bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Double-Rice System Simulation in a Topographically Diverse Region—A Remote-Sensing-Driven Case Study in Hunan Province of China
Authors: Zhang Jing , Zhang Zhao , Wang Chenzhi , Tao Fulu
Published: July 2019

Few studies have focused on the potential impacts of topography on regional crop simulation, which might constrain the development of crop models and lead to inaccurate estimations for food security. In this study, we used remote sensing data to calibrate a regional crop model (MCWLA-Rice) for yield simulation in a double-rice crop rotation system in counties of Hunan province dominated by three landforms (plain, hill, and mountain). The calibration scheme with coarse remote sensing data (Global LAnd Surface Satellite, GLASS) greatly improved model accuracy for the double-rice system and is a promising method for yield estimation in large areas. The average improvement in relative root mean square error (RRMSE) was at most 48.00% for early rice and 41.25% for late rice. The average improvement in coefficient of determination (R2) value was at most 0.54 for early rice and 0.19 for late rice. Estimation of yield in counties dominated by different landform types indicated that: (1) MCWLA-Rice tended to be unstable in areas of complex topography and resulted in unbalanced proportions of overestimations and underestimations. (2) Differences in yield simulation between early rice and late rice varied among counties; yield estimates were highest in predominantly hilly counties, followed by counties dominated by plains, and lowest in predominantly mountainous counties. The results indicated that the topography might harm the accuracy of crop model simulations. Integration of topographic factors into crop models may enable yield estimation with enhanced accuracy to promote social development.
Power Pylon Reconstruction Based on Abstract Template Structures Using Airborne LiDAR Data
Authors: Chen Shichao , Wang Cheng , Dai Huayang , Zhang Hebing , Pan Feifei , Xi Xiaohuan , Yan Yueguan , Wang Pu , Yang Xuebo , Zhu Xiaoxiao , Aben Ardana
Published: July 2019

As an important power facility for transmission corridors, automatic three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the pylon plays an important role in the development of smart grid. In this study, a novel three-dimensional reconstruction method using airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) point cloud is developed and tested. First, a principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm is performed for pylon redirection based on the structural feature of the upper part of a pylon. Then, based on the structural similarity of a pylon, a pylon is divided into three parts that are inverted triangular pyramid lower structures, quadrangular frustum pyramid middle structures, and complex upper or lateral structures. The reconstruction of the inverted triangular pyramid structures and quadrangular frustum pyramid structures is based on prior knowledge and a data-driven strategy, where the 2D alpha shape algorithm is used to obtain contour points and 2D linear fitting is carried out based on the random sample consensus (RANSAC) method. Complex structures’ reconstruction is based on the priori abstract template structure and a data-driven strategy, where the abstract template structure is used to determine the topological relationship among corner points and the image processing method is used to extract corner points of the abstract template structure. The main advantages in the proposed method include: (1) Improving the accuracy of the pylon decomposition method through introducing a new feature to identify segmentation positions; (2) performing the internal structure of quadrangular frustum pyramids reconstruction; (3) establishing the abstract template structure and using image processing methods to improve computational efficiency of pylon reconstruction. Eight types of pylons are tested in this study, and the average error of pylon reconstruction is 0.32 m and the average of computational time is 0.8 s. These results provide evidence that the pylon reconstruction method developed in this study has high accuracy, efficiency, and applicability.
Operational Flood Mapping Using Multi-Temporal Sentinel-1 SAR Images: A Case Study from Bangladesh
Authors: Uddin Kabir , Matin Mir A. , Meyer Franz J.
Published: July 2019

Bangladesh is one of the most flood-affected countries in the world. In the last few decades, flood frequency, intensity, duration, and devastation have increased in Bangladesh. Identifying flood-damaged areas is highly essential for an effective flood response. This study aimed at developing an operational methodology for rapid flood inundation and potential flood damaged area mapping to support a quick and effective event response. Sentinel-1 images from March, April, June, and August 2017 were used to generate inundation extents of the corresponding months. The 2017 pre-flood land cover maps were prepared using Landsat-8 images to identify major land cover on the ground before flooding. The overall accuracy of flood inundation mapping was 96.44% and the accuracy of the land cover map was 87.51%. The total flood inundated area corresponded to 2.01%, 4.53%, and 7.01% for the months April, June, and August 2017, respectively. Based on the Landsat-8 derived land cover information, the study determined that cropland damaged by floods was 1.51% in April, 3.46% in June, 5.30% in August, located mostly in the Sylhet and Rangpur divisions. Finally, flood inundation maps were distributed to the broader user community to aid in hazard response. The data and methodology of the study can be replicated for every year to map flooding in Bangladesh.
Combining Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy with Chemometric Methods to Detect Adulterations in Milk Powder
Authors: Feng Lei , Zhu Susu , Chen Shuangshuang , Bao Yidan , He Yong
Published: July 2019

