bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mineralogical Features of Ore Diagenites in the Urals Massive Sulfide Deposits, Russia
Authors: Maslennikov Valeriy , Ayupova Nuriya , Safina Nataliya , Tseluyko Aleksandr , Melekestseva Irina , Large Ross , Herrington Richard , Kotlyarov Vasiliy , Blinov Ivan , Maslennikova Svetlana , Tessalina Svetlana
Published: March 2019

In weakly metamorphosed massive sulfide deposits of the Urals (Dergamysh, Yubileynoe, Yaman-Kasy, Molodezhnoe, Valentorskoe, Aleksandrinskoe, Saf’yanovskoe), banded sulfides (ore diagenites) are recognized as the products of seafloor supergene alteration (halmyrolysis) of fine-clastic sulfide sediments and further diagenesis leading to the formation of authigenic mineralization. The ore diagenites are subdivided into pyrrhotite-, chalcopyrite-, bornite-, sphalerite-, barite- and hematite-rich types. The relative contents of sphalerite-, bornite- and barite-rich facies increases in the progression from ultramafic (=Atlantic) to bimodal mafic (=Uralian) and bimodal felsic (=Baymak and Rudny Altay) types of massive sulfide deposits. The ore diagenites have lost primary features within the ore clasts and dominantly exhibit replacement and neo-formed nodular microtextures. The evolution of the mineralogy is dependent on the original primary composition, sizes and proportions of the hydrothermal ore clasts mixed with lithic serpentinite and hyaloclastic volcanic fragments together with carbonaceous and calcareous fragments. Each type of ore diagenite is characterized by specific rare mineral assemblages: Cu–Co–Ni sulfides are common in pyrrhotite-rich diagenites; tellurides and selenides in chalcopyrite-rich diagenites; minerals of the germanite group and Cu–Ag and Cu–Sn sulfides in bornite-rich diagenites; abundant galena and sulfosalts in barite- and sphalerite-rich diagenites and diverse tellurides characterize hematite-rich diagenites. Native gold in variable amounts is typical of all types of diagenites.
The Removal of Brilliant Green Dye from Aqueous Solution Using Nano Hydroxyapatite/Chitosan Composite as a Sorbent
Authors: Ragab Ahmed , Ahmed Inas , Bader Dina
Published: March 2019

Nanocomposites of natural bone that show some benefits in terms of both composition and microstructure were synthesized by an in situ precipitation method. Hydroxyapatite (Hap) was prepared from cost-effective precursors within chitosan (CS) dissolved in aqueous acetic acid solution. The nanocomposite was synthesized for the removal of brilliant green dye (BG) from a contaminated water solution. The compositional and morphological properties of the nanocomposite were studied by means of FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, and TEM analysis. Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of pH, contact time, and initial concentration, as well as the adsorbent dosage and zero point charge for the sorbent to determine a suitable medium for the adsorption process. The sorption models using Mories-Weber, Lagrange, and Bangham equations were used to identify the mechanism and reaction order. The isotherm model was carried out using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radusekevisch-Kanager equations to calculate the adsorption capacity and type of adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy change (∆Ho), entropy change (∆So), and Gibbs free energy (∆Go) were evaluated. All of the results suggest the feasibility of using nanocomposites as a sorbent for brilliant green dye removal.
Enhanced Near-Field Chirality in Periodic Arrays of Si Nanowires for Chiral Sensing
Authors: Petronijevic Emilija , Sibilia Concita
Published: March 2019

Nanomaterials can be specially designed to enhance optical chirality and their interaction with chiral molecules can lead to enhanced enantioselectivity. Here we propose periodic arrays of Si nanowires for the generation of enhanced near-field chirality. Such structures confine the incident electromagnetic field into specific resonant modes, which leads to an increase in local optical chirality. We investigate and optimize near-field chirality with respect to the geometric parameters and excitation scheme. Specially, we propose a simple experiment for the enhanced enantioselectivity, and optimize the average chirality depending on the possible position of the chiral molecule. We believe that such a simple achiral nanowire approach can be functionalized to give enhanced chirality in the spectral range of interest and thus lead to better discrimination of enantiomers.
Facile Access to Fe(III)-Complexing Cyclic Hydroxamic Acids in a Three-Component Format
Authors: Chupakhin Evgeny , Bakulina Olga , Dar’in Dmitry , Krasavin Mikhail
Published: March 2019

Cyclic hydroxamic acids can be viewed as effective binders of soluble iron and can therefore be useful moieties for employing in compounds to treat iron overload disease. Alternatively, they are analogs of bacterial siderophores (iron-scavenging metabolites) and can find utility in designing antibiotic constructs for targeted delivery. An earlier described three-component variant of the Castagnoli—Cushman reaction of homophthalic acid (via in situ cyclodehydration to the respective anhydride) was extended to involve hydroxylamine in lieu of the amine component of the reaction. Using hydroxylamine acetate and O-benzylhydroxylamine was key to the success of this transformation due to greater solubility of the reagents in refluxing toluene (compared to hydrochloride salt). The developed protocol was found suitable for multigram-scale syntheses of N-hydroxy- and N-(benzyloxy)tetrahydroisoquinolonic acids. The cyclic hydroxamic acids synthesized in the newly developed format have been tested and shown to be efficient ligands for Fe3+, which makes them suitable candidates for the above-mentioned applications.
Types of Carbohydrates Intake during Pregnancy and Frequency of a Small for Gestational Age Newborn: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Amezcua-Prieto Carmen , Martínez-Galiano Juan Miguel , Cano-Ibáñez Naomi , Olmedo-Requena Rocío , Bueno-Cavanillas Aurora , Delgado-Rodríguez Miguel
Published: March 2019

