bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Cluster Graph Approach to Land Cover Classification Boosting
Authors: Hughes Lloyd Haydn , Streicher Simon , Chuprikova Ekaterina , Du Preez Johan
Published: January 2019

When it comes to land cover classification, the process of deriving the land classes is complex due to possible errors in algorithms, spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the Earth observation data, variation in availability and quality of reference data, or a combination of these. This article proposes a probabilistic graphical model approach, in the form of a cluster graph, to boost geospatial classifications and produce a more accurate and robust classification and uncertainty product. Cluster graphs can be characterized as a means of reasoning about geospatial data such as land cover classifications by considering the effects of spatial distribution, and inter-class dependencies in a computationally efficient manner. To assess the capabilities of our proposed cluster graph boosting approach, we apply it to the field of land cover classification. We make use of existing land cover products (GlobeLand30, CORINE Land Cover) along with data from Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), namely OpenStreetMap (OSM), to generate a boosted land cover classification and the respective uncertainty estimates. Our approach combines qualitative and quantitative components through the application of our probabilistic graphical model and subjective expert judgments. Evaluating our approach on a test region in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, our approach was able to boost the overall land cover classification accuracy by 1.4% when compared to an independent reference land cover dataset. Our approach was shown to be robust and was able to produce a diverse, feasible and spatially consistent land cover classification in areas of incomplete and conflicting evidence. On an independent validation scene, we demonstrated that our cluster graph boosting approach was generalizable even when initialized with poor prior assumptions.
Radio-Frequency and Microwave Techniques for Non-Invasive Measurement of Blood Glucose Levels
Authors: Yilmaz Tuba , Foster Robert , Hao Yang
Published: January 2019

This paper reviews non-invasive blood glucose measurements via dielectric spectroscopy at microwave frequencies presented in the literature. The intent is to clarify the key challenges that must be overcome if this approach is to work, to suggest some possible ways towards addressing these challenges and to contribute towards prevention of unnecessary ‘reinvention of the wheel’.
Classification of Lowland Native Grassland Communities Using Hyperspectral Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Imagery in the Tasmanian Midlands
Authors: Melville Bethany , Lucieer Arko , Aryal Jagannath
Published: January 2019

This paper presents the results of a study undertaken to classify lowland native grassland communities in the Tasmanian Midlands region. Data was collected using the 20 band hyperspectral snapshot PhotonFocus sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle. The spectral range of the sensor is 600 to 875 nm. Four vegetation classes were identified for analysis including Themeda triandra grassland, Wilsonia rotundifolia, Danthonia/Poa grassland, and Acacia dealbata. In addition to the hyperspectral UAS dataset, a Digital Surface Model (DSM) was derived using a structure-from-motion (SfM). Classification was undertaken using an object-based Random Forest (RF) classification model. Variable importance measures from the training model indicated that the DSM was the most significant variable. Key spectral variables included bands two (620.9 nm), four (651.1 nm), and 11 (763.2 nm) from the hyperspectral UAS imagery. Classification validation was performed using both the reference segments and the two transects. For the reference object validation, mean accuracies were between 70% and 72%. Classification accuracies based on the validation transects achieved a maximum overall classification accuracy of 93.
Enhancement of Ecological Field Experimental Research by Means of UAV Multispectral Sensing
Authors: Díaz-Delgado Ricardo , Ónodi Gábor , Kröel-Dulay György , Kertész Miklós
Published: January 2019

Although many climate research experiments are providing valuable data, long-term measurements are not always affordable. In the last decades, several facilities have secured long-term experiments, but few studies have incorporated spatial and scale effects. Most of them have been implemented in experimental agricultural fields but none for ecological studies. Scale effects can be assessed using remote sensing images from space or airborne platforms. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are contributing to an increased spatial resolution, as well as becoming the intermediate scale between ground measurements and satellite/airborne image data. In this paper we assess the applicability of UAV-borne multispectral images to provide complementary experimental data collected at point scale (field sampling) in a long-term rain manipulation experiment located at the Kiskun Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) site named ExDRain to assess the effects on grassland vegetation. Two multispectral sensors were compared at different scales, the Parrot Sequoia camera on board a UAV and the portable Cropscan spectroradiometer. The NDVI values were used to assess the effect of plastic roofs and a proportional reduction effect was found for Sequoia-derived NDVI values. Acceptable and significant positive relationships were found between both sensors at different scales, being stronger at Cropscan measurement scale. Differences found at plot scale might be due to heterogeneous responses to treatments. Spatial variability analysis pointed out a more homogeneous response for plots submitted to severe and moderate drought. More investigation is needed to address the possible effect of species abundance on NDVI at plot scale contributing to a more consistent representation of ground measurements. The feasibility of carrying out systematic UAV flights coincident or close to ground campaigns will certainly reveal the consistency of the observed spatial patterns in the long run.
Drug-Drug Interaction Extraction via Recurrent Hybrid Convolutional Neural Networks with an Improved Focal Loss
Authors: Sun Xia , Dong Ke , Ma Long , Sutcliffe Richard , He Feijuan , Chen Sushing , Feng Jun
Published: January 2019