Adulteration is one of the major concerns among all the quality problems of milk powder. Soybean flour and rice flour are harmless adulterations in the milk powder. In this study, mid-infrared spectroscopy was used to detect the milk powder adulterated with rice flour or soybean flour and simultaneously determine the adulterations content. Partial least squares (PLS), support vector machine (SVM) and extreme learning machine (ELM) were used to establish classification and regression models using full spectra and optimal wavenumbers. ELM models using the optimal wavenumbers selected by principal component analysis (PCA) loadings obtained good results with all the sensitivity and specificity over 90%. Regression models using the full spectra and the optimal wavenumbers selected by successive projections algorithm (SPA) obtained good results, with coefficient of determination (R2) of calibration and prediction all over 0.9 and the predictive residual deviation (RPD) over 3. The classification results of ELM models and the determination results of adulterations content indicated that the mid-infrared spectroscopy was an effective technique to detect the rice flour and soybean flour adulteration in the milk powder. This study would help to apply mid-infrared spectroscopy to the detection of adulterations such as rice flour and soybean flour in real-world conditions.
Preliminary Study: Purple Sweet Potato Extract Seems to Be Superior to Increase the Migration of Impaired Endothelial Progenitor Cells Compared to l-Ascorbic Acid
Authors: Oktaviono Yudi Her , Al-Farabi Makhyan Jibril , Suastika Luh Oliva Saraswati , Hartono Febriyanti , Dirgantara Yanni , Sandra Ferry
Published: July 2019

Impairment of the endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) ability to proliferate and migrate in the patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) is partly caused by oxidative stress. This research evaluates the effect of treatment with Ipomoea batatas L./purple sweet potato (PSP) extract and l-ascorbic acid on the proliferation and migration of impaired EPCs. EPCs were isolated from CHD patient’s peripheral blood. EPCs culture were cultivated and divided into control (untreated), PSP extract treatment (dose 1 and 25 μg/mL), and l-ascorbic acid treatment (dose 10 and 250 μg/mL) groups for 48 h. EPCs proliferation was analyzed with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assay, and migration was evaluated with the cell migration assay kit. Statistical tests were evaluated using SPSS 25.0. This research showed that EPCs proliferation and migration was significantly higher in all PSP extract and l-ascorbic acid treatment compared to the control (p < 0.001). EPCs migration on treatment with a PSP extract dose of 25 μg/mL was significantly higher compared to the treatment with l-ascorbic acid dose of 250 μg/mL (303,000 ± 1000 compared to 215,000 ± 3000 cells, p< 0.001). In conclusion, both treatments with PSP extract and l-ascorbic acid can improve the proliferation and migration of impaired EPCs. At the dose of 25 μg/mL, PSP extract seems to be superior to the l-ascorbic acid dose of 250 μg/mL to improve EPCs migration.
Assessing Changes in Inequality for Millennium Development Goals among Countries: Lessons for the Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Fuller Madisen , Dwivedi Puneet
Published: July 2019

In 2000, the United Nations adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight global development goals to be achieved between 2000 and 2015. We estimated the Lorenz Curve and Gini Index for determining any changes in inequality at the global level with countries as a unit of analysis for eight development indicators (proportion of population undernourished, school enrollment rates, the percentage of women in parliament, infant mortality rates, maternal mortality rates, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) rates, access to improved water sources, and access to a cellular device), representing one MDG each. All of the selected indicators improved on average between 2000 and 2015. An average improvement in an indicator does not necessarily imply a decrease in inequality. For instance, the average infant mortality rate decreased from 39.17 deaths per 1000 births in 2000 to 23.40 in 2015, but the Gini Index remained almost stable over the same period, suggesting no reduction in inequality among countries. For other indicators, inequality among countries decreased at varying rates. A significant data gap existed across countries. For example, only 91 countries had data on primary school enrollment rates in 2000 and 2015. We emphasize developing a global data collection and analysis protocol for measuring the impacts of global development programs, especially in reducing inequality across social, economic, and environmental indicators. This study will feed into currently enacted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for ensuring more inclusive and equitable growth worldwide.
Emergy-Based Evaluation of Changes in Agrochemical Residues on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China
Authors: Wang Xiuhong , Zhang Yili
Published: July 2019

