bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Ergosterol Peroxide Conjugates as Mitochondria Targeting Probes for Enhanced Anticancer Activity
Authors: Bu Ming , Li Hongling , Wang Haijun , Wang Jing , Lin Yu , Ma Yukun
Published: September 2019

Inspired by the significant bioactivity of ergosterol peroxide, we designed and synthesized four fluorescent coumarin and ergosterol peroxide conjugates 8a–d through the combination of ergosterol peroxide with 7-N,N-diethylamino coumarins fluorophore. The cytotoxicity of synthesized conjugates against three human cancer cells (HepG2, SK-Hep1, and MCF-7) was evaluated. The results of fluorescent imaging showed that the synthesized conjugates 8a–d localized and enriched mainly in mitochondria, leading to significantly enhanced cytotoxicity over ergosterol peroxide. Furthermore, the results of biological functions of 8d showed that it could suppress cell colony formation, invasion, and migration; induce G2/M phase arrest of HepG2 cells, and increase the intracellular ROS level.
Synthesis of Highly Photoluminescent All-Inorganic CsPbX3 Nanocrystals via Interfacial Anion Exchange Reactions
Authors: Li Zongtao , Song Cunjiang , Rao Longshi , Lu Hanguang , Yan Caiman , Cao Kai , Ding Xinrui , Yu Binhai , Tang Yong
Published: September 2019

All-inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted significant attention owing to their fascinating electronic and optical properties. However, researchers still face challenges to achieve highly stable and photoluminescent CsPbX3 NCs at room temperature by the direct-synthesis method. Herein, we synthesize CsPbX3 NCs by a facile and environmentally friendly method, which uses an aqueous solution of metal halides to react with Cs4PbBr6 NCs via interfacial anion exchange reactions and without applying any pretreatment. This method produces monodisperse and air-stable CsPbX3 NCs with tunable spectra covering the entire visible range, narrow photoluminescence emission bandwidth, and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY, 80%). In addition, the chemical transformation mechanism between Cs4PbBr6 NCs and CsPbX3 NCs was investigated. The Cs4PbBr6 NCs were converted to CsPbBr3 NCs first by stripping CsBr, and then, the as-prepared CsPbBr3 NCs reacted with metal halides to form CsPbX3 NCs. This work takes advantage of the chemical transformation mechanism of Cs4PbBr6 NCs and provides an efficient and environmentally friendly way to synthesize CsPbX3 NCs.
Study of the Thermal Annealing on Structural and Morphological Properties of High-Porosity A-WO3 Films Synthesized by HFCVD
Authors: Cruz-Leal M. , Goiz O. , Chávez F. , Pérez-Sánchez G. F. , Hernández-Como N. , Santes V. , Felipe C.
Published: September 2019

High-porosity nanostructured amorphous tungsten OXIDE (a-WO3) films were synthesized by a Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition technique (HFCVD) and then transformed into a crystalline WO3 by simple thermal annealing. The a-WO3 films were annealed at 100, 300, and 500 °C for 10 min in an air environment. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and UV–vis spectroscopy. Results revealed that the a-WO3 films were highly porous, composed of cauliflower-like structures made of nanoparticles with average sizes of 12 nm. It was shown that the effect of annealing on the morphology of the a-WO3 films leads to a sintering process. However, the morphology is conserved. It was found that at annealing temperatures of 100 °C, the a-WO3 films are of an amorphous nature, while at 300 °C, the films crystallize in the monoclinic phase of WO3. The calculated bandgap for the a-WO3 was 3.09 eV, and 2.53 eV for the film annealed at 500 °C. Finally, the results show that porous WO3 films preserve the morphology and maintain the porosity, even after the annealing at 500 °C.
Fermentation of Milk into Yoghurt and Cheese Leads to Contrasting Lipid and Glyceride Profiles
Authors: Furse Samuel , Torres Alexandre G. , Koulman Albert
Published: September 2019

There is mounting evidence that the consumption of fermented dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt is associated with a reduced risk of type II diabetes. This effect is greater than in fresh milk and differs between cheese and yoghurt. However, the molecular components responsible for the effect are not known. We tested the hypothesis that the lipid and/or glyceride profiles of yoghurts and cheeses are distinct from one another and fresh milk. We developed a novel sample preparation technique for high-fat samples that can be used with Direct Infusion–Mass Spectrometry. We found that the lipid and glyceride profiles of cheddars from the UK, Ireland and France, and hard cheeses from Sweden and Italy were similar to one another but distinct from unfermented dairy products. The lipid and glyceride profile of yoghurts was varied and included types that may be similar to fresh milk. Several odd-chain-containing triglycerides were more abundant, while a variety of others were less abundant, in fermented milk samples. Phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines were more abundant in cheeses, with evidence that the phosphatidylethanomine profile is re-modelled in a way that reflects the bacterial cell envelope. We concluded that a combination of microorganismal metabolism, concentration of the lipid/glyceride fraction and oxidation during fermentation contribute to the observed lipid profile if fermented dairy foods. These differences in the lipid and glyceride profile provide a new avenue for understanding why different fermented dairy foods show a different association with reduced disease risk compared to unfermented dairy.
Why Secondary Analyses in Vitamin D Clinical Trials Are Important and How to Improve Vitamin D Clinical Trial Outcome Analyses—A Comment on “Extra-Skeletal Effects of Vitamin D, Nutrients 2019, 11, 1460”
Authors: Grant William B. , Boucher Barbara J.
Published: September 2019

