bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Importância do Setor Externo para a Dinâmica da Inflação Brasileira: uma estimação para o período 2001-2013
Authors: Leite Karla Vanessa Batista da Silva , Hermann Jennifer , Pimentel Débora
Published: March 2020

Partindo da hipótese de que, a partir das políticas de liberalização dos anos 1990 e 2000, os fatores externos ampliaram sua importância na dinâmica inflacionária doméstica, o presente artigo estima uma equação de inflação para a economia brasileira, no período compreendido entre 2001 e 2013, com foco nas variáveis do setor externo. A estimação tem por base analítica o modelo de inflação de Simonsen (1970) e foi feita através dos modelos de Vetores Auto Regressivos Estruturais (SVAR) e de Defasagem Distribuída (ARDL). Os resultados da análise econométrica, nos dois modelos estimados, apontaram para a importância da taxa de câmbio, dos preços externos e da volatilidade cambial na explicação da evolução da inflação brasileira, entre 2001 e 2013.
Growth Regimes in a Structural Economic Dynamic Approach to the Neo-Kaleckian Model
Authors: Araujo Ricardo Azevedo , Teixeira Joanílio
Published: March 2020

Following the insight that profits influence investment, providing not only the motive for it but also the means,we consider the natural rate of profit as one of the determinants of investment in a disaggregated version of the Neo-Kaleckian model of economic growth.By adopting this approach, it is shown that the structural economic dynamic is conditioned not only to the patterns of evolving demand and diffusion of technological progress but also to the distributive features of the economy, which can give rise to particular regimes of economic growth. From this perspective, it is possible to conclude that a wage-led regime is the most probable outcome in a closed economy where the natural rate of profit is one of determinants of investment. Following the insight that profits influence investment, providing not only the motive for it but also the means,we consider the natural rate of profit as one of the determinants of investment in a disaggregated version of the Neo-Kaleckian model of economic growth.By adopting this approach, it is shown that the structural economic dynamic is conditioned not only to the patterns of evolving demand and diffusion of technological progress but also to the distributive features of the economy, which can give rise to particular regimes of economic growth. From this perspective, it is possible to conclude that a wage-led regime is the most probable outcome in a closed economy where the natural rate of profit is one of determinants of investment.
Modelos de crescimento com restrição no balanço de pagamentos: contexto histórico, desdobramentos recentes e a busca por uma nova agenda
Authors: Ribeiro Rafael Saulo Marques
Published: March 2020

O objetivo deste trabalho é fazer uma resenha sobre o modelo de crescimento com restrição no balanço de pagamentos. O artigo apresenta os antecedentes históricos do modelo, seus desdobramentos mais recentes, críticas e argumentos de defesa correspondentes, e sugere possíveis agendas de pesquisa futura. Dada a escassez de literatura sobre o tema em português, o presente trabalho também pode servir como um guia didático de leitura com o objetivo de apresentar e difundir o modelo aqui discutido para um público mais amplo em território nacional.
A Novel Solution for the Elimination of Mode Switching in Pump-Controlled Single-Rod Cylinders
Authors: Gøytil Petter H. , Padovani Damiano , Hansen Michael R.
Published: March 2020

This paper concerns the stability issue of pump-controlled single-rod cylinders, known as mode switching. First, a review of the topic is provided. Thereafter, the most recently proposed solution for the elimination of mode switching is investigated and shown to result in unstable behavior under certain operating conditions. A theoretical analysis is provided demonstrating the underlying mechanisms of this behavior. Based on the analysis, a novel control strategy is proposed and investigated numerically. Proper operation and stability are demonstrated for a wide range of operating conditions, including situations under which the most recently proposed solution results in unstable behavior and loss of control over the actuator.
Effects of Drip Irrigation with Plastic on Photosynthetic Characteristics and Biomass Distribution of Muskmelon
Authors: Wang Jingwei , Niu Wenquan , Li Yuan
Published: March 2020

An experiment was conducted in China to develop guidelines for the mulching drip irrigation of commercial muskmelon crops. Three sets of factors were laid out in rows to give a three × three factorial design. First, plastic covers were placed over the entire growing area (rows and inter-rows, or full), over the rows (half), or no plastic applied (none). Second, there was one irrigation pipe per row (T1), three pipes for four rows (T3/4), or one pipe for two rows (T1/2). Finally, the plants were irrigated when the soil water content fell to 60%, 70%, or 80% of field water capacity (FC). Information was collected on net CO2 assimilation (Pn), plant growth, and yield. Overall, maximum Pn occurred with half plastic covering, one irrigation pipe for two rows, and irrigation at 80% FC. Plant fresh weight was higher with half plastic covering, one irrigation pipe per row, and irrigation at 70% or 80% FC. Yield was higher with half plastic covering, and irrigation at 70% or 80% FC. There were only small differences in the yield across numbers of irrigation pipes. These results suggest that overall productivity was better with plastic covers over the rows and irrigation at 70% or 80% FC. Differences in productivity with different numbers of irrigation lines per row were small.
Pear Flower Cluster Quantification Using RGB Drone Imagery
Authors: Vanbrabant Yasmin , Delalieux Stephanie , Tits Laurent , Pauly Klaas , Vandermaesen Joke , Somers Ben
Published: March 2020

