bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tourist Motivations and Satisfaction in the Archaeological Ensemble of Madinat Al-Zahra
Authors: Hidalgo-Fernández Amalia , Hernández-Rojas Ricardo , Jimber del Río Juan Antonio , Casas-Rosal José Carlos
Published: March 2019

Madinat Al-Zahra is an ancient Arab palace located in Cordoba, Spain, which was proclaimed as part of the World Heritage of Humanity in 2018. The public administration must know the tourist motivations and interest in this heritage, as well as the satisfaction with Cordoba as destination and this Archaeological Ensemble. This article addresses these issues by analyzing and comparing motivations, expected and perceived value with the destination and those of the monument itself, using a Structural Equation Models methodology. Data was obtained from a survey of 375 tourists and the results showed that there is a high satisfaction with both destination and site, although these people perceive that this heritage is not integrated with the rest of the city attractions. In addition, the survey highlights that the transport system to the site is one of the most important weaknesses, among others. The results of this study offer valuable information related to this heritage.
Influence of Sustainable Development by Tourists’ Place Emotion: Analysis of the Multiply Mediating Effect of Attitude
Authors: Zhang Yuangang , Wang Lijuan
Published: March 2019

Place emotion is an important factor in studying the behavioral intention of tourists. Based on the planning behavior theory and goal-oriented behavior model, this article combines the actual situation of rural tourist, expands the behavioral theory, and constructs the tourist behavior of place emotion. This paper takes the World Cultural Heritage Sites Xidi and Hongcun as research cases and uses Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) research methods. The results indicate that the constructed behavior intention of tourists traveling in rural areas gives a good explanation and goodness of fit. The influence of place emotion on behavioral intention is stronger than attitude, subjective norm, and perceptual behavior control. Through multiple mediation analysis, attitudes have partial mediating effects on place emotions, perceptual behavior control, and subjective norms, and the place emotion has the most significant among the indirect effects, followed by subjective norms and perceptual behavior control. The results provide reliable advice for the sustainable development of rural tourism.
Modeling Constraints for the On-Site Assembly Process of Prefabrication Housing Production: A Social Network Analysis
Authors: Gong Pan , Teng Yue , Li Xiao , Luo Lizi
Published: March 2019

Although prefabrication housing production (PHP) has been widely advocated with advantages like ensured good quality and secured workplaces, its poor interoperability and fragmentation still causes various constraints, limiting the progress of projects. This paper aims to model the constraints and their relationships in task executions of different trades during the on-site assembly process of PHP. It was conducted through a typical PHP case study in Hong Kong to identify the critical trade associated constraints and their links during the on-site assembly process. Original data were collected by semi-structured interview, Delphi survey and questionnaire with representative professionals from the case. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was used to model the constraints and their interrelationships. The results indicated that seven trade-associated constraints were worth more attention. Three significant challenges were determined, indicating that the on-site team should focus on the availability of labor resources, optimal installation planning and effectiveness of communication mechanism. Smart work packaging (SWP)-enabled system for achieving automatic constraint identification and dynamic constraint relationship mapping under different constraint scenarios was suggested. This paper offers practical insights for scholars to conduct a trade-associated constraint identification study in the network manner and is expected to benefit practitioners on using the results for decision-making.
Estimating the Cost of Solar Generation Uncertainty and the Impact of Collocated Energy Storage: The Case of Korea
Authors: Jeon Wooyoung , Lee Chul-Yong
Published: March 2019

As a major option for reducing greenhouse gas emission and sustainable development, renewable generation is rapidly expanding in the power sector. However, the variability and uncertainty of renewable generation undermine the reliability of the power system, requiring additional reserve capacities. This study estimates the costs induced by additional reserve capacities to reduce the uncertainty of solar generation in the Korean power system and analyzes the effectiveness of the Energy Storage System (ESS) in reducing these costs, using the stochastic form of multi-period security-constraint optimal power flow. To determine the input of stochastic solar generation, an ARMAX model and Monte Carlo method are applied for representative solar farms. The results indicate solar power generation by 2029 would increase the required reserve by 56.2% over the current level but coupling a 10 GWh of lithium-ion ESS would reduce it by 61.1% compared to increased reserve level for 2029. The operating cost reduction (benefit) by ESS would be 80.8% higher in 2029 compared to the current level and cover 89.9% of its installation cost. The benefit of ESS will be improved when (1) offer prices of reserves correctly reflect the true opportunity cost of providing reserve services and (2) more variable renewable energies are deployed.
Tourism Development, Environment and Policies: Differences between Domestic and International Tourists
Authors: Liu Jianjun , Pan Haili , Zheng Shiyong
Published: March 2019

