bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eco-Friendly Method for Tailoring Biocompatible and Antimicrobial Surfaces of Poly-L-Lactic Acid
Authors: Aflori Magdalena , Butnaru Maria , Tihauan Bianca-Maria , Doroftei Florica
Published: March 2019

In this study, a facile, eco-friendly route, in two steps, for obtaining of poly-L-lactic acid/chitosan-silver nanoparticles scaffolds under quiescent conditions was presented. The method consists of plasma treatment and then wet chemical treatment of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) films in a chitosan based-silver nanoparticles solution (Cs/AgNp). The changes of the physical and chemical surface proprieties were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), small angle X-Ray scattering (SAXS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and profilometry methods. A certain combination of plasma treatment and chitosan-based silver nanoparticles solution increased the biocompatibility of PLLA films in combination with cell line seeding as well as the antimicrobial activity for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The sample that demonstrated from Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDAX) to have the highest amount of nitrogen and the smallest amount of Ag, proved to have the highest value for cell viability, demonstrating better biocompatibility and very good antimicrobial proprieties.
Methyl Donor Micronutrients that Modify DNA Methylation and Cancer Outcome
Authors: Mahmoud Abeer M. , Ali Mohamed M.
Published: March 2019

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that is essential for regulating gene transcription. However, aberrant DNA methylation, which is a nearly universal finding in cancer, can result in disturbed gene expression. DNA methylation is modified by environmental factors such as diet that may modify cancer risk and tumor behavior. Abnormal DNA methylation has been observed in several cancers such as colon, stomach, cervical, prostate, and breast cancers. These alterations in DNA methylation may play a critical role in cancer development and progression. Dietary nutrient intake and bioactive food components are essential environmental factors that may influence DNA methylation either by directly inhibiting enzymes that catalyze DNA methylation or by changing the availability of substrates required for those enzymatic reactions such as the availability and utilization of methyl groups. In this review, we focused on nutrients that act as methyl donors or methylation co-factors and presented intriguing evidence for the role of these bioactive food components in altering DNA methylation patterns in cancer. Such a role is likely to have a mechanistic impact on the process of carcinogenesis and offer possible therapeutic potentials.
Validation of Sensor-Based Food Intake Detection by Multicamera Video Observation in an Unconstrained Environment
Authors: Farooq Muhammad , Doulah Abul , Parton Jason , McCrory Megan A. , Higgins Janine A. , Sazonov Edward
Published: March 2019

Video observations have been widely used for providing ground truth for wearable systems for monitoring food intake in controlled laboratory conditions; however, video observation requires participants be confined to a defined space. The purpose of this analysis was to test an alternative approach for establishing activity types and food intake bouts in a relatively unconstrained environment. The accuracy of a wearable system for assessing food intake was compared with that from video observation, and inter-rater reliability of annotation was also evaluated. Forty participants were enrolled. Multiple participants were simultaneously monitored in a 4-bedroom apartment using six cameras for three days each. Participants could leave the apartment overnight and for short periods of time during the day, during which time monitoring did not take place. A wearable system (Automatic Ingestion Monitor, AIM) was used to detect and monitor participants’ food intake at a resolution of 30 s using a neural network classifier. Two different food intake detection models were tested, one trained on the data from an earlier study and the other on current study data using leave-one-out cross validation. Three trained human raters annotated the videos for major activities of daily living including eating, drinking, resting, walking, and talking. They further annotated individual bites and chewing bouts for each food intake bout. Results for inter-rater reliability showed that, for activity annotation, the raters achieved an average (±standard deviation (STD)) kappa value of 0.74 (±0.02) and for food intake annotation the average kappa (Light’s kappa) of 0.82 (±0.04). Validity results showed that AIM food intake detection matched human video-annotated food intake with a kappa of 0.77 (±0.10) and 0.78 (±0.12) for activity annotation and for food intake bout annotation, respectively. Results of one-way ANOVA suggest that there are no statistically significant differences among the average eating duration estimated from raters’ annotations and AIM predictions (p-value = 0.19). These results suggest that the AIM provides accuracy comparable to video observation and may be used to reliably detect food intake in multi-day observational studies.
Fat Quantity and Quality, as Part of a Low-Fat, Vegan Diet, Are Associated with Changes in Body Composition, Insulin Resistance, and Insulin Secretion. A 16-Week Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kahleova Hana , Hlozkova Adela , Fleeman Rebecca , Fletcher Katie , Holubkov Richard , Barnard Neal D.
Published: March 2019

