bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complete Plastid Genome Sequencing of Eight Species from Hansenia, Haplosphaera and Sinodielsia (Apiaceae): Comparative Analyses and Phylogenetic Implications
Authors: Gou Wei , Jia Sheng-Bin , Price Megan , Guo Xian-Lin , Zhou Song-Dong , He Xing-Jin
Published: November 2020

Hansenia Turcz., Haplosphaera Hand.-Mazz. and Sinodielsia H.Wolff are three Apiaceae genera endemic to the Hengduan Mountains and the Himalayas, which usually inhabit elevations greater than 2000 m. The phylogenetic relationships between and within the genera were uncertain, especially the placement of Hap. himalayensis and S. microloba. Therefore, we aimed to conduct comparative (simple sequence repeat (SSR) structure, codon usage bias, nucleotide diversity (Pi) and inverted repeat (IR) boundaries) and phylogenetic analyses of Hansenia, Haplosphaera and Sinodielsia (also compared with Chamaesium and Bupleurum) to reduce uncertainties in intergeneric and interspecific relationships. We newly assembled eight plastid genomes from Hansenia, Haplosphaera and Sinodielsia species, and analyzed them with two plastid genomes from GenBank of Hap. phaea,S. yunnanensis. Phylogenetic analyses used these ten genomes and another 22 plastid genome sequences of Apiaceae. We found that the newly assembled eight genomes ranged from 155,435 bp to 157,797 bp in length and all had a typical quadripartite structure. Fifty-five to 75 SSRs were found in Hansenia, Haplosphaera and Sinodielsia species, and the most abundant SSR was mononucleotide, which accounted for 58.47% of Hansenia, 60.21% of Haplosphaera and 48.01% of Sinodielsia. There was no evident divergence of codon usage frequency between the three genera, where codons ranged from 21,134 to 21,254. The Pi analysis showed that trnE(UUC)-trnT(GGU), trnH(GUG)-psbA and trnE(UUC)-trnT(GGU) spacer regions had the highest Pi values in the plastid genomes of Hansenia (0.01889), Haplosphaera (0.04333) and Sinodielsia (0.01222), respectively. The ndhG-ndhI spacer regions were found in all three genera to have higher diversity values (Pi values: 0.01028–0.2), and thus may provide potential DNA barcodes in phylogenetic analysis. IR boundary analysis showed that the length of rps19 and ycf1 genes entering IRs were usually stable in the same genus. Our phylogenetic tree demonstrated that Hap. himalayensis is sister to Han. weberbaueriana; meanwhile, Haplosphaera and Hansenia are nested together in the East Asia clade, and S. microloba is nested within individuals of S. yunnanensis in the Acronema clade. This study will enrich the complete plastid genome dataset of the Apiaceae genera and has provided a new insight into phylogeny reconstruction using complete plastid genomes of Hansenia, Haplosphaera and Sinodielsia.
Type of Explant Affects In Vitro Development and Multiplication Success of the Rare Halophyte Plant Honckenya Peploides L. Ehrh
Authors: Kulpa Danuta , Wrobel Mariola , Bednarek Martyna
Published: November 2020

The sea sandwort—Honckenya peploides (L.) Ehrh. is—a rare halophilous plant growing on dunes and is an endangered species on the Polish coast. It contributes to the stabilization of volatile sandy substrate, facilitating the colonization of other species. The present study determined the reaction of two types of explant: apical shoot fragments and fragments from a lower portion of the shoot. Apical shoot fragments were used to propagate and root sea sandwort plants due to the positive impact on the development of shoots and roots. Regardless of the plant growth regulators applied in the medium, the lateral meristems on the explants from the lower parts of the shoot stopped growing, and then yellowed and died out. Apical fragments of shoots developed higher and more numerous shoots and longer and more numerous roots than explants, which were fragments collected from lower parts of shoots. The findings indicated that propagation should be conducted on Murashige and Skoog medium with the addition of 1 mg∙dm−3 kinetin, whereas shoots with their apical fragments should be rooted with the addition of 1.5 mg∙dm−3 1-naphthaleneacetic acid. The results also showed that the addition of NaCl at concentrations of 25 and 50 mM did not restrict their growth, thereby indicating the tolerance of the plant to soil salinity. However, an increase in the concentration of NaCl in the medium to 75 mM restricted the development of plants, and the shoots were lower and roots were shorter and less numerous.
Overexpression of a Cytosolic 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase Gene Enhances the Resistance of Rice to Nilaparvata lugens
Authors: Chen Lin , Kuai Peng , Ye Miaofen , Zhou Shuxing , Lu Jing , Lou Yonggen
Published: November 2020

