bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deformation Analysis Using B-Spline Surface with Correlated Terrestrial Laser Scanner Observations—A Bridge Under Load
Authors: Kermarrec Gaël , Kargoll Boris , Alkhatib Hamza
Published: March 2020

The choice of an appropriate metric is mandatory to perform deformation analysis between two point clouds (PC)—the distance has to be trustworthy and, simultaneously, robust against measurement noise, which may be correlated and heteroscedastic. The Hausdorff distance (HD) or its averaged derivation (AHD) are widely used to compute local distances between two PC and are implemented in nearly all commercial software. Unfortunately, they are affected by measurement noise, particularly when correlations are present. In this contribution, we focus on terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) observations and assess the impact of neglecting correlations on the distance computation when a mathematical approximation is performed. The results of the simulations are extended to real observations from a bridge under load. Highly accurate laser tracker (LT) measurements were available for this experiment: they allow the comparison of the HD and AHD between two raw PC or between their mathematical approximations regarding reference values. Based on these results, we determine which distance is better suited in the case of heteroscedastic and correlated TLS observations for local deformation analysis. Finally, we set up a novel bootstrap testing procedure for this distance when the PC are approximated with B-spline surfaces.
Satellite-Observed Variations and Trends in Carbon Monoxide over Asia and Their Sensitivities to Biomass Burning
Authors: Zhang Xun , Liu Jane , Han Han , Zhang Yongguang , Jiang Zhe , Wang Haikun , Meng Lingyun , Li Yi Chen , Liu Yi
Published: March 2020

As the carbon monoxide (CO) total column over Asia is among the highest in the world, it is important to characterize its variations in space and time. Using Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) and Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) satellite data, the variations and trends in CO total column over Asia and its seven subregions during 2003–2017 are investigated in this study. The CO total column in Asia is higher in spring and winter than in summer and autumn. The seasonal maximum and minimum are in spring and summer respectively in the regional mean over Asia, varying between land and oceans, as well as among the subregions. The CO total column in Asia shows strong interannual variation, with a regional mean coefficient of variation of 5.8% in MOPITT data. From 2003 to 2017, the annual mean of CO total column over Asia decreased significantly at a rate of (0.58 ± 0.15)% per year (or −(0.11 ± 0.03) × 1017 molecules cm−2 per year) in MOPITT data, resulting from significant CO decreases in winter, summer, and spring. In most of the subregions, significant decreasing trends in CO total column are also observed, more obviously over areas with high CO total column, including eastern regions of China and the Sichuan Basin. The regional decreasing trends in these areas are over 1% per year. Over the entire Asia, and in fire-prone subregions including South Siberia, Indo-China Peninsula, and Indonesia, we found significant correlations between the MOPITT CO total column and the fire counts from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The variations in MODIS fire counts may explain 58%, 60%, 36%, and 71% of the interannual variation in CO total column in Asia and these three subregions, respectively. Over different land cover types, the variations in biomass burning may explain 62%, 52%, and 31% of the interannual variation in CO total column, respectively, over the forest, grassland, and shrubland in Asia. Extremes in CO total column in Asia can be largely explained by the extreme fire events, such as the fires over Siberia in 2003 and 2012 and over Indonesia in 2006 and 2015. The significant decreasing trends in MODIS fire counts inside and outside Asia suggest that global biomass burning may be a driver for the decreasing trend in CO total column in Asia, especially in spring. In general, the variations and trends in CO total column over Asia detected by AIRS are similar to but smaller than those by MOPITT. The two datasets show similar spatial and temporal variations in CO total column over Asia, with correlation coefficients of 0.86–0.98 in the annual means. This study shows that the interannual variation in atmospheric CO in Asia is sensitive to biomass burning, while the decreasing trend in atmospheric CO over Asia coincides with the decreasing trend in MODIS fire counts from 2003 to 2017.
An Exploratory Analysis of the Environmental Sustainability Performance Signaling Communications among North American Sport Organizations
Authors: McCullough Brian P. , Pelcher Jamee , Trendafilova Sylvia
Published: March 2020

Sport organizations across North America promote and claim deep commitments to environmental issues through sustainability performance signaling. These signals are conveyed through external associations or memberships (e.g., Green Sports Alliance) or internally (e.g., environmental reports and communications). However, researchers have not explored this communication strategy as it relates to environmental initiatives in sport nor compared environmental communications of sport organizations from the major professional sport leagues in North America. We analyzed the websites of 147 North American sport organizations and their associated venue websites for environmental performance signaling communications. We found that only one sport organization featured an environmental report on its website, and 42 sport organizations highlighted environmental initiatives through dedicated webpages on the respective team or venue’s website. Predominately, these communications focused on fan engagement initiatives (i.e., awareness, participation) but lacked goal setting, measurement metrics, or performance summaries. We discuss these themes, the implications, and recommendations for how sustainability performance signaling can be better leveraged in the North American sport sector.
Sustainable Development of Hotel Food and Beverage Service Training: Learning Satisfaction with the Situated Cognitive Apprenticeship Approach
Authors: Tsui Pei-Ling , Chen Yen-Cheng
Published: March 2020