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between consumption of different types of carbohydrates (CHO) during pregnancy and the risk of having a small for gestational age (SGA) newborn. A retrospective matched case–control design was carried out with a total of 518 mother-offspring pairs. A total of 137 validated items were included in the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate crude odds ratios (cORs) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Having more than 75 g/day of brown bread showed an inverse association with SGA (aOR = 0.64, CI 0.43–0.96). In contrast, an intake of industrial sweets more than once a day (aOR = 2.70, CI 1.42–5.13), or even 2–6 times a week (aOR = 1.84, CI 1.20–2.82), increased the odds of having a SGA newborn. During pregnancy, the higher the increase of wholegrain cereal and bread, the lower the possibility of having a SGA newborn, but the opposite occurred with refined sugar products—just consuming industrial bakery products or pastries twice a week increased the odds of having an SGA infant. Case–control studies cannot verify causality and only show associations, which may reflect residual confusion due to the presence of unknown factors. It is possible that a high consumption of sugary foods is a marker of a generally poor lifestyle.
Comprehensive Preterm Breast Milk Metabotype Associated with Optimal Infant Early Growth Pattern
Authors: Alexandre-Gouabau Marie-Cécile , Moyon Thomas , David-Sochard Agnès , Fenaille François , Cholet Sophie , Royer Anne-Lise , Guitton Yann , Billard Hélène , Darmaun Dominique , Rozé Jean-Christophe , Boquien Clair-Yves
Published: March 2019

Early nutrition impacts preterm infant early growth rate and brain development but can have long lasting effects as well. Although human milk is the gold standard for feeding new born full-term and preterm infants, little is known about the effects of its bioactive compounds on breastfed preterm infants’ growth outcomes. This study aims to determine whether breast milk metabolome, glycome, lipidome, and free-amino acids profiles analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry had any impact on the early growth pattern of preterm infants. The study population consisted of the top tercile-Z score change in their weight between birth and hospital discharge (“faster grow”, n = 11) and lowest tercile (“slower grow”, n = 15) from a cohort of 138 premature infants (27–34 weeks gestation). This holistic approach combined with stringent clustering or classification statistical methods aims to discriminate groups of milks phenotype and identify specific metabolites associated with early growth of preterm infants. Their predictive reliability as biomarkers of infant growth was assessed using multiple linear regression and taking into account confounding clinical factors. Breast-milk associated with fast growth contained more branched-chain and insulino-trophic amino acid, lacto-N-fucopentaose, choline, and hydroxybutyrate, pointing to the critical role of energy utilization, protein synthesis, oxidative status, and gut epithelial cell maturity in prematurity.
Historical Developments and Paradigm Shifts in Public Health Nutrition Science, Guidance and Policy Actions: A Narrative Review
Authors: Ridgway Ella , Baker Phillip , Woods Julie , Lawrence Mark
Published: March 2019

Public health nutrition (PHN) seeks to protect and promote the nutrition-related health and wellbeing of populations. PHN science is dynamic and has evolved over time, helping to inform our understanding of the changing nature, scope, causes and solutions to PHN problems. This scientific basis has informed nutrition guidance and policy. Using a narrative synthesis method and guided by Kuhn’s theory on the structure of scientific revolutions, this paper reviews the historical development of PHN, aiming to understand the emergence of major scientific paradigms, paradigm shifts and evidence-informed guidance and policy. We propose that the development of PHN is characterized by the successive layering of paradigms resulting from interactions between science, social change and policy-making. Four eras of PHN are evident: the foundation, nutrient deficiency, dietary excess and imbalances, and environmental sustainability (ES). Dominant paradigms have been communicated through nutrient reference standards, dietary goals and dietary guidelines. Transitions from one era to the next indicated new ways of thinking about PHN, amounting to a paradigm shift. The bidirectional relationship between nutrition and ES is the latest challenge confronting PHN. Investigating PHN paradigm transitions reveals how we have arrived at current guidance and policies, and how PHN might progress into the future.
Investigation of Crystallization and Salt Formation of Poorly Water-Soluble Telmisartan for Enhanced Solubility
Authors: Park Chulhun , Meghani Nileshkumar M. , Shin Yongkwan , Oh Euichaul , Park Jun-Bom , Cui Jing-Hao , Cao Qing-Ri , Tran Thao Truong-Dinh , Tran Phuong Ha-Lien , Lee Beom-Jin
Published: March 2019

