bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Plasma Metabolomics in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Meta-Analysis of Two Cohorts
Authors: Laíns Inês , Chung Wonil , Kelly Rachel S. , Gil João , Marques Marco , Barreto Patrícia , Murta Joaquim N. , Kim Ivana K. , Vavvas Demetrios G. , Miller John B. , Silva Rufino , Lasky-Su Jessica , Liang Liming , Miller Joan W. , Husain Deeba
Published: July 2019

The pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness worldwide, remains only partially understood. This has led to the current lack of accessible and reliable biofluid biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis, and absence of treatments for dry AMD. This study aimed to assess the plasma metabolomic profiles of AMD and its severity stages with the ultimate goal of contributing to addressing these needs. We recruited two cohorts: Boston, United States (n = 196) and Coimbra, Portugal (n = 295). Fasting blood samples were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. For each cohort, we compared plasma metabolites of AMD patients versus controls (logistic regression), and across disease stages (permutation-based cumulative logistic regression considering both eyes). Meta-analyses were then used to combine results from the two cohorts. Our results revealed that 28 metabolites differed significantly between AMD patients versus controls (false discovery rate (FDR) q-value: 4.1 × 10−2–1.8 × 10−5), and 67 across disease stages (FDR q-value: 4.5 × 10−2–1.7 × 10−4). Pathway analysis showed significant enrichment of glycerophospholipid, purine, taurine and hypotaurine, and nitrogen metabolism (p-value ≤ 0.04). In conclusion, our findings support that AMD patients present distinct plasma metabolomic profiles, which vary with disease severity. This work contributes to the understanding of AMD pathophysiology, and can be the basis of future biomarkers and precision medicine for this blinding condition.
Dual-Band Plasmonic Perfect Absorber Based on Graphene Metamaterials for Refractive Index Sensing Application
Authors: Yi Zao , Liang Cuiping , Chen Xifang , Zhou Zigang , Tang Yongjian , Ye Xin , Yi Yougen , Wang Junqiao , Wu Pinghui
Published: July 2019

We demonstrate a dual-band plasmonic perfect absorber (PA) based on graphene metamaterials. Two absorption peaks (22.5 μm and 74.5 μm) with the maximal absorption of 99.4% and 99.9% have been achieved, respectively. We utilize this perfect absorber as a plasmonic sensor for refractive index (RI) sensing. It has the figure of merit (FOM) of 10.8 and 3.2, and sensitivities of about 5.6 and 17.2 μm/RIU, respectively. Hence, the designed dual-band PA-based RI sensor exhibits good sensing performance in the infrared regime, which offers great potential applications in various biomedical, tunable spectral detecting, environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics.
Effect of Annealing Temperature for Ni/AlOx/Pt RRAM Devices Fabricated with Solution-Based Dielectric
Authors: Shen Zongjie , Qi Yanfei , Mitrovic Ivona , Zhao Cezhou , Hall Steve , Yang Li , Luo Tian , Huang Yanbo , Zhao Chun
Published: July 2019

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices with Ni/AlOx/Pt-structure were manufactured by deposition of a solution-based aluminum oxide (AlOx) dielectric layer which was subsequently annealed at temperatures from 200 °C to 300 °C, in increments of 25 °C. The devices displayed typical bipolar resistive switching characteristics. Investigations were carried out on the effect of different annealing temperatures for associated RRAM devices to show that performance was correlated with changes of hydroxyl group concentration in the AlOx thin films. The annealing temperature of 250 °C was found to be optimal for the dielectric layer, exhibiting superior performance of the RRAM devices with the lowest operation voltage (<1.5 V), the highest ON/OFF ratio (>104), the narrowest resistance distribution, the longest retention time (>104 s) and the most endurance cycles (>150).
Toxicity of TiO2, ZnO, and SiO2 Nanoparticles in Human Lung Cells: Safe-by-Design Development of Construction Materials
Authors: Remzova Monika , Zouzelka Radek , Brzicova Tana , Vrbova Kristyna , Pinkas Dominik , Rőssner Pavel , Topinka Jan , Rathousky Jiri
Published: July 2019

Rapid progress in the development of highly efficient nanoparticle-based construction technologies has not always been accompanied by a corresponding understanding of their effects on human health and ecosystems. In this study, we compare the toxicological effects of pristine TiO2, ZnO, SiO2, and coated SiO2 nanoparticles, and evaluate their suitability as additives to consolidants of weathered construction materials. First, water soluble tetrazolium 1 (WST-1) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were used to determine the viability of human alveolar A549 cells at various nanoparticle concentrations (0–250 μg mL−1). While the pristine TiO2 and coated SiO2 nanoparticles did not exhibit any cytotoxic effects up to the highest tested concentration, the pristine SiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles significantly reduced cell viability. Second, as all developed nanoparticle-modified consolidants increased the mechanical strength of weathered sandstone, the decisive criterion for the selection of the most suitable nanoparticle additive was as low toxicity as possible. We believe that this approach would be of high importance in the industry, to identify materials representing top functional properties and low toxicity, at an early stage of the product development.
Use of an Extract of Annona muricata Linn to Prevent High-Fat Diet Induced Metabolic Disorders in C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Sasso Sandramara , Sampaio e Souza Priscilla Cristovam , Santana Lidiani Figueiredo , Cardoso Claudia Andréa Lima , Alves Flávio Macedo , Portugal Luciane Candeloro , de Faria Bernardo Bacelar , da Silva Anderson Fernandes , Motta-Castro Ana Rita Coimbra , Soares Luana Silva , Bandeira Larissa Melo , Guimarães Rita de Cássia Avellaneda , Freitas Karine de Cássia
Published: July 2019

