bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Precise and GNSS-Free Landing System on Moving Platforms for Rotary-Wing UAVs
Authors: Alarcón Francisco , García Manuel , Maza Ivan , Viguria Antidio , Ollero Aníbal
Published: February 2019

This article presents a precise landing system that allows rotary-wing UAVs to approach and land safely on moving platforms, without using GNSS at any stage of the landing maneuver, and with a centimeter level accuracy and high level of robustness. This system implements a novel concept where the relative position and velocity between the aerial vehicle and the landing platform are calculated from the angles of a cable that physically connects the UAV and the landing platform. The use of a cable also incorporates a number of extra benefits, such as increasing the precision in the control of the UAV altitude. It also facilitates centering the UAV right on top of the expected landing position, and increases the stability of the UAV just after contacting the landing platform. The system was implemented in an unmanned helicopter and many tests were carried out under different conditions for measuring the accuracy and the robustness of the proposed solution. Results show that the developed system allowed landing with centimeter accuracy by using only local sensors and that the helicopter could follow the landing platform in multiple trajectories at different velocities.
A New Inference Approach for Type-II Generalized Birnbaum-Saunders Distribution
Authors: Sha Naijun
Published: February 2019

The Birnbaum-Saunders (BS) distribution, with its generalizations, has been successfully applied in a wide variety of fields. One generalization, type-II generalized BS (denoted as GBS-II), has been developed and attracted considerable attention in recent years. In this article, we propose a new simple and convenient procedure of inference approach for GBS-II distribution. An extensive simulation study is carried out to assess performance of the methods under various settings of parameter values with different sample sizes. Real data are analyzed for illustrative purposes to display the efficiency of the proposed method.
When Culture Materializes: Societal Dynamics in Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems in the Case of Conch Management on Abaco, The Bahamas
Authors: Bomhauer-Beins Lars , de Guttry Corinna , Ratter Beate M. W.
Published: February 2019

The concept of resilience has greatly contributed to the scientific discussion on human–nature interactions by analysing the dynamics, relationships and feedbacks between society and the natural environment at different levels. In this paper, we analyse how culture and societal dynamics influence those connections and, at the same time, have the potential to eventually hinder or foster social-ecological resilience. In order to do so, we take the example of a natural element which is also a cultural icon: the Conch (pronounced ‘konk’). Conch is a marine mollusc with significant social and cultural value for the islands’ society of The Bahamas. In the last decade, a decline in several Conch stocks has been documented, calling for an urgent sustainable management strategy. Nevertheless, only little efforts are happening. This case study offers an innovative understanding of resilience by introducing an aspect which is too often overseen: the role of culture in shaping social-ecological resilience. In this case study, the role of culture proved to be crucial as the cultural significance and embeddedness of Conch has made the management process challenging. But at the same time, culture can be used as a positive impulse towards adaptive management and as a starting point for sustainability. When culture materializes, it affects not only societal dynamics but also the vulnerability and the resilience process of the entire social-ecological system.
Identification of Distorted Official Hospitality Statistics’ and Their Impact on DMOs’ Funding’s Sustainability: Case Notes from Slovakia
Authors: Sidor Csaba , Kršák Branislav , Štrba Ľubomír
Published: February 2019

Analyzing the usability of open machine-readable registries in the context of minimizing gaps for local occupancy tax evasions in the example of Slovakia is the main purpose of this paper. The concept uses the Registry of Financial Statements’ and Registry of Legal Entities’ application programming interfaces (APIs) for extracting public data on companies’ and entrepreneurs’ business nature, in accordance with Eurostat’s Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE) and United Nations’ International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) at the level of entities’ registered address. The resulted data sets are compared with open official data that is available at the municipality level (LAU2), as gathered by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic’s monthly surveys and municipalities’ annual accounts. The comparison’s outcomes indicate the deviations between the official and the possible numbers of entities with occupancy tax obligations, as well as tax revenues. The results conclude with how the incorporation of used open APIs in official processes may be beneficial for public and state institutions in the matter of potential local tax evasions, as well as for state regulated public-private partnership destination management organizations. The notes also discuss solutions for the minimization of data and the industry’s official impact distortion.
Brand Equity and Firm Sustainable Performance: The Mediating Role of Analysts’ Recommendations
Authors: Wang Kui , Jiang Wei
Published: February 2019

