bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scenario Analysis of Carbon Emissions in the Energy Base, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China
Authors: Qin Jiancheng , Tao Hui , Zhan Minjin , Munir Qamar , Brindha Karthikeyan , Mu Guijin
Published: August 2019

The realization of carbon emissions peak is important in the energy base area of China for the sustainable development of the socio-economic sector. The STIRPAT model was employed to analyze the elasticity of influencing factors of carbon emissions during 1990–2010 in the Xinjiang autonomous region, China. The results display that population growth is the key driving factor for carbon emissions, while energy intensity is the key restraining factor. With 1% change in population, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, energy intensity, energy structure, urbanization level, and industrial structure, the change in carbon emissions was 0.80%, 0.48%, 0.20%, 0.07%, 0.58%, and 0.47%, respectively. Based on the results from regression analysis, scenario analysis was employed in this study, and it was found that Xinjiang would be difficult to realize carbon emissions peak early around 2030. Under the condition of the medium-high change rates in energy intensity, energy structure, industrial structure, and with the low-medium change rates in population, GDP per capita, and urbanization level, Xinjiang will achieve carbon emissions peak at of 626.21, 636.24, 459.53, and 662.25 million tons in the year of 2030, 2030, 2040, and 2040, respectively. At last, under the background of Chinese carbon emissions peak around 2030, this paper puts forward relevant policies and suggestions to the sustainable socio-economic development for the energy base area, Xinjiang autonomous region.
How Can Innovation in Urban Agriculture Contribute to Sustainability? A Characterization and Evaluation Study from Five Western European Cities
Authors: Sanyé-Mengual Esther , Specht Kathrin , Grapsa Erofili , Orsini Francesco , Gianquinto Giorgio
Published: August 2019

Compared to rural agriculture, urban agriculture (UA) has some distinct features (e.g., the limited land access, alternative growing media, unique legal environments or the non-production-related missions) that encourage the development of new practices, i.e., “novelties” or “innovations”. This paper aims to (1) identify the “triggers” for novelty production in UA; (2) characterize the different kinds of novelties applied in UA; (3) evaluate the “innovativeness” of those social, environmental and economic novelties; and, (4) estimate the links between novelties and sustainability. The study was based on the evaluation of 11 case studies in four Western European countries (Italy, Germany, France and Spain). The results show that the trigger and origin of new activities can often be traced back to specific problems that initiators were intended to address or solve. In total, we found 147 novelties produced in the 11 case studies. More novelties are produced in the environmental and social dimensions of sustainability than in the economic. In most cases, external stakeholders played an important role in supporting the projects. The analysis further suggests that innovativeness enhances the overall sustainability in urban agriculture projects.
Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain the Effects of Cognitive Factors across Different Kinds of Green Products
Authors: Zhang Leibao , Fan Yanli , Zhang Wenyu , Zhang Shuai
Published: August 2019

Sustainable development is a powerful impetus to achieve the coordination between economic advancement and environmental protection. Therefore, the promotion and adoption of green consumption has attracted increasing attention from academics. As an important tool for multivariate data analyses, structural equation modelling has been extensively used in purchase intention for green products. However, most previous research has recognized green products as a general class when studying their purchase intention, which focused little attention on comparing purchase intention for different kinds of green products. This study extends and tests the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and includes another cognitive construct, that is, environmental concern, to explore purchase intention for different kinds of green products. First, the effect of TPB constructs was examined on purchase intention for utilitarian green products and hedonic green products. Second, a cognitive factor, that is, environmental concern, was used to test its different effects on these two kinds of green products. Third, the indirect effect of environmental concern on purchase intention was measured for these two kinds of green products. The study showed that extended TPB constructs, that is, attitude, perceived behavior control, and environmental concern positively and significantly affected purchase intention for both utilitarian green products and hedonic green products, while subjective norm only significantly and positively affected purchase intention for utilitarian green products. Moreover, the cognitive factor, that is, environmental concern, had a higher effect on purchase intention for utilitarian green products than purchase intention for hedonic green products, and it also had a similar indirect effect on both kinds of green products. This study provides an insight to policymakers, entrepreneurs, and marketers into how to increase purchase intention for different kinds of green products.
Teaching for a Better World. Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals in the Construction of a Change-Maker University
Authors: Zamora-Polo Francisco , Sánchez-Martín Jesús
Published: August 2019

Sustainability, as a key concept in the education field, has submitted a relevant change during the last years. Thus, there is a growing debate about its meaning. It has undergone a crucial merging of significances from many fields: Ecology, environmental awareness, but also from politics, ethics or even spiritual approaches. All these fields have been co-involved in the building of such subject concept. In this sense, this article addresses the different ways of understanding sustainability as a polyhedral concept and how sustainability can be understood under the umbrella of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, it is proposed a conceptual framework to teach this UN Program at Higher Education, contributing to the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students from both a professional and a personal point of view. This framework is applied in a case study—in particular, in a course of Primary Teacher Degree called Didactics of Matter and Energy. This article finishes with practical consideration to build a change-maker University.
Granite Pavement Nitrate Desalination: Traditional Methods vs. Biocleaning Methods
Authors: Bosch-Roig Pilar , Allegue Hugo , Bosch Ignacio
Published: August 2019

