bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis and management of 46,XY mixed gonadal dysgenesis and disorder of sexual differentiation
Authors: Verkauskas Gilvydas , Mačianskytė Diana , Jančiauskas Dainius , Preikša Romualdas , Verkauskienė Rasa , Jaubert Francis
Published: July 2018

Objective. We present our experience in diagnosing, gender assignment, and surgical management of sexual ambiguity in 46,XY mixed gonadal dysgenesis. Material and methods. A retrospective study of five cases treated from 2003 to 2006 was performed. Clinical picture, operative findings, testosterone levels, and immunohistochemistry of gonads for the expression of FOXL2, SOX9, AMH, AMHr, C-kit, and PLAP were analyzed. Results. All patients had ambiguous genitalia, urogenital sinus, uterus, testicle on one side, and a streak gonad on the other. Four patients were reared as male and one as female. Stimulation by human chorionic gonadotropin showed good penile size and testosterone response. All patients underwent laparoscopic gonadal biopsy and/or gonadectomy. Histological studies showed the presence of sparse primordial follicles surrounded by embryonic sex cords in the streak portion of gonads. Germ cells were C-kit positive in all and PLAP positive in four patients. FOXL2 expression was detected in four streak gonads and in none of testes. AMH expression was found only in testes. SOX9 expression was found in both investigated testes and in three out of four streak gonads investigated. Conclusions. 46,XY mixed gonadal dysgenesis should be differentiated from ovotesticular and other types of 46,XY disorders of sexual differentiation by the typical gonadal histology and internal genital structure. High testosterone level after stimulation and good response to testosterone treatment in 46,XY mixed gonadal dysgenesis could orient toward male sex assignment. There are different patterns of gene expression in testicular and streak gonads with a switch to FOXL2 positivity in streak gonads. Early gonadal and genital surgery is recommended.
Effect of Overaging on the Cyclic Deformation Behavior of an AA6061 Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Liu Kun , Mirza Foisal Ahmed , Chen Xiao Grant
Published: July 2018

The present work encompasses the effect of overaging on the strain-controlled low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of an extruded AA6061 aluminum alloy at varying strain amplitudes. During the T7 aging treatment, the size of precipitates increased from 60 nm under T6 conditions to 220 nm after aging for 48 h at 200 °C, leading to a decrease in the monotonic tensile strength. During the LCF tests, nearly symmetrical hysteresis loops can be observed in the mid-life cycle under all test conditions, whereas the first-cycle hysteresis loops were moderately inflected under long-aging conditions. With increasing aging time, the cyclic peak stresses decreased and the plastic strain increased. Nearly ideal Masing behavior was exhibited under T6 conditions, while it was lost under T7 overaging conditions. The cyclic stress responses were similar under all tested conditions, involving stabilization at low strain amplitudes and softening at high strain amplitudes, with initial hardening for the first few cycles. Compared to the T6 condition, the fatigue life increased with increasing T7 aging time. Various LCF parameters were estimated based on the Coffin-Manson and Basquin relationships and on the LCF experimental results. The relationship between the fatigue life, strength, and microstructure of the investigated AA6061 aluminum alloy under various aging conditions was discussed.
Simultaneous Determination of the Traditional Herbal Formula Ukgansan and the In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Ferulic Acid as an Active Compound
Authors: Kim Yu Jin , Jeong Soo-Jin , Seo Chang-Seob , Lim Hye-Sun , Sohn Eunjin , Yun Jiyeon , Kim Bu-Yeo
Published: July 2018

Ukgansan (UGS), a traditional herbal formula composing seven medicinal herbal plants, has been applied in Asian countries for treating neurosis, insomnia, and irritability. Here, the current study performed a simultaneous determination of the seven marker compounds (liquiritin apioside, liquiritin, ferulic acid, glycyrrhizin, decursin, decursinol angelate, and atractylenolide I) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), to establish quality control of UGS. A 70% ethanol extract of UGS and a mixture of the seven compounds were separated using a C-18 analytical column on a gradient solvent system of 1.0% (v/v) aqueous acetic acid and acetonitrile. Data were recorded at a UV wavelength of 250 nm for glycyrrhizin; 276 nm for liquiritin apioside, liquiritin, and atractylenolide I; and 325 nm for ferulic acid, decursin, and decursinol angelate. The results exhibited high linearity (correlation coefficient (r2) ≥ 0.9998) and proper precision (0.38–3.36%), accuracy (95.12–105.12%), and recovery (95.99–104.94%) for the seven marker compounds. The amount of the seven marker compounds at the concentrations from 0.190 to 16.431 mg/g. In addition, the current study evaluated the antioxidant effects of UGS by measuring their scavenging activities against the 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals using in vitro cell-free systems and observed its antioxidant activity. Among the seven components of the UGS extract, ferulic acid dramatically enhanced the scavenging of ABTS and DPPH radicals compared with other compounds. The concentrations of ferulic acid required for a 50% reduction (RC50) in ABTS and DPPH radicals were 16.22 μM and 41.21 μM, respectively. Furthermore, UGS extract exerted the neuroprotective effect and blocked the inflammatory response in neuronal hippocampal cells and microglia, respectively. Overall, the established method of HPLC will be valuable for improving the quality control of UGS extract, and ferulic acid may be useful as a potential antioxidant agent.
Antiadipogenic Effects of Loganic Acid in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes and Ovariectomized Mice
Authors: Park Eunkuk , Kim Jeonghyun , Yeo Subin , Kim Gijeong , Ko Eun-Hee , Lee Sang , Li Wan , Choi Chun , Jeong Seon-Yong
Published: July 2018