Using panel data from the 17 underdeveloped provinces of China for 2005–2015, the author explored the differential impact of air (environment) quality and government policies on domestic and international visitors. Through econometric model analysis, the authors corroborated that domestic and international visitors react differently to air (environment) quality. In addition, domestic and international tourists have different responses to urbanization and transportation. Marketization is conducive to the development of tourism. Moreover, foreign trade has a positive impact on international tourists. These findings aid local governments to provide additional appropriate tourism development policies.
Changing Abundance and Distribution of the Wintering Swan Goose Anser cygnoides in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Floodplain: An Investigation Combining a Field Survey with Satellite Telemetry
Authors: An An , Cao Lei , Jia Qiang , Wang Xin , Zhu Qin , Zhang Junjian , Ye Xueqin , Gao Dali
Published: March 2019

Migratory waterbird communities are quick to respond to ecosystem degradation, and they are widely considered to be important bioindicators of complex environmental changes. The swan goose (Anser cygnoides) has been listed as a globally vulnerable species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This species currently winters almost exclusively in China and is mostly concentrated on lakes in the middle and lower catchment of the Yangtze River floodplain, especially in Poyang Lake, Jiangxi province and some sites in Anhui province. In the past few years, the population of A. cygnoides has fluctuated. To protect this fragile Anatidae species, long-term and accurate population estimation is both necessary and urgent. In this study, we evaluated the change in numbers and distribution of A. cygnoides by comparing surveys conducted in 2004 and 2005 with more recent ones conducted in 2015 and 2016. A reduction in the count number of this species occurred in the survey sites. After a statistical Mann-Whitney U test, the count numbers of A. cygnoides decreased significantly at the survey sites in Anhui province and the abundance decrease at the survey sites in Poyang Lake was only marginally significant. The inaccessibility of the new sites revealed by satellite tracking impeded a more prudent and comprehensive estimate of the population change. Satellite tracking technology may be a tool to consider for increasing the efficiency of data acquisition. Information transmitted from satellite tracking devices can help us to better understand the species’ behavior and wintering habitat. This technology has the potential to substitute costly and time-consuming field surveys. Conservation designs and management plans must be created for specific national nature reserves and key wintering sites. A more efficient long-term species monitoring system with improved spatial coverage should be conducted to safeguard wintering A. cygnoides.
Farmers’ Adoption of Low-Carbon Agriculture in China: An Extended Theory of the Planned Behavior Model
Authors: Hou Jing , Hou Bo
Published: March 2019

Farmers’ adoption of low-carbon agriculture is conductive to addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development of agriculture. The purpose of this study is to explore farmers’ decision-making processes regarding low-carbon production and to provide a reference for the targeted support policies of low-carbon agriculture. The data was derived from a household survey of 442 rice farmers conducted in Jiangsu Province, China in 2017. Participants were interviewed face-to-face using questionnaires, and local interviewers were used in order to maximize the reliability of the results. The theoretical basis for our analysis was an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). We applied a structural equation model (SEM) to investigate the correlations among farmers’ decision-making processes regarding low-carbon production and observable characteristics. Furthermore, we explored the differences in adoption decisions regarding low-carbon agriculture among different groups of farmers based on production scale and region, respectively. The results indicate that attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and contract farming participation are significantly positively correlated with farmers’ intention toward low-carbon production, and that farmers’ low-carbon production intention and contract farming participation have significant positive correlations with their behavior regarding low-carbon production. A subsample analysis shows that the subjective norm for farmers with a small production scale is more strongly correlated with their adoption decisions regarding low-carbon agriculture than that it is for farmers with a large production scale. Additionally, in less developed regions, farmers’ attitude is more strongly correlated with their adoption decisions regarding low-carbon agriculture than it is for farmers in developed regions.
Inertia Provision and Small Signal Stability Analysis of a Wind-Power Generation System Using Phase-Locked Synchronized Equation
Authors: Wang Yifei , Yuan Youxin
Published: March 2019

The inertia and damping of the modern power system are consistently decreased when wind energy has a high penetration level into the grid. This paper proposes a novel solution through transforming the wind turbine generator into an equivalent motion equation mimicking the basic characteristics of the synchronous generator (SG). This synchronized equation builds upon the phase-locked loop (PLL) model of the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG), which characterizes the inertia constant, damping coefficient, and synchronizing torque. Thanks to this work, the dynamic performance of the inverter-based asynchronous generator could be analyzed from the perspective of the classical rotor motion equation. It further enables us to employ the analogy method to provide the DFIG with automated frequency response ability and to estimate the inertia constant quantitatively. Results also manifest that based on the synchronized equation, the PLL forms a power system stabilizer to enhance the power system oscillation. Hence, parameters tuning in PLL for coordinating inertia provision and damping enhancement are introduced. The contribution of this study lies in that the equivalent synchronized equation is established to optimize the system operation without alterations in the existing control structure of the DFIG. The theoretical analysis and the strategy are verified through the power system simulator.
System and Cost Analysis of Stand-Alone Solar Home System Applied to a Developing Country
Authors: Hossain Chowdhury Akram , Chowdhury Nusrat , Longo Michela , Yaïci Wahiba
Published: March 2019