The main purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the cognitive apprenticeship teaching approach in food and beverage (F&B) service training courses on learning satisfaction. This study is a quasi-experimental research design conducted using pretest–post-test nonequivalent groups. Its research subjects are primarily new employees from the F&B departments of well-known five-star, high-end hotels in Taiwan who must undergo education and training. The new employees are divided into an experimental group and a control group for the eight-week teaching practicum. This study concludes that learning satisfaction achieved through the cognitive apprenticeship teaching approach during the F&B training course is superior to that achieved through the conventional teaching approach of lecturing. An innovative finding of the current research is that regardless of whether cognitive apprenticeship teaching is adopted, the master–apprentice relationship is the most important factor in the five-facet measurement of learning satisfaction. This point also explains why the cognitive apprenticeship approach is a suitable teaching and training strategy. The greatest contribution of this study is that it provides a direction for the application and sustainable development of hotel staff training and offers references for the improvement of future hotel training programs.
Influence of Agricultural Irrigation Activity on the Potential Risk of Groundwater Pollution: A Study with Drastic Method in a Semi-Arid Agricultural Region of China
Authors: Meng Lingjun , Zhang Qixing , Liu Pai , He Haiyang , Xu Wei
Published: March 2020

Agricultural irrigation strongly affects groundwater pollution in cultivated areas. Groundwater vulnerability was evaluated using the DRASTIC method by considering agricultural activities that affect water infiltration and pollutant transport to the groundwater. Three scenarios, using different water recharge sources and calculation methods, were considered for the Tongliao area of northern China. For Scenario 1, only precipitation contributed to the net recharge estimation and ~33.77% of the area was under high pollution risk. For Scenarios 2 and 3, both precipitation and irrigation return water were considered for net recharge estimations. The fractional areas of high pollution risk regions were 40.60% and 19.22% for Scenarios 2 and 3, respectively. The modified infiltration coefficients for this study area were used in Scenario 3, and the fractional area of the high-risk region was 21.38% lower than for Scenario 2. The use of empirical infiltration coefficients in Scenario 2 overestimated the water infiltration ability in the cultivated areas, which also overestimated the fractional area of high-risk regions in this study. Accurate assessment of the impact of agricultural activities on the groundwater pollution risk is essential for cultivated areas. Emphasis should be placed on the calculation method of proper parameters for DRASTIC model construction.
Effects of Climate and Land Use changes on Vegetation Dynamics in the Yangtze River Delta, China Based on Abrupt Change Analysis
Authors: Wan Lei , Liu Huiyu , Gong Haibo , Ren Yujia
Published: March 2020

Vegetation dynamics is thought to be affected by climate and land use changes. However, how the effects vary after abrupt vegetation changes remains unclear. Based on the Mann-Kendall trend and abrupt change analysis, we monitored vegetation dynamics and its abrupt change in the Yangtze River delta during 1982–2016. With the correlation analysis, we revealed the relationship of vegetation dynamics with climate changes (temperature and precipitation) pixel-by-pixel and then with land use changes analysis we studied the effects of land use changes (unchanged or changed land use) on their relationship. Results showed that: (1) the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) during growing season that is represented as GSN (growing season NDVI) showed an overall increasing trend and had an abrupt change in 2000. After then, the area percentages with decreasing GSN trend increased in cropland and built-up land, mainly located in the eastern, while those with increasing GSN trend increased in woodland and grassland, mainly located in the southern. Changed land use, except the land conversions from/to built-up land, is more favor for vegetation greening than unchanged land use (2) after abrupt change, the significant positive correlation between precipitation and GSN increased in all unchanged land use types, especially for woodland and grassland (natural land use) and changed land use except built-up land conversion. Meanwhile, the insignificant positive correlation between temperature and GSN increased in woodland, while decreased in the cropland and built-up land in the northwest (3) after abrupt change, precipitation became more important and favor, especially for natural land use. However, temperature became less important and favor for all land use types, especially for built-up land. This research indicates that abrupt change analysis will help to effectively monitor vegetation trend and to accurately assess the relationship of vegetation dynamics with climate and land use changes.
Mapping Academic Literature on Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa: Geographical Biases and Topical Gaps
Authors: Cooper Adam , Mukonza Chipo , Fisher Eleanor , Mulugetta Yacob , Gebreeyesus Mulu , Onuoha Magnus , Massaquoi Abu-Bakar , Ahanotu Kennedy Chigozie , Okereke Chukwumerije
Published: March 2020