Macronutrient composition of the diet influences the development of obesity and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to assess the role of dietary fat quantity and fatty acid composition in body composition, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion. An open parallel randomized trial design was used. Overweight participants (n = 75) were randomized to follow a low-fat vegan (n = 38) or control diet (n = 37) for 16 weeks. Dual X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure body composition. Insulin resistance was assessed with the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) index. Insulin secretion was assessed after stimulation with a liquid breakfast (Boost Plus, Nestle, Vevey, Switzerland). Self-reported 3-day diet records were used to assess dietary intake. A linear regression model was used to test the relationship between fat intake and body composition, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion. Changes in fat intake expressed as percent of total energy consumed correlated positively with changes in fat mass (r = 0.52; p < 0.001; and 0.347; p = 0.006, respectively), even after adjustment for changes in body-mass index (BMI) and energy intake (0.33; p = 0.01). Decreased intakes of C18:0 (r = 0.37, p = 0.004) and CLA-trans-10-cis12 (r = 0.40, p = 0.002), but increased intake of C18:2 (r = −0.40, p = 0.002) and C18:3 (p = −0.36, p = 0.006), were associated with a decrease in HOMA-IR, independent on changes in BMI and energy intake. The main fatty acids associated with changes in fasting insulin secretion were C12:0 (r = −0.31, p = 0.03), and TRANS 16:1 (r = −0.33, p = 0.02), both independent on changes in BMI and energy intake. Our findings demonstrate that, in the context of a low-fat vegan diet, decreased intake of saturated and trans fats and increased relative content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic and α-linolenic acids, are associated with decreased fat mass and insulin resistance, and enhanced insulin secretion.
Potential of the Other Genetic Information Coded by the Viral RNA Genomes as Antiviral Target
Authors: Berzal-Herranz Alfredo , Romero-López Cristina , Berzal-Herranz Beatriz , Ramos-Lorente Sara
Published: March 2019

In addition to the protein coding information, viral RNA genomes code functional information in structurally conserved units termed functional RNA domains. These RNA domains play essential roles in the viral cycle (e.g., replication and translation). Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind their function is essential to understanding the viral infective cycle. Further, interfering with the function of the genomic RNA domains offers a potential means of developing antiviral strategies. Aptamers are good candidates for targeting structural RNA domains. Besides its potential as therapeutics, aptamers also provide an excellent tool for investigating the functionality of RNA domains in viral genomes. This review briefly summarizes the work carried out in our laboratory aimed at the structural and functional characterization of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genomic RNA domains. It also describes the efforts we carried out for the development of antiviral aptamers targeting specific genomic domains of the HCV and the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1).
A Phenomenological Approach to Study Mechanical Properties of Polymeric Porous Structures Processed Using Supercritical CO2
Authors: Tabernero Antonio , Baldino Lucia , Cardea Stefano , Martín del Valle Eva , Reverchon Ernesto
Published: March 2019

This work proposes a modeling of the mechanical properties of porous polymers processed by scCO2, using a phenomenological approach. Tensile and compression tests of alginate/gelatin and cellulose acetate/graphene oxide were modeled using three hyperelastic equations, derived from strain energy functions. The proposed hyperelastic equations provide a fair good fit for mechanical behavior of the nanofibrous system alginate/gelatin (deviations lower than 10%); whereas, due to the presence of the solid in the polymer network, a four-parameter model must be used to fit the composite cellulose acetate/graphene oxide behavior. Larger deviations from the experimental data were observed for the system cellulose acetate/graphene oxide because of its microporous structure. A finite element method was, then, proposed to model both systems; it allowed a realistic description of observable displacements and effective stresses. The results indicate that materials processed using scCO2, when submitted to large stresses, do not obey Hooke´s law and must be considered as hyperelastic.
Modelling of Wine Production Using Land Surface Temperature and FAPAR—The Case of the Douro Wine Region
Authors: Magarreiro Clarisse , Gouveia Célia M. , Barroso Carla M. , Trigo Isabel F.
Published: March 2019

The vegetative development of grapevines is orchestrated by very specific meteorological conditions. In the wine industry vineyards demand diligent monitoring, since quality and productivity are the backbone of the economic potential. Regional climate indicators and meteorological information are essential to winemakers to assure proper vineyard management. Satellite data are very useful in this process since they imply low costs and are easily accessible. This work proposes a statistical modelling approach based on parameters obtained exclusively from satellite data to simulate annual wine production. The study has been developed for the Douro Demarcated Region (DDR) due to its relevance in the winemaking industry. It is the oldest demarcated and controlled winemaking region of the world and listed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage regions. Monthly variables associated with Land Surface Temperatures (LST) and Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetic Active Radiation (FAPAR), which is representative of vegetation canopy health, were analysed for a 15-year period (2004 to 2018), to assess their relation to wine production. Results showed that high wine production years are associated with higher than normal FAPAR values during approximately the entire growing season and higher than normal values of surface temperature from April to August. A robust linear model was obtained using the most significant predictors, that includes FAPAR in December and maximum and mean LST values in March and July, respectively. The model explains 90% of the total variance of wine production and presents a correlation coefficient of 0.90 (after cross validation). The retained predictors’ anomalies for the investigated vegetative year (October to July) from 2017/2018 satellite data indicate that the ensuing wine production for the DDR is likely to be below normal, i.e., to be lower than what is considered a high-production year. This work highlights that is possible to estimate wine production at regional scale based solely on low-resolution remotely sensed observations that are easily accessible, free and available for numerous grapevines regions worldwide, providing a useful and easy tool to estimate wine production and agricultural monitoring.
Assessing Across-Scale Optical Diversity and Productivity Relationships in Grasslands of the Italian Alps
Authors: Sakowska Karolina , MacArthur Alasdair , Gianelle Damiano , Dalponte Michele , Alberti Giorgio , Gioli Beniamino , Miglietta Franco , Pitacco Andrea , Meggio Franco , Fava Francesco , Julitta Tommaso , Rossini Micol , Rocchini Duccio , Vescovo Loris
Published: March 2019