High quality fruit production requires the regulation of the crop load on fruit trees by reducing the number of flowers and fruitlets early in the growing season, if the bearing is too high. Several automated flower cluster quantification methods based on proximal and remote imagery methods have been proposed to estimate flower cluster numbers, but their overall performance is still far from satisfactory. For other methods, the performance of the method to estimate flower clusters within a tree is unknown since they were only tested on images from one perspective. One of the main reported bottlenecks is the presence of occluded flowers due to limitations of the top-view perspective of the platform-sensor combinations. In order to tackle this problem, the multi-view perspective from the Red–Green–Blue (RGB) colored dense point clouds retrieved from drone imagery are compared and evaluated against the field-based flower cluster number per tree. Experimental results obtained on a dataset of two pear tree orchards (N = 144) demonstrate that our 3D object-based method, a combination of pixel-based classification with the stochastic gradient boosting algorithm and density-based clustering (DBSCAN), significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art in flower cluster estimations from the 2D top-view (R2 = 0.53), with R2 > 0.7 and RRMSE < 15%.
Application of Response Surface Methodology to Evaluate Photodynamic Inactivation Mediated by Eosin Y and 530 nm LED against Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Santos Adriele R. , da Silva Alex F. , Batista Andréia F. P. , Freitas Camila F. , Bona Evandro , Sereia Maria J. , Caetano Wilker , Hioka Noburu , Mikcha Jane M. G.
Published: March 2020

Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PAC) is an efficient tool for inactivating microorganisms. This technique is a good approach to inactivate the foodborne microorganisms, which are responsible for one of the major public health concerns worldwide—the foodborne diseases. In this work, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the interaction of Eosin Y (EOS) concentration and irradiation time on Staphylococcus aureus counts and a sequence of designed experiments to model the combined effect of each factor on the response. A second-order polynomial empirical model was developed to describe the relationship between EOS concentration and irradiation time. The results showed that the derived model could predict the combined influences of these factors on S. aureus counts. The agreement between predictions and experimental observations (R2adj = 0.9159, p = 0.000034) was also observed. The significant terms in the model were the linear negative effect of photosensitizer (PS) concentration, followed by the linear negative effect of irradiation time, and the quadratic negative effect of PS concentration. The highest reductions in S. aureus counts were observed when applying a light dose of 9.98 J/cm2 (498 nM of EOS and 10 min. irradiation). The ability of the evaluated model to predict the photoinactivation of S. aureus was successfully validated. Therefore, the use of RSM combined with PAC is a promising approach to inactivate foodborne pathogens.
Nonocarbolines A–E, β-Carboline Antibiotics Produced by the Rare Actinobacterium Nonomuraea sp. from Indonesia
Authors: Primahana Gian , Risdian Chandra , Mozef Tjandrawati , Sudarman Enge , Köck Matthias , Wink Joachim , Stadler Marc
Published: March 2020

During the course of our ongoing screening for novel biologically active secondary metabolites, the rare Actinobacterium, Nonomuraea sp. 1808210CR was found to produce five unprecedented β-carboline derivatives, nonocarbolines A–E (1–5). Their structures were elucidated from high-resolution mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the absolute configuration of 4 was determined by using the modified Mosher method. Nonocarboline B (2) displayed moderate antifungal activity against Mucor hiemalis, while nonocarboline D (4) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against the human lung carcinoma cell line A-549 with the IC50 value of 1.7 µM.
Variations in Anthocyanin Profiles and Antioxidant Activity of 12 Genotypes of Mulberry (Morus spp.) Fruits and Their Changes during Processing
Authors: Kim Inhwan , Lee Jihyun
Published: March 2020

Mulberry fruits are known as rich sources of anthocyanins and are consumed in syrup form after the addition of sugar and acid; however, there is little information on the anthocyanin composition and antioxidant activity of mulberries of different cultivars and their changes during processing. To address this, the antioxidant activity and anthocyanin composition of 12 cultivar mulberry fruit cultivars were investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization/quadrupole time-of-flight. Additionally, different quantities of citric acid were used to evaluate antioxidant activities and anthocyanin composition of mulberry syrup. Sixteen anthocyanins were identified in mulberry fruits using accurate mass spectrometry. Several anthocyanins were tentatively identified for the first time in mulberry fruits and include: malvidin hexoside, cyanidin malonyl hexose hexoside, cyanidin pentoside, cyanidin malonyl hexoside, petunidin deoxyhexose hexoside, and cyanidin deoxyhexoside. The major anthocyanin in mulberries was cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, followed by cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside. Morus Alba L. Iksu showed the highest cyanidin-3-O-glucoside content (8.65 mg/g dry weight) among 12 mulberry fruit cultivars. As citric acid levels increased, mulberry syrup showed significantly higher antioxidant activity (p < 0.05).
A Traffic-Based Method to Predict and Map Urban Air Quality
Authors: Zalakeviciute Rasa , Bastidas Marco , Buenaño Adrian , Rybarczyk Yves
Published: March 2020

