bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corporate Sustainability and CEO–Employee Pay Gap—Buster or Booster?
Authors: Gómez-Bezares Fernando , Przychodzen Wojciech , Przychodzen Justyna
Published: October 2019

There is a general agreement that extensive remuneration gaps may cause pressing environmental, social, and economic problems. Thus, a critical question to be answered is what is the effect of being at the forefront of corporate sustainability on the CEO–employee pay gap. This paper addresses the question by examining empirical evidence from 415 constituents of the S&P 1500 index over the years 2006–2016. For the above period, we found a positive relationship between a strong commitment to sustainable development at the firm level and the CEO–employee pay differential. Additionally, firms characterized by higher performance, growth potential, and financial robustness constituted more dispersed salary distribution environments. The findings also suggest that CEO gender has a significant effect on the pay gap with a moderating influence of female CEOs. The paper contributes to the literature by shedding additional light on the urgent need for the implementation of a limit capping the CEO–worker pay ratio at a certain, responsible level as one of screening criteria used by sustainability ranking providers. Furthermore, it also shows that leading corporations in the area of sustainability do not implement any serious solutions in the above area on their own accord.
An Intellectual Capital Approach to Citizens’ Quality of Life in Sustainable Cities: A Focus on Europe
Authors: López-Ruiz Víctor-Raúl , Alfaro-Navarro José-Luis , Nevado-Peña Domingo
Published: October 2019

The quality of life of citizens in a city is related to the sustainable decisions made by their leaders. By using principal component analysis (PCA) and taking an intellectual capital perspective (all sources of knowledge in human, relational and structural areas), we explore which of the three dimensions used to measure the sustainability of a city—economic, social or environmental—has the greatest effect on a subjective measurement of quality of life. We propose an econometric model based on a tangible production model to study the relationship between the quality of life and sustainability. To that end, we perform an in-depth examination of the different effects on the four dimensions that comprise the measure of the subjective quality of life: satisfaction, mobility, integration and public service. The results of the estimated model of citizens’ quality of life confirm the existence of a direct relationship for the 52 European cities under study; however, the least relevant role is played by the environmental dimension, which is still unappreciated by citizens. Conversely, the economic and social dimension are found to be determinants in all cases, except for social integration. Therefore, a key requirement of the management aimed at achieving sustainable development in European cities is to activate the environmental dimension.
Addressing the Role of Landraces in the Sustainability of Mediterranean Agroecosystems
Authors: Carranza-Gallego Guiomar , Guzmán Gloria I. , Garcia-Ruíz Roberto , González de Molina Manuel , Aguilera Eduardo
Published: October 2019

Wheat yields are predicted to decrease over the next decades due to climate change (CC). Mediterranean regions are characterized by low soil fertility and stressful conditions that limit the effect of technological improvements on increasing yield gains, while worsening the negative CC impacts. Additionally, organic farming (OF) lacks specifically adapted genetic material. Accordingly, there is a need to search for varieties adapted to these conditions and whose cultivation may help semi-arid agroecosystems sustainability, focusing on specific agronomic and functional traits. To this purpose, wheat landraces and modern wheat varieties were evaluated under Mediterranean rainfed conditions during three growing seasons under contrasting situations: A conventional farm and an organic farm. Results regarding straw production, weed biomass and biodiversity, and grain N concentration suggest that the cultivation of landraces under Mediterranean rainfed conditions can enhance agroecosystem sustainability through positive effects on ecosystem services such as soil quality, functional biodiversity, or grain protein content, without significant reductions in grain yield. Results highlight the relevant role of wheat landraces as genetic resources for the development of cultivars adapted to Mediterranean agroecosystems conditions, especially for organic farming, but also for conventional agriculture.
An Efficient Representation Using Harmony Search for Solving the Virtual Machine Consolidation
Authors: Kim MinJun , Hong JuneSeok , Kim Wooju
Published: October 2019

A data center with a large number of servers, large storage, and many network devices requires power for cooling to reduce heat generation, air conditioning, and emergency power generation facilities, in addition to power for operation internally consumed by infrastructure equipment. The power consumed by data centers worldwide makes up a large proportion. Although the size of data centers is expected to increase, we are already faced with power problems because stability is prioritized over efficiency when operating data centers in order to meet the Service Level Agreement (SLA) conditions. Most data centers are in a virtualization environment, and virtual machine consolidation using physical machine (PM) transitions to the idle mode through virtual machine (VM) migration has been suggested as one of the most effective ways to reduce the amount of power usage in a data center. This study takes into account the characteristics of virtualization environments and presents an algorithm that effectively solves VM consolidation (VMC) through operator design using a grouping representation method and a meta-heuristic method known as harmony search.
The Assessment of Carbon Performance under the Region-Sector Perspective based on the Nonparametric Estimation: A Case Study of the Northern Province in China
Authors: Wang Xian’En , Wang Shimeng , Wang Xipan , Li Wenbo , Song Junnian , Duan Haiyan , Wang Shuo
Published: October 2019

