bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Dietary Habits, Stress, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Korean Adults
Authors: Han A Lum
Published: May 2020

Considering the increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), this study aimed to evaluate the association between NAFLD and dietary habits, stress, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Korean individuals by using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) VI 2013–2015. NAFLD was defined in individuals with a hepatic steatosis index (HSI) value ≥36. Eating habits were assessed based on the frequencies of eating and eating out; stress was assessed through the stress perception rate; and the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire was used to assess the HRQoL. We performed a complex sample logistic regression analysis and estimated the odds ratios by adjusting for significant factors to evaluate associations between NAFLD and dietary habits, stress, and HRQoL. Occurrence of NAFLD was not significantly associated with meal frequencies over one week. With an increase in stress, based on the stress perception rate, the risk of NAFLD increased 1.316-fold (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.175–1.469, p < 0.05). Additionally, a decrease in the EQ-5D score by 1 increased the risk of NAFLD 3.38-fold (95% CI: 1.893–4.844, p < 0.05). Thus, NAFLD treatment should include stress management, and underlying HRQoL should be considered during treatment.
Breast Cancer Prevention-Is there a Future for Sulforaphane and Its Analogs?
Authors: Kuran Dominika , Pogorzelska Anna , Wiktorska Katarzyna
Published: May 2020

Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among women worldwide. There are several recommended methods of breast cancer prevention, including chemoprevention. There are several approved drugs used to prevent breast cancer occurrence or recurrence and metastasizing. There are also a number of new substances undergoing clinical trials and at the stage of initial study. Studies suggest that dietary factors play a crucial role in breast cancer etiology. Epidemiological studies indicate that in particular vegetables from the Brassicaceae family are a rich source of chemopreventive substances, with sulforaphane (SFN) being one of the most widely studied and characterized. This review discusses potential applicability of SFN in breast cancer chemoprevention. A comprehensive review of the literature on the impact of SFN on molecular signalling pathways in breast cancer and breast untransformed cells is presented. The presented results of in vitro and in vivo studies show that this molecule has a potential to act as a preventive molecule either to prevent disease development or recurrence and metastasizing, and as a compound protecting normal cells against the toxic effects of cytostatics. Finally, the still scanty attempts to develop an improved analog are also presented and discussed.
Differential Effects of Post-Weaning Diet and Maternal Obesity on Mouse Liver and Brain Metabolomes
Authors: Safi-Stibler Sofiane , Thévenot Etienne A. , Jouneau Luc , Jouin Mélanie , Seyer Alexandre , Jammes Hélène , Rousseau-Ralliard Delphine , Baly Christine , Gabory Anne
Published: May 2020

Nutritional changes during developmental windows are of particular concern in offspring metabolic disease. Questions are emerging concerning the role of maternal weight changes before conception, particularly for weight loss, in the development of diet-related disorders. Understanding the physiological pathways affected by the maternal trajectories in the offspring is therefore essential, but a broad overview is still lacking. We recently reported both metabolic and behavioral negative outcomes in offspring born to obese or weight-loss mothers and fed a control of high-fat diet, suggesting long-term modeling of metabolic pathways needing to be further characterized. Using non-targeted LC–HRMS, we investigated the impact of maternal and post-weaning metabolic status on the adult male offspring’s metabolome in three tissues involved in energy homeostasis: liver, hypothalamus and olfactory bulb. We showed that post-weaning diet interfered with the abundance of several metabolites, including 1,5-anhydroglucitol, saccharopine and β-hydroxybutyrate, differential in the three tissues. Moreover, maternal diet had a unique impact on the abundance of two metabolites in the liver. Particularly, anserine abundance, lowered by maternal obesity, was normalized by a preconceptional weight loss, whatever the post-weaning diet. This study is the first to identify a programming long-term effect of maternal preconception obesity on the offspring metabolome.
The Importance of the Sun Symbol in the Restoration of Sámi Spiritual Traditions and Healing Practice
Authors: Joy Francis
Published: May 2020

Today, artefacts of the past have immense value for Sámi shamans, artists, and custodians of culture who are reengaging with their spiritual traditions. A cultural revival is taking place through various applications and approaches. Henceforth, there is an ongoing process of creating a restorative framework mainly based on the work of individuals, through which, drum making and decoration, joiking, sacrificial acts, and forms of divination consisting of various sorts of practices are emerging. One of the central symbols that features prominently amongst the Sámi in relation to their prehistoric cosmology and reuse of symbolism in different contexts with regard to spiritual traditions that helps link past with the present is the Sun. Therefore, the purpose of the descriptive analysis in this research paper examines the application of the Sun symbol to new types of drums made by Peter Armstrand who is a Sámi person, for healing and identity building and some of the contexts they appear within. As a method to elaborate on how the past is utilized in the present, the research material constitutes one short case study involving Armstrand who is a Sámi drum maker and likewise, a healer. To help broaden the fieldwork materials collected, I also refer to an old photograph of a drum and its cosmological landscape.
Geometrical Approximated Principal Component Analysis for Hyperspectral Image Analysis
Authors: Machidon Alina L. , Del Frate Fabio , Picchiani Matteo , Machidon Octavian M. , Ogrutan Petre L.
Published: May 2020

