bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation on the Nanomechanics of Liposome Adsorption on Titanium Alloys: Temperature and Loading Effects
Authors: Duan Yiqin , Liu Yuhong , Li Jinjin , Wang Hongdong , Wen Shizhu
Published: April 2018

The mechanical properties of liposomes, determined by the lipid phase state at ambient temperature, have a close relationship with their physiological activities. Here, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to produce images and perform force measurements on titanium alloys at two adsorbed temperatures. The mechanical properties were evaluated under repeated loading and unloading, suggesting a better reversibility and resistance of gel phase liposomes. The liquid phase liposomes were irreversibly damaged during the first approach while the gel phase liposomes could bear more iterations, resulting from water flow reversibly going across the membranes. The statistical data offered strong evidence that the lipid membranes in the gel phase are robust enough to resist the tip penetration, mainly due to their orderly organization and strong hydrophobic interactions between lipid molecules. This work regarding the mechanical properties of liposomes with different phases provides guidance for future clinical applications, such as artificial joints.
New Poly(lactic acid) Active Packaging Composite Films Incorporated with Fungal Melanin
Authors: Łopusiewicz Łukasz , Jędra Filip , Mizielińska Małgorzata
Published: April 2018

In this work, fungal melanin was used for the first time to prepare poly(lactic acid)-based composites. The films of various melanin concentrations (0.025%, 0.05% and 0.2% w/w) were prepared using an extrusion method. The mechanical, antioxidant, antimicrobial, water vapor and UV-Vis barrier properties, as well as available polyphenolics on the surface, were studied. FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy studies were carried out to analyze the chemical composition of the resulting films. The hydrophobicity, color response, thermal, optical properties, and opacity values were also determined. The results of this study show that the addition of fungal melanin to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as a modifier influenced mechanical and water vapor barrier properties depending on melanin concentration. In low concentration, melanin enhanced the mechanical and barrier properties of the modified films, but in larger amounts, the properties were decreased. The UV-Vis barrier properties of PLA/melanin composites were marginally improved. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis indicated that crystallinity of PLA increased by the addition of melanin, but this did not affect the thermal stability of the films. Modified PLA/melanin films showed good antioxidant activity and were active against Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida. The addition of melanin caused changes in color values, decreasing lightness and increasing the redness and yellowness of films. Based on the results of this study, fungal melanin has good potential to be exploited as a value-added modifier that can improve the overall properties of PLA.
Hypoxia-Responsive Mesoporous Nanoparticles for Doxorubicin Delivery
Authors: Khatoon Shakera , Han Hwa , Jeon Jueun , Rao N. , Jeong Dae-Woong , Ikram M. , Yasin T. , Yi Gi-Ra , Park Jae
Published: April 2018

Hypoxia, or low oxygen tension, is a common feature of solid tumors. Here, we report hypoxia-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HR-MSNs) with a 4-nitroimidazole-β-cyclodextrin (NI-CD) complex that is acting as the hypoxia-responsive gatekeeper. When these CD-HR-MSNs encountered a hypoxic environment, the nitroimidazole (NI) gatekeeper portion of CD-HR-MSNs disintegrated through bioreduction of the hydrophobic NI state to the hydrophilic NI state. Under hypoxic conditions, the release rate of doxorubicin (DOX) from DOX-loaded CD-HR-MSNs (DOX-CD-HR-MSNs) increased along with the disintegration of the gatekeeper. Conversely, DOX release was retarded under normoxic conditions. In vitro experiments confirmed that DOX-CD-HR-MSNs exhibit higher toxicity to hypoxic cells when compared to normoxic cells. Confocal microscopy images indicated that DOX-CD-HR-MSNs effectively release DOX into SCC-7 cells under hypoxic conditions. These results demonstrate that CD-HR-MSNs can release drugs in a hypoxia-responsive manner, and thus are promising drug carriers for hypoxia-targeted cancer therapy.
Preparation of Maleic Anhydride Grafted Polybutene and Its Application in Isotactic Polybutene-1/Microcrystalline Cellulose Composites
Authors: Wang Bo , Nie Kai , Xue Xiao-rong , Lin Fu-hua , Li Xiang-yang , Xue Yong-bing , Luo Jun
Published: April 2018

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) offers great potential to improve the mechanical and crystallization properties of isotactic polybutene-1 (iPB) because of its low cost, biodegradability, renewability and excellent mechanical properties. However, the compatibility of polar MCC and non-polar iPB is poor. In this study, maleic anhydride grafted polybutene (MAPB) was prepared by the solution method and was used as a compatibilizer in the fabrication of iPB/MCC composites by using a twin screw extruder. The ultimate tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus of the iPB/MCC composites increased by 3.1%, 16.5%, 10.7%, 6.5%, respectively, compared with that of pure iPB. With MAPB addition, these values increased by 17.2%, 31%, 17.5% and 10%, respectively, compared with that of pure iPB. The heat-distortion temperature and thermal-decomposition temperature of all composites increased with an increased MCC content. The non-isothermal crystallization of the iPB/MCC composites shows that MCC addition can promote iPB crystallization, because the non-isothermal crystallization curve of the composites moves toward a higher temperature, especially after MAPB addition. Scanning electron micrographs indicate that the compatibility of the iPB/MCC has been enhanced significantly.
DNA Phase Transition in Charge Neutralization and Comformation Induced by Trivalent-Hydrolysed Metal Ions
Authors: Luo Zhaoxu , Wang Yanwei , Li Shuhang , Yang Guangcan
Published: April 2018