Annona muricata Linn, commonly known as graviola, is one of the most popular plants used in Brazil for weight loss. The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of three different doses (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 150 mg/kg) of aqueous graviola leaf extract (AGE) supplemented by oral gavage, on obese C57BL/6 mice. Food intake, body weight, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), an insulin sensitivity test, quantification of adipose tissue cytokines, weight of fat pads, and serum biochemical and histological analyses of the liver, pancreas, and epididymal adipose tissue were measured. AGE had an anti-inflammatory effect by increasing IL-10 at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. Regarding the cholesterol profile, there was a significant decrease in LDL-cholesterol levels in the AGE 150 group, and VLDL-cholesterol and triglycerides in the AGE 100 and 150 groups. There was an increase in HDL cholesterol in the AGE 150 group. The extract was able to reduce the adipocyte area of the epididymal adipose tissue in the AGE 100 and 150 groups. According to the histological analysis of the liver and pancreas, no significant difference was found among the groups. There were no significant effects of AGE on OGTT and serum fasting glucose concentration. However, the extract was effective in improving glucose tolerance in the AGE 150 group.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Structurally Varied 5′-/6′-Isonucleosides and Theobromine-Containing N-Isonucleosidyl Derivatives
Authors: Xavier Nuno M. , de Sousa Eduardo C. , Pereira Margarida P. , Loesche Anne , Serbian Immo , Csuk René , Oliveira M. Conceição
Published: July 2019

Isonucleosides are rather stable regioisomeric analogs of nucleosides with broad therapeutic potential. We have previously demonstrated the ability of 5′ and 6′-isonucleosides to inhibit the activity of acetylcholinesterase, a major target for Alzheimer’s disease therapy. Continuing with our research on this topic, we report herein on the synthesis and biological evaluation of a variety of novel terminal isonucleosides and theobromine isonucleotide analogs. Xylofuranose-based purine or uracil 5′-isonucleosides and xylofuranos-5′-yl or glucos-6′-yl theobromine derivatives were accessed via Mitsunobu coupling between partially protected xylofuranose or glucofuranose derivatives with a nucleobase using conventional or microwave-assisted heating conditions. Theobromine-containing N-isonucleosidyl sulfonamide and phosphoramidate derivatives were synthesized from isonucleosidyl acetate precursors. The most active compounds in the cholinesterase inhibition assays were a glucopyranose-based theobromine isonucleosidyl acetate, acting as a dual inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE, Ki = 3.1 µM) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE, Ki = 5.4 µM), and a 2-O,4-O-bis-xylofuranos-5′-yl uracil derivative, which displayed moderate inhibition of AChE (Ki = 17.5 µM). Docking studies revealed that the active molecules are positioned at the gorge entrance and at the active site of AChE. None of the compounds revealed cytoxic activity to cancer cells as well as to non-malignant mouse fibroblasts.
Targeting Cell Adhesion Molecules via Carbonate Apatite-Mediated Delivery of Specific siRNAs to Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Ashaie Maeirah Afzal , Islam Rowshan Ara , Kamaruzman Nur Izyani , Ibnat Nabilah , Tha Kyi Kyi , Chowdhury Ezharul Hoque
Published: July 2019