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a method based on statistics and linear algebra techniques, used in hyperspectral satellite imagery for data dimensionality reduction required in order to speed up and increase the performance of subsequent hyperspectral image processing algorithms. This paper introduces the PCA approximation method based on a geometric construction approach (gaPCA) method, an alternative algorithm for computing the principal components based on a geometrical constructed approximation of the standard PCA and presents its application to remote sensing hyperspectral images. gaPCA has the potential of yielding better land classification results by preserving a higher degree of information related to the smaller objects of the scene (or to the rare spectral objects) than the standard PCA, being focused not on maximizing the variance of the data, but the range. The paper validates gaPCA on four distinct datasets and performs comparative evaluations and metrics with the standard PCA method. A comparative land classification benchmark of gaPCA and the standard PCA using statistical-based tools is also described. The results show gaPCA is an effective dimensionality-reduction tool, with performance similar to, and in several cases, even higher than standard PCA on specific image classification tasks. gaPCA was shown to be more suitable for hyperspectral images with small structures or objects that need to be detected or where preponderantly spectral classes or spectrally similar classes are present.
Can We Use Satellite-Based Soil-Moisture Products at High Resolution to Investigate Land-Use Differences and Land–Atmosphere Interactions? A Case Study in the Savanna
Authors: Román-Cascón Carlos , Lothon Marie , Lohou Fabienne , Ojha Nitu , Merlin Olivier , Aragonés David , González-Dugo María P. , Andreu Ana , Pellarin Thierry , Brut Aurore , Soriguer Ramón C. , Díaz-Delgado Ricardo , Hartogensis Oscar , Yagüe Carlos
Published: May 2020

The use of soil moisture (SM) measurements from satellites has grown in recent years, fostering the development of new products at high resolution. This opens the possibility of using them for certain applications that were normally carried out using in situ data. We investigated this hypothesis through two main analyses using two high-resolution satellite-based soil moisture (SBSM) products that combined microwave with thermal and optical data: (1) The Disaggregation based on Physical And Theoretical scale Change (DISPATCH) and, (2) The Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity-Barcelona Expert Center (SMOS-BEC Level 4). We used these products to analyse the SM differences among pixels with contrasting vegetation. This was done through the comparison of the SM measurements from satellites and the measurements simulated with a simple antecedent precipitation index (API) model, which did not account for the surface characteristics. Subsequently, the deviation of the SM from satellite with respect to the API model (bias) was analysed and compared for contrasting land use categories. We hypothesised that the differences in the biases of the varied categories could provide information regarding the water retention capacity associated with each type of vegetation. From the satellite measurements, we determined how the SM depended on the tree cover, i.e., the denser the tree cover, the higher the SM. However, in winter periods with light rain events, the tree canopy could dampen the moistening of the soil through interception and conducted higher SM in the open areas. This evolution of the SM differences that depended on the characteristics of each season was observed both from satellite and from in situ measurements taken beneath a tree and in grass on the savanna landscape. The agreement between both types of measurements highlighted the potential of the SBSM products to investigate the SM of each type of vegetation. We found that the results were clearer for DISPATCH, whose data was not smoothed spatially as it was in SMOS-BEC. We also tested whether the relationships between SM and evapotranspiration could be investigated using satellite data. The answer to this question was also positive but required removing the unrealistic high-frequency SM oscillations from the satellite data using a low pass filter. This improved the performance scores of the products and the agreement with the results from the in situ data. These results demonstrated the possibility of using SM data from satellites to substitute ground measurements for the study of land–atmosphere interactions, which encourages efforts to improve the quality and resolution of these measurements.
Monitoring of Sea-Ice-Atmosphere Interface in the Proximity of Arctic Tidewater Glaciers: The Contribution of Marine Robotics
Authors: Bruzzone Gabriele , Odetti Angelo , Caccia Massimo , Ferretti Roberta
Published: May 2020

The Svalbard archipelago, with its partially closed waters influenced by both oceanic conditions and large tidal glaciers, represents a prime target for understanding the effects of ongoing climate change on glaciers, oceans, and ecosystems. An understanding of the role played by tidewater glaciers in marine primary production is still affected by a lack of data from close proximity to glacier fronts, to which, for safety reasons, manned surface vessels cannot get too close. In this context, autonomous marine vehicles can play a key role in collecting high quality data in dangerous interface areas. In particular, the contribution given by light, portable, and modular marine robots is discussed in this paper. The state-of-the-art of technology and of operating procedures is established on the basis of the experience gained in campaigns carried out by Italian National Research Council (CNR) robotic researchers in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard Islands, in 2015, 2017, and 2018 respectively. The aim was to demonstrate the capability of an Unmanned Semi-Submersible Vehicle (USSV): (i) To collect water samples in contact with the front of a tidewater glacier; (ii) to work in cooperation with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for sea surface and air column characterisation in the proximity of the fronts of the glaciers; and (iii) to perform, when equipped with suitable tools and instruments, repetitive sampling of water surface as well as profiling the parameters of the water and air column close to the fronts of the tidewater glaciers. The article also reports the issues encountered in navigating in the middle of bergy bits and growlers as well as the problems faced in using some sensors at high latitudes.
A Live Fuel Moisture Content Product from Landsat TM Satellite Time Series for Implementation in Fire Behavior Models
Authors: García Mariano , Riaño David , Yebra Marta , Salas Javier , Cardil Adrián , Monedero Santiago , Ramirez Joaquín , Martín M. Pilar , Vilar Lara , Gajardo John , Ustin Susan
Published: May 2020