Study of changes in agrochemical residues on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is necessary for the agricultural green development of the fragile plateau and its downstream regions. The total agrochemical residue (TR) caused by main agrochemical inputs was estimated in the study area of Qinghai province and the Tibet Autonomous Region over 1995–2017 by using the emergy synthesis method. The total agrochemical residue was decomposed into the intensity factor, the structure factor, the productivity factor, and the labour factor by using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition method. The change in TR could be divided into four time periods, i.e., a rapidly increasing period during 1995–1998, a stable period during 1999–2004, a slowly increasing period during 2005–2011, and a fluctuant period during 2012–2017. The study area had a mean TR intensity in area (TRA) of 3.31 × 1014 sej/ha, which was only 38.21% of that in China; however, the annual growth rate of TRA in the study area was 2.93%, higher than the rate of 1.91% in China over 1995–2017. The study area had a mean TR intensity in production (TRP) of 4.06 × 1010 sej/CNY (Chinese Yuan), which was 71.05% of that in China; however, the annual decreasing rate of TRP in the study area was 0.95%, lower than the rate of 1.98% in China over 1995–2017. All the LMDI decomposed factors contributed to the TR increase during 1995–1998; the intensity factor, the structure factor, and the labour factor contributed to the TR decrease during 1999–2004; the structure factor and the productivity factor contributed to the TR increase during 2005–2011; and only the productivity factor contributed to the TR increase during 2012–2017. Compared with the whole country, the study area has more potential to reduce TR by improving agrochemical use efficiency, strengthening the recovery of plastic film residue, increasing organic agricultural materials, raising the efficiency of agricultural production, and accelerating the transfer of rural labours to secondary and tertiary industries.
Sustainable Performance Measurements for Public–Private Partnership Projects: Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Liang Yanhong , Wang Hongdi
Published: July 2019

The world is witnessing a global momentum of public–private partnership (PPP) development, along with the inherent complexities associated with the long-term construction, operation, and maintenance periods of numerous PPP projects. Performance measurements for PPP projects are critical for ensuring stakeholders’ interests in a sustainable way, without scarifying future generations’ interests in terms of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. A system of five-dimension sustainable performance measurements for PPP projects is proposed in this study and a questionnaire survey was conducted to solicit professional opinions on its effectiveness based on current PPP practice in China. A total of 79 professionals with PPP working experiences in China participated in the survey, among which five were chosen for interviews to validate and deepen the understandings of the findings. It reveals that the five dimensions have essential impacts on current PPP practice in China, though with varying extent of importance. The private sector has developed a sense of achieving a long-term financial return, which might have indeterminate results on the benefits of end users. The increasing trend of sustainability concerns in the PPP project performance measurement is confirmed, and it is partially due to the central government’s “High-Quality Development” initiatives. This study contributes to the theoretical discussions of establishing sustainable performance measurements for PPP projects, and it has practical implications for the public sector to improve PPP project evaluation methods and incentive mechanisms, so as to promote project sustainability.
Is Low-Volatility Investing Sustainable in the SME Stock Market of Korea? A Risk and Return Analysis
Authors: Kim Jungmu , Park Yuen Jung
Published: July 2019

This study examines the risks and profitability of low-volatility investing in the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) market during the 2001–2017 period. We chose the KOSDAQ market because noise trading is dominant and stocks are likely to be mispriced. We, therefore, expected that low-volatility investing could generate robust profits on the KOSDAQ market, unlike investing on the KOSPI market. Our empirical results support our prediction. Several risk metrics also indicated that this strategy can be implemented in practice. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the idiosyncratic volatility anomaly can be magnified by the mispricing effects of noise trading.
In-Plant Logistics Simulation Model for the Catering Service Industry Towards Sustainable Development: A Case Study
Authors: Lee Carman K.M. , Zhang Shuzhu , Ng Kam K.H.
Published: July 2019

An increasing number of people are conscious of the environmental awareness in various industries, particularly in city areas. It is now a popular trend for the urban catering service industry to outsource its labor-intensive activities, such as dishwashing, to a central dishwashing facility, in which labor force management and optimization are essential. Moreover, the increasing labor cost and fluctuating labor supply drive the increasing need for labor force optimization. This research develops an in-plant logistics simulation model for a central dishwashing facility with the purpose of improving its labor force utilization rate. A discrete event simulation model is established to simulate the tableware washing process, and this model is employed in a one-stop environmentally hygienic dishwashing service provider for trial implementation. The simulation result has been compared with actual situations, identifies the main bottlenecks of the tableware washing process, optimizes the utilization rate of the labor force, and further helps to improve the productivity.
Electricity Forecasting Improvement in a Destination Using Tourism Indicators
Authors: Trull Oscar , Peiró-Signes Angel , García-Díaz J. Carlos
Published: July 2019

The forecast of electricity consumption plays a fundamental role in the environmental impact of a tourist destination. Poor forecasting, under certain circumstances, can lead to huge economic losses and air pollution, as prediction errors usually have a large impact on the utilisation of fossil fuel-generation plants. Due to the seasonality of tourism, consumption in areas where the industry represents a big part of the economic activity follows a different pattern than in areas with a more regular economic distribution. The high economic impact and seasonality of the tourist activity suggests the use of variables specific to it to improve the electricity demand forecast. This article presents a Holt–Winters model with a tourism indicator to improve the effectiveness on the electricity demand forecast in the Balearic Islands (Spain). Results indicate that the presented model improves the accuracy of the prediction by 0.3%. We recommend the use of this type of model and indicator in tourist destinations where tourism accounts for a substantial amount of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), we can control a significant amount of the flow of tourists and the electrical balance is controlled mainly by fossil fuel power plants.
The Effects of Divergence between Cash Flow and Voting Rights on the Relevance of Fair Disclosure and Credit Ratings
Authors: Park Jin-Ha , Lee Jiyeon , Choi Youn-Sik
Published: July 2019