The linearity and scale-dependency of ecosystem biodiversity and productivity relationships (BPRs) have been under intense debate. In a changing climate, monitoring BPRs within and across different ecosystem types is crucial, and novel remote sensing tools such as the Sentinel-2 (S2) may be adopted to retrieve ecosystem diversity information and to investigate optical diversity and productivity patterns. But are the S2 spectral and spatial resolutions suitable to detect relationships between optical diversity and productivity? In this study, we implemented an integrated analysis of spatial patterns of grassland productivity and optical diversity using optical remote sensing and Eddy Covariance data. Across-scale optical diversity and ecosystem productivity patterns were analyzed for different grassland associations with a wide range of productivity. Using airborne optical data to simulate S2, we provided empirical evidence that the best optical proxies of ecosystem productivity were linearly correlated with optical diversity. Correlation analysis at increasing pixel sizes proved an evident scale-dependency of the relationships between optical diversity and productivity. The results indicate the strong potential of S2 for future large-scale assessment of across-ecosystem dynamics at upper levels of observation.
Processing Chain for Estimation of Tree Diameter from GNSS-IMU-Based Mobile Laser Scanning Data
Authors: Čerňava Juraj , Mokroš Martin , Tuček Ján , Antal Michal , Slatkovská Zuzana
Published: March 2019

Mobile laser scanning (MLS) is a progressive technology that has already demonstrated its ability to provide highly accurate measurements of road networks. Mobile innovation of the laser scanning has also found its use in forest mapping over the last decade. In most cases, existing methods for forest data acquisition using MLS result in misaligned scenes of the forest, scanned from different views appearing in one point cloud. These difficulties are caused mainly by forest canopy blocking the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signal and limited access to the forest. In this study, we propose an approach to the processing of MLS data of forest scanned from different views with two mobile laser scanners under heavy canopy. Data from two scanners, as part of the mobile mapping system (MMS) Riegl VMX-250, were acquired by scanning from five parallel skid trails that are connected to the forest road. Misaligned scenes of the forest acquired from different views were successfully extracted from the raw MLS point cloud using GNSS time based clustering. At first, point clouds with correctly aligned sets of ground points were generated using this method. The loss of points after the clustering amounted to 33.48%. Extracted point clouds were then reduced to 1.15 m thick horizontal slices, and tree stems were detected. Point clusters from individual stems were grouped based on the diameter and mean GNSS time of the cluster acquisition. Horizontal overlap was calculated for the clusters from individual stems, and sufficiently overlapping clusters were aligned using the OPALS ICP module. An average misalignment of 7.2 mm was observed for the aligned point clusters. A 5-cm thick horizontal slice of the aligned point cloud was used for estimation of the stem diameter at breast height (DBH). DBH was estimated using a simple circle-fitting method with a root-mean-square error of 3.06 cm. The methods presented in this study have the potential to process MLS data acquired under heavy forest canopy with any commercial MMS.
Hydrogel-Based Plasmonic Sensor Substrate for the Detection of Ethanol
Authors: Kroh Christoph , Wuchrer Roland , Steinke Nadja , Guenther Margarita , Gerlach Gerald , Härtling Thomas
Published: March 2019

The in-line monitoring of ethanol concentration in liquids is a crucial part of process monitoring in breweries and distilleries. Current methods are based on infrared spectroscopy, which is time-consuming and costly, making these methods unaffordable for small and middle-sized companies. To overcome these problems, we presented a small, compact, and cost-effective sensing method for the ethanol content, based on a nanostructured, plasmonically active sensor substrate. The sensor substrate is coated with an ethanol-sensitive hydrogel, based on polyacrylamide and bisacrylamide, which induces a change in the refractive index of the substrate surface. The swelling and shrinking of such hydrogels offer a means to measure the ethanol content in liquids, which can be determined in a simple transmittance setup. In our study, we demonstrated the capability of the sensor principle for the detection of ethanol content ranging from 0 to 30 vol% ethanol. Furthermore, we determined the response time of the sensor substrate to be 5.2 min, which shows an improvement by a factor of four compared to other hydrogel-based sensing methods. Finally, initial results for the sensor’s lifetime are presented.
A Privacy-Preserving Traffic Monitoring Scheme via Vehicular Crowdsourcing
Authors: Zhang Chuan , Zhu Liehuang , Xu Chang , Du Xiaojiang , Guizani Mohsen
Published: March 2019