While several treatment strategies are applied to cure breast cancer, it still remains one of the leading causes of female deaths worldwide. Since chemotherapeutic drugs have severe side effects and are responsible for development of drug resistance in cancer cells, gene therapy is now considered as one of the promising options to address the current treatment limitations. Identification of the over-expressed genes accounting for constitutive activation of certain pathways, and their subsequent knockdown with specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), could be a powerful tool in inhibiting proliferation and survival of cancer cells. In this study, we delivered siRNAs against mRNA transcripts of over-regulated cell adhesion molecules such as catenin alpha 1 (CTNNA1), catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1), talin-1 (TLN1), vinculin (VCL), paxillin (PXN), and actinin-1 (ACTN1) in human (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and murine (4T1) cell lines as well as in the murine female Balb/c mice model. In order to overcome the barriers of cell permeability and nuclease-mediated degradation, the pH-sensitive carbonate apatite (CA) nanocarrier was used as a delivery vehicle. While targeting CTNNA1, CTNNB1, TLN1, VCL, PXN, and ACTN1 resulted in a reduction of cell viability in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, delivery of all these siRNAs via carbonate apatite (CA) nanoparticles successfully reduced the cell viability in 4T1 cells. In 4T1 cells, delivery of CTNNA1, CTNNB1, TLN1, VCL, PXN, and ACTN1 siRNAs with CA caused significant reduction in phosphorylated and total AKT levels. Furthermore, reduced band intensity was observed for phosphorylated and total MAPK upon transfection of 4T1 cells with CTNNA1, CTNNB1, and VCL siRNAs. Intravenous delivery of CTNNA1 siRNA with CA nanoparticles significantly reduced tumor volume in the initial phase of the study, while siRNAs targeting CTNNB1, TLN1, VCL, PXN, and ACTN1 genes significantly decreased the tumor burden at all time points. The tumor weights at the end of the treatments were also notably smaller compared to CA. This successfully demonstrates that targeting these dysregulated genes via RNAi and by using a suitable delivery vehicle such as CA could serve as a promising therapeutic treatment modality for breast cancers.
Nanostructured Lipid Carrier Gel for the Dermal Application of Lidocaine: Comparison of Skin Penetration Testing Methods
Authors: Zsikó Stella , Cutcher Kendra , Kovács Anita , Budai-Szűcs Mária , Gácsi Attila , Baki Gabriella , Csányi Erzsébet , Berkó Szilvia
Published: July 2019

The aim of this research was to investigate the stability of a lidocaine-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier dispersion at different temperatures, formulate a nanostructured lipid carrier gel, and test the penetration profile of lidocaine from the nanostructured lipid carrier gel using different skin penetration modeling methods. The formulations were characterized by laser diffraction, rheological measurements and microscopic examinations. Various in vitro methods were used to study drug release, diffusion and penetration. Two types of vertical Franz diffusion cells with three different membranes, including cellulose, Strat-M®, and heat separated human epidermis were used and compared to the Skin-parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) method. Results indicated that the nanostructured lipid carrier dispersion had to be gelified as soon as possible for proper stability. Both the Skin-PAMPA model and Strat-M® membranes correlated favorably with heat separated human epidermis in this research, with the Strat-M® membranes sharing the most similar drug permeability profile to an ex vivo human skin model. Our experimental findings suggest that even when the best available in vitro experiment is selected for modeling human skin penetration to study nanostructured lipid carrier gel systems, relevant in vitro/in vivo correlation should be made to calculate the drug release/permeation in vivo. Future investigations in this field are still needed to demonstrate the influence of membranes and equipment from other classes on other drug candidates.
Community Pharmacist-Provided Wellness and Monitoring Services in an Employee Wellness Program: A Four-Year Summary
Authors: Liu Yifei , Guthrie Kendall D. , May Justin R. , DiDonato Kristen L.
Published: July 2019

Objective: To assess the clinical outcomes of participants of an employee wellness program during four years of service implementation. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at 15 independent community pharmacy chain locations in northwest and central Missouri. A total of 200 participants were enrolled in an employee wellness program, and the program included five monitoring groups—cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, weight, and healthy participant groups. Participants selected a pharmacist wellness coordinator and wellness appointments were conducted, consisting of education, goal-setting, and monitoring through physical assessment and point of care testing. The primary outcome measures were total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC). The secondary outcome measures were the proportion of patients who achieved the clinical value goals at baseline versus 48 months. The primary outcome measures among data collection time points were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests, and the secondary outcomes were compared between baseline and 48 months by Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests. One-way ANOVA post hoc tests were also performed using least significant difference, to further identify which time points differed from each other. Results: At baseline, there were 134 patients in the cholesterol monitoring group, 129 in the weight monitoring group, 117 in the blood pressure monitoring group, 46 in the blood glucose monitoring group, and 26 in the healthy participant monitoring group. For patients in the blood pressure monitoring group, compared with baseline, there was a significant decrease in DBP at months 12, 24, 36, and 48, and a significant increase in the proportion of patients achieving blood pressure goals at 48 months. For patients in the blood glucose monitoring group, compared with baseline, there was a significant decrease in FBG at months 12, 24, 36, and 48, and a significant increase in the proportion of patients achieving blood glucose goals at 48 months. Conclusions: Pharmacist-led wellness visits provided to employee wellness patients in a community pharmacy may lead to improvements in BP and FBG values.
Expression of miR159 Is Altered in Tomato Plants Undergoing Drought Stress
Authors: López-Galiano María José , García-Robles Inmaculada , González-Hernández Ana I. , Camañes Gemma , Vicedo Begonya , Real M. Dolores , Rausell Carolina
Published: July 2019

