bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An LED-Driven AuNPs-PDMS Microfluidic Chip and Integrated Device for the Detection of Digital Loop-Mediated Isothermal DNA Amplification
Authors: Zhang Zengming , Zhao Shuhao , Hu Fei , Yang Guangpu , Li Juan , Tian Hui , Peng Niancai
Published: February 2020

The sensitive quantification of low-abundance nucleic acids holds importance for a range of clinical applications and biological studies. In this study, we describe a facile microfluidic chip for absolute DNA quantifications based on the digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (digital LAMP) method. This microfluidic chip integrates a cross-flow channel for droplet generation with a micro-cavity for droplet tiling. DNA templates in the LAMP reagent were divided into ~20,000 water-in-oil droplets at the cross-flow channel. The droplets were then tiled in the micro-cavity for isothermal amplification and fluorescent detection. Different from the existing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chips, this study incorporates gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into PDMS substrate through silica coating and dodecanol modification. The digital LAMP chip prepared by AuNPs-PDMS combines the benefits of the microstructure manufacturing performance of PDMS with the light-to-heat conversion advantages of AuNPs. Upon illumination with a near infrared (NIR) LED, the droplets were stably and efficiently heated by the AuNPs in PDMS. We further introduce an integrated device with a NIR heating unit and a fluorescent detection unit. The system could detect HBV (hepatitis B virus)-DNA at a concentration of 1 × 101 to 1 × 104 copies/μL. The LED-driven digital LAMP chip and the integrated device; therefore, demonstrate high accuracy and excellent performance for the absolute quantification of low-abundance nucleic acids, showing the advantages of integration, miniaturization, cost, and power consumption.
Low-Power, Multimodal Laser Micromachining of Materials for Applications in sub-5 µm Shadow Masks and sub-10 µm Interdigitated Electrodes (IDEs) Fabrication
Authors: Hart Cacie , Rajaraman Swaminathan
Published: February 2020

Laser micromachining is a direct write microfabrication technology that has several advantages over traditional micro/nanofabrication techniques. In this paper, we present a comprehensive characterization of a QuikLaze 50ST2 multimodal laser micromachining tool by determining the ablation characteristics of six (6) different materials and demonstrating two applications. Both the thermodynamic theoretical and experimental ablation characteristics of stainless steel (SS) and aluminum are examined at 1064 nm, silicon and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) at 532 nm, and Kapton® and polyethylene terephthalate at 355 nm. We found that the experimental data aligned well with the theoretical analysis. Additionally, two applications of this multimodal laser micromachining technology are demonstrated: shadow masking down to approximately 1.5 µm feature sizes and interdigitated electrode (IDE) fabrication down to 7 µm electrode gap width.
Health Properties and Composition of Honeysuckle Berry Lonicera caerulea L. An Update on Recent Studies
Authors: Gołba Marta , Sokół-Łętowska Anna , Kucharska Alicja Z.
Published: February 2020

Lonicera caerulea L., also known as haskap or honeysuckle berry, is a fruit commonly planted in eastern Europe, Canada and Asia. The fruit was registered as a traditional food from a third country under European Union regulations only on December 2018. It is resistant to cold, pests, various soil acidities and diseases. However, its attractiveness is associated mostly with its health properties. The fruit shows anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity—important factors in improving health. These features result from the diverse content of phytochemicals in honeysuckle berries with high concentrations of phytocompounds, mainly hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, flavanols, flavones, isoflavones, flavonols, flavanones and anthocyanins but also iridoids, present in the fruit in exceptional amounts. The content and health properties of the fruit were identified to be dependent on cultivar, genotype and the place of harvesting. Great potential benefits of this nutritious food are its ability to minimize the negative effects of UV radiation, diabetes mellitus and neurodegenerative diseases, and to exert hepato- and cardioprotective activity.
Organic Salts of p-Coumaric Acid and Trans-Ferulic Acid with Aminopicolines
Authors: Kamanda Sosthene Nyomba , Jacobs Ayesha
Published: February 2020

p-Coumaric acid (pCA) and trans-ferulic acid (TFA) were co-crystallised with 2-amino-4-picoline (2A4MP) and 2-amino-6-picoline (2A6MP) producing organic salts of (pCA−)(2A4MP+) (1), (pCA̶ )(2A6MP+) (2) and (TFA̶ )(2A4MP+)·( 3 2 H2O) (3). For salt 3, water was included in the crystal structure fulfilling a bridging role. pCA formed a 1:1 salt with 2A4MP (Z’ = 1) and a 4:4 salt with 2A6MP (Z’ = 4). The thermal stability of the salts was determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Salt 2 had the highest thermal stability followed by salt 1 and salt 3. The salts were also characterised using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to study the different intermolecular interactions in the three salts. Solvent-assisted grinding was also investigated in attempts to reproduce the salts.
Melatonin Accumulation in Sweet Cherry and Its Influence on Fruit Quality and Antioxidant Properties
Authors: Xia Hui , Shen Yanqiu , Shen Tian , Wang Xin , Zhang Xuefeng , Hu Peng , Liang Dong , Lin Lijin , Deng Honghong , Wang Jin , Deng Qunxian , Lv Xiulan
Published: February 2020