Live Fuel Moisture Content (LFMC) contributes to fire danger and behavior, as it affects fire ignition and propagation. This paper presents a two layered Landsat LFMC product based on topographically corrected relative Spectral Indices (SI) over a 2000–2011 time series, which can be integrated into fire behavior simulation models. Nine chaparral sampling sites across three Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) scenes were used to validate the product over the Western USA. The relations between field-measured LFMC and Landsat-derived SIs were strong for each individual site but worsened when pooled together. The Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) presented the strongest correlations (r) and the least Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), followed by the Normalized Difference Infrared Index (NDII), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI). The relations between LFMC and the SIs for all sites improved after using their relative values and relative LFMC, increasing r from 0.44 up to 0.69 for relative EVI (relEVI), the best predictive variable. This relEVI served to estimate the herbaceous and woody LFMC based on minimum and maximum seasonal LFMC values. The understory herbaceous LFMC on the woody pixels was extrapolated from the surrounding pixels where the herbaceous vegetation is the top layer. Running simulations on the Wildfire Analyst (WFA) fire behavior model demonstrated that this LFMC product alone impacts significantly the fire spatial distribution in terms of burned probability, with average burned area differences over 21% after 8 h burning since ignition, compared to commonly carried out simulations based on constant values for each fuel model. The method could be applied to Landsat-7 and -8 and Sentinel-2A and -2B after proper sensor inter-calibration and topographic correction.
Deep Open-Set Domain Adaptation for Cross-Scene Classification based on Adversarial Learning and Pareto Ranking
Authors: Adayel Reham , Bazi Yakoub , Alhichri Haikel , Alajlan Naif
Published: May 2020

Most of the existing domain adaptation (DA) methods proposed in the context of remote sensing imagery assume the presence of the same land-cover classes in the source and target domains. Yet, this assumption is not always realistic in practice as the target domain may contain additional classes unknown to the source leading to the so-called open set DA. Under this challenging setting, the problem turns to reducing the distribution discrepancy between the shared classes in both domains besides the detection of the unknown class samples in the target domain. To deal with the openset problem, we propose an approach based on adversarial learning and pareto-based ranking. In particular, the method leverages the distribution discrepancy between the source and target domains using min-max entropy optimization. During the alignment process, it identifies candidate samples of the unknown class from the target domain through a pareto-based ranking scheme that uses ambiguity criteria based on entropy and the distance to source class prototype. Promising results using two cross-domain datasets that consist of very high resolution and extremely high resolution images, show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis Framework for Mapping Vegetation Physiognomic Types at Fine Scales in Neotropical Savannas
Authors: Ribeiro Fernanda F. , Roberts Dar A. , Hess Laura L. , W. Davis Frank , Caylor Kelly K. , Antunes Daldegan Gabriel
Published: May 2020

Regional maps of vegetation structure are necessary for delineating species habitats and for supporting conservation and ecological analyses. A systematic approach that can discriminate a wide range of meaningful and detailed vegetation classes is still lacking for neotropical savannas. Detailed vegetation mapping of savannas is challenged by seasonal vegetation dynamics and substantial heterogeneity in vegetation structure and composition, but fine spatial resolution imagery (<10 m) can improve map accuracy in these heterogeneous landscapes. Traditional pixel-based classification methods have proven problematic for fine spatial resolution data due to increased within-class spectral variability. Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) is a robust alternative method to overcome these issues. We developed a systematic GEOBIA framework accounting for both spectral and spatial features to map Cerrado structural types at 5-m resolution. This two-step framework begins with image segmentation and a Random Forest land cover classification based on spectral information, followed by spatial contextual and topological rules developed in a systematic manner in a GEOBIA knowledge-based approach. Spatial rules were defined a priori based on descriptions of environmental characteristics of 11 different physiognomic types and their relationships to edaphic conditions represented by stream networks (hydrography), topography, and substrate. The Random Forest land cover classification resulted in 10 land cover classes with 84.4% overall map accuracy and was able to map 7 of the 11 vegetation classes. The second step resulted in mapping 13 classes with 87.6% overall accuracy, of which all 11 vegetation classes were identified. Our results demonstrate that 5-m spatial resolution imagery is adequate for mapping land cover types of savanna structural elements. The GEOBIA framework, however, is essential for refining land cover categories to ecological classes (physiognomic types), leading to a higher number of vegetation classes while improving overall accuracy.
Relative Radiometric Calibration Using Tie Points and Optimal Path Selection for UAV Images
Authors: Shin Jung-Il , Cho Yeong-Min , Lim Pyung-Chae , Lee Hae-Min , Ahn Ho-Yong , Park Chan-Won , Kim Taejung
Published: May 2020