The explosive number of vehicles has given rise to a series of traffic problems, such as traffic congestion, road safety, and fuel waste. Collecting vehicles’ speed information is an effective way to monitor the traffic conditions and avoid vehicles’ congestion, however it may threaten vehicles’ location and trajectory privacy. Motivated by the fact that traffic monitoring does not need to know each individual vehicle’s speed and the average speed would be sufficient, we propose a privacy-preserving traffic monitoring (PPTM) scheme to aggregate vehicles’ speeds at different locations. In PPTM, the roadside unit (RSU) collects vehicles’ speed information at multiple road segments, and further cooperates with a service provider to calculate the average speed information for every road segment. To preserve vehicles’ privacy, both homomorphic Paillier cryptosystem and super-increasing sequence are adopted. A comprehensive security analysis indicates that the proposed PPTM can preserve vehicles’ identities, speeds, locations, and trajectories privacy from being disclosed. In addition, extensive simulations are conducted to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed PPTM scheme.
Detail Preserved Surface Reconstruction from Point Cloud
Authors: Zhou Yang , Shen Shuhan , Hu Zhanyi
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we put forward a new method for surface reconstruction from image-based point clouds. In particular, we introduce a new visibility model for each line of sight to preserve scene details without decreasing the noise filtering ability. To make the proposed method suitable for point clouds with heavy noise, we introduce a new likelihood energy term to the total energy of the binary labeling problem of Delaunay tetrahedra, and we give its s-t graph implementation. Besides, we further improve the performance of the proposed method with the dense visibility technique, which helps to keep the object edge sharp. The experimental result shows that the proposed method rivalled the state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy and completeness, and performed better with reference to detail preservation.
Female Brass Musicians Address Gender Parity, Gender Equity, and Sexual Harassment: A Preliminary Report on Data from the Brass Bodies Study
Authors: Schmalenberger Sarah , Maddox Patricia
Published: March 2019

The Brass Bodies Study is an exploratory cross-sectional study designed to describe and understand the experience of female brass players. This report discusses selected data from close-ended and open-ended responses to questions regarding gender equity, parity, and sexual harassment within a web-based survey that launched the first phase of the study. The survey queried subjects’ physical changes to their brass playing due to various catalysts: life-cycle events; injury, illness, harassment, mental health, racism, and homophobia. The survey instrument further queried whether subjects received support about these changes and the effectiveness of support. The following report discusses survey responses to questions about gender parity and changes to brass playing due to sexual harassment. Additional qualitative data were generated from open-ended questions in the survey and were qualitatively coded and thematically presented to supplement the descriptive statistics provided. The information presented explores and defines salient items and themes of a population that is under researched with the hopes of generating hypotheses for continued research.
Dietary Intake and Energy Expenditure Assessed during a Pre-Season Period in Elite Gaelic Football Players
Authors: O’Brien Luke , Collins Kieran , Doran Dominic , Khaiyat Omid , Amirabdollahian Farzad
Published: March 2019

There is currently a lack of research into the energy demands and associated nutritional intakes of elite Gaelic football players during the pre-season period, which is a crucial time of year for physical development. The aim of the current study was to investigate the dietary intake and energy expenditure (EE) of elite Gaelic football players during a typical pre-season week. Over a seven-day period, which included four training days and three rest days, dietary intake (validated self-reported estimated food diary) and EE (Sensewear Pro armband) were recorded in 18 male players from a single elite inter-county Gaelic football team. Average energy intake (EI) (3283 ± 483 kcal) was significantly (p = 0.002) less than average EE (3743 ± 335 kcal), with a mean daily energy deficit of −460 ± 503 kcal. Training days elicited the greatest deficits between intake and expenditure. The mean carbohydrate (CHO) intake was 3.6 ± 0.7 g/kg/day, protein intake was 2.1 ± 0.5 g/kg/day, and fat intake was 1.6 ± 0.2 g/kg/day. These findings indicate that the dietary practices of the sampled players were inadequate to meet EE and CHO recommendations. Training days are of particular concern, with the players not altering energy and CHO intake to encounter increased energy demands. Education on nutritional strategies for elite Gaelic footballers should be considered in relation to training demands to avoid detriments to performance and health.
Entrepreneurial Orientation of Public Universities in Republic of Serbia-Empirical Study
Authors: Cvijić Mirjana , Tatarski Jovana , Katić Ivana , Vekić Aleksandar , Borocki Jelena
Published: March 2019