A strong indigenous capacity for credible, salient and legitimate knowledge production is crucial to support African countries in developing their economies and societies inclusively and sustainably. In this article, we aim to quantify the current and historic capacity for African knowledge production to support the green economy in Africa, and identify important topical gaps. With a focus on topics relating to Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa (GIGGA), our research mapped how much Africa-focused research is being produced, from where and which African countries have higher or lower supply; and the topical focus of the research, mapping it against the African GIGGA policy discourses visible in government strategies. To do this we undertook a systematic review using a two-stage process, mapping the literature for GIGGA. This resulted in 960 verified citations. Content analysis of core metadata and article abstracts enabled mapping of the research focus. The analysis revealed a significant role for South Africa as both the pre-eminent producer of GIGGA literature as well as the geographic focus of GIGGA research, with Nigeria, Ethiopia and Kenya representing emerging loci of credible, African-relevant knowledge production. Topically, there was a strong emphasis on development, policy and environment while topics important for growth that is inclusive in character were infrequent or absent. Overall the results reinforced the view that investment is needed in research on inclusive green growth, linked to capacity building for knowledge production systems in Africa. Furthermore, from a policy perspective, policy makers and academics need to actively explore best to collaborate to ensure that academic research informs government policy.
Investigating Bat Activity in Various Agricultural Landscapes in Northeastern United States
Authors: Harms Katherine , Omondi Emmanuel , Mukherjee Atanu
Published: March 2020

Bats are estimated to provide between $3.7 and $53 billion annually in ecosystem services in the U.S.A. Determining how bats use land for foraging is important in planning agricultural landscapes to increase their presence and role in insect pest control. A research project was established in 2016 and 2017 to determine bat populations and activity differences between different land use management systems. Bat activity was monitored in 10 conventionally and organically managed systems in the presence of, and at a distance from the tree line. Two acoustic monitoring devices were used to record ultrasonic echolocation calls of bats. Organic systems without tree line had 67% and 45% greater bat passes than conventional systems without tree line as detected by the two devices. However, the conventional system with tree line had 61% and 59% greater bat passes than organic systems, attributed to known roosting sites in the area. Mean bat passes of 73.4 and 30 were recorded respectively at 15 m and 46 m from the tree line, suggesting that bats prefer to forage near tree lines likely to have greater access to roosting, food security, and habitation. This study confirms the importance of tree lines in impacting bat activity in conformity with past studies that reported similar results.
Outdoor Thermal Comfort of Urban Park—A Case Study
Authors: Zhang Lili , Wei Dong , Hou Yuyao , Du Junfei , Liu Zu’an , Zhang Guomin , Shi Long
Published: March 2020

Urban parks are an important component of urban public green space and a public place where a large number of urban residents choose to conduct outdoor activities. An important factor attracting people to visit and stay in urban parks is its outdoor thermal comfort, which is also an important criterion for evaluating the liability of the urban environment. In this study, through field meteorological monitoring and a questionnaire survey, outdoor thermal comfort of different types of landscape space in urban parks in Chengdu, China was studied in winter and summer. Result indicated that (1) different types of landscape spaces have different thermal comforts, (2) air temperature is the most important factor affecting outdoor thermal comfort; (3) because the thermal sensation judgment of outdoor thermal comfort research in Chengdu area, an ASHRAE seven-sites scale can be used; (4) the neutral temperature ranges of Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) in Chengdu in winter and summer were obtained through research; (5) and UTCI is the best index for evaluating outdoor thermal comfort in Chengdu. These findings provide theoretical benchmarks and technical references for urban planners and landscape designers to optimize outdoor thermal comfort in urban areas to establish a more comfortable and healthy living environment for urban residents.
Transitioning European Protein-Rich Food Consumption and Production towards More Sustainable Patterns—Strategies and Policy Suggestions
Authors: Manners Rhys , Blanco-Gutiérrez Irene , Varela-Ortega Consuelo , Tarquis Ana M.
Published: March 2020

Global and European diets have shifted towards greater consumption of animal proteins. Recent studies urge reversals of these trends and call for a rapid transition towards adoption of more plant-based diets. This paper explored mechanisms to increase the production and consumption of plant-proteins in Europe by 2030, using participatory backcasting. We identified pathways to the future (strategies), as well as interim milestones, barriers, opportunities and actions, with key European stakeholders in the agri-food chain. Results show that four strategies could be implemented to achieve the desired future: increased research and development, enriched consumer education and awareness, improved and connected supply and value chains and public policy supports. Actions needed to reach milestones were required immediately, reinforcing the need for urgent actions to tackle the protein challenge. This study concretely detailed how idealized dietary futures can be achieved in a real-world context. It can support EU protein transition by informing policy makers and the broader public on potential ways to move towards a more sustainable plant-based future. The outputs of this analysis have the potential to be combined with dietary scenarios to develop more temporally explicit models of future dietary changes and how to reach them.
The Sustainable Effect of Operational Performance on Financial Benefits: Evidence from Chinese Quality Awards Winners
Authors: Liu Huiming , Wu Su , Zhong Chongwen , Liu Ying
Published: March 2020