As the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images rapidly increases so does the need for precise radiometric calibration. For UAV images, relative radiometric calibration is required in addition to the traditional vicarious radiometric calibration due to the small field of view. For relative radiometric calibration, some UAVs install irradiance sensors, but most do not. For UAVs without them, an intelligent scheme for relative radiometric calibration must be applied. In this study, a relative radiometric calibration method is proposed to improve the quality of a reflectance map without irradiance measurements. The proposed method, termed relative calibration by the optimal path (RCOP), uses tie points acquired during geometric calibration to define the optimal paths. A calibrated image from RCOP was compared to validation data calibrated with irradiance measurements. As a result, the RCOP method produces seamless mosaicked images with uniform brightness and reflectance patterns. Therefore, the proposed method can be used as a precise relative radiometric calibration method for UAV images.
Remotely Sensing the Source and Transport of Marine Plastic Debris in Bay Islands of Honduras (Caribbean Sea)
Authors: Kikaki Aikaterini , Karantzalos Konstantinos , Power Caroline A. , Raitsos Dionysios E.
Published: May 2020

Plastic debris in the global ocean is considered an important issue with severe implications for human health and marine ecosystems. Here, we exploited high-resolution multispectral satellite observations over the Bay Islands and Gulf of Honduras, for the period 2014-2019, to investigate the capability of satellite sensors in detecting marine plastic debris. We verified findings with in situ data, recorded the spectral characteristics of floating plastic litter, and identified plastic debris trajectories and sources. The results showed that plastic debris originating from Guatemala’s and Honduras’ rivers (such as Motagua, Ulua, Cangrejal, Tinto and Aguan) ends up in the Caribbean Sea, mainly during the period of August to March, which includes the main rainfall season. The detected spatial trajectories indicated that floating plastic debris travels with an average speed of 6 km d−1, following primarily a southwest (SW) to northeast (NE) direction, driven by the prevailing sea surface currents. Based on several satellite observations, there is no indication of a specific accumulation point, since plastic debris is dispersed by the dynamic circulation in the broader region. Our findings provide evidence that satellite remote sensing is a valuable, cost-effective tool for monitoring the sources and pathways of plastic debris in marine ecosystems, and thus could eventually support management strategies in the global ocean.
Characteristics and Applications of the Ground-Based X Band Low Elevation Angle Brightness Temperatures under Low Sea State Based on Measured Data
Authors: Cao Zhongqing , Guo Lixin , Kang Shifeng , Cheng Xianhai , Li Qingliang , Lin Leke , Zhang Yusheng
Published: May 2020

In ground-based microwave radiometer remote sensing, low-elevation-angle (−3°~3°) radiation data are often discarded because they are considered to be of little value and are often difficult to model due to the complicated mechanism. Based on the observed X-band horizontal polarization low elevation angle microwave radiation data and the meteorological data at the same time, this study investigated the generation mechanism of low elevation angle brightness temperature (LEATB) and its relationship with meteorological data, i.e., temperature, humidity, and wind speed, under low sea state. As a result, one could find that the LEATB was sensitive to the atmosphere at the elevation angle between 1° to 3°, and a diurnal variation of the LEATB reached up to 10 K. This study also found a linear relationship between the LEATB and sea surface wind speed under low sea state at an elevation range from −3° to 0°, i.e., the brightness temperature decreased as the wind speed increased, which was inconsistent with the observations at the elevation angle from −10° to −5°. The variation of the LEATB difference according to the change in the over-the-horizon detection capability (OTHDC) of the shipborne microwave radar was examined to identify the reason for this phenomenon theoretically. The results showed that the LEATB difference was significantly influenced by a change in the OTHDC. Further, this study examined a remote sensing method to extract the sea surface wind speed data from experimental LEATB data under low sea state. The results demonstrated that the X-band horizontal polarization LEATBs were useful to retrieve the sea surface wind speed data at a reasonable accuracy—the root mean square error of 0.02408 m/s. Overall, this study proved the promising potential of the LEATB data for retrieving temperature profiles, humidity profiles, sea surface winds, and the OTHDC.
PolSAR Image Feature Extraction via Co-Regularized Graph Embedding
Authors: Huang Xiayuan , Nie Xiangli , Qiao Hong
Published: May 2020