This study explores the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on the activities of state universities in the Republic of Serbia. Using the ENTRE-U scale, the researchers have graded the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of the employees at state universities in the Republic of Serbia. In the theoretical part, the detailed literature review is provided, which contributes to a better understanding of terms like entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial university. Using data from 282 respondents who work at the state universities in the Republic of Serbia, the researchers validate the ENTRE-U questionnaire in a specific context. With this, it is proven that the ENTRE-U scale is applicable not only for developed countries but also for the developing countries, such as the Republic of Serbia. The general conclusion is that with using the ENTRE-U scale, it is possible to predict the level of innovativeness, as well as the nature of innovative activities that are conducted at state universities in the Republic of Serbia. The entrepreneurially oriented universities differ from those which lack entrepreneurial orientation by the extent of their research mobilization, unconventional approaches, the level of cooperation with industries, and the way university policies are implemented.
Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Total Factor Productivity Based on Spatial Panel Data Model: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhong Zhangqi , Hu Yiqin , Jiang Lei
Published: March 2019

To respond to the adverse impact of climate change on agricultural total factor productivity, the question of how to adopt actively appropriate strategies is particularly critical for the stakeholders. However, the previous researchers have paid more attention to investigating the measure methods, regional differences, and determinants of Chinese agricultural total factor productivity, but the possible impact of climate change factors like rainfall, temperature, and evaporation on regional agricultural total factor productivity in China have not yet received the attention that they deserve. Furthermore, more importantly, the study on how to take active measures to reduce and mitigate the negative effects from climate change is relatively small. Therefore, in allusion to the above-mentioned problems, using the data envelopment analysis and building a spatial panel data model embedded with climate change factors, this paper calculated Chinese agricultural total factor productivity and then explored the possible impact of climate change on regional agricultural total factor productivity at a provincial level in China. Results mainly show that the impact of some factors, like annual total precipitation, average temperature in the growing season, and evaporation intensity on regional agricultural total factor productivity, are all very significant and negative, which suggests that the more precipitation, the higher the temperature is, and the higher evaporation intensity would lower agricultural total factor productivity in China. Furthermore, in order to response to mitigate the adverse effects from climate change on agricultural total factor productivity, local governments should continue to increase financial support for the local agricultural economic development, because this action could be beneficial for the related stakeholders in improving agricultural total factor productivity. Summing up, our evidence study would provide an important basic theory basis in terms of increasing agricultural total factor productivity and promoting regional agricultural economic development in China.
Effects of N Addition Frequency and Quantity on Hydrocotyle vulgaris Growth and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wetland Microcosms
Authors: Li Qian-Wei , Zhang Xiao-Ya , Gao Jun-Qin , Song Ming-Hua , Liang Jin-Feng , Yue Yi
Published: March 2019

(1) Background: Increased attention has been paid to atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition caused by human activities. N deposition quantity has seriously affected plant productivity and greenhouse gas emissions in wetlands, but the effects of N deposition frequency remain unclear. (2) Methods: We assembled microcosms, which contained vegetative individuals (ramets) of Hydrocotyle vulgaris and soil and subjected them to three frequencies (N addition 1, 2, and 14 times during the experimental period) crossed with three quantities (5, 15, and 30 g N m−2 yr−1) for 90 days. (3) Results: The quantity of N addition significantly increased the root, stem biomass, and ramets number of H. vulgaris, but decreased the spike biomass. N addition quantity significantly promoted N2O emission and inhibited CH4 emission but had no significant effect on CO2 emission. The increasing frequency of N addition significantly promoted the root-to-shoot ratio and decreased N2O emission under high N addition quantity. (4) Conclusions: In conclusion, N addition alters the reproductive strategy of H. vulgaris and enhances its invasiveness, promoting N2O emission but not the CO2 equivalent of the H. vulgaris-soil system.
Quantity Measurement Cost and Reliability of Cereal Commodity Trade: Evidence from Ethiopia
Authors: Abebe Kidane Assefa , Zhou Deyi , Etea Bekele Gebisa , Sedebo Dessalegn Anshiso , Muktar Neway Habtemariam , Olana Dano Endalu
Published: March 2019

Measurement reliability is an undervalued aspect of local agricultural marketplace organizations. There are also gaps in identifying the extent of cereal commodity trade measurement costs. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to estimate the magnitude of cereals trade quantity measurement cost caused by instrument error and unreliability in the context of the local marketplace in Ethiopia. In this regard, a survey was conducted in six different districts’ marketplaces (n = 602) of Oromia regional state. In addition to administered structured questionnaires, site mass measurement calibration was employed. The survey data were analysed using an independent samples t-test, one sample t-test and analysis of variance. According to the findings, the actual value measurement means of the quantity of most local units of the farmers were greater than small traders. The independent t-test result indicated that the average values of the quantity of the majority of units of measurement between farmers and small traders were varied significantly. Estimated average measurement cost of the farmers and small trader which occurred due to measuring instruments’ error and unreliability were higher for a sack, bowl and glass units compared with other units of measurement. This study demonstrates that homogeneity in measurement, market regulatory policy and institutions that aid cereals trade have an indispensable role to reduce measurement costs thereby ensure equitable exchange.
The Features of Rural Labor Transfer and Cultural Differences: Evidence from China’s Southwest Mountainous Areas
Authors: Zhang Shaoyao , Song Xueqian , Wan Jiangjun , Liu Ying , Deng Wei
Published: March 2019