Although the effects of melatonin on plant abiotic and biotic stress resistance have been explored in recent decades, the accumulation of endogenous melatonin in plants and its influence on fruit quality remains unclear. In the present study, melatonin accumulation levels and the expression profiles of five synthesis genes were investigated during fruit and leaf development in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.). Melatonin was strongly accumulated in young fruits and leaves, then decreased steadily with maturation. Transcript levels of PacTDC and PacSNAT were highly correlated with melatonin content in both fruit and leaves, indicating their importance in melatonin accumulation. Furthermore, application of 50 and 100 μmol·L−1 of melatonin to leaves had a greater influence on fruit quality than treatments applied to fruits, by significantly improving fruit weight, soluble solids content, and phenolic content including total phenols, flavanols, total anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid. Meanwhile, melatonin application promoted the antioxidant capacity of fruit assayed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylben zothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). These results provide insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying melatonin metabolism of sweet cherry.
The Effects of Caffeine Ingestion on Measures of Rowing Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Grgic Jozo , Diaz-Lara Francisco Javier , Del Coso Juan , Duncan Michael J. , Tallis Jason , Pickering Craig , Schoenfeld Brad J. , Mikulic Pavle
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this paper was to conduct a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies examining the acute effects of caffeine ingestion on measures of rowing performance. Crossover and placebo-controlled experiments that investigated the effects of caffeine ingestion on measures of rowing performance were included. The PEDro checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Seven studies of good and excellent methodological quality were included. None of the included studies examined on-water rowing. The majority of studies that were included in the meta-analysis used a 2000m rowing distance with only one using 1000m distance. Results of the main meta-analysis indicated that caffeine enhances performance on a rowing ergometer compared to placebo with a mean difference of −4.1 s (95% confidence interval (CI): −6.4, −1.8 s). These values remained consistent in the analysis in which the study that used a 1000m distance was excluded (mean difference: −4.3 s; 95% CI: −6.9, −1.8 s). We also found a significant increase in mean power (mean difference: 5.7 W; 95% CI: 2.1, 9.3 W) and minute ventilation (mean difference: 3.4 L/min; 95% CI: 1.7, 5.1 L/min) following caffeine ingestion. No significant differences between caffeine and placebo were found for the rating of perceived exertion, oxygen consumption, respiratory exchange ratio, and heart rate. This meta-analysis found that acute caffeine ingestion improves 2000m rowing ergometer performance by ~4 s. Our results support the use of caffeine pre-exercise as an ergogenic aid for rowing performance.
Coating Strategy for Surface Modification of Stainless Steel Wire to Improve Interfacial Adhesion of Medical Interventional Catheters
Authors: Li Zhaomin , Kong Haijuan , Yu Muhuo , Zhu Shu , Qin Minglin
Published: February 2020

Poor interfacial bonding between stainless steel wire and the inner and outer layer resin matrix significantly affects the mechanical performance of braid-reinforced composite hollow fiber tube, especially torsion control. In this work, a coating of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) deposited on the surface of stainless steel wire greatly enhanced the mechanical performance of braid-reinforced composite hollow fiber tube. This method takes advantage of the hydrogen bonding between polyether block amide (PEBA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for surface modification of stainless steel wire, as well as the good compatibility between PEBA and TPU. The mechanical properties of composited tubes demonstrate that the interlaminar shear strength, modulus of elasticity, and torque transmission properties were enhanced by 27.8%, 42.1%, and 41.4%, respectively. The results indicating that the interfacial adhesion between the coated stainless steel wire and the inner and outer matrix was improved. In addition, the interfacial properties of composite hollow fiber tube before and after coating was characterized by the optical microscope, and results show that the interfacial adhesion properties of the modified stainless steel wire reinforced resin matrix composites were greatly improved.
Preparation and Characterization of Thermoresponsive Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) for Cell Culture Applications
Authors: Yang Lei , Fan Xiaoguang , Zhang Jing , Ju Jia
Published: February 2020

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) is a typical thermoresponsive polymer used widely and studied deeply in smart materials, which is attractive and valuable owing to its reversible and remote “on–off” behavior adjusted by temperature variation. PNIPAAm usually exhibits opposite solubility or wettability across lower critical solution temperature (LCST), and it is readily functionalized making it available in extensive applications. Cell culture is one of the most prospective and representative applications. Active attachment and spontaneous detachment of targeted cells are easily tunable by surface wettability changes and volume phase transitions of PNIPAAm modified substrates with respect to ambient temperature. The thermoresponsive culture platforms and matching thermal-liftoff method can effectively substitute for the traditional cell harvesting ways like enzymatic hydrolysis and mechanical scraping, and will improve the stable and high quality of recovered cells. Therefore, the establishment and detection on PNIPAAm based culture systems are of particular importance. This review covers the important developments and recommendations for future work of the preparation and characterization of temperature-responsive substrates based on PNIPAAm and analogues for cell culture applications.
Coupled Oxides/LLDPE Composites for Textile Effluent Treatment: Effect of Neem and PVA Stabilization
Authors: Basiron Norfatehah , Sreekantan Srimala , Jit Kang Lim , Md Akil Hazizan , S.M.N. Mydin Rabiatul Basria
Published: February 2020