This study investigates the effects of governance structure on the relationship between disclosure quality and credit ratings. Firms with greater control-ownership divergence are more likely to pursue their private interests because controlling shareholders obtain the benefit of managerial decision in accordance with controlling interest and they bear the related risk only to the shareholding value. The greater divergence decreases the level of disclosure, thereby increasing the information asymmetry and agency problems, and, ultimately may be harmful to the firms’ sustainability. We analyze data from the listed Korean companies belonging to a large business group that issued corporate bonds for the period 2003–2015, and find that there is a positive relationship between fair disclosure and credit ratings; however, it is weakened as the control-ownership divergence increases. These results suggest that firms with a high quality of disclosure are assigned better credit ratings. However, if their governance structures are poor, the capital market may penalize the reliability of the released information.
A Spatio-Temporal Autowave Model of Shanghai Territory Development
Authors: Levashova Natalia , Sidorova Alla , Semina Anna , Ni Mingkang
Published: July 2019

A spatio-temporal model of megacity development that treats the megacity as an active medium is presented. From our point of view, it is advisable to consider the process of urban ecosystem development from the standpoint of the theory of autowave self-organization in active media. According to this concept, the urban ecosystem is considered as interacting with each other’s natural and anthropogenic subsystems with significant heterogeneity of areas affected by human intervention and urban geobiocoenoses. The model is based on the general principles of active medium dynamics; therefore, it is universal for any object to be considered an active medium. The only difference when using the model to predict the development of urban ecosystems in countries with different socio-economic and political prerequisites is the variety of parameters included in the model, i.e., the activation parameter, the autowave process inhibitors, and the characteristic scales of the activator and inhibitor. The model was tested on the example of Moscow expansion in the period of 1952–1968 and showed good agreement with the map data. By means of the model, a prediction of Shanghai and surrounding territory development until 2030 was made.
Restoring the Reactivity of Organic Acid Solution Used for Silver Recovery from Solar Cells by Fractional Distillation
Authors: Lee Jun-Kyu , Lee Jin-Seok , Ahn Young-Soo , Kang Gi-Hwan
Published: July 2019

Methanesulfonic acid (MSA) is used to recover silver (Ag) from solar cells by adding an oxidizing agent. It is possible to regenerate by substituting of H+ for Ag+, and thus it can be reused for additional reactions. However, MSA is highly hygroscopic, and as an oxidizing agent can easily decompose in the acidic environment during Ag extraction, leading to dilution due to the formation of H2O. This H2O in the MSA solution hinders the Ag extraction. In this study, we present a fractional distillation process for restoring the reactivity of reused MSA solutions by reducing the H2O content. Our results showed that the reactivity of the separated MSA was restored and Ag could be recovered from the solar cell.
Identifying Policy Actions Supporting Weather-Related Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation in Finland
Authors: Tuomenvirta Heikki , Gregow Hilppa , Harjanne Atte , Luhtala Sanna , Mäkelä Antti , Pilli-Sihvola Karoliina , Juhola Sirkku , Hildén Mikael , Peltonen-Sainio Pirjo , Miettinen Ilkka T. , Halonen Mikko
Published: July 2019

Climate change adaptation (CCA) policies require scientific input to focus on relevant risks and opportunities, to promote effective and efficient measures and ensure implementation. This calls for policy relevant research to formulate salient policy recommendations. This article examines how CCA research may contribute to policy recommendations in the light of idealized set of knowledge production attributes for policy development in Finland. Using general background information on the evolution of CCA research and a case study, we specifically examine how the set of attributes have been manifested in research serving CCA and discuss how they have affected the resulting policy recommendations. We conclude that research serving CCA can be improved by more explicit reflection on the attributes that pay attention to the context of application, the methods of teamwork and a variety of participating organizations, transdisciplinarity of the research, reflexivity based on the values and labour ethos of scientists and novel forms of extended peer review. Such attributes can provide a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for knowledge production that strives to bridge the gap between research and policy.
Assessing Canadian Business IT Capabilities for Online Selling Adoption: A Net-Enabled Business Innovation Cycle (NEBIC) Perspective
Authors: Alojairi Ahmad , Akhtar Nadeem , Ali Hafizi Muhamad , Basiouni Abdullah F.
Published: July 2019

After the authors of this study encounter a series of peculiar examples of products and services that are not normally sold online in Canada, the authors assess the psychometric properties of net-enablement capability, as an internal rather than external factor, regarding the decision to implement online selling tools as technology innovation to achieve growth. According to the literature, other authors rarely consider internal factors when they assess the relationship between technology adoption and business model innovation. The study contributes to the continuous dialogue involving the Net-Enabled Business Innovation Cycle (NEBIC) model by analyzing online sellers and offline sellers in Canadian sectors with below-average rates of online selling adoption. The findings indicate that net-enablement capability is a significant internal factor that positively affects innovation in business models for Canadian online sellers across different sectors regardless of the level of online selling adoption rate.
How Do Information Technology Resources Facilitate Relational and Contractual Governance in Green Supply Chain Management?
Authors: Zhang Tao
Published: July 2019