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) may bring huge health risks and dangerous effects to a patient’s body when taking two or more drugs at the same time or within a certain period of time. Therefore, the automatic extraction of unknown DDIs has great potential for the development of pharmaceutical agents and the safety of drug use. In this article, we propose a novel recurrent hybrid convolutional neural network (RHCNN) for DDI extraction from biomedical literature. In the embedding layer, the texts mentioning two entities are represented as a sequence of semantic embeddings and position embeddings. In particular, the complete semantic embedding is obtained by the information fusion between a word embedding and its contextual information which is learnt by recurrent structure. After that, the hybrid convolutional neural network is employed to learn the sentence-level features which consist of the local context features from consecutive words and the dependency features between separated words for DDI extraction. Lastly but most significantly, in order to make up for the defects of the traditional cross-entropy loss function when dealing with class imbalanced data, we apply an improved focal loss function to mitigate against this problem when using the DDIExtraction 2013 dataset. In our experiments, we achieve DDI automatic extraction with a micro F-score of 75.48% on the DDIExtraction 2013 dataset, outperforming the state-of-the-art approach by 2.49%.
Fourier Transform on the Homogeneous Space of 3D Positions and Orientations for Exact Solutions to Linear PDEs
Authors: Duits Remco , Bekkers Erik J. , Mashtakov Alexey
Published: January 2019

Fokker–Planck PDEs (including diffusions) for stable Lévy processes (including Wiener processes) on the joint space of positions and orientations play a major role in mechanics, robotics, image analysis, directional statistics and probability theory. Exact analytic designs and solutions are known in the 2D case, where they have been obtained using Fourier transform on S E ( 2 ) . Here, we extend these approaches to 3D using Fourier transform on the Lie group S E ( 3 ) of rigid body motions. More precisely, we define the homogeneous space of 3D positions and orientations R 3 ⋊ S 2 : = S E ( 3 ) / ( { 0 } × S O ( 2 ) ) as the quotient in S E ( 3 ) . In our construction, two group elements are equivalent if they are equal up to a rotation around the reference axis. On this quotient, we design a specific Fourier transform. We apply this Fourier transform to derive new exact solutions to Fokker–Planck PDEs of α -stable Lévy processes on R 3 ⋊ S 2 . This reduces classical analysis computations and provides an explicit algebraic spectral decomposition of the solutions. We compare the exact probability kernel for α = 1 (the diffusion kernel) to the kernel for α = 1 2 (the Poisson kernel). We set up stochastic differential equations (SDEs) for the Lévy processes on the quotient and derive corresponding Monte-Carlo methods. We verified that the exact probability kernels arise as the limit of the Monte-Carlo approximations.
Performance Evaluation of an Entropy-Based Structural Health Monitoring System Utilizing Composite Multiscale Cross-Sample Entropy
Authors: Lin Tzu-Kang , Chien Yi-Hsiu
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study was to develop an entropy-based structural health monitoring system for solving the problem of unstable entropy values observed when multiscale cross-sample entropy (MSCE) is employed to assess damage in real structures. Composite MSCE was utilized to enhance the reliability of entropy values on every scale. Additionally, the first mode of a structure was extracted using ensemble empirical mode decomposition to conduct entropy analysis and evaluate the accuracy of damage assessment. A seven-story model was created to validate the efficiency of the proposed method and the damage index. Subsequently, an experiment was conducted on a seven-story steel benchmark structure including 15 damaged cases to compare the numerical and experimental models. A confusion matrix was applied to classify the results and evaluate the performance over three indices: accuracy, precision, and recall. The results revealed the feasibility of the modified structural health monitoring system and demonstrated its potential in the field of long-term monitoring.
Approximation of Densities on Riemannian Manifolds
Authors: le Brigant Alice , Puechmorel Stéphane
Published: January 2019

Finding an approximate probability distribution best representing a sample on a measure space is one of the most basic operations in statistics. Many procedures were designed for that purpose when the underlying space is a finite dimensional Euclidean space. In applications, however, such a simple setting may not be adapted and one has to consider data living on a Riemannian manifold. The lack of unique generalizations of the classical distributions, along with theoretical and numerical obstructions require several options to be considered. The present work surveys some possible extensions of well known families of densities to the Riemannian setting, both for parametric and non-parametric estimation.
Fisher–Shannon Complexity Analysis of High-Frequency Urban Wind Speed Time Series
Authors: Guignard Fabian , Mauree Dasaraden , Lovallo Michele , Kanevski Mikhail , Telesca Luciano
Published: January 2019