As global urbanization, industrialization, and motorization keep worsening air quality, a continuous rise in health problems is projected. Limited spatial resolution of the information on air quality inhibits full comprehension of urban population exposure. Therefore, we propose a method to predict urban air pollution from traffic by extracting data from Web-based applications (Google Traffic). We apply a machine learning approach by training a decision tree algorithm (C4.8) to predict the concentration of PM2.5 during the morning pollution peak from: (i) an interpolation (inverse distance weighting) of the value registered at the monitoring stations, (ii) traffic flow, and (iii) traffic flow + time of the day. The results show that the prediction from traffic outperforms the one provided by the monitoring network (average of 65.5% for the former vs. 57% for the latter). Adding the time of day increases the accuracy by an average of 6.5%. Considering the good accuracy on different days, the proposed method seems to be robust enough to create general models able to predict air pollution from traffic conditions. This affordable method, although beneficial for any city, is particularly relevant for low-income countries, because it offers an economically sustainable technique to address air quality issues faced by the developing world.
Hessian with Mini-Batches for Electrical Demand Prediction
Authors: Elias Israel , Rubio José de Jesús , Cruz David Ricardo , Ochoa Genaro , Novoa Juan Francisco , Martinez Dany Ivan , Muñiz Samantha , Balcazar Ricardo , Garcia Enrique , Juarez Cesar Felipe
Published: March 2020

The steepest descent method is frequently used for neural network tuning. Mini-batches are commonly used to get better tuning of the steepest descent in the neural network. Nevertheless, steepest descent with mini-batches could be delayed in reaching a minimum. The Hessian could be quicker than the steepest descent in reaching a minimum, and it is easier to achieve this goal by using the Hessian with mini-batches. In this article, the Hessian is combined with mini-batches for neural network tuning. The discussed algorithm is applied for electrical demand prediction.
Bending by Concentrated Force of a Cantilever Strip Having a Through-thickness Crack Perpendicular to Its Axis
Authors: Delyavskyy Mykhaylo , Opanasovych Viktor , Bilash Oksana
Published: March 2020

The article focuses on the bending problem for a cantilever beam with a straight through-thickness crack, perpendicular to its axis under bending by concentrated force. Depending on the crack location in relation to the axis, crack faces may be in three states: perfect contact, particular contact, or noncontact. Using the theory of functions of complex variable and complex potentials, the considered problem was reduced to a linear conjunction one. An analytical solution of the problem was obtained. In the case of particular contact, the length of the contact area and stress intensity factors were determined. The ultimate force that causes beam destruction was determined. Numerical analyses of the problem were also performed.
Short Term Traffic Flow Prediction of Urban Road Using Time Varying Filtering Based Empirical Mode Decomposition
Authors: Wang Yanpeng , Zhao Leina , Li Shuqing , Wen Xinyu , Xiong Yang
Published: March 2020

Short-term traffic flow prediction is important to realize real-time traffic instruction. However, due to the existing strong nonlinearity and non-stationarity in short-term traffic volume data, it is hard to obtain a satisfactory result through the traditional method. To this end, this paper develops an innovative hybrid method based on the time varying filtering based empirical mode decomposition (TVF-EMD) and least square support vector machine (LSSVM). Specifically, TVF-EMD is firstly used to deal with the implied non-stationarity in the original data by decomposing them into several different subseries. Then, the LSSVM models are established for each subseries to capture the linear and nonlinear characteristics embedded in the original data, and the corresponding prediction results are superimposed to obtain the final one. Finally, case studies based on two groups of data measured from an arterial road intersection are employed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The experimental results indicate it outperforms the other involved models. For example, compared with the LSSVM model, the average improvements by the proposed method in terms of the indexes of mean absolute error, mean relative percentage error, root mean square error and root mean square relative error are 7.397, 15.832%, 10.707 and 24.471%, respectively.
GIS-Based Gully Erosion Susceptibility Mapping: A Comparison of Computational Ensemble Data Mining Models
Authors: Nhu Viet-Ha , Janizadeh Saeid , Avand Mohammadtaghi , Chen Wei , Farzin Mohsen , Omidvar Ebrahim , Shirzadi Ataollah , Shahabi Himan , J. Clague John , Jaafari Abolfazl , Mansoorypoor Fatemeh , Thai Pham Binh , Ahmad Baharin Bin , Lee Saro
Published: March 2020