It is well known that common trivalent counter ions can induce DNA compaction or condensation but are unable to invert DNA surface charge in a normal aqueous solution. In the present study, we found that trivalent-hydrolysed metal ions (Fe3+, Al3+) are not only capable of inducing DNA condensation, but they also invert the electrophoretic mobility of DNA by electrophoretic light scattering and single molecular techniques. In comparison with neutral trivalent cations, hydrolysed metal ions such as Fe3+ can induce DNA condensation at a much lower concentration of cations, and its corresponding morphology of condensed DNA was directly observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The condensing and unravelling forces of DNA condensates were measured by tethering DNA by magnetic tweezers (MT) measurements at various concentration of Fe3+ and Al3+. We found that a coil–globule transition of DNA by hydrolysed metal ions not only was observed in DNA-complex sizes, but also in the curve of electrophoretic mobility of DNA in solution. In contrast, the transition was not observed in the case of neutral trivalent cations such as La3+ and Co3+. We attribute the transition and charge inversion to the ion-specific interaction between hydrolysed metal ions and phosphates of DNA backbone.
Upgrading of Mixed Food Industry Side-Streams by Solid-State Fermentation with P. ostreatus
Authors: Aggelopoulos Theodoros , Bekatorou Argyro , Plessas Stavros , Koutinas Athanasios A. , Nigam Poonam
Published: April 2018

In the frame of efforts to exploit agroindustrial side-streams and wastes (AISS) for added-value products that are based on single cell protein (SCP), mixed substrates consisting of brewer’s spent grains (BSG), malt spent rootlets (MSR), cheese whey, molasses, orange, and potato pulps, were used for growth of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. The substrates were mixed in various combinations, and were used for P. ostreatus growth at various conditions. The substrate, for which the highest sugar consumption, protein increase, and mycelium yield were observed, consisted of 20 mL molasses (4° Baume density), 20 mL potato pulp, 5 mL whey, 5 mL orange pulp, 30 g BSG, and 5 g MSR (at 25 °C and substrate pH 4). The mycelium-enriched product was analyzed for protein, fat, minerals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu), and aroma volatile compounds, indicating the potential for use as nutritious supplement for food, feed, or microbiology uses. The product was also autolyzed, freeze-dried, powdered, and analyzed for total ribonucleic acid content, showing the potential for use as a commercial natural food flavor enhancer.
One Life/Many Lives: An Internal Hindu-Christian Dialogue
Authors: Long Jeffery
Published: April 2018

This essay consists of philosophical and comparative theological reflections on the topic of rebirth, or reincarnation. Informed by the work of William James, John Hick, and Francis X. Clooney, the essay first establishes the author’s stance that reincarnation is a plausible option for belief, at least as attractive as its two main rivals. These rival options are the belief in an everlasting life in either heaven or hell, characteristic of religions such as Christianity and Islam, and the materialist or physicalist belief that there is no afterlife, except in a highly attenuated sense. The essay then moves into a dialogical, comparative theological mode. It raises the question of whether traditional Christian rejection of rebirth, even if it is not something to which the author ultimately assents, might nevertheless carry with it an important insight that is worthy of serious consideration by those who accept the idea of rebirth. This is seen as an instance of the ‘deep learning across religious borders’ that is the main goal of comparative theology, as defined by Clooney.
Subjective Expected Utility with State-Dependent but Action/Observation-Independent Preferences
Authors: Drèze Jacques
Published: April 2018

Under state-dependent preferences, probabilities and units of scale of state-dependent utilities are not separately identified. In standard models, only their products matter to decisions. Separate identification has been studied under implicit actions by Drèze or under explicit actions and observations by Karni. This paper complements both approaches and relates them when conditional preferences for final outcomes are independent of actions and observations. That special case permits drastic technical simplification while remaining open to some natural extensions.
The Evaluation of SMAP Enhanced Soil Moisture Products Using High-Resolution Model Simulations and In-Situ Observations on the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Li Chengwei , Lu Hui , Yang Kun , Han Menglei , Wright Jonathon , Chen Yingying , Yu Le , Xu Shiming , Huang Xiaomeng , Gong Wei
Published: April 2018