Dear Editor, [...]
Effect of Germinated Pigmented Rice “Superjami” on the Glucose Level, Antioxidant Defense System, and Bone Metabolism in Menopausal Rat Model
Authors: Chung Soo Im , Ham Tae-ho , Kang Mi Young
Published: September 2019

Women experience physical, mental, and social changes during menopause. It is important to maintain a healthy diet for effective menopause management. The effect of germinated Superjami, a deep violet colored rice cultivar, on the body weight, glucose level, antioxidant defense system, and bone metabolism in a menopausal rat model was investigated. The animals were randomly divided into three groups and fed with a normal diet (ND), a control diet supplemented with 20% (w/w) non-germinated Superjami flour (NGSF), or germinated Superjami flour (GSF) for eight weeks. The NGSF and GSF groups exhibited significantly lower body weight and fat, glucose and insulin contents, adipokine concentrations, and bone resorption biomarker levels, and higher antioxidant enzyme activities and 17-β-estradiol content than the ND group (p < 0.05). The GSF group showed greater glucose homeostasis, antioxidative, and bone metabolism-improving effects compared with the NGSF group. These findings demonstrate that germination could further improve the health-promoting properties of Superjami and that this germinated pigmented rice cultivar could be useful in the treatment and management of menopause-induced hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and bone turnover imbalance.
Influence of Vitamin D on Islet Autoimmunity and Beta-Cell Function in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Infante Marco , Ricordi Camillo , Sanchez Janine , Clare-Salzler Michael J. , Padilla Nathalia , Fuenmayor Virginia , Chavez Carmen , Alvarez Ana , Baidal David , Alejandro Rodolfo , Caprio Massimiliano , Fabbri Andrea
Published: September 2019

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease leading to immune-mediated destruction of pancreatic beta cells, resulting in the need for insulin therapy. The incidence of T1D is increasing worldwide, thus prompting researchers to investigate novel immunomodulatory strategies to halt autoimmunity and modify disease progression. T1D is considered as a multifactorial disease, in which genetic predisposition and environmental factors interact to promote the triggering of autoimmune responses against beta cells. Over the last decades, it has become clear that vitamin D exerts anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, apart from its well-established role in the regulation of calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. Importantly, the global incidence of vitamin D deficiency is also dramatically increasing and epidemiologic evidence suggests an involvement of vitamin D deficiency in T1D pathogenesis. Polymorphisms in genes critical for vitamin D metabolism have also been shown to modulate the risk of T1D. Moreover, several studies have investigated the role of vitamin D (in different doses and formulations) as a potential adjuvant immunomodulatory therapy in patients with new-onset and established T1D. This review aims to present the current knowledge on the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D and summarize the clinical interventional studies investigating its use for prevention or treatment of T1D.
Consumer Understanding, Perception and Interpretation of Serving Size Information on Food Labels: A Scoping Review
Authors: Van der Horst Klazine , Bucher Tamara , Duncanson Kerith , Murawski Beatrice , Labbe David
Published: September 2019

The increase in packaged food and beverage portion sizes has been identified as a potential factor implicated in the rise of the prevalence of obesity. In this context, the objective of this systematic scoping review was to investigate how healthy adults perceive and interpret serving size information on food packages and how this influences product perception and consumption. Such knowledge is needed to improve food labelling understanding and guide consumers toward healthier portion size choices. A search of seven databases (2010 to April 2019) provided the records for title and abstract screening, with relevant articles assessed for eligibility in the full-text. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria, with relevant data extracted by one reviewer and checked for consistency by a second reviewer. Twelve studies were conducted in North America, where the government regulates serving size information. Several studies reported a poor understanding of serving size labelling. Indeed, consumers interpreted the labelled serving size as a recommended serving for dietary guidelines for healthy eating rather than a typical consumption unit, which is set by the manufacturer or regulated in some countries such as in the U.S. and Canada. Not all studies assessed consumption; however, larger labelled serving sizes resulted in larger self-selected portion sizes in three studies. However, another study performed on confectionary reported the opposite effect, with larger labelled serving sizes leading to reduced consumption. The limited number of included studies showed that labelled serving size affects portion size selection and consumption, and that any labelled serving size format changes may result in increased portion size selection, energy intake and thus contribute to the rise of the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Research to test cross-continentally labelled serving size format changes within experimental and natural settings (e.g., at home) are needed. In addition, tailored, comprehensive and serving-size-specific food literacy initiatives need to be evaluated to provide recommendations for effective serving size labelling. This is required to ensure the correct understanding of nutritional content, as well as informing food choices and consumption, for both core foods and discretionary foods.
Contribution of Resident Memory CD8+ T Cells to Protective Immunity against Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Their Impact on Vaccine Design
Authors: Retamal-Díaz Angello , Covián Camila , Pacheco Gaspar A. , Castiglione-Matamala Angelo T. , Bueno Susan M. , González Pablo A. , Kalergis Alexis M.
Published: September 2019

