bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interaction between Bean and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides: Understanding Through a Biochemical Approach
Authors: Chakraborty Nilanjan , Mukherjee Kabita , Sarkar Anik , Acharya Krishnendu
Published: September 2019

In addition to its role in animals, nowadays nitric oxide (NO) is considered as an emerging signaling molecule in plant systems. It is now believed that NO exerts its pivotal role in various plant physiological processes, such as in seed germination, plant developmental stages, and plant defense mechanisms. In this study, we have taken an initiative to show the biochemical basis of defense response activation in bean leaves during the progression of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. and Sacc. in detached bean leaves. Stages of pathogen penetration and colonization were successfully established in the detached bean leaves. Results showed up-regulation of different defense-related enzymes and other defense molecules, such as phenols, flavonoids, callose, and lignin molecules, along with NO at early stages of pathogen invasion. Although in the later stages of the disease, development of NO and other defense components (excluding lignin) were down-regulated, the production of reactive oxygen species in the form of H2O2 became elevated. Consequently, other stress markers, such as lipid peroxidation, proline content, and chlorophyll content, were changed accordingly. Correlation between the disease index and other defense molecules, along with NO, indicate that production of NO and reactive oxygen species (ROS) might influence the development of anthracnose in common bean.
Use of Aligned Microscale Sacrificial Fibers in Creating Biomimetic, Anisotropic Poly(glycerol sebacate) Scaffolds
Authors: Li Chen-Yu , Hu Ming-Hsien , Hu Jin-Jia
Published: September 2019

Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) is a biocompatible, biodegradable elastomer that has been shown promise as a scaffolding material for tissue engineering; it is still challenging, however, to produce anisotropic scaffolds by using a thermoset polymer, such as PGS. Previously, we have used aligned sacrificial poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fibers to help produce an anisotropic PGS membrane; a composite membrane, formed by embedding aligned PVA fibers in PGS prepolymer, was subjected to curing and subsequent PVA removal, resulting in aligned grooves and cylindrical pores on the surface of and within the membrane, respectively. PVA, however, appeared to react with PGS during its curing, altering the mechanical characteristics of PGS. In this study, aligned sacrificial fibers made of polylactide (PLA) were used instead. Specifically, PLA was blend-electrospun with polyethylene oxide to increase the sacrificial fiber diameter, which in turn increased the size of the grooves and cylindrical pores. The resultant PGS membrane was shown to be in vitro cyto-compatible and mechanically anisotropic. The membrane’s Young’s modulus was 1–2 MPa, similar to many soft tissues. In particular, the microscale grooves on the membrane surface were found to be capable of directing cell alignment. Finally, based on the same approach, we fabricated a biomimetic, anisotropic, PGS tubular scaffold. The compliance of the tubular scaffold was comparable to native arteries and in the range of 2% to 8% per 100 mmHg, depending on the orientations of the sacrificial fibers. The anisotropic PGS tubular scaffolds can potentially be used in vascular tissue engineering.
Optimization of Tubular Microalgal Photobioreactors with Spiral Ribs under Single-Sided and Double-Sided Illuminations
Authors: Lei Yuling , Wang Jing , Wu Jing
Published: September 2019

Microalgae can be raw materials for the production of clean energy and have great potential for development. The design of the microalgal photobioreactor (PBR) affects the mixing of the algal suspension and the utilization efficiency of the light energy, thereby affecting the high-efficiency cultivation of the microalgae. In this study, a spiral rib structure was introduced into a tubular microalgal PBR to improve the mixing performance and the light utilization efficiency. The number of spiral ribs, the inclination angle, and the velocity of the algal suspension were optimized for single-sided and double-sided parallel light illuminations with the same total incident light intensity. Next, the optimization results under the two illumination modes were compared. The results showed that the double-sided illumination did not increase the average light/dark (L/D) cycle frequency of the microalgae particles, but it reduced the efficiency of the L/D cycle enhancement. This outcome was analyzed from the point of view of the relative position between the L/D boundary and the vortex in the flow field. Finally, a method to increase the average L/D cycle frequency was proposed and validated. In this method, the relative position between the L/D boundary and the vortex was adjusted so that the L/D boundary passed through the central region of the vortex. This method can also be applied to the design of other types of PBRs to increase the average L/D cycle frequency.
Gender and Folk-Religion in Western China: A Case Study of the Tu of Qinghai
Authors: Xing Haiyan , Murray Gerald
Published: September 2019