Current literature has overlooked the signaling effects of the brand on a firm’s sustainable performance through financial analysts. This study posits that financial analysts may serve as the information bridge connecting brand equity and a firm’s sustainable performance by providing professional recommendations of stock investments to public investors. Using a longitudinal archived dataset of Chinese listed firms, we found that: (1) brand equity improves the level of analysts’ recommendations for a focal firm’s stock, and also reduces the inconsistency of analysts’ recommendations; (2) industrial competition further strengthens the positive impact of brand equity on analysts’ recommendation level and strengthen its negative impact on recommendation inconsistency; (3) analyst recommendations mediate the relationship between brand equity and a firm’s sustainable performance in terms of abnormal return, systematic and idiosyncratic risk. These findings emphasize the importance of financial analysts’ recommendations in influencing the value of brand equity on sustainable firm performance.
Optimal Coupling of Straw and Synthetic Fertilizers Incorporation on Soil Properties, Active Fe Dynamics, and Greenhouse Gas Emission in Jasminum sambac (L.) Field in Southeastern China
Authors: Wang Chun , Min Qingwen , Abid Abbas Ali , Sardans Jordi , Wu Honghui , Lai Derrick Yuk Fo , Peñuelas Josep , Wang Weiqi
Published: February 2019

In agriculture, synthetic fertilizers have played a key role in enhancing food production and keeping the world’s population adequately fed. China’s participation is essential to global efforts in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because it is the largest producer and consumer of synthetic fertilizers. A field experiment was conducted in a Jasminum sambac (L.) field to evaluate the impact different doses of fertilizers (half, standard, and double) and their combination with straw on ecosystem (including crop plants and soil) GHG emissions. The results showed that in comparison with the control or straw treatments, the straw + standard fertilizer treatment increased the soil water content. The fertilizer treatments decreased the soil pH, but the straw and combination treatments, especially the straw + standard fertilizer treatment, had higher soil pH in comparison with the fertilizer treatment. The active soil Fe (Fe2+ and Fe3+) concentration was slightly increased in the straw + standard fertilizer treatment in comparison with the control. Moreover, fertilizer increased the CO2 emission, and we detected a positive interaction between the straw application and the double fertilization dose that increased CO2 emission, but the straw + standard fertilizer treatment decreased it. Fertilizer decreased CH4 and N2O emissions, but when straw and fertilizer treatments were applied together, this increased CH4 and N2O emissions. Overall, considering the soil properties and GHG emissions, the straw + standard fertilizer treatment was the best method to enhance soil water retention capacity, improve soil acid, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions for sustainable management of J. sambac dry croplands.
Evaluation of the Criteria for Selecting Proposed Variants of Utility Functions in the Adaptation of Historic Regional Architecture
Authors: Fedorczak-Cisak Małgorzata , Kowalska-Koczwara Alicja , Nering Krzysztof , Pachla Filip , Radziszewska-Zielina Elżbieta , Śladowski Grzegorz , Tatara Tadeusz , Ziarko Bartłomiej
Published: February 2019

In this article, the authors propose ways to evaluate the criteria for the considered variants of utility functions in the adaptation of historic regional architecture. The proposed set of assessment criteria (thermo-modernisation criteria, comfort of use, financial considerations, criteria of social benefits, and protection of cultural heritage) emphasises the multidimensional character of the problem of choosing a new function for a historic building. Some of the criteria are measurable while others are difficult to measure, which requires an expert approach to their assessment. The evaluation of the criteria was performed on the example of the historic building ‘Stara Polana’ located in Zakopane. The benchmark for the analysis was the existing condition of the ‘Stara Polana’ building, which is used as a hostel. The authors conducted a series of interdisciplinary studies specifying the potential of the new utility functions considered for the object in the context of the proposed criteria. The evaluation of individual criteria developed in this article is based on the multi-criteria analysis to be performed in the future and support the selection of a new function for the building in question.
An Assessment Framework for Grassland Ecosystem Health with Consideration of Natural Succession: A Case Study in Bayinxile, China
Authors: Wu Nitu , Liu Aijun , Wang Yongfang , Li Lanhua , Chao Lumengqiqige , Liu Guixiang
Published: February 2019

Grassland health assessment is the basis for formulating grassland protection policy. However, there are few assessment methods that consider the angle of natural succession for northern China’s regional native grassland with excessive human activities. The main purpose of this study is to build an assessment system for these areas from the perspective of natural succession. Besides, the minimal cumulative resistance (MCR) model was used to extract potential ecological information from the study area as a supplementary reference for the assessment results. The result for Bayinxile pasture, a typical semiarid steppe with excessive human activities located in northern China, showed that: (1) The ecological function of eastern hilly area was better than that of other regions and the western area was lowest as a whole. (2) The river was the most important ecological network in the whole grassland in that it was of vital significance in the prevention of retrogressive succession and in the linking of ecological communities. (3) The density of ecological network was closely related to the intensity of human activities, and farmland and roads had great negative influence on the connection of the grassland ecological network. We further proposed an ecological control zone and made suggestions for Bayinxile ecological management to prevent grassland degradation based on the above results. This study should provide a new perspective for grassland health assessment and sustainable development of regional grassland.
Measuring Community Greening Merging Multi-Source Geo-Data
Authors: Gu Weiying , Chen Yiyong , Dai Muye
Published: February 2019