Power is one of the key requirements for the development of economies and upgrading of standards of living of developing countries. Countries such as Bangladesh depend largely on fossil fuels such as diesel fuel and natural gas to produce the main proportion of their electricity. However, this country’s combination of limited natural gas reserves high fuel prices and escalating costs of transmission and distribution lines has greatly increased the unit cost of electricity generation and it is becoming difficult for customers to pay for electricity. On the other hand, burning fuel causes environmental pollution that leads to global warming which is ultimately responsible for climate change and its devastating consequences. In this study, we have recommended a stand-alone system for the traditional consumption of domestic electric use at residential units in Bangladesh. We have shown a comparison of using the stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system with the traditional grid connection. Although the initial set-up cost is high, it becomes profitable as people are supplied with electricity, which is being generated from PV as a result minimizing the energy cost from the grid, and in addition, they can later make savings from this system. This paper, therefore, aims at determining the optimum size of the rooftop solar home system that will fulfil all the criteria for powering up electrical appliances at an affordable price. Comparative analysis of both energy systems based on the cost calculation has been performed by means of the Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Renewables (HOMER) software. The validity of this proposal and its usefulness is also analysed.
Recovery of Gold from Chloride Solution by TEMPO-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofiber Adsorbent
Authors: Jafari Shila , Wilson Benjamin P. , Hakalahti Minna , Tammelin Tekla , Kontturi Eero , Lundström Mari , Sillanpää Mika
Published: March 2019

The goal of this study was to assess the sustainability of a modified cellulose nanofiber material for the recovery of precious gold from chloride solution, with a special focus on gold recovery from acidic solutions generated by cupric and ferric chloride leaching processes. TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber in hydrogel (TOCN), dry (H-TOCN, F-TOCN) and sheet form (S-TOCN) was examined for gold adsorptivity from chloride solution. Additionally, this work describes the optimum conditions and parameters for gold recovery. The data obtained in this investigation are also modeled using kinetic (pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order), isotherm best fit (Freundlich, Langmuir and Langmuir-Freundlich), and thermodynamic (endothermic process) parameters. Results demonstrate that high levels of gold removal can be achieved with TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (98% by H-TOCNF) and the interaction characteristics of H-TOCN with gold suggests that other precious metals could also be efficiently recovered.
Evaluation of Wood Coverage on Building Facades Towards Sustainability
Authors: Xu Hongpeng , Li Jing , Wu Jianmei , Kang Jian
Published: March 2019

This study explores the acceptance of different wood coverages on building facades with the aim of optimization of materials, and in turn improving overall sustainability. It firstly develops the principal physical variables and evaluation criteria; then, test models are created using an orthogonal design experiment; finally, two evaluation methods are used to comprehensively test acceptance, based on a questionnaire and an eye-tracking study. The results show that: (1) The effects of the amount of wood coverage and the wood patterns are significant, whereas the effect of material combinations is insignificant. (2) The acceptance of building facades is at the highest level when the amount of wood coverage is 65%. (3) The amounts of wood coverage for facades in the range of 35% to 50% are effective when designing the facade of wood buildings, in order to implement the dual targets of saving wood and higher acceptance.
Supply Contract Design with Asymmetric Corporate Social Responsibility Cost Information in Service Supply Chain
Authors: Liu Weihua , Wei Wanying , Yan Xiaoyu , Wang Di
Published: March 2019

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become the focus of the company’s daily operations and strategic choices. At present, the supply risk events caused by the CSR violations of service providers in the service supply chain are frequent, which highlight the importance of formulating appropriate contracts to constrain the CSR level of providers. In the context of asymmetric CSR cost information, this paper analyzes the optimal contract parameters of integrators when providing screening contracts or pooling contracts and compares their impact on profits and the CSR level. The information asymmetry belongs to classic principal-agent problem, and we will use the revelation principle to design the contracts and solve this problem. The results that different contracts have different effects on the CSR level of different types of providers. A low-cost provider’s CSR level is the highest when a screening contract is provided, while a high-cost provider’s CSR level reaches the peak under a pooling contract. If pursuing profit maximization, the integrator should choose to provide a screening contract. When the integrator needs to ensure a higher average level of social responsibility, a pooling contract should be chosen. The findings also show that service cost is an important factor affecting the CSR level of the provider, and only when the providers’ service cost is low, will providers actively fulfill their social responsibility.
Key Determinants on Non-Governmental Organization’s Financial Sustainability: A Case Study that Examines 2018 FIFA Foundation Social Festival Selected Participants
Authors: Córdova Paredes Mauricio , Calabuig Moreno Ferran , Alonso Dos Santos Manuel
Published: March 2019

