainable building practices. The incorporation of environmental indicators may enlarge the scope of construction management tools. In the case of cost databases, widely used in the construction sector, this action can contribute to the communication and dissemination of environmental practices. This paper mapped 24 indicators from construction cost databases to assess their ability to communicate and disseminate environmental information. The research comprised: (a) a review of the use of cost bases in the environmental study, (b) identification of the most cited bases in 27 Brazilian civil engineering courses, and (c) analysis of the selected databases through of the assessment matrix, it crosses cost data versus environmental information. CYPE, TCPO, and ORSE presented performance medium, and higher results than SINAPI, BDCCM, and BCCA. The tools presented low control over environmental information, such as water and energy consumption, machine circulation and pollution generation. However, it has been observed that when adding environmental indicators, these tools can contribute significantly to disseminate good practices in its wide user base.
Resignification Practices of Youth in Zona da Mata, Brazil in the Transition Toward Agroecology
Authors: Goris Margriet , Van den Berg Leonardo , Da Silva Lopes Ivonete , Behagel Jelle , Verschoor Gerard , Turnhout Esther
Published: January 2019

Youth play an important role in the transition toward agroecology through practices of resignification. This article discusses how young people resignify agroecology by taking part in education initiatives that originate from social movements, and that aim to strengthen young peoples’ abilities to reflect on their practices and realities. We used action research to create films with young agroecologists in the region of Zona da Mata Mineira, Brazil. Our analysis draws on films, interviews and participatory observations made during thirteen workshops to visualize the agroecological practices and visions of youth. We explore how social frames—e.g., the specific ways in which people understand reality—shape practices and how these frames are actively changed by youth. The findings show how frames are changed during (1) frame amplification by building on existing local values; (2) frame bridging by linking with other social movements; (3) frame extension by inclusion of new frames; and (4) frame transformation by altering the meaning of agroecology. We find that young people who engage with agroecology contribute to processes of repeasantization that rework local culture to be more inclusive of different populations, generations and genders, and that they foster an appreciation of the interconnectedness of humans and nature.
Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis of Prefabricated Public Housing in Beijing
Authors: Shen Kaicheng , Cheng Chen , Li Xiaodong , Zhang Zhihui
Published: January 2019

In recent years, prefabricated housing has become increasingly popular and widely promoted due to its potential to improve the construction environment, quality and productivity. To develop prefabricated housing and address housing challenges, the Chinese government is encouraging prefabricated public housing. Consequently, evaluating the environmental performance of prefabricated public housing to identify whether it is environmentally friendly and worthy of investment is urgently needed. This paper compares the costs and benefits of prefabricated public projects and traditional projects based on a questionnaire and field investigation. The paper introduces information from the collected questionnaires on the respondents and projects in Beijing; this information includes the prefabrication rate, technology application, barriers, and industrial performance. The paper also reports a cost-benefit analysis of the changing rates of construction costs and environmental benefits (energy consumption, water usage, construction waste, steel and concrete usage, dust and noise pollution) by using the ∆B/∆C ratio to show the efficiency of prefabricated housing. The results indicate that the ratio is 1.81, which exceeds 1; therefore, investment in prefabricated public housing is environmentally acceptable and efficient. This paper also discusses the efficiencies in different categories and structures with and without incentives. The results show that the costs are higher and the environmental benefits are efficient but not significant; thus, promoting prefabricated public housing is necessary.
Moving Object Detection Using an Object Motion Reflection Model of Motion Vectors
Authors: Yoo Jisang , Lee Gyu-cheol
Published: January 2019

Moving object detection task can be solved by the background subtraction algorithm if the camera is fixed. However, because the background moves, detecting moving objects in a moving car is a difficult problem. There were attempts to detect moving objects using LiDAR or stereo cameras, but when the car moved, the detection rate decreased. We propose a moving object detection algorithm using an object motion reflection model of motion vectors. The proposed method first obtains the disparity map by searching the corresponding region between stereo images. Then, we estimate road by applying v-disparity method to the disparity map. The optical flow is used to acquire the motion vectors of symmetric pixels between adjacent frames where the road has been removed. We designed a probability model of how much the local motion is reflected in the motion vector to determine if the object is moving. We have experimented with the proposed method on two datasets, and confirmed that the proposed method detects moving objects with higher accuracy than other methods.
Legibility of Light-Emitting Diode Destination Indicators Mounted on the Front of Public Buses
Authors: Wu Chih-Fu , Cho Wei-Jen , Lin Kai-Chieh , Lee Fang-Yi
Published: January 2019

Light-emitting diode (LED) destination indicators mounted on the front of buses enable pedestrians to quickly identify bus numbers. In this study, the factors affecting their legibility were investigated. We aimed to deduce the process of enhancing the legibility of LED destination indicators. Combinations of different text colors, text fonts and information display locations were investigated in this study. Significant differences were observed at the longest visual range when these combinations were used. The optimal information display was obtained using the New Johnston Medium typeface with yellow font color on a black background. For the glare distance, significant differences were observed when different information display locations were used. Superior results were obtained when information was centered. This study is of practical importance to people who depend on public transport, especially those in an emergency. In the future, these results can be used as a guide for designing LED destination indicators that are mounted on the front of public buses.
Towards Analyzing the Complexity Landscape of Solidity Based Ethereum Smart Contracts
Authors: Hegedűs Péter
Published: January 2019