This paper deals with analysis of gender issues in an ethnic religious system in Western China, the religion of the Tu ethnic group. We focused on gender in Tu religion, which entailed documenting gender dynamics in three major ethnographic domains that have been present in religious systems around the world and through time: spirit beliefs, rituals, and specialists. Though examined gender dynamics as they occur among the Tu in all three of these niches, we found that in the Tu spirit world, there are major male and female spirits who are viewed as having equal status and equal power over the weather. However, in the domain of ritual specialists, the gender situation changes. As for gender-differentiation in rituals, we found practices that excluded women from entering temples and from participating in public emergency rituals associated with weather crises. In addition, we have attempted to identify the multiple causal factors that that may have affected the evolution of Tu.
Soil Organic Carbon Mapping Using LUCAS Topsoil Database and Sentinel-2 Data: An Approach to Reduce Soil Moisture and Crop Residue Effects
Authors: Castaldi Fabio , Chabrillat Sabine , Don Axel , van Wesemael Bas
Published: September 2019

Soil organic carbon (SOC) loss is one of the main causes of soil degradation in croplands. Thus, spatial and temporal monitoring of SOC is extremely important, both from the environmental and economic perspective. In this regard, the high temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution of the Sentinel-2 data can be exploited for monitoring SOC contents in the topsoil of croplands. In this study, we aim to test the effect of the threshold for a spectral index linked to soil moisture and crop residues on the performance of SOC prediction models using the Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) Sentinel-2 and the European Land Use/cover Area frame Statistical survey (LUCAS) topsoil database. The LUCAS spectral data resampled according to MSI/Sentinel-2 bands, which were used to build SOC prediction models combining pairs of the bands. The SOC models were applied to a Sentinel-2 image acquired in North-Eastern Germany after removing the pixels characterized by clouds and green vegetation. Then, we tested different thresholds of the Normalized Burn Ratio 2 (NBR2) index in order to mask moist soil pixels and those with dry vegetation and crop residues. The model accuracy was tested on an independent validation database and the best ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) was obtained using the average between bands B6 and B5 (Red-Edge Carbon Index: RE-CI) (RPD: 4.4) and between B4 and B5 (Red-Red-Edge Carbon Index: RRE-CI) (RPD: 2.9) for a very low NBR2 threshold (0.05). Employing a higher NBR2 tolerance (higher NBR2 values), the mapped area increases to the detriment of the validation accuracy. The proposed approach allowed us to accurately map SOC over a large area exploiting the LUCAS spectral library and, thus, avoid a new ad hoc field campaign. Moreover, the threshold for selecting the bare soil pixels can be tuned, according to the goal of the survey. The quality of the SOC map for each tolerance level can be judged based on the figures of merit of the model.
Orogenic Gold in Transpression and Transtension Zones: Field and Remote Sensing Studies of the Barramiya–Mueilha Sector, Egypt
Authors: Zoheir Basem , El-Wahed Mohamed Abd , Pour Amin Beiranvand , Abdelnasser Amr
Published: September 2019

Multi-sensor satellite imagery data promote fast, cost-efficient regional geological mapping that constantly forms a criterion for successful gold exploration programs in harsh and inaccessible regions. The Barramiya–Mueilha sector in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt contains several occurrences of shear/fault-associated gold-bearing quartz veins with consistently simple mineralogy and narrow hydrothermal alteration haloes. Gold-quartz veins and zones of carbonate alteration and listvenitization are widespread along the ENE–WSW Barramiya–Um Salatit and Dungash–Mueilha shear belts. These belts are characterized by heterogeneous shear fabrics and asymmetrical or overturned folds. Sentinel-1, Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR), Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), and Sentinel-2 are used herein to explicate the regional structural control of gold mineralization in the Barramiya–Mueilha sector. Feature-oriented Principal Components Selection (FPCS) applied to polarized backscatter ratio images of Sentinel-1 and PALSAR datasets show appreciable capability in tracing along the strike of regional structures and identification of potential dilation loci. The principal component analysis (PCA), band combination and band ratioing techniques are applied to the multispectral ASTER and Sentinel-2 datasets for lithological and hydrothermal alteration mapping. Ophiolites, island arc rocks, and Fe-oxides/hydroxides (ferrugination) and carbonate alteration zones are discriminated by using the PCA technique. Results of the band ratioing technique showed gossan, carbonate, and hydroxyl mineral assemblages in ductile shear zones, whereas irregular ferrugination zones are locally identified in the brittle shear zones. Gold occurrences are confined to major zones of fold superimposition and transpression along flexural planes in the foliated ophiolite-island arc belts. In the granitoid-gabbroid terranes, gold-quartz veins are rather controlled by fault and brittle shear zones. The uneven distribution of gold occurrences coupled with the variable recrystallization of the auriferous quartz veins suggests multistage gold mineralization in the area. Analysis of the host structures assessed by the remote sensing results denotes vein formation spanning the time–space from early transpression to late orogen collapse during the protracted tectonic evolution of the belt.
Using High-Spatiotemporal Thermal Satellite ET Retrievals for Operational Water Use and Stress Monitoring in a California Vineyard
Authors: Knipper Kyle R. , Kustas William P. , Anderson Martha C. , Alsina Maria Mar , Hain Christopher R. , Alfieri Joseph G. , Prueger John H. , Gao Feng , McKee Lynn G. , Sanchez Luis A.
Published: September 2019