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission was designed to provide a global mapping of soil moisture (SM) measured by L-band passive and active microwave sensors. In this study, we evaluate the newly released SMAP enhanced SM products over the Tibetan Plateau by performing comparisons among SMAP standard products, in-situ observations and Community Land Model (CLM) simulations driven by high-resolution meteorological forcing. At local scales, the enhanced SMAP products, the standard products and CLM simulations all generally compare well with the in-situ observations. The SMAP products show stronger correlations (0.64–0.88) but slightly larger unbiased root mean square errors (ubRMSE, ~0.06) relative to the CLM simulations (0.58–0.79 and 0.037–0.047, for correlation and ubRMSE, respectively). At the regional scale, both SMAP products show similar spatial distributions of SM on the TP (Tibetan Plateau), although, as expected, the enhanced product provides more fine details. The SMAP enhanced product is in good agreement with model simulations with respect to temporal and spatial variations in SM over most of the TP. Regions with low correlation between SMAP enhanced products and model simulations are mainly located in the northwestern TP and regions of complex topography, where meteorological stations are sparse and non-existent or elevation is highly variable. In such remote regions, CLM simulations may be problematic due to inaccurate land cover maps and/or uncertainties in meteorological forcing. The independent, high-resolution observations provided by SMAP could help to constrain the model simulation and, ultimately, improve the skill of models in these problematic regions.
A Combined Approach to Classifying Land Surface Cover of Urban Domestic Gardens Using Citizen Science Data and High Resolution Image Analysis
Authors: Baker Fraser , Smith Claire , Cavan Gina
Published: April 2018

Domestic gardens are an important component of cities, contributing significantly to urban green infrastructure (GI) and its associated ecosystem services. However, domestic gardens are incredibly heterogeneous which presents challenges for quantifying their GI contribution and associated benefits for sustainable urban development. This study applies an innovative methodology that combines citizen science data with high resolution image analysis to create a garden dataset in the case study city of Manchester, UK. An online Citizen Science Survey (CSS) collected estimates of proportional coverage for 10 garden land surface types from 1031 city residents. High resolution image analysis was conducted to validate the CSS estimates, and to classify 7 land surface cover categories for all garden parcels in the city. Validation of the CSS land surface estimations revealed a mean accuracy of 76.63% (s = 15.24%), demonstrating that citizens are able to provide valid estimates of garden surface coverage proportions. An Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) classification achieved an estimated overall accuracy of 82%, with further processing required to classify shadow objects. CSS land surface estimations were then extrapolated across the entire classification through calculation of within image class proportions, to provide the proportional coverage of 10 garden land surface types (buildings, hard impervious surfaces, hard pervious surfaces, bare soil, trees, shrubs, mown grass, rough grass, cultivated land, water) within every garden parcel in the city. The final dataset provides a better understanding of the composition of GI in domestic gardens and how this varies across the city. An average garden in Manchester has 50.23% GI, including trees (16.54%), mown grass (14.46%), shrubs (9.19%), cultivated land (7.62%), rough grass (1.97%) and water (0.45%). At the city scale, Manchester has 49.0% GI, and around one fifth (20.94%) of this GI is contained within domestic gardens. This is useful evidence to inform local urban development policies.
Elevation Change Derived from SARAL/ALtiKa Altimetric Mission: Quality Assessment and Performance of the Ka-Band
Authors: Yang Quanming , Yang Yuande , Wang Zemin , Zhang Baojun , Jiang Hu
Published: April 2018

The waveform retracking algorithm is a key factor that affects the accuracy of elevation change from satellite altimetry over an ice sheet. The elevation change results from four waveform retracker algorithms (ICE1/ICE2/Sea Ice/OCEAN) provided by the Satellite with ARgos and ALtiKa (SARAL/ALtiKa) data were compared using repeated SARAL data between March 2013 and April 2016 to determine the optimal retracker in the crossovers of descending and ascending orbits over a Greenland ice sheet (GrIS). The ICE1 provided slightly better results than the three other algorithms with the lowest standard deviation (SD) of 0.30 m year−1. Further comparison was also conducted between the Satellite with ARgos and ALtiKa (SARAL) and Operation ICEBridge laser data, thereby indicating that ICE1 was the best retracker with an Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.43 m year−1. The distribution of elevation change rate and uncertainties over Greenland from SARAL were presented using the selected ICE1 retracker with a volume loss of 40 ± 12 km3 year−1. This volume loss did not include the fast-changing coastal areas of the GrIS. A large thinning was observed in Jakobshavn Isbræ, and a trend that extended far inland was also found from 2013–2016. Furthermore, a melting ice sheet was observed in the large areas northwest over the GrIS.
Diurnal Variation of Light Absorption in the Yellow River Estuary
Authors: Hao Yanling , Cui Tingwei , Singh Vijay , Zhang Jie , Yu Ruihong , Zhao Wenjing
Published: April 2018