Dimensionality reduction (DR) methods based on graph embedding are widely used for feature extraction. For these methods, the weighted graph plays a vital role in the process of DR because it can characterize the data’s structure information. Moreover, the similarity measurement is a crucial factor for constructing a weighted graph. Wishart distance of covariance matrices and Euclidean distance of polarimetric features are two important similarity measurements for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) image classification. For obtaining a satisfactory PolSAR image classification performance, a co-regularized graph embedding (CRGE) method by combing the two distances is proposed for PolSAR image feature extraction in this paper. Firstly, two weighted graphs are constructed based on the two distances to represent the data’s local structure information. Specifically, the neighbouring samples are sought in a local patch to decrease computation cost and use spatial information. Next the DR model is constructed based on the two weighted graphs and co-regularization. The co-regularization aims to minimize the dissimilarity of low-dimensional features corresponding to two weighted graphs. We employ two types of co-regularization and the corresponding algorithms are proposed. Ultimately, the obtained low-dimensional features are used for PolSAR image classification. Experiments are implemented on three PolSAR datasets and results show that the co-regularized graph embedding can enhance the performance of PolSAR image classification.
Estimation of Hourly near Surface Air Temperature Across Israel Using an Ensemble Model
Authors: Zhou Bin , Erell Evyatar , Hough Ian , Shtein Alexandra , Just Allan C. , Novack Victor , Rosenblatt Jonathan , Kloog Itai
Published: May 2020

Mapping of near-surface air temperature (Ta) at high spatio-temporal resolution is essential for unbiased assessment of human health exposure to temperature extremes, not least given the observed trend of urbanization and global climate change. Data constraints have led previous studies to focus merely on daily Ta metrics, rather than hourly ones, making them insufficient for intra-day assessment of health exposure. In this study, we present a three-stage machine learning-based ensemble model to estimate hourly Ta at a high spatial resolution of 1 × 1 km2, incorporating remotely sensed surface skin temperature (Ts) from geostationary satellites, reanalysis synoptic variables, and observations from weather stations, as well as auxiliary geospatial variables, which account for spatio-temporal variability of Ta. The Stage 1 model gap-fills hourly Ts at 4 × 4 km2 from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI), which are subsequently fed into the Stage 2 model to estimate hourly Ta at the same spatio-temporal resolution. The Stage 3 model downscales the residuals between estimated and measured Ta to a grid of 1 × 1 km2, taking into account additionally the monthly diurnal pattern of Ts derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. In each stage, the ensemble model synergizes estimates from the constituent base learners—random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)—by applying a geographically weighted generalized additive model (GAM), which allows the weights of results from individual models to vary over space and time. Demonstrated for Israel for the period 2004–2017, the proposed ensemble model outperformed each of the two base learners. It also attained excellent five-fold cross-validated performance, with overall root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.8 and 0.9 °C, mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.6 and 0.7 °C, and R2 of 0.95 and 0.98 in Stage 1 and Stage 2, respectively. The Stage 3 model for downscaling Ta residuals to 1 km MODIS grids achieved overall RMSE of 0.3 °C, MAE of 0.5 °C, and R2 of 0.63. The generated hourly 1 × 1 km2 Ta thus serves as a foundation for monitoring and assessing human health exposure to temperature extremes at a larger geographical scale, helping to further minimize exposure misclassification in epidemiological studies.
Determinants of Farming Households’ Credit Accessibility in Rural Areas of Vietnam: A Case Study in Haiphong City, Vietnam
Authors: Linh Ta , Anh Tuan Dang , Thu Trang Phan , Trung Lai Hoang , Quynh Anh Do , Viet Cuong Nguyen , Lebailly Philippe
Published: May 2020

The role of agricultural sectors in the economic development of a country is undeniable, especially in developing and least-developed ones, ensuring food supply, increasing national income, export earnings and poverty reduction. Vietnam is known as an emerging market, depending directly on agriculture-related activities for their livelihood, in which the issue of rural credit access still remains a confounding problem. The paper focuses on identifying the determinants of credit access in rural areas of Vietnam using Haiphong city as a case study, including formal and informal credit. The paper uses data collected from a survey of 180 rural households in a district of Haiphong city. The probit and linear regression models are applied to investigate the factors that determine household credit accessibility, i.e., the household’s decision to borrow and borrowing amounts. Results of this analysis reveal the different significant determinants of formal and informal credit market access. Group membership and connection are found to have significantly strong impacts on formal credit accessibility while informal credit access is strongly influenced by agriculture income and dependency ratio. The implications of these findings for enhancing formal credit accessibility and decreasing the dependence on informal markets are discussed.
The Method to Decrease Emissions from Ships in Port Areas
Authors: Paulauskas Vytautas , Filina-Dawidowicz Ludmiła , Paulauskas Donatas
Published: May 2020

Nowadays great attention is being paid to the ecological aspects of maritime transport functioning, including the problem of pollution and emission of poisonous substances from ships. Such emissions have a significant impact on the environment and sustainable operation of ports, especially those located close to intensive waterways. A decrease in emissions from ships may be achieved by implementing different methods, among others, through the use of environmentally friendly fuels, electrical and hybrid vehicles, as well as through the improvement of port approach and inside navigational channels, optimization of the transport processes organization, etc. However, the size of the influence of ships’ crew and ports pilots’ qualification on the possibility to decrease the emissions from ships during maneuvering in port areas remains a question. This article aims to develop a method to assess the possible decrease of the emissions from ships in ports, considering human factor influence. The method has been developed and verified on the selected case study example. The influence of ships’ crew and ports pilots’ qualification on time spent on maneuvering operations by ships in port areas and consequently the volume of emissions has been investigated. The research results show that for the set conditions it is possible to reduce emissions from ships up to 12.5%. For that reason, appropriate education and training are needed to improve the qualifications of decision-makers performing ship maneuvers at ports areas.
Accurate Suitability Evaluation of Large-Scale Roof Greening Based on RS and GIS Methods
Authors: Xu Nan , Luo Jiancheng , Zuo Jin , Hu Xiaodong , Dong Jing , Wu Tianjun , Wu Songliang , Liu Hao
Published: May 2020