In viticulture, deficit irrigation strategies are often implemented to control vine canopy growth and to impose stress at critical stages of vine growth to improve wine grape quality. To support deficit irrigation scheduling, remote sensing technologies can be employed in the mapping of evapotranspiration (ET) at the field to sub-field scales, quantifying time-varying vineyard water requirements and actual water use. In the current study, we investigate the utility of ET maps derived from thermal infrared satellite imagery over a vineyard in the Central Valley of California equipped with a variable rate drip irrigation (VRDI) system which enables differential water applications at the 30 × 30 m scale. To support irrigation management at that scale, we utilized a thermal-based multi-sensor data fusion approach to generate weekly total actual ET (ETa) estimates at 30 m spatial resolution, coinciding with the resolution of the Landsat reflectance bands. Crop water requirements (ETc) were defined with a vegetative index (VI)-based approach. To test capacity to capture stress signals, the vineyard was sub-divided into four blocks with different irrigation management strategies and goals, inducing varying degrees of stress during the growing season. Results indicate derived weekly total ET from the thermal-based data fusion approach match well with observations. The thermal-based method was also able to capture the spatial heterogeneity in ET over the vineyard due to a water stress event imposed on two of the four vineyard blocks. This transient stress event was not reflected in the VI-based ETc estimate, highlighting the value of thermal band imaging. While the data fusion system provided valuable information, latency in current satellite data availability, particularly from Landsat, impacts operational applications over the course of a growing season.
Irrigation Optimization Under a Limited Water Supply by the Integration of Modern Approaches into Traditional Water Management on the Cotton Fields
Authors: Polinova Maria , Salinas Keren , Bonfante Antonello , Brook Anna
Published: September 2019

The ability to effectively develop agriculture with limited water resources is an important strategic objective to face future climate change and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) of the United Nations. Since new conditions increasingly point to a limited water supply, the aim of modern irrigation management is to be sure to maximize the crop yield and minimize water use. This study aims to explore the advantages of the traditional agronomic approach, agro-hydrological model and field feedback obtained by spectroscopy, to optimize irrigation water management in the example of a cotton field. The study was conducted for two summer growing seasons in 2015 and 2016 in Kibbutz Hazorea, near Haifa, Israel. The irrigation schedule was developed by farmers using weather forecasts and corrected by the results of field inspections. The Soil Water Atmosphere Plant (SWAP) model was applied to optimize seasonal water distribution based on different criteria (critical soil pressure head and allowable daily stress). A new optimization algorithm for irrigation schedules by weather forecasts and vegetation indices was developed and presented in this paper. A few indices related to physical parameters and plant health (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Red Edge Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index 2, and Photochemical Reflectance Index) were considered. Red Edge Normalized Difference Vegetation Index proves itself as a suitable parameter for monitoring crop state due to its clear-cut response to irrigation treatments and was introduced in the developed algorithm. The performance of the considered irrigation scheduling approaches was assessed by a simulation model application for cotton fields in 2016. The results show, that the irrigation schedule developed by farmers did not compensate for the absence of precipitation in spring, which led to long-term lack of water during crop development. The optimization developed by SWAP allows determining the minimal amount of water which ensures appropriate yield. However, this approach could not take into account the non-linear effect of the lack of water at specific phenological stages on the yield. The new algorithm uses the minimal sufficient seasonal amount of water obtained from SWAP optimization. The approach designed allows one to prevent critical stress in cotton and distribute water in conformity with agronomic practice.
A Novel Ultrasound Technique Based on Piezoelectric Diaphragms Applied to Material Removal Monitoring in the Grinding Process
Authors: Alexandre Felipe A. , Aguiar Paulo R. , Götz Reinaldo , Aulestia Viera Martin Antonio , Lopes Thiago Glissoi , Bianchi Eduardo Carlos
Published: September 2019

The interest of the scientific community for ultrasound techniques has increased in recent years due to its wide range of applications. A continuous effort of researchers and industries has been made in order to improve and increase the applicability of non-destructive evaluations (NDE). In this context, the monitoring of manufacturing processes, such as the grinding process, arises. This work proposes a novel technique of ultrasound monitoring (chirp-through-transmission) through low-cost piezoelectric diaphragms and digital signal processing. The proposed technique was applied to the monitoring of material removal during the grinding process. The technique is based on changes in ultrasonic waves when propagated through the material under study, with the difference that this technique does not use traditional parameters of ultrasonic techniques but digital signal processing (RMS and Counts). Furthermore, the novelty of the proposed technique is also the use of low-cost piezoelectric diaphragms in the emission and reception of ultrasonic waves, enabling the implementation of a low-cost monitoring system. The results show that the monitoring technique proposed in this work, when used in conjunction with the frequency band selection, is sensitive to the material removal in the grinding process and therefore presents an advance for monitoring the grinding processes.
A Method Framework for Automatic Airspace Reconfiguration-Monte Carlo Method for Eliminating Irregular Sector Shapes Generated by Region Growth Method
Authors: Ye Zhijian , Kong Fanhe , Zhang Baocheng , Gao Wei , Mao Jianfeng
Published: September 2019