Gully erosion destroys agricultural and domestic grazing land in many countries, especially those with arid and semi-arid climates and easily eroded rocks and soils. It also generates large amounts of sediment that can adversely impact downstream river channels. The main objective of this research is to accurately detect and predict areas prone to gully erosion. In this paper, we couple hybrid models of a commonly used base classifier (reduced pruning error tree, REPTree) with AdaBoost (AB), bagging (Bag), and random subspace (RS) algorithms to create gully erosion susceptibility maps for a sub-basin of the Shoor River watershed in northwestern Iran. We compare the performance of these models in terms of their ability to predict gully erosion and discuss their potential use in other arid and semi-arid areas. Our database comprises 242 gully erosion locations, which we randomly divided into training and testing sets with a ratio of 70/30. Based on expert knowledge and analysis of aerial photographs and satellite images, we selected 12 conditioning factors for gully erosion. We used multi-collinearity statistical techniques in the modeling process, and checked model performance using statistical indexes including precision, recall, F-measure, Matthew correlation coefficient (MCC), receiver operatic characteristic curve (ROC), precision–recall graph (PRC), Kappa, root mean square error (RMSE), relative absolute error (PRSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and relative absolute error (RAE). Results show that rainfall, elevation, and river density are the most important factors for gully erosion susceptibility mapping in the study area. All three hybrid models that we tested significantly enhanced and improved the predictive power of REPTree (AUC=0.800), but the RS-REPTree (AUC= 0.860) ensemble model outperformed the Bag-REPTree (AUC= 0.841) and the AB-REPTree (AUC= 0.805) models. We suggest that decision makers, planners, and environmental engineers employ the RS-REPTree hybrid model to better manage gully erosion-prone areas in Iran.
Bayesian Assessment of the Effects of Cyclic Loads on the Chloride Ingress Process into Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Imounga Henriette Marlaine , Bastidas-Arteaga Emilio , Moutou Pitti Rostand , Ekomy Ango Serge , Wang Xiao-Hui
Published: March 2020

Chloride-induced corrosion and load induced concrete cracking affect the serviceability and safety of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Once these phenomena occur simultaneously, the prediction of RC structures’ lifetimes becomes a major challenge. The objective of this paper is to propose a methodology to evaluate the effect of loading and cracking on the mechanism of chloride ion penetration in concrete. The proposed methodology will be based on Bayesian networks. Bayesian networks are useful to update the lifetime assessment based on experimental data as well as to characterize the uncertainties of the input parameters of a chlorination model including a chloride diffusion acceleration factor. The proposed methodology is illustrated with experimental data coming from tests on RC beams subjected to static and cyclic loading before being in contact with a solution containing chloride ions. The characterized parameters are then used to evaluate the effect of these two loading conditions (static and cyclic) on the corrosion initiation time and the corrosion initiation probability. The results obtained indicate that the proposed methodology is capable of integrating loading and chlorination test data for the determination of the probabilistic parameters of a model in a comprehensive way.
Autocatalytic Fractionation of Wood Hemicelluloses: Modeling of Multistage Operation
Authors: López Mar , Santos Valentín , Parajó Juan Carlos
Published: March 2020

Eucalyptus globulus wood samples were treated with hot, compressed water (autohydrolysis) in consecutive stages under non-isothermal conditions in order to convert the hemicellulose fraction into soluble compounds through reactions catalyzed by in situ generated acids. The first stage was a conventional autohydrolysis, and liquid phase obtained under conditions leading to an optimal recovery of soluble saccharides was employed in a new reaction (second crossflow stage) using a fresh wood lot, in order to increase the concentrations of soluble saccharides. In the third crossflow stage, the best liquid phase from the second stage was employed to solubilize the hemicelluloses from a fresh wood lot. The concentration profiles determined for the soluble saccharides, acids, and furans present in the liquid phases from the diverse crossflow stages were employed for kinetic modeling, based on pseudohomogeneous reactions and Arrhenius-type dependence of the kinetic coefficients on temperature. Additional characterization of the reaction products by High Pressure Size Exclusion Chromatography, High Performance Anion Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection, and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry provided further insight on the properties of the soluble saccharides present in the various reaction media.
Luminescence Spectroscopy and Origin of Luminescence Centers in Bi-Doped Materials
Authors: Krasnikov Aleksei , Mihokova Eva , Nikl Martin , Zazubovich Svetlana , Zhydachevskyy Yaroslav
Published: March 2020

Bi-doped compounds recently became the subject of an extensive research due to their possible applications as scintillator and phosphor materials. The oxides co-doped with Bi3+ and trivalent rare-earth ions were proposed as prospective phosphors for white light-emitting diodes and quantum cutting down-converting materials applicable for enhancement of silicon solar cells. Luminescence characteristics of different Bi3+-doped materials were found to be strongly different and ascribed to electronic transitions from the excited levels of a Bi3+ ion to its ground state, charge-transfer transitions, Bi3+ dimers or clusters, radiative decay of Bi3+-related localized or trapped excitons, etc. In this review, we compare the characteristics of the Bi3+-related luminescence in various compounds; discuss the possible origin of the corresponding luminescence centers as well as the processes resulting in their luminescence; consider the phenomenological models proposed to describe the excited-state dynamics of the Bi3+-related centers and determine the structure and parameters of their relaxed excited states; address an influence of different interactions (e.g., spin-orbit, electron-phonon, hyperfine) as well as the Bi3+ ion charge and volume compensating defects on the luminescence characteristics. The Bi-related luminescence arising from lower charge states (namely, Bi2+, Bi+, Bi0) is also reviewed.
Determination and Data Correlation of Solubility of Sofosbuvir Polymorphs in Ethyl Acetate + Toluene and Methyl tert-Butyl Ether Binary Solvents at the Temperature Range from 268.15 to 308.15 K
Authors: Ji Wei-Jie , Wang En-Fu , Qi Ming-Hui
Published: March 2020