China is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the world, and the Chinese government has accordingly proposed a series of measures to achieve a low-carbon economy. Due to the low carbon emission performance (CEP) and the high industry portion of the northern provinces in China, evaluating the CEPs of industrial sectors in northern China is necessary. By considering the different CEP assessments in regional and industrial research, a dual-perspective assessment of CEP was presented to narrow the gap between the regional and industrial perspectives. The dual model of slack-based measure (SBM) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) was combined with the global Malmquist–Luenberger index (GMLI) proposed to measure the static CEP and the dynamic change of the CEP of six provinces in northern China from 2006–15 for the regional and industrial perspectives, respectively. A comparison of the results under the different perspectives proved the irrationality of our evaluation under the sole perspective. For example, for Jilin Province, the CEPs of Mining and Processing of Nonmetal and Other Ores (Sector 4) ranked in the top 30% in the regional perspective. However, in the industrial level, the CEPs of Mining and Processing of Nonmetal and Other Ores (Sector 4) ranked lower. The CEPs of the Production and Supply of Electric Power and Heat Power (Sector 20) of Heilongjiang Province ranked in the bottom 30% in a regional perspective but ranked first at the industrial level. We also found the advantage sectors in the CEP under the region–sector dual perspective. For example, for Jilin Province, the Processing of Petroleum, Coking, and Processing of Nuclear Fuel (Sector 10) and the manufacture of Transport Equipment (Sector 16) were the advantageous sectors. The dual-perspective assessment aimed to evaluate the CEP under diverse views. It also provided a more reliable path to reduce CO2 emissions for managers and regulators.
Are Corporate Social Responsibility Courses Effective? A Longitudinal and Gender-Based Analysis in Undergraduate Students
Authors: Ruiz-Palomino Pablo , Martínez-Cañas Ricardo , Jiménez-Estévez Pedro
Published: October 2019

Despite the growing professional and academic interest in sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in recent decades, moral lapses continue to happen in the business arena. Because undergraduate students will be the managers and professionals of the future, training these students to be socially responsible is seen as critically relevant for reducing the likelihood of such moral lapses. However, the question of whether CSR courses can be effective is still debated and little is known about the role that gender may play in this relationship. This study analyzed data from 97 undergraduate students enrolled in a CSR course at a Spanish state university. These data were collected twice, (1) a week before the course had started and (2) a week after the course had been completed. The general lineal modelling (GLM) (repeated measures) procedure in SPSS revealed that CSR courses enhance students’ ethical decision-making. More importantly, the positive impact of these courses is stronger for female students than for male students. Thus, this study demonstrates the positive impact of corporate social responsibility courses on students’ ethical decision making, and sheds light on the target (female students) on which these courses is most effective.
Cultural Heritage and Tourism Basis for Regional Development: Mapping of Scientific Coverage
Authors: Álvarez-García José , Maldonado-Erazo Claudia Patricia , Del Río-Rama María de la Cruz , Castellano-Álvarez Francisco Javier
Published: October 2019

The aim of this research is to carry out a bibliometric and bibliographic study of the scientific production indexed in the international databases Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) on the use of cultural heritage by tourism as an alternative for regional development. This research allows us to observe the current situation of this area of study and to develop a research roadmap on this subject. The methodology used focuses on applying productivity, dispersion, collaboration, and citation indicators to a set of 103 articles identified through an advanced search of terms, in addition to applying an iterative analysis for the bibliographic study. The main findings of this study show that the documents are mostly analytical, mainly signed by a single author, and the productivity rate per author is 1.04. The co-author index in the subject is 2.34, and the subject is in an exponential growth phase that began in 2004, with a ratio of 6.53 articles/year, with the majority of the production being by a single author per article. The country with the highest production is China, with 28 articles, 26 authors, 28 authorships, and 15 centers, followed by the Russian Federation, with 21 articles. Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malaysia) is the most productive institution, with 15 authorships, and there is a group of aspiring authors (between 2 and 4 articles) whose geographical affiliation is Malaysia, a group that represents 3% of the total of authors and concentrates 17 articles.
Strategic Outcome Using Fuzzy-AHP-Based Decision Approach for Sustainable Manufacturing
Authors: Rehman Ateekh , Mian Syed , Umer Usama , Usmani Yusuf
Published: October 2019