With the growth of air traffic demand in busy airspace, there is an urgent need for airspace sectorization to increase air traffic throughput and ease the pressure on controllers. The purpose of this paper is to develop a method framework that can perform airspace sectorization automatically, reasonably, which can be used as an advisory tool for controllers as an automatic system, especially for eliminating irregular sector shapes generated by simulated annealing algorithm (SAA) based on the region growth method. The two graph cutting method, dynamic Monte Carlo method by changing location of flexible vertices (MC-CLFV) and Monte Carlo method by radius changing (MC-RC) were developed to eliminate irregular sector shapes generated by SAA in post-processing. The experimental results show that the proposed method framework of airspace sectorization (AS) can automatically and reasonably generate sector design schemes that meet the design criteria. Our methodology framework and software can provide assistant design and analysis tools for airspace planners to design airspace, improve the reliability and efficiency of airspace design, and reduce the burden of airspace planners. In addition, this lays the foundation for reconstructing airspace with the more intelligent method.
Performance Sensing Data Prediction for an Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Using the Optimized Extreme Learning Machine
Authors: Liu Xiaolei , Liu Liansheng , Wang Lulu , Guo Qing , Peng Xiyuan
Published: September 2019

The aircraft auxiliary power unit (APU) is responsible for environmental control in the cabin and the main engines starting the aircraft. The prediction of its performance sensing data is significant for condition-based maintenance. As a complex system, its performance sensing data have a typically nonlinear feature. In order to monitor this process, a model with strong nonlinear fitting ability needs to be formulated. A neural network has advantages of solving a nonlinear problem. Compared with the traditional back propagation neural network algorithm, an extreme learning machine (ELM) has features of a faster learning speed and better generalization performance. To enhance the training of the neural network with a back propagation algorithm, an ELM is employed to predict the performance sensing data of the APU in this study. However, the randomly generated weights and thresholds of the ELM often may result in unstable prediction results. To address this problem, a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) is utilized to optimize the ELM. In this way, a stable performance parameter prediction model of the APU can be obtained and better performance parameter prediction results can be achieved. The proposed method is evaluated by the real APU sensing data of China Southern Airlines Company Limited Shenyang Maintenance Base. Experimental results show that the optimized ELM with an RBM is more stable and can obtain more accurate prediction results.
A Multisensor System for the Characterization of the Field Pressure in Terrain. Accuracy, Response, and Adjustments
Authors: Sicilia Isabel , Aparicio Sofía , Frutos Borja , Muñoz Eduardo , González Margarita , Anaya José Javier
Published: September 2019

In different disciplines of science, the knowledge of the resulting pressures in the subsoil can help to understand physical phenomena of mass exchange between the atmosphere and the terrain. The measurement of lower differential pressures is complicated given the low range of detected values. In this paper, a multisensor system has been designed and developed to measure differential pressures in radon gas transport studies. The adequacy of this system has been proven using a purpose-built pressure chamber and an automatic motion system developed by the authors. The temporal response frequencies, the pressure values measured by the sensors, and their ability to link in series were analyzed to offer a multisensor spatial and temporal mapping. At the same time, the influence of the components required for a real deployment were studied using different tube lengths and diameters, connectors, and obstructions across the operating range of the pressure sensors. The system has also been tested for measuring differential pressures in a real model with a concrete slab above the soil and a pressure generator system below. It was found that this system is very suitable for outdoor measurements that demand a quick temporal response and accuracy.
Indoor and Outdoor Backpack Mapping with Calibrated Pair of Velodyne LiDARs
Authors: Velas Martin , Spanel Michal , Sleziak Tomas , Habrovec Jiri , Herout Adam
Published: September 2019

This paper presents a human-carried mapping backpack based on a pair of Velodyne LiDAR scanners. Our system is a universal solution for both large scale outdoor and smaller indoor environments. It benefits from a combination of two LiDAR scanners, which makes the odometry estimation more precise. The scanners are mounted under different angles, thus a larger space around the backpack is scanned. By fusion with GNSS/INS sub-system, the mapping of featureless environments and the georeferencing of resulting point cloud is possible. By deploying SoA methods for registration and the loop closure optimization, it provides sufficient precision for many applications in BIM (Building Information Modeling), inventory check, construction planning, etc. In our indoor experiments, we evaluated our proposed backpack against ZEB-1 solution, using FARO terrestrial scanner as the reference, yielding similar results in terms of precision, while our system provides higher data density, laser intensity readings, and scalability for large environments.
A Proof of Concept of a Mobile Health Application to Support Professionals in a Portuguese Nursing Home
Authors: Esteves Márcia , Esteves Marisa , Abelha António , Machado José
Published: September 2019