Worldwide, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common etiological agent for acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI). RSV-ALRI is the major cause of hospital admissions in young children, and it can cause in-hospital deaths in children younger than six months old. Therefore, RSV remains one of the pathogens deemed most important for the generation of a vaccine. On the other hand, the effectiveness of a vaccine depends on the development of immunological memory against the pathogenic agent of interest. This memory is achieved by long-lived memory T cells, based on the establishment of an effective immune response to viral infections when subsequent exposures to the pathogen take place. Memory T cells can be classified into three subsets according to their expression of lymphoid homing receptors: central memory cells (TCM), effector memory cells (TEM) and resident memory T cells (TRM). The latter subset consists of cells that are permanently found in non-lymphoid tissues and are capable of recognizing antigens and mounting an effective immune response at those sites. TRM cells activate both innate and adaptive immune responses, thus establishing a robust and rapid response characterized by the production of large amounts of effector molecules. TRM cells can also recognize antigenically unrelated pathogens and trigger an innate-like alarm with the recruitment of other immune cells. It is noteworthy that this rapid and effective immune response induced by TRM cells make these cells an interesting aim in the design of vaccination strategies in order to establish TRM cell populations to prevent respiratory infectious diseases. Here, we discuss the biogenesis of TRM cells, their contribution to the resolution of respiratory viral infections and the induction of TRM cells, which should be considered for the rational design of new vaccines against RSV.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of SQUAMOSA-Promoter Binding Protein-Like Gene FvSPL10 from Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
Authors: Xiong Jinsong , Bai Yibo , Ma Chuangju , Zhu Hongyu , Zheng Dan , Cheng Zongming
Published: September 2019

SQUAMOSA-promoter binding protein-like (SPL) proteins are plant-specific transcript factors that play essential roles in plant growth and development. Although many SPL genes have been well characterized in model plants like Arabidopsis, rice and tomato, the functions of SPLs in strawberry are still largely elusive. In the present study, we cloned and characterized FvSPL10, the ortholog of AtSPL9, from woodland strawberry. Subcellular localization shows FvSPL10 localizes in the cell nucleus. The luciferase system assay indicates FvSPL10 is a transcriptional activator, and both in vitro and in vivo assays indicate FvSPL10 could bind to the promoter of FvAP1 and activate its expression. Ectopic expression of FvSPL10 in Arabidopsis promotes early flowering and increases organs size. These results demonstrate the multiple regulatory roles of FvSPL10 in plant growth and development and lay a foundation for investigating the biological functions of FvSPL10 in strawberry.
A Novel Strategy for the Synthesis of Amphiphilic and Thermoresponsive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-Polystyrene Block Copolymers via ATRP
Authors: Fedorczyk Magdalena , Krzywicka Anna , Cieciórski Piotr , Romański Jan , Megiel Elżbieta
Published: September 2019

A new synthetic approach is presented for the preparation of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-block-styrene) PNIPAM-b-PS via an Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) technique. The proposed method is based on application of 2-chloro-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)propanamide (NCPAE) as a bifunctional initiator, which enables ATRP of two monomers, differing in activity and polarity, into two stages. The synthesized copolymer molecules contain two well-defined polymer chains connected by a linker, which is a derivative of the proposed initiator. Using NCPAE led to PNIPAMs with well-planned molecular weight, low polydispersities (PDI=1.1÷1.3) and hydroxyl functionality. Activation of such blocks for initiation of styrene polymerization was performed using α-bromoisobutyryl bromide. After such a modification, the synthesized homopolymers acted as macroinitiators in ARGET ATRP and a well-defined polystyrene block, as the next one in the polymer chain was successfully formed. Both of the synthesized macromolecules, PNIPAM and PNIPAM-b-PS, exhibit a thermoresponsive behavior with explicit lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) in their aqueous solutions. The synthesized homopolymers and subsequently derived block copolymers were characterized using Size-Exclusion Chromatography, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Dynamic Light Scattering, and NMR spectroscopy.
Nanoemulsions: Factory for Food, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics
Authors: Azmi Nor Azrini Nadiha , Elgharbawy Amal A. M. , Motlagh Shiva Rezaei , Samsudin Nurhusna , Salleh Hamzah Mohd.
Published: September 2019