Quality management practices have become increasingly important as firms seek to obtain quality certifications to dominate markets. To date, adequate research evaluating the effects of quality management is lacking. In this work, we used Chinese quality awards to evaluate a firm’s quality level. A PSM-DiD (propensity score matching and difference-in-difference) model describing the relationship between quality award effects and financial benefits in terms of return on assets was developed. We further used a hierarchical regression to examine the influence of operational performance on financial benefits. The results show that quality awards cannot assure their winners a higher return on asset. Indicators of operating performance, such as less lead time and higher inventory turnover, can significantly enhance firms’ profitability. The moderating effects of operational performance suggest that firms may focus on how to translate quality management practices into business improvement. This study also contributes to the operation management literature by describing how firms need outstanding financial performance for sustainable development and continuous improvement.
Closed-Form Solutions for the Form-Finding of Regular Tensegrity Structures by Group Elements
Authors: Zhang Qian , Wang Xinyu , Cai Jianguo , Zhang Jingyao , Feng Jian
Published: March 2020

An analytical form-finding method for regular tensegrity structures based on the concept of force density is presented. The self-equilibrated state can be deduced linearly in terms of force densities, and then we apply eigenvalue decomposition to the force density matrix to calculate its eigenvalues. The eigenvalues are enforced to satisfy the non-degeneracy condition to fulfill the self-equilibrium condition. So the relationship between force densities can also be obtained, which is followed by the super-stability examination. The method has been developed to deal with planar tensegrity structure, prismatic tensegrity structure (triangular prism, quadrangular prism, and pentagonal prism) and star-shaped tensegrity structure by group elements to get closed-form solutions in terms of force densities, which satisfies the super stable conditions.
Poverty Measure Based on Hesitant Fuzzy Decision Algorithm under Social Network Media
Authors: Gao Suwei , Sun Kaiyang
Published: March 2020

This study aims to solve the problem that the traditional method of measuring the poverty level in rural and urban areas of China from a purely monetary perspective can’t comprehensively analyze and reflect the poverty. In this study, a multidimensional poverty measurement model with non-monetary indicators is proposed, the data of families and their members provided by the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) of a certain year’s health and nutrition survey in China are used for analysis, and a fuzzy set method is adopted to analyze the poverty situation in various regions of China. First, the fuzzy function set method is used to calculate the one-dimensional poverty index. On the basis of income, the multi-dimensional poverty fuzzy index is calculated from five dimensions, including education, health, assets, and living standard. The calculation results of the single-dimensional poverty and the multi-dimensional poverty are compared to further analyze the reasons of the family poverty of rural residents. Second, the poverty rate of each dimension in each region is calculated by referring to the appropriate measurement indexes of each dimension of the message passing interface (MPI) team. The results show that the concept of measuring poverty by the fuzzy set method is more sensitive to the overall distribution of population in the poverty dimension than the poverty line method. Compared with the poverty line method, the fuzzy set method can better consider the overall distribution of population in poverty dimension. Accordingly, China should strengthen the infrastructure construction in rural areas, increase the investment in education in rural areas, and improve the overall quality of the poor population.
Variable Step Exponentially Fitted Explicit Sixth-Order Hybrid Method with Four Stages for Spring-Mass and Other Oscillatory Problems
Authors: Samat Faieza , Ismail Eddie Shahril
Published: March 2020

For the numerical integration of differential equations with oscillatory solutions an exponentially fitted explicit sixth-order hybrid method with four stages is presented. This method is implemented using variable step-size while its derivation is accomplished by imposing each stage of the formula to integrate exactly { 1 , t , t 2 , … , t k , exp ( ± μ t ) } where the frequency μ is imaginary. The local error that is employed in the step-size selection procedure is approximated using an exponentially fitted explicit fourth-order hybrid method. Numerical comparisons of the new and existing hybrid methods for the spring-mass and other oscillatory problems are tabulated and discussed. The results show that the variable step exponentially fitted explicit sixth-order hybrid method outperforms the existing hybrid methods with variable coefficients for solving several problems with oscillatory solutions.
The Rayleigh Birnbaum Saunders Distribution: A General Fading Model
Authors: Gómez-Déniz Emilio , Gómez Luis
Published: March 2020