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) plays an important role in plant growth and development, and plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Yet, whether the PPP regulates plant defenses against herbivorous insects remains unclear. In this study, we cloned a rice cytosolic 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase gene, Os6PGDH1, which encodes the key enzyme catalyzing the third step in the reaction involving the oxidative phase of the PPP, and explored its role in rice defenses induced by brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens. Levels of Os6PGDH1 transcripts were detected in all five examined tissues, with the highest in outer leaf sheaths and lowest in inner leaf sheaths. Os6PGDH1 expression was strongly induced by mechanical wounding, infestation of gravid BPH females, and jasmonic acid (JA) treatment. Overexpressing Os6PGDH1 (oe6PGDH) decreased the height of rice plants and the mass of the aboveground part of plants, but slightly increased the length of plant roots. In addition, the overexpression of Os6PGDH1 enhanced levels of BPH-induced JA, jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile), and H2O2, but decreased BPH-induced levels of ethylene. Bioassays revealed that gravid BPH females preferred to feed and lay eggs on wild-type (WT) plants over oe6PGDH plants; moreover, the hatching rate of BPH eggs raised on oe6PGDH plants and the fecundity of BPH females fed on these were significantly lower than the eggs and the females raised and fed on WT plants. Taken together, these results indicate that Os6PGDH1 plays a pivotal role not only in rice growth but also in the resistance of rice to BPH by modulating JA, ethylene, and H2O2 pathways.
Nutrients Leaching in Response to Long-Term Fertigation and Broadcast Nitrogen in Blueberry Production
Authors: Messiga Aimé J. , Dyck Kathryn , Ronda Kiera , van Baar Kolden , Haak Dennis , Yu Shaobing , Dorais Martine
Published: November 2020

Nutrient leaching losses from horticultural production threaten the quality of groundwater and freshwater systems worldwide. The objectives of this study were to (a) assess the effects of annual applications of ammonium sulfate fertilizer through fertigation (FERT) and broadcast (BROAD) on nutrient leaching losses and (b) determine the links among chemical property changes in leachates and soil with berry yields after 9 and 11 years of blueberry production. The long-term blueberry site was established in 2008 using seven combinations of treatments including an unfertilized control (CONT) and three N fertilizer rates (100%, 150%, 200% of recommended rates) using BROAD and FERT methods. Nutrients concentrations (NO3−-N, NH4+-N and SO42−-S) and chemical properties (pH and electrical conductivity (EC)) of leachate, sawdust and soil and berries were assessed. All FERT methods resulted in concentrations of NO3−-N in the leachates > 100 mg L−1 with a maximum of 200 mg L−1 for FERT-200 during the growing season due to the easy transport of dissolved nutrients with the irrigation water. All BROAD methods resulted into concentrations of NO3−-N in the leachates >10 mg L−1 with a maximum of 35 mg L−1 for BROAD-200 between April and July, as well as between November and April, indicating two periods of NO3−-N leaching losses. The pattern observed with BROAD indicates that irrigation water in the summer and heavy rainfall in the winter contribute to NO3−-N leaching losses. Concentrations of NH4+-N in the leachates >1 mg L−1 were measured under FERT with a peak at 64.78 mg L−1 for FERT-200, during the period April to August, due to NH4+’s ability to quickly move through the sawdust layer with irrigation water. Principal component analysis linked berry yield decrease with ammonium sulfate applications above recommended rates (FERT and BROAD) and with changes in soil pH and EC. Our results demonstrated that excess fertilizer applications above recommended rates using FERT and BROAD can threaten the sustainability of blueberry production by enhancing nutrient leaching losses and reducing berry yield.
Development of 454 New Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) Markers for Temperate japonica Rice Varieties
Authors: Cheon Kyeong-Seong , Jeong Young-Min , Oh Hyoja , Oh Jun , Kang Do-Yu , Kim Nyunhee , Lee Eungyeong , Baek Jeongho , Kim Song Lim , Choi Inchan , Yoon In Sun , Kim Kyung-Hwan , Won Yong Jae , Cho Young-il , Han Jung-Heon , Ji Hyeonso
Published: November 2020

Temperate japonica rice varieties exhibit wide variation in the phenotypes of several important agronomic traits, including disease resistance, pre-harvest sprouting resistance, plant architecture, and grain quality, indicating the presence of genes contributing to favorable agronomic traits. However, gene mapping and molecular breeding has been hampered as a result of the low genetic diversity among cultivars and scarcity of polymorphic DNA markers. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers allow high-throughput genotyping for marker-assisted selection and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping within closely related populations. Previously, we identified 740,566 SNPs and developed 771 KASP markers for Korean temperate japonica rice varieties. However, additional markers were needed to provide sufficient genome coverage to support breeding programs. In this study, the 740,566 SNPs were categorized according to their predicted impacts on gene function. The high-impact, moderate-impact, modifier, and low-impact groups contained 703 (0.1%), 20,179 (2.7%), 699,866 (94.5%), and 19,818 (2.7%) SNPs, respectively. A subset of 357 SNPs from the high-impact group was selected for initial KASP marker development, resulting in 283 polymorphic KASP markers. After incorporation of the 283 markers with the 771 existing markers in a physical map, additional markers were developed to fill genomic regions with large gaps between markers, and 171 polymorphic KASP markers were successfully developed from 284 SNPs. Overall, a set of 1225 KASP markers was produced. The markers were evenly distributed across the rice genome, with average marker density of 3.3 KASP markers per Mbp. The 1225 KASP markers will facilitate QTL/gene mapping and marker-assisted selection in temperate japonica rice breeding programs.
Micropropagation of Mountain Mulberry (Morus bombycis Koidz.) ‘Kenmochi’ on Cytokinin-Free Medium
Authors: Litwińczuk Wojciech , Jacek Beata
Published: November 2020