The manifestation of new part designs and continuously changing market demands as well as the requirements of new functions and technologies often results in higher material cost, lesser machine utilization, and extensive wastage of energy. As a consequence, companies across the world are striving for sustainable manufacturing, which can ensure flexibility as well as adaptability, with higher productivity and lesser wastage of resources. The dynamic and competitive nature of the world market emphasizes the importance of economically sustainable setups, such as reconfigurable cellular manufacturing systems (RCMSs). Indeed, among several cutting-edge strategies, the RCMS is the most prominent owing to its versatility, rationality, and resilience. However, one of the limitations associated with RCMS is the evaluation and selection of the best configuration that can meet abrupt changes and achieve manufacturing sustainability. Therefore, organizations intending to reconfigure have to address the issue of evaluating all possible alternatives and selecting the best one using a well-defined methodology. This paper focuses on evaluating and finding the best configuration using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches depending on PROMETHEE and VIKOR. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is utilized to compute the weights of various criteria because it also considers any uncertainty and vagueness existing in the problem. The assessing attributes in this study are selected by keeping in mind the objective of sustainable manufacturing. The two MCDM methods are utilized for ranking different configurations to ascertain the results obtained from the other. The study accomplished in this paper is related to manufacturing setups that need to be reconfigured. The number of manufacturing configurations is determined, and simulation models are established for each configuration. The simulation outcomes are examined using the FAHP-PROMETHEE and FAHP-VIKOR to assess the appropriateness of each configuration depending on the identified performance measures. The results of the experiments show the importance of employing MCDM in RCMS to achieve sustainable manufacturing and determining the most effective setup.
A System Dynamics Model of Online Stores’ Sales: Positive and Negative E-WOM and Promotion Perspective
Authors: Yan Qiang , Zhou Simin , Zhang Xiaoyan , Li Ye
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we build a causal interaction diagram between the factors that may influence the sales and profits of online stores. An online store’s real operation data were used to help determine the causal relationship between variables. Finally, we proposed a system dynamics model and conducted a simulation of the operation of an online store. In this model, we focused on the impact of promotion and positive/negative electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on the sales and profits of the online stores. The simulation results showed a similar trend to the real data and the main research finding showed that promotion is not a long-term measure for the sustainable development of online stores. Excessive promotion effort may lead to consumers’ dissatisfaction leading the increase of negative e-WOM. The systematic simulation can help us understand better the long-term effect of promotion and e-WOM on the operation of online stores. Finally, we gave some management suggestions for online stores’ sustainable operations.
Flamenco Tourism from the Viewpoint of Its Protagonists: A Sustainable Vision Using Lean Startup Methodology
Authors: Millán Vázquez de la Torre Maria Genoveva , Millán Lara Salud , Arjona-Fuentes Juan Manuel
Published: October 2019

Flamenco is an art born in and inextricably associated with Andalusia in the south of Spain. The purity, the feelings it transmits, and the originality of its expression have made it known worldwide and it has been declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO. This declaration, combined with the Spain’s tourist boom in the last years, has transformed this exclusive art into an important tourist industry with all the entailing perils for its survival. By means of the Lean Canvas model, combined with a survey of a panel of flamenco experts (especially artists), this study analyzed the fundamental factors that are key to developing a tourism product that, while respectful of its essence, offers tourists a genuine and quality product.
Delineating the Regional Economic Geography of China by the Approach of Community Detection
Authors: Wu Kang , Tang Jingxian , Long Ying
Published: October 2019

With the obvious regionalization trend in the new period of urbanization in China, the scientific delineation of functional regions (FRs) at different scales has become a heated topic recently. Since the 20th century, western academia has formed a basic idea of metropolitan areas’ (MAs) delineation based on population density and commuting rate, for which the subjectivity of threshold setting is difficult to overcome. In this study, community detection algorithms from the field of network science are employed, namely the Louvain algorithm with adjustable resolutions and Combo with high-precision output, respectively. We take the nationwide car-hailing data set as an example to explore a bottom-up method for delineating regional economic geography at different scales based on the interconnection strength between nodes. It was found that most of the prefecture-level cities in China have a dominant commuting region and two or three secondary commuting sub-regions, while regional central cities have extended their commuting hinterlands over jurisdictional boundaries, which is not common due to the larger initial administrative divisions and the comprehensive development niveau of cities. The feasibility and limitation of community detection partitioning algorithms in the application of regional science are verified. It is supposed to be widely used in regional delimitation supported by big data. Both of the two algorithms show a shortage of ignorance of spatial proximity. It is necessary to explore new algorithms that can adjust both accuracy and spatial distance as parameters.
The Combined Influence of Cover Crops and Manure on Maize and Soybean Yield in a Kentucky Silt Loam Soil
Authors: Gebremedhin Maheteme , Sarr Sait , Coyne Mark , Sistani Karamat R. , Simmons Jason
Published: October 2019

Management that degrades soil can be one of the main causes of low agricultural productivity and environmental problems in many agricultural regions. There is renewed interest in soil conservation practices to promote sustainable agriculture by improving soil quality and productivity. In this study, the short-term on-farm benefits of cover crops and manure on crop yield and biomass were examined during two consecutive growing seasons. The experiment was conducted at a small-producer farm in Logan County, Kentucky, USA. Soybean (Glycine max L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) were used as summer annual rotation crops in no-tilled soils. A cover crop mix of cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) was planted after the main crop was harvested each year. Aboveground biomass of the soybean and maize were assessed, and yield was estimated from hand-harvested plants. In the first year of the study (2016), there were apparent but not significant beneficial effects of animal manure and cover crops on soybean yield, but not on biomass. The biomass and maize grain yield in the second year (2017) were detectable, significant, and increased as a result of the cover crops and manure application (p < 0.05). While beneficial effects of combining cover crops and manure may not be obvious in the first year of a rotation, they can be apparent in subsequent years. However, longer-term observation and measurement are necessary to better quantify the relationship between sustainable conservation practices and productivity.
Behavior of Pb During Coal Combustion: An Overview
Authors: Bartoňová Lucie , Raclavská Helena , Čech Bohumír , Kucbel Marek
Published: October 2019