Considering the influence of river discharge and strong winds, the diurnal variability of ocean optical absorption properties in the Yellow River Estuary (YRE) is quantified, using in-situ measurements. The study finds that terrestrial sources due to the Yellow River discharge can cause high diurnal variation of water absorption because of the movement of river plume in the YRE, but such an influence diminishes far away from the Yellow River plume. The diurnal variability of water absorption, affected by strong winds, is found to be strengthened with a rapid increase of particles and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) arising from re-suspended sediment induced by wave forcing. The diurnal variability of particle absorption is controlled by non-algal particle absorption in the YRE, and the ratio of non-algal particle absorption (aNAP) and total particle absorption for most wavelengths is more than 0.56. The diurnal variation of spectral slope of non-algal particle absorption (SNAP) is found to vary within a narrow range, although large variability in the aNAP spectrum is observed. The CDOM is correlated negatively with salinity, and such negative correlation becomes weaker with the decreasing influence of riverine input. The spectral slope of CDOM absorption (Sg) may reflect the formation and constituents of CDOM with weak relationship to its concentration, and its relationship with the absorption of CDOM at 440 nm may be associated with the source of CDOM. The value of Sg, which is affected by re-suspended bottom sediment, is much lower than that derived from CDOM affected by Yellow River runoff. Disregarding the absorption of pure water, the diurnal variability of total water absorption stems principally from changes in non-algal particle matter rather than CDOM and Chl-a. By the observations of hourly GOCI (Geostationary Ocean Color Imager) data, the major diurnal variations of remote sensing reflectance at 680 nm are observed in near-coastal waters and the estuary of the Yellow River, which are mainly influenced by the flow discharge of Yellow River and strong winds. Finally, the seasonal differences of diurnal variations of water absorption caused by strong winds and river discharge are determined.
Mapping Soil Salinity/Sodicity by using Landsat OLI Imagery and PLSR Algorithm over Semiarid West Jilin Province, China
Authors: Yu Hao , Liu Mingyue , Du Baojia , Wang Zongming , Hu Liangjun , Zhang Bai
Published: April 2018

Soil salinity and sodicity can significantly reduce the value and the productivity of affected lands, posing degradation, and threats to sustainable development of natural resources on earth. This research attempted to map soil salinity/sodicity via disentangling the relationships between Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery and in-situ measurements (EC, pH) over the west Jilin of China. We established the retrieval models for soil salinity and sodicity using Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR). Spatial distribution of the soils that were subjected to hybridized salinity and sodicity (HSS) was obtained by overlay analysis using maps of soil salinity and sodicity in geographical information system (GIS) environment. We analyzed the severity and occurring sizes of soil salinity, sodicity, and HSS with regard to specified soil types and land cover. Results indicated that the models’ accuracy was improved by combining the reflectance bands and spectral indices that were mathematically transformed. Therefore, our results stipulated that the OLI imagery and PLSR method applied to mapping soil salinity and sodicity in the region. The mapping results revealed that the areas of soil salinity, sodicity, and HSS were 1.61 × 106 hm2, 1.46 × 106 hm2, and 1.36 × 106 hm2, respectively. Also, the occurring area of moderate and intensive sodicity was larger than that of salinity. This research may underpin efficiently mapping regional salinity/sodicity occurrences, understanding the linkages between spectral reflectance and ground measurements of soil salinity and sodicity, and provide tools for soil salinity monitoring and the sustainable utilization of land resources.
Assessing the Crop-Water Status in Almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) Trees via Thermal Imaging Camera Connected to Smartphone
Authors: García-Tejero Iván , Ortega-Arévalo Carlos , Iglesias-Contreras Manuel , Moreno José , Souza Luciene , Tavira Simón , Durán-Zuazo Víctor
Published: April 2018

Different tools are being implemented in order to improve the water management in agricultural irrigated areas of semiarid environments. Thermography has been progressively introduced as a promising technique for irrigation scheduling and the assessing of crop-water status, especially when deficit irrigation is being implemented. However, an important limitation is related to the cost of the actual cameras, this being a severe limitation to its practical usage by farmers and technicians. This work evaluates the potential and the robustness of a thermal imaging camera that is connected to smartphone (Flir One) recently developed by Flir Systems Inc. as a first step to assess the crop water status. The trial was developed in mature almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) trees that are subjected to different irrigation treatments. Thermal information obtained by the Flir One camera was deal with the thermal information obtained with a conventional Thermal Camera (Flir SC660) with a high resolution, and subsequently, confronted with other related plant physiological parameters (leaf water potential, Ψleaf, and stomatal conductance, gs). Thermal imaging camera connected to smartphone provided useful information in estimating the crop-water status in almond trees, being a potential promising tool to accelerate the monitoring process and thereby enhance water-stress management of almond orchards.
Assessment of Spatiotemporal Fusion Algorithms for Planet and Worldview Images
Authors: Kwan Chiman , Zhu Xiaolin , Gao Feng , Chou Bryan , Perez Daniel , Li Jiang , Shen Yuzhong , Koperski Krzysztof , Marchisio Giovanni
Published: April 2018