In a scenario of global climate change, water scarcity is a major threat for agriculture, severely limiting crop yields. Therefore, alternatives are urgently needed for improving plant adaptation to drought stress. Among them, gene expression reprogramming by microRNAs (miRNAs) might offer a biotechnologically sound strategy. Drought-responsive miRNAs have been reported in many plant species, and some of them are known to participate in complex regulatory networks via their regulation of transcription factors involved in water stress signaling. We explored the role of miR159 in the response of Solanum lycopersicum Mill. plants to drought stress by analyzing the expression of sly-miR159 and its target SlMYB transcription factor genes in tomato plants of cv. Ailsa Craig grown in deprived water conditions or in response to mechanical damage caused by the Colorado potato beetle, a devastating insect pest of Solanaceae plants. Results showed that sly-miR159 regulatory function in the tomato plants response to distinct stresses might be mediated by differential stress-specific MYB transcription factor targeting. sly-miR159 targeting of SlMYB33 transcription factor transcript correlated with accumulation of the osmoprotective compounds proline and putrescine, which promote drought tolerance. This highlights the potential role of sly-miR159 in tomato plants’ adaptation to water deficit conditions.
On the Origin of Alkali-Catalyzed Aromatization of Phenols
Authors: Ji Yu , Yao Qiang , Zhao Yueying , Cao Weihong
Published: July 2019

To gain an insight of the chemistry in the alkali-promoted aromatization of oxygen-containing heavily aromatic polymers or biomass; thermal degradations of sodium phenolates with different substituents have been investigated. The -ONa group strongly destabilizes the phenolates. The thermal stability of phenolates is largely in parallel with bond strengths of Ar substituents. De-substituents and the removal of aromatic hydrogens are dominant reactions in the main degradation step. CO is formed only at a very late stage. This degradation pattern is completely different from that of phenol. To account for this distinctive decomposition; a mechanism involving an unprecedented formation of an aromatic carbon radical anion generated from the homolytic cleavage of Ar substituent (or Ar–H) in keto forms has been proposed. The homolytic cleavage of Ar substituent (or Ar–H) is facilitated by the strong electron-donating ability of the oxygen anion. A set of free-radical reactions involved in the alkali-catalyzed aromatization have been established.
A Novel Universal Approach for Temperature Correction on Frequency Domain Spectroscopy Curve of Transformer Polymer Insulation
Authors: Liu Jiefeng , Fan Xianhao , Zhang Yiyi , Zheng Hanbo , Yao Huilu , Zhang Chaohai , Zhang Yubo , Li Dajian
Published: July 2019

It is a fact that the frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) curve at different temperatures can be corrected by the shift factor (αT) extracted from the master curve. However, the αT and master curve reported by previous works are distinctive due to the difference in the construction algorithm. Therefore, it is of great significance to report a universal approach for extracting αT. In this work, the unaged oil-immersed pressboards with different moisture content (mc%) are firstly prepared and selected as the research specimen. Then, the αT of FDS curves on the above pressboard is extracted based upon the master curve technique. The influence mechanism under the various test temperature (T) and mc% is therefore analyzed so as to establish a universal model for predicting the αT. The present findings reveal that the αT value extracted from FDS curves is both temperature-dependent and moisture-dependent. In addition, the predicted αT is not only suitable for temperature correction on FDS curve of same type pressboard with different insulation conditions (moisture contents and aging degrees), but also maintains considerable accuracy when applied to different types of pressboard. Therefore, the obtained conclusions will provide a universal method for temperature correction on FDS curve of transformer polymer insulation.
Fabrication of Green Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic Wood Flour for Efficient Oil Separation from Water
Authors: Tan Xuefei , Zang Deli , Qi Haiqun , Liu Feng , Cao Guoliang , Ho Shih-Hsin
Published: July 2019

The removal of oil from waste water is gaining increasing attention. In this study, a novel synthesis method of green superhydrophobic/superoleophilic wood flour is proposed using the deposition of nano–zinc oxide (nZnO) aggregated on the fiber surface and the subsequent hydrophobic modification of octadecanoic acid. The as-prepared wood flour displayed great superhydrophobicity and synchronous superoleophilicity properties with the water contact angle (WCA) of 156° and oil contact angle (OCA) of 0° for diesel oil. Furthermore, the as-prepared wood flour possessed an excellent stability, probably due to the strong adhesion of nZnO, which aggregates to the fiber surface of wood flour with the action of glutinous polystyrene. The maximum adsorption capacity of as-prepared wood flour was 20.81 g/g for engine oil, which showed that the as-prepared wood flour is a potential candidate as an efficient oil adsorbent in the field of water-oil separation. Moreover, it has good chemical steadiness and environmental durability. Taken together, all the information acquired from this research could be valuable in evaluating the potential of as-prepared wood flour as a competitive and sustainable oil-water separation material.
Curcumin Analogues with Aldose Reductase Inhibitory Activity: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Docking
Authors: Kondhare Dasharath , Deshmukh Sushma , Lade Harshad
Published: July 2019