Despite the progress in understanding heavy metals behavior during coal combustion, mitigation of heavy metals emissions is still a tough challenge due to a complex character of this phenomenon. Several lists of potentially toxic elements have been presented; in most cases, Pb belongs to the elements with the greatest environmental and human-health concern. The review paper is focused upon the behavior of Pb during coal combustion. with particular attention paid to decreasing its emissions. It summarizes the dominant parameters affecting its redistribution among coal combustion streams. As gaseous emissions can quite easily pass through the particulate control device, attention was paid primarily to Pb distribution between condensed and volatilized phases. A crucial factor enhancing Pb volatility is the presence of organic or inorganic chlorides, which is discussed in detail, including their chlorination mechanisms and interactions with other fuel/flue gas species. Components decreasing Pb volatility and promoting the formation of condensed phases are also discussed (higher levels of moisture, Na, O2 etc.). Factors enhancing Pb volatility, as well as factors facilitating Pb retention, are discussed with the view of fluidized-bed combustion, pulverized-fuel combustion, or co-combustion of coal with wastes.
Large-Eddy Simulation of an Asymmetric Plane Diffuser: Comparison of Different Subgrid Scale Models
Authors: Tang Hui , Lei Yulong , Li Xingzhong , Fu Yao
Published: October 2019

Large-eddy simulation (LES) of separated turbulent flow through an asymmetric plane diffuser is investigated. The outcome of an actual LES depends on the quality of the subgrid-scale (SGS) model, as well as the accuracy of the numerical method used to solve the equations for the resolved scales. In this paper, we focus on the influence of SGS models for LES of the diffuser flow through using a high-order finite difference method to solve the equations for the resolved scales. Six resolutions are computed to investigate the influence of mesh resolution. Four existing SGS models, a new one-equation dynamic SGS model and a direct numerical simulation (DNS) are conducted in the diffuser flow. A series of computational analyses is performed to assess the performance of different SGS models on the coarse grids. By comparison with the experiment and DNS, the results produced by the new one-equation dynamic model give better agreement with experiment and DNS than the four other existing SGS models.
A Dynamical System with Random Parameters as a Mathematical Model of Real Phenomena
Authors: Diblík Josef , Dzhalladova Irada , Růžičková Miroslava
Published: October 2019

In many cases, it is difficult to find a solution to a system of difference equations with random structure in a closed form. Thus, a random process, which is the solution to such a system, can be described in another way, for example, by its moments. In this paper, we consider systems of linear difference equations whose coefficients depend on a random Markov or semi-Markov chain with jumps. The moment equations are derived for such a system when the random structure is determined by a Markov chain with jumps. As an example, three processes: Threats to security in cyberspace, radiocarbon dating, and stability of the foreign currency exchange market are modelled by systems of difference equations with random parameters that depend on a semi-Markov or Markov process. The moment equations are used to obtain the conditions under which the processes are stable.
Phytotoxic Metabolites Produced by Legume-Associated Ascochyta and Its Related Genera in the Dothideomycetes
Authors: Kim Wonyong , Chen Weidong
Published: October 2019

Phytotoxins, secondary metabolites toxic to plants and produced by fungi, are believed to play an important role in disease development by targeting host cellular machineries and/or interfering with host immune responses. The Ascochyta blight diseases on different legume plants are caused by Ascochyta and related taxa, such as Phoma. The causal agents of the Ascochyta blight are often associated with specific legume plants, showing a relatively narrow host range. The legume-associated Ascochyta and Phoma are known to produce a diverse array of polyketide-derived secondary metabolites, many of which exhibited significant phytotoxicity and have been claimed as virulence or pathogenicity factors. In this article, we reviewed the current state of knowledge on the diversity and biological activities of the phytotoxic compounds produced by Ascochyta and Phoma species. Also, we touched on the secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters identified thus far and discussed the role of metabolites in the fungal biology.
Continuous Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars: Current Status and Prospects
Authors: Sieniawska Magdalena , Bejger Michał
Published: October 2019