Over the past few years, the rapidly aging population has been posing several challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Consequently, in Portugal, nursing homes have been getting a higher demand, and health professionals working in these facilities are overloaded with work. Moreover, the lack of health information and communication technology (HICT) and the use of unsophisticated methods, such as paper, in nursing homes to clinically manage residents lead to more errors and are time-consuming. Thus, this article proposes a proof of concept of a mobile health (mHealth) application developed for the health professionals working in a Portuguese nursing home to support them at the point-of-care, namely to manage and have access to information and to help them schedule, perform, and digitally record their tasks. Additionally, clinical and performance business intelligence (BI) indicators to assist the decision-making process are also defined. Thereby, this solution aims to introduce technological improvements into the facility to improve healthcare delivery and, by taking advantage of the benefits provided by these improvements, lessen some of the workload experienced by health professionals, reduce time-waste and errors, and, ultimately, enhance elders’ quality of life and improve the quality of the services provided.
A Self-Assembly Portable Mobile Mapping System for Archeological Reconstruction Based on VSLAM-Photogrammetric Algorithm
Authors: Ortiz-Coder Pedro , Sánchez-Ríos Alonso
Published: September 2019

Three Dimensional (3D) models are widely used in clinical applications, geosciences, cultural heritage preservation, and engineering; this, together with new emerging needs such as building information modeling (BIM) develop new data capture techniques and devices with a low cost and reduced learning curve that allow for non-specialized users to employ it. This paper presents a simple, self-assembly device for 3D point clouds data capture with an estimated base price under €2500; furthermore, a workflow for the calculations is described that includes a Visual SLAM-photogrammetric threaded algorithm that has been implemented in C++. Another purpose of this work is to validate the proposed system in BIM working environments. To achieve it, in outdoor tests, several 3D point clouds were obtained and the coordinates of 40 points were obtained by means of this device, with data capture distances ranging between 5 to 20 m. Subsequently, those were compared to the coordinates of the same targets measured by a total station. The Euclidean average distance errors and root mean square errors (RMSEs) ranging between 12–46 mm and 8–33 mm respectively, depending on the data capture distance (5–20 m). Furthermore, the proposed system was compared with a commonly used photogrammetric methodology based on Agisoft Metashape software. The results obtained demonstrate that the proposed system satisfies (in each case) the tolerances of ‘level 1’ (51 mm) and ‘level 2’ (13 mm) for point cloud acquisition in urban design and historic documentation, according to the BIM Guide for 3D Imaging (U.S. General Services).
Individual Adaptation in Cross-Country Skiing Based on Tracking during Training Conditions
Authors: Martin Stefan Adrian , Hadmaș Roxana Maria
Published: September 2019

Research on heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and blood pressure (BP) during specific training stages is less common in endurance athletes, whereas resting BP and HR are less studied in relationship to HRmax. In the current study, the objective was to conduct a medium-term HR, BP and MAP analysis while tracking individual training outcomes. The study was conducted during the 2017–2018 season, over 43 days and 1033 km of training volume, on 12 competitive male cross-country ski athletes. One VO2max test was performed 10 days before the start of the training program. After the test, training volume and intensity was preset for each subject, according to the general training methodology. Early morning HR, MAP and BP measurements were taken as part of the basic functional analysis. Training volume was correlated to both distance (p = 0.01, r = 0.85, CI95% = 0.80 to 0.88) and training HR%, namely the percentage of HRmax (p = 0.01, r = −0.47, CI95% = −0.58 to −0.34). Both the supine (sHR) and orthostatic HR (oHR) values were significantly correlated with the training intensity. We obtained a significant correlation between sHR and oHR values and the training objective (p = 0.01). An increased oHR was correlated to high intensity training activity (HIT) during the second training session (p = 0.01). Heart rate and blood pressure measurements represent predictive functional adaptation parameters over different training phases. We highlight a link between sHR, oHR, MAP data, and the athletes’ ability to perform in lower effort zones during physical exertion. However, we failed to validate MAP as a cardiovascular stress indicator following high intensity training.
Sustainability, Innovation and Rural Development: The Case of Parmigiano-Reggiano PDO
Authors: Arfini Filippo , Antonioli Federico , Cozzi Elena , Donati Michele , Guareschi Marianna , Mancini Maria Cecilia , Veneziani Mario
Published: September 2019