The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and neem extract were grafted onto coupled oxides (3ZT-CO) via reflux process to stabilize the particles to form 3ZT-CO/PVA and 3ZT-CO/Neem. These were then incorporated into LLDPE by melt blending process to give LLDPE/3ZT-CO/PVA and LLDPE/3ZT-CO/Neem composites. The Neem and PVA stabilized particles showed high zeta potential and dispersed homogeneously in water. The stabilization process altered the shape of the particles due to plane growth along the (002) polar direction. The stabilizers acted as capping agents and initiated the one-dimensional growth. The alkyl chain groups from PVA increased the polarity of the LLDPE/3ZT-CO/PVA and played a dominant role in the water adsorption process to activate the photocatalytic activity. This was further enhanced by the homogeneous distribution of the particles and low degree of crystallinity (20.87%) of the LLDPE composites. LLDPE/3ZT-CO/PVA exhibited the highest photodegradation (93.95%), which was better than the non-stabilized particles. Therefore, the photocatalytic activity of a polymer composite can be enhanced by grafting PVA and neem onto couple oxides. The LLDPE/3ZT-CO/PVA composite was further used to treat textile effluent. The results showed the composite was able to remove dye color by 93.95% and to reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 99.99%.
Effects of Wall Ventilation on the Shock-wave/Viscous-Layer Interactions in a Mach 2.2 Intake
Authors: Gunasekaran Humrutha , Thangaraj Thillaikumar , Jana Tamal , Kaushik Mrinal
Published: February 2020

In order to achieve proficient combustion with the present technologies, the flow through an aircraft intake operating at supersonic and hypersonic Mach numbers must be decelerated to a low-subsonic level before entering the combustion chamber. High-speed intakes are generally designed to act as a flow compressor even in the absence of mechanical compressors. The reduction in flow velocity is essentially achieved by generating a series of oblique as well as normal shock waves in the external ramp region and also in the internal isolator region of the intake. Thus, these intakes are also referred to as mixed-compression intakes. Nevertheless, the benefits of shock-generated compression do not arise independently but with enormous losses because of the shockwave and boundary layer interactions (SBLIs). These interactions should be manipulated to minimize or alleviate the losses. In the present investigation a wall ventilation using a new cavity configuration (having a cross-section similar to a truncated rectangle with the top wall covered by a thin perforated surface is deployed underneath the cowl-shock impinging point of the Mach 2.2 mixed-compression intake. The intake is tested for four different contraction ratios of 1.16, 1.19, 1.22, and 1.25, with emphasis on the effect of porosity, which is varied at 10.6%, 15.7%, 18.8%, and 22.5%. The introduction of porosity on the surface covering the cavity has been proved to be beneficial in decreasing the wall static pressure substantially as compared to the plain intake. A maximum of approximately 24.2% in the reduction in pressure at the upstream proximal location of 0.48 L is achieved in the case of the wall-ventilated intake with 18.8% porosity, at the contraction ratio of 1.19. The Schlieren density field images confirm the efficacy of the 18.8% ventilation in stretching the shock trains and in decreasing the separation length. At the contraction ratios of 1.19, 1.22, and 1.25 (‘dual-mode’ contraction ratios), the controlled intakes with higher porosity reduce the pressure gradients across the shockwaves and thereby yields an ‘intake-start’ condition. However, for the uncontrolled intake, the ‘unstart’ condition emerges due to the formation of a normal shock at the cowl lip. Additionally, the cowl shock in the ‘unstart’ intake is shifted upstream because of higher downstream pressure.
Determination of Leaf Nitrogen Concentrations Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy in Multiple Crops
Authors: Basak Rinku , Wahid Khan , Dinh Anh
Published: February 2020

In this work, crop leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) is predicted by leaf impedance measurements made by electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). This method uses portable equipment and is noninvasive, as are other available nondestructive methods, such as hyperspectral imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy, and soil-plant analyses development (SPAD). An EVAL-AD5933EBZ evaluation board is used to measure the impedances of four different crop leaves, i.e., canola, wheat, soybeans, and corn, in the frequency range of 5 to 15 kHz. Multiple linear regression using the least square method is employed to obtain a correlation between leaf nitrogen concentrations and leaf impedances. A strong correlation is found between nitrogen concentrations and measured impedances for multiple features using EIS. The results are obtained by PrimaXL Data Analysis ToolPak and validated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. Optimized regression models are determined by selecting features using the backward elimination method. After a comparative analysis among the four different crops, the best multiple regression results are found for canola with an overall correlation coefficient (R) of 0.99, a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.98, and root mean square (RMSE) of 0.54% in the frequency range of 8.7–12 kHz. The performance of EIS is also compared with an available SPAD reading which is moderately correlated with LNC. A high correlation coefficient of 0.94, a coefficient of determination of 0.89, and RMSE of 1.12% are obtained using EIS, whereas a maximum correlation coefficient of 0.72, a coefficient of determination of 0.53, and RMSE of 1.52% are obtained using SPAD for the same number of combined observations. The proposed multiple linear regression models based on EIS measurements sensitive to LNC can be used on a very local scale to develop a simple, rapid, inexpensive, and effective instrument for determining the leaf nitrogen concentrations in crops.
Determination of Phycocyanin from Space—A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Ogashawara Igor
Published: February 2020