High levels of nitrate contamination of granite stone are a major problem, affecting large surfaces of many historical monuments, particularly in the north-west of Spain. This study showed a comparison between different traditional and biotechnological desalination methods in order to evaluate the most appropriate cleaning treatment for nitrate desalination of granite. Three types of traditional desalination methods (with cellulose and/or sepiolite) were compared with two types of bacterial denitrifying treatments that used Pseudomonas stutzeri (with cotton wool or with agar 2% as delivery systems). The in-situ tests were carried in the Cristo Chapel of Stª Mª de Conxo in Santiago de Compostela (Spain), which has a high nitrate salt content in its granite pavement. Conductivity and nitrate content measurements, biological monitoring and digital image analysis were performed to determinate the efficacy of each method. The findings showed that both techniques succeeded in reducing salt content, but bio-desalination was the more effective method tested. This work contributes to the practical implementation of BTCH (Biocleaning Technologies for Cultural Heritage) for the bio-desalination of granite surfaces, and to the evaluation of the use of non-destructive cleaning techniques based on digital imaging.
Minero-Petrographic Characterization of Chianocco Marble Employed for Palazzo Madama Façade in Turin (Northwest Italy)
Authors: Gambino Francesca , Borghi Alessandro , d’Atri Anna , Martire Luca , Cavallo Martina , Appolonia Lorenzo , Croveri Paola
Published: August 2019

The study of ancient marble plays an important role in the interpretation of historical and archaeological sites and gives interesting information about building materials used in ancient times and their trade routes. The present work focuses on Chianocco marble that represents one of the most important ancient white marbles for cultural heritage exploited in the Piedmont region (Northwest Italy) and employed for the Palazzo Madama façade. A multi-analytical study based on petrographic (optical and scanning electron microscopy), electron microprobe, cathodoluminescence and stable isotope analyses was carried out on these marbles in order to perform an archaeometric study. Chianocco marble was used in Turin during the baroque era by the Savoy architect Filippo Juvarra (1678–1736) in historical buildings, such as the façade of the Palazzo Madama, the plinth of the façade of the town Cathedral and the columns (now plastered) of the portico of Piazza San Carlo. This stone is a dolomitic rock belonging to the Mesozoic cover of the Dora Maira Massif (Pennidic Unit). It shows a vuggy fabric characterized by a vacuolar texture due to tectonic brecciation and subsequent selective dissolution during subaerial exposure. This kind of research is useful to highlight the importance of the use of local stones as building materials and to investigate stone materials for the restoration and maintenance of historical buildings.
CFD Simulation of Convective Heat Transfer on Vernacular Sustainable Architecture: Validation and Application of Methodology
Authors: Zhong Wenzhou , Zhang Tong , Tamura Tetsuro
Published: August 2019

The global background of energy shortages and climate deterioration demands bioclimatic sustainable buildings. Vernacular architecture can provide a useful resource of passive strategies and techniques for creating inner comfort conditions with minimum heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) assistance. The identification and verification of such knowledge are essential for climate responsive or energy passive building design. Among the methods, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a useful tool for simulating convective heat transfer of vernacular architecture and predicting the convective heat transfer coefficient (CHTC) and flow field. Geometric complexity and diversity of building samples are crucial in the development of an effective simulation methodology in terms of computational cost and accuracy. Therefore, this paper presents high-resolution 3D steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) CFD simulations of convective heat transfer on Japanese vernacular architecture, namely, “machiya.” A CFD validation study on the CHTC is performed based on wind-tunnel experiments on a cube heated by constant heat flux and placed in a turbulent channel flow with a Reynolds number of 3.3 × 104. Three steady RANS models and two boundary layer modeling approaches are compared and discussed. Results show that the SST k-ω model applied with low Reynolds number modeling approach is suitable for CHTC simulations on a simplified building model. The RNG k-ε model applied with wall functions is an appropriate choice for simulating flow field of a complicated building model. Overall, this study develops a methodology involving RANS model selection, boundary layer modeling, and target model fitting to predict the convective heat transfer on vernacular architecture.
Effects on Carbon Sources and Sinks from Conversion of Over-Mature Forest to Major Secondary Forests and Korean Pine Plantation in Northeast China
Authors: Wu Bin , Mu Changcheng , Zhao Jiaqi , Zhou Xuejiao , Zhang Junhui
Published: August 2019