The crystal changes and salt formation of poorly water-soluble telmisartan (TEL) in various solvents were investigated for enhanced solubility, stability and crystallinity. Polymorphic behaviors of TEL were characterized by dispersing in distilled water, acetone, acetonitrile, DMSO, or ethanol using Method I: without heat and then dried under vacuum at room temperature; and Method II: with heat below boiling temperature, cooled at 5 °C, and then dried under vacuum at 40 °C. For salt formation (Method III), the following four powdered mixtures were prepared by dispersing in solution of hydrochloric acid (HCl) (pH 1.2), TEL/HCl; in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2 buffer), TEL/simulated gastric fluid (SGF); in intestinal fluid (pH 6.8 buffer), TEL/simulated intestinal fluid (SIF); or in NaOH (pH 6.8), TEL/NaOH, respectively, and then dried under a vacuum at room temperature. The structures of powdered mixtures were then studied using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), FTIR, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), and LC–MS. The solubility of TEL in powdered forms was performed in pH 6.8, pH 1.2, and distilled water. No polymorphic behaviors of TEL were observed in various solvents as characterized by FESEM, DSC, PXRD, and FTIR. However, the structural changes of powdered mixtures obtained from Method III were observed due to the formation of salt form. Moreover, the solubility of salt form (TEL/HCl) was highly increased as compared with pure TEL. There were no significant changes of TEL/HCl compared with TEL in the content assay, PXRD, DSC, and FTIR during stressed storage conditions at 40 °C/75% relative humidity (RH) for 4 weeks under the closed package condition. Therefore, the present study suggests the new approach for the enhanced stability and solubility of a poorly water-soluble drug via salt form.
Terahertz Field Confinement in Nonlinear Metamaterials and Near-Field Imaging
Authors: Keiser George R. , Klarskov Pernille
Published: March 2019

This article reviews recent advances in terahertz science and technology that rely on confining the energy of incident terahertz radiation to small, very sub-wavelength sized regions. We focus on two broad areas of application for such field confinement: metamaterial-based nonlinear terahertz devices and terahertz near-field microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. In particular, we focus on field confinement in: terahertz nonlinear absorbers, metamaterial enhanced nonlinear terahertz spectroscopy, and in sub-wavelength terahertz imaging systems.
Comparison of the Proximate Composition, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, α-Tocopherol and Retinol), Anti-Nutrients (Phytate and Oxalate) and the GC-MS Analysis of the Essential Oil of the Root and Leaf of Rumex crispus L.
Authors: Idris Oladayo Amed , Wintola Olubunmi Abosede , Afolayan Anthony Jide
Published: March 2019

Medicinal plants are a pertinent and effective remedy, employed in indigenous healthcare systems by traditional healers. This study focused on proximate parameters, minerals, vitamins, anti-nutrients and essential oil of the root and leaf of the medicinal plant; R. crispus, using the standard food analysis techniques. The result reveals that the moisture content of the leaf (7.57 ± 0.40%) and root (7.59 ± 0.08%) was not significantly different. The leaf has a higher ash, crude fat, fibre and mineral content than the root, except the carbohydrate (57.74 ± 3.06%) and Ca (1190.0 ± 0 mg/100g) values which are quite higher in the root. Traces of phytate was found in the leaf (1.15 ± 0.74%) and root (1.38 ± 0.27%) of R. crispus. The highest value of retinol, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol was found in dried leaf (1.29 ± 0.014 mg retinol/100g), fresh leaf (159.73 ± 26.77 mg ascorbic acid/100g) and fresh root (54.90 ± 0.39 mg α-tocopherol/100g) respectively. The principal compound in the essential oil of the leaf are; 5-Eicosene, (E)-, docos-1-ene, trans-5-Octadecene, tetradecane while those found in the root are; 1-Heptacosanol, 4-Methyloctane, ethylcyclohexane, eucalyptol, m-Xylene, octadecane, phytol, and tetradecane. The research reveals that R. crispus may not only be used for medicinal purposes but could also be suitable for a complementary diet.
Integrating Transcriptomic and GC-MS Metabolomic Analysis to Characterize Color and Aroma Formation during Tepal Development in Lycoris longituba
Authors: Yue Yuanzheng , Liu Jiawei , Shi Tingting , Chen Min , Li Ya , Du Juhua , Jiang Haiyan , Yang Xiulian , Hu Huirong , Wang Lianggui
Published: March 2019

Lycoris longituba, belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, is a perennial bulb bearing flowers with diverse colors and fragrance. Selection of cultivars with excellent colored and scented flowers has always been the breeding aim for ornamental plants. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying color fading and aroma production during flower expansion in L. longituba remain unclear. Therefore, to systematically investigate these important biological phenomena, the tepals of L. longituba from different developmental stages were used to screen and analyze the metabolic components and relevant genes. Utilizing the Illumina platform, a total of 144,922 unigenes were obtained from the RNA-Seq libraries. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated that the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways might play important roles during color and aroma changes. Metabolomic analysis identified 29 volatile organic components (VOCs) from different developmental stages of L. longituba tepals, and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed that trans-β-ocimene—a terpene—was the most important aroma compound. Meanwhile, we found the content of anthocyanin was significantly reduced during the tepal color fading process. Then, we identified two dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) and three terpene synthase (TPS) genes, for which expression changes coincided with the production patterns of anthocyanins and trans-β-ocimene, respectively. Furthermore, a number of MYB and bHLH transcription factors (TFs) which might be involved in color- and aroma-formation were also identified in L. longituba tepal transcriptomes. Taken together, this is the first comprehensive report of the color and fragrance in tepals of L. longituba and these results could be helpful in understanding these characteristics and their regulation networks.
Response Surface Method in the Optimization of a Rotary Pan-Equipped process for Increased Efficiency of Slow-Release Coated Urea
Authors: Eghbali Babadi Farahnaz , Yunus Robiah , Abbasi Ali , Masoudi Soltani Salman
Published: March 2019