Although Worldview-2 (WV) images (non-pansharpened) have 2-m resolution, the re-visit times for the same areas may be seven days or more. In contrast, Planet images are collected using small satellites that can cover the whole Earth almost daily. However, the resolution of Planet images is 3.125 m. It would be ideal to fuse these two satellites images to generate high spatial resolution (2 m) and high temporal resolution (1 or 2 days) images for applications such as damage assessment, border monitoring, etc. that require quick decisions. In this paper, we evaluate three approaches to fusing Worldview (WV) and Planet images. These approaches are known as Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM), Flexible Spatiotemporal Data Fusion (FSDAF), and Hybrid Color Mapping (HCM), which have been applied to the fusion of MODIS and Landsat images in recent years. Experimental results using actual Planet and Worldview images demonstrated that the three aforementioned approaches have comparable performance and can all generate high quality prediction images.
New Digital Metal-Oxide (MOx) Sensor Platform
Authors: Rüffer Daniel , Hoehne Felix , Bühler Johannes
Published: April 2018

The application of metal oxide gas sensors in Internet of Things (IoT) devices and mobile platforms like wearables and mobile phones offers new opportunities for sensing applications. Metal-oxide (MOx) sensors are promising candidates for such applications, thanks to the scientific progresses achieved in recent years. For the widespread application of MOx sensors, viable commercial offerings are required. In this publication, the authors show that with the new Sensirion Gas Platform (SGP) a milestone in the commercial application of MOx technology has been reached. The architecture of the new platform and its performance in selected applications are presented.
A Distance Boundary with Virtual Nodes for the Weighted Centroid Localization Algorithm
Authors: Kim Kwang-Yul , Shin Yoan
Published: April 2018

In wireless sensor networks, accurate location information is important for precise tracking of targets. In order to satisfy hardware installation cost and localization accuracy requirements, a weighted centroid localization (WCL) algorithm, which is considered a promising localization algorithm, was introduced. In our previous research, we proposed a test node-based WCL algorithm using a distance boundary to improve the localization accuracy in the corner and side areas. The proposed algorithm estimates the target location by averaging the test node locations that exactly match with the number of anchor nodes in the distribution map. However, since the received signal strength has large variability in real channel conditions, the number of anchor nodes is not exactly matched and the localization accuracy may deteriorate. Thus, we propose an intersection threshold to compensate for the localization accuracy in this paper. The simulation results show that the proposed test node-based WCL algorithm provides higher-precision location information than the conventional WCL algorithm in entire areas, with a reduced number of physical anchor nodes. Moreover, we show that the localization accuracy is improved by using the intersection threshold when considering small-scale fading channel conditions.
Divide and Conquer-Based 1D CNN Human Activity Recognition Using Test Data Sharpening
Authors: Cho Heeryon , Yoon Sang
Published: April 2018

Human Activity Recognition (HAR) aims to identify the actions performed by humans using signals collected from various sensors embedded in mobile devices. In recent years, deep learning techniques have further improved HAR performance on several benchmark datasets. In this paper, we propose one-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D CNN) for HAR that employs a divide and conquer-based classifier learning coupled with test data sharpening. Our approach leverages a two-stage learning of multiple 1D CNN models; we first build a binary classifier for recognizing abstract activities, and then build two multi-class 1D CNN models for recognizing individual activities. We then introduce test data sharpening during prediction phase to further improve the activity recognition accuracy. While there have been numerous researches exploring the benefits of activity signal denoising for HAR, few researches have examined the effect of test data sharpening for HAR. We evaluate the effectiveness of our approach on two popular HAR benchmark datasets, and show that our approach outperforms both the two-stage 1D CNN-only method and other state of the art approaches.
Design of Dual-Mode Local Oscillators Using CMOS Technology for Motion Detection Sensors
Authors: Ha Keum-Won , Lee Jeong-Yun , Kim Jeong-Geun , Baek Donghyun
Published: April 2018

Recently, studies have been actively carried out to implement motion detecting sensors by applying radar techniques. Doppler radar or frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar are mainly used, but each type has drawbacks. In Doppler radar, no signal is detected when the movement is stopped. Also, FMCW radar cannot function when the detection object is near the sensor. Therefore, by implementing a single continuous wave (CW) radar for operating in dual-mode, the disadvantages in each mode can be compensated for. In this paper, a dual mode local oscillator (LO) is proposed that makes a CW radar operate as a Doppler or FMCW radar. To make the dual-mode LO, a method that controls the division ratio of the phase locked loop (PLL) is used. To support both radar mode easily, the proposed LO is implemented by adding a frequency sweep generator (FSG) block to a fractional-N PLL. The operation mode of the LO is determined by according to whether this block is operating or not. Since most radar sensors are used in conjunction with microcontroller units (MCUs), the proposed architecture is capable of dual-mode operation by changing only the input control code. In addition, all components such as VCO, LDO, and loop filter are integrated into the chip, so complexity and interface issues can be solved when implementing radar sensors. Thus, the proposed dual-mode LO is suitable as a radar sensor.
Artifact Noise Removal Techniques on Seismocardiogram Using Two Tri-Axial Accelerometers
Authors: Luu Loc , Dinh Anh
Published: April 2018