The aim of the study was to compare two methods of micropropagation of mulberry: single-node culture (“SNC”), and axillary-branching (“AxB”). The experiments were carried out on in vitro cultures for 6 successive passages. The “AxB” cultures were propagated on modified MS medium (+ 25% Ca2+ and Mg2+), supplemented with WPM vitamins, sucrose (30 g L−1), and BA (1.5 mg l-1). The “SNC” cultures were grown on cytokinin-free 1/2 MS (macro- and micronutrients) medium supplemented with WPM vitamins, IBA (0.05 mg l-1), and sucrose (15 g l-1). Both media (pH 5.8) were solidified with agar (7.0 g l-1). Initiation of in vitro cultures from explants taken from adult trees and young, potted plants was feasible on both media. Cultures were established from about 1 cm long nodal explants. Generally “SNC” cultures formed one well rooted, significantly longer axillary shoot with bigger leaves than “AxB” cultures, which developed significantly more shoots and big callus at the explant base. All shoots collected from “SNC” and “AxB” cultures rooted in vivo in peat mixture and developed into similar plantlets. The single-node method based on application of cytokinin-free medium is a good alternative for the axillary-branching method for micropropagation of mountain mulberry (Morus bombycis) ‘Kenmochi”’.
Antioxidant Activities of a New Chemotype of Piper cubeba L. Fruit Essential Oil (Methyleugenol/Eugenol): In Silico Molecular Docking and ADMET Studies
Authors: Alminderej Fahad , Bakari Sana , Almundarij Tariq I. , Snoussi Mejdi , Aouadi Kaïss , Kadri Adel
Published: November 2020

Piper cubeba L. fruit is an important species used in folk medicine for different types of pains such as rheumatism, chills, flu, colds, muscular aches, and fever. This study examines the chemical constituents, antioxidant activity, and potential inhibitory effect against human peroxiredoxin 5, a key enzyme of P. cubeba essential oil from fruits. Using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS), the principal components were methyleugenol (41.31%) and eugenol (33.95%), followed by (E)-caryophyllene (5.65%), p-cymene-8-ol (3.50%), 1,8-cineole (2.94%), and α-terpinolene (1.41%). Results showed similar scavenging activity via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 110.00 ± 0.08 μg/mL), as well as very potent antioxidant activity against both ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) (106.00 ± 0.11 μg/mL) and β-carotene bleaching (IC50 = 315.00 ± 2.08 μg/mL) assays when compared to positive butylated hydroxytoluene and ascorbic acid. The molecular docking approach has also been performed to screen the antioxidant activities of the major and potent compounds against human protein target peroxiredoxin 5. Results showed good binding profiles and attributed the strongest inhibitory activity to β-caryophyllene oxide (–5.8 kcal/mol), followed respectively by isocembrol and α-selinene (–5.4 kcal/mol), and viridiflorol (–5.1 kcal/mol). Furthermore, ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion)-related physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties have been assessed and support our in vitro findings. This work demonstrates the powerful antioxidant potency of cubeba pepper and paves the way for the discovery and development of antioxidant agent with high potency.
Recent Advances in Reducing Food Losses in the Supply Chain of Fresh Agricultural Produce
Authors: Onwude Daniel I. , Chen Guangnan , Eke-emezie Nnanna , Kabutey Abraham , Khaled Alfadhl Yahya , Sturm Barbara
Published: November 2020

Fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious agricultural produce with tremendous human health benefits. They are also highly perishable and as such are easily susceptible to spoilage, leading to a reduction in quality attributes and induced food loss. Cold chain technologies have over the years been employed to reduce the quality loss of fruits and vegetables from farm to fork. However, a high amount of losses (≈50%) still occur during the packaging, pre-cooling, transportation, and storage of these fresh agricultural produce. This study highlights the current state-of-the-art of various advanced tools employed to reducing the quality loss of fruits and vegetables during the packaging, storage, and transportation cold chain operations, including the application of imaging technology, spectroscopy, multi-sensors, electronic nose, radio frequency identification, printed sensors, acoustic impulse response, and mathematical models. It is shown that computer vision, hyperspectral imaging, multispectral imaging, spectroscopy, X-ray imaging, and mathematical models are well established in monitoring and optimizing process parameters that affect food quality attributes during cold chain operations. We also identified the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual representation models of a particular fresh produce (digital twins) as emerging technologies that can help monitor and control the uncharted quality evolution during its postharvest life. These advances can help diagnose and take measures against potential problems affecting the quality of fresh produce in the supply chains. Plausible future pathways to further develop these emerging technologies and help in the significant reduction of food losses in the supply chain of fresh produce are discussed. Future research should be directed towards integrating IoT and digital twins for multiple shipments in order to intensify real-time monitoring of the cold chain environmental conditions, and the eventual optimization of the postharvest supply chains. This study gives promising insight towards the use of advanced technologies in reducing losses in the postharvest supply chain of fruits and vegetables.
Charcoal as an Alternative Reductant in Ferroalloy Production: A Review
Authors: Surup Gerrit Ralf , Trubetskaya Anna , Tangstad Merete
Published: November 2020