Although a plethora of studies demonstrate that information technology (IT) has a positive influence on integration, collaboration and coordination side of green supply chain management, our knowledge about the influence of IT resources on governance side remains limited, especially the relational and contractual governance, two of the fundamental governances in green supply chain management. Based on the transaction and agency cost perspective and literature of information systems and B2B governance, this study investigates how IT resources affect the effects of relational and contractual governance. The results show that IT resources could improve the relational governance (i.e., joint-actions) and contractual governance (explicit and contingent contract clauses designing), and thus, effectively mitigate partner’s opportunism. Finally, the theoretical contribution and implications for managers are also given in the end.
Competences to Address SDGs in Higher Education—A Reflection on the Equilibrium between Systemic and Personal Approaches to Achieve Transformative Action
Authors: Dlouhá Jana , Heras Raquel , Mulà Ingrid , Salgado Francisca Perez , Henderson Laura
Published: July 2019

Competence-oriented teaching that leads to the sustainable transformation of both the individual and society requires a holistic learning process that addresses the cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural domains of learning in a balanced way. This article questions whether a personal dimension of competences (addressing the individual’s values, attitudes, and lived experiences) is relevant for higher education in addition to the systemic dimension (learning objectives emphasizing cognitive processes). A theoretical concept for analysing competence frameworks from this point of view was developed in a multi-step qualitative research process: two existing competence frameworks underpinning international ESD policies were compared and, based on the findings, an analytical tool to analyse competence dimensions was drafted as a two-dimensional matrix. This tool was tested on competence frameworks reported in the literature and on examples from practice in confrontation with related academic discussion. The analysis of sustainability competences with this tool illustrates the transformative dimension on a scale from holistic thinking through future orientation to achieving transformation, and the normative dimension that indicates the complementarity of the personal and systemic character of competences. The analysed competence frameworks include competences more or less evenly distributed in both dimensions; the competences in the socio-emotional learning domain were often associated with envisioning change and achieving sustainable transformation. As anticipating the future in an active way is relevant for sustainability-oriented HE programs, not only should this dimension of competences be afforded greater consideration, but pedagogies addressing the personal level should also be further investigated and implemented in HE.
Service Quality in Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review and Keyword Network Analysis
Authors: Park Jinsoo , Jeong EuiBeom
Published: July 2019

The tourism industry has received increasing attention as it has become one of the fastest developing business sectors around the world. Service quality in tourism has come to be regarded as an important impetus for economic growth; however, the focus on tourism service quality has not yet been satisfactorily or comprehensively reviewed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review combining bibliometric, citation network and keyword network analysis. We selected the top five tourism journals from the SCOPUS database and then collected papers according to their keywords. Our results revealed the critical issues, topics, and changes over time regarding research on tourism service quality. The critical issues included the important impact of service quality on tourist behavior and service quality evaluation, and topics comprised (1) tourist satisfaction, (2) sustainable issues in tourism, (3) value of service quality for customers, (4) restaurant service quality, (5) customers’ perceptions of tourism, (6) service quality evaluation in tourism, and (7) service quality’s influence on customer behavior. Furthermore, the keyword network analysis results revealed the most influential keywords.
On the Partition of Energies for the Backward in Time Problem of Thermoelastic Materials with a Dipolar Structure
Authors: Marin M. , Vlase S. , Ellahi R. , Bhatti M.M.
Published: July 2019

We first formulate the mixed backward in time problem in the context of thermoelasticity for dipolar materials. To prove the consistency of this mixed problem, our first main result is regarding the uniqueness of the solution for this problem. This is obtained based on some auxiliary results, namely, four integral identities. The second main result is regarding the temporal behavior of our thermoelastic body with a dipolar structure. This behavior is studied by means of some relations on a partition of various parts of the energy associated to the solution of the problem.
Segmentation of Laterally Symmetric Overlapping Objects: Application to Images of Collective Animal Behavior
Authors: Lonhus Kirill , Štys Dalibor , Saberioon Mohammadmehdi , Rychtáriková Renata
Published: July 2019

Video analysis is currently the main non-intrusive method for the study of collective behavior. However, 3D-to-2D projection leads to overlapping of observed objects. The situation is further complicated by the absence of stall shapes for the majority of living objects. Fortunately, living objects often possess a certain symmetry which was used as a basis for morphological fingerprinting. This technique allowed us to record forms of symmetrical objects in a pose-invariant way. When combined with image skeletonization, this gives a robust, nonlinear, optimization-free, and fast method for detection of overlapping objects, even without any rigid pattern. This novel method was verified on fish (European bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, and tiger barbs, Puntius tetrazona) swimming in a reasonably small tank, which forced them to exhibit a large variety of shapes. Compared with manual detection, the correct number of objects was determined for up to almost