The aim of this study is on the investigation of motion noise removal techniques using two-accelerometer sensor system and various placements of the sensors on gentle movement and walking of the patients. A Wi-Fi based data acquisition system and a framework on Matlab are developed to collect and process data while the subjects are in motion. The tests include eight volunteers who have no record of heart disease. The walking and running data on the subjects are analyzed to find the minimal-noise bandwidth of the SCG signal. This bandwidth is used to design filters in the motion noise removal techniques and peak signal detection. There are two main techniques of combining signals from the two sensors to mitigate the motion artifact: analog processing and digital processing. The analog processing comprises analog circuits performing adding or subtracting functions and bandpass filter to remove artifact noises before entering the data acquisition system. The digital processing processes all the data using combinations of total acceleration and z-axis only acceleration. The two techniques are tested on three placements of accelerometer sensors including horizontal, vertical, and diagonal on gentle motion and walking. In general, the total acceleration and z-axis acceleration are the best techniques to deal with gentle motion on all sensor placements which improve average systolic signal-noise-ratio (SNR) around 2 times and average diastolic SNR around 3 times comparing to traditional methods using only one accelerometer. With walking motion, ADDER and z-axis acceleration are the best techniques on all placements of the sensors on the body which enhance about 7 times of average systolic SNR and about 11 times of average diastolic SNR comparing to only one accelerometer method. Among the sensor placements, the performance of horizontal placement of the sensors is outstanding comparing with other positions on all motions.
A High Throughput Integrated Hyperspectral Imaging and 3D Measurement System
Authors: Zhao Huijie , Xu Lunbao , Shi Shaoguang , Jiang Hongzhi , Chen Da
Published: April 2018

Hyperspectral and three-dimensional measurements can obtain the intrinsic physicochemical properties and external geometrical characteristics of objects, respectively. The combination of these two kinds of data can provide new insights into objects, which has gained attention in the fields of agricultural management, plant phenotyping, cultural heritage conservation, and food production. Currently, a variety of sensors are integrated into a system to collect spectral and morphological information in agriculture. However, previous experiments were usually performed with several commercial devices on a single platform. Inadequate registration and synchronization among instruments often resulted in mismatch between spectral and 3D information of the same target. In addition, using slit-based spectrometers and point-based 3D sensors extends the working hours in farms due to the narrow field of view (FOV). Therefore, we propose a high throughput prototype that combines stereo vision and grating dispersion to simultaneously acquire hyperspectral and 3D information. Furthermore, fiber-reformatting imaging spectrometry (FRIS) is adopted to acquire the hyperspectral images. Test experiments are conducted for the verification of the system accuracy, and vegetation measurements are carried out to demonstrate its feasibility. The proposed system is an improvement in multiple data acquisition and has the potential to improve plant phenotyping.
Quantitative Detection of Cracks in Steel Using Eddy Current Pulsed Thermography
Authors: Shi Zhanqun , Xu Xiaoyu , Ma Jiaojiao , Zhen Dong , Zhang Hao
Published: April 2018

Small cracks are common defects in steel and often lead to catastrophic accidents in industrial applications. Various nondestructive testing methods have been investigated for crack detection; however, most current methods focus on qualitative crack identification and image processing. In this study, eddy current pulsed thermography (ECPT) was applied for quantitative crack detection based on derivative analysis of temperature variation. The effects of the incentive parameters on the temperature variation were analyzed in the simulation study. The crack profile and position are identified in the thermal image based on the Canny edge detection algorithm. Then, one or more trajectories are determined through the crack profile in order to determine the crack boundary through its temperature distribution. The slope curve along the trajectory is obtained. Finally, quantitative analysis of the crack sizes was performed by analyzing the features of the slope curves. The experimental verification showed that the crack sizes could be quantitatively detected with errors of less than 1%. Therefore, the proposed ECPT method was demonstrated to be a feasible and effective nondestructive approach for quantitative crack detection.
Usefulness of Technological Capacity Evaluation for Brazilian Farmer Stakeholders: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Vaz Mônica , Macedo Luciano , Soares Junior Dimas , Bittencourt Juliana
Published: April 2018

The use of technology in agriculture plays an important role in the production chain cycle, as well as in the improvement of processes and productivity. To develop a model for measuring the technological capacity of family agriculture systems, it is necessary to assess the gaps related to indicators and the technological potentialities of these farmer groups, which are often not considered when they require financial support and do not get enough. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the indicators used to evaluate the technological capacity of farm systems and agriculture. A bibliometric analysis between 2005 and 2017 was carried out on five scientific databases, identifying a first set of 233 scientific articles, which, after an in-depth reading, led to outlining an article portfolio of 33 studies. The H-index results estimated over databases verified that Springer is the most important regarding the topic Technological Capability in Agriculture Systems. The Technological Capacity Systems evolution is important in that technologies are in constant development and the use of indicators provides a quantitative evaluation to compare different agricultural properties.
Beyond the Certification Badge—How Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Tools Impact on Individual, Organizational, and Industry Practice
Authors: Griffiths Kerry , Boyle Carol , Henning Theunis F. P.
Published: April 2018