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in the number of studies about the estimation of phycocyanin derived from remote sensing techniques. Since phycocyanin is a unique pigment of inland water cyanobacteria, the quantification of its concentration from earth observation data is important for water quality monitoring - once some species can produce toxins. Because of the growth of this field in the past decade, several reviews and studies comparing algorithms have been published. Thus, instead of focusing on algorithms comparison or description, the goal of the present study is to systematically analyze and visualize the evolution of publications. Using the Web of Science database this study analyzed the existing publications on remote sensing of phycocyanin decade-by-decade for the period 1991–2020. The bibliometric analysis showed how research topics evolved from measuring pigments to the quantification of optical properties and from laboratory experiments to measuring entire temperate and tropical aquatic systems. This study provides the status quo and development trend of the field and points out what could be the direction for future research.
Detection and Localisation of Life Signs from the Air Using Image Registration and Spatio-Temporal Filtering
Authors: Perera Asanka G. , Khanam Fatema-Tuz-Zohra , Al-Naji Ali , Chahl Javaan
Published: February 2020

In search and rescue operations, it is crucial to rapidly identify those people who are alive from those who are not. If this information is known, emergency teams can prioritize their operations to save more lives. However, in some natural disasters the people may be lying on the ground covered with dust, debris, or ashes making them difficult to detect by video analysis that is tuned to human shapes. We present a novel method to estimate the locations of people from aerial video using image and signal processing designed to detect breathing movements. We have shown that this method can successfully detect clearly visible people and people who are fully occluded by debris. First, the aerial videos were stabilized using the key points of adjacent image frames. Next, the stabilized video was decomposed into tile videos and the temporal frequency bands of interest were motion magnified while the other frequencies were suppressed. Image differencing and temporal filtering were performed on each tile video to detect potential breathing signals. Finally, the detected frequencies were remapped to the image frame creating a life signs map that indicates possible human locations. The proposed method was validated with both aerial and ground recorded videos in a controlled environment. Based on the dataset, the results showed good reliability for aerial videos and no errors for ground recorded videos where the average precision measures for aerial videos and ground recorded videos were 0.913 and 1 respectively.
Special Issue on Visual Sensors
Authors: Reinoso Oscar , Payá Luis
Published: February 2020

Visual sensors have characteristics that make them interesting as sources of information for any process or system [...]
FRET-Based Aptasensor for the Selective and Sensitive Detection of Lysozyme
Authors: Sapkota Kumar , Dhakal Soma
Published: February 2020

Lysozyme is a conserved antimicrobial enzyme and has been cited for its role in immune modulation. Increase in lysozyme concentration in body fluids is also regarded as an early warning of some diseases such as Alzheimer’s, sarcoidosis, Crohn’s disease, and breast cancer. Therefore, a method for a sensitive and selective detection of lysozyme can benefit many different areas of research. In this regard, several aptamers that are specific to lysozyme have been developed, but there is still a lack of a detection method that is sensitive, specific, and quantitative. In this work, we demonstrated a single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET)-based detection of lysozyme using an aptamer sensor (also called aptasensor) in which the binding of lysozyme triggers its conformational switch from a low-FRET to high-FRET state. Using this strategy, we demonstrated that the aptasensor is sensitive down to 2.3 picomoles (30 nM) of lysozyme with a dynamic range extending to ~2 µM and has little to no interference from similar biomolecules. The smFRET approach used here requires a dramatically small amount of aptasensor (~3000-fold less as compared to typical bulk fluorescence methods), and it is cost effective compared to enzymatic and antibody-based approaches. Additionally, the aptasensor can be readily regenerated in situ via a process called toehold mediated strand displacement (TMSD). The FRET-based aptasensing of lysozyme that we developed here could be implemented to detect other protein biomarkers by incorporating protein-specific aptamers without the need for changing fluorophore-labeled DNA strands.
Spatio-Temporal Variations in Groundwater Revealed by GRACE and Its Driving Factors in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, China
Authors: Su Youzhe , Guo Bin , Zhou Ziteng , Zhong Yulong , Min Leilei
Published: February 2020