The high solubility of urea in water and its consequent leaching into the soil adversely prevents its full assimilation by plants. An improved slow-release process could effectively minimise the loss of fertilizer material and thus mitigate the associated environmental pollution. In this study, the effects of the operational variables on the efficiency of the urea coating process in a rotary pan have been systematically analysed. A mixture of gypsum-sulphur was used as the coating material with refined water as a binder. In order to comprehensively investigate the impact of each process variable on the efficiency and any potential interactions between them, the effects of particle size, coating material percentage, rotational speed of the pan, spray flow rate and the amount of sprayed water were investigated and analysed via a central composite design of experiments (DoE). The second-order polynomial model provided the best correlation for the experimental data. The predictive model was then used to estimate the efficiency of the coated urea as a function of the statistically-significant variables. The results revealed an increase in the efficiency of the coated urea from 22% to 35% (i.e., ~59%) when prepared under the optimum process conditions.
Are the Gospels “Historically Reliable”? A Focused Comparison of Suetonius’s Life of Augustus and the Gospel of Mark
Authors: Licona Michael R.
Published: March 2019

Are the Gospels historically reliable? Authors of ancient historical literature had objectives for writing that differed somewhat from those of modern historians. Consequently, the literary conventions that were in play also differed. Therefore, it is difficult to speak of the historical reliability of ancient texts without certain qualifications. In this essay, a definition for the historical reliability of ancient texts is proposed, whereby such a text provides an accurate gist, or an essentially faithful representation of what occurred. Four criteria that must be met are then proposed. Suetonius’s Life of the Divine Augustus and the Gospel of Mark, are then assessed by using the criteria. Suetonius was chosen because he wrote more closely than his peers to how modern biographers write, and the Augustus was chosen because it is the finest of Suetonius’s Lives. The Gospel of Mark from the Bible was chosen because it is probably the earliest extant account of the “Life of Jesus.” The result of this focused comparison suggests that the Life of Augustus and the Gospel of Mark can be said to be historically reliable in the qualified sense proposed. However, an additional factor challenging this conclusion is described, and further discussion is needed and encouraged.
A Mathematical Model of Regional Socio-Economic Development of the Russian Arctic Zone
Authors: Boldyrev Yury , Chernogorskiy Sergey , Shvetsov Konstantin , Zherelo Anatoly , Kostin Konstantin
Published: March 2019

This work touches upon the tasks of describing regional socio-economic development. The nature of the considered problem indicates the fact that the only relevant tool here is mathematical modeling. In this paper, the application of mathematical modeling is considered for the problem of managing regional development. The results of calculations based on the regional dynamic model that passes through the hierarchy of instabilities (the correspondence of the same stationary points of the model to different parameters) are presented. These instabilities lead to increasingly complex structures.
ARTI (Adaptive Radio Tomographic Imaging): One New Adaptive Elliptical Weighting Model Combining with Tracking Estimates
Authors: Zhu Chunhua , Wang Jiaojiao , Chen Yue
Published: March 2019

Imaging and tracking performance suffers from the mismatch between the model and the measurements in an adaptive radio tomographic imaging system. In this paper, a model-based approach is reviewed and a new adaptive elliptical weighting model is proposed, in which the coverage of ellipse and the voxels weightings can adaptively match the actual environments, and the Savitzky–Golay smoothing filter is presented to eliminate the influence of measurement noise and multipath interference. In our proposed model, the optimal coverage of ellipse and weightings can be obtained from voxel weightings distribution inside the ellipse and pseudo-position area and trailing phenomenon. Finally, the development efforts are evaluated and validated with real experiments conducted in indoor environments for a moving target. The results have shown that the proposed algorithm can improve the accuracy of image and location estimates compared with the normalized weight model and the const-eccentricity weight model.
Fuzzy-Logic Dijkstra-Based Energy-Efficient Algorithm for Data Transmission in WSNs
Authors: Razzaq Madiha , Shin Seokjoo
Published: March 2019