Sustainability consideration in designing, constructing, and operating civil infrastructure requires substantive action and yet progress is slow. This research examines the impact third-party infrastructure sustainability rating tools—specifically CEEQUAL, Envision, Greenroads, and Infrastructure Sustainability—have beyond individual project certification and considers their role in driving wider industry change. In this empirical study, engineering and sustainability professionals (n = 63) assess and describe their experience in using rating tools outside of formal certification and also the impact of tool use on their own practice and the practices of their home organizations. The study found that 77% of experienced users and 59% of infrastructure owners used the tools for purposes other than formal project certification. The research attests that rating tool use and indeed their very existence has a strong influence on sustainability awareness and practice within the infrastructure industry, providing interpretation of sustainability matters in ways that resonate with industry norms. The rating tools impact on individuals and their professional and personal practice, on the policies and practices of infrastructure-related organizations, and more widely on other industry stakeholders. The findings can be used to increase the value gained from sustainability rating tool use and to better understand the role such tools play in creating cultural change within the industry.
Doing Well or Doing Good: The Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Profit in Romanian Companies
Authors: Hategan Camelia-Daniela , Sirghi Nicoleta , Curea-Pitorac Ruxandra-Ioana , Hategan Vasile-Petru
Published: April 2018

The traditional goal of a company is to earn profit to pay its shareholders, but, nowadays, for the business to be sustainable in the long term, a strategy of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities is needed to meet stakeholder demands, respect ethical principles and give an appropriate answer to organizational stakeholders. The objective of the paper is to identify how strong the correlation between CSR and profit is, and how companies behave in the periods they have losses, whether they continue to do CSR activities, they reduce the activities, or they give them up. Thus, CSR is attributed to the concept of “doing good” and profit to the expression of “doing well”, from which a “positive business” can be built. Our empirical research consists of a panel data econometric model using logistics regressions to highlight the correlation between profit and the decision to do CSR activities and feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) regressions to identify the correlations between the level of CSR activities and the dimension of profit, an expression of financial performance. The main results emphasize that the companies which implement CSR activities in a greater extent are more profitable in economic terms.
Investigating Young Consumers’ Purchasing Intention of Green Housing in China
Authors: Zhang Lin , Chen Liwen , Wu Zezhou , Zhang Sizhen , Song Huanbin
Published: April 2018

The issues of energy crisis, environmental degradation, and climate change present a severe challenge to the sustainable development in China. The development of green building (GB) is considered one of the most popular strategies toward a sustainable construction industry. Apart from advanced green technologies, consumers’ purchasing intention toward green housing (GH) plays a crucial role in the large-scale promotion of GB. However, which determinants significantly affect consumers’ purchasing intention remain unclear, especially for the young generation in developing countries. This study attempts to investigate young consumers’ purchasing intention of GH in China. On the basis of extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), seven constructs are identified, and nine hypotheses are proposed. A total of 241 responses were collected from the questionnaire survey, and structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Governmental incentives are affirmed to be the most important determinant, followed by consumers’ attitude toward behavior and subjective norm. Perceived behavioral control is an insignificant determinant for young consumers to purchase GH. In addition, subjective knowledge has an indirect effect through attitude toward behavior. Environmental concern also confirms an indirect effect through attitude toward behavior and subjective norm toward purchasing intention, respectively. Thus, the government is implied to play a crucial role in GH promotion at this stage.
Long-Term Design of Mangrove Landfills as an Effective Tide Attenuator under Relative Sea-Level Rise
Authors: Takagi Hiroshi
Published: April 2018

A mangrove ecosystem is an important option in Ecosystem based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR). The effectiveness of an artificial mangrove landfill in reducing tidal amplitudes was studied by performing a coupled numerical model that simulated wave propagation and soil consolidation. The constructed model simulated the propagation of tide over an artificial landfill that was subjected to land subsidence, sea-level rise, vegetation growth, and sediment deposition. A case study analysis confirmed that the tidal amplitudes are reduced if the initial elevation of the landfill is appropriately considered to achieve an equilibrium state of the landfill over its lifetime. Sediment deposition may be the only dependable source to sustain the surface elevation of a mangrove with relative sea-level rise. Sediment deposition is important to promote vegetation growth, which in turn contributes to sedimentation by enhancing a tranquil hydrodynamic environment. An insufficient initial elevation of the landfill will result in less effective protection against tidal propagation after it substantially subsides.
Urban Agriculture as a Sustainability Transition Strategy for Shrinking Cities? Land Use Change Trajectory as an Obstacle in Kyoto City, Japan
Authors: Oda Kimisato , Rupprecht Christoph D. D. , Tsuchiya Kazuaki , McGreevy Steven R.
Published: April 2018