Sustainability is becoming a pivotal guide for driving the governance strategies of value chains. Sustainable policy should have as its objective the perpetuation of production models over time to maintain its environmental, economic and social dimensions. Therefore, measuring the sustainability of a production system is fundamental to deepening the understanding of ongoing trends, considering the pressure exerted by agricultural policies, market dynamics and innovations introduced in the production system. The purpose of this paper is to present a holistic framework for assessing the sustainability of food quality schemes (FQS), including the role of both stakeholders within the value chain, and the territorial dimension. This paper discusses the use of dimensional indicators and proposes synthetic indexes to provide an overall picture of the evolution of sustainability of a specific production system. Particularly, the evolution of sustainability in the Parmigiano Reggiano Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) production system is evaluated over the period 2000-2018. It is assumed that its evolution is due to the effect of 20 years of innovations which have impacted on product quality, value chain performance and rural development, modifying the sustainability of the whole production system.
Proposal of a Mobile Medical Waste Incinerator with Application of Automatic Waste Feeder and Heat Recovery System as a Novelty in Poland
Authors: Wajs Jan , Bochniak Roksana , Golabek Aleksandra
Published: September 2019

The paper presents and discusses the issues of medical waste (including hazardous ones) and the problems regarding their proper management in Poland. Inappropriate handling of infectious medical waste directly endangers human health and the environment. Infectious waste must be properly disposed of—in practice, the only method of their disposal available in Poland is a thermal treatment in the incinerators tailored for this purpose. This causes many problems to smaller entities such as the local health centers, but also to the beauty and tattoo salons. As a solution to these problems, the mobile medical waste incinerator was proposed. During designing an incinerator unit, a diverse morphological composition of the medical waste should be taken into account, however, there are no inspection reports available in Poland. Based on a few data concerning the composition of the medical waste, the article presents designing considerations in regard to the incinerator’s chamber dimensions. The calculations were carried out for several variants of the waste morphological composition. The own construction of a mobile medical waste incinerator, which conforms to the regulations in Poland and the European Union, was presented. It should be emphasized that it is a novelty on the Polish market, due to the automatic waste feeder into the combustion chamber, adapted to a mobile unit.
Efficiency of the EU Environmental Policy in Struggling with Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5): How Agriculture Makes a Difference?
Authors: Czyżewski Bazyli , Matuszczak Anna , Kryszak Łukasz , Czyżewski Andrzej
Published: September 2019

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions are an important global issue as air pollutants lead to approximately 7 million deaths per year (World Health Organization). In an attempt to combat this global threat, countries in the European Union (EU) allocate relatively large funds for environmental policies. The main goal of this paper is to assess the long-term efficiency of the EU countries’ environmental policy in reducing the pressure of particulates pollution on the natural environment. For this purpose, multilevel panel regression models based on seminal within–between specification are used. The models are run for a panel of 25 EU countries for the years 2004–2016. In the investigations, we tried to capture the effect of the share of utilized agricultural area (UAA) in non-urban areas of the analyzed countries, as it may potentially influence policy efficiency. It was found that environmental spending in all main categories (pollution abatement, biodiversity, R&D, and environmental protection) had a significant impact on decreasing pollution pressure; however, the policy was more efficient in countries which had a lower share of UAA in their non-urban areas. The study emphasized that the impact of “pollution abatement” expenditure may be underestimated in basic panel models.
Knowledge and Human Capital as Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Human Resource Management
Authors: Hitka Miloš , Kucharčíková Alžbeta , Štarchoň Peter , Balážová Žaneta , Lukáč Michal , Stacho Zdenko
Published: September 2019

The ability to do business successfully and to stay on the market is a unique feature of each company ensured by highly engaged and high-quality employees. Therefore, innovative leaders able to manage, motivate, and encourage other employees can be a great competitive advantage of an enterprise. Knowledge of important personality factors regarding leadership, incentives and stimulus, systematic assessment, and subsequent motivation factors are parts of human capital and essential conditions for effective development of its potential. Familiarity with various ways to motivate leaders and their implementation in practice are important for improving the work performance and reaching business goals. Pearson’s chi-square test is used to test correlation between the motivation factors relating to career aspiration and education. Following the research results, the fact that there is dependence between the motivation factors relating to career aspiration and completed education can be stated. The motivation factors relating to career aspiration are important, even very important for highly educated employees and employees with upper secondary education. Following the research results, the fact that the requirements and expectations relating to career aspiration are more demanding when the education completed by employees is higher is confirmed.
The Driverless Bus: An Analysis of Public Perceptions and Acceptability
Authors: López-Lambas M. Eugenia , Alonso Andrea
Published: September 2019