The main purpose of this article is to map determinant attributes that define and enable financial sustainability in sport non-governmental organizations associated with international development (SNGDOs). An exploratory case study examined through a two staged mixed approach the 48 organizations, chosen by FIFA Foundation to participate at the 2018 World Cup Russia 2018 Social Festival, mirroring football from a different dimension, distant to the competitive perceptions normally assigned to this sport. The main outcome was to note that Global South countries SNGDOs´ financial sustainability is dependent on international aid agencies funds whilst in the Global North there is higher leverage on corporate partnerships. Financial sustainability should not be seen as an isolated topic in the management agenda of SNGDOs in the quest of new sources of income. This is rather a process of construction and assessment that implies on the one hand a wider approach on stakeholder expectations and on the other an overall strategical re-definition towards collaborative value creation. In view of the broad extension of nonprofit organizations, this study contributes to the still unexplored field of sport for development. Moreover, this academic exercise proposes a critical view of contrasting results through dependency theory. Some biases may exist within the consideration of a particular context, and the specificities of the examined organizations in the case study.
Application of Neutrosophic Logic to Evaluate Correlation between Prostate Cancer Mortality and Dietary Fat Assumption
Authors: Aslam Muhammad , Albassam Mohammed
Published: March 2019

This paper presents an epidemiological study on the dietary fat that causes prostate cancer in an uncertainty environment. To study this relationship under the indeterminate environment, data from 30 countries are selected for the prostate cancer death rate and dietary fat level in the food. The neutrosophic correlation and regression line are fitted on the data. We note from the neutrosophic analysis that the prostate cancer death rate increases as the dietary fat level in the people increases. The neutrosophic regression coefficient also confirms this claim. From this study, we conclude that neutrosophic regression is a more effective model under uncertainty than the regression model under classical statistics. We also found a statistical correlation between dietary fat and prostate cancer risk.
Cattaneo–Christov Heat Flux Model for Three-Dimensional Rotating Flow of SWCNT and MWCNT Nanofluid with Darcy–Forchheimer Porous Medium Induced by a Linearly Stretchable Surface
Authors: Shah Zahir , Tassaddiq Asifa , Islam Saeed , Alklaibi A.M. , Khan Ilyas
Published: March 2019

In this paper we investigated the 3-D Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) rotational nanofluid flow through a stretching surface. Carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs and MWCNTs) were used as nano-sized constituents, and water was used as a base fluid. The Cattaneo–Christov heat flux model was used for heat transport phenomenon. This arrangement had remarkable visual and electronic properties, such as strong elasticity, high updraft stability, and natural durability. The heat interchanging phenomenon was affected by updraft emission. The effects of nanoparticles such as Brownian motion and thermophoresis were also included in the study. By considering the conservation of mass, motion quantity, heat transfer, and nanoparticles concentration the whole phenomenon was modeled. The modeled equations were highly non-linear and were solved using homotopy analysis method (HAM). The effects of different parameters are described in tables and their impact on different state variables are displayed in graphs. Physical quantities like Sherwood number, Nusselt number, and skin friction are presented through tables with the variations of different physical parameters.
Fractional Telegraph Equation and Its Solution by Natural Transform Decomposition Method
Authors: Eltayeb Hassan , Abdalla Yahya T. , Bachar Imed , Khabir Mohamed H.
Published: March 2019

In this work, the natural transform decomposition method (NTDM) is applied to solve the linear and nonlinear fractional telegraph equations. This method is a combined form of the natural transform and the Adomian decomposition methods. In addition, we prove the convergence of our method. Finally, three examples have been employed to illustrate the preciseness and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Analysis of the Transmission of Project Duration and Cost Impacts Based on the GERT Network Technique
Authors: Li Zhiyong , Nie Xiangtian , Wang Bo , Fan Tianyu
Published: March 2019

In engineering projects, project duration and a cost increase occur in every phase and will propagate their impacts downstream. Associated with the compensation of project duration, the duration and cost impacts are transferred among phases. In this paper, after illustrating the transmission of project duration and cost impacts, we will use the risk transmission theory and GERT (Graphic Evaluation and Review Technique) network technique to build a transmission model. We have designed equivalent parameters of project duration and cost impacts in the GERT model for serial, parallel, and hybrid structures. The algorithm of the GERT network for project cost and duration transmission is analyzed. The effectiveness of this model and algorithm is proved by numerical examples. This paper provides a new analytical method for cost and duration control of engineering projects.
Foliation-Based Approach to Quantum Gravity and Applications to Astrophysics
Authors: Park Inyong
Published: March 2019

The recently proposed holography-inspired approach to quantum gravity is reviewed and expanded. The approach is based on the foliation of the background spacetime and reduction of the offshell states to the physical states. Careful attention is paid to the boundary conditions. It is noted that the outstanding problems such as the cosmological constant problem and black hole information can be tackled from the common thread of the quantized gravity. One-loop renormalization of the coupling constants and the beta function analysis are illustrated. Active galactic nuclei and gravitational waves are discussed as the potential applications of the present quantization scheme to astrophysics.
Stability Analysis with an NVH Minimal Model for Brakes under Consideration of Polymorphic Uncertainty of Friction
Authors: Ostermeyer Georg-Peter , Müller Michael , Brumme Stephan , Srisupattarawanit Tarin
Published: March 2019