A new compound non-symmetric distribution for modeling arbitrary fading-shadowing wireless channels is introduced and studied here. This distribution has some advantages in front of other well-known non-symmetric fading distributions such as the Rayleigh–lognormal distribution and the K distribution especially in the tails. We give closed-form expressions for the average BER of DPSK and MSK when the new distribution is used. Applications to compare how the new distribution works in comparisons with the Rayleigh–lognormal, K distributions and others recently proposed in the literature of fading channel are also provided.
On (p,q)-Sumudu and (p,q)-Laplace Transforms of the Basic Analogue of Aleph-Function
Authors: Tassaddiq Asifa , Bhat Altaf Ahmad , Jain D. K. , Ali Farhad
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we introduce the definitions of Sumudu and Laplace transforms of first and second kind in quantum calculus by using functions of several variables. On account of the general nature of the ( p , q ) -analogue of Aleph-function, a large number of new and known results for these transforms were obtained. Also, we obtain some interesting relationships and identities for these transforms. We also derive some correlations among Aleph function and the above-mentioned integral transforms in quantum calculus.
A Numerical Exploration of Modified Second-Grade Nanofluid with Motile Microorganisms, Thermal Radiation, and Wu’s Slip
Authors: Li Yurong , Waqas Hassan , Imran Muhammad , Farooq Umar , Mallawi Fouad , Tlili Iskander
Published: March 2020

This study is carried out to scrutinize the gyrotactic bioconvection effects on modified second-grade nanofluid with motile microorganisms and Wu’s slip (second-order slip) features. The activation energy and thermal radiation are also incorporated. The suspended nanoparticles in a host fluid are practically utilized in numerous technological and industrial products such as metallic strips, energy enhancement, production processes, automobile engines, laptops, and accessories. Nanoparticles with high thermal characteristics and low volume fraction may improve the thermal performance of the base fluid. By employing the appropriate self-similar transformations, the governing set of partial differential equations (PDEs) are reduced into the ordinary differential equations (ODEs). A zero mass flux boundary condition is proposed for nanoparticle diffusion. Then, the transmuted set of ODEs is solved numerically with the help of the well-known shooting technique. The numerical and graphical illustrations are developed by using a collocation finite difference scheme and three-stage Lobatto III as the built-in function of the bvp4c solver via MATLAB. Behaviors of the different proficient physical parameters on the velocity field, temperature distribution, volumetric nanoparticles concentration profile, and the density of motile microorganism field are deliberated numerically as well as graphically.
A Mathematical Model for Transport in Poroelastic Materials with Variable Volume:Derivation, Lie Symmetry Analysis, and Examples
Authors: Cherniha Roman , Stachowska-Pietka Joanna , Waniewski Jacek
Published: March 2020

Fluid and solute transport in poroelastic media is studied. Mathematical modeling of such transport is a complicated problem because of the volume change of the specimen due to swelling or shrinking and the transport processes are nonlinearly linked. The tensorial character of the variables adds also substantial complication in both theoretical and experimental investigations. The one-dimensional version of the theory is less complex and may serve as an approximation in some problems, and therefore, a one-dimensional (in space) model of fluid and solute transport through a poroelastic medium with variable volume is developed and analyzed. In order to obtain analytical results, the Lie symmetry method is applied. It is shown that the governing equations of the model admit a non-trivial Lie symmetry, which is used for construction of exact solutions. Some examples of the solutions are discussed in detail.
Violation of the Dominant Energy Condition in Geometrodynamics
Authors: Lasukov Vladimir
Published: March 2020

It is shown that in Einstein’s theory and in the theory of gravity with Logunov constraints, there is a field-theoretical model of dark energy that is consistent with the observational data indicating that the Hubble value increases over time. In the developed model of dark energy, the isotropic energy dominant condition is violated. It solves the problem of the cosmological singularity and the singularity of “black holes”. The compact configuration of the scalar field can generate a flux of particles by the pairs of particles production mechanism from the vacuum by a field of barrier and in the process of transformation of thermal energy (Hawking radiation) and acceleration energy into radiation. The scalars can play the role of the so-called “black holes” with no singularity inside themselves.
Approximate Solutions of the LRS Bianchi Type-I Cosmological Model
Authors: Feng Yihu , Hou Lei
Published: March 2020

In this current study, we explore the modified homogeneous cosmological model in the background of LRS Bianchi type-I space–time. For this purpose, we employ the Homotopy Perturbation Method (HPM). HPM is an analytical-based method. Further, we calculated the main field equations of the cosmological model LRS Bianchi type-I space–time. Furthermore, we discuss the necessary calculations of HPM. Therefore, we investigate the analytical solution of our problem by adopting HPM. In this response, we discuss five different values of parameter n. We also give a brief discussion about solutions. The main purpose of this study is to apply the application of HPM in the cosmological field.
Probing Time-Dependent Fundamental Constants with Nucleosynthesis in Population III Stars
Authors: Mori Kanji , Nomoto Ken’ichi
Published: March 2020