Urban residential greening provides opportunities for social integration and physical exercise. These activities are beneficial to promoting citizens’ mental health, relieving stress, and reducing obesity and violent crimes. However, how to measure the distribution and spatial difference of green resources in urban residential areas have been controversial. This study takes the greening of urban residential units in Shenzhen City as its research object, measures the various greening index values of each residential unit, and analyses the spatial distribution characteristics of residential greening, regional differences, and influencing factors. A large sample of street view pictures, urban land use and high-resolution remote sensing image data are employed to establish an urban residential greening database containing 14,196 residential units. This study proposes three greening indicators, namely, green coverage index, green view index, and accessible public green land index, for measuring the green coverage of residential units, the visible greening of surrounding street space and the public green land around, respectively. Results show that (1) the greening level of residential units in Shenzhen City is generally high, with the three indicators averaging 32.7%, 30.5%, and 15.1%, respectively; (2) the types of residential greening differ per area; and (3) the level of residential greening is affected by development intensity, location, elevation and residential type. Such findings can serve as a reference for improving the greening level of residential units. This study argues that one indicator alone cannot measure the greenness of a residential community. It proposes an accessible public green land index as a measure for the spatial relationship between residential units and green lands. It suggests that future green space planning should pay more attention to the spatial distribution of green land, and introduce quantitative indicators to ensure sufficient green lands around the walking range of residential areas.
Evaluation of Decision-Making for the Optimal Value of Sustainable Enterprise Development under Global 100 Index Thinking
Authors: Lin Tyrone T. , Hsu Shu-Yen , Chang Chiao-Chen
Published: February 2019

This study seeks the best economic returns of a company’s sustainable business process, employs the Triple Bottom Line Model using the Global 100 Index as the decision variable, and follows the Geometric Brownian Motion, so as to determine the optimal timing for the input of environmental and social costs. The results of the sensitivity analysis show that when the average growth rate of the Global 100 Index is low, the optimal timing for the company’s input of environmental costs and social costs can be obtained. Analysis of the numerical example shows that, based on the financial value of the economic factor, companies should invest in environmental costs as soon as possible. This study replaces the conventional net present value model with the options evaluation model, uses the Global 100 Index as the threshold for decision-making evaluation to provide a more complete decision-making evaluation reference for enterprises, and makes up for the gap in recent research regarding investment time and decision variables. The study results introduce potential strategic value evaluations into the evaluation model of long-term uncertain sustainable operation value, which is more appropriate for the evaluation of the real sustainable operation value. It also provides implementation strategies for decision-makers to mitigate risks under uncertain environments and is the major difference and value of the Real Options Approach (ROA) to supplement Net Present Value (NPV) principles. The results of this study provide a reference for the sustainable development decision-making of corporate sustainability and feasibility and offer an important link in the value chain of food industry operations and management.
Motivations and Actions to Prevent Food Waste among Young Italian Consumers
Authors: Bravi Laura , Murmura Federica , Savelli Elisabetta , Viganò Elena
Published: February 2019

Food waste is a relevant global problem due to its consequences on food security, economy, and environmental sustainability. This study focuses, in detail, on finding the main motivation for food waste among the young and the principal actions to prevent it. The paper focuses on Italian reality, since Western countries are partly accountable for wasting large amounts of food. What is more, the focus has been shifted specifically on to the youths and young adults, as they are the portion of the population that are most inclined to waste food. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey performed on a sample of n = 904 Italian consumers. In line with previous research, the results of this study confirm that avoidable food waste comes from three main behavioural antecedents: over preparation, excessive purchase, and inappropriate conservation. The research shows that food waste cannot be reduced by just one-way from the consumers; rather, it goes both ways, between consumers and retailers. Therefore, only holding the consumers accountable and expecting them to solve it will not solve the problem of food waste; marketing and retailers should also consider ethics when it comes to food distribution.
The Service Quality Dimensions that Affect Customer Satisfaction in the Jordanian Banking Sector
Authors: Pakurár Miklós , Haddad Hossam , Nagy János , Popp József , Oláh Judit
Published: February 2019