Nanotechnology, particularly nanoemulsions (NEs), have gained increasing interest from researchers throughout the years. The small-sized droplet with a high surface area makes NEs important in many industries. In this review article, the components, properties, formation, and applications are summarized. The advantages and disadvantages are also described in this article. The formation of the nanosized emulsion can be divided into two types: high and low energy methods. In high energy methods, high-pressure homogenization, microfluidization, and ultrasonic emulsification are described thoroughly. Spontaneous emulsification, phase inversion temperature (PIT), phase inversion composition (PIC), and the less known D-phase emulsification (DPE) methods are emphasized in low energy methods. The applications of NEs are described in three main areas which are food, cosmetics, and drug delivery.
Towards Understanding Non-Infectious Growth-Rate Retardation in Growing Pigs
Authors: Gutiérrez Ana M. , Sotillo Juan , Schlosser Sarah , Hummel Karin , Miller Ingrid
Published: September 2019

For growth-rate retardation in commercial growing pigs suffering from non-infectious diseases, no biomarker is available for early detection and prevention of the condition or for the diagnosis of affected animals. The point in question is that the underlying pathological pathway of the condition is still unknown and multiple nutritional or management issues could be the cause of the disease. Common health status markers such as acute phase proteins, adenosine deaminase activity or total antioxidant capacity did not show any alteration in the saliva of animals with growth-rate retardation, so other pathways should be affected. The present study investigates saliva samples from animals with the same commercial crossbreed, sex and age, comparing control pigs and pigs with growth-rate retardation. A proteomics approach based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis including mass spectrometry together with validation experiments was applied for the search of proteins that could help understand disease mechanisms and be used for early disease detection. Two proteins were detected as possible markers of growth-rate retardation, specifically S100A12 and carbonic anhydrase VI. A decrease in innate immune response was confirmed in pigs with growth-rate retardation, however further studies should be necessary to understand the role of the different CA VI proteoforms observed.
Real-Time Geophysical Applications with Android GNSS Raw Measurements
Authors: Fortunato Marco , Ravanelli Michela , Mazzoni Augusto
Published: September 2019

The number of Android devices enabling access to raw GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) measurements is rapidly increasing, thanks to the dedicated Google APIs. In this study, the Xiaomi Mi8, the first GNSS dual-frequency smartphone embedded with the Broadcom BCM47755 GNSS chipset, was employed by leveraging the features of L5/E5a observations in addition to the traditional L1/E1 observations. The aim of this paper is to present two different smartphone applications in Geoscience, both based on the variometric approach and able to work in real time. In particular, tests using both VADASE (Variometric Approach for Displacement Analysis Stand-alone Engine) to retrieve the 3D velocity of a stand-alone receiver in real-time, and VARION (Variometric Approach for Real-Time Ionosphere Observations) algorithms, able to reconstruct real-time sTEC (slant total electron content) variations, were carried out. The results demonstrate the contribution that mass-market devices can offer to the geosciences. In detail, the noise level obtained with VADASE in a static scenario—few mm/s for the horizontal components and around 1 cm/s for the vertical component—underlines the possibility, confirmed from kinematic tests, of detecting fast movements such as periodic oscillations caused by earthquakes. VARION results indicate that the noise level can be brought back to that of geodetic receivers, making the Xiaomi Mi8 suitable for real-time ionosphere monitoring.
Lidar Estimates of the Anisotropy of Wind Turbulence in a Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer
Authors: Banakh Viktor A. , Smalikho Igor N.
Published: September 2019

In this paper, a method is proposed to estimate wind turbulence parameters using measurements recorded by a conically scanning coherent Doppler lidar with two different elevation angles. This methodology helps determine the anisotropy of the spatial correlation of wind velocity turbulent fluctuations. The proposed method was tested in a field experiment with a Stream Line lidar (Halo Photonics, Brockamin, Worcester, United Kingdom) under stable temperature stratification conditions in the atmospheric boundary layer. The results show that the studied anisotropy coefficient in a stable boundary layer may be up to three or larger.
Development of Flexible Dispense-Printed Electrochemical Immunosensor for Aflatoxin M1 Detection in Milk
Authors: Abera Biresaw Demelash , Falco Aniello , Ibba Pietro , Cantarella Giuseppe , Petti Luisa , Lugli Paolo
Published: September 2019