90
%

of overlaps, and the mean Dice-Sørensen coefficient was around

0.83

. This implies that this method is feasible in real-life applications such as toxicity testing.
Personalized Product Evaluation Based on GRA-TOPSIS and Kansei Engineering
Authors: Quan Huafeng , Li Shaobo , Wei Hongjing , Hu Jianjun
Published: July 2019

With the improvement of human living standards, users’ requirements have changed from function to emotion. Helping users pick out the most suitable product based on their subjective requirements is of great importance for enterprises. This paper proposes a Kansei engineering-based grey relational analysis and techniques for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (KE-GAR-TOPSIS) method to make a subjective user personalized ranking of alternative products. The KE-GRA-TOPSIS method integrates five methods, including Kansei Engineering (KE), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), entropy, game theory, and grey relational analysis-TOPSIS (GRA-TOPSIS). First, an evaluation system is established by KE and AHP. Second, we define a matrix variate—Kansei decision matrix (KDM)—to describe the satisfaction of user requirements. Third, the AHP is used to obtain subjective weight. Next, the entropy method is employed to obtain objective weights by taking the KDM as input. Then the two types of weights are optimized using game theory to obtain the comprehensive weights. Finally, the GRA-TOPSIS method takes the comprehensive weights and the KMD as inputs to rank alternatives. A comparison of the KE-GRA-TOPSIS, KE-TOPSIS, KE-GRA, GRA-TOPSIS, and TOPSIS is conducted to illustrate the unique merits of the KE-GRA-TOPSIS method in Kansei evaluation. Finally, taking the electric drill as an example, we describe the process of the proposed method in detail, which achieves a symmetry between the objectivity of products and subjectivity of users.
Peristaltic Pumping of Nanofluids through a Tapered Channel in a Porous Environment: Applications in Blood Flow
Authors: Prakash J. , Tripathi Dharmendra , Tiwari Abhishek Kumar , Sait Sadiq M. , Ellahi Rahmat
Published: July 2019

In this study, we present an analytical study on blood flow analysis through with a tapered porous channel. The blood flow was driven by the peristaltic pumping. Thermal radiation effects were also taken into account. The convective and slip boundary conditions were also applied in this formulation. These conditions are very helpful to carry out the behavior of particle movement which may be utilized for cardiac surgery. The tapered porous channel had an unvarying wave speed with dissimilar amplitudes and phase. The non-dimensional analysis was utilized for some approximations such as the proposed mathematical modelling equations were modified by using a lubrication approach and the analytical solutions for stream function, nanoparticle temperature and volumetric concentration profiles were obtained. The impacts of various emerging parameters on the thermal characteristics and nanoparticles concentration were analyzed with the help of computational results. The trapping phenomenon was also examined for relevant parameters. It was also observed that the geometric parameters, like amplitudes, non-uniform parameters and phase difference, play an important role in controlling the nanofluids transport phenomena. The outcomes of the present model may be applicable in the smart nanofluid peristaltic pump which may be utilized in hemodialysis.
Thermal Viscous Dissipative Couette-Poiseuille Flow in a Porous Medium Saturated Channel
Authors: Chen G. M. , B. M. Farrukh , Lim B. K. , Tso C. P.
Published: July 2019

A Couette-Poiseuille flow between parallel plates saturated with porous medium is studied with emphasis on viscous dissipation effect on the temperature field; assuming a fully developed flow, with both plates subjected to unequal and uniform heat flux. Temperature field and Nusselt number are derived as a function of Brinkman number and porous medium shape factor. By specifying the ratio of wall to mean velocity as one, the resulting velocity and temperature fields attribute to a significant increase in Nusselt number for the moving wall as the permeability of porous medium increases. Increased permeability signifies competing effect between enhanced convection in the proximity of the moving wall and higher local viscous dissipation. When the former effect dominates, heat transfer coefficient increases. Effects of Reynolds number on the temperature field is elucidated, including a comparison between a microchannel and conventional duct to evaluate the characteristic length scale effect. As Reynolds number goes up in a microchannel, heat generation in the form of viscous dissipation intensifies and overrides the convection effect, causing an increase in the highest temperature along the duct on the contrary to the findings in conventional duct.
Motion Symmetry Evaluation Using Accelerometers and Energy Distribution
Authors: Procházka Aleš , Vyšata Oldřich , Charvátová Hana , Vališ Martin
Published: July 2019