In brake systems, some dynamic phenomena can worsen the performance (e.g., fading, hot banding), but a major part of the research concerns phenomena which reduce driving comfort (e.g., squeal, judder, or creep groan). These dynamic phenomena are caused by specific instabilities that lead to self-excited oscillations. In practice, these instabilities can be investigated using the Complex Eigenvalues Analysis (CEA), in which positive real parts of the eigenvalues are identified to characterize instable regions. Measurements on real brake test benches or tribometers show that the coefficient of friction (COF), μ , is not a constant, but dynamic, system variable. In order to consider this aspect, the Method of Augmented Dimensioning (MAD) has been introduced and implemented, which couples the mechanical degrees of freedom of the brake system with the degrees of freedom of the friction dynamics. In addition to this, instability prediction techniques can often determine whether a system is stable or instable, but cannot eliminate the instability phenomena on a real brake system. To address this, the current work deals with the quantification of the relevant polymorphic uncertainty of the friction dynamics, wherein the aleatory and epistemic uncertainties are described simultaneously. Aleatory uncertainty is concerned with the stochastic variability of the friction dynamics and incorporated with probabilistic methods (e.g., a Monte Carlo simulation), while the epistemic uncertainty resulting from model uncertainties is modeled via fuzzy methods. The existing measurement data are collected and processed through Data Driven Methods (DDM) for the identification of the dynamic friction models and corresponding parameters. Total Variation Regularization is used for the evaluation of derivatives within noisy data. Using an established minimal model for brake squealing, this paper addresses the question of probabilities for instabilities and the degree of certainty with which this conclusion can be made. The focus is on a comparison between the conventional Coulomb friction model and a dynamic friction model in combination with the MAD. This shows that the quality of the predictive accuracy improves dramatically with the more precise friction model.
Experimental Observation of Inertial Particles through Idealized Hydroturbine Distributor Geometry
Authors: Harding Samuel F. , Richmond Marshall C. , Mueller Robert P.
Published: March 2019

To increase and maintain existing hydropower capacity within biological performance-based regulations, predictive simulation methods are needed that can reliably estimate the risk to fish passing through flow passage routes at hydropower facilities. One of the central challenges is to validate the software capabilities for simulating the trajectories, including collisions, of inertial particles against laboratory data. In this work, neutrally buoyant spherical- and rod-shaped beads were released upstream of laboratory-scale geometries representative of the distributor of a hydroturbine. The experimental campaign involved a test matrix of 24 configurations with variations in bead geometry, collision target geometry, flow speeds, and release locations. A total of more than 10,000 beads were recorded using high-speed video cameras and analyzed using particle tracking software. Collision rates from 1–7% were observed for the cylinder geometry and rates of 1–23% were observed for the vane array over the range of test configurations.
Correction: Sobotkova, M., et al. Assessing the Feasibility of Soil Infiltration Trenches for Highway Runoff Control on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. Water 2018, 10, 1832
Authors: Sobotkova Martina , Dusek Jaromir , Alavi Ghasem , Sharma Laxman , Ray Chittaranjan
Published: March 2019

In the published article [1], the authors realized some errors in the affiliation for Martina Sobotkova and Jaromir Dusek, and thus wish to replace the affiliation with the paragraph below [...]
The Role of Community Champions in Long-Term Sustainable Urban Water Planning
Authors: Lindsay Jo , Rogers Briony C. , Church Emma , Gunn Alexander , Hammer Katie , Dean Angela J. , Fielding Kelly
Published: March 2019

Community engagement and stewardship are important elements in urban water planning if we are to achieve the vision of water sensitive cities. The aim of this study was to explore how community members could participate in collaborative water planning processes that are adaptive, participatory and transdisciplinary. We conducted a case study of community participation in a water planning process in the regional town of Bendigo in Australia. Over a period of eight months, we worked with key stakeholders to generate integrated, collaborative and people-centred water planning. This involved a series of community champion workshops supplemented by focus groups with additional community members that ran alongside workshops with water and local planning professionals. The goal of the process was to bring together industry, government partners and community members to develop a 50-year vision for a water sensitive Bendigo and to identify the steps needed to achieve this vision. Key findings were that community champions were keen to learn and contribute to urban water planning in their local context. Given time and support, community champions were able to distil complex ideas and make compromises to contribute to a shared vision for the city. Our findings confirm that community champions can play the role of knowledge brokers between water managers and the general population. The research contributes knowledge regarding the value of engaging community champions in urban water planning.
Systematics, Biogeography, and Morphological Character Evolution of the Hemiepiphytic Subfamily Monsteroideae (Araceae)
Authors: Zuluaga Alejandro , Llano Martin , Cameron Ken
Published: March 2019