Detection of mycotoxins, especially aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), in milk is crucial to be able to guarantee food quality and safety. In recent years, biosensors have been emerging as a fast, reliable and low-cost technique for the detection of this toxin. In this work, flexible biosensors were fabricated using dispense-printed electrodes, which were functionalized with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and subsequently coated with specific antibodies to improve their sensitivity. Next, the immunosensor was tested for the detection of AFM1 in buffer solution and a spiked milk sample using a chronoamperometric technique. Results showed that the working range of the sensors was 0.01 µg/L at minimum and 1 µg/L at maximum in both buffer and spiked milk. The lower limit of detection of the SWCNT-functionalized sensor was 0.02 µg/L, which indicates an improved sensitivity compared to the sensors reported so far. The sensitivity and detection range were in accordance with the limitation values imposed by regulations on milk and its products. Therefore, considering the low fabrication cost, the ease of operation, and the rapid read-out, the use of this sensor could contribute to safeguarding consumers’ health.
Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Multicomponent Gas Using Sensor Array
Authors: Fan Shurui , Li Zirui , Xia Kewen , Hao Dongxia
Published: September 2019

The gas sensor array has long been a major tool for measuring gas due to its high sensitivity, quick response, and low power consumption. This goal, however, faces a difficult challenge because of the cross-sensitivity of the gas sensor. This paper presents a novel gas mixture analysis method for gas sensor array applications. The features extracted from the raw data utilizing principal component analysis (PCA) were used to complete random forest (RF) modeling, which enabled qualitative identification. Support vector regression (SVR), optimized by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, was used to select hyperparameters C and γ to establish the optimal regression model for the purpose of quantitative analysis. Utilizing the dataset, we evaluated the effectiveness of our approach. Compared with logistic regression (LR) and support vector machine (SVM), the average recognition rate of PCA combined with RF was the highest (97%). The fitting effect of SVR optimized by PSO for gas concentration was better than that of SVR and solved the problem of hyperparameters selection.
Portable System for Box Volume Measurement Based on Line-Structured Light Vision and Deep Learning
Authors: Peng Tao , Zhang Zhijiang , Song Yingjie , Chen Fansheng , Zeng Dan
Published: September 2019

Portable box volume measurement has always been a popular issue in the intelligent logistic industry. This work presents a portable system for box volume measurement that is based on line-structured light vision and deep learning. This system consists of a novel 2 × 2 laser line grid projector, a sensor, and software modules, with which only two laser-modulated images of boxes are required for volume measurement. For laser-modulated images, a novel end-to-end deep learning model is proposed by using an improved holistically nested edge detection network to extract edges. Furthermore, an automatic one-step calibration method for the line-structured light projector is designed for fast calibration. The experimental results show that the measuring range of our proposed system is 100–1800 mm, with errors less than ±5.0 mm. Theoretical analysis indicates that within the measuring range of the system, the measurement uncertainty of the measuring device is ±0.52 mm to ±4.0 mm, which is consistent with the experimental results. The device size is 140 mm × 35 mm × 35 mm and the weight is 110 g, thus the system is suitable for portable automatic box volume measurement.
Class, Style and Territory in the Drari Microcultures of Brussels
Authors: De Backer Mattias
Published: September 2019

Much like Parsons’s notion of “youth culture,” the tradition of subculture developed by the Birmingham School was criticised as being too romantic, too general, and too dependent on a simplistic model based on the inside/outside binary. Since the 1990s, “post-subcultural” studies have developed which prefer to focus on agency rather than structure. A “third school” of youth cultural studies focused on medium sizes groups and their attachment to place, which they called “microcultures”. This paper, drawing from fieldwork undertaken in Brussels between 2013 and 2016 with young people, studies members of the Brussels “street culture” called the drari, while zooming in on the combinations of personalities, the events they share and the locations they make their own. Specifically, this paper argues that the drari microculture does not fit in the binary model of (post-)subcultural theory, nor in the criminological frame of urban youth gangs, by focusing on the affective and class-related phenomena internal to their practices of territory-building.
Impact of the Electric Mobility Implementation on the Greenhouse Gases Production in Central European Countries
Authors: Skrúcaný Tomáš , Kendra Martin , Stopka Ondrej , Milojević Saša , Figlus Tomasz , Csiszár Csaba
Published: September 2019

The preference and the development of electromobility are included among the priorities of transport policies in many European countries. This article deals with the issue of electric vehicle operation from the point of view of the environmental impact of electric power production, specifically the energy effectiveness of its production by utilizing primary power production sources. Differences in the effectiveness of the conversion of mixed forms of energy into electricity and their share in the process directly affect the final level of greenhouse gases (GHG) production, and thus the ecological footprint of electric vehicle operations. The specification of energy consumption and GHG production is based on the principles of the EN 16 258: 2012 standard, which considers legislative-regulated power plant effectiveness values, statistical values of GHG emissions from electricity production, and real energy consumption values of an electric vehicle fleet. The calculation takes into account the share of primary sources and the efficiency of electricity production and effectiveness of electricity distribution in each of the evaluated countries. The specific research study is performed by comparing measured parameters for individual countries chosen from the Central Europe region. The results of the study show that the quantification of the positive environmental consequences of increasing electromobility varies greatly in different countries, which means full-scale deployment of electromobility does necessarily deliver the sustainability of transport that was expected from it.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Its Influence on Perceived Economic and Social Goals: Implications for Social Policy Makers
Authors: Saad Ahmad , Xinping Guan , Ijaz Mariah
Published: September 2019