Analysis of motion symmetry constitutes an important area with many applications in engineering, robotics, neurology and biomedicine. This paper presents the use of microelectromechanical sensors (MEMS), including accelerometers and gyrometers, to acquire data via mobile devices so as to monitor physical activities and their irregularities. Special attention is devoted to the analysis of the symmetry of the motion of the body when the same exercises are performed by the right and the left limb. The analyzed data include the motion of the legs on a home exercise bike under different levels of load. The method is based on signal analysis using the discrete wavelet transform and the evaluation of signal segment features such as the relative energy at selected decomposition levels. The subsequent classification of the evaluated features is performed by k-nearest neighbours, a Bayesian approach, a support vector machine, and neural networks. The highest average classification accuracy attained is 91.0% and the lowest mean cross-validation error is 0.091, resulting from the use of a neural network. This paper presents the advantages of the use of simple sensors, their combination and intelligent data processing for the numerical evaluation of motion features in the rehabilitation and monitoring of physical activities.
Race Walking Ground Reaction Forces at Increasing Speeds: A Comparison with Walking and Running
Authors: Pavei Gaspare , Cazzola Dario , Torre Antonio La , Minetti Alberto E.
Published: July 2019

Race walking has been theoretically described as a walking gait in which no flight time is allowed and high travelling speed, comparable to running (3.6–4.2 m s−1), is achieved. The aim of this study was to mechanically understand such a “hybrid gait” by analysing the ground reaction forces (GRFs) generated in a wide range of race walking speeds, while comparing them to running and walking. Fifteen athletes race-walked on an instrumented walkway (4 m) and three-dimensional GRFs were recorded at 1000 Hz. Subjects were asked to performed three self-selected speeds corresponding to a low, medium and high speed. Peak forces increased with speeds and medio-lateral and braking peaks were higher than in walking and running, whereas the vertical peaks were higher than walking but lower than running. Vertical GRF traces showed two characteristic patterns: one resembling the “M-shape” of walking and the second characterised by a first peak and a subsequent plateau. These different patterns were not related to the athletes’ performance level. The analysis of the body centre of mass trajectory, which reaches its vertical minimum at mid-stance, showed that race walking should be considered a bouncing gait regardless of the presence or absence of a flight phase.
Docking of Cisplatin on Fullerene Derivatives and Some Cube Rhombellane Functionalized Homeomorphs
Authors: Szefler Beata , Czeleń Przemysław
Published: July 2019

Cisplatin (cisPt) is one of the strongest anticancer agents with proven clinical activity against a wide range of solid tumors. Its mode of action has been linked to its ability to crosslink with the canonical purine bases, primarily with guanine. Theoretical studies performed at the molecular level suggest that such nonspecific interactions can also take place with many competitive compounds, such as vitamins of the B group, containing aromatic rings with lone-pair orbitals. This might be an indicator of reduction of the anticancer therapeutic effects of the Cisplatin drug in the presence of vitamins of the B group inside the cell nucleus. That is why it seems to be important to connect CisPt with nanostructures and in this way prevent the drug from combining with the B vitamins. As a proposal for a new nanodrug, an attempt was made to implement Cispaltin (CisPt) ligand on functionalized C60 fullerenes and on a cube rhombellane homeomorphic surface. The symmetry of the analyzed nanostructures is an important factor determining the mutual affinity of the tested ligand and nanocarriers. The behavior of Cisplatin with respect to rhombellane homeomorphs and functionalized fullerenes C60, in terms of their (interacting) energy, geometry and topology was studied and a detailed analysis of structural properties after docking showed many interesting features.
Generalized Weyl-Heisenberg Algebra, Qudit Systems and Entanglement Measure of Symmetric States via Spin Coherent States. Part II: The Perma-Concurrence Parameter
Authors: Daoud Mohammed , Kibler Maurice R.
Published: July 2019

This paper deals with separable and entangled qudits | ψ d ⟩ (quantum states in dimension d) constructed from Dicke states made of N = d − 1 qubits. Such qudits present the property to be totally symmetric under the interchange of the N qubits. We discuss the notion of perma-concurrence P d for the qudit | ψ d ⟩ , introduced by the authors (Entropy 2018, 20, 292), as a parameter for characterizing the entanglement degree of | ψ d ⟩ . For d = 3 , the perma-concurrence P 3 constitutes an alternative to the concurrence C for symmetric two-qubit states. We give several expressions of P d (in terms of matrix permanent and in terms of unit vectors of R 3 pointing on the Bloch sphere) and precise the range of variation of P d (going from separable to maximally entangled states). Numerous examples are presented for P d . Special attention is devoted to states of W type and to maximally entangled states of Bell and Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger type.
A Nymphalid-Infecting Group I Alphabaculovirus Isolated from the Major Passion Fruit Caterpillar Pest Dione juno juno (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
Authors: Ribeiro Bergmann Morais , dos Santos Ethiane Rozo , Trentin Luana Beló , da Silva Leonardo Assis , de Melo Fernando Lucas , Kitajima Elliot Watanabe , Ardisson-Araújo Daniel M. P.
Published: July 2019