Gravitational waves astronomy allows us to study objects and events invisible in electromagnetic waves. It is crucial to validate the theories and models of the most mysterious and extreme matter in the Universe: the neutron stars. In addition to inspirals and mergers of neutrons stars, there are currently a few proposed mechanisms that can trigger radiation of long-lasting gravitational radiation from neutron stars, such as e.g., elastically and/or magnetically driven deformations: mountains on the stellar surface supported by the elastic strain or magnetic field, free precession, or unstable oscillation modes (e.g., the r-modes). The astrophysical motivation for continuous gravitational waves searches, current LIGO and Virgo strategies of data analysis and prospects are reviewed in this work.
Npro of Classical Swine Fever Virus Suppresses Type III Interferon Production by Inhibiting IRF1 Expression and Its Nuclear Translocation
Authors: Cao Tong , Li Xiaoye , Xu Yonghao , Zhang Shengnan , Wang Zuohuan , Shan Ying , Sun Jianhe , Fang Weihuan , Li Xiaoliang
Published: October 2019

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) causes a contagious disease of pigs. The virus can break the mucosal barrier to establish its infection. Type III interferons (IFN-λs) play a crucial role in maintaining the antiviral state in epithelial cells. Limited information is available on whether or how CSFV modulates IFN-λs production. We found that IFN-λ3 showed dose-dependent suppression of CSFV replication in IPEC-J2 cells. Npro-deleted CSFV mutant (∆Npro) induced significantly higher IFN-λs transcription from 24 h post-infection (hpi) than its parental strain (wtCSFV). The strain wtCSFV strongly inhibited IFN-λs transcription and IFN-λ3 promoter activity in poly(I:C)-stimulated IPEC-J2 cells, whereas ∆Npro did not show such inhibition. Npro overexpression caused significant reduction of IFN-λs transcription and IFN-λ3 promoter activity. Both wtCSFV and ∆Npro infection induced time-dependent IRF1 expression in IPEC-J2 cells, with ΔNpro showing more significant induction, particularly at 24 hpi. However, infection with wtCSFV or Npro overexpression led not only to significant reduction of IRF1 expression and its promoter activity in poly(I:C)-treated IPEC-J2 cells but also to blockage of IRF1 nuclear translocation. This study provides clear evidence that CSFV Npro suppresses IRF1-mediated type III IFNs production by inhibiting IRF1 expression and its nuclear translocation.
The First Complete Genome Sequences of Hepatitis C Virus Subtype 2b from Latin America: Molecular Characterization and Phylogeographic Analysis
Authors: Spitz Natália , Barros José J. , do Ó Kycia M. , Brandão-Mello Carlos E. , Araujo Natalia M.
Published: October 2019

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) has remarkable genetic diversity and exists as eight genotypes (1 to 8) with distinct geographic distributions. No complete genome sequence of HCV subtype 2b (HCV-2b) is available from Latin American countries, and the factors underlying its emergence and spread within the continent remain unknown. The present study was conducted to determine the first full-length genomic sequences of HCV-2b isolates from Latin America and reconstruct the spatial and temporal diversification of this subtype in Brazil. Nearly complete HCV-2b genomes isolated from two Brazilian patients were obtained by direct sequencing of long PCR fragments and analyzed together with reference sequences using the Bayesian coalescent and phylogeographic framework approaches. The two HCV-2b genomes were 9318 nucleotides (nt) in length (nt 37–9354). Interestingly, the long RT-PCR technique was able to detect co-circulation of viral variants that contained an in-frame deletion of 2022 nt encompassing E1, E2, and p7 proteins. Spatiotemporal reconstruction analyses suggest that HCV-2b had a single introduction in Brazil during the early 1980s, displaying an epidemic history characterized by a low and virtually constant population size until the present time. These results coincide with epidemiological data in Brazil and may explain the low national prevalence of this subtype.
Susceptibility of Chickens to Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) Viruses of Wild Bird– and Poultry–Associated Subtypes
Authors: Bergervoet Saskia A. , Germeraad Evelien A. , Alders Marc , Roose Marit M. , Engelsma Marc Y. , Heutink Rene , Bouwstra Ruth , Fouchier Ron A.M. , Beerens Nancy
Published: October 2019

Analysis of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses circulating in the Netherlands in a previous study revealed associations of specific hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subtypes with wild bird or poultry hosts. In this study, we identified putative host associations in LPAI virus internal proteins. We show that LPAI viruses isolated from poultry more frequently carried the allele A variant of the nonstructural protein (NS) gene, compared to wild bird viruses. We determined the susceptibility of chickens to wild bird–associated subtypes H3N8 and H4N6 and poultry-associated subtypes H8N4 and H9N2, carrying either NS allele A or B, in an infection experiment. We observed variations in virus shedding and replication patterns, however, these did not correlate with the predicted wild bird- or poultry-associations of the viruses. The experiment demonstrated that LPAI viruses of wild bird-associated subtypes can replicate in chickens after experimental infection, despite their infrequent detection in poultry. Although the NS1 protein is known to play a role in immune modulation, no differences were detected in the limited innate immune response to LPAI virus infection. This study contributes to a better understanding of the infection dynamics of LPAI viruses in chickens.
Characterization of Ethanol Extracted Cell Wall Components of Mycobacterium avium Subsp. paratuberculosis
Authors: Bannantine John P. , Wadhwa Ashutosh , Stabel Judith R. , Eda Shigetoshi
Published: October 2019