Banks must meet the needs of their customers in order to achieve sustainable development. The aim of this paper is to examine service quality dimensions, by using the modified SERVQUAL model, which can be used to measure customer satisfaction, and the effect of these dimensions (tangibles, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, reliability, access, financial aspect, and employee competences) on customer satisfaction in Jordanian banks. Data were gathered from 825 customers in the Jordanian banking sector. The sample data were statistically analyzed through exploratory factor analysis by the SPSS program to determine service quality perception and customer satisfaction. The results illustrate that the modified SERVQUAL Model extracted four subscales in the new model instead of eight in the initial model. The first subscale contains four dimensions—assurance, reliability, access and employee competences. The second subscale consists of two dimensions—responsiveness and empathy. The third and fourth subscales—financial aspect and tangibility—are separate factors. Further studies should consider the dimensions of access, financial aspect, and employee competences as essential parts of service quality dimensions with the other subscales, so as to improve wider customer satisfaction in the banking sector. In the authors’ opinion, the modified SERVQUAL model is useful for addressing customer satisfaction in the banking sector.
What Should SMEs Consider to Introduce Environmentally Innovative Products to Market?
Authors: Yang Daegyu
Published: February 2019

In recent years, companies are challenged not only to develop market competencies but also to deal with environmental issues. Unlike larger companies equipped with abundant resources and sustainable capabilities, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are under relatively constrained conditions to effectively deal with environmental concerns as well as market demands. This study attempts to examine a set of potential factors by which SMEs can overcome such limited conditions and bring novel and environmentally beneficial products to market through their innovative activities. Organization theories, such as organizational learning, social network theory, and new-institutional theory, provide a theoretical framework for this study that SMEs may utilize their resources and capabilities from internal, external, and institutional domains. The hypotheses are tested using the Korea Innovation Survey 2010. The analyses show that the likelihood of the market introduction of new and environmentally innovative products is increased not only when an SME makes more monetary investments on internal innovative activities and experiences more success in general innovation activities, but also when an SME inputs more monetary investments into the search for technological knowledge from the outside and utilizes more diverse external information sources. Interestingly, the findings demonstrate that monetary support from the government do not have significant impacts on an SME’s environmental innovation, while a non-monetary technological support system operated by government raises the likelihood of the market introduction of new and environmentally innovative products. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.
Compressive Behavior of Sustainable Steel-FRP Composite Bars with Different Slenderness Ratios
Authors: Tang Yu , Sun Zeyang , Wu Gang
Published: February 2019

This paper presents experimental studies on the compressive behavior of a sustainable steel-fiber reinforced composite bar (SFCB) under uniaxial compressive loading. The SFCB, combined with steel and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP), is expected to significantly enhance structural safety and sustainability. A new test method with LVDT and extensometer sensors was developed and verified through experiments to test the tensile and compressive behavior of the SFCB. Fifty-four specimens including SFCB and inner steel bar (ISB) with different slenderness ratios were tested. The test results indicated that the initial compressive elastic modulus of the SFCB was essentially the same as its initial tensile elastic modulus. The compressive yield load of the SFCB was essentially irrelevant to the slenderness ratio, and the ultimate compressive stress of the SFCBs varied inversely with the slenderness ratios. The squash load of the SFCB tended to be conservative for predicting the compressive yield load of the SFCB, while the equivalent critical global buckling load of the SFCB was much higher than its corresponding compressive yield load and ultimate load due to the inelastic buckling mechanism of the SFCB within the range of the equivalent slenderness ratios studied in this paper.
Antecedents to Digital Platform Usage in Industry 4.0 by Established Manufacturers
Authors: Müller Julian Marius
Published: February 2019

Digital platforms are expected to have the potential for a multitude of purposes for industrial enterprises, for instance when integrated within the concept of Industry 4.0. Despite its relevance for industrial value creation, little research on platforms in the industrial context has been undertaken so far. Owing to the lack of research in this field, the paper aims to investigate the potentials and challenges of digital platforms in order to generate an understanding of the antecedents to the use of digital platforms by established manufacturers. In the qualitative-exploratory study, the paper uses a qualitative empirical research approach, relying on in-depth expert interviews. The sample comprises interviews with managers of 102 German and Austrian industrial enterprises from several industrial sectors. All of the enterprises regarded have practical experiences with digital platforms. The results show that the main potentials of digital platforms are reducing transaction costs, combining strengths of enterprises, and realizing economies of scale as well as economies of scope. Yet, digital platforms bring challenges, such as a lack of trust, competitive thinking, high coordination efforts, and loss of confidential information. The paper further distinguishes between various industry sectors revealing interesting differences. Based on the results, the paper indicates possibilities for future research and provides corporate practice with implications.
Fe2O3 Blocking Layer Produced by Cyclic Voltammetry Leads to Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance of Hematite Nanorods
Authors: Poornajar Mahshid , Nguyen Nhat , Ahn Hyo-Jin , Büchler Markus , Liu Ning , Kment Stepan , Zboril Radek , Yoo Jeong , Schmuki Patrik
Published: February 2019