Obesity is caused by an excess storage of body fat, resulting from a chronic imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. Gentiana lutea L. (GL) root has been reported to reduce lipid accumulation in the aortic wall of diabetic rats. Here, we performed fractionation and isolation of the bioactive constituent(s) that may be responsible for the antiadipogenic effects of the GL root extract. A single compound, loganic acid, was identified as a candidate component in the 30% ethanol extract of GL. Loganic acid treatment significantly decreased the adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of key adipogenesis-related genes such as adiponectin (Adipoq), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg), lipoprotein lipase (Lpl), perilipin1 (Plin1), fatty acid binding protein 4 (Fabp4), glucose transporter type 4 (Slc2a4), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (Cebpa), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (Tnf) were significantly reduced following treatment with loganic acid. In vivo experiments in an ovariectomy-induced obesity mouse model showed that loganic acid (oral administration with 10 and 50 mg/kg/day) significantly inhibited body weight gain, total fat increase, fatty hepatocyte deposition in the liver, and adipocyte enlargement in the abdominal visceral fat tissues. These results suggest that loganic acid in the GL root extract has antiadipogenic effects in vitro and in vivo. Loganic acid may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of obesity, particularly in menopausal obese women.
Oxidative Stress Levels in the Brain Are Determined by Post-Mortem Interval and Ante-Mortem Vitamin C State but Not Alzheimer’s Disease Status
Authors: Eckman Jared , Dixit Shilpy , Nackenoff Alex , Schrag Matthew , Harrison Fiona E.
Published: July 2018

The current study highlighted several changes in measures of oxidative stress and antioxidant status that take place in the mouse brain over the course of 24 h post-mortem. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and glutathione both decreased significantly in cortex in as little as 2 h and malondialdehyde levels increased. Further change from baseline was observed up to 24 h, including carbonyl and sulfhydryl formation. The greatest changes were observed in brains that began with low ascorbic acid levels (gulo−/− mice) compared to wild-type or 5XFAD mice. Cortical samples from nine Alzheimer’s Disease cases and five controls were also assayed under the same conditions. Post mortem intervals ranged from 6 to 47 h and all samples had low ascorbic acid levels at time of measurement. Malondialdehyde levels were lower in Alzheimer’s Disease cases. Despite a strong positive correlation between ascorbic acid and glutathione levels, no other correlations among oxidative stress measures or post mortem interval were observed. Together the data suggest that molecular changes occurring within the first hours of death may mask differences between patient groups. Care must be taken interpreting studies in human brain tissue where ante-mortem nutrient status is not known to avoid bias or confounding of results.
Wood-PHA Composites: Mapping Opportunities
Authors: Vandi Luigi-Jules , Chan Clement Matthew , Werker Alan , Richardson Des , Laycock Bronwyn , Pratt Steven
Published: July 2018

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers are emerging as attractive new sustainable polymers due to their true biodegradability and highly tuneable mechanical properties. However, despite significant investments, commercialisation barriers are hindering the capacity growth of PHA. In this work, we investigated the market potential for wood plastic composites (WPCs) based on PHAs. We considered the latest global production capacity of PHAs, estimated at 66,000 tonnes/year, and examined the implications of using PHAs for WPC production on the WPC market. Results indicate that a hypothetical usage of the current global PHA production for WPC manufacture would only represent the equivalent of 4.4% of the global WPC market, which is currently experiencing a 10.5% compounded annual growth rate. An economic assessment revealed that a wood-PHA composite as a drop-in alternative WPC product could cost as little as 37% of the cost of its neat PHA counterpart. Thus, WPCs with PHA offer a means to access benefits of PHA in engineering applications at reduced costs; however, further developments are required to improve strain at failure. The successful adoption of wood-PHA composites into the market is furthermore reliant on support from public sector to encourage biodegradable products where recycling is not a ready solution.
Electrohydrodynamic Jet 3D Printed Nerve Guide Conduits (NGCs) for Peripheral Nerve Injury Repair
Authors: Vijayavenkataraman Sanjairaj , Zhang Shuo , Thaharah Siti , Sriram Gopu , Lu Wen Feng , Fuh Jerry Ying Hsi
Published: July 2018