This paper provides a fundamental and critical review of biomass application as renewable reductant in integrated ferroalloy reduction process. The basis for the review is based on the current process and product quality requirement that bio-based reductants must fulfill. The characteristics of different feedstocks and suitable pre-treatment and post-treatment technologies for their upgrading are evaluated. The existing literature concerning biomass application in ferroalloy industries is reviewed to fill out the research gaps related to charcoal properties provided by current production technologies and the integration of renewable reductants in the existing industrial infrastructure. This review also provides insights and recommendations to the unresolved challenges related to the charcoal process economics. Several possibilities to integrate the production of bio-based reductants with bio-refineries to lower the cost and increase the total efficiency are given. A comparison of challenges related to energy efficient charcoal production and formation of emissions in classical kiln technologies are discussed to underline the potential of bio-based reductant usage in ferroalloy reduction process.
Deformations Prior to the Brumadinho Dam Collapse Revealed by Sentinel-1 InSAR Data Using SBAS and PSI Techniques
Authors: F. Gama Fábio , Mura José C. , R. Paradella Waldir , G. de Oliveira Cleber
Published: November 2020

Differential Interferometric SAR (DInSAR) has been used to monitor surface deformations in open pit mines and tailings dams. In this paper, ground deformations have been detected on the area of tailings Dam-I at the Córrego do Feijão Mine (Brumadinho, Brazil) before its catastrophic failure occurred on 25 January 2019. Two techniques optimized for different scattering models, SBAS (Small BAseline Subset) and PSI (Persistent Scatterer Interferometry), were used to perform the analysis based on 26 Sentinel-1B images in Interferometric Wide Swath (IW) mode, which were acquired on descending orbits from 03 March 2018 to 22 January 2019. A WorldDEM Digital Surface Model (DSM) product was used to remove the topographic phase component. The results provided by both techniques showed a synoptic and informative view of the deformation process affecting the study area, with the detection of persistent trends of deformation on the crest, middle, and bottom sectors of the dam face until its collapse, as well as the settlements on the tailings. It is worth noting the detection of an acceleration in the displacement time-series for a short period near the failure. The maximum accumulated displacements detected along the downstream slope face were −39 mm (SBAS) and −48 mm (PSI). It is reasonable to consider that Sentinel-1 would provide decision makers with complementary motion information to the in situ monitoring system for risk assessment and for a better understanding of the ongoing instability phenomena affecting the tailings dam.
Application of Multiple Geomatic Techniques for Coastline Retreat Analysis: The Case of Gerra Beach (Cantabrian Coast, Spain)
Authors: de Sanjosé Blasco José Juan , Serrano-Cañadas Enrique , Sánchez-Fernández Manuel , Gómez-Lende Manuel , Redweik Paula
Published: November 2020

The beaches of the Cantabrian coast (northern Spain) are exposed to strong winter storms that cause the coastline to recede. In this article, the coastal retreat of the Gerra beach (Cantabria) is analyzed through a diachronic study using the following different geomatic techniques: orthophotography of the year 1956; photogrammetric flights from 2001, 2005, 2010, 2014, 2017; Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey from August 2012; Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) survey from November 2018; and terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) through two dates per year (spring and fall) from April 2012 to April 2020. With the 17 observations of TLS, differences in volume of the beach and the sea cliff are determined during the winter (November–April) and summer (May–October) periods, searching their relationship with the storms in this eight-year period (2012–2020). From the results of this investigation it can be concluded that the retreat of the base of the cliff is insignificant, but this is not the case for the top of the cliff and for the existing beaches in the Cantabrian Sea where the retreat is evident. The retreat of the cliff top line in Gerra beach, between 1956 and 2020 has shown values greater than 40 m. The retreat in other beaches of the Cantabrian Sea, in the same period, has been more than 200 m. With our measurements, investigations carried out on the retreat of the cliffs on the Atlantic coast have been reinforced, where the diversity of the cliff lithology and the aggressive action of the sea (storms) have been responsible for the active erosion on the face cliff. In addition, this research applied geomatic techniques that have appeared commercially during the period (1956–2020), such as aerial photogrammetry, TLS, LiDAR, and UAV and analyzed the results to determine the precision that could be obtained with each method for its application to similar geomorphological structures.
A Wearable Sensor System to Measure Step-Based Gait Parameters for Parkinson’s Disease Rehabilitation
Authors: Muthukrishnan Niveditha , Abbas James J. , Krishnamurthi Narayanan
Published: November 2020