Variations of fundamental physical constants have been sought for many years using various astronomical objects because their discovery can be key to developing beyond-standard physics. In particular, nuclear reaction rates are sensitive to fundamental constants, so nucleosynthetic processes can be used as a probe. We calculate the evolution and nucleosynthesis of massive Population III stars with the time-dependent nucleon–nucleon interaction δ NN , which may have left traces in elemental abundances in extremely metal-poor stars. The results are compared with the abundances in the most iron-poor star that has ever been discovered, namely, SMSS J031300.36-670839.3. It is found that calcium production in Population III stars is very sensitive to variations of the triple- α reaction rate and hence δ NN . We conclude that variations of the nucleon–nucleon interaction are constrained as − 0.002 < δ NN < 0.002 at the redshift z ∼ 20 , assuming that calcium in SMSS J031300.36-670839.3 originates from hydrogen burning in a massive Population III star.
Earthquake Vulnerability Mapping Using Different Hybrid Models
Authors: Yariyan Peyman , Avand Mohammadtaghi , Soltani Fariba , Ghorbanzadeh Omid , Blaschke Thomas
Published: March 2020

The main purpose of the present study was to mathematically integrate different decision support systems to enhance the accuracy of seismic vulnerability mapping in Sanandaj City, Iran. An earthquake is considered to be a catastrophe that poses a serious threat to human infrastructures at different scales. Factors affecting seismic vulnerability were identified in three different dimensions; social, environmental, and physical. Our computer-based modeling approach was used to create hybrid training datasets via fuzzy-multiple criteria analysis (fuzzy-MCDA) and multiple criteria decision analysis-multi-criteria evaluation (MCDA-MCE) for training the multi-criteria evaluation–logistic regression (MCE–LR) and fuzzy-logistic regression (fuzzy-LR) hybrid model. The resulting dataset was validated using the seismic relative index (SRI) method and ten damaged spots from the study area, in which the MCDA-MCE model showed higher accuracy. The hybrid learning models of MCE-LR and fuzzy-LR were implemented using both resulting datasets for seismic vulnerability mapping. Finally, the resulting seismic vulnerability maps based on each model were validation using area under curve (AUC) and frequency ratio (FR). Based on the accuracy assessment results, the MCDA-MCE hybrid model (AUC = 0.85) showed higher accuracy than the fuzzy-MCDA model (AUC = 0.80), and the MCE-LR hybrid model (AUC = 0.90) resulted in more accurate vulnerability map than the fuzzy-LR hybrid model (AUC = 0.85). The results of the present study show that the accuracy of modeling and mapping seismic vulnerability in our case study area is directly related to the accuracy of the training dataset.
On the Energy Efficiency of Massive MIMO Systems With Low-Resolution ADCs and Lattice Reduction Aided Detectors
Authors: Xiao Zhitao , Zhao Jincan , Liu Tianle , Geng Lei , Zhang Fang , Tong Jun
Published: March 2020

As an effective technology for boosting the performance of wireless communications, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems based on symmetric antenna arrays have been extensively studied. Using low-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) at the receiver can greatly reduce hardware costs and circuit complexity to further improve the energy efficiency (EE) of the system. There are significant research on the design of MIMO detectors but there is limited study on their performance in terms of EE. This paper studies the effect of signal detection on the EE in practical systems, and proposes to apply several signal detectors based on lattice reduction successive interference cancellation (LR-SIC) to massive MIMO systems with low-precision ADCs. We report results on their achievable EE in fading environments with typical modeling of the path loss and detailed analysis of the power consumption of the transceiver circuits. It is shown that the EE-optimal solution depends highly on the application scenarios, e.g., the number of antennas employed, the cell size, and the signal processing efficiency. Consequently, the signal detector must be properly selected according to the application scenario to maximize the system EE. In addition, medium-resolution ADCs should be selected to balance their own power consumption and the associated nonlinear distortion to maximize the EE of system.
Fibrinogen Gamma Chain Promotes Aggregation of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus in Saliva
Authors: Anschau Valesca , Sanjuán Rafael
Published: March 2020

The spread of viruses among cells and hosts often involves multi-virion structures. For instance, virions can form aggregates that allow for the co-delivery of multiple genome copies to the same cell from a single infectious unit. Previously, we showed that vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), an enveloped, negative-strand RNA virus, undergoes strong aggregation in the presence of saliva from certain individuals. However, the molecular components responsible for such aggregation remain unknown. Here we show that saliva-driven aggregation is protein dependent, and we use comparative proteomics to analyze the protein content of strongly versus poorly aggregating saliva. Quantitative analysis of over 300 proteins led to the identification of 18 upregulated proteins in strongly aggregating saliva. One of these proteins, the fibrinogen gamma chain, was verified experimentally as a factor promoting VSV aggregation in a dose-dependent manner. This study hence identifies a protein responsible for saliva-driven VSV aggregation. Yet, the possible involvement of additional proteins or factors cannot be discarded.
GIS Based Hybrid Computational Approaches for Flash Flood Susceptibility Assessment
Authors: Pham Binh Thai , Avand Mohammadtaghi , Janizadeh Saeid , Phong Tran Van , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Ho Lanh Si , Das Sumit , Le Hiep Van , Amini Ata , Bozchaloei Saeid Khosrobeigi , Jafari Faeze , Prakash Indra
Published: March 2020