Baculoviruses are capable of infecting a wide diversity of insect pests. In the 1990s, the Dione juno nucleopolyhedrovirus (DijuNPV) was isolated from larvae of the major passionfruit defoliator pest Dione juno juno (Nymphalidae) and described at ultrastructural and pathological levels. In this study, the complete genome sequence of DijuNPV was determined and analyzed. The circular genome presents 122,075 bp with a G + C content of 50.9%. DijuNPV is the first alphabaculovirus completely sequenced that was isolated from a nymphalid host and may represent a divergent species. It appeared closely related to Orgyia pseudotsugata multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (OpMNPV) and other Choristoneura-isolated group I alphabaculoviruses. We annotated 153 open reading frames (ORFs), including a set of 38 core genes, 26 ORFs identified as present in lepidopteran baculoviruses, 17 ORFs unique in baculovirus, and several auxiliary genes (e.g., bro, cathepsin, chitinase, iap-1, iap-2, and thymidylate kinase). The thymidylate kinase (tmk) gene was present fused to a dUTPase (dut) gene in other baculovirus genomes. DijuNPV likely lost the dut portion together with the iap-3 homolog. Overall, the genome sequencing of novel alphabaculoviruses enables a wide understanding of baculovirus evolution.
Role of NS1 and TLR3 in Pathogenesis and Immunity of WNV
Authors: Patel Sameera , Sinigaglia Alessandro , Barzon Luisa , Fassan Matteo , Sparber Florian , LeibundGut-Landmann Salome , Ackermann Mathias
Published: July 2019

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus which causes encephalitis especially in elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Previous studies have suggested the protective role of the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) pathway against WNV entry into the brain, while the WNV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) interferes with the TLR3 signaling pathway, besides being a component of viral genome replication machinery. In this study, we investigated whether immunization with NS1 could protect against WNV neuroinvasion in the context of TLR3 deficiency. We immunized mice with either an intact or deleted TLR3 system (TLR3KO) with WNV envelope glycoprotein (gE) protein, NS1, or a combination of gE and NS1. Immunization with gE or gE/NS1, but not with NS1 alone, induced WNV neutralizing antibodies and protected against WNV brain invasion and inflammation. The presence of intact TLR3 signaling had no apparent effect on WNV brain invasion. However, mock-immunized TLR3KO mice had higher inflammatory cell invasion upon WNV brain infection than NS1-immunized TLR3KO mice and wild type mice. Thus, immunization against NS1 may reduce brain inflammation in a context of TLR3 signaling deficiency.
Anti-Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity of Plantago asiatica and Clerodendrum trichotomum Extracts In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Chathuranga Kiramage , Kim Myun Soo , Lee Hyun-Cheol , Kim Tae-Hwan , Kim Jae-Hoon , Gayan Chathuranga W. A. , Ekanayaka Pathum , Wijerathne H. M. S. M. , Cho Won-Kyung , Kim Hong Ik , Ma Jin Yeul , Lee Jong-Soo
Published: July 2019

The herbs Plantago asiatica and Clerodendrum trichotomum have been commonly used for centuries in indigenous and folk medicine in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In this study, we show that extracts from these herbs have antiviral effects against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in vitro cell cultures and an in vivo mouse model. Treatment of HEp2 cells and A549 cells with a non-cytotoxic concentration of Plantago asiatica or Clerodendrum trichotomum extract significantly reduced RSV replication, RSV-induced cell death, RSV gene transcription, RSV protein synthesis, and also blocked syncytia formation. Interestingly, oral inoculation with each herb extract significantly improved viral clearance in the lungs of BALB/c mice. Based on reported information and a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, the phenolic glycoside acteoside was identified as an active chemical component of both herb extracts. An effective dose of acteoside exhibited similar antiviral effects as each herb extract against RSV in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these results suggest that extracts of Plantago asiatica and Clerodendrum trichotomum could provide a potent natural source of an antiviral drug candidate against RSV infection.
Molecular Analysis of the Complete Genome of a Simian Foamy Virus Infecting Hylobates pileatus (pileated gibbon) Reveals Ancient Co-Evolution with Lesser Apes
Authors: Shankar Anupama , Sibley Samuel D. , Goldberg Tony L. , Switzer William M.
Published: July 2019

Foamy viruses (FVs) are complex retroviruses present in many mammals, including nonhuman primates, where they are called simian foamy viruses (SFVs). SFVs can zoonotically infect humans, but very few complete SFV genomes are available, hampering the design of diagnostic assays. Gibbons are lesser apes widespread across Southeast Asia that can be infected with SFV, but only two partial SFV sequences are currently available. We used a metagenomics approach with next-generation sequencing of nucleic acid extracted from the cell culture of a blood specimen from a lesser ape, the pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus), to obtain the complete SFVhpi_SAM106 genome. We used Bayesian analysis to co-infer phylogenetic relationships and divergence dates. SFVhpi_SAM106 is ancestral to other ape SFVs with a divergence date of ~20.6 million years ago, reflecting ancient co-evolution of the host and SFVhpi_SAM106. Analysis of the complete SFVhpi_SAM106 genome shows that it has the same genetic architecture as other SFVs but has the longest recorded genome (13,885-nt) due to a longer long terminal repeat region (2,071 bp). The complete sequence of the SFVhpi_SAM106 genome fills an important knowledge gap in SFV genetics and will facilitate future studies of FV infection, transmission, and evolutionary history.