A gravimetric method was used to experimentally determine the (solid + liquid) equilibrium of sofosbuvir of crystalline forms A and B in both ethyl acetate + toluene and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) + toluene binary solvents systems at atmosphere pressure. Experiments were carried out at a temperature range of 268.15−308.15 K. Results show that the solubility of sofosbuvir increases with temperature, and the solubility of form B was higher than that of form A. The modified Apelblat model, the CNIBS/Redlich–Kister model, and the combined version of Jouyban–Acree model were employed to correlate the measured solubility data, respectively. Furthermore, an examination of the solid-state stability of the two polymorphs was conducted, finding that form A and form B exhibit good solid-state stability under high temperature, high humidity, and strong light exposure conditions.
The Archipelago of Cultural and Creative Industries: A Case Study of the Basque Country
Authors: Barandiaran-Irastorza Xabier , Peña-Fernández Simón , Unceta-Satrústegui Alfonso
Published: March 2020

The cultural and creative industries (e.g., digital/audiovisual content, publishing and print media, etc.) constitute an emerging business sector focused on aligning cultural and creative production with profitability and market criteria that encompasses a diverse range of entities, generates employment, boosts GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and drives innovation. This paper analyses the impact of the cultural and creative industries on the economy of the Basque Country and provides information concerning the number of companies present in this sector, their legal structures, annual turnovers, size in terms of the number of people they employ and relative ability to secure public funding for entrepreneurial support and creative projects. Our findings indicate that businesses of this nature in the Basque Country form an ecosystem similar to an archipelago in which companies with a strong entrepreneurial focus, high annual turnovers and a national and international clientele coexist alongside smaller, less profit-oriented organisations devoted to regional cultural development.
Pre-Service Teachers’ Declarative Knowledge of Wave-Particle Dualism of Electrons and Photons: Finding Lexicons by Using Network Analysis
Authors: Nousiainen Maija , Koponen Ismo T.
Published: March 2020

Learning the wave-particle dualism of electrons and photons plays a central role in understanding quantum physics. Teaching it requires that the teacher is fluent in using abstract and uncommon terms. We inspect the lexical structures of pre-service teachers’ declarative knowledge about the wave-particle dualism of electrons and photons in the context of double-slit interference. The declarative knowledge is analyzed in the form of a lexical network of terms. We focus on lexical structures because, in teaching and learning, knowledge is communicated mostly through lexical structures, i.e., by speaking and writing. Using the lexical networks, we construct the lexicons used by pre-service teachers to express their knowledge of electrons and photons in the context of double-slit interference. The lexicons consist of eight different key terms, each representing a set of closely-related or synonymous terms. The lexicons by 14 pre-service teachers reveal remarkable variation and differences, and are strongly context-dependent. We also analyzed lexicons corresponding to two didactically-oriented research articles on the same topic and found that they also differ. Lexicons paralleling both texts are found among the pre-service teachers’ lexicons. However, only some of the pre-service teachers use such rich vocabulary as would indicate multi-faceted understanding of quantum entities.
The Factors Influencing Urban Health Services among Ethnic Groups in the U.S.
Authors: Martinez Linda , O’Lawrence Henry
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this study is to conduct a non-systematic meth-analysis of a literature review by way of reviewing research that was found in any databases under the terms “urban health services” in order to document the major factors influencing urban health among minorities; and if there are any policies that promote health and prevent disease. Data from current the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the World Health Organization also provided significant findings. This study also explores the underlying conditions and root causes contributing to health inequities and the interdependent nature of the factors that create them, by drawing from existing literature and syntheses on health disparities and health inequities. Even though public services, such as health and health service provisions in urban areas may be much better than those in rural areas, it has not been proven if it is the case for less disadvantaged populations living in the urban cities. This study highlights many of the issues leading to health inequities, such as social economic status, ethnicity, and age differences. There is a need to reduce health inequities among high-middle and low-income groups by providing or equalizing health opportunities across the socioeconomic groups.
Load Profile Segmentation for Effective Residential Demand Response Program: Method and Evidence from Korean Pilot Study
Authors: Lee Eunjung , Kim Jinho , Jang Dongsik
Published: March 2020