In wireless sensor networks, clustering routing algorithms have been widely used owing to their high energy-efficiency and scalability. In clustering schemes, the nodes are organized in the form of clusters, and each cluster is governed by a cluster head. Once the cluster heads are selected, they form a backbone network to periodically collect, aggregate, and forward data to the base station using minimum energy (cost) routing. This approach significantly improves the network lifetime. Therefore, a new cluster head selection method that uses a weighted sum method to calculate the weight of each node in the cluster and compare it with the standard weight of that particular cluster is proposed in this paper. The node with a weight closest to the standard cluster weight becomes the cluster head. This technique balances the load distribution and selects the nodes with highest residual energy in the network. Additionally, a data routing scheme is proposed to determine an energy-efficient path from the source to the destination node. This algorithm assigns a weight function to each link on the basis of a fuzzy membership function and intra-cluster communication cost within a cluster. As a result, a minimum weight path is selected using Dijkstra’s algorithm that improves the energy efficiency of the overall system. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm shows better performance than some existing representative methods in the aspects of energy consumption, network lifetime, and system throughput.
An Intelligent Fault Diagnosis Method for Reciprocating Compressors Based on LMD and SDAE
Authors: Liu Yang , Duan Lixiang , Yuan Zhuang , Wang Ning , Zhao Jianping
Published: March 2019

The effective fault diagnosis in the prognostic and health management of reciprocating compressors has been a research hotspot for a long time. The vibration signal of reciprocating compressors is nonlinear and non-stationary. However, the traditional methods applied to processing such signals have three issues, including separating the useful frequency bands from overlapped signals, extracting fault features with strong subjectivity, and processing the massive data with limited learning abilities. To address the above issues, this paper, which is based on the idea of deep learning, proposed an intelligent fault diagnosis method combining Local Mean Decomposition (LMD) and the Stack Denoising Autoencoder (SDAE). The vibration signal is firstly decomposed by LMD and reconstructed based on the cross-correlation criterion. The virtual noise channel is constructed to reduce the noise of the vibration signal. Then, the de-noised signal is input into the trained SDAE model to learn the fault features adaptively. Finally, the conditions of the reciprocating compressor valve are classified by the proposed method. The results show that classification accuracy is 92.72% under the condition of a low signal-noise ratio, which is 5 percentage points higher than that of the traditional methods. This shows the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.
Renewable Energy Production, Energy Consumption and Sustainable Economic Growth in Turkey: A VECM Approach
Authors: Temiz Dinç Dilek , Akdoğan Ece C.
Published: March 2019

There exists a highly interrelated relationship between energy, the environment and growth where the efficient management of this nexus is not only a must for sustainable development and human wellbeing but is also a basis for formulating sound economic policies harnessed with energy and environmental policies. Thus, this paper aims at investigating the causal relationships among renewable energy production, total energy consumption and economic growth for Turkey both in the long and short runs. The analyses are conducted by using the Johansen–Juselius co-integration test, the vector error correction model, Granger causality, impulse-response functions and variance decomposition for the period 1980–2016. Our findings obtained for the causal relationship between renewable energy and economic growth points to a bidirectional relationship both in the short and in long runs that promote feedback hypothesis, and it also reports a causal relationship running from energy consumption to economic growth both in the short and long runs, supporting the growth hypothesis. However, no consistent result could be obtained for the short run relationship from economic growth to energy consumption. These results indicate that increased renewable energy production and decreased energy consumption are vital for Turkey’s sustainable development.
Reservation Forecasting Models for Hospitality SMEs with a View to Enhance Their Economic Sustainability
Authors: Fiori Anna Maria , Foroni Ilaria
Published: March 2019

In many tourism destinations, sustainability of the local economy leans on small and medium-sized hotels that are individually owned and operated by members of the community. Suffering from seasonality more than their big competitors, these hotels should undertake marketing initiatives to counteract wide demand fluctuations. Such initiatives are most effective if based on accurate occupancy forecasts, which must be performed at the individual hotel level. In this aim, the present paper suggests a demand forecasting approach adapted to specific features that characterize reservation data for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the hospitality sector. The proposed framework integrates historical and advanced booking methods into a forecast combination with time-varying, performance-based weights. Whereas historical methods use only past observations about the number of guests recorded on a particular stay night to forecast future room occupancy (long-term perspective), advanced booking methods predict bookings-to-come based on partially accumulated data from reservations on hand (short-term perspective). In order to provide a possible solution to data sparsity issues that affect the application of advanced booking models to hospitality SMEs, a procedure that incorporates length-of-stay information directly into the reservation processing phase is also introduced. The methodology is tested on real time series of reservation data from three Italian hotels, located either in a city center (Milan) or in a typical destination for seasonal holidays (Lake Maggiore). Model parameters are calibrated on a training dataset and the accuracy of the occupancy forecasts is evaluated on a holdout sample. The results validate earlier findings about combinations of long-term and short-term forecasts and, in addition, show that using performance-based weights improves the quality of forecasts. Reducing the risk of large forecast failures, the proposed methodology can indeed have practical implications for the design and implementation of effective demand-side policies in hospitality SMEs. These policies are expected to provide a competitive advantage that can be crucial to the sustainability of small establishments in a context of growing global tourism.
Text Mining for Big Data Analysis in Financial Sector: A Literature Review
Authors: Pejić Bach Mirjana , Krstić Živko , Seljan Sanja , Turulja Lejla
Published: March 2019