Curcumin, a constituent of Curcuma longa, has shown numerous biological and pharmacological activities, including antidiabetic effects. Here, a novel series of curcumin analogues were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro inhibition of aldose reductase (AR), the first and rate-limiting enzyme of the polyol pathway, which plays a key role in the onset and progression of diabetic complications. Biological activity studies showed that all the curcuminoids exhibited moderate to good AR inhibitory (ARI) activities compared with that of the quercetin standard. Importantly, compounds 8d, 8h, 9c, 9e, and 10g demonstrated promising ARI activities, with the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 5.73, 5.95, 5.11, 5.78, and 5.10 µM, respectively. Four other compounds exhibited IC50 values in the range of 6.04–6.18 µM. Methyl and methoxy derivatives showed a remarkable ARI potential compared with that of other substitutions on the aromatic ring. Molecular docking experiments demonstrated that the most active curcuminoid (10g) was able to favorably bind in the active site of the AR enzyme. The potent ARI activities exhibited by the curcuminoids were attributed to their substitution patterns on the aromatic moiety, which may provide novel leads in the development of therapeutics for the treatment of diabetic complications.
Contributorship, Not Authorship: Use CRediT to Indicate Who Did What
Authors: Holcombe Alex O.
Published: July 2019

Participation in the writing or revising of a manuscript is, according to many journal guidelines, necessary to be listed as an author of the resulting article. This is the traditional concept of authorship. But there are good reasons to shift to a contributorship model, under which it is not necessary to contribute to the writing or revision of a manuscript, and all those who make substantial contributions to a project are credited. Many journals and publishers have already taken steps in this direction, and further adoption will have several benefits. This article makes the case for continuing to move down that path. Use of a contributorship model should improve the ability of universities and funders to identify effective individual researchers and improving their ability to identify the right mix of researchers needed to advance modern science. Other benefits should include facilitating the formation of productive collaborations and the creation of important scientific tools and software. The CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) taxonomy is a machine-readable standard already incorporated into some journal management systems and it allows incremental transition toward contributorship.
The Catholic Yijing: Lü Liben’s Passion Narratives in the Context of the Qing Prohibition of Christianity
Authors: Lai John T. P. , Wu Jochebed Hin Ming
Published: July 2019

Yijing benzhi 易經本旨 (original meaning of the Yijing, 1774) constitutes a unique piece of Christian literature produced by the Chinese Catholic believer Lü Liben 呂立本 in the Qing period. Following in the footsteps of Jesuit missionaries such as Joachim Bouvet (1656–1730), Lü represents a rare Chinese voice of the Figurist interpretation of the Yijing by claiming that ancient Chinese sages had received and recorded God’s divine revelation in this venerated Chinese classic. Focusing on his narratives of Christ’s Passion, this paper examines the ways in which Lü interprets the symbolic meanings of the trigrams/hexagrams and deduces their theological connotations in light of Catholic thought. The interweaving of religious devotion, tradition and experience underpinned a creative re-interpretation of the Passion narratives, which strives to sustain the faith of Chinese Catholic communities in the context of the Qing prohibition and persecution of Christianity.
The Use of UAV Mounted Sensors for Precise Detection of Bark Beetle Infestation
Authors: Klouček Tomáš , Komárek Jan , Surový Peter , Hrach Karel , Janata Přemysl , Vašíček Bedřich
Published: July 2019

The bark beetle (Ips typographus) disturbance represents serious environmental and economic issue and presents a major challenge for forest management. A timely detection of bark beetle infestation is therefore necessary to reduce losses. Besides wood production, a bark beetle outbreak affects the forest ecosystem in many other ways including the water cycle, nutrient cycle, or carbon fixation. On that account, (not just) European temperate coniferous forests may become endangered ecosystems. Our study was performed in the unmanaged zone of the Krkonoše Mountains National Park in the northern part of the Czech Republic where the natural spreading of bark beetle is slow and, therefore, allow us to continuously monitor the infested trees that are, in contrast to managed forests, not being removed. The aim of this work is to evaluate possibilities of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-mounted low-cost RGB and modified near-infrared sensors for detection of different stages of infested trees at the individual level, using a retrospective time series for recognition of still green but already infested trees (so-called green attack). A mosaic was created from the UAV imagery, radiometrically calibrated for surface reflectance, and five vegetation indices were calculated; the reference data about the stage of bark beetle infestation was obtained through a combination of field survey and visual interpretation of an orthomosaic. The differences of vegetation indices between infested and healthy trees over four time points were statistically evaluated and classified using the Maximum Likelihood classifier. Achieved results confirm our assumptions that it is possible to use a low-cost UAV-based sensor for detection of various stages of bark beetle infestation across seasons; with increasing time after infection, distinguishing infested trees from healthy ones grows easier. The best performance was achieved by the Greenness Index with overall accuracy of 78%–96% across the time periods. The performance of the indices based on near-infrared band was lower.
Relationship of Abrupt Vegetation Change to Climate Change and Ecological Engineering with Multi-Timescale Analysis in the Karst Region, Southwest China
Authors: Xu Xiaojuan , Liu Huiyu , Lin Zhenshan , Jiao Fusheng , Gong Haibo
Published: July 2019