Large-scale rural labor transfer is considered an important means of promoting urbanization and poverty alleviation; however, it has been difficult to fully reveal the complexity of mountain labor transfer using traditional theory. In this study, macrostatistics and microsurvey data were employed to conduct an empirical analysis of rural labor transfer in Xichang, highlighting the regional features of rural labor transfer in the southwest mountainous areas of China. The results show that the employment structure of rural labor is dominated by agriculture; however, its proportion is decreasing annually. The development of secondary and tertiary industries significantly contributes to the non-agricultural employment of rural laborers, who transfer mainly to the building, industry, and consumption fields—especially consumption, which has the greatest ability to absorb surplus rural labor. Migration of the population and farmers’ per capita net income promotes rural labor transfer, while the amount of rural labor, the urbanization rate in townships, agricultural development, and the topography have lagged effects on the process. This study argues that rural labor transfer in the mountains has regionality, multi-pattern, and gradient features; therefore, the promotion of rural labor transfer should consider local urbanization and poverty alleviation in such a manner that aligns with the local natural and socioeconomic conditions of the mountainous areas.
Designing an Efficient Cloud Management Architecture for Sustainable Online Lifelong Education
Authors: Kim TaeYoung , Lim JongBeom
Published: March 2019

As online learning and e-learning are prevalent and widely used in education, it is important to design an efficient and reliable information system for storing learning data and providing on-demand learning services. In this paper, we design a cloud-based information system architecture for online lifelong education. Since a cloud system is based on virtualization technology, we propose a virtual resource management scheme—virtual machine allocation and monitoring nodes assignment. With the proposed cloud-based architecture, we can build and operate an e-learning information system for online lifelong education, which requires efficiency, reliability, and persistence. The evaluation results show that our proposed method can deal with more tasks for e-learning (requests for learning management system (LMS) navigations, text learning contents, text and media learning contents, and video learning contents) while introducing 48× fewer service level agreement (SLA) violations than the existing method.
Utilization of Lime Mud Waste from Paper Mills for Efficient Phosphorus Removal
Authors: Vu Hong Ha Thi , Khan Mohd Danish , Chilakala Ramakrishna , Lai Tuan Quang , Thenepalli Thriveni , Ahn Ji Whan , Park Dong Un , Kim Jeongyun
Published: March 2019

In this study, we utilized lime mud waste from paper mills to synthesize calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) nanoparticles (NPs) and investigate their application for the removal of phosphorus from aqueous solution. The NPs, composed of green portlandite with hexagonal shape, were successfully produced using a precipitation method at moderately high temperature. The crystal structure and characterization of the prepared Ca(OH)2 nanoparticles were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The effects of Ca(OH)2 NP dosage and contact time on removal of phosphorus were also investigated. The results show that the green portlandite NPs can effectively remove phosphorus from aqueous solution. The phosphorus removal efficiencies within 10 min are 53%, 72%, 78%, 98%, and 100% with the different mass ratios of Ca(OH)2 NPs/phosphorus (CNPs/P) of 2.2, 3.5, 4.4, 5.3, and 6.2, respectively. Due to the efficient phosphorus removal, the calcium hydroxide nanoparticles (CNPs) could be a potential candidate for this application in domestic or industrial wastewater treatment.
Capturing Associations and Sustainable Competitiveness of Brands from Social Tags
Authors: Gong Xuan , Zhu Yunchan , Ali Rizwan , Guo Ruijin
Published: March 2019

With the explosion of social media, consumers’ minds have become important assets in brand competitions. Determining a brand’s competitive structure based on consumers’ desires is particularly important to effectively establish a brand and maintain sustainable competitiveness. The traditional methods of determining brand competitiveness are costly and time-consuming. In this study, we propose an efficient, systematical, highly automated, and real-time method to determine brand competitiveness based on consumers’ brand associations with the brand’s social tags. Using a set of 45 brands in the automobile industry and around 50,000 social tags, we compared our brand competitiveness determination method with data provided by Interbrand and directly elicited survey data, finding a significant correlation and a better predictive power in consumers’ perceived brand competitiveness than the traditional method. Our proposed method enables managers to create and maintain sustainable brand advantages in consumers’ minds.
Effects of Yak Dung Biomass Black Carbon on the Soil Physicochemical Properties of the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Min Xiuyun , Wu Jun , Lu Jian , Gao Chunliang
Published: March 2019