One-hertz wind time series recorded at different levels (from 1.5–25.5 m) in an urban area are investigated by using the Fisher–Shannon (FS) analysis. FS analysis is a well-known method to gain insight into the complex behavior of nonlinear systems, by quantifying the order/disorder properties of time series. Our findings reveal that the FS complexity, defined as the product between the Fisher information measure and the Shannon entropy power, decreases with the height of the anemometer from the ground, suggesting a height-dependent variability in the order/disorder features of the high-frequency wind speed measured in urban layouts. Furthermore, the correlation between the FS complexity of wind speed and the daily variance of the ambient temperature shows a similar decrease with the height of the wind sensor. Such correlation is larger for the lower anemometers, indicating that ambient temperature is an important forcing of the wind speed variability in the vicinity of the ground.
Chaotic Dynamics in a Quantum Fermi–Pasta–Ulam Problem
Authors: Burin Alexander L. , Maksymov Andrii O. , Schmidt Ma’ayan , Polishchuk Il’ya Ya.
Published: January 2019

We investigate the emergence of chaotic dynamics in a quantum Fermi—Pasta—Ulam problem for anharmonic vibrations in atomic chains applying semi-quantitative analysis of resonant interactions complemented by exact diagonalization numerical studies. The crossover energy separating chaotic high energy phase and localized (integrable) low energy phase is estimated. It decreases inversely proportionally to the number of atoms until approaching the quantum regime where this dependence saturates. The chaotic behavior appears at lower energies in systems with free or fixed ends boundary conditions compared to periodic systems. The applications of the theory to realistic molecules are discussed.
Modelling the Hindered Settling Velocity of a Falling Particle in a Particle-Fluid Mixture by the Tsallis Entropy Theory
Authors: Zhu Zhongfan , Wang Hongrui , Peng Dingzhi , Dou Jie
Published: January 2019

The settling velocity of a sediment particle is an important parameter needed for modelling the vertical flux in rivers, estuaries, deltas and the marine environment. It has been observed that a particle settles more slowly in the presence of other particles in the fluid than in a clear fluid, and this phenomenon has been termed ‘hindered settling’. The Richardson and Zaki equation has been a widely used expression for relating the hindered settling velocity of a particle with that in a clear fluid in terms of a concentration function and the power of the concentration function, and the power index is known as the exponent of reduction of the settling velocity. This study attempts to formulate the model for the exponent of reduction of the settling velocity by using the probability method based on the Tsallis entropy theory. The derived expression is a function of the volumetric concentration of the suspended particle, the relative mass density of the particle and the particle’s Reynolds number. This model is tested against experimental data collected from the literature and against five existing deterministic models, and this model shows good agreement with the experimental data and gives better prediction accuracy than the other deterministic models. The derived Tsallis entropy-based model is also compared with the existing Shannon entropy-based model for experimental data, and the Tsallis entropy-based model is comparable to the Shannon entropy-based model for predicting the hindered settling velocity of a falling particle in a particle-fluid mixture. This study shows the potential of using the Tsallis entropy together with the principle of maximum entropy to predict the hindered settling velocity of a falling particle in a particle-fluid mixture.
Asymmetry in Exchange Rate Pass-Through to Consumer Prices: New Perspective from Sub-Saharan African Countries
Authors: Kassi Diby François , Rathnayake Dilesha Nawadali , Edjoukou Akadje Jean Roland , Gnangoin Yobouet Thierry , Louembe Pierre Axel , Ding Ning , Sun Gang
Published: January 2019

This paper examines the asymmetrical relationship between exchange rate and consumer prices in 40 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1990Q1 to 2017Q4. We estimate the exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) to consumer prices for each country by using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) framework and dynamic panel techniques robust to cross-sectional dependence. First, our findings suggest an asymmetrical ERPT in the SSA region during the short term, whereas there are mixed results across subregions in the long term. Second, the results of the panel analysis suggest incomplete and significant ERPT to consumer prices in the entire SSA region, which is higher during depreciation of the local currency than after appreciation in the short-term, especially in the CFA Franc zone. Third, we find nonlinear ERPT with respect to the size of the exchange rate. Finally, we find that pass-through is higher in countries with fixed exchange rate regimes (CFA franc zone) in a low inflationary environment than in countries with floating exchange rate regimes and high inflation levels. Pass-through is greater during large exchange rate changes than after small changes. Therefore, the policy implication is to consider these asymmetries and nonlinearities to improve monetary policy’s credibility, enhance trade liberalization, and promote competitive market structures in the SSA region.
Multisource Power Splitting Energy Harvesting Relaying Network in Half-Duplex System over Block Rayleigh Fading Channel: System Performance Analysis
Authors: Nguyen Tan N. , Tran Minh , Nguyen Thanh-Long , Ha Duy-Hung , Voznak Miroslav
Published: January 2019