The prevalence of peripheral nerve injuries resulting in loss of motor function, sensory function, or both, is on the rise. Artificial Nerve Guide Conduits (NGCs) are considered an effective alternative treatment for autologous nerve grafts, which is the current gold-standard for treating peripheral nerve injuries. In this study, Polycaprolactone-based three-dimensional porous NGCs are fabricated using Electrohydrodynamic jet 3D printing (EHD-jetting) for the first time. The main advantage of this technique is that all the scaffold properties, namely fibre diameter, pore size, porosity, and fibre alignment, can be controlled by tuning the process parameters. In addition, EHD-jetting has the advantages of customizability, repeatability, and scalability. Scaffolds with five different pore sizes (125 to 550 μm) and porosities (65 to 88%) are fabricated and the effect of pore size on the mechanical properties is evaluated. In vitro degradation studies are carried out to investigate the degradation profile of the scaffolds and determine the influence of pore size on the degradation rate and mechanical properties at various degradation time points. Scaffolds with a pore size of 125 ± 15 μm meet the requirements of an optimal NGC structure with a porosity greater than 60%, mechanical properties closer to those of the native peripheral nerves, and an optimal degradation rate matching the nerve regeneration rate post-injury. The in vitro neural differentiation studies also corroborate the same results. Cell proliferation was highest in the scaffolds with a pore size of 125 ± 15 μm assessed by the PrestoBlue assay. The Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) results involving the three most important genes concerning neural differentiation, namely β3-tubulin, NF-H, and GAP-43, confirm that the scaffolds with a pore size of 125 ± 15 μm have the highest gene expression of all the other pore sizes and also outperform the electrospun Polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold. The immunocytochemistry results, expressing the two important nerve proteins β3-tubulin and NF200, showed directional alignment of the neurite growth along the fibre direction in EHD-jet 3D printed scaffolds.
Ethylene Polymerization and Copolymerization with Polar Monomers Using Nickel Complexes Bearing Anilinobenzoic Acid Methyl Ester Ligand
Authors: Cheng Hailong , Su Yue , Hu Yanming , Zhang Xuequan , Cai Zhengguo
Published: July 2018

Neutral nickel complexes containing an anilinobenzoic acid methyl ester ligand are prepared and applied for the ethylene polymerization and copolymerization with polar monomers. The complex C2 containing isopropyl substituent on the aniline ligand conducts ethylene polymerization with high activity and good thermal stability. Most importantly, the catalyst promotes the copolymerization of ethylene and polar monomers with high activity (up to 277 kg·mol−1·h−1), affording ester-functionalized semicrystalline polyethylene with reasonable polar monomer content (up to 3.20 mol %).
Polysiloxanes in Theranostics and Drug Delivery: A Review
Authors: Blanco Ignazio
Published: July 2018

One of the historical problems of medicine is that often, diagnosis and therapy do not interface, at best. Moreover, especially in some areas, such as oncology, the stress for the organism during the two phases (diagnosis and therapy) can become excessive, and be fatal to the success of the treatment. The extraordinary progress of nanotechnology in the last 25 years has offered the opportunity to build a nanoplatform able to ferry drugs, and loads onto them both imaging and therapeutic functions, thus creating nanosystems capable of diagnosis, drug delivery, and monitoring of therapeutic response. The purpose of this unusual, and up to recent times, unimaginable, marriage between diagnosis and therapeutics is the reaching of protocols more specific to individuals. The dual use of particles/device lead to a personalized medicine. Due to their biocompatibility, versatility, physical and chemical resistance, and ability to be functionalized, silica nanoparticles and polysiloxanes are the heart and the shield of this nanoplatform, respectively. In this short review, I analyze the applications of these silicon-based materials in the field of controlled drug delivery.
Bending of Thin Liquid Crystal Elastomer under Irradiation of Visible Light: Finsler Geometry Modeling
Authors: Koibuchi Hiroshi
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we show that the 3D Finsler geometry (FG) modeling technique successfully explains a reported experimental result: a thin liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) disk floating on the water surface deforms under light irradiation. In the reported experiment, the upper surface is illuminated by a light spot, and the nematic ordering of directors is influenced, but the nematic ordering remains unchanged on the lower surface contacting the water. This inhomogeneity of the director orientation on/inside the LCE is considered as the origin of the shape change that drives the disk on the water in the direction opposite the movement of the light spot. However, the mechanism of the shape change is still insufficiently understood because to date, the positional variable for the polymer has not been directly included in the interaction energy of the models for this system. We find that this shape change of the disk can be reproduced using the FG model. In this FG model, the interaction between σ, which represents the director field corresponding to the directional degrees of LC, and the polymer position is introduced via the Finsler metric. This interaction, which is a direct consequence of the geometry deformation, provides a good description of the shape deformation of the LCE disk under light irradiation.
Single-Polarized SAR Classification Based on a Multi-Temporal Image Stack
Authors: Lin Keng-Fan , Perissin Daniele
Published: July 2018