The subfamily Monsteroideae (Araceae) is the third richest clade in the family, with ca. 369 described species and ca. 700 estimated. It comprises mostly hemiepiphytic or epiphytic plants restricted to the tropics, with three intercontinental disjunctions. Using a dataset representing all 12 genera in Monsteroideae (126 taxa), and five plastid and two nuclear markers, we studied the systematics and historical biogeography of the group. We found high support for the monophyly of the three major clades (Spathiphylleae sister to Heteropsis Kunth and Rhaphidophora Hassk. clades), and for six of the genera within Monsteroideae. However, we found low rates of variation in the DNA sequences used and a lack of molecular markers suitable for species-level phylogenies in the group. We also performed ancestral state reconstruction of some morphological characters traditionally used for genera delimitation. Only seed shape and size, number of seeds, number of locules, and presence of endosperm showed utility in the classification of genera in Monsteroideae. We estimated ancestral ranges using a dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis model as implemented in the R package BioGeoBEARS and found evidence for a Gondwanan origin of the clade. One tropical disjunction (Monstera Adans. sister to Amydrium Schott–Epipremnum Schott) was found to be the product of a previous Boreotropical distribution. Two other disjunctions are more recent and likely due to long-distance dispersal: Spathiphyllum Schott (with Holochlamys Engl. nested within) represents a dispersal from South America to the Pacific Islands in Southeast Asia, and Rhaphidophora represents a dispersal from Asia to Africa. Future studies based on stronger phylogenetic reconstructions and complete morphological datasets are needed to explore the details of speciation and migration within and among areas in Asia.
PAR2 Inhibition Enhanced the Sensitivity of Colorectal Cancer Cells to 5-FU and Reduced EMT Signaling
Authors: Quan Qiuying , Zhong Fengyun , Wang Xinwei , Chen Kai , Guo Lingchuan
Published: March 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells contributes to 5-FU resistance. A series of experiments involving cell viability and caspase activity analyses, siRNA transfection, RNA isolation, and quantitative-PCR (qPCR) assay, cell migration analysis, Western blotting analysis of total protein and membrane protein were performed in this study. Mouse xenograft model was used to determine the effect of the PAR2 inhibitor in vivo. In this study, we found that protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) induction in 5-FU therapy is correlated with TGF-β-mediated EMT and apoptosis resistance. PAR2 and TGF-β were both activated in response to 5-FU treatment in vivo and in vitro, and whereas TGF-β inhibition sensitized CRC cells to 5-FU and suppressed cell migration, PAR2 activation eliminated the effect of TGF-β inhibition. Conversely, siRNA-mediated PAR2 depletion or PAR2 inhibition with a specific inhibitor produced a similar phenotype as TGF-β signal inhibition: 5-FU sensitization and cell migration suppression. Moreover, the results of xenograft experiments indicated that the PAR2 inhibitor can enhance cell killing by 5-FU in vivo and suppress EMT signaling. Our results reveal that the TGF-β effects require the coordinating action of PAR2, suggesting that PAR2 inhibition could be a new therapeutic strategy to combat 5-FU resistance in CRC.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO WORKING BEHAVIOR CHARACTERISTICS OF PARABOLIC CFST ARCHES APPLYING STRUCTURAL STRESSING STATE THEORY
Authors: Shi Jun , Yang Kangkang , Zheng Kaikai , Shen Jiyang , Zhou Guangchun , Huang Yanxia
Published: March 2019

This paper conducts the experimental and simulative analysis of stressing state characteristics for parabolic concretefilled steel tubular (CFST) arches undergoing vertical loads. The measured stain data is firstly modeled as the generalized strain energy density (GSED) to describe structural stressing state mode. Then, the normalized GSED sum Ej,norm at each load Fj derives the Ej,norm-Fj curve reflecting the stressing state characteristics of CFST arches. Furthermore, the Mann-Kendall criterion is adopted to detect the stressing state change of the CFST arch during its load-bearing process, leading to the revelation of a vital stressing state leap characteristic according to the natural law from quantitative change to qualitative change of a system. The revealed qualitative leap characteristic updates the existing definition of the CFST arch’s failure load. Finally, the accurate formula is derived to predict the failure/ultimate loads of CFST arches. Besides, a method of numerical shape function is proposed to expand the limited strain data for further analysis of the stressing state submodes. The GSED-based analysis of structural stressing state opens a new way to recognize the unseen working behavior characteristics of arch structures and the updated failure load could contribute to the improvement on the structural design codes.
Deformation of Optics for Photon Monte Carlo Simulations
Authors: Peterson J. R. , Peng E. , Burke C. J. , Sembroski G. , Cheng J.
Published: March 2019

We develop a comprehensive approach to simulate the deformation of mirrors and lenses due to thermal and mechanical stresses that couples efficiently to photon-based optics simulations. This expands upon previous work where we demonstrated a comprehensive ab initio approach to simulate astronomical images using a photon Monte Carlo method. We apply elasticity theory and estimate thermal effects by adapting a three-dimensional numerical method. We also consider the effect of active optics control systems and active cooling systems in further correcting distortions in the optics. We validate the approach by showing convergence to analytic estimates, and then apply the methodology to the WIYN 3.5 m telescope primary mirror. We demonstrate that changes in the soak temperature result in second-order point-spread function (PSF) defocusing, the gravitational sag and positioning errors result in highly structured PSF distortions, and large-scale thermal gradients result in elliptical PSF distortion patterns. All three aspects of the environment are larger than the intrinsic optical aberrations of the design, and further exploration with a variety of telescopes should lead to detailed PSF size and shape, astrometric distortion, and field variation predictions. The simulation capabilities developed in this work are publicly available with the Photon Simulation package.
Magnetic Field Strengths and Variations in Grain Alignment in the Local Bubble Wall
Authors: Medan Ilija , Andersson B-G
Published: March 2019