Under increasingly low urban land resources, carrying out roof greening to exploit new green space is a good strategy for sustainable development. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the suitability of roof greening for buildings in cities. However, most current evaluation methods are based on qualitative and conceptual research. In this paper, a methodological framework for roof greening suitability evaluation is proposed based on the basic units of building roofs extracted via deep learning technologies. The building, environmental and social criteria related to roof greening are extracted using technologies such as deep learning, machine learning, remote sensing (RS) methods and geographic information system (GIS) methods. The technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) method is applied to quantify the suitability of each roof, and Sobol sensitivity analysis of the score results is conducted. The experiment on Xiamen Island shows that the final evaluation results are highly sensitive to the changes in weight of the green space distance, population density and the air pollution level. This framework is helpful for the quantitative and objective development of roof greening suitability evaluation.
Shear-Torque Fatigue Performance of Geogrid-Reinforced Asphalt Interlayers
Authors: Ragni Davide , Canestrari Francesco , Allou Fatima , Petit Christophe , Millien Anne
Published: May 2020

Interlayer reinforcement systems represent a valid solution to improve performance and extend the service life of asphalt pavements, reducing maintenance costs. The main issue is that the presence of reinforcement may hinder the full transmission of stresses between asphalt layers, reducing the overall pavement bearing capacity. This study aimed at evaluating the mechanical behavior of geogrid-reinforced asphalt interlayers under cyclic shear loading. To this purpose, a trial section, characterized by three types of interface (reinforced with carbon fiber grid, reinforced with glass fiber grid and unreinforced), was built. Cores were taken from the trial section to carry out shear-torque fatigue tests. Static Leutner shear tests were also performed on cored specimens having the same interface configuration. From data gathered in the present study, shear-torque fatigue tests have proved to be a powerful tool for investigating reinforced specimens. Results clearly ranked the investigated materials, showing that the glass fiber grid has the lowest shear fatigue performance in comparison with the other two interfaces at 20 °C. However, the shear fatigue resistance of glass fiber grid increases significantly at 10 °C. Finally, an interesting correlation was found between cyclic and static shear test results that should be better investigated in future studies.
Comparison of Soil Properties and Organic Components in Infusions According to Different Aerial Appearances of Tea Plantations in Central Taiwan
Authors: Tongsiri Prapasiri , Tseng Wen-Yu , Shen Yuan , Lai Hung-Yu
Published: May 2020

The soil properties, climate, type of management, and fermentation process critically affect the productivity and quality of tea. In this study, tender tea leaves were collected from central Taiwan, and organic components in their infusions as well as physical and chemical soil properties differentiated using aerial photographs where good (G) and bad (B) growth exhibitions were determined. Eleven physical and chemical soil properties as well as five compounds in tea infusions were analyzed to determine the main factor that affects the growth of these tea trees. The Fleiss’ kappa statistic results revealed that the wet aggregate stability, pH, and exchangeable potassium content exhibit the most significant effect, with scores of 0.86, 0.64, and 0.62, respectively. Soil quality calculated using the mean weight diameter based on 11 soil properties revealed that ~67% of the total score of G is greater than that of B. Generally, contents of total polyphenols (51.67%) and catechins (51.76%) in the infusions of B were greater than those of G. In addition, significant positive correlations between the free amino acids content and soil properties, including pH and copper content, were observed. However, a negative correlation between the free amino acids and flavone contents and most of the soil properties was observed. The survey data set obtained from this study can provide useful information for the improved management of tea plantations.
Dechlorination of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Fly Ash by Leaching with Fermentation Liquid of Food Waste
Authors: Zou Dezhi , Wang Xiaona , Wu Chuanfu , Li Teng , Wang Menglu , Liu Shu , Wang Qunhui , Shimaoka Takayuki
Published: May 2020

Cement kiln collaborative disposal of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash (referred to as fly ash) can achieve harmless recycling of fly ash. However, because of high chlorine (Cl) content in fly ash, the practical application of this technology is seriously restricted. In order to find a suitable leaching solvent for dechlorination of fly ash, this study compared the effect of lactic acid fermentation liquid (FL) and sludge FL of food waste on dechlorination. Results show that 90% of water-insoluble Cl in fly ash can be removed by a three-step leaching process with lactic acid FL and sludge FL, and the Cl content in leached fly ash residue is 0.44% and 0.39%, respectively. According to calculation, permissible fraction of the residue after three-step leaching with addition of lactic acid FL and sludge FL in kiln is 4.28% and 4.99% higher than that of the residue after three-step leaching with pure water, respectively. Furthermore, the properties of leaching solvents after leaching experiments indicate that organic acids with low pH value and high concentration are more conducive for removal of water-insoluble Cl. Therefore, it is feasible to use two kinds of FL as leaching solvent for fly ash dechlorination.
Exploring How Influencer and Relationship Marketing Serve Corporate Sustainability
Authors: Berne-Manero Carmen , Marzo-Navarro Mercedes
Published: May 2020