Land cover classification plays a pivotal role in Earth resource management. In the past, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) had been extensively studied for classification. However, limited work has been done on multi-temporal datasets owing to the lack of data availability and computational power. As Earth observation (EO) becomes more and more imperative, it becomes essential to exploit the information embedded in multi-temporal datasets. In this paper, we present a framework for SAR pixel labeling. Specifically, we exploit spatio-temporal information for pixel labeling. The proposed scheme includes four steps: (1) extraction of spatio-temporal observations; (2) feature computation; (3) feature reduction and (4) pixel labeling. First, an adaptive approach is applied to the data cube to extract spatio-temporal observations in both coherent and incoherent domains. Second, features in distinct domains are designed and computed to boost information content embedded in the multi-temporal datasets. Third, sequential feature selection is utilized for selecting the most discriminative features among the entire feature space. Last, the discriminative classifier is used to label the class of each pixel. By integrating pixel-/object-based processing techniques, spatial/temporal observations and coherent/incoherent data attributes, the proposed method explores diverse observations to solve complex labeling problems. In the experiments, we apply the proposed method on 64 TanDEM-X images and 70 COSMO-SkyMed high-resolution images, respectively. Both experiments reveal high accuracies for multi-class labeling. The proposed technique, therefore, provides a new solution for classifying multi-temporal single-polarized datasets.
A Novel Object-Based Supervised Classification Method with Active Learning and Random Forest for PolSAR Imagery
Authors: Liu Wensong , Yang Jie , Li Pingxiang , Han Yue , Zhao Jinqi , Shi Hongtao
Published: July 2018

Most of the traditional supervised classification methods using full-polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) imagery are dependent on sufficient training samples, whereas the results of pixel-based supervised classification methods show a high false alarm rate due to the influence of speckle noise. In this paper, to solve these problems, an object-based supervised classification method with an active learning (AL) method and random forest (RF) classifier is presented, which can enhance the classification performance for PolSAR imagery. The first step of the proposed method is used to reduce the influence of speckle noise through the generalized statistical region merging (GSRM) algorithm. A reliable training set is then selected from the different polarimetric features of the PolSAR imagery by the AL method. Finally, the RF classifier is applied to identify the different types of land cover in the three PolSAR images acquired by different sensors. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can not only better suppress the influence of speckle noise, but can also significantly improve the overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of the classification results, when compared with the traditional supervised classification methods.
Real-Time Vehicle Roll Angle Estimation Based on Neural Networks in IoT Low-Cost Devices
Authors: García Guzmán Javier , Prieto González Lisardo , Pajares Redondo Jonatan , Montalvo Martínez Mat Max , L. Boada María Jesús
Published: July 2018

The high rate of vehicle-crash victims has a fatal economic and social impact in today’s societies. In particular, road crashes where heavy vehicles are involved cause more severe damage because they are prone to rollover. For this reason, many researches are focused on developing RSC Roll Stability Control (RSC) systems. Concerning the design of RSC systems with an adequate performance, it is mandatory to know the dynamics of the vehicle. The main problem arises from the lack of ability to directly capture several required dynamic vehicle variables, such as roll angle, from low-cost sensors. Previous studies demonstrate that low-cost sensors can provide data in real-time with the required precision and reliability. Even more, other research works indicate that neural networks are efficient mechanisms to estimate roll angle. Nevertheless, it is necessary to assess that the fusion of data coming from low-cost devices and estimations provided by neural networks can fulfill hard real-time processing constraints, achieving high level of accuracy during circulation of a vehicle in real situations. In order to address this issue, this study has two main goals: (1) Design and develop an IoT based architecture, integrating ANN in low cost kits with different hardware architectures in order to estimate under real-time constraints the vehicle roll angle. This architecture is able to work under high dynamic conditions, by following specific best practices and considerations during its design; (2) assess that the IoT architecture deployed in low-cost experimental kits achieve the hard real-time performance constraints estimating the roll angle with the required calculation accuracy. To fulfil these objectives, an experimental environment was set up, composed of a van with two set of low-cost kits, one including a Raspberry Pi 3 Model Band the other having an Intel Edison System on Chip linked to a SparkFun 9 Degrees of Freedom module. This experimental environment be tested in different maneuvers for comparison purposes. Neural networks embedded in low-cost sensor kits provide roll angle estimations highly approximated to real values. Even more, Intel Edison and Raspberry Pi 3 Model B have enough computing capabilities to successfully run roll angle estimation based on neural networks to determine rollover risk situations, fulfilling real-time operation restrictions stated for this problem.
Research on a Fast-Response Thermal Conductivity Sensor Based on Carbon Nanotube Modification
Authors: Zhang Hongquan , Shen Bin , Hu Wenbin , Liu Xinlei
Published: July 2018