Optical and infrared continuum polarization from the interstellar medium is known to generally be due to irregular dust grains aligned with the magnetic field. This provides an important tool to probe the geometry and strength of those fields, particularly if the variations in the grain alignment efficiencies can be understood. Here, we examine polarization variations observed throughout the wall of the Local Bubble, using a large polarization survey of the North Galactic cap (b > 30°) from Berdyugin et al. These data are analyzed together with archival photometric and spectroscopic data along with the mapping of the Local Bubble by Lallement et al. We can model the observational data by assuming that the mechanism driving alignment is due to the radiation from the surrounding star field. In particular we find that the fractional polarization is dominated by the light from the OB associations within 200 pc of the Sun, but is largely insensitive to the radiation field from red field stars. This behavior is consistent with the expected wavelength dependence of radiative grain alignment theory. We also probe the relative strength of the magnetic field in the wall of the Local Bubble using the Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi method. We find evidence for a systematically varying field strength distribution, where the variations in the field are correlated with the variations in grain alignment efficiency, indicating that the regions of relatively higher field strength might represent a compression of the wall by the interaction of the outflow in the Local Bubble and the opposing flows from the surrounding OB associations.
Družbeni vplivi prireditev v Mestni občini Koper // Social impacts of events in Municipality of Koper
Authors: Jerman Kristina , Vodeb Ksenija
Published: March 2019

Družbeni vplivi prireditev so že več kot dve desetletji pogosta tema raziskovalcev, v zadnjem času tudi v domači znanstveni literaturi. V zadnjih letih je v Mestni občini Koper opaziti velik poudarek na prireditvah, zato v pričujočem delu preučujemo njihov družbeni vpliv. Osnovni cilj prispevka je bil preučiti družbene vplive prireditev v luči zaznav lokalne skupnosti. V maju in juniju 2017 smo izvedli anketo med lokalnimi prebivalci in poglobljene strukturirane intervjuje s predstavniki treh krajevnih skupnosti ter predstavnico občine. Rezultati so pokazali, da lokalna skupnost podpira razvoj prireditev, da prireditve oživljajo dogajanje v mestu in spodbujajo razvoj turizma, s poudarkom na strateškem razvoju in sodelovanju vseh deležnikov. The social impacts of events have been a frequent topic for researchers for over two decades, recently also in domestic scientific literature. In recent years, the Municipality of Koper has put a greater emphasis on social events, so our goal was to study their social impacts. The aim of this article was to examine the social impacts of events in the light of the perceptions of the local community. In May and June 2017, we conducted a survey among the local residents and an in-depth structured interview with representatives of three local communities and a representative of the Municipality. The results showed that the local community supports the development of events; that the events revive the city atmosphere and enhance the development of tourism with an emphasis on the strategic development and participation of all stakeholders.
Priporočila za trajnostno načrtovanje rekreacije na prostem v zavarovanih območjih Slovenije // Recommendations for sustainable planning of outdoor recreation in the protected areas in Slovenia
Authors: Mavri Renata
Published: March 2019

V prispevku so predstavljena priporočila za trajnostno načrtovanje rekreacije na prostem v zavarovanih območjih Slovenije, s poudarkom na socialni nosilni zmogljivosti, na primeru Triglavskega narodnega parka in Krajinskega parka Zgornja Idrijca. Trajnostno načrtovanje rekreacije na prostem (na primeru pohodništva, gorskega kolesarjenja in vožnje s štirikolesniki) upošteva posebne geografske razmere za posamezne vrste rekreacije na prostem, varovalne režime različnih zavarovanih območij in zakonodajo. Zapisana izhodišča so namenjena oblikovanju priporočil za načrtovanje razvoja trajnostnih oblik rekreacije na prostem. V prispevku ocenjujemo, predvsem z vidika domačinov in obiskovalcev, katere oblike rekreacije na prostem so v izbranih zavarovanih območjih trajnostne. The article presents recommendations for sustainable planning of outdoor recreation in the protected areas with emphasis on social carrying capacity on the examples of Triglav National Park and Zgornja Idrijca Landscape Park. Sustainable planning of outdoor recreation (hiking, mountain biking and quad riding) includes specific geographical conditions that individual forms of recreation require, as well as the safety regimes of different protected areas. The starting points for the design of measures in the process of sustainable planning of outdoor recreation are presented and intended for regular monitoring and directing of outdoor recreation in the protected areas in Slovenia. In the article we assess which forms of outdoor recreation are sustainable, especially from the point of view of locals and visitors.
Assessing the impact of input data incongruity in selected quantitative methods for modelling natural landscape typologies / Preverjanje vpliva nesmiselnosti vhodnih podatkov pri izbranih kvantitativnih metodah za modeliranje naravnopokrajinskih tipizacij
Authors: Ciglič Rok
Published: March 2019