Can shrinking cities harness population decline to improve their sustainability by repurposing land use, for example, for localizing food production? Whether such a transition is feasible depends on the pre-shrinkage state of urban agricultural land use, including ongoing trends in local land use change. This study examined agricultural land use from 2007–2017 in Kyoto City, Japan. Kyoto is on the brink of a large projected population decline (~190,000 or ~13% until 2040) and serves as a representative for a large number of regional Japanese cities in a similar situation. Analysis was based on a public 2007 land use data set, aerial and satellite imagery and ground truthing. Results showed a decline of 209 ha or 10% in agricultural land use over ten years, but also highlight the diversity of ongoing agricultural land use types not captured by standard categories. The main post-agricultural land uses were residential (40%) and vacant land (28%). These results have implications for planning and policy. Kyoto City is currently not set to benefit from the projected shrinking process through localizing food production, despite a tradition of vegetable production. Future research should analyze drivers of change for observed agricultural land use.
Landscape Greening Policies-based Land Use/Land Cover Simulation for Beijing and Islamabad—An Implication of Sustainable Urban Ecosystems
Authors: Naeem Shahid , Cao Chunxiang , Fatima Khunsa , Najmuddin Omaid , Acharya Bipin
Published: April 2018

City green infrastructure (CGI) makes cities more resilient and sustainable, as required by the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 11–Sustainable Cities and Communities. Based on the CGI policies of Beijing, land use/land cover (LULC) changes of two Asian capitals, Beijing, China and Islamabad, Pakistan, are simulated. LULC maps for 2010 and 2015 are developed by applying object-based image analysis (OBIA) to Landsat imagery. Dynamics of land system (DLS) model was used to simulate the LULC changes for 2020 and 2025 under three scenarios: (1) business-as-usual (BAU); (2) urban green space work plan (UGWP); and (3) landscape and greening policies (LGP). Results reveal that DLS is efficient than other simulation models. The BAU scenario predicts an overall expansion in Beijing’s greenery, while Islamabad will encounter a decline by 7.3 km2 per year. Under the UGWP scenario, urban green spaces and other vegetation area of Beijing will expand by 7.6 km2, while, for Islamabad, vegetation degradation rate will slow down to 6.9 km2 per year. The LGP scenario envisage a massive increase of 23.5 km2 per year in green resources of Beijing and Islamabad’s green land loss rate will further slowdown to 6.1 km2 per year. It is inferred from the results that vegetation degradation in Islamabad need to lessen by implementing LGP policy after basic amendments according to the local conditions and available resources.
Environmental Implications of Eco-Labeling for Rice Farming Systems
Authors: Kim Solhee , Kim Taegon , Smith Timothy , Suh Kyo
Published: April 2018

Concerns about climate change have forced countries to strengthen regulations, standards, and certifications related to greenhouse gas emissions. Various policies targeting farm products, such as carbon labeling and the Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Product Certification (EFAPC) for agricultural products, have been implemented in South Korea to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implications of the various certification systems for rice farming, including organic farming, non-pesticide farming, and low-pesticide farming. For this study, we constructed a life cycle inventory (LCI) of rice farming systems including conventional, low-pesticide, non-pesticide, and organic farming systems in South Korea. Finally, we compared international farming systems in South Korea, the U.S., and the EU. The rice farming systems with eco-labeling certifications have reduced the environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of rice farming by country were highest in the U.S. (100.0), followed by the EU (53.7), and Korea’s conventional (48.6), low-pesticide (35.8), non-pesticide (28.9), and organic (16.7) farming practices. These results may be useful in proliferating and improving the methodology to evaluate eco-labeling and carbon labeling systems.
Green Total Factor Productivity Growth and Its Determinants in China’s Industrial Economy
Authors: Chen Chaofan , Lan Qingxin , Gao Ming , Sun Yawen
Published: April 2018

This paper employs directional distance function (DDF) and the global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) productivity index to measure the green total factor productivity (GTFP) growth of China’s 36 industrial sectors from 2000 to 2014. Based on this, this paper ascertains the determinants of GTFP from the perspectives of institution, technology, and structure, and the determinant factors that affect GTFP are empirically tested by a dynamic panel data (DPD) model. The research shows that, considering energy consumption and environmental undesirable outputs, the industrial GTFP goes backwards by 0.02% per year on average, and the contributions of GTFP to output growth are far from the target value of 50% in all industrial sectors, which indicates that the growth of industrial economy sacrifices resources and environment to a certain degree. In terms of the determinant factors of GTFP, environmental regulation does improve the GTFP, while environmental regulation is difficult to promote GTFP by the route of technological innovation. Compared with technology importation, the driving effect of independent research and development on GTFP is obvious, especially promoting the GTFP of moderately and lightly polluting industries, while the driving effect in heavily polluting industries is poor. Endowment structure and property right structure play a positive role in improving GTFP, but the impacts of capital structure and energy structure on GTFP are poor.