Big data technologies have a strong impact on different industries, starting from the last decade, which continues nowadays, with the tendency to become omnipresent. The financial sector, as most of the other sectors, concentrated their operating activities mostly on structured data investigation. However, with the support of big data technologies, information stored in diverse sources of semi-structured and unstructured data could be harvested. Recent research and practice indicate that such information can be interesting for the decision-making process. Questions about how and to what extent research on data mining in the financial sector has developed and which tools are used for these purposes remains largely unexplored. This study aims to answer three research questions: (i) What is the intellectual core of the field? (ii) Which techniques are used in the financial sector for textual mining, especially in the era of the Internet, big data, and social media? (iii) Which data sources are the most often used for text mining in the financial sector, and for which purposes? In order to answer these questions, a qualitative analysis of literature is carried out using a systematic literature review, citation and co-citation analysis.
Understanding Farm Households’ Participation in Nong Jia Le in China
Authors: Wang Tie , Wang Wei , Wu Zhongjun , Su Ching-Hui , Chen Ming-Hsiang
Published: March 2019

As the dominant form of rural tourism (RT) in China, Nong Jia Le (NJL) has made it possible for local farm households to benefit. In this article, a four-step strategy based on binary logistic regression was introduced to identify the most important factors influencing the participation of farm households in NJL. Next, a comparative study based on data from two NJL communities was conducted to test the approach and identify the most important influential factors as well as the differences. The results showed that the approach could identify the optimal model and the most influential factors in different rural communities. The comparative study indicated that for Pinglou Village, the most influential factors were “education years” and “gender ratio”, while in Baozi Village, the three most influential factors were “education years”, “consumption level”, and “land area”. Implications were put forward to improve the level of participation and hospitality of NJL.
High-Pressure Response of Amyloid Folds
Authors: Torrent Joan , Martin Davy , Igel-Egalon Angélique , Béringue Vincent , Rezaei Human
Published: March 2019

The abnormal protein aggregates in progressive neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, adopt a generic structural form called amyloid fibrils. The precise amyloid fold can differ between patients and these differences are related to distinct neuropathological phenotypes of the diseases. A key focus in current research is the molecular mechanism governing such structural diversity, known as amyloid polymorphism. In this review, we focus on our recent work on recombinant prion protein (recPrP) and the use of pressure as a variable for perturbing protein structure. We suggest that the amyloid polymorphism is based on volumetric features. Accordingly, pressure is the thermodynamic parameter that fits best to exploit volume differences within the states of a chemical reaction, since it shifts the equilibrium constant to the state that has the smaller volume. In this context, there are analogies with the process of correct protein folding, the high pressure-induced effects of which have been studied for more than a century and which provides a valuable source of inspiration. We present a short overview of this background and review our recent results regarding the folding, misfolding, and aggregation-disaggregation of recPrP under pressure. We present preliminary experiments aimed at identifying how prion protein fibril diversity is related to the quaternary structure by using pressure and varying protein sequences. Finally, we consider outstanding questions and testable mechanistic hypotheses regarding the multiplicity of states in the amyloid fold.
The Tug-of-War between Plants and Viruses: Great Progress and Many Remaining Questions
Authors: Wu Xiaoyun , Valli Adrian , García Juan Antonio , Zhou Xueping , Cheng Xiaofei
Published: March 2019

Plants are persistently challenged by various phytopathogens. To protect themselves, plants have evolved multilayered surveillance against all pathogens. For intracellular parasitic viruses, plants have developed innate immunity, RNA silencing, translation repression, ubiquitination-mediated and autophagy-mediated protein degradation, and other dominant resistance gene-mediated defenses. Plant viruses have also acquired diverse strategies to suppress and even exploit host defense machinery to ensure their survival. A better understanding of the defense and counter-defense between plants and viruses will obviously benefit from the development of efficient and broad-spectrum virus resistance for sustainable agriculture. In this review, we summarize the cutting edge of knowledge concerning the defense and counter-defense between plants and viruses, and highlight the unexploited areas that are especially worth investigating in the near future.
Adaptive Torsional Tuned Vibration Absorber for Rotary Equipment
Authors: Abu Seer Taher , Vahdati Nader , Shiryayev Oleg
Published: March 2019

This paper proposes an innovative solution to suppress torsional vibrations in any rotating machinery with a variable frequency of excitation, or a variable natural frequency. The adaptive torsional tuned vibration absorber (ATTVA) was designed using an integrated electromagnetic circuit, which can adapt its natural frequency to match the varying natural frequency of any Multi Degree of Freedom (MDOF) rotating system. A two degree of freedom rotating system was modeled along with the integrated ATTVA using the bond graph modeling technique. Simulation results showed that torsional vibrations can be easily attenuated by controlling the capacitance shunted to the voice coil circuit. The ATTVA was designed, fabricated and evaluated on a test rig in the laboratory. Test results revealed good matching between the mathematical model and the experimental data. Experiments were performed with different configurations of the ATTVA, and the experimental results showed reasonable suppression in vibration magnitude at the desired frequency.
Fe0/H2O Filtration Systems for Decentralized Safe Drinking Water: Where to from Here?
Authors: Nanseu-Njiki Charles Péguy , Gwenzi Willis , Pengou Martin , Rahman Mohammad Azizur , Noubactep Chicgoua
Published: March 2019