Aiming at solving the slow-response problem of traditional bead-type thermal conductivity gas sensors, a fast-response thermal conductivity gas sensor can be made by using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), combined with the technology of carrier modification, to modify the performance of the sensor carrier. The carrier material, granular nanoscale γ-Al2O3/ZrO2, was synthesized by chemical precipitation, and its particle size was found to be 50–70 nm through SEM. After the carrier material was wet-incorporated into carbon nanotubes, the composite carrier γ-Al2O3/ZrO2/MWNTs was obtained. The results show that the designed thermal conductivity sensor has a fast response to methane gas, with a 90% response time of 7 s and a recovery time of 16 s. There is a good linear relationship between the sensor output and CH4 gas concentration, with an average sensitivity of 1.15 mV/1% CH4. Thus, the response speed of a thermal conductivity sensor can be enhanced by doping carbon nanotubes into γ-Al2O3/ZrO2.
On-Device Learning of Indoor Location for WiFi Fingerprint Approach
Authors: Nuño-Maganda Marco , Herrera-Rivas Hiram , Torres-Huitzil Cesar , Marisol Marín-Castro Heidy , Coronado-Pérez Yuriria
Published: July 2018

Indoor positioning is a recent technology that has gained interest in industry and academia thanks to the promising results of locating objects, people or robots accurately in indoor environments. One of the utilized technologies is based on algorithms that process the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) in order to infer location information without previous knowledge of the distribution of the Access Points (APs) in the area of interest. This paper presents the design and implementation of an indoor positioning mobile application, which allows users to capture and build their own RSSI maps by off-line training of a set of selected classifiers and using the models generated to obtain the current indoor location of the target device. In an early experimental and design stage, 59 classifiers were evaluated, using data from proposed indoor scenarios. Then, from the tested classifiers in the early stage, only the top-five classifiers were integrated with the proposed mobile indoor positioning, based on the accuracy obtained for the test scenarios. The proposed indoor application achieves high classification rates, above 89%, for at least 10 different locations in indoor environments, where each location has a minimum separation of 0.5 m.
A Survey on the Roadmap to Mandate on Board Connectivity and Enable V2V-Based Vehicular Sensor Networks
Authors: Masini Barbara M. , Bazzi Alessandro , Zanella Alberto
Published: July 2018

Vehicles will soon be connected and will be interacting directly with each other and with the road infrastructure, bringing substantial benefits in terms of safety and traffic efficiency. The past decade has seen the development of different wireless access technologies for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications and an extensive set of related use cases have been drafted, each with its own requirements. In this paper, focusing on short-range communications, we analyze the technical and economic motivations that are driving the development of new road users’ connectivity, discussing the international intentions to mandate on board devices for V2X communication. We also go in depth with the enabling wireless access technologies, from IEEE 802.11p to short-range Cellular-V2X and other complementary technologies, such as visible light communication (VLC) and millimeterWaves, up to hybrid communication and 5G. We conclude our survey with some performance comparison in urban realistic scenarios, underlying that the choice of the future enabling technology is not so easy to predict and mostly depends on mandatory laws at the international level.
Segregation, Stereotypes, and STEM
Authors: Thébaud Sarah , Charles Maria
Published: July 2018

Scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) occupations are strongholds of gender segregation in the contemporary United States. While many Americans regard this segregation as natural and inevitable, closer examination reveals a great deal of variability in the gendering of STEM fields across time, space, and demographic groups. This article assesses how different theoretical accounts accord with the available evidence on the gender composition of scientific and technical fields. We find most support for accounts that allow for a dynamic interplay between individual-level traits and the broader sociocultural environments in which they develop. The existing evidence suggests, in particular, that Western cultural stereotypes about the nature of STEM work and STEM workers and about the intrinsic qualities of men and women can be powerful drivers of individual aptitudes, aspirations, and affinities. We offer an illustrative catalog of stereotypes that support women’s STEM-avoidance and men’s STEM-affinity, and we conclude with some thoughts on policy implications.
The Water Implications of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: Effects on Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry
Authors: Yu Chin-Hsien , McCarl Bruce A.
Published: July 2018

This study addresses the water quantity and quality implications of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts in agriculture and forestry. This is done both through a literature review and a case study. The case study is set in the Missouri River Basin (MRB) and involves integration of a water hydrology model and a land use model with an econometric model estimated to make the link. The hydrology model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool, SWAT) is used to generate a multiyear, multilocation dataset that gives estimated water quantity and quality measures dependent on land use. In turn, those data are used in estimating a quantile regression model linking water quantity and quality with climate and land use. Additionally, a land use model (Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model with Greenhouse Gases, FASOMGHG) is used to simulate the extent of mitigation strategy adoption and land use implications under alternative carbon prices. Then, the land use results and climate change forecasts are input to the econometric model and water quantity/quality projections developed. The econometric results show that land use patterns have significant influences on water quantity. Specifically, an increase in grassland significantly decreases water quantity, with forestry having mixed effects. At relatively high quantiles, land use changes from cropped land to grassland reduce water yield, while switching from cropping or grassland to forest yields more water. It also shows that an increase in cropped land use significantly degrades water quality at the 50% quantile and moving from cropped land to either forest or pasture slightly improves water quality at the 50% quantile but significantly worsens water quality at the 90% quantile. In turn, a simulation exercise shows that water quantity slightly increases under mitigation activity stimulated by lower carbon prices but significantly decreases under higher carbon prices. For water quality, when carbon prices are low, water quality is degraded under most mitigation alternatives but quality improves under higher carbon prices.
Influence of Adaptive Comfort Models in Execution Cost Improvements for Housing Thermal Environment in Concepción, Chile
Authors: Pérez-Fargallo Alexis , Rubio-Bellido Carlos , Gallego-Maya Inmaculada
Published: July 2018