Due to the heterogeneity of demand response behaviors among customers, selecting a suitable segment is one of the key factors for the efficient and stable operation of the demand response (DR) program. Most utilities recognize the importance of targeted enrollment. Customer targeting in DR programs is normally implemented based on customer segmentation. Residential customers are characterized by low electricity consumption and large variability across times of consumption. These factors are considered to be the primary challenges in household load profile segmentation. Existing customer segmentation methods have limitations in reflecting daily consumption of electricity, peak demand timings, and load patterns. In this study, we propose a new clustering method to segment customers more effectively in residential demand response programs and thereby, identify suitable customer targets in DR. The approach can be described as a two-stage k-means procedure including consumption features and load patterns. We provide evidence of the outstanding performance of the proposed method compared to existing k-means, Self-Organizing Map (SOM) and Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) models. Segmentation results are also analyzed to identify appropriate groups participating in DR, and the DR effect of targeted groups was estimated in comparison with customers without load profile segmentation. We applied the proposed method to residential customers who participated in a peak-time rebate pilot DR program in Korea. The result proves that the proposed method shows outstanding performance: demand reduction increased by 33.44% compared with the opt-in case and the utility saving cost in DR operation was 437,256 KRW. Furthermore, our study shows that organizations applying DR programs, such as retail utilities or independent system operators, can more economically manage incentive-based DR programs by selecting targeted customers.
Multi-Hop LoRa Network Protocol with Minimized Latency
Authors: Mai Dinh Loc , Kim Myung Kyun
Published: March 2020

LoRa (Long Range) is a long-range communications capacity with chirp spread spectrum modulation. It has been developed for Internet of Things (IoT) applications for long-distance and low power consumption. Some authors proposed LoRa protocols such as LoRaWAN, LoRaBlink, DQ-LoRa and the multi-hop LoRa network with linear topology; however, these protocols have disadvantages. In this paper, we propose a minimized latency multi-hop LoRa network protocol that is collision-free with low latency to improve on the disadvantages. First, in the proposed protocol, tree topology is constructed by exchanging packets between LoRa nodes and the sink node. During this period, a timeslot and channel are assigned to each tree link, over which LoRa nodes communicate with their parent node and which is collision-free with its neighbor nodes. After the tree construction period, LoRa nodes start data transmission using the timeslot and channel that they have already been assigned to in the tree construction period. We developed the proposed protocol in a LoRa node prototype using the MultiTech mDot module, and we conducted experiments at Ulsan University. The results show that the proposed protocol provides high reliability, parallel transmissions, a minimized number of timeslots assigned for all the links in the network, a minimized packet size, and low latency.
Performance Evaluation of Bus Rapid Transit System: A Comparative Analysis of Alternative Approaches for Energy Efficient Eco-Friendly Public Transport System
Authors: Shah Syyed Adnan Raheel , Shahzad Monib , Ahmad Naveed , Zamad Abdullah , Hussan Sabahat , Aslam Muhammad Asif , Khan Ahsan Rehman , Asif Muhammad Abdullah , Shahzadi Gullnaz , Waseem Muhammad
Published: March 2020

The development of the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) is tremendously growing in developing countries of the world. In large cities, the projection of transportation intends to enhance economic growth and changes the image of the city for both residents and outsiders. The purpose of this research was to study the application of alternative options for energy efficient BRTS in developing countries. The BRTS has some of its accessibility patterns that relate to the socio-economic strata. A decision-making efficiency analysis methodology has been applied to analyze the comparative analysis of both conventional fuel and hybrid bus systems for the Multan city of Pakistan. The section-wise application of a hybrid energy-based bus system has been analyzed in comparison to the conventional bus system. Out of 21 stations, the efficiency-wise hybrid bus system remained superior or equivalent to the standard value of 1 except one midpoint section. The finding of the analysis indicates that the hybrid mechanism of buses can not only replace a conventional fuel-based system, but will also help as an energy-efficient and eco-friendly economical solution. This study will help to revolutionize the bus rapid transit system in developing countries.
Going beyond Environment to Context: Leveraging the Power of Context to Produce Change
Authors: Schalock Robert L. , Luckasson Ruth , Shogren Karrie A.
Published: March 2020

This article discusses the processes and implications of going beyond environment to context. The article (a) provides an operational definition of context; (b) describes a multidimensional model of context that views context as being multilevel, multifactorial, and interactive; (c) describes how conceptual models of quality of life, human rights, and human functioning can be used in conjunction with the multidimensional model of context to identify opportunities and develop context-based change strategies that improve quality of life, human rights, and human functioning outcomes; and (d) describes a four-step approach to leveraging an understanding of context to produce change. The article concludes with a discussion of the advantages of and barriers to moving beyond environment to context.
Remediation of 1-Nitropyrene in Soil: A Comparative Study with Pyrene
Authors: Li Shuo , Huang Yatao , Zhang Minhui , Gao Yanchen , Pan Canping , Deng Kailin , Fan Bei
Published: March 2020

Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nPAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants, which exhibits higher toxicity than their corresponding parent PAHs (pPAHs). Recent studies demonstrated that the nPAHs could represent major soil pollution, however the remediation of nPAHs has been rarely reported. In this study, biological, physical, and chemical methods have been applied to remove 1-nitropyrene, the model nPAH, in contaminated soil. A comparative study with pyrene has also been investigated and evaluated. The results suggest that the physical method with activated carbon is an efficient and economical approach, removing 88.1% and 78.0% of 1-nitropyrene and pyrene respectively, within one day. The zero-valent ion has a similar removal performance on 1-nitropyrene (83.1%), converting 1-nitropyrene to 1-aminopyrene in soil via chemical reduction and decreasing the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of 1-nitropyrene. Biological remediation that employs scallion as a plant model can reduce 55.0% of 1-nitropyrene in soil (from 39.6 to 17.8 μg/kg), while 77.9% of pyrene can be removed by plant. This indicates that nPAHs might be more persistent than corresponding pPAHs in soil. It is anticipated that this study could draw public awareness of nitro-derivatives of pPAHs and provide remediation technologies of carcinogenic nPAHs in soil.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Post-Mortem Hippocampus and in Serum from Young, Elder, and Alzheimer’s Patients
Authors: Ramos-García Nicte Alaide , Orozco-Ibarra Marisol , Estudillo Enrique , Elizondo Guillermo , Gómez Apo Erick , Chávez Macías Laura Graciela , Sosa-Ortiz Ana Luisa , Torres-Ramos Mónica Adriana
Published: March 2020

One of the characteristics of the cerebral aging process is the presence of chronic inflammation through glial cells, which is particularly significant in neurodegeneration. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) participates in the inflammatory response. Currently, evidence in animal models shows that the hallmarks of aging are associated with changes in the AHR levels. However, there is no information concerning the behavior and participation of AHR in the human aging brain or in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We evaluated the expression of AHR in human hippocampal post-mortem tissue and its association with reactive astrocytes by immunohistochemistry. Besides this, we analyzed through ELISA the AHR levels in blood serum from young and elder participants, and from AD patients. The levels of AHR and glial fibrillar acid protein were higher in elder than in young post-mortem brain samples. AHR was localized mainly in the cytosol of astrocytes and displayed a pattern that resembles extracellular vesicles; this latter feature was more conspicuous in AD subjects. We found higher serum levels of AHR in AD patients than in the other participants. These results suggest that AHR participates in the aging process, and probably in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like AD.
Functional Ingredients From Brassicaceae Species: Overview and Perspectives
Authors: Ramirez Daniela , Abellán-Victorio Angel , Beretta Vanesa , Camargo Alejandra , Moreno Diego A.
Published: March 2020

Brassicaceae vegetables are important crops consumed worldwide due to their unique flavor, and for their broadly recognized functional properties, which are directly related to their phytochemical composition. Isothiocyanates (ITC) are the most characteristic compounds, considered responsible for their pungent taste. Besides ITC, these vegetables are also rich in carotenoids, phenolics, minerals, and vitamins. Consequently, Brassica’s phytochemical profile makes them an ideal natural source for improving the nutritional quality of manufactured foods. In this sense, the inclusion of functional ingredients into food matrices are of growing interest. In the present work, Brassicaceae ingredients, functionality, and future perspectives are reviewed.
IL-35 and RANKL Synergistically Induce Osteoclastogenesis in RAW264 Mouse Monocytic Cells
Authors: Kamiya Yosuke , Kikuchi Takeshi , Goto Hisashi , Okabe Iichiro , Takayanagi Yuhei , Suzuki Yuki , Sawada Noritaka , Okabe Teppei , Suzuki Yuki , Kondo Shun , Hayashi Jun-ichiro , Mitani Akio
Published: March 2020

Interleukin (IL)-35 is an immunosuppressive cytokine mainly produced by regulatory T cells. IL-35 mediates immunological functions by suppressing the inflammatory immune response. However, the role of IL-35 in bone-destructive diseases remains unclear, especially in terms of osteoclastogenesis. Therefore, the current study investigated the synergistic effect of IL-35 on osteoclastogenesis that is involved the pathogeneses of periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoclastic differentiation and osteoclastogenesis of RAW264 (RAW) cells induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-κB ligand (RANKL) and IL-35 were evaluated by tartrate-resistant acid phosphate staining, hydroxyapatite resorption assays, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The effect of IL-35 on RANKL-stimulated signaling pathways was assessed by Western blot analysis. Costimulation of RAW cells by RANKL and IL-35 induced osteoclastogenesis significantly compared with stimulation by RANKL alone. Phosphorylations of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase tended to be increased by RANKL and IL-35 compared with RANKL or IL-35 alone. Additionally, the osteoclastogenesis induced by RANKL and IL-35 was suppressed by inhibition of ERK. In this study, IL-35 and RANKL induced osteoclastogenesis synergistically. Previous reports have shown that IL-35 suppresses the differentiation of osteoclasts. Therefore, IL-35 might play dual roles of destruction and protection in osteoclastogenesis.
Linking Experimental and Numerical Wave Modelling
Authors: van Essen Sanne , Scharnke Jule , Bunnik Tim , Düz Bülent , Bandringa Henry , Hallmann Rink , Helder Joop
Published: March 2020