Inadequate access to safe drinking water is one of the most pervasive problems currently afflicting the developing world. Scientists and engineers are called to present affordable but efficient solutions, particularly applicable to small communities. Filtration systems based on metallic iron (Fe0) are discussed in the literature as one such viable solution, whether as a stand-alone system or as a complement to slow sand filters (SSFs). Fe0 filters can also be improved by incorporating biochar to form Fe0-biochar filtration systems with potentially higher contaminant removal efficiencies than those based on Fe0 or biochar alone. These three low-cost and chemical-free systems (Fe0, biochar, SSFs) have the potential to provide universal access to safe drinking water. However, a well-structured systematic research is needed to design robust and efficient water treatment systems based on these affordable filter materials. This communication highlights the technology being developed to use Fe0-based systems for decentralized safe drinking water provision. Future research directions for the design of the next generation Fe0-based systems are highlighted. It is shown that Fe0 enhances the efficiency of SSFs, while biochar has the potential to alleviate the loss of porosity and uncertainties arising from the non-linear kinetics of iron corrosion. Fe0-based systems are an affordable and applicable technology for small communities in low-income countries, which could contribute to attaining self-reliance in clean water supply and universal public health.
Managing for Sustainability: The Development of Environmental Flows Implementation in China
Authors: Chen Ang , Wu Miao
Published: March 2019

Environmental flows (e-flows) are important for river protection and restoration under degraded ecological conditions. With increasing public desire for and pursuit of sustainable development, e-flows are widely used to reflect the hydrological regime requirements for sustaining freshwater ecosystems and human livelihoods. Over the past 40 years, e-flows implementation has shifted from static minimum flows to dynamic flow components. However, e-flows standards used to manage flow releases from dams are to a great extent based on expert judgement and government supervision. These attributes make it difficult to effectively implement e-flows in the non-stationary world. The primary focus of this paper is to review the history, management systems and scientific basis of e-flows in China. Firstly, the study classifies the development phases into four periods and then analyses the underpinning legal system for e-flows implementation in each period, including the laws, regulations, policies and responsible authorities. Finally, the scientific basis and methods for e-flows determination and assessment were analyzed. The study showed that: (1) e-flows have been officially regarded as ecological flow in China, which evolved from minimum flow, and the contents and connotations are still broadening; (2) currently, there are too many authorities related to e-flows and complicated legal documents in China which lead to ineffective implementation; (3) the scientific basis of e-flows is enriched from the relationship between hydrological alteration and ecological response, so that the practices will be more holistic in China. Despite the successful practices of e-flows implementation in large rivers, there are challenges for implementing future e-flows in small rivers. This study recommended that future e-flows implementation be integrated with sustainable water management by setting clear responsibilities for governments, ministries, and other stakeholders.
Optimization of Enhanced Ultrafiltration Conditions for Cd with Mixed Biosurfactants Using the Box-Behnken Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Chai Tian , Yan Huizhi , Zhang Zhibin , Xu Min , Wu Yicheng , Jin Lei , Huang Guohe , Fu Haiyan
Published: March 2019

A mixture of the environmentally friendly biosurfactants rhamnolipids and sophorolipids was used as a source of micelles in this study. The Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology was used to investigate the influence of factors on micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF). Simulated Cd-containing wastewater was used for testing. Based on single-factor experiments, the initial Cd2+ concentration, biosurfactant mixing ratio (α) and pH were chosen as influential variables, and both the Cd2+ rejection coefficient and permeation flux were used as responses. A predictive model based on a quadratic polynomial regression equation was established to determine the optimized enhanced ultrafiltration conditions for Cd. The results show that the regression equation is extremely significant and fits the data accurately. The optimal enhanced ultrafiltration conditions are as follows: initial Cd2+ concentration of 10.0 mg/L, α of 0.30 and pH of 9.58. Under these conditions, the rejection coefficient and the permeation flux of Cd2+ are 99.14% and 37.36 L/m2·h, respectively. The experimental results confirm that the experimental values agree well with the values predicted by the model. Further, these results provide theoretical support for using MEUF to treat heavy metal-containing wastewater when biosurfactants are used for micelle formation.
THE COST PERFORMANCE AND CAUSES OF OVERRUNS IN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN ASIA
Authors: Andrić Jelena M. , Mahamadu Abdul-Majeed , Wang Jiayuan , Zou Patrick X. W. , Zhong Ruoyu
Published: March 2019

Infrastructure plays a major role in the economic development of countries, especially in Asia which has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. The procurement of infrastructure continues to be characterized by cost overruns resulting in significant academic interest and theoretical propositions on the influential factors. This study contributes to this issue through adoption of pragmatic research methodology involving deterministic statistical analysis of real project data from reports as well as a qualitative analysis of these reports to unearth underlying issues from a thematic analysis. Furthermore, the study design takes a multi-country view towards establishing the role of contextual and geographical influences on cost overrun. An evaluation of 102 major infrastructure projects was performed covering railways, roadways and energy sectors in different regions in Asia. Findings reveal that differences in the propensity for cost overrun are mostly dependent on a type of infrastructure with rail projects being the most likely to overrun budget. Theoretically, propositions on the influence of project contextual factors are tested highlighting the influence of project size, project type, geographical locations, and the length of implementation period of a project as well as factors related to political, economic, strategic, and competence in infrastructure delivery which vary across countries.
A Novel Automated Mass Digitisation Workflow for Natural History Microscope Slides
Authors: Allan E Louise , Livermore Laurence , Price Benjamin , Shchedrina Olha , Smith Vincent
Published: March 2019