The effects of replacing over-mature forest with secondary forests and plantations are significant for terrestrial ecosystem carbon (C) dynamics. However, the carbon balance and recovery time of this replacement process remain unclear. This study measured the fluxes of CH4 and CO2 in soils and the annual net C sequestration (ANCS) from seven ecosystems with different vegetation types (over-mature forest (OMF), Korean pine plantation (KPP), hardwood forest (HWF), Betula platyphylla forest (BPF), Populous davidiana forest (PDF), mixed deciduous forest (MDF), and Mongolian oak forest (MOF)) using the static chamber-gas chromatography method and the relative growth equation method. We examined the effects of environmental factors (e.g., air and soil temperature, soil volumetric water content (SVWC), soil pH, nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), and soil organic carbon (SOC)) on CH4 and CO2 fluxes at the Maoershan Ecosystem Research Station in Northeast China. The carbon source or sink of OMF, KPP, and five secondary forests (HWF, BPF, PDF, MDF, and MOF) were then evaluated based on net ecosystem C balance. The results revealed that the mean annual CH4 fluxes varied between −0.046 and −0.077 mg m−2 h−1. The mean annual absorption of CH4 in the secondary forests and OMF were respectively 1.09–1.67 times and 1.11 times higher than that of KPP (0.046 mg m−2 h−1, p < 0.05). The mean annual CO2 fluxes varied between 140.425 and 250.023 mg m−2 h−1. The CO2 fluxes in the secondary forests and KPP soils were respectively 1.33–1.78 times and 1.16 times higher than that of OMF (140.425 mg m−2 h−1, p < 0.05). The CH4 and CO2 fluxes were mainly influenced by air and soil temperature, SVWC, soil pH, NO3−-N, NH4+-N, and SOC in Northeast China. The ANCS of vegetation (3.41 ± 0.27 − 6.26 ± 0.75 t C ha−1 y−1) varied widely among different forest types: KPP had the largest ANCS (6.26 ± 0.75 t C ha−1 y−1, which was higher than secondary forests and OMF by 1.20–1.84 times and 1.46 times, respectively, p > 0.05). Carbon sources and sinks were significantly different among the seven types of vegetation: OMF and KPP were observed to be the greatest C sinks, and secondary forests were shown to be the weakest carbon sinks or net C sources in the study region.
Dynamic Evaluation and Regionalization of Maize Drought Vulnerability in the Midwest of Jilin Province
Authors: Guo Ying , Wang Rui , Tong Zhijun , Liu Xingpeng , Zhang Jiquan
Published: August 2019

Drought vulnerability analysis of crops can build a bridge between hazard factors and disasters and become the main tool to mitigate the impact of drought. However, the resulting disagreement about the appropriate definition of vulnerability is a frequent cause for misunderstanding and a challenge for attempts to develop formal models of vulnerability. This paper presents a generally applicable conceptual framework of vulnerability that combines a nomenclature of vulnerable situations and a terminology of vulnerability based on the definition in the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) report. By selecting 10 indicators, the drought disaster vulnerability assessment model is established from four aspects. In order to verify our model, we present a case study of maize drought vulnerability in the Midwest of the Jilin Province. Our analysis reveals the relationship between each single factor evaluation indicator and drought vulnerability, as well as each indicator to every other indicator. The results show that the drought disturbing degree in different growth periods increases from the central part of the Jilin Province to the western part of the Jilin Province. The sensitivity degree showed an increasing trend from the southeast to the northwest. The places with the strongest self-recovery ability are mainly concentrated in Changchun, Siping, Baicheng, and the other area. The ability to adjust to drought in each growth period is weak and crop yield reduction caused by drought is easy to create. Environmental adaptability is closely related to the social and economic situation every year, so it changes greatly and is flexible. Areas with strong drought vulnerability are mainly concentrated in Baicheng, Tongyu, and Qianguo. The research results can provide a certain basis for risk assessment, early warning, and disaster prevention and mitigation of agricultural drought disaster in the research area.
Prediction Model of Alcohol Intoxication from Facial Temperature Dynamics Based on K-Means Clustering Driven by Evolutionary Computing
Authors: Kubicek Jan , Vilimek Dominik , Krestanova Alice , Penhaker Marek , Kotalova Eva , Faure-Brac Bastien , Noel Clément , Scurek Radomir , Augustynek Martin , Cerny Martin , Kantor Tomas
Published: August 2019

Alcohol intoxication is a significant phenomenon, affecting many social areas, including work procedures or car driving. Alcohol causes certain side effects including changing the facial thermal distribution, which may enable the contactless identification and classification of alcohol-intoxicated people. We adopted a multiregional segmentation procedure to identify and classify symmetrical facial features, which reliably reflects the facial-temperature variations while subjects are drinking alcohol. Such a model can objectively track alcohol intoxication in the form of a facial temperature map. In our paper, we propose the segmentation model based on the clustering algorithm, which is driven by the modified version of the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) evolutionary optimization with the goal of facial temperature features extraction from the IR (infrared radiation) images. This model allows for a definition of symmetric clusters, identifying facial temperature structures corresponding with intoxication. The ABC algorithm serves as an optimization process for an optimal cluster’s distribution to the clustering method the best approximate individual areas linked with gradual alcohol intoxication. In our analysis, we analyzed a set of twenty volunteers, who had IR images taken to reflect the process of alcohol intoxication. The proposed method was represented by multiregional segmentation, allowing for classification of the individual spatial temperature areas into segmentation classes. The proposed method, besides single IR image modelling, allows for dynamical tracking of the alcohol-temperature features within a process of intoxication, from the sober state up to the maximum observed intoxication level.
High-Precision Authentication Scheme Based on Matrix Encoding for AMBTC-Compressed Images
Authors: Su Guo-Dong , Chang Chin-Chen , Lin Chia-Chen
Published: August 2019