The Huang-Huai-Hai (3H) Plain is the major crop-producing region in China. Due to the long-term overexploitation of groundwater for irrigation, the groundwater funnel is constantly expanding and the scarcity of water resources is prominent in this region. In this study, Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and hydrological models were used to estimate the spatial-temporal changes of groundwater storage (GWS) and the driving factors of GWS variations were discussed in the 3H Plain. The results showed that GRACE-based GWS was depleted at a rate of −1.14 ± 0.89 cm/y in the 3H Plain during 2003 to 2015. The maximum negative anomaly occurred in spring due to agricultural irrigation activities. Spatially, the loss of GWS in the Haihe River Basin is more serious than that in the Huaihe River Basin, presenting a decreasing trend from south to north. Conversely, the blue water footprint (WFblue) of wheat exhibited an increasing trend from south to north. During the drought years of 2006, 2013, and 2014, more groundwater was extracted to offset the surface water shortage, leading to an accelerated decline in GWS. This study demonstrated that GWS depletion in the 3H Plain is well explained by reduced precipitation and groundwater abstraction due to anthropogenic irrigation activities.
Changes in Duration and Intensity of the World’s Top-Level Badminton Matches: A Consideration of the Increased Acute Injuries among Elite Women’s Singles Players
Authors: Iizuka Taro , Hirano Kanako , Atomi Tomoaki , Shimizu Miho , Atomi Yoriko
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this study was to clarify whether there have been any specific changes in the characteristics of the world’s top-level women’s singles badminton matches compared to men’s singles matches after the current badminton scoring system was implemented in 2006. We compared the characteristics of the matches between the Super Series tournaments in 2007 and 2017. Match duration increased as the rally and rest times increased in both men’s and women’s singles matches. Specifically, in women’s singles, it was suggested that a further increase in physical demands because of the increased number of shots per second may have resulted in longer rest time in proportion to rally time. Moreover, increases in match duration (final eight, 53.3 ± 6.6 min; early rounds, 42.1 ± 3.6 min; P < 0.05) and number of shots per rally (final eight, 10.4 ± 1.2; early rounds, 8.7 ± 1.1; P < 0.05) in women’s singles were more prominent in the final eight rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals) than in the early rounds (rounds 1 and 2). The recent changes in characteristics of the world’s top-level badminton matches may account for the increased acute injuries that are frequently observed in elite women’s singles players. Thus, appropriate training programs are crucial to effectively improve performance and prevent injuries among elite badminton players.
Examining the Relationship between Urban Land Expansion and Economic Linkage Using Coupling Analysis: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China
Authors: Chen Bowen , Wu Changyan , Huang Xianjin , Yang Xuefeng
Published: February 2020

Urban land expansion (ULE) has caused negative effects as a result of urbanization and industrialization in China in the past few decades. Strengthening economic linkage and the cooperation among regions has great implications for effectively controlling disorderly ULE and achieving sustainable and intensive land use. Previous research has rarely investigated the relationship between ULE and economic linkage. Therefore, this study analyzes the spatial patterns of ULE and economic linkage in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) of China via social network analysis and a gravity model. Moreover, the spatial relationship and coupling level between ULE and economic linkage are investigated by building a bivariate spatial autocorrelation model and a coupling coordination degree model, respectively. The results indicate that the YREB experienced rapid ULE, and the area increased from 4.24 × 104 km2 in 1990 to 7.89 × 104 km2 in 2015. The cities that experience rapid ULE have gradually transferred from the east to the west of the YREB. In addition, the economic linkage in eastern cities is evidently higher than that of western cities. Our bivariate spatial model further proves that there are strong negative spatial correlation characteristics between ULE and economic linkage. This indicates that the higher the economic linkage, the lower the speed of ULE. Moreover, the coupling coordination between ULE and economic linkage show that the overall coupling stage changed from an antagonistic stage to a running-in stage. However, the coupling coordination in the YREB presented significant spatial heterogeneity, and most cities in urban agglomeration had a relationship between ULE and economic linkage that was barely balanced, slightly unbalanced, or seriously unbalanced. By considering the limitations and obstacles of current initiatives, suggestions and policy implications for sustainable land use at large regional scales are suggested.
The Causality between Participation in GVCs, Renewable Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions
Authors: Wu Zhiheng , Hou Guisheng , Xin Baogui
Published: February 2020

Using the panel vector autoregressive (PVAR) model accompanied by the system-generalized method of moment (System-GMM) approach, this paper investigates the dynamic causality between participation in global value chains (GVCs), renewable energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions throughout 1990–2015 for 172 countries. The results show that participation in GVCs negatively causes renewable energy consumption except for the Middle East and North America (MENA) and sub-Saharan Africa. Second, except for the Asia–Pacific region and globally, participation in GVCs has no causal impact on CO2 emissions, and participation in GVCs has a positive effect on CO2 emissions in the Asia–Pacific region and globally. Third, except for globally and sub-Saharan Africa, CO2 emissions have no causal impact on participation in GVCs; however, CO2 emissions hurt participation in GVCs globally and in the sub-Saharan African region. Forth, renewable energy consumption positively causes participation in GVCs in MENA, while renewable energy consumption does not cause participation in GVCs globally and in other regions. Fifth, there is no causality between CO2 emissions and renewable energy consumption both at the global and regional levels. Several policy implications are proposed and discussed for promoting participation in GVCs and improving the environment.
Exploring Dockless Bikeshare Usage: A Case Study of Beijing, China
Authors: Chen Zheyan , van Lierop Dea , Ettema Dick
Published: February 2020