Energy harvesting and information transferring simultaneously by radio frequency (RF) is considered as the novel solution for green-energy wireless communications. From that point of view, the system performance (SP) analysis of multisource power splitting (PS) energy harvesting (EH) relaying network (RN) over block Rayleigh-fading channels is presented and investigated. We investigate the system in both delay-tolerant transmission (DTT), and delay-limited transmission (DLT) modes and devices work in the half-duplex (HD) system. In this model system, the closed-form (CF) expressions for the outage probability (OP), system throughput (ST) in DLT mode and for ergodic capacity (EC) for DTT mode are analyzed and derived, respectively. Furthermore, CF expression for the symbol errors ratio (SER) is demonstrated. Then, the optimal PS factor is investigated. Finally, a Monte Carlo simulation is used for validating the analytical expressions concerning with all system parameters (SP).
Integration Capability Evaluation of Wind and Photovoltaic Generation in Power Systems Based on Temporal and Spatial Correlations
Authors: Zhou Hua , Wu Huahua , Ye Chengjin , Xiao Shijie , Zhang Jun , He Xu , Wang Bo
Published: January 2019

With the rapid growth of renewable energy generation, it has become essential to give a comprehensive evaluation of renewable energy integration capability in power systems to reduce renewable generation curtailment. Existing research has not considered the correlations between wind power and photovoltaic (PV) power. In this paper, temporal and spatial correlations among different renewable generations are utilized to evaluate the integration capability of power systems based on the copula model. Firstly, the temporal and spatial correlation between wind and PV power generation is analyzed. Secondly, the temporal and spatial distribution model of both wind and PV power generation output is formulated based on the copula model. Thirdly, aggregated generation output scenarios of wind and PV power are generated. Fourthly, wind and PV power scenarios are utilized in an optimal power flow calculation model of power systems. Lastly, the integration capacity of wind power and PV power is shown to be able to be evaluated by satisfying the reliability of power system operation. Simulation results of a modified IEEE RTS-24 bus system indicate that the integration capability of renewable energy generation in power systems can be comprehensively evaluated based on the temporal and spatial correlations of renewable energy generation.
Special Issue “Offshore Renewable Energy: Ocean Waves, Tides and Offshore Wind”
Authors: Rusu Eugen , Venugopal Vengatesan
Published: January 2019

Offshore renewable energy includes several forms of energy extraction from oceans and seas, and the most common and successful offshore technologies developed so far are based on wind, wave and tides. [...]
Implementation of a Microgrid Scheme Using a MVDC Connection between Gapado Island and Marado Island in South Korea
Authors: Ahn Jinhong , Kim Eel-Hwan
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we propose a microgrid (MG) implementation method through Medium-Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) connection between Gapado Island and Marado Island in Korea. MVDC is a facility that can be efficiently applied between small power generation complexes. The structure of power generation facilities is mainly supplied by diesel generators, while solar and wind power generators supply additional power. An Energy Storage System (ESS) is also used to reduce the output fluctuations of wind and solar power generation. Since power systems in such areas are low-voltage and low-power distribution systems, problems can arise in terms of power management due to power generators with variable output characteristics such as solar power and wind power generators. In addition, when a major power source such as a diesel generator is dropped, the power system collapses. However, these problems can be solved by interchanging the power between the micro-grids through the connection of MVDCs. With the MVDC connected, we verify the impact of the power system on Marado Island and Gapado Island due to the input and opening of solar, wind and diesel generators. The proposed configuration uses the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation program.
Data-Driven Evaluation of Residential HVAC System Efficiency Using Energy and Environmental Data
Authors: Do Huyen , Cetin Kristen S.
Published: January 2019

In the U.S., the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is generally the largest electricity-consuming end-use in a residential building. However, homeowners are less likely to have their HVAC system serviced regularly, thus inefficiencies in operation are also more likely to occur. To address this challenge, this research works towards a non-intrusive data-driven assessment method using building assessors’ data, HVAC electricity demand data, and outdoor environmental data. Building assessors’ data is first used to estimate the HVAC system size, then estimate the electricity demand curve of the HVAC system. A comparison of the proposed electricity demand curve development method demonstrates strong agreement with physics-based HVAC model results. An HVAC efficiency rating is then proposed, which compares the model-predicted and actual performance data to define whether an HVAC system is operating as expected. As a case study, detailed data for 39 occupied, conditioned residential buildings in Austin, Texas, was used demonstrating the identification of the presence of potential HVAC inefficiencies. The results prove beneficial for utilities to help target residential HVAC systems in need of service or energy efficiency upgrades, as well as for homeowners as a continuous assessment tool for HVAC performance.
Microorganism Assisted Synthesized Nanoparticles for Catalytic Applications
Authors: Fang Xiaojiao , Wang Yin , Wang Zegao , Jiang Zaixing , Dong Mingdong
Published: January 2019