Antigens extracted using ethanol (EtOH) and incorporated in the EtOH vortex ELISA (EVELISA) test have previously shown high specificity and sensitivity for detecting Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) and M. bovis infections in cattle. The objective of this study is to define the components present in the EtOH extract. We show that this extract is composed of lipid, carbohydrate, and proteins on the surface of the bacilli, and that EtOH removes the outer layer structure of Map which comprise these elements. To identify proteins, polyclonal antibodies to the EtOH prep were produced and used to screen a Map genomic expression library. Seven overlapping clones were identified with a single open reading frame, MAP_0585, common to all. MAP_0585, which encodes a hypothetical protein, was recombinantly produced and used to demonstrate strong reactivity in sera from hyperimmunized rabbits, but this protein is not strongly immunogenic in cattle with Johne’s disease. A panel of monoclonal antibodies was used to determine the presence of additional proteins in the EtOH extract. These antibodies demonstrated that a well-known antigen, termed MPB83, is present in M. bovis EtOH extracts and a fatty acid desaturase (MAP_2698c) is present in Map EtOH extracts, while lipoarabinomannan was common to both. The lipid and carbohydrate components of the extract were analyzed using thin layer chromatography and lectin binding, respectively. Lectin biding and protease treatment of the EtOH extract suggest the antigenic component is carbohydrate and not protein. These results give further insight into this important antigen prep for detecting mycobacterial diseases of cattle.
Analysis of Raindrop Size Distribution Characteristics in Permafrost Regions of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Based on New Quality Control Scheme
Authors: Ma Lu , Zhao Lin , Yang Daqing , Xiao Yao , Zhang Lele , Qiao Yongping
Published: October 2019

Raindrop size distribution (DSD) can reflect the fundamental microphysics of precipitation and provide an accurate estimation of its amount and characteristics; however, there are few observations and investigations of DSD in cold, mountainous regions. We used the second-generation particle size and velocity disdrometer Parsivel2 to establish a quality control scheme for raindrop spectral data obtained for the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in 2015. This scheme included the elimination of particles in the lowest two size classes, particles >10 mm in diameter and rain rates <0.01 mm · h−1. We analyzed the DSD characteristics for different types of precipitation and rain rates in both permafrost regions and regions with seasonally frozen ground. The precipitation in the permafrost regions during the summer were mainly solid with a large particle size and slow fall velocity, whereas the precipitation in the regions with seasonally frozen ground were mainly liquid. The DSD of snow had a broader drop spectrum, the largest particle size, the slowest fall velocity, and the largest number of particles, followed by hail. Rain and sleet shared similar DSD characteristics, with a smaller particle size, slower velocity, and smaller number of particles. The particle concentration for different classes of rain rate decreased with an increase in particle size and decreased gradually with an increase in rain rate. Precipitation with a rain rate >2 mm · h−1 was the main contributor to the annual precipitation. The dewpoint thresholds for snow and rain in permafrost regions were 0 and 1.5 °C, respectively. The dewpoint range 0–1.5 °C was characterized by mixed precipitation with a large proportion of hail. This study provides valuable DSD information on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and can be used as an important reference for the quality control of raindrop spectral data in regions dominated by solid precipitation.
Selection of Bias Correction Methods to Assess the Impact of Climate Change on Flood Frequency Curves
Authors: Soriano Enrique , Mediero Luis , Garijo Carlos
Published: October 2019

Climate projections provided by EURO-CORDEX predict changes in annual maximum series of daily rainfall in the future in some areas of Spain because of climate change. Precipitation and temperature projections supplied by climate models do not usually fit exactly the statistical properties of the observed time series in the control period. Bias correction methods are used to reduce such errors. This paper seeks to find the most adequate bias correction techniques for temperature and precipitation projections that minimizes the errors between observations and climate model simulations in the control period. Errors in flood quantiles are considered to identify the best bias correction techniques, as flood quantiles are used for hydraulic infrastructure design and safety assessment. In addition, this study aims to understand how the expected changes in precipitation extremes and temperature will affect the catchment response in flood events in the future. Hydrological modelling is required to characterize rainfall-runoff processes adequately in a changing climate, in order to estimate flood changes expected in the future. Four catchments located in the central-western part of Spain have been selected as case studies. The HBV hydrological model has been calibrated in the four catchments by using the observed precipitation, temperature and streamflow data available on a daily scale. Rainfall has been identified as the most significant input to the model, in terms of its influence on flood response. The quantile mapping polynomial correction has been found to be the best bias correction method for precipitation. A general reduction in flood quantiles is expected in the future, smoothing the increases identified in precipitation quantiles by the reduction of soil moisture content in catchments, due to the expected increase in temperature and decrease in mean annual precipitations.
Combination of Structural Measures for Flood Prevention in Anyangcheon River Basin, South Korea
Authors: Kim Kyunghun , Han Daegun , Kim Deokhwan , Wang Wonjoon , Jung Jaewon , Kim Jungwook , Kim Hung Soo
Published: October 2019