Hematite is a low band gap, earth abundant semiconductor and it is considered to be a promising choice for photoelectrochemical water splitting. However, as a bulk material its efficiency is low because of excessive bulk, surface, and interface recombination. In the present work, we propose a strategy to prepare a hematite (α-Fe2O3) photoanode consisting of hematite nanorods grown onto an iron oxide blocking layer. This blocking layer is formed from a sputter deposited thin metallic iron film on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) by using cyclic voltammetry to fully convert the film into an anodic oxide. In a second step, hematite nanorods (NR) are grown onto the layer using a hydrothermal approach. In this geometry, the hematite sub-layer works as a barrier for electron back diffusion (a blocking layer). This suppresses recombination, and the maximum of the incident photon to current efficiency is increased from 12% to 17%. Under AM 1.5 conditions, the photocurrent density reaches approximately 1.2 mA/cm2 at 1.5 V vs. RHE and the onset potential changes to 0.8 V vs. RHE (using a Zn-Co co-catalyst).
Geometric Properties of Certain Analytic Functions Associated with the Dziok-Srivastava Operator
Authors: Yan Cai-Mei , Liu Jin-Lin
Published: February 2019

The objective of the present paper is to derive certain geometric properties of analytic functions associated with the Dziok–Srivastava operator.
Multi-Attribute Decision Making Method Based on Aggregated Neutrosophic Set
Authors: Jiang Wen , Zhang Zihan , Deng Xinyang
Published: February 2019

Multi-attribute decision-making refers to the decision-making problem of selecting the optimal alternative or sorting the scheme when considering multiple attributes, which is widely used in engineering design, economy, management and military, etc. But in real application, the attribute information of many objects is often inaccurate or uncertain, so it is very important for us to find a useful and efficient method to solve the problem. Neutrosophic set is proposed from philosophical point of view to handle inaccurate information efficiently, and a single-valued neutrosophic set (SVNS) is a special case of neutrosophic set, which is widely used in actual application fields. In this paper, a new method based on single-valued neutrosophic sets aggregation to solve multi-attribute decision making problem is proposed. Firstly, the neutrosophic decision matrix is obtained by expert assessment, a score function of single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs) is defined to obtain the positive ideal solution (PIS) and the negative ideal solution (NIS). Then all alternatives are aggregated based on TOPSIS method to make decision. Finally numerical examples are given to verify the feasibility and rationality of the method.
Soliton and Breather Splitting on Star Graphs from Tricrystal Josephson Junctions
Authors: Susanto Hadi , Karjanto Natanael , Zulkarnain  , Nusantara Toto , Widjanarko Taufiq
Published: February 2019

We consider the interactions of traveling localized wave solutions with a vertex in a star graph domain that describes multiple Josephson junctions with a common/branch point (i.e., tricrystal junctions). The system is modeled by the sine-Gordon equation. The vertex is represented by boundary conditions that are determined by the continuity of the magnetic field and vanishing total fluxes. When one considers small-amplitude breather solutions, the system can be reduced into the nonlinear Schrödinger equation posed on a star graph. Using the equation, we show that a high-velocity incoming soliton is split into a transmitted component and a reflected one. The transmission is shown to be in good agreement with the transmission rate of plane waves in the linear Schrödinger equation on the same graph (i.e., a quantum graph). In the context of the sine-Gordon equation, small-amplitude breathers show similar qualitative behaviors, while large-amplitude ones produce complex dynamics.
Quantum-Resistant Identity-Based Signature with Message Recovery and Proxy Delegation
Authors: Lu Xiuhua , Wen Qiaoyan , Yin Wei , Liang Kaitai , Jin Zhengping , Panaousis Emmanouil , Chen Jiageng
Published: February 2019

Digital signature with proxy delegation, which is a secure ownership enforcement tool, allows an original signer to delegate signature rights to a third party called proxy, so that the proxy can sign messages on behalf of the original signer. Many real-world applications make use of this secure mechanism, e.g., digital property transfer. A traditional digital signature mechanism is required to bind a message and its signature together for verification. This may yield extra cost in bandwidth while the sizes of message and signature are relatively huge. Message recovery signature, enabling to reduce the cost of bandwidth, embeds a message into the corresponding signature; therefore, only the signature will be transmitted to the verifier and the message can further be recovered from the signature. In this paper, we, for the first time, propose a novel digital signature scheme in the identity-based context with proxy delegation and message recovery features and, more importantly, our scheme is quantum resistant, in a particular lattice-based signature. Our scheme achieves delegation information and signature existential unforgeability against adaptive chosen warrant and identity. Compared with the seminal lattice-based message recovery signature, our scheme is independent from public key infrastructure, realizes delegation transfer of signature rights, and compresses signature length ulteriorly. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first of its type.
The Third and Fourth Kind Pseudo-Chebyshev Polynomials of Half-Integer Degree
Authors: Cesarano Clemente , Pinelas Sandra , Ricci Paolo Emilio
Published: February 2019