Spatiotemporal parameters of gait serve as an important biomarker to monitor gait impairments as well as to develop rehabilitation systems. In this work, we developed a computationally-efficient algorithm (SDI-Step) that uses segmented double integration to calculate step length and step time from wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) and assessed its ability to reliably and accurately measure spatiotemporal gait parameters. Two data sets that included simultaneous measurements from wearable sensors and from a laboratory-based system were used in the assessment. The first data set utilized IMU sensors and a GAITRite mat in our laboratory to monitor gait in fifteen participants: 9 young adults (YA1) (5 females, 4 males, age 23.6 ± 1 years), and 6 people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) (3 females, 3 males, age 72.3 ± 6.6 years). The second data set, which was accessed from a publicly-available repository, utilized IMU sensors and an optoelectronic system to monitor gait in five young adults (YA2) (2 females, 3 males, age 30.5 ± 3.5 years). In order to provide a complete representation of validity, we used multiple statistical analyses with overlapping metrics. Gait parameters such as step time and step length were calculated and the agreement between the two measurement systems for each gait parameter was assessed using Passing–Bablok (PB) regression analysis and calculation of the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC (2,1)) with 95% confidence intervals for a single measure, absolute-agreement, 2-way mixed-effects model. In addition, Bland–Altman (BA) plots were used to visually inspect the measurement agreement. The values of the PB regression slope were close to 1 and intercept close to 0 for both step time and step length measures. The results obtained using ICC (2,1) for step length showed a moderate to excellent agreement for YA (between 0.81 and 0.95) and excellent agreement for PD (between 0.93 and 0.98), while both YA and PD had an excellent agreement in step time ICCs (>0.9). Finally, examining the BA plots showed that the measurement difference was within the limits of agreement (LoA) with a 95% probability. Results from this preliminary study indicate that using the SDI-Step algorithm to process signals from wearable IMUs provides measurements that are in close agreement with widely-used laboratory-based systems and can be considered as a valid tool for measuring spatiotemporal gait parameters.
The First Two Decades of Smart City Research from a Risk Perspective
Authors: Shayan Shadi , Kim Ki Pyung , Ma Tony , Nguyen Tan Hai Dang
Published: November 2020

Although they offer major advantages, smart cities present unprecedented risks and challenges. There are abundant discrete studies on risks related to smart cities; however, such risks have not been thoroughly understood to date. This paper is a systematic review that aims to identify the origin, trends, and categories of risks from previous studies on smart cities. This review includes 85 related articles published between 2000 and 2019. Through a thematic analysis, smart city risks were categorized into three main themes: organizational, social, and technological. The risks within the intersections of these themes were also grouped into (1) digital transformation, (2) socio-technical, and (3) corporate social responsibility. The results revealed that risk is a comparatively new topic in smart-city research and that little focus has been given to social risks. The findings indicated that studies from countries with a long history of smart cities tend to place greater emphasis on social risks. This study highlights the significance of smart city risks for researchers and practitioners, providing a solid direction for future smart-city research.
The Digitalization Sustainability Matrix: A Participatory Research Tool for Investigating Digitainability
Authors: Gupta Shivam , Motlagh Mahsa , Rhyner Jakob
Published: November 2020

Rapidly increasing applications of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (D&AI) are already impacting our day-to-day life substantially, along with social and economic prospects worldwide. The accelerating utilization of D&AI has stirred the discussion concerning the responsible application of technologies for assisting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). D&AI can raise productivity, lower costs, reduce resource intensity, and enable efficient public services. However, there are also risks and downsides that we all must identify and tackle to address any potential short-/long-term undesired impact. Notably, there exists a gap in knowledge about the mutual relationships between D&AI and the 17 SDGs. To address this gap and gather broader perspectives of experts on the potential uses and pitfalls of D&AI for SDGs and their respective indicators, we propose a participatory research approach: the Digitalization–Sustainability Matrix (DSM). The DSM serves as a means for collaborative methods, such as participatory action research (PAR), for the knowledge production process. We exercised the DSM in the Digitainable Thinkathon event, a gathering of experts from diverse sectors and backgrounds for capturing the action-oriented dialogues concerning the use of D&AI technologies for the indicators of SDGs 4 (Education) and 13 (Climate Action). As a tool, the DSM aided in the discussion by systematically capturing transdisciplinary knowledge generated on several aspects, such as: (1) the need for research–practice nexus action; (2) data-capturing efforts and social considerations; (3) collaborative planning for utilizing the power of D&AI; (4) lessons from the diverse community to encourage the purposeful use of technologies. Overall, the proposed approach effectively triggered a discussion on the crucial aspects that need to be considered for D&AI’s practices, a step towards deep-rooting the transdisciplinary perspectives for meaningful use of D&AI for SDGs.
Effect of Underground-Type Ammunition Magazine Construction in Respect of Civil and Military Coexistence
Authors: Park Sangwoo , Park Young-Jun
Published: November 2020