Climate change and fast urbanization increased rainfall intensity and runoff discharge. These changes lead to the growing possibility of flood damages. In South Korea, a government established the “Comprehensive Flood Prevention Plan (CFPP)” for each of river basin against flood. The plan is based on the combination of structural measures selected by experienced hydrologists. However, it lacks clear criteria. To solving this problem, this study classifies the structural measures and suggests a combination method, which use relationships between measures, to ensure the objectivity of the process in identifying proper measures. For Anyangcheon river basin, two plans are provided; the first is developed by the study, and the other is by the CFPP. Comparing the two plans, the results show that the combination, selected by proposed method in this study, is economically more feasible compared to CFPP. Therefore, this study expected be useful when selecting and combining structural measures for formulating river basin flood prevention plans.
Numerical Simulation of Flood Inundation in a Small-Scale Coastal Urban Area Due to Intense Rainfall and Poor Inner Drainage
Authors: Son Kwang-Ik , Jeong Woochang
Published: October 2019

This study presents the numerical simulation and analysis of the characteristics of the flood inundation in a small-scale coastal urban area due to the intense rainfall and poor inner drainage from the tidal level rise occurring during a typhoon. The employed numerical model is a two-dimensional finite volume model with a well-balanced HLLC (Harten–Lax–Van Leer contact) scheme. The target area is a coastal urban area downstream of the Gohyun river; which is located in Geoje City of Kyungsangnam Province, Korea. This area was significantly damaged by flood inundation due to the heavy rainfall and significant increase in the tidal level during Typhoon “Maemi”, which occurred in September 2003. The numerical model used in this study is verified using the flood inundation traces observed in the selected urban area. Moreover; the characteristics of the flood inundation based on the change in the river inflow due to the increase or decrease in the intensity of the possible heavy rainfall that may occur in the future are simulated and analyzed.
Evaluation of Partial Nitritation/Anammox (PN/A) Process Performance and Microorganisms Community Composition under Different C/N Ratio
Authors: Al-Hazmi Hussein , Grubba Dominika , Majtacz Joanna , Kowal Przemyslaw , Makinia Jacek
Published: October 2019

A one-stage partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process with intermittent aeration is possible under sidestream conditions, but implementation in a mainstream is a challenge due to increased Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratios in domestic wastewater. This study investigated the effect of C/N ratios on process efficiency and the effect of narrowing non-aeration time on process improvement at high chemical oxygen demand (COD) load. An increase in TN removal efficiency was achieved in both series with gradual change of C/N ratio from 1 to 3, from 65.1% to 83.4% and 63.5% to 78% in 1st and 2nd series, respectively. However, at the same time, the ammonium utilization rate (AUR) value decreased with the increase in C/N ratio. At a high COD (C/N = 3) concentration, the process broke down and regained productivity after narrowing the non-aeration time in both series. Shifts in the system performance were also connected to adaptive changes in microbial community revealed by data obtained from 16S rRNA NGS (next-generation sequencing), which showed intensive growth of the bacteria with dominant heterotrophic metabolism and the decreasing ratio of autotrophic bacteria. The study shows that deammonification is applicable to the mainstream provided that the C/N ratio and the aeration/non-aeration time are optimized.
A Review of the Internet of Floods: Near Real-Time Detection of a Flood Event and Its Impact
Authors: Van Ackere Samuel , Verbeurgt Jeffrey , De Sloover Lars , Gautama Sidharta , De Wulf Alain , De Maeyer Philippe
Published: October 2019

Worldwide, flood events frequently have a dramatic impact on urban societies. Time is key during a flood event in order to evacuate vulnerable people at risk, minimize the socio-economic, ecologic and cultural impact of the event and restore a society from this hazard as quickly as possible. Therefore, detecting a flood in near real-time and assessing the risks relating to these flood events on the fly is of great importance. Therefore, there is a need to search for the optimal way to collect data in order to detect floods in real time. Internet of Things (IoT) is the ideal method to bring together data of sensing equipment or identifying tools with networking and processing capabilities, allow them to communicate with one another and with other devices and services over the Internet to accomplish the detection of floods in near real-time. The main objective of this paper is to report on the current state of research on the IoT in the domain of flood detection. Current trends in IoT are identified, and academic literature is examined. The integration of IoT would greatly enhance disaster management and, therefore, will be of greater importance into the future.
Salient to Whom? The Positioning of German Political Parties on Agricultural Pollutants in Water Bodies
Authors: Schaub Simon
Published: October 2019