New sets of orthogonal functions, which correspond to the first, second, third, and fourth kind Chebyshev polynomials with half-integer indexes, have been recently introduced. In this article, links of these new sets of irrational functions to the third and fourth kind Chebyshev polynomials are highlighted and their connections with the classical Chebyshev polynomials are shown.
Economic Analysis of Model-Based Systems Engineering
Authors: Madni Azad M. , Purohit Shatad
Published: February 2019

In the face of ever-increasing complexity of systems and system development programs, several aerospace, automotive, and defense organizations have already begun or are contemplating the transition to model-based systems engineering (MBSE). The key challenges that organizations face in making this decision are determining whether it is technically feasible and financially beneficial in the long-run to transition to MBSE, and whether such transition is achievable given budgetary constraints. Among other cost drivers of this transition, are a new digital infrastructure, personnel training in MBSE, and cost-effective migration of legacy models and data into the new infrastructure. The ability to quantify gains from MBSE investment is critical to making the decision to commit to MBSE implementation. This paper proposes a methodological framework for analyzing investments and potential gains associated with MBSE implementation on large-scale system programs. To this end, the MBSE implementation problem is characterized in terms of: system complexity, environment complexity and regulatory constraints, and system lifespan. These criteria are applied to systems in twelve major industry sectors to determine MBSE investment and expected gains. Results from this cost-benefit analysis are used to justify investment in MBSE implementation where warranted. This approach is generic and can be applied to different sectors for economic evaluation of costs and benefits and justification of transition to MBSE if warranted.
Particle Production at High Energy: DGLAP, BFKL and Beyond
Authors: Jalilian-Marian Jamal
Published: February 2019

Particle production in high energy hadronic/nuclear collisions in the Bjorken limit Q 2 , s → ∞ can be described in the collinear factorization framework of perturbative Quantum ChromoDynamics (QCD). On the other hand in the Regge limit, at fixed and not too high Q 2 with s → ∞ , a k ⊥ factorization approach (or a generalization of it) is the appropriate framework. A new effective action approach to QCD in the Regge limit, known as the Color Glass Condensate (CGC) formalism, has been developed which allows one to investigate particle production in high energy collisions in the kinematics where collinear factorization breaks down. Here we give a brief overview of particle production in CGC framework and the evolution equation which governs energy dependence of the observables in this formalism. We show that the new evolution equation reduces to previously known evolution equations in the appropriate limits.
QuantIF: An ImageJ Macro to Automatically Determine the Percentage of Infected Cells after Immunofluorescence
Authors: Handala Lynda , Fiore Tony , Rouillé Yves , Helle Francois
Published: February 2019

Counting labeled cells, after immunofluorescence or expression of a genetically fluorescent reporter protein, is frequently used to quantify viral infection. However, this can be very tedious without a high content screening apparatus. For this reason, we have developed QuantIF, an ImageJ macro that automatically determines the total number of cells and the number of labeled cells from two images of the same field, using DAPI- and specific-stainings, respectively. QuantIF can automatically analyze hundreds of images, taking approximately one second for each field. It is freely available as supplementary data online at MDPI.com and has been developed using ImageJ, a free image processing program that can run on any computer with a Java virtual machine, which is distributed for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is routinely used in our labs to quantify viral infections in vitro, but can easily be used for other applications that require quantification of labeled cells.
Genetic Evolution and Molecular Selection of the HE Gene of Influenza C Virus
Authors: Zhang Wenyan , Zhang Letian , He Wanting , Zhang Xu , Wen Baiqing , Wang Congcong , Xu Qiuhua , Li Gairu , Zhou Jiyong , Veit Michael , Su Shuo
Published: February 2019