Metal and metalloid nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted substantial attention from research communities over the past few decades. Traditional methodologies for NP fabrication have also been intensely explored. However, drawbacks such as the use of toxic agents and the high energy consumption involved in chemical and physical processes hinder their further application in various fields. It is well known that some bacteria are capable of binding and concentrating dissolved metal and metalloid ions, thereby detoxifying their environments. Bioinspired fabrication of NPs is environmentally friendly and inexpensive and requires only low energy consumption. Some biosynthesized NPs are usually used as heterogeneous catalysts in environmental remediation and show higher catalytic efficiency because of their enhanced biocompatibility, stability and large specific surface areas. Therefore, bacteria used as nanofactories can provide a novel approach for removing metal or metalloid ions and fabricating materials with unique properties. Even though a wide range of NPs have been biosynthesized, and their synthetic mechanisms have been proposed, some of these mechanisms are not known in detail. This review focuses on the synthesis and catalytic applications of NPs obtained using bacteria. The known mechanisms of bioreduction and prospects in the design of NPs for catalytic applications are also discussed.
Surface Discharge Analysis of High Voltage Glass Insulators Using Ultraviolet Pulse Voltage
Authors: Suhaimi Saiful Mohammad Iezham , Bashir Nouruddeen , Muhamad Nor Asiah , Rahim Nurun Najah Abdul , Ahmad Noor Azlinda , Rahman Mohd Nazri Abdul
Published: January 2019

Surface discharges are precursors to flashover. To pre-empt the occurrence of flashover incidents, utility companies need to regularly monitor the condition of line insulators. Recent studies have shown that monitoring of UV signals emitted by surface discharges of insulators is a promising technique. In this work, the UV signals’ time and frequency components of a set of contaminated and field-aged insulator under varying contamination levels and degrees of ageing were studied. Experimental result shows that a strong correlation exists between the discharge intensity levels under varying contamination levels and degree of ageing. As the contamination level increases, the discharge level of the insulator samples also intensifies, resulting in the increase of total harmonic distortion and fundamental frequencies. Total harmonic distortion and fundamental frequencies of the UV signals were employed to develop a technique based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) to classify the flashover prediction based on the discharge intensity levels of the insulator samples. The results of the ANN simulation showed 87% accuracy in the performance index. This study illustrates that the UV pulse detection method is a potential tool to monitor insulator surface conditions during service.
The Potential of Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) 12.5 km Coastal Observations for Offshore Wind Farm Site Selection in Irish Waters
Authors: Remmers Tiny , Cawkwell Fiona , Desmond Cian , Murphy Jimmy , Politi Eirini
Published: January 2019

The offshore wind industry has seen unprecedented growth over the last few years. In line with this growth, there has been a push towards more exposed sites, farther from shore, in deeper water with consequent increased investor risk. There is therefore a growing need for accurate, reliable, met-ocean data to identify suitable sites, and from which to base preliminary design and investment decisions. This study investigates the potential of hyper-temporal satellite remote sensing Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) data in generating information necessary for the optimal site selection of offshore renewable energy infrastructure, and hence providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional techniques, such as in situ data from public or private entities and modelled data. Five years of the ASCAT 12.5 km wind product were validated against in situ weather buoys and showed a strong correlation with a Pearson coefficient of 0.95, when the in situ measurements were extrapolated with the log law. Temporal variations depicted by the ASCAT wind data followed the same inter-seasonal and intra-annual variations as the in situ measurements. A small diurnal bias of 0.12 m s−1 was observed between the descending swath (10:00 to 12:00) and the ascending swath (20:30 to 22:30), indicating that Ireland’s offshore wind speeds are slightly stronger in the daytime, especially in the nearshore areas. Seasonal maps showed that the highest spatial variability in offshore wind speeds are exhibited in winter and summer. The mean wind speed extrapolated at 80 m above sea level showed that Ireland’s mean offshore wind speeds at hub height ranged between 9.6 m s−1 and 12.3 m s−1. To best represent the offshore wind resource and its spatial distribution, an operational frequency map and a maximum yield frequency map were produced based on the ASCAT wind product in an offshore zone between 20 km and 200 km from the coast. The operational frequency indicates the percentage of time during which the observed local wind speed is between cut-in (3 m/s) and cut-out (25 m/s) for a standard turbine. The operational frequency map shows that the frequency of the wind speed within the cut-in and cut-off range of wind turbines was between 92.4% and 97.2%, while the maximum yield frequency map showed that between 40.6% and 59.5% of the wind speed frequency was included in the wind turbine rated power range. The results showed that the hyper-temporal ASCAT 12.5 km wind speed product (five consecutive years, two observations daily per satellite, two satellites) is representative of wind speeds measured by in situ measurements in Irish waters, and that its ability to depict temporal and spatial variability can assist in the decision-making process for offshore wind farm site selection in Ireland.
An Innovative Dual-Boost Nine-Level Inverter with Low-Voltage Rating Switches
Authors: Saeedian Meysam , Pouresmaeil Edris , Samadaei Emad , Manuel Godinho Rodrigues Eduardo , Godina Radu , Marzband Mousa
Published: January 2019