Blockchain-based decentralized cryptocurrency platforms are currently one of the hottest topics in technology. Although most of the interest is generated by cryptocurrency related activities, it is becoming apparent that a much wider spectrum of applications can leverage the blockchain technology. The primary concepts enabling such general use of the blockchain are the so-called smart contracts, which are special programs that run on the blockchain. One of the most popular blockchain platforms that supports smart contracts is Ethereum. As smart contracts typically handle money, ensuring their low number of faults and vulnerabilities are essential. To aid smart contract developers and help to mature the technology, we need analysis tools and studies for smart contracts. As an initiative for this, we propose the adoption of some well-known OO metrics for Solidity smart contracts. Furthermore, we analyze more than 40 thousand Solidity source files with our prototype tool. The results suggest that smart contract programs are short, neither overly complex nor coupled too much, do not rely heavily on inheritance, and either quite well-commented or not commented at all. Moreover, smart contracts could benefit from an external library and dependency management mechanism, as more than 85% of the defined libraries in Solidity files code the same functionalities.
Evolutionary Features in the Structure and Function of Bacterial Toxins
Authors: Kumar Raj , Feltrup Thomas M. , Kukreja Roshan V. , Patel Kruti B. , Cai Shuowei , Singh Bal Ram
Published: January 2019

Toxins can function both as a harmful and therapeutic molecule, depending on their concentrations. The diversity in their function allows us to ask some very pertinent questions related to their origin and roles: (a) What makes them such effective molecules? (b) Are there evolutionary features encoded within the structures of the toxins for their function? (c) Is structural hierarchy in the toxins important for maintaining their structure and function? (d) Do protein dynamics play a role in the function of toxins? and (e) Do the evolutionary connections to these unique features and functions provide the fundamental points in driving evolution? In light of the growing evidence in structural biology, it would be appropriate to suggest that protein dynamics and flexibility play a much bigger role in the function of the toxin than the structure itself. Discovery of IDPs (intrinsically disorder proteins), multifunctionality, and the concept of native aggregation are shaking the paradigm of the requirement of a fixed three-dimensional structure for the protein’s function. Growing evidence supporting the above concepts allow us to redesign the structure-function aspects of the protein molecules. An evolutionary model is necessary and needs to be developed to study these important aspects. The criteria for a well-defined model would be: (a) diversity in structure and function, (b) unique functionality, and (c) must belong to a family to define the evolutionary relationships. All these characteristics are largely fulfilled by bacterial toxins. Bacterial toxins are diverse and widely distributed in all three forms of life (Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryotes). Some of the unique characteristics include structural folding, sequence and functional combination of domains, targeting a cellular process to execute their function, and most importantly their flexibility and dynamics. In this work, we summarize certain unique aspects of bacterial toxins, including role of structure in defining toxin function, uniqueness in their enzymatic function, and interaction with their substrates and other proteins. Finally, we have discussed the evolutionary aspects of toxins in detail, which will help us rethink the current evolutionary theories. A careful study, and appropriate interpretations, will provide answers to several questions related to the structure-function relationship of proteins, in general. Additionally, this will also allow us to refine the current evolution theories.
The Gravothermal Instability at All Scales: From Turnaround Radius to Supernovae
Authors: Roupas Zacharias
Published: January 2019

The gravitational instability, responsible for the formation of the structure of the Universe, occurs below energy thresholds and above spatial scales of a self-gravitating expanding region, when thermal energy can no longer counterbalance self-gravity. I argue that at sufficiently-large scales, dark energy may restore thermal stability. This stability re-entrance of an isothermal sphere defines a turnaround radius, which dictates the maximum allowed size of any structure generated by gravitational instability. On the opposite limit of high energies and small scales, I will show that an ideal, quantum or classical, self-gravitating gas is subject to a high-energy relativistic gravothermal instability. It occurs at sufficiently-high energy and small radii, when thermal energy cannot support its own gravitational attraction. Applications of the phenomenon include neutron stars and core-collapse supernovae. I also extend the original Oppenheimer–Volkov calculation of the maximum mass limit of ideal neutron cores to the non-zero temperature regime, relevant to the whole cooling stage from a hot proto-neutron star down to the final cold state.
Host and Viral Proteins Modulating Ebola and Marburg Virus Egress
Authors: Gordon Tamsin B. , Hayward Joshua A. , Marsh Glenn A. , Baker Michelle L. , Tachedjian Gilda
Published: January 2019

The filoviruses Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus are among the deadliest viral pathogens known to infect humans, causing emerging diseases with fatality rates of up to 90% during some outbreaks. The replication cycles of these viruses are comprised of numerous complex molecular processes and interactions with their human host, with one key feature being the means by which nascent virions exit host cells to spread to new cells and ultimately to a new host. This review focuses on our current knowledge of filovirus egress and the viral and host factors and processes that are involved. Within the virus, these factors consist of the major matrix protein, viral protein 40 (VP40), which is necessary and sufficient for viral particle release, and nucleocapsid and glycoprotein that interact with VP40 to promote egress. In the host cell, some proteins are hijacked by filoviruses in order to enhance virion budding capacity that include members of the family of E3 ubiquitin ligase and the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway, while others such as tetherin inhibit viral egress. An understanding of these molecular interactions that modulate viral particle egress provides an important opportunity to identify new targets for the development of antivirals to prevent and treat filovirus infections.