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has initiated as a mega project by China and Pakistan to benefit economic growth and free trade. CPEC is in the initial stage, and policymakers and government officials consider CPEC as a “game-changer” for both the countries, as, potentially, it will generate numerous business and employment opportunities for local citizens as well as international outreach. Recently, a plethora of research has discussed both the macro as well as micro level advantages of CPEC, but has only been focused theoretically due to the emerging term. How beneficial the CPEC for a local community, and how it is perceived by the local people is not yet discussed by prior studies. This research fills the gap and examines the potential benefits of CPEC for local citizens of Pakistan. A mixed method approach was adopted to collect the data, as survey through structured questionnaire was conducted with a total of 445 citizens (323 male and 122 female), and a face-to-face interview with 32 citizens (28 male and four female) from the communities living along the CPEC routes. The findings show that, through the development of CPEC, local citizens perceive significant improvement in their lives, particularly the quality of life, better employment opportunities, and poverty reduction, while they have an insignificant perception about environmental protection and quality of education. This research recommends policy makers to build new educational institutions, encourage investors to invest in the industrial sector, and formulate environmental strategies to unleash maximum benefits of CPEC. Moreover, government official and policy makers may create awareness of CPEC projects and their benefits among the communities to get their support.
Energy Efficiency in European Ports: State-Of-Practice and Insights on the Way Forward
Authors: Sdoukopoulos Eleftherios , Boile Maria , Tromaras Alkiviadis , Anastasiadis Nikolaos
Published: September 2019

The changing energy landscape in Europe, marked with the development of the Energy Union in 2015, had a profound impact also on the European port sector. With European ports becoming key points of energy production, but also being prominent energy users, energy consumption has naturally risen into a top environmental priority for port authorities. To this end, the paper provides a pragmatic and comprehensive overview of the main policies, technologies and practices that European ports have adopted to-date for enhancing their energy efficiency. Addressing a gap that has been identified in relevant recent literature, it gathers actual data and port experiences from many different sources in a first attempt to better facilitate knowledge and experience-sharing activities, that will support ports in collectively moving towards a zero-emission and climate-neutral future. Most importantly, it presents an effort to rationalize research findings, assist in aligning them with practice, shed more light on the exploitation path of this line of research and better inform future research efforts.
Ergonomics-Based Factors or Criteria for the Evaluation of Sustainable Product Manufacturing
Authors: Lin Chiuhsiang Joe , Belis Tariku Tamiru , Kuo Tsai Chi
Published: September 2019

The issue of sustainability has received substantial attention internationally. It is spreading widely through policy, industry, commerce, research, academia, and other arenas. However, most previous studies on product sustainability were conducted based on a consideration of environmental protection, economic prosperity, and social wellbeing criteria, but there was less representation of specific social wellbeing criteria. The main objective of this study was to formulate well-defined ergonomics-based criteria for product sustainability evaluation and to validate the importance of the identified factors using a fuzzy Delphi method. In this paper, ergonomics-based product sustainability factors are organized by sustainability categories and grouped into employee wellbeing, the economy, and the environment. In the context of manufacturing, evaluating product sustainability from an ergonomics perspective provides more comprehensive social dimension criteria by addressing human characteristics, behavior, performance, human interaction with a product, workplace, working environment, and the product across its life cycle. In addition, a Delphi questionnaire, designed with a nine-point scale, was applied to obtain expert opinions on the importance of each factor; the opinions were combined for each factor by considering the degree of importance assigned to the experts, and the similarities and differences between expert opinions. Finally, high-priority factors were screened from the sustainability categories based on their respective threshold value. Knowing these high-priority factors will help manufacturing industries allocate their resources accordingly for sustainability improvement.
Breastfeeding: A Cornerstone of Healthy Sustainable Diets
Authors: Davidove Marian E. , Dorsey Joseph W.
Published: September 2019