The rapid emergence of dockless bikeshare systems has had a considerable influence on individuals’ daily mobility patterns. However, information is still limited regarding the role that sociodemographics, social environments, travel attitudes and the built environment play on the adoption and usage of dockless bikeshare systems. To gain insight into what influences individuals to start and continue to use dockless bikeshare systems, this study sets out to assess the influential factors that are related to individuals’ initial adoption and frequency of usage of this transportation mode. A survey was conducted among the residents of Beijing to assess their usage of dockless bikeshare systems. A binary logistic regression is employed to assess travel mode adoption, and a set of hurdle negative binominal regressions is used to assess the travel frequency for four trip purposes. The results reveal that dockless bikeshare systems are more popular among younger, higher educated, or median-income groups and appear to be gender-independent. The total number of kilometers of roads within an individual’s neighborhood was reported to be positively associated with having higher odds of dockless bikeshare adoption, while the total length of bicycle paths does not show a significant relationship. Having a pro-bicycle attitude was found to play a strong positive role in deciding whether to use the dockless bikeshare system initially, but it became less important in determining bikeshare users’ frequency of usage. Finally, this study confirms that it is relevant to consider various trip purposes when exploring individuals’ travel behavior and dockless bikeshare usage.
Sensitivity Analysis in the Life-Cycle Assessment of Electric vs. Combustion Engine Cars under Approximate Real-World Conditions
Authors: Helmers Eckard , Dietz Johannes , Weiss Martin
Published: February 2020

This study compares the environmental impacts of petrol, diesel, natural gas, and electric vehicles using a process-based attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) and the ReCiPe characterization method that captures 18 impact categories and the single score endpoints. Unlike common practice, we derive the cradle-to-grave inventories from an originally combustion engine VW Caddy that was disassembled and electrified in our laboratory, and its energy consumption was measured on the road. Ecoivent 2.2 and 3.0 emission inventories were contrasted exhibiting basically insignificant impact deviations. Ecoinvent 3.0 emission inventory for the diesel car was additionally updated with recent real-world close emission values and revealed strong increases over four midpoint impact categories, when matched with the standard Ecoinvent 3.0 emission inventory. Producing batteries with photovoltaic electricity instead of Chinese coal-based electricity decreases climate impacts of battery production by 69%. Break-even mileages for the electric VW Caddy to pass the combustion engine models under various conditions in terms of climate change impact ranged from 17,000 to 310,000 km. Break-even mileages, when contrasting the VW Caddy and a mini car (SMART), which was as well electrified, did not show systematic differences. Also, CO2-eq emissions in terms of passenger kilometers travelled (54–158 g CO2-eq/PKT) are fairly similar based on 1 person travelling in the mini car and 1.57 persons in the mid-sized car (VW Caddy). Additionally, under optimized conditions (battery production and use phase utilizing renewable electricity), the two electric cars can compete well in terms of CO2-eq emissions per passenger kilometer with other traffic modes (diesel bus, coach, trains) over lifetime. Only electric buses were found to have lower life cycle carbon emissions (27–52 g CO2-eq/PKT) than the two electric passenger cars.
Cooperation and Competition Impact Environmental Action: An Experimental Study in Social Dilemmas
Authors: Curtin Daniel , Jia Fanli
Published: February 2020

Previous research about social dilemmas has identified cooperation as a possible underlying facilitator of proenvironmental behavior. However, there has been no discussion about how manipulating cooperation and competition could influence environmental action experimentally. The current study filled this gap in previous literature by manipulating cooperation and competition in a group of 155 participants and comparing their respective environmental actions. Participants were randomly placed into one of three conditions and primed by writing a short passage regarding a significant personal experience where they acted cooperatively, competitively, or neutrally. It was found that those in the cooperative priming group scored significantly higher on environmental participatory action than people in the competitive priming group. However, no difference was found on environmental leadership action. The results indicated that participatory environmental actions are relatively easier to change, as the threshold for interest in them is much lower than leadership environmental actions.
Latent Infectious Capacities of Dengue Fever: Mathematical Modeling and Eco-Friendly Prevention Strategy
Authors: Hong Chung-Chien , Du Wei-Shih , Ge Yu-Hong
Published: February 2020