The development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) holds a high potential for improving security, reducing congestion, increasing fuel efficiency, and saving time. Various studies conducted on the implementation of AVs predict that fully autonomous vehicles will be available for the public in the 2020s. However, it will take another three decades, at least, for these vehicles and technologies to be accepted among the general masses and become reliable and affordable for use. Nonetheless, while a great deal has been stated regarding autonomous cars, little attention has been paid to autonomous public transport, more specifically, autonomous buses (ABs). The present report analyzed the psychological barriers preventing the complete implementation of ABs through data collected from focus group (FG) discussions. The main objective of the FGs was to determine the factors influencing perceptions regarding ABs and their acceptability. The most important factors from the positive side were the reduction of personnel costs, the potential to decrease congestion, waiting time at intersections, and reduced emissions. On the other hand, the most important negative factors were an increase in vehicle and infrastructure costs, safety risks under certain conditions (e.g., system failures, terrorist attacks, etc.), and the possible reduction of employment opportunities.
Educational Uses of Augmented Reality (AR): Experiences in Educational Science
Authors: Cabero-Almenara Julio , Barroso-Osuna Julio , Llorente-Cejudo Carmen , Fernández Martínez María del Mar
Published: September 2019

Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging technology that is gaining greater influence on teaching every day. AR, together with mobile technology, is defined as one of the most efficient pairs for supporting significant and ubiquitous learning. Purpose of the study: the Instructional Material Motivational Survey (IMMS), by Keller, was used to determine the degree of motivation possessed by the Pedagogy students on the utilization of the notes enriched with AR in the classroom, available for their didactic use through mobile devices. Methods: through an app designed for the courses Education Technology (ET) and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Applied to Education, the motivation gained when participating in this experience, and how it influences the improvement of academic performance, was evaluated. Results and conclusions: the most notable main result was finding a strong relationship between the motivation of the students when using the enriched notes and the increase of performance in the academic subject where it was used. Likewise, it was proved that the use of Augmented Reality benefited the learning process itself.
The Environmental Impacts and Optimal Environmental Policies of Macroeconomic Uncertainty Shocks: A Dynamic Model Approach
Authors: Chan Ying Tung
Published: September 2019

The existing literature on carbon policy analysis in a random environment focuses on the existence of the level (first-moment) shocks, whereas recent research emphasized the nonnegligible impact of uncertainty (second-moment) shocks on macroeconomy. This paper studies the impact of uncertainty (second-moment) shocks on the carbon emissions, abatement investment, and output. We construct an environmental dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (E-DSGE) model that features uncertainty shocks from the good demand and supply. By comparing the social welfare among carbon taxation, intensity, and capacity regimes, we show that the carbon taxation is the best policy regarding positive uncertainty shocks of households preference (good demand), whereas capacity and intensity targets are preferable under the uncertainty shocks of firms productivity (good supply).
Remote Sensing-Based Analysis of Landscape Pattern Evolution in Industrial Rural Areas: A Case of Southern Jiangsu, China
Authors: Zhu Yifan , Wang Chengkang , Sakai Takeru
Published: September 2019

With the rapid economic development of industrial rural areas in Southern Jiangsu, the rural landscape and ecological environment of these industrial rural areas are getting damaged. Based on GIS and RS techniques, Landsat Satellite remote sensing images from 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2018 were collected for Jiangyin, Zhangjiagang, Changshu and Kunshan, to extract landscape pattern indexes and spatial distribution data. Landscape pattern indexes of the patch-class level and landscape level from each year were calculated by FRAGSTATS. After analyzing and comparing landscape pattern variation of five years, progress, characteristics and driving forces of landscape pattern evolution were explored. At the patch-class level, construction land had continuously encroached on green and cultivated land, exhibiting trends of expansion and centralization. At the landscape level, the number of small patches and degree of landscape fragmentation generally increased. The direct cause of landscape pattern evolution in industrial rural areas of Southern Jiangsu was the encroachment and segmentation of green and cultivated land by construction land, and the dominant factors driving the changes in construction land in the industrial rural areas of Southern Jiangsu were the effects of land and population aggregation exerted by the development of township enterprises and rural industries.
Spatiotemporal Variation of Annual Runoff and Sediment Load in the Pearl River during 1953–2017
Authors: Zhou Huanyang , Wang Zhaoli , Wu Xushu , Chen Yuhong , Zhong Yixuan , Li Zejun , Chen Jiachao , Li Jun , Guo Shenglian , Chen Xiaohong
Published: September 2019

Anthropogenic activities have had a great impact on the characteristics of runoff and sediment load along the Pearl River in China in recent decades. We investigated the spatiotemporal variations, including the trends, abrupt changes, and periodicities of annual runoff and sediment load in the Pearl River by using the datasets from nine hydrological stations for the period of 1953–2017. We found that annual runoff was stable during the study period, with only two stations in the upper reach showing decreasing trends. Annual sediment load has generally experienced a significant decreasing trend, while one of the stations in the middle reach showed an opposite trend due to severe rocky desertification and soil erosion in the local karst terrain. Abrupt changes in sediment load were mainly between the 1990s and 2000s, when many hydraulic projects were conducted, implying the significant impact of anthropogenic activities on river sediment load. Results also indicate 2–4 year and 4–8 year periodicities in both annual runoff and sediment load, with long periodicities less significant than the short ones. Our study is conducive to water and soil resource management in the Pearl River basin, whilst provides a guide for other basins, particularly those characterized by karst terrains where local desertification and soil erosion might likewise cause increase in river sediment load.
A Bi–LSTM and k-NN Based Method for Detecting Major Time Zones of Overloaded Vehicles
Authors: Park Sangmin , On Byung-Won , Lee Ryong , Park Min-Woo , Lee Sang-Hwan
Published: September 2019