Most of the operational energy needed by the housing sector is used to compensate energy losses or thermal gains through the building’s envelope. As a result, any improvement in the thermal behavior will provide important opportunities to reduce energy consumption. This research analyzes improvements in the thermal envelope in social housing in the Greater Concepción area in Chile using adaptive thermal comfort models and thermal insulation investments. The objective set out is to evaluate the economic reduction of thermal envelope improvement costs for dwellings, which entails using the adaptive thermal comfort model obtained through monitoring and the surveys applied to the users of social housing in Concepción (CAS), against the international adaptive thermal comfort models established by the EN 15251:2007 and ASHRAE 55-2017 standards. Finally, it is concluded that, on having applied the social housing adaptive thermal comfort model (CAS), execution costs are reduced by between 28.8% and 58.2%, reaching a time of comfort in free oscillation similar to that obtained from applying the models of the EN 15251:2007 (74.2%) and ASHRAE 55-2017 standards (59.9%).
The Effect of Environmental Regulation on Employment in China: Empirical Research Based on Individual-Level Data
Authors: Liu Feng , Xu Kangning , Zheng Meina
Published: July 2018

This paper argues that the scale effect and substitution effect in the labor demand for environmental regulations should not be ignored in the pursuit of environmental improvements. It is necessary to analyze the influential mechanism of environmental regulations on employment. Based on the pooled cross-section data combined by CHIP (Chinese Household Income Project) data and macro data at the city level, this paper investigates the impacts of environmental regulations on an individual’s employment probability in China. The results show that there exists a U-shaped relationship between environmental regulations and an individual’s employment probability. The employment effect on workers from different regions and industries or with different hukou (Household Registration System) is heterogeneous. Specifically, the regulations are more stringent in the east, more significant in secondary and tertiary industries, and stronger on urban workers’ employment. The findings are robust to alternative measures.
Transdisciplinary Research: Collaborative Leadership and Empowerment Towards Sustainability of Push–Pull Technology
Authors: Nyang’au Isaac Mbeche , Kelboro Girma , Hornidge Anna-Katharina , Midega Charles A. O. , Borgemeister Christian
Published: July 2018

A transdisciplinary research approach requires that different scientists with their discipline-specific theories, concepts and methods find ways to work together with other societal players to address a real-life problem. In this study, the push–pull technology (PPT) was used as a boundary object to enable interactions among stakeholders across science-practice boundaries engaged in the control of stemborer pest in maize crops in Bako Tibe, Jimma Arjo and Yayu Woredas in Ethiopia between August 2014 and April 2015. The PPT is a biological mechanism developed by researchers for the control of stemborer pests and Striga weed in maize crop. It involves inter-cropping maize with a stemborer moth-repellent silverleaf or greenleaf Desmodium (push), and planting an attractive trap crop, Napier or Brachiaria grass (pull), around it. The on-farm implementation of PPT was used to provide an opportunity for collaboration, interaction and learning among stakeholders including researchers from the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and practitioners from the Ministry of Agriculture and smallholder farmers/traders. The research was implemented following the transdisciplinary action research and the data collected using mixed methods approach, including key informant interviews, focus group discussions, workshops, on-farm practical demonstrations and participant observations. The findings show that collaborative leadership provides a chance for the stakeholders to participate in the technology learning and decision making, by enabling them to jointly contribute skills towards development, refinement and adaptation of the PPT. In situations where there are conflicts, they are embraced and converted to opportunities for in-depth learning, finding solutions and adaptation of the innovation processes rather than being sources of contradictions or misunderstandings. The leadership roles of the farmers enabled them to reflect on their own practices and draw on scientific explanations from researchers. It also enabled them to take the lead in new technology implementation and information sharing with fellow farmers and other stakeholders in a free and easy manner. Although the perennial nature of the companion crops in the PPT provides opportunities for continuous stakeholder interaction and learning, it requires a personally committed leadership and formal institutional engagements for the sustainability of the activities, which span several cropping seasons. Market forces and the involvement of the private sector also play a role as shown from the involvement of individual farmers and traders in Desmodium and Brachiaria seed production, collection and distribution during the PPT implementation.
Postharvest Losses and their Determinants: A Challenge to Creating a Sustainable Cooking Banana Value Chain in Uganda
Authors: Kikulwe Enoch Mutebi , Okurut Stanslus , Ajambo Susan , Nowakunda Kephas , Stoian Dietmar , Naziri Diego
Published: July 2018