Influenza C virus (ICV) was first identified in humans and swine, but recently also in cattle, indicating a wider host range and potential threat to both the livestock industry and public health than was originally anticipated. The ICV hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) glycoprotein has multiple functions in the viral replication cycle and is the major determinant of antigenicity. Here, we developed a comparative approach integrating genetics, molecular selection analysis, and structural biology to identify the codon usage and adaptive evolution of ICV. We show that ICV can be classified into six lineages, consistent with previous studies. The HE gene has a low codon usage bias, which may facilitate ICV replication by reducing competition during evolution. Natural selection, dinucleotide composition, and mutation pressure shape the codon usage patterns of the ICV HE gene, with natural selection being the most important factor. Codon adaptation index (CAI) and relative codon deoptimization index (RCDI) analysis revealed that the greatest adaption of ICV was to humans, followed by cattle and swine. Additionally, similarity index (SiD) analysis revealed that swine exerted a stronger evolutionary pressure on ICV than humans, which is considered the primary reservoir. Furthermore, a similar tendency was also observed in the M gene. Of note, we found HE residues 176, 194, and 198 to be under positive selection, which may be the result of escape from antibody responses. Our study provides useful information on the genetic evolution of ICV from a new perspective that can help devise prevention and control strategies.
41 Cases of Treatment of Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture with Porous TTA: Three Years of Follow Up
Authors: Trisciuzzi Rodrigo , Fracassi Laura , Martin Hernando Afonso , Monopoli Forleo Donato , Amat Daniel , Santos-Ruiz Leonor , De Palma Elena , Crovace Alberto Maria
Published: February 2019

Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) is a surgical technique based on a linear osteotomy that determines a cranial advancement of the tibial tuberosity in patients suffering from cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCL). The aim is to neutralize the cranial tibial thrust (CTT) and to reach a 90° angle between the patellar tendon and the tibial plateau with a physiological knee extension of 135°. In our study, a Ti6AI4V ELI (Titanium Aluminium Vanadium) titanium scaffold for the Porous TTA, with excellent properties of osteointegration and osteoconduction when subjected to cyclic loading has been adopted. Based on the previous scientific work on an ovine model, the use of this type of porous scaffolds has subverted the previous models. Scaffold production technology is based on direct mechanical manufacturing called Electron Beam Melting (EBM). For this study, 41 dogs, different breeds, medium-large size, weighing between 10 and 80 kg, aged between 1 and 13 years, were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were based on clinical evaluations (different gaits), drawer test and tibial compression, LOAD score (Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs questionnaire), radiographic diagnosis in sedation with a 135° positioning of the joint and baropodometric investigations (Stance Analyzer). The results show that Porous TTA is an excellent method for functional recovery of the knee joint following the partial and total rupture of the CCL.
Open Channel Sluice Gate Scouring Parameters Prediction: Different Scenarios of Dimensional and Non-Dimensional Input Parameters
Authors: Yousif Ali A. , Sulaiman Sadeq Oleiwi , Diop Lamine , Ehteram Mohammad , Shahid Shamsuddin , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Yaseen Zaher Mundher
Published: February 2019

The determination of scour characteristics in the downstream of sluice gate is highly important for designing and protection of hydraulic structure. The applicability of modern data-intelligence technique known as extreme learning machine (ELM) to simulate scour characteristics has been examined in this study. Three major characteristics of scour hole in the downstream of a sluice gate, namely the length of scour hole (Ls), the maximum scour depth (Ds), and the position of maximum scour depth (Lsm), are modeled using different properties of the flow and bed material. The obtained results using ELM were compared with multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS). The dimensional analysis technique was used to reduce the number of input variable to a smaller number of dimensionless groups and both the dimensional and non-dimensional variables were used to model the scour characteristics. The prediction performances of the developed models were examined using several statistical metrics. The results revealed that ELM can predict scour properties with much higher accuracy compared to MARS. The errors in prediction can be reduced in the range of 79%–81% using ELM models compared to MARS models. Better performance of the models was observed when dimensional variables were used as input. The result indicates that the use of ELM with non-dimensional data can provide high accuracy in modeling complex hydrological problems.
Water Quality Indices: Challenges and Application Limits in the Literature
Authors: Kachroud Moez , Trolard Fabienne , Kefi Mohamed , Jebari Sihem , Bourrié Guilhem
Published: February 2019

Since Horton in 1965, many authors have sought to aggregate different variables characterizing the state of water into a single value called Water Quality Index ( W Q I ). This index is intended to facilitate the operational management of water resources and their allocation for different uses. Detailed and operational description of the main W Q I calculations are here reviewed. The review contains: (1) an historical analysis of the evolution of W Q I calculation methods by looking both at the choice of variables, the methods of weighting and aggregating these variables into a final single value; (2) an illustration of the contradictions observed in the final result when, on the same database, the W Q I is calculated by different methods; (3) the significant progress possible via fuzzy logic to define a W Q I adapted to specific water use.
Scarcity of Drinking Water in Taihu Lake Basin, China: A Case Study of Yixing City
Authors: Lou Sha , Huang Wenrui , Liu Shuguang , Zhong Guihui
Published: February 2019