This article presents an innovative switched-capacitor based nine-level inverter employing single DC input for renewable and sustainable energy applications. The proposed configuration generates a step-up bipolar output voltage without end-side H-bridge, and the employed capacitors are charged in a self-balancing form. Applying low-voltage rated switches is another merit of the proposed inverter, which leads to extensive reduction in total standing voltage. Thereby, switching losses as well as inverter cost are reduced proportionally. Furthermore, the comparative analysis against other state-of-the-art inverters depicts that the number of required power electronic devices and implementation cost is reduced in the proposed structure. The working principle of the proposed circuit along with its efficiency calculations and thermal modeling are elaborated in detail. In the end, simulations and experimental tests are conducted to validate the flawless performance of the proposed nine-level topology in power systems.
Effect of Combined Inoculation on Biogas Production from Hardly Degradable Material
Authors: Achinas Spyridon , Euverink Gerrit Jan Willem
Published: January 2019

The goal of this research was to appraise the effect of combined inoculation on the performance of anaerobic digesters treating hardly degradable material, and particularly the pressed fine sieved fraction (PFSF) derived from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Batch tests were conducted in mesophilic conditions in order to examine the optimal mixing ratio of inoculums. Mixing ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100 of three different inoculums were applied in the batch tests. The findings indicated that the inoculation of digested activated sludge with digested organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the ratio 25:75 resulted in a higher PFSF degradation and a higher biogas yield. The results from the kinetic analysis fit well with the results from the batch experiment.
Forest Concessions and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Potentials, Challenges and Ways Forward
Authors: Tegegne Yitagesu Tekle , Cramm Mathias , Van Brusselen Jo , Linhares-Juvenal Thais
Published: January 2019

The Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have directed increased political attention to forests and their sustainable management globally. Forest concessions are a predominant instrument for the sustainable management of public production natural forests in the tropics, but the relationship between the SDGs and forest concessions is poorly explored. Knowledge of this relationship could facilitate aligning tropical forest concession regimes with the SDGs. This research was conducted by means of an online survey, expert interviews and four regional stakeholder workshops to examine (i) how forest concessions can support the implementation of the SDGs; and (ii) what are the key barriers hindering the potential contributions of forest concessions to the SDG. The findings revealed three broad pathways through which forest concessions can support the implementation of the SDGs: (i) sustainable use and management of ecosystem goods and services as the core business; (ii) provision of public goods for socioeconomic development; and (iii) contribution to (sub) national economies through income, employment and fiscal obligations. The paper identifies region-specific (Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia) technical, legal, governance and institutional barriers limiting the potential contributions. Among these, the key barriers are unclear and conflicting tenure, and the lack of available technical and qualified personnel. The paper concludes that the contributions of forest concessions to the SDGs depend on governance context and the clear use of the instrument to deliver such objectives as better planned and implemented concessions and binding concession contracts. The paper also provides recommendations for aligning forest concessions with the SDGs.
Economic Impacts and Land Use Change from Increasing Demand for Forest Products in the European Bioeconomy: A General Equilibrium Based Sensitivity Analysis
Authors: Haddad Salwa , Britz Wolfgang , Börner Jan
Published: January 2019

The European forestry sector is a potential driver of transformation towards a sustainable bioeconomy. Forest products are increasingly used in high-tech and high-value-added industries, e.g., chemicals and the automotive industry. So far, however, research on the European bioeconomy has largely focused on agriculture as a provider of food, feed, fuel, and fiber to bio-based industries. Here we assess the potential impacts of a stronger reliance on forestry sector inputs to the European Union (EU28) bioeconomy on output, prices, final demand, and land use. Specifically, we run a sensitivity analysis of a 1% increase of input use of forest products in the EU28 economy in a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) framework accounting for land use by Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at high regional and sectoral resolution. We find that such a shift to a more forest-based bioeconomy would provoke small indirect land use effects globally due to existing international trade linkages and land market effects. Simulated increases in planted forest cover are associated with net GHG emission savings, but our scenario analysis also points to higher imports of forest products from countries with vulnerable tropical forest biomes, such as Brazil and Indonesia.
Highly Resolved Phylogenetic Relationships within Order Acipenseriformes According to Novel Nuclear Markers
Authors: Luo Dehuai , Li Yanping , Zhao Qingyuan , Zhao Lianpeng , Ludwig Arne , Peng Zuogang
Published: January 2019