Recently, rapid urban development and changes in the national defense environment have required civil–military coexistence plans. In particular, this is an urgent issue for ammunition magazines, which have the widest range of military protection zones among military facilities because of the safety distance standard and their location at transportation hubs. In this study, fundamental research was conducted on underground-type ammunition magazines for the sake of the sustainable civil and military developments. First, the effects of reducing the safety distance for underground-type ammunition magazines, compared to that for ground-type ammunition magazines, were evaluated. Economic and environmental effects expected by substituting underground-type ammunition magazines for ground-type ammunition magazines were analyzed based on the results. Then, design methods of the underground-type ammunition magazine that effectively reduce the safety distance were suggested by performing numerical simulations. The installation of chambers at different depths and the application of technologies to reduce explosion pressure inside the chambers were discussed. Finally, an endowment and concession project method was analyzed based on the previous researches as the most efficient way of implementing the project of an underground-type ammunition magazine. It was concluded that research to specify design methods for underground-type ammunition magazines was urgently required to vitalize future underground-type ammunition magazine projects.
Identification of the Proper Criteria Set for Neighborhood Walkability Using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process Model: A Case Study in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: AlShareef Faisal , Aljoufie Mohammed
Published: November 2020

Identifying the appropriate criteria for neighborhood walkability is crucial to improve walkability. This paper aims to identify the proper criteria set for neighborhood walkability using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process model (FAHP) for the case of Jeddah city, a fast-growing city in Saudi Arabia. This paper strives to highlight the criteria and factors that influence Jeddah’s walkability with its populations’ help. A survey questionnaire was used first to gather data regarding people’s reasons for walking and the elements that encourage them to walk. Then the criteria were derived using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method. Results indicate that mosques were the most visited destinations, with over a 30% rate. Eighty-six percent of the criteria that determine a walkable neighborhood in Jeddah were physical environments alone. It was also revealed that the residents regarded walking as a leisure activity rather than a utilitarian. The results show the proposed method’s capability in providing proper neighborhood walkability criteria related to Jeddah’s context. The FAHP proves its use in various urban studies fields in transportation and validation of the walkability index; this paper proves it can also help develop new criteria for walkability measures.
The Application of ICT and Smart Technologies in Polish Museums—Towards Smart Tourism
Authors: Naramski Mateusz
Published: November 2020

The concept of Smart Tourism is rapidly developing alongside Smart Cities, with increasing numbers of ICT solutions being applied for the convenience of travelers as well as for gathering information, which has become a valuable resource. The vast progress in the development of Information Technologies has also impacted the needs and expectations of tourists. However, various branches of tourism are adopting this concept at a different pace, and thus a growing development gap might emerge. Cases from all over the world show that museums are not immune to this, and it is important for their future to meet these expectations. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the use of modern technologies in Polish museums and assess their readiness for adopting Smart Tourism. For this purpose, a nationwide online survey was conducted with a sample size of 218 museums (from 500 unique entities in total). The results show that the issue of Smart Tourism in Polish museums is ambiguous. The results reveal that, currently, the status of Smart Tourism adoption in museums is quite low, and significant gaps in some areas are shown; at the same time, other areas revealed a high potential for the future application of Smart Tourism.
Analysis of Longitudinal Timber Beam Joints Loaded with Simple Bending
Authors: Vavrusova Kristyna , Lokaj Antonin , Mikolasek David , Sucharda Oldrich
Published: November 2020

The joints in timber structures are often the decisive factor in determining the load-bearing capacity, rigidity, sustainability, and durability of timber structures. Compared with the fasteners used for steel and concrete structures, fasteners for timber structures generally have a lower load-bearing capacity and rigidity, with the exception of glued joints. Glued joints in timber structures constitute a diverse group of rigid joints which are distinguished by sudden failure when the joint’s load-bearing capacity is reached. In this contribution, the load-bearing capacity of a longitudinal joint for a beam under simple flexural stress is analyzed using glued, double-sided splices. Joints with double-sided splices and connecting screws were also tested to compare the load-bearing capacity and rigidity. A third series of tests was carried out on joints made using glued double-sided splices augmented with screws. The aim of this combined joint was to ensure greater ductility after the load-bearing capacity of the glued splice joint had been reached.
Finding the Links between Risk Management and Project Success: Evidence from International Development Projects in Colombia
Authors: Rodríguez-Rivero Rocío , Ortiz-Marcos Isabel , Romero Javier , Ballesteros-Sánchez Luis
Published: November 2020