In this paper, a high-precision image authentication scheme for absolute moment block truncation coding (AMBTC)-compressed images is presented. For each block, two sub-bitmaps are conducted using the symmetrical separation, and the six-bit authentication code is symmetrically assigned to two sub-codes, which is virtually embedded into sub-bitmaps using the matrix encoding later. To overcome distortion caused by modifications to the bitmap, the corresponding to-be-flipped bit-location information is recorded instead of flipping these bits of the bitmap directly. Then, the bit-location information is inserted into quantization levels based on adjusted quantization level matching. In contrast to previous studies, the proposed scheme offers a significantly improved tampering detection ability, especially in the first hierarchical tampering detection without remediation measures, with an average tampering detection rate of up to 98.55%. Experimental results show that our approach provides a more stable and reliable tampering detection performance and sustains an acceptable visual quality.
A Novel Noise Suppression Channel Estimation Method Based on Adaptive Weighted Averaging for OFDM Systems
Authors: Zhang Mingtong , Zhou Xiao , Wang Chengyou
Published: August 2019

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems have inherent symmetric properties, such as coding and decoding, constellation mapping and demapping, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) operations corresponding to multi-carrier modulation and demodulation, and channel estimation is a necessary module to resist channel fading in the OFDM system. However, the noise in the channel will significantly affect the accuracy of channel estimation, which further affects the recovery quality of the final received signals. Therefore, this paper proposes an efficient noise suppression channel estimation method for OFDM systems based on adaptive weighted averaging. The basic idea of the proposed method is averaging the last few channel coefficients obtained from coarse estimation to suppress the noise effect, while the average frame number is adaptively adjusted by combining Doppler spread and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information. Meanwhile, to better combat the negative effect brought by Doppler spread and inter-carrier interference (ICI), the proposed method introduces a weighting factor to correct the weighted value of each frame in the averaging process. Simulation results show that the proposed channel estimation method is effective and provides better performance compared with other conventional channel estimation methods.
Exploring the Utilization of Gradient Information in SIFT Based Local Image Descriptors
Authors: Dong Guangyao , Yan Han , Lv Guohua , Dong Xiangjun
Published: August 2019

The utilization of gradient information is a key issue in building Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT)-like descriptors. In the literature, two types of gradient information, i.e., Gradient Magnitude (GM) and Gradient Occurrence (GO), are used for building descriptors. However, both of these two types of gradient information have limitations in building and matching local image descriptors. In our prior work, a strategy of combining these two types of gradient information was proposed to intersect the keypoint matches which are obtained by using gradient magnitude and gradient occurrence individually. Different from this combination strategy, this paper explores novel strategies of weighting these two types of gradient information to build new descriptors with high discriminative power. These proposed weighting strategies are extensively evaluated against gradient magnitude and gradient occurrence as well as the combination strategy on a few image registration datasets. From the perspective of building new descriptors, experimental results will show that each of the proposed strategies achieve higher matching accuracy as compared to both GM-based and GO-based descriptors. In terms of recall results, one of the proposed strategies outperforms both GM-based and GO-based descriptors.
Ball Convergence for Combined Three-Step Methods Under Generalized Conditions in Banach Space
Authors: Alharbey R. A. , Argyros Ioannis K. , Behl Ramandeep
Published: August 2019

Problems from numerous disciplines such as applied sciences, scientific computing, applied mathematics, engineering to mention some can be converted to solving an equation. That is why, we suggest higher-order iterative method to solve equations with Banach space valued operators. Researchers used the suppositions involving seventh-order derivative by Chen, S.P. and Qian, Y.H. But, here, we only use suppositions on the first-order derivative and Lipschitz constrains. In addition, we do not only enlarge the applicability region of them but also suggest computable radii. Finally, we consider a good mixture of numerical examples in order to demonstrate the applicability of our results in cases not covered before.
Conditional Granger Causality and Genetic Algorithms in VAR Model Selection
Authors: Marica Vasile George , Horobet Alexandra
Published: August 2019

Overcoming symmetry in combinatorial evolutionary algorithms is a challenge for existing niching methods. This research presents a genetic algorithm designed for the shrinkage of the coefficient matrix in vector autoregression (VAR) models, constructed on two pillars: conditional Granger causality and Lasso regression. Departing from a recent information theory proof that Granger causality and transfer entropy are equivalent, we propose a heuristic method for the identification of true structural dependencies in multivariate economic time series. Through rigorous testing, both empirically and through simulations, the present paper proves that genetic algorithms initialized with classical solutions are able to easily break the symmetry of random search and progress towards specific modeling.
Symmetry Encoder-Decoder Network with Attention Mechanism for Fast Video Object Segmentation
Authors: Guo Mingyue , Zhang Dejun , Sun Jun , Wu Yiqi
Published: August 2019