Vegetation is known to be sensitive to both climate change and anthropogenic disturbance in the karst region. However, the relationship between an abrupt change in vegetation and its driving factors is unclear at multiple timescales. Based on the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method, the abrupt changes in vegetation and its possible relationships with the driving factors in the karst region of southwest China during 1982–2015 are revealed at multiple timescales. The results showed that: (1) the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) showed an overall increasing trend and had an abrupt change in 2001. After the abrupt change, the greening trend of the NDVI in the east and the browning trend in the west, both changed from insignificant to significant. (2) After the abrupt change, at the 2.5-year time scale, the correlation between the NDVI and temperature changed from insignificantly negative to significantly negative in the west. Over the long-term trend, it changed from significantly negative to significantly positive in the east, but changed from significantly positive to significantly negative in the west. The abrupt change primarily occurred on the long-term trend. (3) After the abrupt change, 1143.32 km2 farmland was converted to forests in the east, and the forest area had significantly increased. (4) At the 2.5-year time scale, the abrupt change in the relationships between the NDVI and climate factors was primarily driven by climate change in the west, especially rising temperatures. Over the long-term trend, it was caused by ecological protection projects in the east, but by rising temperatures in the west. The integration of the abrupt change analysis and multiple timescale analysis help assess the relationship of vegetation changes with climate changes and human activities accurately and comprehensively, and deepen our understanding of the driving mechanism of vegetation changes, which will further provide scientific references for the protection of fragile ecosystems in the karst region.
An Approach to Moho Topography Recovery Using the On-Orbit GOCE Gravity Gradients and Its Applications in Tibet
Authors: Wan Jiakuan , Xu Chuang , Luo Zhicai , Wu Yihao , Zhou Boyang , Yan Jianguo
Published: July 2019

It is significant to determine the refined Moho topography for understanding the tectonic structure of the crust and upper mantle. A novel method to invert the Moho topography from the on-orbit gravity gradients is proposed in the present study. The Moho topography of Tibet is estimated by our method, which is verified by previous studies. The research results show that: (1) the deepest Moho of Tibet, approximately 70 km, is located at the western Kunlun area, where it corresponds well to that of previous publications; (2) clear Moho folds can be observed from the inverted Moho topography, whose direction presents a clockwise pattern and is in good agreement with that of Global Positioning System; (3) compared with the CRUST 1.0, our inverted Moho model has a better spatial resolution and reveals more details for tectonic structure; (4) the poor density model of the crust in Tibet may be the main reason for the differences between the obtained gravity Moho model and seismic Moho model; (5) by comparing our inverted Moho with those from previous publications, our method is correct and effective. This work provides a new method for the study of Moho topography and the interior structure of the Earth.
Assessment of the Dual Polarimetric Sentinel-1A Data for Forest Fuel Moisture Content Estimation
Authors: Wang Long , Quan Xingwen , He Binbin , Yebra Marta , Xing Minfeng , Liu Xiangzhuo
Published: July 2019

Fuel moisture content (FMC) is a crucial variable affecting fuel ignition and rate of fire spread. Much work so far has focused on the usage of remote sensing data from multiple sensors to derive FMC; however, little attention has been devoted to the usage of the C-band Sentinel-1A data. In this study, we aimed to test the performance of C-band Sentinel-1A data for multi-temporal retrieval of forest FMC by coupling the bare soil backscatter linear model with the vegetation backscatter water cloud model (WCM). This coupled model that linked the observed backscatter directly to FMC, was firstly calibrated using field FMC measurements and corresponding synthetic aperture radar (SAR) backscatters (VV and VH), and then a look-up table (LUT) comprising of the modelled VH backscatter and FMC was built by running the calibrated model forwardly. The absolute difference (MAEr) of modelled and observed VH backscatters was selected as the cost function to search the optimal FMC from the LUT. The performance of the presented methodology was verified using the three-fold cross-validation method by dividing the whole samples into equal three parts. Two parts were used for the model calibration and the other one for the validation, and this was repeated three times. The results showed that the estimated and measured forest FMC were consistent across the three validation samples, with the root mean square error (RMSE) of 19.53% (Sample 1), 12.64% (Sample 2) and 15.45% (Sample 3). To further test the performance of the C-band Sentinel-1A data for forest FMC estimation, our results were compared to those obtained using the optical Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) data and the empirical partial least squares regression (PLSR) method. The latter resulted in higher RMSE between estimated and measured forest FMC with 20.11% (Sample 1), 26.21% (Sample 2) and 26.73% (Sample 3) than the presented Sentinel-1A data-based method. Hence, this study demonstrated that the good capability of C-band Sentinel-1A data for forest FMC retrieval, opening the possibility of developing a new operational SAR data-based methodology for forest FMC estimation.
Retrieving Leaf Chlorophyll Content by Incorporating Variable Leaf Surface Reflectance in the PROSPECT Model
Authors: Qiu Feng , Chen Jing M. , Croft Holly , Li Jing , Zhang Qian , Zhang Yongqin , Ju Weimin
Published: July 2019