The aim of this research is to help improve the effectiveness of international development projects (IDPs) with a focus on enhancing their success. For this purpose, this work seeks to identify links between the management of risks among five projects executed in Cauca (Colombia) and the success of these projects in terms of project management and impacts on the beneficiary communities. An analysis of these projects reveals the most critical risks encountered and the relationships between the management of those risks and the success of the projects. The use of fuzzy logic through the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) program is key to performing this difficult task. The results of a qualitative study reveal that the most important risks correspond to economic, cultural, and political factors. A quantitative analysis by fsQCA shows a direct relationship between the management of cultural differences and the positive impacts of IDPs on the beneficiary communities.
AgroTutor: A Mobile Phone Application Supporting Sustainable Agricultural Intensification
Authors: Laso Bayas Juan Carlos , Gardeazabal Andrea , Karner Mathias , Folberth Christian , Vargas Luis , Skalský Rastislav , Balkovič Juraj , Subash Anto , Saad Moemen , Delerce Sylvain , Crespo Cuaresma Jesús , Hlouskova Jaroslava , Molina-Maturano Janet , See Linda , Fritz Steffen , Obersteiner Michael , Govaerts Bram
Published: November 2020

Traditional agricultural extension services rely on extension workers, especially in countries with large agricultural areas. In order to increase adoption of sustainable agriculture, the recommendations given by such services must be adapted to local conditions and be provided in a timely manner. The AgroTutor mobile application was built to provide highly specific and timely agricultural recommendations to farmers across Mexico and complement the work of extension agents. At the same time, AgroTutor provides direct contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, either by advancing their implementation or providing local data systems to measure and monitor specific indicators such as the proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture. The application is freely available and allows farmers to geo-locate and register plots and the crops grown there, using the phone’s built-in GPS, or alternatively, on top of very high-resolution imagery. Once a crop and some basic data such as planting date and cultivar type have been registered, the application provides targeted information such as weather, potential and historical yield, financial benchmarking information, data-driven recommendations, and commodity price forecasts. Farmers are also encouraged to contribute in-situ information, e.g., soils, management, and yield data. The information can then be used by crop models, which, in turn, send tailored results back to the farmers. Initial feedback from farmers and extension agents has already improved some of the application’s characteristics. More enhancements are planned for inclusion in the future to increase the application’s function as a decision support tool.
Simulation Study on Dynamic Thermal Performance of a New Ventilated Roof with Form-Stable PCM in Southern China
Authors: Yu Jinghua , Leng Kangxin , Wang Feifei , Ye Hong , Luo Yongqiang
Published: November 2020

Latent heat storage in phase change material (PCM) is an efficient technology that can be applied in building envelopes. Installing PCM in building roof has been effective in altering space cooling loads. However, the heat absorbed by the PCM during the daytime will be released at night; the cooling load is shifted to the night. So, this study proposed a new ventilated roof with form-stable PCM (VRFP). The night cool air is used for ventilation during summer to remove the solidification heat of PCM and to store the cooling energy in the roof. Form-stable PCM is placed in the upper layer and ventilation duct is placed in the middle layer. The inner surface temperature of this roof is reduced sharply compared with the conventional PCM roof. The thermal performance of this PCM roof with night ventilation in Wuhan, a city in southern China, was studied by through Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. A three-dimensional dynamic numerical model of this roof was built. The effects of melting temperature range, thickness of Form-stable PCM layer and ventilation strategy on the thermal performance were analyzed. Results show that, in Wuhan city, the optimal melting temperature range is 35~38 °C, the appropriate thickness of PCM layer is 30~40 mm and the optimal ventilation speed is 2.4~2.5 m/s. This structure can effectively prevent the stored heat of PCM transferring from the exterior to the interior during the summer and reduce cooling energy consumption.
Hydrogen—An Alternative Fuel for Automotive Diesel Engines Used in Transportation
Authors: Cernat Alexandru , Pana Constantin , Negurescu Niculae , Lazaroiu Gheorghe , Nutu Cristian , Fuiorescu Dinu
Published: November 2020

Considering the current environmental restrictions, particularly those imposed on fossil fuel exploitation, hydrogen stands out as a very promising alternative for the power and transportation sectors. This paper investigates the effects of the employment of hydrogen in a K9K automotive diesel engine. Experiments were conducted at a speed of 2000 min−1 with various engine load levels of 40%, 55%, 70%, and 85%; several quantities were monitored to evaluate the performance with hydrogen use in terms of brake-specific energetic consumption (BSEC), fuel economy, maximum pressure, and heat-release characteristics. It was found that at 55% engine load, the engine efficiency increased by 5.3% with hydrogen addition, achieving a diesel fuel economy of 1.32 kg/h. The rate of increase of the peak pressure and maximum pressure started to increase as a consequence of the higher fuel quantity that burned in the premixed combustion phase, while still remaining within reliable operational limits. The accelerated combustion and augmented heat release rate resulted in a combustion duration that was reduced by 3° CA (crank angle degree), achieving a mass fraction burned percentage of 10% to 90% earlier in the cycle, and the combustion variability was also influenced. Hydrogen use assured the decrease of CO2, HC, NOx, and smoke emission levels in comparison with classic fueling.
Modeling of Compressive Strength of Sustainable Self-Compacting Concrete Incorporating Treated Palm Oil Fuel Ash Using Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Al-Mughanam Tawfiq , Aldhyani Theyazn H. H. , Alsubari Belal , Al-Yaari Mohammed
Published: November 2020