Experimental or numerical analysis of the response of ships and other floating structures starts with correct environmental modelling. The capabilities of numerical tools are rapidly expanding, but presently the evaluation of extreme events in waves (such as slamming, green water, air-gap exceedance) still requires a combination of experiments and different levels of numerical tools. The present paper describes recent efforts within the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) to improve experimental and numerical wave modelling and especially their combination. The ultimate objective is to be able to reproduce any wave condition from a basin or from sea in numerical tools and vice versa, including a sound treatment of basin effects, numerical effects and statistical variability. The aspects that are of importance in both types of wave modelling are first introduced, after which a number of examples of recent projects is discussed. It can be concluded that important steps were made towards linking experimental and numerical wave modelling, but there are some challenges common to all wave reproductions. Some future planned studies focussing on how to deal with them are discussed as well.
Analysis of the Discrete Theory of Radiative Transfer in the Coupled “Ocean–Atmosphere” System: Current Status, Problems and Development Prospects
Authors: Afanas’ev Viktor P. , Basov Alexander Yu. , Budak Vladimir P. , Efremenko Dmitry S. , Kokhanovsky Alexander A.
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we analyze the current state of the discrete theory of radiative transfer. One-dimensional, three-dimensional and stochastic radiative transfer models are considered. It is shown that the discrete theory provides a unique solution to the one-dimensional radiative transfer equation. All approximate solution techniques based on the discrete ordinate formalism can be derived based on the synthetic iterations, the small-angle approximation, and the matrix operator method. The possible directions for the perspective development of radiative transfer are outlined.
Surface Currents Derived from SAR Doppler Processing: An Analysis over the Naples Coastal Region in South Italy
Authors: Zamparelli Virginia , De Santi Francesca , Cucco Andrea , Zecchetto Stefano , De Carolis Giacomo , Fornaro Gianfranco
Published: March 2020

Several studies have shown the capabilities of Synthetic Aperture Radar to map sea currents in ocean regions mainly characterized by large flows. We consider the well known method based on the analysis of the Doppler Centroid. The Doppler, as, in general, the scattering from the sea, is sensitive to several phenomena, occurring between the upper ocean and atmospheric boundary layers. To investigate such phenomena, we considered the combined use of both ENVISAT calibrated amplitude and Doppler data in conjunction with hindcast wind information provided by atmospheric models as well as Wind and Doppler Geophysical Model Functions (W/D-GMF) developed, in the literature, for C-Band systems. This integrated analysis for the interpretation of the Doppler surface currents measurements was carried out on a case study located in the Mediterranean Sea which is characterized by a general low circulation regime: specifically, the coastal region around the city of Naples. In this case study, we show that generally, wind plays a direct significant role in the observed Doppler surface current. The availability of an oceanographic numerical model for one of the analyzed cases also allowed us to attempt to interpret the effect of the typical thermohaline circulation pattern on the Doppler anomaly.
Dead Reckoning for Trajectory Estimation of Underwater Drifters under Water Currents †
Authors: Klein Itzik , Diamant Roee
Published: March 2020

Between external position updates, the most useful technique for trajectory estimation of a submerged drifter is dead reckoning (DR). These devices drift with the water current to measure the current’s velocity or to observe physical phenomena. We focus on the specific but important case of when the drifter, due to its size and shape, experiences acceleration by the water current, an effect that must be taken into account during the DR. The force induced by the water current over the drifter is translated into a shift in the heading direction, thus creating a horizontal (sideslip) and a vertical (angle of attack) directional angles between the drifter’s moving direction and its body frame. In this paper, we extend and modify techniques used for pedestrian DR and propose PCA-DR: a principle component analysis-based DR algorithm to estimate the directional angles. Used for cases where the water current is significant such that its force induces acceleration over the drifter and used only for short time periods of a few seconds between navigation fixes, PCA-DR uses acceleration measurements only and does not assume knowledge of the drifter’s dynamics. Instead, as part of the DR process, PCA-DR estimates the directional angles induced by the water current. Compared to the traditional DR approach, our results demonstrate good navigation performance. A designated sea experiment demonstrates the applicability of PCA-DR in a realistic sea environment.
Feeding Whole Thraustochytrid Biomass to Cultured Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Fingerlings: Culture Performance and Fatty Acid Incorporation
Authors: Lee Chang Kim Jye , Parrish Christopher C. , Simon Cedric J. , Revill Andrew T. , Nichols Peter D.
Published: March 2020

Replacement of fish oil by 5% thraustochytrid whole cell biomass in diets for Atlantic salmon had no ill effect on fish growth performance, carcass total lipid and total fatty acid content. Carcass fatty acid composition indicated incorporation of the dietary thraustochytrid-derived fatty acids. This was confirmed by compound specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) which revealed significantly 13C-depleted (δ13C value of −24‰) ω3 long-chain (≥C20) polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 LC-PUFAs) in the fingerlings fed the thraustochytrid biomass containing diet, reflecting the highly 13C-depleted glycerol used to grow the thraustochytrid cultures. This finding demonstrates the bioavailability of the ω3 LC-PUFA of the Australian strain thraustochytrid culture (TC) 20 from the whole cell biomass that was partly cultivated on crude glycerol produced during biodiesel manufacturing. This paper demonstrates the value of Australian thraustochytrid strains grown heterotrophically for their wider biotechnological potential including as a source of higher value lipids, in particular the health-benefitting ω3 LC-PUFA, for use in aquaculture and other applications.