Influencer marketing furthers the goals of relationship marketing. Companies use influencers to advertise their products through social networks such as Instagram. This digital advertising is aimed at shifting the company’s goals from customer acquisition to retention and commitment. While several articles provide interesting advances analyzing social media and sustainability goals, research about influencer types and their impact on engagement preserving corporate sustainability is limited. Thus, the objectives of this study are: (1) Select general influencer traits as positive characteristics in promoting a product; (2) analyze them for micro and macro influencer scenarios; (3) explore potential differences in their adequacy determining customer engagement and preserving corporate sustainability. Credibility, pleasantness, and emotions are the criteria analyzed through multivariate analysis applied over two independent samples of followers. Pleasantness and appearance in the macro influencer scenario and perceived integrity in that of the micro influencer appear to conflict with the desired transparency of the message, while transmission of emotions plays an essential role in both scenarios. This is a very important finding. Companies should assess candidate influencers’ emotional projection skills, in addition to evaluating the brand sponsorship costs and defining the target audience for the advertisement, always under the premise of preserving corporate sustainability.
Exploring the Dynamics between M&A Activities and Industry-Level Performance
Authors: Choi Jinho , Shin Nina , Lee Hee Soo
Published: May 2020

This study investigates the correlation between mergers and acquisitions (M&As) activities and industry-level performance. While extensive research on M&As has focused on financial performance at the firm-level around the merger announcement, not much focus has been given to the relationship between M&A activities and financial performance at the industry level. Using global data from the S&P (Standard & Poor’s) Capital IQ platform database, this study examines the significance of relationships of 12 industry-level financial values with M&A frequency and transaction value across 11 industry sectors throughout 2009–2018. The results show that M&A activities play a key role in identifying industries with lots of potential and that strategic investment planning can be drawn from both industry and time lag perspectives. This study bridges the gap by exploring the complexity of M&A performance across various firms and industries, and supports forward-looking investment processes by delineating emerging industries with expected positive returns.
Corporate Behavior: An Exploratory Study of the Brazilian Tax Management from a Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective
Authors: Mamede de Andrade Eurídice , Rodrigues Lúcia Lima , Cosenza José Paulo
Published: May 2020

A look into the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) reveals few studies focusing on the relationship between ethical concerns and corporate behavior of companies that perform tax evasion management. This study links tax management with ethics and CSR reporting. The purpose of this article is to analyze financial and social responsibility information disclosed by the five main Brazilian construction companies that are being investigated in Brazil’s Operation Car Wash (Operação Lava-Jato—in Portuguese) because of inappropriate behavior. Based on the theoretical concepts of organizational façades and organized hypocrisy, we used content-analysis methodology and lexical search approach to analyze the consistency between the practices of tax management and CSR reporting. The results reveal evidence of aggressive tax management. To meet its tax management objectives, a company usually manages and plans taxes accordingly, delaying the payment of tax debt and not reporting all tax risks, thus being fined for violations of the law. We found evidence of organized hypocrisy and organizational façades, since there are contradictions between the tax behavior of the investigated companies and their CSR and ethical discourse.
Structural Insights into APOBEC3-Mediated Lentiviral Restriction
Authors: Delviks-Frankenberry Krista A. , Desimmie Belete A. , Pathak Vinay K.
Published: May 2020

Mammals have developed clever adaptive and innate immune defense mechanisms to protect against invading bacterial and viral pathogens. Human innate immunity is continuously evolving to expand the repertoire of restriction factors and one such family of intrinsic restriction factors is the APOBEC3 (A3) family of cytidine deaminases. The coordinated expression of seven members of the A3 family of cytidine deaminases provides intrinsic immunity against numerous foreign infectious agents and protects the host from exogenous retroviruses and endogenous retroelements. Four members of the A3 proteins—A3G, A3F, A3H, and A3D—restrict HIV-1 in the absence of virion infectivity factor (Vif); their incorporation into progeny virions is a prerequisite for cytidine deaminase-dependent and -independent activities that inhibit viral replication in the host target cell. HIV-1 encodes Vif, an accessory protein that antagonizes A3 proteins by targeting them for polyubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation in the virus producing cells. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the role of human A3 proteins as barriers against HIV-1 infection, how Vif overcomes their antiviral activity, and highlight recent structural and functional insights into A3-mediated restriction of lentiviruses.
Avian Influenza A Virus Infects Swine Airway Epithelial Cells without Prior Adaptation
Authors: Shin Dai-Lun , Yang Wei , Peng Ju-Yi , Sawatsky Bevan , von Messling Veronika , Herrler Georg , Wu Nai-Huei
Published: May 2020