With supervised classification methods, we can determine classification rules for landscape types of existing landscape typologies. In this article, we analyse whether supervised classification methods could also define adequate rules for landscape types determination in the case of poorly designed typologies. We tried to model two Slovenian intentionally distorted natural landscape typologies. We noted that due to the incongruity of the distorted typologies, decision tree methods were not capable of forming rules for determination of landscape types. Although we did manage to create modelled distorted typologies with minimum distance to means method, maximum likelihood method, and k-nearest neighbours method, they matched the basic distorted typology only slightly. Z metodami nadzorovane klasifikacije lahko za obstoječe naravnopokrajinske tipizacije določimo klasifikacijska pravila za posamezne pokrajinske tipe. V prispevku razpravljamo, ali bi tudi v primeru zelo slabo zasnovanih tipizacij z metodami nadzorovane klasifikacije lahko izdelali dovolj natančna pravila za določanje pokrajinskih tipov. Poskusili smo modelirati dve namenoma popačeni naravnopokrajinski tipizaciji Slovenije. Opazili smo, da zaradi nesmiselnosti popačenih tipizacij metode odločitvenih dreves sploh niso bile sposobne izdelati pravil za določanje pokrajinskih tipov. Z metodami najmanjše razdalje, največje verjetnosti in k najbližjih sosedov pa smo sicer uspeli izdelati modelirane popačene tipizacije, a so se te z osnovno popačeno tipizacijo le malo ujemale.
Zgodovinski pregled Geografskega vestnika // The Historical overview of Geografski vestnik (Geographical Bulletin)
Authors: Zorn Matija , Perko Drago
Published: March 2019

Geografski vestnik je znanstvena revija za geografijo in sorodne vede. Izdaja jo Zveza geografov Slovenije. Izhaja od leta 1925 in je najstarejša slovenska geografska revija ter ena najstarejših slovenskih revij sploh. Med revijami, ki še izhajajo, je po starosti na desetem mestu. Od leta 2000 izhajata dve številki letno. Leto 2018 je leto izida jubilejnega devetdesetega letnika revije. V vseh letnikih je bilo na prek 20.000 straneh skupaj objavljenih 989 znanstvenih člankov in 2560 drugih prispevkov. Geografski vestnik (Geographical Bulletin) is a journal of geography and related disciplines published by the Association of Slovenian Geographers. It has been published since 1925 and is therefore not only the oldest Slovenian geography journal, but also one of Slovenia’s oldest periodicals; it is the tenth oldest among the journals still being published today. Since 2000, two issues have appeared per year. In 2018, the journal issued its 90th anniversary volume. To date it has published a total of 989 research articles and 2,560 other articles on over 20,000 pages.
Morfometrični tipi pokrajinskih vročih in mrzlih točk v Sloveniji // Morphometric types of landscape hotspots and coldspots in Slovenia
Authors: Hrvatin Mauro , Perko Drago
Published: March 2019

Na temelju digitalnih podatkov o reliefu, kamninah in rastlinstvu smo z uporabo geografskega informacijskega sistema izračunali pokrajinsko raznolikost Slovenije. Območja z visoko pokrajinsko raznolikostjo so pokrajinske vroče točke, območja z nizko pokrajinsko raznolikostjo pa pokrajinske mrzle točke. Cilj raziskave je bil ugotoviti predvsem: ali za tako določene pokrajinske vroče in mrzle točke veljajo kakšne skupne značilnosti, ali jih je glede na te značilnosti mogoče razvrstiti v skupine in ali so posamezne skupine enotne, sestavljene samo iz vroči točk ali samo iz mrzlih točk, ali pa mešane, torej sestavljene hkrati iz vročih in mrzlih točk. Izbrali smo 20 po površini največjih pokrajinskih vročih točk in 20 po površini največjih pokrajinskih mrzlih točk in jih s pomočjo Wardove metode razvrstili v sedem tipov glede na dvajset morfometričnih kazalnikov. Od 40 pokrajinskih vročih in mrzlih točk sta se v nasprotno skupino uvrstili le dve, kar je komaj 5 %. Based on digital data on relief, rock, and vegetation, a geographic information system was used to calculate landscape diversity of Slovenia. Areas with high landscape diversity are landscape hotspots, while areas with low landscape diversity are landscape coldspots. The aim of the study was to determine in particular, whether or not there are some common characteristics for such landscape hotspots and coldspots, whether they can be classified into groups according to these characteristics, and whether the individual groups are uniform, made up only of hotspots or coldspots, or mixed, that is, they are composed simultaneously from hotspots and coldspots.We selected the 20 largest landscape hotspots and the 20 largest landscape coldspots and classified them into seven morphometric types using the Ward's method in terms of twenty morphometric indicators. Of the 40 landscape hotspots and cold points, only two were ranked in the opposite group, which is barely 5%.