Leaf chlorophyll content plays a vital role in plant photosynthesis. The PROSPECT model has been widely used for retrieving leaf chlorophyll content from remote sensing data over various plant species. However, despite wide variations in leaf surface reflectance across different plant species and environmental conditions, leaf surface reflectance is assumed to be the same for different leaves in the PROSPECT model. This work extends the PROSPECT model by taking into account the variation of leaf surface reflection. In the modified model named PROSPECT-Rsurf, an additional surface layer with a variable refractive index is bounded on the N elementary layers. Leaf surface reflectance (Rs) is characterized by the difference between the refractive indices of leaf surface and interior layers. The specific absorption coefficients of the leaf total chlorophyll and carotenoids were recalibrated using a cross-calibration method and the refractive indices of leaf surface and interior layers were obtained during model inversion. Chlorophyll content (Cab) retrieval and spectral reconstruction in the visible spectral region (VIS, 400–750 nm) were greatly improved using PROSPECT-Rsurf, especially for leaves covered by heavy wax or hard cuticles that lead to high surface reflectance. The root mean square error (RMSE) of chlorophyll estimates decreased from 11.1 µg/cm2 to 8.9 µg/cm2 and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) increased from 0.81 to 0.88 (p < 0.01) for broadleaf samples in validation, compared to PROSPECT-5. For needle leaves, r increased from 0.71 to 0.89 (p < 0.01), but systematic overestimation of Cab was found due to the edge effects of needles. After incorporating the edge effects in PROSPECT-Rsurf, the overestimation of Cab was alleviated and its estimation was improved for needle leaves. This study explores the influence of leaf surface reflectance on Cab estimation at the leaf level. By coupling PROSPECT-Rsurf with canopy models, the influence of leaf surface reflectance on canopy reflectance and therefore canopy chlorophyll content retrieval can be investigated across different spatial and temporal scales.
West Lake Tourist: A Visual Analysis System Based on Taxi Data
Authors: Jiang Yunliang , Cao Junjie , Liu Yong , Fan Jing
Published: July 2019

Mining the mobile pattern of the urban population plays an important role in city construction, and visual analysis is a powerful technique in studying mobile patterns. In this paper, based on the taxi trajectory data in Hangzhou, we share our design for an interactive visual analytic system, which helps analyzers leverage their domain knowledge to gain insight into travel patterns, including travel time rules of tourists and the distribution rules of pick-up and drop-off locations. Besides, our system can present the dynamic travel process and the Point of Interest (POIs) information of the origin and the destination. A case study has been conducted, which verifies that our system can provide tools for urban managers or urban experts on the design of scenic spot open entrances and exits and travel route planning.
What Do Romanian Farmers Think about the Effects of Pesticides? Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Bio-Pesticides
Authors: Petrescu-Mag Ruxandra Malina , Banatean-Dunea Ioan , Vesa Stefan Cristian , Copacinschi Sofia , Petrescu Dacinia Crina
Published: July 2019

Farmers’ knowledge and perception of risks associated with pesticides are core issues in adopting sustainable behavior related to pesticides. This study aimed to find out if Romanian farmers’ perceptions regarding the effects of conventional pesticides on pests, health, and the environment can predict farmers’ willingness to replace conventional pesticides with bio ones and to pay a higher price for the latter. This is the first investigation of Romanian farmers’ perceptions regarding pesticides, thus providing information useful both from the market and environmental protection perspectives. Binary logistic regression was performed to test the relationship between the perceived effect of pesticides, on the one side, and willingness to change conventional with bio-pesticides and willingness to pay for bio-pesticides, on the other side. It was found that the efficiency of conventional pesticides on combating pests and their effects on a farmer’s health can predict farmer willingness to replace conventional approaches with bio-pesticides. Conclusions disclose entry points for interventions aimed at improving communication and information strategies at the country level for raising awareness of the adverse effects of pesticide products, both at the food consumer and farmer levels.
Optimizing the Grouting Design for Groundwater Inrush Control in Completely Weathered Granite Tunnel: An Experimental and Field Investigation
Authors: Zheng Weihua , Wang Dengwu , Li Guijin , Qin Lin , Luo Kai , Liu Jinquan
Published: July 2019

Groundwater and mud inrush disaster from completely weathered granite presents a huge difficulty for tunnel construction, which requires the grouting measurement with favorable performance. To propose the optimal material parameters for grouting, numerous tests, including strength, permeability, and anti-washout, were conducted to evaluate the effects of grouting filling ratio (GFR), curing age and water velocity on the grouting effect. The test results show that: (1) The hydraulic property of completely weathered granite can be significantly improved by increasing the grouting volume and curing age. In particular, when GFR ≥ 48%, the cohesion and internal friction angle increased to about 200 kPa and 30°, which were more than three and ten times of that pre-grouting. (2) With the increase of GFR, the permeability exhibited three stages: Slowly decreasing stage, sharply decreasing stage and stable stage. When increased from 32% to 48%, the permeability coefficient sharply decreased two orders of magnitude, namely from 4.05 × 10−5 cm/s to 1 × 10−7 cm/s. (3) The particle erosion rate decreased sharply to below 10% in the low water velocity (v ≤ 0.2 m/s) when GFR ≥ 48%, but still exceeded 50% when v ≥ 0.4m/s. The results indicated that the grouting volume of GFR = 48% was a suitable grouting parameter to reinforce the completely weathered granite, particularly in the low water velocity condition. The field investigation of hydraulic-mechanical behaviors in the Junchang tunnel indicated that the grouting effect can be improved markedly.
A Self-Predictable Crop Yield Platform (SCYP) Based On Crop Diseases Using Deep Learning
Authors: Lee SangSik , Jeong YiNa , Son SuRak , Lee ByungKwan
Published: July 2019