Semi-supervised video object segmentation (VOS) has obtained significant progress in recent years. The general purpose of VOS methods is to segment objects in video sequences provided with a single annotation in the first frame. However, many of the recent successful methods heavily fine-tune the object mask in the first frame, which decreases their efficiency. In this work, to address this issue, we propose a symmetry encoder-decoder network with the attention mechanism for video object segmentation (SAVOS) requiring only one forward pass to segment the target object in a video. Specifically, the encoder generates a low-resolution mask with smoothed boundaries, while the decoder further refines the details of the segmentation mask and integrates lower level features progressively. Besides, to obtain accurate segmentation results, we sequentially apply the attention module on multi-scale feature maps for refinement. We conduct several experiments on three challenging datasets (i.e., DAVIS 2016, DAVIS 2017, and SegTrack v2) to show that SAVOS achieves competitive performance against the state-of-the-art.
Experimental Study on the Application of Heat-Treated High-Strength Lattice Girder in Tunnel Engineering
Authors: Tan Zhongsheng , Han Kaihang
Published: August 2019

Heat-treated high-strength rebar has many advantages, such as high strength, superior ductility, high yield ratio, excellent welding and cold bending performance, which can effectively reduce the amount of rebar and improve the project quality. Although heat-treated high-strength rebar has been successfully applied in many fields of civil engineering, its application in tunnel engineering is just getting started. In this study, the on-site test of axisymmetric heat-treated high-strength lattice girders in rail tunnels and road tunnels was carried out. Comparative analysis of the performance of axisymmetric heat-treated high-strength lattice girders and original-design I20b steel rib was conducted. The test results show that the settlement of high-strength lattice girders is decreased by about 7%~30% compared with the test section of original-design I20b steel rib. The surrounding rock pressure is similar, but the stress of high-strength lattice girders is slightly higher than that of I20b steel rib. Due to the better binding ability of the lattice girders and the concrete, the ultimate bearing capacity of the ‘lattice girders and shotcrete’ is greater than that of the ‘I20b steel rib and shotcrete’. Moreover, the steel consumption of lattice girder is about 36% less than I20b steel rib, which shows significant economic and social benefits.
Numerical Simulation of Pattern Formation on Surfaces Using an Efficient Linear Second-Order Method
Authors: Lee Hyun Geun
Published: August 2019

We present an efficient linear second-order method for a Swift–Hohenberg (SH) type of a partial differential equation having quadratic-cubic nonlinearity on surfaces to simulate pattern formation on surfaces numerically. The equation is symmetric under a change of sign of the density field if there is no quadratic nonlinearity. We introduce a narrow band neighborhood of a surface and extend the equation on the surface to the narrow band domain. By applying a pseudo-Neumann boundary condition through the closest point, the Laplace–Beltrami operator can be replaced by the standard Laplacian operator. The equation on the narrow band domain is split into one linear and two nonlinear subequations, where the nonlinear subequations are independent of spatial derivatives and thus are ordinary differential equations and have closed-form solutions. Therefore, we only solve the linear subequation on the narrow band domain using the Crank–Nicolson method. Numerical experiments on various surfaces are given verifying the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
On Formality of Some Homogeneous Spaces
Authors: Tralle Aleksy
Published: August 2019

Let G / H be a homogeneous space of a compact simple classical Lie group G. Assume that the maximal torus T H of H is conjugate to a torus T β whose Lie algebra t β is the kernel of the maximal root β of the root system of the complexified Lie algebra g c . We prove that such homogeneous space is formal. As an application, we give a short direct proof of the formality property of compact homogeneous 3-Sasakian spaces of classical type. This is a complement to the work of Fernández, Muñoz, and Sanchez which contains a full analysis of the formality property of S O ( 3 ) -bundles over the Wolf spaces and the proof of the formality property of homogeneous 3-Sasakian manifolds as a corollary.
Application of the Phage Lysin Ply5218 in the Treatment of Streptococcus suis Infection in Piglets
Authors: Wang Zhaofei , Ma Jingjiao , Wang Jian , Yang Denghui , Kong Licheng , Fu Qiang , Cheng Yuqiang , Wang Hengan , Yan Yaxian , Sun Jianhe
Published: August 2019