Scholars have increasingly argued for an integration of policies on agriculture and water due to their strong interlinkage. The entry of agricultural pollutants into water represents one of the main pressures on Europe’s ground and surface waters. This not only poses a risk to the environment and human health but also jeopardizes meeting the targets set by the EU Water Framework Directive. Research on the political agenda setting has shown that issue salience is key for triggering policy change. Nevertheless, Germany has repeatedly failed to adopt adequate policy measures despite the salience of the issue among the German public and increasing pressure by the EU. In this study, I shed light on the positioning of political parties in Germany on agricultural pollutants to explain the absence of policy change. More specifically, I ask whether there is an ideological division between political parties that hampers the adoption of effective, integrated policy measures. A qualitative content analysis of election manifestos published between 1998 and 2018 finds that political parties’ policy positions are predominantly influenced by their placement on an environmental and an economic ideological dimension. As a result, political parties in Germany advocate conflictive policy approaches, which is detrimental to the adoption of effective policy measures.
Pattern Recognition and Clustering of Transient Pressure Signals for Burst Location
Authors: Manzi Daniel , Brentan Bruno , Meirelles Gustavo , Izquierdo Joaquín , Luvizotto Edevar
Published: October 2019

A large volume of the water produced for public supply is lost in the systems between sources and consumers. An important—in many cases the greatest—fraction of these losses are physical losses, mainly related to leaks and bursts in pipes and in consumer connections. Fast detection and location of bursts plays an important role in the design of operation strategies for water loss control, since this helps reduce the volume lost from the instant the event occurs until its effective repair (run time). The transient pressure signals caused by bursts contain important information about their location and magnitude, and stamp on any of these events a specific "hydraulic signature". The present work proposes and evaluates three methods to disaggregate transient signals, which are used afterwards to train artificial neural networks (ANNs) to identify burst locations and calculate the leaked flow. In addition, a clustering process is also used to group similar signals, and then train specific ANNs for each group, thus improving both the computational efficiency and the location accuracy. The proposed methods are applied to two real distribution networks, and the results show good accuracy in burst location and characterization.
Activated Carbon and the Principal Mineral Constituents of a Natural Soil in the Presence of Carbamazepine
Authors: BIZI Mohamed
Published: October 2019

The presence of pharmaceutical residues in the different aquatic compartments is a major environmental issue. Carbamazepine (CBZ), a heterocyclic antiepileptic, which is neutral between pH 3 and 11, is known to resist biodegradation. Its elimination in wastewater treatment plants is below 20% regardless of the primary and/or secondary treatments currently implemented. Its presence in groundwater raises questions about soil permeability in relation to this molecule. In order to provide meaningful answers, the CBZ adsorption performances of the principal mineral constituents of a natural soil (alumina, quartz, goethite, haematite, kaolinite, montmorillonite, and a saponin stevensite) and of an industrial activated carbon were assessed. Prior to the batch adsorption tests, the texture, mineralogy, and zero point of charge of these products were determined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-visible spectrometry were used to characterize the CBZ used. With the exception of stevensite, these minerals did not adsorb CBZ. However, stevensite’s affinity for CBZ remained very low compared to that of activated carbon (235 mg/g, tap water), which proved to be the most appropriate product for eliminating CBZ. The π−π, CH−π, and hydrogen bonds are the basis for the interactions established between CBZ and activated carbon, and their combination increases the overall adsorption efficiency.
UM ESTUDO DE CASO SOBRE A OPINI�O DOS CLIENTES EM RELA��O AO ATENDIMENTO E AS CONDI��ES AMBIENTAIS DE UMA AG�NCIA BANCARIA NA CIDADE DE PARNAIBA-PI
Authors: Rodrigues Netto Edson Medeiros
Published: October 2019

A imagem criada, atrav�s de um estudo de caso, da opini�o dos clientes, relacionada ao atendimento dos caixas da ag�ncia bancaria da cidade de Parna�ba-PI. No mercado, para enfrentar a concorr�ncia com vantagem, � condi��o preponderante, at� mesmo pela sobreviv�ncia de uma empresa, um atendimento de qualidade, diferenciado. O cliente � atra�do pela qualidade do servi�o prestado, quando percebe um tratamento adequado e respeitoso,quando sente empatia e seguran�a no atendimento. Pretende-se, com base nas an�lises dos resultados de pesquisa, imprimir a��es para melhorar o atendimento, qualificando-o, e com isto garantir satisfa��o plena e fidelidade do cliente aos produtos e servi�os oferecidos pela empresa. As pesquisas foram elaboradas para 50 clientes, com finalidade de averiguar, como est�o sendo atendidas no setor caixa e qual melhoria deve ser implantada. O resultado obtido s�o 90% de descontentes, que sugerem um terceiro caixa devido ao tempo de espera e 10% sugerem a mesma coisa apenas para os dias de pico e cadeiras devido ao cansa�o. Quanto ao tratamento pessoal de cada caixa consideravam regulares. Conclui-se que o n�vel de satisfa��o dos clientes relativo ao atendimento dos caixas � ruim. Diante disto, deve-se implementar a��es para reverter este resultado para bom ou �timo e monitor�-lo para ,ap�s a altera��o, manter-se neste patamar aceit�vel, e com isto garantir a fidelidade do cliente.