Pigs play an important role in the interspecies transmission of influenza A viruses (IAV). The porcine airway epithelium contains binding sites for both swine/human IAV (α2,6-linked sialic acids) and avian IAV (α2,3-linked sialic acids) and therefore is suited for adaptation of viruses from other species as suggested by the “mixing vessel theory”. Here, we applied well-differentiated swine airway epithelial cells to find out whether efficient infection by avian IAV requires prior adaption. Furthermore, we analyzed the influence of the sialic acid-binding activity and the virus-induced detrimental effects. Surprisingly, an avian IAV H1N1 strain circulating in European poultry and waterfowl shows increased and prolonged viral replication without inducing a strong innate immune response. This virus could infect the lower respiratory tract in our precision cut-lung slice model. Pretreating the cells with poly (I:C) and/or JAK/STAT pathway inhibitors revealed that the interferon-stimulated innate immune response influences the replication of avian IAV in swine airway epitheliums but not that of swine IAV. Further studies indicated that in the infection by IAVs, the binding affinity of sialic acid is not the sole factor affecting the virus infectivity for swine or human airway epithelial cells, whereas it may be crucial in well-differentiated ferret tracheal epithelial cells. Taken together, our results suggest that the role of pigs being the vessel of interspecies transmission should be reconsidered, and the potential of avian H1N1 viruses to infect mammals needs to be characterized in more detail.
Marcadores Enfermedad cardiovascular y obesidad
Authors: Torres Liliana , Fernández Yolima , Ochoa Génesis , Ochoa Génesis , Álvarez Brenda , Castellanos Naneliz , Primera Claudia
Published: May 2020

Introducción. El sedentarismo es una condición, que conduce a riesgos cardiovasculares e implica el padecimiento de enfermedades crónicas. Existen marcadores bioquímicos-metabólicos, capaces de revelar la existencia de estos riesgos y prevenir la progresión de las mismas. Objetivo. Analizar los marcadores bioquímicos-metabólicos en individuos que realizan actividad física. Materiales y métodos. Se diseñó un estudio de campo, de tipo descriptivo, de cohorte transversal, con 61 personas, con: atletas de diversas disciplinas deportivas e individuos sedentarios, con edades de 20 a 21 años, sin enfermedad crónica aparente. Resultados. Las concentraciones de Hemoglobina glicosilada y glicemia fueron más bajas en los atletas (4,91±0,56% y 77,83±6,67). Además, el perfil lipídico fue normal en ambos grupos; aunque estadísticamente los atletas presentaron valores bajos, con respecto a los sedentarios: colesterol 122,87±19,05 vs. 151,20±24,20 (mg/dL); LDL 63,68±17,52 vs. 83,77±19,40 (mg/dL) e índice aterogénico 1,4±0,5 vs.1, 6±0,7; más altos para HDL 50,90±6,27 vs. 44,98±9,71 (mg/dL); los valores de triglicéridos, por su parte, no mostraron diferencia significativa en ambos grupos (71,22±25,17 y 76,24±34,81 mg/dL respectivamente. Conclusión. La actividad física regular, tiene un aporte benéfico sobre los bio-marcadores: HbA1c, glicemia y perfil lipídico, y por ende en la disminución del riesgo cardiovascular.
Пошук відповідей на амбітні програми реформування кримінально-виконавчої системи України: від законодавства до кадрового забезпечення
Authors: Денисова Т.
Published: May 2020

У статті надається в узагальненому виді перелік проблем, які постають перед кримінально-виконавчою системою України в період нового витка її реформування. Піддаються аналізу ідеї, узагальнені думки керівництва Міністерства юстиції України, науковців та практичних працівників, котрі свідчать про оновлення курсу або, навпаки, гальмування окремих процесів. Окреслено основні питання кримінально-правової та кримінально-виконавчої політики. Визначено шляхи першочергових дій: від законодавчого оформлення діяльності кримінально-виконавчої системи, функціонування процесу виконання та відбування покарань до кадрового забезпечення.
Нейтралізація криміногенності місць позбавлення волі як напрям запобігання професійній злочинності
Authors: Макаренко Н.
Published: May 2020

У статті досліджується проблема нейтралізації криміногенності місць позбавлення волі та її вплив на професійну злочинність. Звертається увага на необхідність обов’язкового впровадження заходів індивідуального запобігання професійній злочинності. Визначено, що заходи нейтралізації криміногенності місць позбавлення волі діляться на організаційні та виховні. Запобігання професійній злочинності пов’язане з реалізацією комплексу заходів, спрямованих на забезпечення належного рівня життя, повернення особи у суспільство, виховання, надання необхідної допомоги після відбуття покарання. Крім того, в рамках розглянутих заходів необхідна розробка спеціальних заходів з протидії тюремній субкультурі. За результатами проведеного дослідження внесено низку пропозицій щодо удосконалення системи запобігання професійній злочинності.