Water use has been growing globally at more than twice the rate of the population increase over the last century. Water scarcity is one of the main problems facing the world, especially the scarcity of clean and safe drinking water. Scarcity of drinking water is not only relevant in arid or semiarid regions, but also occurs in water-rich regions due to the decline in water quantity caused by pollution or salinity intrusion. As a part of Taihu Lake Basin, a famous water-rich region in China, Yixing City has a total area of 1996.6 km2, including 242.29 km2 from Taihu Lake, 215 rivers with an area of 130 km2, more than 20 ponds with an area of 0.05 km2, and 20 reservoirs with a total capacity of 126 million m3. There always has enough water in Yixing City. However, meteorological conditions and water quality both affect the available drinking water sources. Poor-quality water was used as a drinking water source in Yixing City during a drought event in 2011. Approximately 1.4 × 107 m3 of poor-quality water was used for drinking water in Yixing city, providing 37.13% of the total drinking water. It was a source of concern that the water quality was too poor to be used as drinking water and that the water treatment processes were expensive. The scarcity of drinking water has become a serious issue, not only in arid and semiarid regions but also in water towns such as Taihu Lake Basin, and this issue requires society’s attention. Many measures should be taken to relieve the drinking water shortage, such as seeking new drinking water sources, protecting the current water source areas, controlling pollution emissions, and implementing effective water resource management.
GP attitudes to and expectations for providing personal genomic risk information to the public: a qualitative study
Authors: Smit Amelia K , Newson Ainsley J , Keogh Louise , Best Megan , Dunlop Kate , Vuong Kylie , Kirk Judy , Butow Phyllis , Trevena Lyndal , Cust Anne E
Published: February 2019

Background

As part of a pilot randomised controlled trial examining the impact of personal melanoma genomic risk information on behavioural and psychosocial outcomes, GPs were sent a booklet containing their patient’s genomic risk of melanoma.

Aim

Using this booklet as an example of genomic risk information that might be offered on a population-level in the future, this study explored GP attitudes towards communicating genomic risk information and resources needed to support this process.

Design & setting

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 Australian GPs.

Method

The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and data were analysed thematically.

Results

GPs in this sample believed that communicating genomic risk may become a responsibility within primary care and they recommended a shared decisionmaking approach to guide the testing process. Factors were identified that may influence how and when GPs communicate genomic risk information. GPs view genomics-based risk as one of many disease risk factors and feel that this type of information could be applied in practice in the context of overall risk assessment for diseases for which prevention and early detection strategies are available. They believe it is important to ensure that patients understand their genomic risk and do not experience long-term adverse psychological responses. GPs desire clinical practice guidelines that specify recommendations for genomic risk assessment and patient management, point-of-care resources, and risk prediction tools that include genomic and traditional risk factors.

Conclusion

These findings will inform the development of resources for preparing GPs to manage and implement genomic risk information in practice.
Epigenetic Approach to Asthma Diagnosed using Korean Differentiation- Category in Traditional Korean Medicine
Authors: Kang Sang Wook , Kim Su Kang , Chung Joo-Ho , Jung Hee-Jae , Kim Kwan-Il , Kim Jinju , Kim Young Sik , Lee Beom-Joon , Eun Lee Seung , Han Young Rok , Hong Dongwhan , Ban Ju Yeon
Published: February 2019

Asthma is a serious disease around the world. It is caused by genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression without changes of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences. The gene expression change is due to methylation on DNA. Traditional
Korean Medicine (TKM) uniquely classifies patients with asthma according to their symptoms. The present study is investigated to find a novel epigenetic marker of diagnosis for Korean asthma patients using Korean differentiation syndrome category in TKM. We recruited 62 patients with asthma
from departments of respiratory medicine in hospitals. They are classified by symptom diagnosis and questionnaire to the deficiency syndrome (DS) group and excess syndrome (ES) group. And their DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. To investigate novel epigenetic markers on classification
by Korean differentiation syndrome category, methylation analysis was performed using next generation sequencing (NGS), Agilent SureSelect Human Methyl-Seq which is a tool from Agilent Technologies company. In analysis of differential methylated epigenetic markers between the DS group and
the ES group, total of 8 sites in exon region in [meprin (a cell surface glycoprotein), A5 antigen (a developmentally-regulated cell surface protein), and receptor protein-tyrosine phosphatase mu (MAM) domain containing glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor 1] (MDGA1) gene were considered
to be closely associated with differentiation syndrome category in Korean asthma patients. The methylation within MDGA1 gene could be regarded as an epigenetic candidate marker for Korean differentiation syndrome category in Korean asthma patients.