The main aim of this article is to propose a method for exploring the latent values about the capacities of spreading dengue for each potential site. First, a mathematical model connecting the observable public data and the capacities of spreading dengue is provided based on the split feasibility problem (SFP). Then, a proper iterative scheme for the SFP is presented to approach the values of infectious capacities (ICs) of potential sites—the capacities of spreading. The performance of our proposed method is demonstrated using public data from Kaohsiung City for 2014 and 2015. The results presented in this paper show that our proposed method is reliable and the sites with a high capacity of spreading are only a small portion of thousands of all potential sites and could be an alternative strategy for preventing the outbreak of dengue fever whilst also avoiding the damage of ecosystems caused by chemical insecticides.
Risky Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Method Based on the Interval Number of Normal Distribution
Authors: Fu Sha , Qu Xi-Long , Xiao Ye-Zhi , Zhou Hang-Jun , Fan Guo-Bing
Published: February 2020

Focusing on risky decision-making problems taking the interval number of normal distribution as the information environment, this paper proposes a decision-making method based on the interval number of normal distribution. Firstly, the normalized matrix based on the decision maker’s attitude is obtained through analysis and calculation. Secondly, according to the existing properties of standard normal distribution, the risk preference factors of the decision makers are considered to confirm the possibility degree of each scheme. The possibility degree is then used for establishing a possibility degree matrix and, consequently, sequencing of all schemes is conducted according to existing theories of possibility degree meaning and the value size of possibility degree. Finally, the feasibility and validity of this method is verified through calculation example analysis.
On Two Classes of Soft Sets in Soft Topological Spaces
Authors: Al Ghour Samer , Hamed Worood
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we define soft ω -open sets and strongly soft ω -open sets as two new classes of soft sets. We study the natural properties of these types of soft sets and we study the validity of the exact versions of some known results in ordinary topological spaces regarding ω -open sets in soft topological spaces. Also, we study the relationships between the ω -open sets of a given indexed family of topological spaces and the soft ω -open sets (resp. strongly soft ω -open sets) of their generated soft topological space. These relationships form a biconditional logical connective which is a symmetry. As an application of strongly soft ω -open sets, we characterize soft Lindelof (resp. soft weakly Lindelof) soft topological spaces.
Lab-Made Electronic Nose for Fast Detection of Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus
Authors: Astantri Prima Febri , Prakoso Wredha Sandhi Ardha , Triyana Kuwat , Untari Tri , Airin Claude Mona , Astuti Pudji
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study is to determine the performance of a lab-made electronic nose (e-nose) composed of an array of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors in the detection and differentiation of Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) and Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) incubated in trypticsoy broth (TSB) media. Conventionally, the detection of L. monocytogenes and B. cereus is often performed by enzyme link immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These techniques require trained operators and expert, expensive reagents and specific containment. In this study, three types of samples, namely, TSB media, L. monocytogenes (serotype 4b American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 13792), and B. cereus (ATCC) 10876, were used for this experiment. Prior to measurement using the e-nose, each bacterium was inoculated in TSB at 1 × 103–104 CFU/mL, followed by incubation for 48 h. To evaluate the performance of the e-nose, the measured data were then analyzed with chemometric models, namely linear and quadratic discriminant analysis (LDA and QDA), and support vector machine (SVM). As a result, the e-nose coupled with SVM showeda high accuracy of 98% in discriminating between TSB media and L. monocytogenes, and between TSB media and B. cereus. It could be concluded that the lab-made e-nose is able to detect rapidly the presence of bacteria L. monocytogenes and B. cereus on TSB media. For the future, it could be used to identify the presence of L. monocytogenes or B. cereus contamination in the routine and fast assessment of food products in animal quarantine.
Analysis of Hydrograph Shape Affected by Flow-Direction Assumptions in Rainfall-Runoff Models
Authors: Huang Pin-Chun
Published: February 2020

Different approaches for flow-direction determination have been continuously proposed to perform a more realistic simulation of surface runoff, yet the diversity of the existing methods causes significant differences in the extractions of geomorphic parameters as well as the results of rainfall-runoff simulations. In this study, the three most widely used flow-direction methods were separately applied in hydrological models to thoroughly investigate their effects on the simulation output. The results show that the drainage area is a significant factor that affects not only the flow-collecting ability but also the time to peak discharge; however, the definition and calculation of the drainage area become different when the consideration of multiple flow directions is involved in a terrain analysis. This study adopted two area indexes, flow concentration area and flow dispersion area, to understand their consequences in the aspects of the flow volume of simulated hydrograph and the delay of time to peak discharge. The multiple-flow-direction methods show the later time to flow peak and less amount of outflow volume in comparison with the single flow-direction method. By merely extracting two area indexes, a transformation approach is suggested to predict hydrograph shape and to quantify the extent of hydrograph deviations induced by using different flow-direction methods.
Periurban Transformations in the Global South and Their Impact on Water-Based Livelihoods
Authors: Butsch Carsten , Heinkel Sophie-Bo
Published: February 2020