Order Acipenseriformes contains 27 extant species distributed across the northern hemisphere, including so-called “living fossil” species of garfish and sturgeons. Previous studies have focused on their mitochondrial genetics and have rarely used nuclear genetic data, leaving questions as to their phylogenetic relationships. This study aimed to utilize a bioinformatics approach to screen for candidate single-copy nuclear genes, using transcriptomic data from sturgeon species and genomic data from the spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus. We utilized nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and degenerate primers to identify nuclear protein-coding (NPC) gene markers to determine phylogenetic relationships among the Acipenseriformes. We identified 193 nuclear single-copy genes, selected from 1850 candidate genes with at least one exon larger than 700 bp. Forty-three of these genes were used for primer design and development of 30 NPC markers, which were sequenced for at least 14 Acipenseriformes species. Twenty-seven NPC markers were found completely in 16 species. Gene trees according to Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) were calculated based on the 30 NPC markers (20,946 bp total). Both gene and species trees produced very similar topologies. A molecular clock model estimated the divergence time between sturgeon and paddlefish at 204.1 Mya, approximately 10% later than previous estimates based on cytochrome b data (184.4 Mya). The successful development and application of NPC markers provides a new perspective and insight for the phylogenetic relationships of Acipenseriformes. Furthermore, the newly developed nuclear markers may be useful in further studies on the conservation, evolution, and genomic biology of this group.
TALEN-Mediated Gene Targeting for Cystic Fibrosis-Gene Therapy
Authors: Xia Emily , Zhang Yiqian , Cao Huibi , Li Jun , Duan Rongqi , Hu Jim
Published: January 2019

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited monogenic disorder, amenable to gene-based therapies. Because CF lung disease is currently the major cause of mortality and morbidity, and the lung airway is readily accessible to gene delivery, the major CF gene therapy effort at present is directed to the lung. Although airway epithelial cells are renewed slowly, permanent gene correction through gene editing or targeting in airway stem cells is needed to perpetuate the therapeutic effect. Transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) has been utilized widely for a variety of gene editing applications. The stringent requirement for nuclease binding target sites allows for gene editing with precision. In this study, we engineered helper-dependent adenoviral (HD-Ad) vectors to deliver a pair of TALENs together with donor DNA targeting the human AAVS1 locus. With homology arms of 4 kb in length, we demonstrated precise insertion of either a LacZ reporter gene or a human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) minigene (cDNA) into the target site. Using the LacZ reporter, we determined the efficiency of gene integration to be about 5%. In the CFTR vector transduced cells, we were able to detect CFTR mRNA expression using qPCR and function correction using fluorometric image plate reader (FLIPR) and iodide efflux assays. Taken together, these findings suggest a new direction for future in vitro and in vivo studies in CF gene editing.
Mineralogy of Eocene Fossil Wood from the “Blue Forest” Locality, Southwestern Wyoming, United States
Authors: Mustoe George E. , Viney Mike , Mills Jim
Published: January 2019

Central Wyoming, USA, was the site of ancient Lake Gosiute during the Early Eocene. Lake Gosiute was a large body of water surrounded by subtropical forest, the lake being part of a lacustrine complex that occupied the Green River Basin. Lake level rises episodically drowned the adjacent forests, causing standing trees and fallen branches to become growth sites for algae and cyanobacteria, which encased submerged wood with thick calcareous stromatolitic coatings. The subsequent regression resulted in a desiccation of the wood, causing volume reduction, radial fractures, and localized decay. The subsequent burial of the wood in silty sediment led to a silicification of the cellular tissue. Later, chalcedony was deposited in larger spaces, as well as in the interstitial areas of the calcareous coatings. The final stage of mineralization was the precipitation of crystalline calcite in spaces that had previously remained unmineralized. The result of this multi-stage mineralization is fossil wood with striking beauty and a complex geologic origin.
How Well Do Seniors Estimate Distance to Food? The Accuracy of Older Adults’ Reported Proximity to Local Grocery Stores
Authors: Chrisinger Benjamin W. , King Abby C. , Hua Jenna , Saelens Brian E. , Frank Lawrence D. , Conway Terry L. , Cain Kelli L. , Sallis James F.
Published: January 2019