Postharvest losses (PHL) result in direct food and income losses to farmers and consumers globally. PHL reduction strategies offer unique opportunities to contribute to sustainable food systems for increased food security and farm incomes for more than 200 million food insecure people in sub-Saharan Africa. Lack of empirical information remains a major challenge to operationalization of PHL reduction strategies in many countries of the region. This paper utilizes cross-sectional data to determine the extent and factors that are influencing postharvest losses in the cooking-banana value chain in Uganda. We find that 14.9% of all the cooking bananas that are produced in Uganda suffer postharvest deterioration along the value chain (7.2% of the bananas deteriorate completely and have no residual value, while 7.7% deteriorate partially and are sold at discounted prices), mostly affecting retailers. At farm level, female headed households experience more losses than those headed by males. Household headship, household size, proportion of land allocated to banana production, and monthly banana production are the principal determinants of PHL at farm level. At retail level, such losses are mainly determined by sex of the vendor and group membership. The findings call for comprehensive and gender-responsive PHL reduction strategies.
A Strategic Knowledge Management Approach to Circular Agribusiness
Authors: Shih Dong-Her , Lu Chia-Ming , Lee Chia-Hao , Parng Yuh-Jiuan , Wu Kuo-Jui , Tseng Ming-Lang
Published: July 2018

In this study, we construct a theoretical model for strategic knowledge management in the circular agribusiness industry. Previous studies lack an analysis of strategic knowledge management and sets of measures. Hence, this study applies the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (known as fuzzy TOPSIS), and utilizes the interrelationship weights as a parameter to justify the weights and address important attributes. The results demonstrate that strategic knowledge management improves a firm’s competitive advantages through high-level management support. The theoretical and managerial implications are that high-level management support, firm performance, and knowledge management process cycles are the most important strategic knowledge management aspects for improving a firm’s performance in circular agribusiness.
Quantitative Study on the Evolution Trend and Driving Factors of Typical Rural Spatial Morphology in Southern Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Xu Xiaodong , Liu Jingping , Xu Ning , Wang Wei , Yang Hui
Published: July 2018

Due to rapid changes in urban and rural economic development, the Chinese landscape has been gradually transforming toward urbanization. Most Chinese rural villages face declining problems such as population loss, land use transformation, fragmentation and abandonment, resulting in big changes in the rural spatial morphology. To understand these urbanization challenges, this study established a multi-factor methodology and applied it to a case study of three selected typical villages in southern Jiangsu Province. From this analysis, the quantification of the rural spatial morphology and environmental status, from 2005 to 2016, was determined. The eight driving factors established considered the rural geological location, landform, and social economic status. To analyze the driving factors, a quantitative analysis using ArcGIS, Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI), and Analytic Network Process (ANP) decision-making methods were used. The results revealed mechanisms between the changes to spatial morphology of rural villages in southern Jiangsu Province and their key driving factors. This study provides data support and a theoretical framework to guide future development and policy of rural villages of different types, which supports the sustainable development of Chinese rural villages.
A Prototype of Speech Interface Based on the Google Cloud Platform to Access a Semantic Website
Authors: Rosales-Huamaní Jimmy Aurelio , Castillo-Sequera José Luis , Montalvan-Figueroa Juan Carlos , Andrade-Choque Joseps
Published: July 2018

The main restriction of the Semantic Web is the difficulty of the SPARQL language, which is necessary for extracting information from the Knowledge Representation also known as ontology. Making the Semantic Web accessible for people who do not know SPARQL is essential for the use of friendlier interfaces, and a good alternative is Natural Language. This paper shows the implementation of a friendly prototype interface activated by voice to query and retrieving information from websites built with Semantic Web tools. In that way, the end users avoid the complicated SPARQL language. To achieve this, the interface recognizes a speech query and converts it into text, it processes the text through a Java program and identifies keywords, generates a SPARQL query, extracts the information from the website and reads it in a voice for the user. In our work, Google Cloud Speech API makes Speech-to-Text conversions and Text-to Speech conversions are made with SVOX Pico. As a result, we have measured three variables: the success rate in queries, the response time of query and a usability survey. The values of the variables allow the evaluation of our prototype. Finally, the interface proposed provides us with a new approach in the problem, using the Cloud like a Service, reducing barriers of access to the Semantic Web for people without technical knowledge of Semantic Web technologies.
Tick–Virus–Host Interactions at the Cutaneous Interface: The Nidus of Flavivirus Transmission
Authors: Hermance Meghan E. , Thangamani Saravanan
Published: July 2018