On a global scale, the world faces impending food scarcity due to rapid population growth and the deleterious impact of climate breakdown on food production. In the absence of radical change, the most vulnerable and detrimentally affected could be the 2 billion additional inhabitants expected in the developing nations between now and 2050. A root cause of this future scenario is decreasing breastfeeding rates. As the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Poverty brings the poor in these regions into the middle-classes, there will be an assimilation of Western dietary patterns such as formula feeding and increased intake of livestock and their by-products. Infant formula, the most common alternative to breastmilk, consequently emerges as a formidable driver in the compromise of global food, energy, and water systems. The enormous, intensive water consumption, extensive use of materials for packaging, high-demand use of energy resources in manufacturing, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food miles transportation, and widespread generation of household waste make infant formula production a major environmental concern and a leading contributor to global heating. Exacerbated by population growth, using infant formula to replace breastfeeding irreparably harms societies, economies, and the environment around the world. There is an urgency in addressing the global sustainability impact of using infant formula to replace breastfeeding. It is the purpose of this commentary to demonstrate the social, economic, and environmental costs of using infant formula to replace breastfeeding and provide sufficient evidence to promote breastfeeding as the universal foundation of healthy sustainable diets.
Effect of Underground Coal Mining on the Regional Soil Organic Carbon Pool in Farmland in a Mining Subsidence Area
Authors: Xu Zhanjun , Zhang Yuan , Yang Jason , Liu Fenwu , Bi Rutian , Zhu Hongfen , Lv Chunjuan , Yu Jian
Published: September 2019

The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool in farmland is changing rapidly due to human activities, thereby greatly affecting the regional and global environment, as well as influencing soil fertility and crop yields. The present study investigated the effects of underground coal mining on the regional SOC pool in farmland in the Jiuli Mining Area of Xuzhou City in China as a typical coal mining region based on field sampling, chemical analysis, model construction, and spatial analysis using the software of ArcGIS. The results showed that in the mining subsidence area, spatial variations in the SOC content and soil bulk density were mainly caused by structural factors (mining subsidence, subsidence waterlogging, and other structural factors due to coal mining) at a regional scale. SOC storage in farmland soil decreased sharply in non-waterlogged subsidence farmland and seasonally waterlogged subsidence farmland in the areas with mining, whereas the SOC storage increased in waterlogged wetland after coal mining. The SOC was reduced by 102,882 tonnes (32.81%) compared with the original SOC stock as a consequence of coal mining, and thus the effect of underground coal mining on the regional SOC pool in farmland was characterized as a carbon loss process. Land-use changes, soil degradation and erosion contributed almost equally to the carbon loss process in the study area. The results of this study may facilitate evaluations of low-carbon land reclamation and ecological compensation in mining areas.
Geochemical Characteristics of Rare Earth Elements in Soils from Puding Karst Critical Zone Observatory, Southwest China
Authors: Zhang Qian , Han Guilin , Liu Man , Wang Lingqing
Published: September 2019

Soil samples from eight soil profiles under different land-use types were collected at the Puding Karst Critical Zone Observatory, Southwest China, to investigate the distribution, fractionation, and controlling factors of rare earth elements (REEs). The total REEs contents in topsoil ranged from 149.97 to 247.74 mg kg−1, the contents in most topsoil were higher than local soil background value (202.60 mg kg−1), and the highest content was observed in topsoil under cropland. The REEs contents in surface soils from lower slopes sites were higher than that of middle and upper slope sites, and the highest contents were observed in cropland. The PAAS-normalized REEs pattern in soils showed MREEs significantly enriched relative to LREEs and HREEs, and HREEs were enriched relative to LREEs. The results showed that clay content, pH, soil organic carbon, total phosphorus, and Fe content were the main factors influencing the distribution of REEs in karst soils, and soil organic carbon (SOC), Fe content showed better linear relationship with REEs.
Power Market Equilibrium under the Joint FIP-RPS Renewable Energy Incentive Mechanism in China
Authors: Cai Hualin , Chen Jiageng , Dong Chenjing , Li Jing , Lin Zhemin , He Chuan , Jiang Yicheng , Li Jincheng , Yang Li
Published: September 2019

In order to support the development of renewable energy, countries around the world have adopted certain renewable energy incentive mechanisms, including feed-in tariff (FIT) and renewable portfolio standard (RPS). Based on the official report concerning renewable energy consumption issued by the Chinese government in 2018, FIT is no longer an ideal renewable incentive mechanism for China. The increasing financial burden of renewable subsidies on the government has prompted a transition from FIT to a more market-based RPS mechanism. However, the abrupt transformation from FIT to RPS without any transitions might potentially cause problems, including a lack of incentives for market participants and a high market risk. Feed-in premium (FIP), which is a transformation based on FIT, can increase the flexibility of the mechanism and play an important role in the transitional period. However, to date, there has only been limited research work that has explored the effect of implementing FIP-RPS in the development of renewable energy in China. It is still not clear how this transition could be carried out smoothly. Therefore, this research was aimed to devise a joint FIP-RPS mechanism and further develop the optimal combination ratio of the two, so as to obtain a socially optimal mechanism design. The simulation results showed that, at different stages of renewable energy development, FIP and RPS should be implemented according to their distinct characteristics, and the joint FIP-RPS mechanism should be combined with different ratios. It could be indicated that the proposed joint FIP-RPS mechanism not only excels at promoting renewable energy, but is also capable of maintaining desirable market prices and social welfare in this transitional period, as compared to FIP and RPS implemented alone. In the future, a certain degree of FIP-RPS implementations to this type of energy transition would be one of the preferred methods that could be implemented to have a considerable influence on China’s national energy plan. This is because the combination of the two mechanisms not only reduces the financial burden of the government, but also plays an active role in the renewable energy market.
Evaluation of Local Comprehensive Plans to Vacancy Issue in a Growing and Shrinking City
Authors: Lee Jaekyung , Park Yunmi , Kim Hyun Woo
Published: September 2019