(1) Background: Findings from observational studies of relations between neighborhood environments and health outcomes underscore the importance of both objective and perceived experiences of those environments. A clearer understanding of the factors associated with discrepancies between these two assessment approaches is needed to tailor public health interventions to specific populations. This study examined how individual and neighborhood characteristics affect perceptions of supermarket distance, particularly when perceptions do not match objective measures. (2) Methods: Participants were older adults (n = 880) participating in the Senior Neighborhood Quality of Life Study in the Seattle/King County, WA or Baltimore/Washington, DC regions. Two main analyses were conducted. The primary outcome for Analysis I was participants’ geographic information systems (GIS)-based objective network distance to the closest supermarket. Generalized linear mixed models with block group-level random effects were used to assess associations between objective supermarket distance and individual/neighborhood characteristics. The primary outcome for Analysis II was a categorical “accuracy” variable, based on participants’ perceived distance to the nearest supermarket/grocery store relative to the objective distance, assuming a walking speed of 1.0 m/s. Multivariate log-linear models fit neural networks were used to assess influential covariates. (3) Results: Several significant associations with objective distance to the nearest supermarket were observed, including a negative relationship with body mass index (BMI) (95% CI = −45.56, −0.23), having walked to the supermarket in the last 30 days (−174.86, −59.42), living in a high-walkability neighborhood, and residing in Seattle/King County (−707.69, −353.22). In terms of participants’ distance accuracy, 29% were classified as accurate, 33.9% were “Underestimators”, 24.0% “Overestimators”, and 13.2% responded “Don’t Know”. Compared to Accurate participants, Overestimators were significantly less likely to have walked to the supermarket in the last 30 days, and lived objectively closer to a supermarket; Underestimators perceived significantly higher pedestrian safety and lived objectively further from a supermarket; and Don’t Know were more likely to be women, older, not living independently, and not having recently walked to the supermarket. (4) Conclusions: Both modifiable and nonmodifiable factors influence the accuracy of older adults’ perceptions of their proximity to the nearest supermarket. Recent experience in walking to the closest supermarket, along with personal safety, represent potentially modifiable perceived environmental factors that were related to older adults’ accuracy of perceptions of their neighborhood food environment.
Determinants of Successful Aging in a Cohort of Filipino Women
Authors: Tzioumis Emma , Avila Josephine , Adair Linda S.
Published: January 2019

This study describes a multidimensional measure of successful aging (SA) and examines the relationship with chronic disease status and self-reported health. Using data from the 2015 Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey of 1568 Filipino women, we created a four domain measure of SA (physiological, mental health, cognitive, sociological). We explored age-stratified associations of each domain and total SA with various health behaviors, chronic disease status, and correlations with self-reported health measures. Both age groups reported aging well, but younger women had higher mean SA scores. Association patterns between domain and total SA and sociodemographic and health behaviors were similar across age groups. Physiological score was associated with hypertension for all ages, and with diabetes in younger women. Total SA was moderately correlated with self-reported health measures. Participants reported aging successfully despite chronic disease status. Future studies should use a multidimensional definition of SA which incorporates elders’ perspective.
Methodological Proposal to Study the Uses and Appropriations of Unfinished Estates: A View from Vizela, Portugal
Authors: Pereira Rui , Sarmento João
Published: January 2019

Contemporary urbanity is marked by the presence of abandonment, ruins, and voids. Over the last decades, the model of urban development in Portugal allowed a discontinuous city expansion that has left many plots and spaces empty. Due to interrupted urbanization processes, urban developments suspended in time and space have progressively degraded, constituting nowadays new forms of non-historical ruins and a significant part of the urban landscape. However, these semi constructed buildings, are not only structures made of brick and mortar, but commonly the object of several and distinct appropriations and social uses. In order to explore the socio-cultural meanings of these ruinous constructions, their social life and their material and symbolic transformation, this paper puts forward a methodology, based on systematic ethnographic observation and detailed field work. Furthermore, it applies this methodology to a case study—an unfinished project in the city of Vizela, Portugal, for which fieldwork was carried out during 2017 and 2018. The paper ends up highlighting a political challenge in planning the contemporary city, towards the need to overcome a conventional dichotomy between the usage rights of the public and private domain.
The Impact of E-Cigarette Warnings, Warning Themes and Inclusion of Relative Harm Statements on Young Adults’ E-Cigarette Perceptions and Use Intentions
Authors: Wackowski Olivia , Sontag Jennah , Hammond David , O’Connor Richard , Ohman-Strickland Pamela , Strasser Andrew , Villanti Andrea , Delnevo Cristine
Published: January 2019

Although e-cigarettes in the United States are required to carry one nicotine addiction warning, little is known about the impact of other potential e-cigarette warning themes, nor about pairing warnings with messages that communicate e-cigarettes’ reduced-harm potential relative to cigarettes. We randomly assigned 876 young adults (ages 18–29) to view e-cigarette ads in a 3 × 2 plus control online experiment that varied by warning theme (i.e., nicotine addiction; nicotine’s impact on adolescent brain development; presence of harmful chemicals) and warning type—i.e., the presence (“relative harm warning”) or absence (“standard warning”) of a relative harm (RH) statement in the warning label (“e-cigarettes may cause harm to health but are less harmful than cigarettes”). Warning believability, informativeness, understandability and support were high across conditions and there were no significant differences by warning theme on e-cigarette harm perceptions or use intentions nor on nicotine (mis)perceptions. Perceived warning effectiveness for discouraging youth initiation was higher for the “brain” and “chemicals” warnings compared to the addiction warning. Warnings with the included RH statement were perceived as less believable and credible and were less frequently correctly recalled. Research should continue to investigate the impact of different e-cigarette warning themes and formats with priority audiences.