The physicochemical properties of soils might be affected by the addition of biomass black carbon, a special black carbon produced by incomplete combustion of biomass. Therefore, this study performed experiments to explore the effects of yak dung biomass black carbon (YBC) on physicochemical properties of soils in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Three YBCs (pyrolyzed at 300, 500, and 700 °C) were separately added into four typical soils with three addition amounts (1%, 5%, and 10%). Changes of soil texture, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), CHN contents, morphologies, functional groups, and mineral constituents of soils were comparatively studied. The results showed that addition of YBCs affected physicochemical properties of soils. Soil pH, EC, CEC, and carbon/nitrogen content were positively related with addition amount of YBCs. YBC particles were unevenly distributed among soil particles and positively related with addition amount. Addition of YBCs did not change texture, functional groups, and mineral constituents of soils. These results indicated that addition of YBC would be beneficial to stability of the soil ecosystem and sustainability of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Evaluation of the Long-Term Stability and Impact of Remittances and Development Aid on Sustainable Economic Growth in Developing Countries
Authors: Stojanov Robert , Němec Daniel , Žídek Libor
Published: March 2019

In our paper, we analyse the long-term stability and impact of remittances and development aid on sustainable economic growth in developing countries. We use two data samples from countries that were recipients of both aid and remittances in the corresponding period. First, unbalanced data from the years 1970 to 2017; that is, how countries appear in the data. Second, balanced data, where we selected the largest possible set of countries for which data exists without gaps from the years 1970–2017. This dataset consists of 57 countries for the period from 1991 to 2017. Using linear regression models, we conclude that up until the end of the 1980s, the size of aid as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) was larger than the share of remittances. After that, the situation changed and the shares of both inflows were broadly similar. The inflow of remittances was more stable than the inflow of aid and development aid did not (on the contrary to remittances) contribute positively to sustainable economic growth if we consider the entire period between 1970 and 2017. Our results suggest that a statistically significant relationship between development aid and economic growth (per capita) may be observed only in the period from 1990 to 1999. Economic growth in developing countries is negatively influenced by the uncertainty related to the flows of official development assistance (ODA) and aid in all investigated decades. In the case of the remittance flows, the increased volatility tends to contribute negatively to sustainable economic growth only when the remittance flows represent a relatively higher share of GDP.
Parity-Assisted Generation of Nonclassical States of Light in Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics
Authors: Cárdenas-López Francisco , Romero Guillermo , Lamata Lucas , Solano Enrique , Retamal Juan
Published: March 2019

We propose a method to generate nonclassical states of light in multimode microwave cavities. Our approach considers two-photon processes that take place in a system composed of N extended cavities and an ultrastrongly coupled light–matter system. Under specific resonance conditions, our method generates, in a deterministic manner, product states of uncorrelated photon pairs, Bell states, and W states in different modes on the extended cavities. Furthermore, the numerical simulations show that the generation scheme exhibits a collective effect which decreases the generation time in the same proportion as the number of extended cavity increases. Moreover, the entanglement encoded in the photonic states can be transferred towards ancillary two-level systems to generate genuine multipartite entanglement. Finally, we discuss the feasibility of our proposal in circuit quantum electrodynamics. This proposal could be of interest in the context of quantum random number generator, due to the quadratic scaling of the output state.
Anti-Saturation Control of Uncertain Time-Delay Systems with Actuator Saturation Constraints
Authors: Yao Hejun
Published: March 2019

The problem of anti-saturation control for a class of time-delay systems with actuator saturation is considered in this paper. By introducing appropriate variable substitution, a new delay time-delay systems model with actuator saturation systems is established. Based on the Lyapunov stability theory, the stability condition and the anti-saturation controller design method are obtained by using the linear matrix inequality approach. By introducing the matrix into the Lyapunov function, the proposed conditions are less conservative than the previous results. Finally, a simulation example shows the validity and rationality of the method.
Effects of Mycotoxins on the Intestine
Authors: Alassane-Kpembi Imourana , Pinton Philippe , Oswald Isabelle P.
Published: March 2019

The gastrointestinal tract is the first physiological barrier against food contaminants, as well as the first target for these toxicants [...]
Packaging of Genomic RNA in Positive-Sense Single-Stranded RNA Viruses: A Complex Story
Authors: Comas-Garcia Mauricio
Published: March 2019

The packaging of genomic RNA in positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses is a key part of the viral infectious cycle, yet this step is not fully understood. Unlike double-stranded DNA and RNA viruses, this process is coupled with nucleocapsid assembly. The specificity of RNA packaging depends on multiple factors: (i) one or more packaging signals, (ii) RNA replication, (iii) translation, (iv) viral factories, and (v) the physical properties of the RNA. The relative contribution of each of these factors to packaging specificity is different for every virus. In vitro and in vivo data show that there are different packaging mechanisms that control selective packaging of the genomic RNA during nucleocapsid assembly. The goals of this article are to explain some of the key experiments that support the contribution of these factors to packaging selectivity and to draw a general scenario that could help us move towards a better understanding of this step of the viral infectious cycle.
Remediation of Stormwater Pollutants by Porous Asphalt Pavement
Authors: Jayakaran Anand D. , Knappenberger Thorsten , Stark John D. , Hinman Curtis
Published: March 2019