Vacant and/or abandoned properties exist in every city regardless of whether they are growing or shrinking, and the properties are not always a bad thing, and all underutilized land does not have to be developed. Some types of vacant land are unused but can be productive. Some may have natural resource value for inhabitants and provide green space such as parks space or green infrastructure. Once a city has too much vacant land, it may reflect a long cycle of depopulation and economic downturn. So, a lot of vacant lots is of concern in shrinking cities to change them into a valued commodity. In contrast, insufficient vacant land might hinder future growth and development. Since the vacant land can be a potential opportunity or threat to spur economic development, it is critical to understand vacancy pattern and its drivers and create appropriate policies for each city. By doing so, it would be possible to find the most effective land supply usage for cities having different characteristics and patterns of vacancy. Therefore, this study compares the pattern primary factors of vacancy of a growing city, Fort Worth and shrinking city, Chicago and evaluate whether each city has established planning policies for reducing negative effects and increasing efficient usages. The findings show that transportation and physical factors are strong determinants of the vacancy in a shrinking city, while socioeconomic conditions tend to influence more powerful on increasing vacant properties in a growing city. Furthermore, the outcomes of plan evaluation indicate that the vacancy pattern and its primary factors are grasped and handled firmly in Fort Worth.
A Building Information Model (BIM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Based System for Personal Thermal Comfort Evaluation and Energy Efficient Design of Interior Space
Authors: Ma Guofeng , Liu Ying , Shang Shanshan
Published: September 2019

It is crucial to evaluate indoor personal thermal comfort for a comfortable and green thermal environment. At present, the research on individual thermal comfort does not consider its implementation mode. Moreover, the improvement of energy saving efficiency under the premise of increasing human comfort is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. In this paper, we proposed a Building Information Model (BIM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based system to solve this problem. The system consists of two parts including an ANN predictive model considering the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) index, the persons’ position, and an innovative plugin of BIM to realize dynamic evaluation and energy efficient design. The ANN model has three layers, considering three environment parameters (air temperature, air humidity, and wind speed around the person), three human state parameters (human metabolism rate, clothing thermal resistance, and the body position) and four body parameters (gender, age, height, and weight) as inputs. The plugin provides two functions. One is to provide corresponding personal thermal comfort evaluation results with dynamic changes of parameters returned by Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). The other one is to provide energy saving optimization suggestions for interior space design by simulating the energy consumption index of different design schemes. In the data test, the Mean Squared Error (MSE) of the established ANN model was about 0.39, while the MSE of traditional PMV model was about 2.1. The system realized the integration of thermal information and a building model, thereby providing guidance for the creation of a comfortable and green indoor environment.
Sustainable Diets in the UK—Developing a Systematic Framework to Assess the Environmental Impact, Cost and Nutritional Quality of Household Food Purchases
Authors: Wrieden Wendy , Halligan Joel , Goffe Louis , Barton Karen , Leinonen Ilkka
Published: September 2019

Sustainable diets should not only respect the environment but also be healthy and affordable. However, there has been little work to assess whether real diets can encompass all three aspects. The aim of this study was to develop a framework to quantify actual diet records for health, affordability and environmental sustainability and apply this to UK food purchase survey data. We applied a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to detailed food composition data where purchased food items were disaggregated into their components with traceable environmental impact data. This novel approach is an improvement to earlier studies in which sustainability assessments were based on a limited number of “food groups”, with a potentially high variation of actual food items within each group. Living Costs and Food Survey data for 2012, 2013 and 2014 were mapped into published figures for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE, taking into account processing, transport and cooking) and land use, a diet quality index (DQI) based on dietary guidelines and food cost, all standardised per household member. Households were classified as having a ‘more sustainable’ diet based on GHGE, cost and land use being less than the median and DQI being higher than the median. Only 16.6% of households could be described as more sustainable; this rose to 22% for those in the lowest income quintile. Increasing the DQI criteria to >80% resulted in only 100 households being selected, representing 0.8% of the sample. The framework enabled identification of more sustainable households, providing evidence of how we can move toward better diets in terms of the environment, health, and costs.