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a gram-positive bacterium and zoonotic pathogen. Currently it poses a serious problem in the swine industry due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Thus, novel antimicrobials against S. suis infections are urgently needed. In the previous study, a cell wall hydrolase or lysin derived from Streptococcus prophage phi5218, termed Ply5218, was identified. This lysin showed strong bacteriolytic activity against S. suis. In the current study, the in vitro data showed that after incubation with pig serum, the bacteriolytic efficacy of Ply5218 declined in a time-dependent manner. The in vivo assays indicated that a Ply5218 triple treatment (6, 24, and 48 h post infection) was effective against various serotypes of S. suis in a murine infection model. This regimen also alleviated streptococcal-induced clinical symptoms in piglets and significantly reduced the bacterial burden and levels of interleukin 6, a proinflammatory cytokine. This study indicates that Ply5218 shows strong antibacterial activity in pigs and has the potential to be used as a treatment for infectious diseases caused by S. suis.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Dromedary Camels in Africa and Middle East
Authors: Kandeil Ahmed , Gomaa Mokhtar , Nageh Ahmed , Shehata Mahmoud M. , Kayed Ahmed E. , Sabir Jamal S. M. , Abiadh Awatef , Jrijer Jamel , Amr Zuhair , Abi Said Mounir , Byarugaba Denis K. , Wabwire-Mangen Fred , Tugume Titus , Mohamed Nadira S. , Attar Roba , Hassan Sabah M. , Abdulaziz Linjawi Sabah , Moatassim Yassmin , Kutkat Omnia , Mahmoud Sara , Bagato Ola , Abo Shama Noura M. , El-Shesheny Rabeh , Mostafa Ahmed , A. P. M. Perera Ranawaka , K. W. Chu Daniel , Hassan Nagla , Elsokary Basma , Saad Ahmed , Sobhy Heba , El Masry Ihab , P. McKenzie Pamela , J. Webby Richard , Peiris Malik , J. Makonnen Yilma , A. Ali Mohamed , Kayali Ghazi
Published: August 2019

Dromedary camels are the natural reservoirs of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Camels are mostly bred in East African countries then exported into Africa and Middle East for consumption. To understand the distribution of MERS-CoV among camels in North Africa and the Middle East, we conducted surveillance in Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. We also performed longitudinal studies of three camel herds in Egypt and Jordan to elucidate MERS-CoV infection and transmission. Between 2016 and 2018, a total of 4027 nasal swabs and 3267 serum samples were collected from all countries. Real- time PCR revealed that MERS-CoV RNA was detected in nasal swab samples from Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. Microneutralization assay showed that antibodies were detected in all countries. Positive PCR samples were partially sequenced, and a phylogenetic tree was built. The tree suggested that all sequences are of clade C and sequences from camels in Egypt formed a separate group from previously published sequences. Longitudinal studies showed high seroprevalence in adult camels. These results indicate the widespread distribution of the virus in camels. A systematic active surveillance and longitudinal studies for MERS-CoV are needed to understand the epidemiology of the disease and dynamics of viral infection.
Environmental and Energy Assessment of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants in Italy and Romania: A Comparative Study
Authors: Fighir (Arsene) Daniela , Teodosiu Carmen , Fiore Silvia
Published: August 2019

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) are essential infrastructures in any urban context, but they may be considered as a potential source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and should be coherent with European Union (EU) policy on energy efficiency. This study presents a sustainability evaluation of four Italian and Romanian MWWTPs in terms of energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions using Energy Performance and Carbon Emissions Assessment and Monitoring (ECAM) tool software. The obtained results indicated that biogas recovery improved energy performances, while the largest contributions in terms of GHG emissions were in all cases caused by energy consumption and methane produced during wastewater treatment. The Romanian plants exhibited higher GHG emissions, compared to the Italian plants, mainly because of the different values of national conversion factors for grid electricity (0.41 kg CO2/kWh for Italy and 1.07 kg CO2/kWh for Romania). Two scenarios aimed at enhancing the overall sustainability were hypothesized, based on increasing the serviced population or energy efficiency, achieving significant improvements. A sustainability assessment of MWWTPs should be adopted as a useful tool to help water utilities to introduce low-energy, low-carbon management practices as well as being useful for policy recommendations.
Field Experiments of Hyporheic Flow Affected by a Clay Lens
Authors: Yao Congcong , Lu Chengpeng , Qin Wei , Lu Jiayun
Published: August 2019

As a typical water exchange of surface water and groundwater, hyporheic flow widely exists in streambeds and is significantly affected by the characteristics of sediment and surface water. In this study, a low-permeability clay lens was chosen to investigate the influence of the streambed heterogeneity on the hyporheic flow at a river section of the Xin’an River in Anhui Province, China. A 2D sand tank was constructed to simulate the natural streambed including a clay lens under different velocity of surface water velocity. Heat tracing was used in this study. In particular, six analytical solutions based on the amplitude ratio and phase shift of temperatures were applied to calculate the vertical hyporheic flux. The results of the six methods ranged from −102.4 to 137.5 m/day and showed significant spatial differences. In view of the robustness of the calculations and the rationality of the results, the amplitude ratio method was much better than the phase shift method. The existence of the clay lens had a significant influence on the hyporheic flow. Results shows that the vertical hyporheic flux in the model containing a clay lens was lower than that for the blank control, and the discrepancy of the hyporheic flow field on both sides of the lens was obvious. Several abnormal flow velocity zones appeared around the clay lens where the local hyporheic flow was suppressed or generally enhanced. The hyporheic flow fields at three test points had mild changes when the lens was placed in a shallow layer of the model, indicating that the surface water velocity only affect the hyporheic flow slightly. With the increasing depth of the clay lens, the patterns of the hyporheic flow fields at all test points were very close to those of the hyporheic flow field without a clay lens, indicating that the influence of surface water velocity on hyporheic flow appeared gradually. A probable maximum depth of the clay lens was 30 to 40 cm, which approached the bottom of the model and a clay lens buried lower than this maximum would not affect the hyporheic flow any more. Influenced by the clay lens, hyporheic flow was hindered or enhanced in different regions of streambed, which was also depended on the depth of lens and surface water velocity. Introducing a two-dimensional sand tank model in a field test is an attempt to simulate a natural streambed and may positively influence research on hyporheic flow.
Mortality and Effect on Growth of Artemia franciscana Exposed to Two Common Organic Pollutants
Authors: Ekonomou George , Lolas Alexios , Castritsi-Catharios Jeanne , Neofitou Christos , D. Zouganelis George , Tsiropoulos Nikolaos , Exadactylos Athanasios
Published: August 2019