Porous Asphalt (PA) pavements are an increasingly adopted tool in the green stormwater infrastructure toolbox to manage stormwater in urbanized watersheds across the United States. This technology has seen particular interest in western Washington State, where permeable pavements are recognized as an approved best management practice per the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) municipal stormwater permit. Stormwater effluent concentrations from six PA cells were compared with runoff concentrations from three standard impervious asphalt cells to quantify pollutant removal efficiencies by porous asphalt systems. Additionally, the effects of maintenance and pavement age on pollutant removal efficiencies were examined. Twelve natural and artificial storms were examined over a five-year period. Street dirt and pollutant spikes were added to the pavements prior to some storm events to simulate high loading conditions. Results from this work show that porous asphalt pavements are highly efficient at removing particulate pollutants, specifically coarse sediments (98.7%), total Pb ( 98.4%), total Zn (97.8%), and total suspended solids (93.4%). Dissolved metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) were not significantly removed. Removal efficiencies for total Pb, total Zn, motor oil, and diesel H. improved with the age of the system. Annual maintenance of the pavements with a regenerative air street sweeper did not yield significant pollutant removal efficiency differences between maintained and unmaintained PA cells.
NUMERICAL CREEP ANALYSIS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE FLEXURAL MEMBERS/LENKIAMŲ GELŽBETONINIŲ ELEMENTŲ SKAITMENINĖ VALKŠNUMO ANALIZĖ
Authors: Cypinas Igoris
Published: March 2019

Betono pleišėjimo analitinis modelis esant valkšnumui, pateiktas autoriaus jo publikacijoje [5], yra taikomas lenkiamų gelžbetoninių elementų valkšnumo analizei. Nagrinėjamas plokščias elemento lenkimas esant vienai simetrijos ašiai. Skaičiavimas atliekamas baigtiniais laiko intervalais, taikant analitinę betono valkšnumo funkcijos išraišką (5.3).

Gniužzdymo zonos betonui taikoma tiesinio valkšnumo teorija (2.1). Tempiamai betono zonai taikoma netiesinė deformacijų prieaugių procedūra. Skerspjūvio standumo parametrai randami, taikant skaitmeninį integravimą. Skaičiavimo algoritmas yra pagrįstas Niutono metodu netiesinėms skerspjūvio deformacijos prieaugių lygtims (3.3) spręsti, kiekvienam laiko intervalui nustatant liestines skerspjūvio standumo charakteristikas.

Pagrindinis darbo tikslas yra sukurti efektyvų algoritmą gelžbetoninio skerspjūvio valkšnumo deformacijų analizei ir ištirti galimybes taikyti šį valkšnumo analizės metodą didelių sistemų skaičiavimui baigtiniais elementais. Pagal sukurtą algoritmą autorius sudarė FORTRANO programą skerspjūvio deformacijoms skaičiuoti. Siekiant išaiškinti algoritmo galimybes, buvo atliktas valkšnumo deformacijų skaičiavimas veikiant pastoviam lenkimo momentui laikotarpiu nuo 20 iki 10 000 parų, skaitant nuo betono stingimo pradžios. Betono valkšnumas buvo analitiškai aprašomas pagal darbų ciklo [8] rekomendacijas. Nustatyta, kad sudalinant skerspjūvį į 50 skaitmeninio integravimo sluoksnių ir dalinant visą apkrovimo laikotarpį į 50 laiko intervalų yra gaunama 0.17% armatūros įtempimų paklaida paskutiniame laiko žingsnyje, palyginus su baziniu skaičiavimu su 100 integravimo sluoksnių ir 200 laiko intervalų.

Deformacija kiekviename laiko intervale priklauso ne tik nuo įtempimų tame intervale, bet ir nuo visos įtempimų istorijos. Tačiau reikšmingą įtaką turi tik įtempimų prieaugiai pastaraisiais laikotarpiais, ankstesnių laiko intervalų įtempimų prieaugiai gali būti susumuoti į vieną dydį, taip sumažinant laikomos informacijos apimtį. Skaičiavimais nustatyta, kad iš 50 laiko žingsnių palikus tik paskutiniųjų 10 informaciją apie įtempimų prieaugius, gaunama 0.21% armatūros įtempimų paklaida. Be to, šitoks įtempimų istorijos supaprastinimas gerokai pagreitina skaičiavimo procesą, kadangi sumažeja (3.9) formulės sumuojamų dėmenų skaičius.

Įtempimai yra vaizduojami netiesiogiai, naudojant ekvivalentę deformaciją (2.3) kaip netiesinės funkcijos įtempimams rasti argumentą. Ši deformacija pasiskirsto supleišėjusios zonos aukštyje tiesiškai, tuo tarpu kai įtempimų diagrama yra ryškiai kreivalinijinė. Ši aplinkybė įgalina daug taupiau vaizduoti tempimo zonos įtempius.

Sudarytoji programa ir ja atlikti skaičiavimai rodo, kad siūlomas algoritmas gali būti sėkmingai pritaikytas didesnių konstrukcinių sistemų analizei baigtinių elementų metodu.