This paper proposes a self-predictable crop yield platform (SCYP) based on crop diseases using deep learning that collects weather information (temperature, humidity, sunshine, precipitation, etc.) and farm status information (harvest date, disease information, crop status, ground temperature, etc.), diagnoses crop diseases by using convolutional neural network (CNN), and predicts crop yield based on factors such as climate change, crop diseases, and others by using artificial neural network (ANN). The SCYP consists of an image preprocessing module (IPM) to determine crop diseases through the Google Vision API and image resizing, a crop disease diagnosis module (CDDM) based on CNN to diagnose the types and extent of crop diseases through photographs, and a crop yield prediction module (CYPM) based on ANN by using information of crop diseases, remaining time until harvest (based on the date), current temperature, humidity and precipitation (amount of snowfall) in the area, sunshine amount, ground temperature, atmospheric pressure, moisture evaporation in the ground, etc. Four experiments were conducted to verify the efficiency of the SCYP. In the CDMM, the accuracy and operation time of each model were measured using three neural network models: CNN, region-CNN(R-CNN), and you only look once (YOLO). In the CYPM, rectified linear unit (ReLU), Sigmoid, and Step activation functions were compared to measure ANN accuracy. The accuracy of CNN was about 3.5% higher than that of R-CNN and about 5.4% higher than that of YOLO. The operation time of CNN was about 37 s less than that of R-CNN and about 72 s less than that of YOLO. The CDDM had slightly less operation time, but in this paper, we prefer accuracy over operation time to diagnose crop diseases efficiently and accurately. When the activation function of the ANN used in the CYPM was ReLU, the accuracy of the ANN was 2% higher than that of Sigmoid and 7% higher than that of Step. The CYPM prediction was about 34% more accurate when using multiple diseases than when not using them. Therefore, the SCYP can predict farm yields more accurately than traditional methods.
Factors Influencing Construction Waste Generation in Building Construction: Thailand’s Perspective
Authors: Luangcharoenrat Chakkrit , Intrachooto Singh , Peansupap Vachara , Sutthinarakorn Wandee
Published: July 2019

Rapid growth in construction activities as a result of a growing population and urbanization in many parts of the world generates a large amount of waste from construction. To reduce and manage these wastes, a comprehensive understanding of the construction waste generation factors is needed. The purpose of this study is to identify the contributing factors of construction waste in Thailand’s construction industry. The causes of construction waste were identified through an extensive literature review. A total of 28 causes of construction waste were identified and grouped into the four categories: design and documentation, material and procurement, construction method and planning, and human resources. To determine the significant level of each factor, a structured questionnaire survey was carried out to gather information from contractors about causes of construction material waste. The results show that the categories contributing to construction waste ranks as design and documentation, human resources, construction methods and planning, and material and procurement, respectively. Meanwhile, factors from each category were also determined and ranked. Design change, inattentive working attitudes and behaviors, ineffective planning and scheduling, and material storage were among the highest impact factors on construction waste generation in each category. Identifying the significance levels of waste generation factors will help the industry’s stakeholders build suitable strategies to manage construction waste more effectively.
Information Sharing with ICT in Production Systems and Operational Performance
Authors: Pérez-López Rubén Jesús , Olguín Tiznado Jesús Everardo , Mojarro Magaña María , Camargo Wilson Claudia , López Barreras Juan Andrés , García-Alcaraz Jorge Luis
Published: July 2019

In globalized times the integration of information and communication technologies in companies and their supply chains is required, but there is uncertainty regarding the true impact that these have on efficiency indices or benefits gained in the productive system. This article reports a structural equation model that contains ten hypotheses with five latent variables associated with the integration of information and communication technology in production systems such as information exchange, operations management, production control, distribution activities, and operational benefits obtained. The paper aims to quantify the relationships among those variables, facilitating managers to make decisions in information and communication technologies (ICT) implementation. The model is validated with information from 80 responses to a questionnaire applied to manufacturing companies, and partial least-squares technique is used to statistically validate the hypotheses; the results indicate that the implementation of information technologies facilitates the exchange of information, operations management and production control. This means that ICT integration can create visibility for a supply chain in a material’s flow among partners, facilitate operations management in production lines and distribution activities, and these benefits are ultimately transformed into operational benefits that managers measure as flexibility, low cost and short cycles times with customers.