Acute toxicity and inhibition on growth of Artemia franciscana nauplii (Instar I-II) after exposure to the reference toxicants bisphenol a (BPA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were studied. LC50 values were calculated and differences in body growth were recorded after 24, 48, and 72 h of exposure to the toxicants. The results indicated that BPA had lower toxicity than SDS. Development of the nauplii was clearly influenced by duration of exposure. Growth inhibition was detected for both toxicants. Abnormal growth of the central eye of several Artemia nauplii after 72 h of exposure to BPA was also detected. Our results indicate that growth inhibition could be used as a valid endpoint for toxicity studies.
Estimating Rainfall Thresholds for Landslide Occurrence in the Bhutan Himalayas
Authors: Dikshit Abhirup , Sarkar Raju , Pradhan Biswajeet , Acharya Saroj , Dorji Kelzang
Published: August 2019

Consistently over the years, particularly during monsoon seasons, landslides and related geohazards in Bhutan are causing enormous damage to human lives, property, and road networks. The determination of thresholds for rainfall triggered landslides is one of the most effective methods to develop an early warning system. Such thresholds are determined using a variety of rainfall parameters and have been successfully calculated for various regions of the world at different scales. Such thresholds can be used to forecast landslide events which could help in issuing an alert to civic authorities. A comprehensive study on the determination of rainfall thresholds characterizing landslide events for Bhutan is lacking. This paper focuses on defining event rainfall–duration thresholds for Chukha Dzongkhag, situated in south-west Bhutan. The study area is chosen due to the increase in frequency of landslides during monsoon along Phuentsholing-Thimphu highway, which passes through it and this highway is a major trade route of the country with the rest of the world. The present threshold method revolves around the use of a power law equation to determine event rainfall–duration thresholds. The thresholds have been established using available rainfall and landslide data for 2004–2014. The calculated threshold relationship is fitted to the lower boundary of the rainfall conditions leading to landslides and plotted in logarithmic coordinates. The results show that a rainfall event of 24 h with a cumulated rainfall of 53 mm can cause landslides. Later on, the outcome of antecedent rainfall varying from 3–30 days was also analysed to understand its effect on landslide incidences based on cumulative event rainfall. It is also observed that a minimum 10-day antecedent rainfall of 88 mm and a 20-day antecedent rainfall of 142 mm is required for landslide occurrence in the area. The thresholds presented can be improved with the availability of hourly rainfall data and the addition of more landslide data. These can also be used as an early warning system especially along the Phuentsholing–Thimphu Highway to prevent any disruptions of trade.
Los inicios de la república y el proceso pedagógico decimonónico (1830-1870)
Authors: Zabala Morales Betsy
Published: August 2019

La educación es en sí misma un proceso dinámico, por lo que presenta cambios permanentes y continuos en toda su estructura. De esta manera, sepuede afirmar que la educación desde cualquier modalidad, procura generar un aprendizaje a través de la interacción del ser humano con el medioambiente; convirtiéndose entonces, en el resultado de la experiencia. El medio ambiente estará determinado por un momento histórico determinado, que rige una sociedad y una estructura política acorde con el mismo. De allí que sea la historia la encargada de describir ese momento de la vida del ser humano,entendiendo el porqué de los hechos; es decir, las causas y las consecuencias de los mismos. En el caso de Venezuela, la época entre 1830 y 1870 fue unperiodo de reconstrucción de la República; siendo la educación la herramienta fundamental de desarrollo para el país. La elaboración de este artículo se harealizado mediante la revisión documental de aportes realizados por diversos autores en torno a la época de los inicios de la república entre 1830 y 1870;desarrollándose de esta manera una investigación de carácter argumentativo a través de categorías de estudio. La metodología de trabajo, se desarrolla enbase al análisis crítico. El artículo se organiza en cuatro partes: en primer lugar, la introducción, donde se da un esbozo general de la investigación; en segundo lugar, se muestra un contexto general de la situación país entre los años 1830 y 1870; en tercer lugar, se desarrolla una evidencia crítica de la evolución de la educación en estos años. Seguidamente, en cuarto lugar, se presenta un esbozo de las aproximaciones conceptuales realizadas por Mirla Alcibíades en su libro “La heroica aventura de construir una república: 1830-1865” a manera de reflexión. El estudio permite concluir que el proceso de construcción del sistema escolar que se inicia formalmente en Venezuela en el período de la Gran Colombia, forma parte del surgimiento y desarrollo de los sistemas nacionales de instrucción pública en el ámbito iberoamericano; manteniéndose en constantes cambios y desarrollo para la formación de la sociedad.
Eco-friendly route for dyeing of cotton fabric using three organic mordants in reactive dyes
Authors: RIAZ BAIG , DILSHAD HUSSAIN , MUHAMMAD NAJAM-UL-HAQ , RAJPUT ABDUL WAQAR , RANA AMJAD
Published: August 2019