The utilization of a high-volume of treated palm oil fuel ash (T-POFA) as a partial cement substitution is one of the solutions presented to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and improve concrete sustainability. In this study, the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) is adapted as an artificial neural network (ANN) modeling tool to predict the compressive strength of self-compacting concrete (SCC) containing T-POFA. The ANFIS model has been developed and validated using concrete mixtures incorporating 0%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 50 wt%, 60 wt%, and wt 70% T-POFA as a replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) at a constant water/binder (W/B) ratio of 0.35. The experimental data were divided into 70% training data and 30% testing data. The experimental results of self-compacting concrete (SCC) containing T-POFA ensured comparable or higher compressive strengths, especially at later ages, when compared to the control SCC. However, the prediction results of the compressive strength of SCC samples using the ANFIS model are very close to the experimental values. The developed ANFIS model showed a highly-efficient performance to predict the SCC compressive strength. In addition, the obtained accurate predicted results using the developed ANN model will significantly affect the current experimental protocols, especially for costly and unsafe experiments.
Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Food and Beverages Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Telukdarie Arnesh , Munsamy Megashnee , Mohlala Popopo
Published: November 2020

The globe has been subjected to an unprecedented health challenge in the form of COVID-19, indiscriminately impacting the global economy, global supply chains, and nations. The resolution of this unprecedented challenge does not seem to be in the short-term horizon but rather something the globe has to live with. Initial data provides for some insights on responses, precautions, and sustainability protocols and processes. The Food and Beverages Manufacturing sector in South Africa (SA) and globally is an expeditious respondent to the COVID-19 challenge. Food is essential for human existence, but the food value chain is subjected to significant COVID-19 risks. The Food and Beverage Sector Education and Training Authority is responsible for skills development in the Food and Beverages (FoodBev) Manufacturing Sector in South Africa and seeks to quantify Foodbev sustainability. This research paper reviews global literature, performs a high-level knowledge classification, with the aim of expedited awareness, knowledge sharing, and most importantly, quantification of an expedited response, within the FoodBev Manufacturing sector in SA. The research is contextualized via a SA sector-based instrument deployment and data analysis. The paper provides insights into COVID-19 impact, adaptations, and responses in the SA Food and Beverages Manufacturing sector.
Control Method of Buses and Lines Using Reinforcement Learning for Short Circuit Current Reduction
Authors: Han Sangwook
Published: November 2020

This paper proposes a reinforcement learning-based approach that optimises bus and line control methods to solve the problem of short circuit currents in power systems. Expansion of power grids leads to concentrated power output and more lines for large-scale transmission, thereby increasing short circuit currents. The short circuit currents must be managed systematically by controlling the buses and lines such as separating, merging, and moving a bus, line, or transformer. However, there are countless possible control schemes in an actual grid. Moreover, to ensure compliance with power system reliability standards, no bus should exceed breaker capacity nor should lines or transformers be overloaded. For this reason, examining and selecting a plan requires extensive time and effort. To solve these problems, this paper introduces reinforcement learning to optimise control methods. By providing appropriate rewards for each control action, a policy is set, and the optimal control method is obtained through a maximising value method. In addition, a technique is presented that systematically defines the bus and line separation measures, limits the range of measures to those with actual power grid applicability, and reduces the optimisation time while increasing the convergence probability and enabling use in actual power grid operation. In the future, this technique will contribute significantly to establishing power grid operation plans based on short circuit currents.
Increased (Antibiotic-Resistant) Pathogen Indicator Organism Removal during (Hyper-)Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Concentrated Black Water for Safe Nutrient Recovery
Authors: Moerland Marinus J. , Borneman Alicia , Chatzopoulos Paraschos , Fraile Adrian Gonzalez , van Eekert Miriam H. A. , Zeeman Grietje , Buisman Cees J. N.
Published: November 2020

Source separated toilet water is a valuable resource for energy and fertilizers as it has a high concentration of organics and nutrients, which can be reused in agriculture. Recovery of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK) decreases the dependency on energy-intensive processes or processes that rely on depleting natural resources. In new sanitation systems, concentrated black water (BW) is obtained by source-separated collection of toilet water. BW-derived products are often associated with safety issues, amongst which pathogens and antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This study presents results showing that thermophilic (55–60 °C) and hyperthermophilic (70 °C) anaerobic treatments had higher (antibiotic-resistant) culturable pathogen indicators removal than mesophilic anaerobic treatment. Hyperthermophilic and thermophilic anaerobic treatment successfully removed Escherichia coli and extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing E. coli from source-separated vacuum collected BW at retention times of 6–11 days and reached significantly higher removal rates than mesophilic (35 °C) anaerobic treatment (p < 0.05). The difference between thermophilic and hyperthermophilic treatment was insignificant, which justifies operation at 55 °C rather than 70 °C. This study is the first to quantify (antibiotic-resistant) E. coli in concentrated BW (10–40 gCOD/L) and to show that both thermophilic and hyperthermophilic anaerobic treatment can adequately remove these pathogen indicators.