Overloaded vehicles such as large cargo trucks tend to cause large traffic accidents. Such traffic accidents often bring high mortality rates, including injuries and deaths, and cause fatal damage to road structures such as roads and bridges. Therefore, there is a vicious circle in which a lot of the budgets is spent for accident restoration and road maintenance. It is important to control overloaded vehicles that are around roads in urban areas. However, it often takes a lot of manpower to track down on overloaded vehicles at appropriate interception points during a specific time. Moreover, the drivers tend to avoid interception by bypassing the interception point, while exchanging interception information with each other. In this work, the main bridges in a city are chosen as the interception point. Since installing vehicle-weighing devices on the road surface is expensive and the devices cause frequent faults after the installation, inexpensive general-purpose Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, such as acceleration and gyroscope sensors, are installed on the bridges. First, assuming that the sensing value of the overloaded vehicle is different from the nonoverloaded vehicle, we investigate the difference in the sensed values between the overloaded and nonoverloaded vehicles. Then, based on the hypothesis, we propose a new method to identify prime time zones with overloaded vehicles. Technically, the proposed method comprises two steps. In the first step, we propose a new bridge traffic classification model using Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi–LSTM) that automatically classifies time series data to either high or low traffic condition. The Bi–LSTM model has higher accuracy than existing neural network models because it has a symmetric neural network structure, by which input information can be processed in forward and backward directions. In the second step, we propose a new method of automatically identifying top-k time zones with many overloaded vehicles under the high traffic condition. It first uses the k-Nearest Neighbor (NN) algorithm to find the sensing value, most similar to the actual sensing value of the overloaded vehicle, in the high traffic cluster. According to the experimental results, there is a high difference of the sensing values between the overloaded and the nonoverloaded vehicle, through statistical verification. Also, the accuracy of the proposed method in the first step is ~75%, and the top-k time zones in which overloaded vehicles are crowded are identified automatically.
Structures of Reaction Products and Degradation Pathways of Aflatoxin B1 by Ultrasound Treatment
Authors: Liu Yuanfang , Li Mengmeng , Liu Yuanxiao , Bian Ke
Published: September 2019

Ultrasound is an emerging decontamination technology with potential use in the global food processing industry. In the present study, we explored power ultrasound for processing aqueous aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). AFB1 was degraded by 85.1% after 80 min of ultrasound exposure. The reaction products of AFB1 were identified and their molecular formulae elucidated by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Eight main reaction products were found, and their structures were clarified by parental ion fragmentation. Two degradation pathways were proposed according to the degradation product structures: One involved the addition of H• and OH• radicals, whereas the other involved H2O2 epoxidation and H•, OH•, and H2O2 oxidation of AFB1. Ultrasound treatment significantly reduced AFB1 bioactivity and toxicity by disrupting the C8=C9 double bond in the furan ring and modifying the lactone ring and methoxy group.
The Diversity of Cyanobacterial Toxins on Structural Characterization, Distribution and Identification: A Systematic Review
Authors: Du Xingde , Liu Haohao , Yuan Le , Wang Yueqin , Ma Ya , Wang Rui , Chen Xinghai , Losiewicz Michael , Guo Hongxiang , Zhang Huizhen
Published: September 2019

The widespread distribution of cyanobacteria in the aquatic environment is increasing the risk of water pollution caused by cyanotoxins, which poses a serious threat to human health. However, the structural characterization, distribution and identification techniques of cyanotoxins have not been comprehensively reviewed in previous studies. This paper aims to elaborate the existing information systematically on the diversity of cyanotoxins to identify valuable research avenues. According to the chemical structure, cyanotoxins are mainly classified into cyclic peptides, alkaloids, lipopeptides, nonprotein amino acids and lipoglycans. In terms of global distribution, the amount of cyanotoxins are unbalanced in different areas. The diversity of cyanotoxins is more obviously found in many developed countries than that in undeveloped countries. Moreover, the threat of cyanotoxins has promoted the development of identification and detection technology. Many emerging methods have been developed to detect cyanotoxins in the environment. This communication provides a comprehensive review of the diversity of cyanotoxins, and the detection and identification technology was discussed. This detailed information will be a valuable resource for identifying the various types of cyanotoxins which threaten the environment of different areas. The ability to accurately identify specific cyanotoxins is an obvious and essential aspect of cyanobacterial research.