Flash floods are one of the most devastating natural hazards; they occur within a catchment (region) where the response time of the drainage basin is short. Identification of probable flash flood locations and development of accurate flash flood susceptibility maps are important for proper flash flood management of a region. With this objective, we proposed and compared several novel hybrid computational approaches of machine learning methods for flash flood susceptibility mapping, namely AdaBoostM1 based Credal Decision Tree (ABM-CDT); Bagging based Credal Decision Tree (Bag-CDT); Dagging based Credal Decision Tree (Dag-CDT); MultiBoostAB based Credal Decision Tree (MBAB-CDT), and single Credal Decision Tree (CDT). These models were applied at a catchment of Markazi state in Iran. About 320 past flash flood events and nine flash flood influencing factors, namely distance from rivers, aspect, elevation, slope, rainfall, distance from faults, soil, land use, and lithology were considered and analyzed for the development of flash flood susceptibility maps. Correlation based feature selection method was used to validate and select the important factors for modeling of flash floods. Based on this feature selection analysis, only eight factors (distance from rivers, aspect, elevation, slope, rainfall, soil, land use, and lithology) were selected for the modeling, where distance to rivers is the most important factor for modeling of flash flood in this area. Performance of the models was validated and compared by using several robust metrics such as statistical measures and Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUC) curve. The results of this study suggested that ABM-CDT (AUC = 0.957) has the best predictive capability in terms of accuracy, followed by Dag-CDT (AUC = 0.947), MBAB-CDT (AUC = 0.933), Bag-CDT (AUC = 0.932), and CDT (0.900), respectively. The proposed methods presented in this study would help in the development of accurate flash flood susceptible maps of watershed areas not only in Iran but also other parts of the world.
Groundwater Contribution to Sewer Network Baseflow in an Urban Catchment-Case Study of Pin Sec Catchment, Nantes, France
Authors: Rodriguez Fabrice , Le Delliou Amélie-Laure , Andrieu Hervé , Gironás Jorge
Published: March 2020

Sewer systems affect urban soil characteristics and subsoil water flow. The direct connection observed between baseflow in sewer systems under drainage infiltrations and piezometric levels influences the hydrological behavior of urban catchments, and must consequently be considered in the hydrologic modeling of urban areas. This research studies the groundwater contribution to sewer networks by first characterizing the phenomenon using experimental data recorded on a small urban catchment in Nantes (France). Then, the model MODFLOW was used to simulate the infiltration of groundwater into a sewer network and model dry weather flows at an urban catchment scale. This application of MODFLOW requires representing, in a simplified way, the interactions between the soil and the sewer trench, which acts as a drain. Observed average groundwater levels were satisfactorily simulated by the model while the baseflow dynamics is well reproduced. Nonetheless, soil parameters resulted to be very sensitive, and achieving good results for joint groundwater levels and baseflow was not possible.
Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to Simulate the Pesticide Dynamics in the Data Scarce Guayas River Basin, Ecuador
Authors: Cambien Naomi , Gobeyn Sacha , Nolivos Indira , Forio Marie Anne Eurie , Arias-Hidalgo Mijail , Dominguez-Granda Luis , Witing Felix , Volk Martin , Goethals Peter L.M.
Published: March 2020

Agricultural intensification has stimulated the economy in the Guayas River basin in Ecuador, but also affected several ecosystems. The increased use of pesticides poses a serious threat to the freshwater ecosystem, which urgently calls for an improved knowledge about the impact of pesticide practices in this study area. Several studies have shown that models can be appropriate tools to simulate pesticide dynamics in order to obtain this knowledge. This study tested the suitability of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to simulate the dynamics of two different pesticides in the data scarce Guayas River basin. First, we set up, calibrated and validated the model using the streamflow data. Subsequently, we set up the model for the simulation of the selected pesticides (i.e., pendimethalin and fenpropimorph). While the hydrology was represented soundly by the model considering the data scare conditions, the simulation of the pesticides should be taken with care due to uncertainties behind essential drivers, e.g., application rates. Among the insights obtained from the pesticide simulations are the identification of critical zones for prioritisation, the dominant areas of pesticide sources and the impact of the different land uses. SWAT has been evaluated to be a suitable tool to investigate the impact of pesticide use under data scarcity in the Guayas River basin. The strengths of SWAT are its semi-distributed structure, availability of extensive online documentation, internal pesticide databases and user support while the limitations are high data requirements, time-intensive model development and challenging streamflow calibration. The results can also be helpful to design future water quality monitoring strategies. However, for future studies, we highly recommend extended monitoring of pesticide concentrations and sediment loads. Moreover, to substantially improve the model performance, the availability of better input data is needed such as higher resolution soil maps, more accurate pesticide application rate and actual land management programs. Provided that key suggestions for further improvement are considered, the model is valuable for applications in river ecosystem management of the Guayas River basin.
Modeling of the Free-Surface-Pressurized Flow of a Hydropower System with a Flat Ceiling Tail Tunnel
Authors: Zhou Jianxu , Li Yongfa
Published: March 2020