Urban sprawl and population increase are fundamentally transforming periurban areas in the Global South. These areas often suffer from inadequate environmental planning, resulting in water sources being overexploited, degraded, and redistributed. These processes affect water-based livelihoods due to disadvantages in water access and inadequate water governance. On the positive side, these transformation processes are leading to alternative water-based livelihoods. We systematically review and critically comment on the literature on water-based livelihoods in periurban areas of the Global South to provide the current scientific knowledge on this topic. Transformations of water-based livelihoods in periurban areas were also evaluated in terms of their sustainability. We conclude that rapid developments of periurban areas contain threats and potentials for water-based livelihoods and some emerging water-based livelihoods, whereas some emerging water-based livelihoods provide interim solutions for institutional supply gaps. Major lacunae in research are the (1) lack of holistic approaches, which address social dimensions of transformations, (2) the lack of studies applying a differentiated perspective on neighbouring areas within the urban fringe and (3) a lack of knowledge on emerging (water-based) livelihoods.
Being Bayesian: Discussions from the Perspectives of Stakeholders and Hydrologists
Authors: Ferre Ty P.A.
Published: February 2020

Bayes’ Theorem is gaining acceptance in hydrology, but it is still far from standard practice to cast hydrologic analyses in a Bayesian context—especially in the realm of hydrologic practice. Three short discussions are presented to encourage more complete adoption of a Bayesian approach. The first, aimed at a stakeholder audience, seeks to explain that an informal Bayesian analysis is the default approach that we all take to any decision made under uncertainty. The second, aimed at a general hydrologist audience, seeks to establish multi-model approaches as the natural choice for Bayesian hydrologic analysis. The goal of this discussion is to provide a bridge from the stakeholder’s natural approach to a more formal, quantitative Bayesian analysis. The third discussion is targeted to a more advanced hydrologist audience, suggesting that some elements of hydrologic practice do not yet reflect a Bayesian philosophy. In particular, an example is given that puts Bayes Theory to work to identify optimal observation sets before data are collected.
Télécommunications et organisation spatiale des activités : une problématique économique
Authors: Rallet Alain
Published: February 2020

Comme les géographes, les économistes, du moins leur espèce régionale, s'intéressent aux effets des nouvelles technologies de télécommunications sur la localisation des activités. Avec cette grande question : peut-on penser que ces nouvelles technologies puissent rendre l'espace plus égalitaire qu'il n'est ?

L'objet de la communication est d'examiner la ou les problématiques selon lesquelles les économistes entendent traiter la question. On dressera une recension des différentes problématiques, au demeurant peu nombreuses, pour se demander s'il ne convient pas au fond de modifier la question initiale et de s'interroger plutôt sur la dynamique économique d'ensemble susceptible d'être impulsée par la plus grande liberté d'habiter l'espace que permettent ces nouvelles technologies.
L'évolution du réseau téléphonique des régions françaises
Authors: Tsang King Sang Jessy
Published: February 2020

Le réseau téléphonique est dorénavant perçu comme étant une infrastructure nécessaire et primordiale. Son absence dans une région peut contribuer à l'enclavement économique de celle-ci. Inversement, sa présence sous forme d'un réseau suffisamment maillé et équilibré, sans constituer à elle seule un élément déterminant, peut efficacement accompagner l'implantation de nouvelles activités dans des régions jusque-là isolées.

Cet article se propose d'étudier l'évolution du réseau téléphonique des régions françaises. Dans une première partie, l'analyse effectuée permet d'aborder les disparités, en matières de dotation en lignes téléphoniques des régions françaises en 1984. La deuxième partie, consacrée à une analyse plus prospective à l'horizon 1990 permet de visualiser l'accentuation ou l'atténuation de ces disparités au cours des prochaines années.
The role of information technology in the planning and development of Singapore
Authors: Corey Kenneth E.
Published: February 2020

There is much to learn from development cases in the Pacific basin. This paper examines Singapore's information technology strategy. It is offered as documentation on hew one metropolis has been planning itself for, and into the information age.

The method used in the paper is to draw cn documents, words and plans -from the Singapore government, to tell the story of this contemporary development case. These extracts are supplemented by reference to the relevant literature. The principal operational details of Singapore's information technology planning and implementation are offered so as to be suggestive of potential adaptation elsewhere.

The role of the state is fundamental to Singapore's development. The People's Action Party, under the leadership of Prime Minister lee Kuan Yew, long has practiced activist intervention and flexible planning in pursuing the goal of attaining an high quality of life for Singaporeans.

By these means, in just over twenty years, Singaporeans have been able to plan and implement themselves fran a preindustrial economy and society to one that is importantly industrial and to one that also is importantly "post industrial" or information driven.

Having realized an economy, the predominant occupations of which are information related and white collar, the Singapore government in 1985 initiated a national information technology plan that is designed to position Singapore as the information technology center of excellence in the 1990s. Such a plan is possible because of the prior development of a base of widespread computer services, telecannunicaticns, and office systems. Each element of Singapore's information technology plan is analyzed in the paper.

Policy makers, planners and researchers interested in understanding and ' drawing on other's prior information technology planning experience may' benefit fran the lessons derived frcm this Singapore policy analysis.

Hew might these learnings in planning technology transfer and be tailored to other places ? This is the principal question for the readers of this paper.