The textile dyes and fixing agents that used in dyeing process are major contributor to environmental pollution. In the
present study, three different organic mordants (Sodium Citrate, Ammonium Acetate, and Potassium Acetate) are used
in exhaust dyeing as mordants. Effect of mordant concentrations is studied on fastness properties (color change,
rubbing fastness & light fastness) of cotton dyed with reactive dyes using these organic mordants. Comparison of these
mordants with conventional fixing agent (NaCl) is also studied in order to evaluate the difference between fastness
properties of conventional and organic salts used in this study. We found that the color fastness properties of
conventional and organic salts are comparable, better in case of sodium citrate. Similarly color depth on fabric after
dyeing with organic as well as inorganic salts is measured using data color. Results confirm that higher values of K/S
are obtained for organic salts by using lower organic salt concentration compared to conventional salt. Reduction in total
dissolved solids (TDS) of dye effluents is obtained from 6% to 29% for three organic salts as compared to conventional
salt.
La condición managerial: hacia una problematización de su función discursiva
Authors:   , Cuevas Mejía John Jairo
Published: August 2019

Esta tesis doctoral asume la idea de Legendre (2008) en la que Discurso refiere a la cuestión existencial, al montaje lingüístico en que se sostiene la construcción del universo humano, lo que posibilita establecer y comprender, en el corpus de la gestión empresarial de dos Facultades de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas de Colombia, al management como un Discurso que (re)inscribe los fundamentos de lo social e individual según su modo de ser contemporáneo. No obstante, resulta insuficiente aseverar que el Discurso del management constituye la única referencia en la que lo social se sostiene. Para superar este solipsismo, se avanza en introducir una conceptualización a partir del ensamblaje discursivo en el que se articulan el Discurso del capitalista, el Discurso del neoliberalismo y el Discurso del management en una suerte de homología que permite cernir el campo de significación al que se inducen y direccionan prácticas sociales, institucionales y organizacionales atribuibles a la condición managerial de la época. Para llevarlo a cabo, se asume una posición postestructuralista en la que se enlazan el psicoanálisis de orientación lacaniana y la teoría del discurso de la Escuela de Essex. Por un lado, una aproximación a la concepción lacaniana del discurso con la cual abordar los matices de la subjetividad contemporánea, en especial a partir de la forma en que esta es emplazada por el Discurso del capitalista. Y por el otro, con la teoría del discurso evidenciar las prácticas articulatorias y la presencia objetiva subyacentes al actual espíritu del capitalismo que encuentra su punto de apoyo en la literatura de gestión (management), tal y como ha sido evidenciado por el trabajo de Luc Boltanski y Ève Chiapello (2010). Es debido a esta doble inscripción teórica que se desplaza la cuestión del management a la dimensión de lo ontológico para, desde ahí, establecer y comprender sus derivas en dos Facultades de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas de Colombia en cuyas prácticas articulatorias es posible problematizar la conformación discursiva de una estructura en la que se captan las posiciones de sujeto vinculadas al actual ethos capitalista.
Caracterización del fenotipo intracelular de Bordetella pertussis
Authors:   , Cafiero Juan Hilario
Published: August 2019

La tos convulsa, causada por la bacteria Bordetella pertussis, constituye una problemática de salud a nivel mundial a pesar de la elevada cobertura de vacunación. Las mejoras en las estrategias preventivas contra B. pertussis dependen en gran medida del esclarecimiento de los mecanismos que contribuyen a la persistencia de la bacteria en el huésped. Entre ellos, se ha propuesto como un mecanismo relevante el establecimiento de un nicho de sobrevida intracelular de B. pertussis en células del hospedador. El objetivo de la presente Tesis fue estudiar esta interacción e identificar factores bacterianos involucrados en dicho proceso. En primer lugar, se analizaron los cambios que ocurren en el proteoma de B. pertussis durante su adaptación al ambiente encontrado dentro de las células del hospedador. Posteriormente, se seleccionó un grupo de factores bacterianos identificados en el estudio proteómico, potencialmente involucrados en el establecimiento de nichos intracelulares, para continuar su caracterización. Estos factores fueron seleccionados por su posible rol en la captura de nutrientes y/o su eventual relevancia en la adaptación a las condiciones de estrés encontradas por B. pertussis en el estadio intracelular.