The Natural History Museum, London (NHM) has embarked on an ambitious programme to digitise its collections. One aim of the programme has been to improve the workflows and infrastructure needed to support high-throughput digitisation and create comprehensive digital inventories of large scientific collections. This paper presents the workflow developed to digitise the entire Phthiraptera (parasitic lice) microscope slide collection (70,663 slides). Here we describe a novel process of semi-automated mass digitisation using both temporary and permanent barcode labels applied before and during slide imaging. By using a series of barcodes encoding information associated with each slide (i.e. unique identifier, location in the collection and taxonomic name), we can run a series of automated processes, including file renaming, image processing and bulk import into the NHM’s collection management system. We provide data on the comparative efficiency of these processes, illustrating how simple activities, like automated file renaming, reduces image post-processing time, minimises human error and can be applied across multiple collection types.
Predictors of Remission and Low Disease Activity State in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Data from a Multiethnic, Multinational Latin American Cohort
Authors: Ugarte-Gil Manuel F. , Wojdyla Daniel , Pons-Estel Guillermo J. , Quintana Rosana , Gómez-Puerta José A. , Catoggio Luis J. , Alvarellos Alejandro , Saurit Verónica , Borba Eduardo , Sato Emilia , Costallat Lilian , Da Silva Nilzio A. , Iglesias-Gamarra Antonio , Neira Oscar , Reyes-Llerena Gil , Cardiel Mario H. , Amigo Mary Carmen , Acevedo-Vásquez Eduardo , Esteva-Spinetti María H. , Alarcón Graciela S. , Pons-Estel Bernardo A.
Published: March 2019

Objective.

To determine the predictors of remission and low disease activity state (LDAS) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods.

Three disease activity states were defined: Remission = SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) = 0 and prednisone ≤ 5 mg/day and/or immunosuppressants (maintenance dose); LDAS = SLEDAI ≤ 4, prednisone ≤ 7.5 mg/day and/or immunosuppressants (maintenance dose); and non-optimally controlled state = SLEDAI > 4 and/or prednisone > 7.5 mg/day and/or immunosuppressants (induction dose). Antimalarials were allowed in all groups. Patients with at least 2 SLEDAI reported and not optimally controlled at entry were included in these analyses. Outcomes were remission and LDAS. Multivariable Cox regression models (stepwise selection procedure) were performed for remission and for LDAS.

Results.

Of 1480 patients, 902 were non-optimally controlled at entry; among them, 196 patients achieved remission (21.7%) and 314 achieved LDAS (34.8%). Variables predictive of a higher probability of remission were the absence of mucocutaneous manifestations (HR 1.571, 95% CI 1.064–2.320), absence of renal involvement (HR 1.487, 95% CI 1.067–2.073), and absence of hematologic involvement (HR 1.354, 95% CI 1.005–1.825); the use of immunosuppressive drugs before the baseline visit (HR 1.468, 95% CI 1.025–2.105); and a lower SLEDAI score at entry (HR 1.028, 95% CI 1.006–1.051 per 1-unit decrease). These variables were predictive of LDAS: older age at entry, per 5-year increase (HR 1.050, 95% CI 1.004–1.098); absence of mucocutaneous manifestations (HR 1.401, 95% CI 1.016–1.930) and renal involvement (HR 1.344, 95% CI 1.049–1.721); and lower SLEDAI score at entry (HR 1.025, 95% CI 1.009–1.042).

Conclusion.

Absence of mucocutaneous, renal, and hematologic involvement, use of immunosuppressive drugs, and lower disease activity early in the course of the disease were predictive of remission in patients with SLE; older age was predictive of LDAS.
Pregnancy Outcomes in Couples with Males Exposed to Longterm Anti–tumor Necrosis Factor–α Inhibitor Therapies: A Prospective Study
Authors: Micu Mihaela C. , Ostensen Monika , Bojincă Violeta , Șerban Oana , Mihai Minodora , Suța Cristina , Ramazan Anamaria , Enache Luminița , Bobircă Anca , Pătcaș Sergiu F. , Micu Romeo , Ionescu Ruxandra
Published: March 2019

Objective.

To examine the pregnancy achievement and outcomes in couples in which men with spondyloarthritis (SpA) were exposed to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi).

Methods.

Information about pregnancies involving fathers with SpA was prospectively collected by 6 Romanian rheumatology centers.

Results.

Twenty-seven patients achieved 33 pregnancies and fathered 30 healthy children. Three elective abortions (personal reasons) and no spontaneous abortions, preeclampsia/eclampsia, stillbirths, congenital malformations, or pathologies in the children were recorded. Five patients showed normospermia before and after longterm TNFi treatment.

Conclusion.

Pregnancy and child outcomes in male patients with SpA exposed to longterm TNFi therapy were reassuring.