Tick-borne viral diseases continue to emerge in the United States, as clearly evident from the increase in Powassan encephalitis virus, Heartland virus, and Bourbon virus infections. Tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFVs) are transmitted to the mammalian host along with the infected tick saliva during blood-feeding. Successful tick feeding is facilitated by a complex repertoire of pharmacologically active salivary proteins/factors in tick saliva. These salivary factors create an immunologically privileged micro-environment in the host’s skin that influences virus transmission and pathogenesis. In this review, we will highlight tick determinants of TBFV transmission with a special emphasis on tick–virus–host interactions at the cutaneous interface.
HDV Can Constrain HBV Genetic Evolution in HBsAg: Implications for the Identification of Innovative Pharmacological Targets
Authors: Colagrossi Luna , Salpini Romina , Scutari Rossana , Carioti Luca , Battisti Arianna , Piermatteo Lorenzo , Bertoli Ada , Fabeni Lavinia , Minichini Carmine , Trimoulet Pascale , Fleury Hervé , Nebuloso Elena , De Cristofaro Maria , Cappiello Giuseppina , Spanò Alberto , Malagnino Vincenzo , Mari Terenzio , Barlattani Angelo , Iapadre Nerio , Lichtner Miriam , Mastroianni Claudio , Lenci Ilaria , Pasquazzi Caterina , De Sanctis Giuseppe , Galeota Lanza Alfonso , Stanzione Maria , Stornaiuolo Gianfranca , Marignani Massimo , Sarmati Loredana , Andreoni Massimo , Angelico Mario , Ceccherini-Silberstein Francesca , Perno Carlo-Federico , Coppola Nicola , Svicher Valentina
Published: July 2018

Chronic HBV + HDV infection is associated with greater risk of liver fibrosis, earlier hepatic decompensation, and liver cirrhosis hepatocellular carcinoma compared to HBV mono-infection. However, to-date no direct anti-HDV drugs are available in clinical practice. Here, we identified conserved and variable regions in HBsAg and HDAg domains in HBV + HDV infection, a critical finding for the design of innovative therapeutic agents. The extent of amino-acid variability was measured by Shannon-Entropy (Sn) in HBsAg genotype-d sequences from 31 HBV + HDV infected and 62 HBV mono-infected patients (comparable for demographics and virological-parameters), and in 47 HDAg genotype-1 sequences. Positions with Sn = 0 were defined as conserved. The percentage of conserved HBsAg-positions was significantly higher in HBV + HDV infection than HBV mono-infection (p = 0.001). Results were confirmed after stratification for HBeAg-status and patients’ age. A Sn = 0 at specific positions in the C-terminus HBsAg were correlated with higher HDV-RNA, suggesting that conservation of these positions can preserve HDV-fitness. Conversely, HDAg was characterized by a lower percentage of conserved-residues than HBsAg (p < 0.001), indicating higher functional plasticity. Furthermore, specific HDAg-mutations were significantly correlated with higher HDV-RNA, suggesting a role in conferring HDV replicative-advantage. Among HDAg-domains, only the virus-assembly signal exhibited a high genetic conservation (75% of conserved-residues). In conclusion, HDV can constrain HBsAg genetic evolution to preserve its fitness. The identification of conserved regions in HDAg poses the basis for designing innovative targets against HDV-infection.
Snowmelt Water Alters the Regime of Runoff in the Arid Region of Northwest China
Authors: Bai Jie , Li Junli , Shi Hao , Liu Tie , Zhong Ruisen
Published: July 2018

Seasonal snowmelt water from mountainous areas is critical for water supply in arid regions. Snowmelt profoundly affects the parameterization of the Budyko framework, which describes the long-term relationship between precipitation and runoff. This is true in Xinjiang, a representative arid region in Northwest China. However, the effects of snowmelt water on the water balance in this region remain unclear. Based on observed runoff data in 64 catchments of Xinjiang during 2000–2010, we analyzed the effects of meltwater in the local water balance both spatially and temporally through the Budyko curve and redundancy analysis (RDA) methods, and then investigated the influences of changing meltwater on runoff. Inclusion of snowmelt water into the item of the water availability significantly improved the performance of the Budyko equation for predicting runoff. The results of RDA showed that snowmelt water, potential evaporation (PET), and rainfall combined explained 66% of the spatial variations in runoff, while the individual effects of snowmelt water, PET, and rainfall were 19%, 13%, and 1%, respectively, with the interactions among the three variables being 16%. These results suggest that the accelerating changes of meltwater due to climate warming will significantly alter the regimes of runoff in these regions.
Defect formation in multiwalled carbon nanotubes under low-energy He and Ne ion irradiation
Authors: Eswara Santhana , Audinot Jean-Nicolas , El Adib Brahime , Guennou Maël , Wirtz Tom , Philipp Patrick
Published: July 2018

The mechanical, structural, electronic and magnetic properties of carbon nanotubes can be modified by electron or ion irradiation. In this work we used 25 keV He+ and Ne+ ion irradiation to study the influence of fluence and sample thickness on the irradiation-induced damage of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The irradiated areas have been characterised by correlative Raman spectroscopy and TEM imaging. In order to preclude the Raman contribution coming from the amorphous carbon support of typical TEM grids, a new methodology involving Raman inactive Au TEM grids was developed. The experimental results have been compared to SDTRIMSP simulations. Due to the small thickness of the MWCNTs, sputtering has been observed for the top and bottom side of the samples. Depending on thickness and ion species, the sputter yield is significantly higher for the bottom than the top side. For He+ and Ne+ irradiation, damage formation evolves differently, with a change in the trend of the ratio of D to G peak in the Raman spectra being observed for He+ but not for Ne+. This can be attributed to differences in stopping power and sputter behaviour.