For a water diversion hydropower system with a flat ceiling tail tunnel with high elevation, during transient states with relatively low tail water levels, free-surface-pressurized flow inevitably appears and its transient characteristics have obvious effects on the system’s operating stability. Using Newton–Raphson linearization in the characteristic implicit format for modeling of the free-surface-pressurized flow in the tail tunnel, the mathematical models for necessary boundary conditions were derived and linear algebraic equations with a band coefficient matrix were grouped for further transient simulation. Then, a unified mathematical model was established for hydraulic transient analysis of the hydropower system with free-surface-pressurized flow. Combined with experimental research and numerical simulation, the wave speed for the free-surface-pressurized flow was experimentally analyzed for further correctness in the unified model, and by comparative analysis the hydraulic characteristics of the free-surface-pressurized flow in the flat ceiling tail tunnel were investigated. It was found that the derived mathematical model can basically represent water behaviors in the water-surface-pressurized flow, the wave speed for the mixed water-surface-pressurized flow can be set to approximately 50m/s, and with this correctness the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Therefore, the obtained mathematical model combined with an experimental wave speed or a reference wave speed of 50 m/s for the free-surface-pressurized flow is preferable during the design stage of the hydropower system.
Within and Among Fish Species Differences in Simulated Turbine Blade Strike Mortality: Limits on the Use of Surrogacy for Untested Species
Authors: Saylor Ryan , Sterling Dustin , Bevelhimer Mark , Pracheil Brenda
Published: March 2020

Use of surrogacy remains a useful method for prioritizing research on representatives of at-risk groups of fishes, yet quantifiable evidence in support of its use is generally not available. Blade strike impact represents one of the most traumatic stressors experienced by fish during non-volitional movements through hydropower turbines. Here, we use data generated from laboratory trials on blade strike impact experiments to directly test use of surrogacy for salmonid and clupeid fishes. Results of logistic regression indicated that a -taxonomic (genus) variable was not a significant predictor of mortality among large rainbow trout and brook trout. Similar results were found for young-of-the-year shad species, but genus-level taxonomy was a significant predictor of mortality while species was not. Multivariate analysis of morphometric data showed that shad clustered together based on similarities in fish shape which was also closely associated with genus. Logistic regression including size as a major covariate suggested total fish length was not a significant predictor of mortality, yet dose–response data suggest differential susceptibility to lower strike velocities. We suggest that use of surrogacy among species is justifiable but should be avoided within a species since the effects of size remain unclear.
Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy With Mitomycin C Used for Colorectal Peritoneal Carcinomatosis
Authors: Roh Seung Jae , Park Sung Chan , Choi Jaehee , Lee Joon Sang , Lee Dong Woon , Hong Chang Won , Han Kyung Su , Park Hyoung Chul , Sohn Dae Kyung , Oh Jae Hwan
Published: March 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the evaluation of clinical outcomes and consequences of complications after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for the peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from colorectal cancer.Methods: A total 26 patients underwent CRS and HIPEC for PC from colorectal cancer between March 2009 and April 2018. All the patients underwent CRS with the purpose of complete or near-complete cytoreduction. Intraoperative HIPEC was performed simultaneously after the CRS. Mitomycin C was used as chemotherapeutic agent for HIPEC.Results: Median disease-free survival was 27.8 months (range, 13.4–42.2 months). Median overall survival was 56.0 months (range, 28.6–83.5 months). The mean peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 8.73 ± 5.54. The distributions thereof were as follows: PCI <10, 69.23%; PCI 10–19, 23.08%; and PCI ≥20, 7.69%. The completeness of cytoreduction was 96.2% of patients showed CC-0, with 3.8% achieved CC-1. The mean operation time was 8.5 hours, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 21.6 days. The overall rate of early postoperative complications was 88.5%; the rate of late complications was 34.6%. In the early period, most complications were grades I–II complications (65.4%), compared to grades III–V (23.1%). All late complications, occurring in 7.7% of patients, were grades III–V. There was no treatment-related mortality.Conclusion: Although the complication rate was approximately 88%, but the rate of severe complication rate was low. In selective patients with peritoneal recurrence, more aggressive strategies for management, such as CRS with HIPEC, were able to be considered under the acceptable general condition and life-expectancy.