bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Object-Oriented Classification for Coastal Management in the East Central Coast of Florida: A Quantitative Comparison between UAV, Satellite, and Aerial Data
Authors: Yang Bo , Hawthorne Timothy L. , Torres Hannah , Feinman Michael
Published: July 2019

High resolution mapping of coastal habitats is invaluable for resource inventory, change detection, and inventory of aquaculture applications. However, coastal areas, especially the interior of mangroves, are often difficult to access. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), equipped with a multispectral sensor, affords an opportunity to improve upon satellite imagery for coastal management because of the very high spatial resolution, multispectral capability, and opportunity to collect real-time observations. Despite the recent and rapid development of UAV mapping applications, few articles have quantitatively compared how much improvement there is of UAV multispectral mapping methods compared to more conventional remote sensing data such as satellite imagery. The objective of this paper is to quantitatively demonstrate the improvements of a multispectral UAV mapping technique for higher resolution images used for advanced mapping and assessing coastal land cover. We performed multispectral UAV mapping fieldwork trials over Indian River Lagoon along the central Atlantic coast of Florida. Ground Control Points (GCPs) were collected to generate a rigorous geo-referenced dataset of UAV imagery and support comparison to geo-referenced satellite and aerial imagery. Multi-spectral satellite imagery (Sentinel-2) was also acquired to map land cover for the same region. NDVI and object-oriented classification methods were used for comparison between UAV and satellite mapping capabilities. Compared with aerial images acquired from Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the UAV multi-spectral mapping method used in this study provided advanced information of the physical conditions of the study area, an improved land feature delineation, and a significantly better mapping product than satellite imagery with coarser resolution. The study demonstrates a replicable UAV multi-spectral mapping method useful for study sites that lack high quality data.
A New Mechanism of Open System Evolution and Its Entropy Using Unitary Transformations in Noncomposite Qudit Systems
Authors: López-Saldívar Julio A. , Castaños Octavio , Man’ko Margarita A. , Man’ko Vladimir I.
Published: July 2019

The evolution of an open system is usually associated with the interaction of the system with an environment. A new method to study the open-type system evolution of a qubit (two-level atom) state is established. This evolution is determined by a unitary transformation applied to the qutrit (three-level atom) state, which defines the qubit subsystems. This procedure can be used to obtain different qubit quantum channels employing unitary transformations into the qutrit system. In particular, we study the phase damping and spontaneous-emission quantum channels. In addition, we mention a proposal for quasiunitary transforms of qubits, in view of the unitary transform of the total qutrit system. The experimental realization is also addressed. The probability representation of the evolution and its information-entropic characteristics are considered.
Maximum Entropy Production Theorem for Transitions between Enzyme Functional States and Its Applications
Authors: Juretić Davor , Simunić Juraj , Bonačić Lošić Željana
Published: July 2019

Transitions between enzyme functional states are often connected to conformational changes involving electron or proton transport and directional movements of a group of atoms. These microscopic fluxes, resulting in entropy production, are driven by non-equilibrium concentrations of substrates and products. Maximal entropy production exists for any chosen transition, but such a maximal transitional entropy production (MTEP) requirement does not ensure an increase of total entropy production, nor an increase in catalytic performance. We examine when total entropy production increases, together with an increase in the performance of an enzyme or bioenergetic system. The applications of the MTEP theorem for transitions between functional states are described for the triosephosphate isomerase, ATP synthase, for β-lactamases, and for the photochemical cycle of bacteriorhodopsin. The rate-limiting steps can be easily identified as those which are the most efficient in dissipating free-energy gradients and in performing catalysis. The last step in the catalytic cycle is usually associated with the highest free-energy dissipation involving proton nanocurents. This recovery rate-limiting step can be optimized for higher efficiency by using corresponding MTEP requirements. We conclude that biological evolution, leading to increased optimal catalytic efficiency, also accelerated the thermodynamic evolution, the synergistic relationship we named the evolution-coupling hypothesis.
Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Traffic Signal Control Using High-Resolution Event-Based Data
Authors: Wang Song , Xie Xu , Huang Kedi , Zeng Junjie , Cai Zimin
Published: July 2019

Reinforcement learning (RL)-based traffic signal control has been proven to have great potential in alleviating traffic congestion. The state definition, which is a key element in RL-based traffic signal control, plays a vital role. However, the data used for state definition in the literature are either coarse or difficult to measure directly using the prevailing detection systems for signal control. This paper proposes a deep reinforcement learning-based traffic signal control method which uses high-resolution event-based data, aiming to achieve cost-effective and efficient adaptive traffic signal control. High-resolution event-based data, which records the time when each vehicle-detector actuation/de-actuation event occurs, is informative and can be collected directly from vehicle-actuated detectors (e.g., inductive loops) with current technologies. Given the event-based data, deep learning techniques are employed to automatically extract useful features for traffic signal control. The proposed method is benchmarked with two commonly used traffic signal control strategies, i.e., the fixed-time control strategy and the actuated control strategy, and experimental results reveal that the proposed method significantly outperforms the commonly used control strategies.
A Comparison of Some Bayesian and Classical Procedures for Simultaneous Equation Models with Weak Instruments
Authors: Gao Chuanming , Lahiri Kajal
Published: July 2019

We compare the finite sample performance of a number of Bayesian and classical procedures for limited information simultaneous equations models with weak instruments by a Monte Carlo study. We consider Bayesian approaches developed by Chao and Phillips, Geweke, Kleibergen and van Dijk, and Zellner. Amongst the sampling theory methods, OLS, 2SLS, LIML, Fuller’s modified LIML, and the jackknife instrumental variable estimator (JIVE) due to Angrist et al. and Blomquist and Dahlberg are also considered. Since the posterior densities and their conditionals in Chao and Phillips and Kleibergen and van Dijk are nonstandard, we use a novel “Gibbs within Metropolis–Hastings” algorithm, which only requires the availability of the conditional densities from the candidate generating density. Our results show that with very weak instruments, there is no single estimator that is superior to others in all cases. When endogeneity is weak, Zellner’s MELO does the best. When the endogeneity is not weak and ρ ω 12 > 0 , where ρ is the correlation coefficient between the structural and reduced form errors, and ω 12 is the covariance between the unrestricted reduced form errors, the Bayesian method of moments (BMOM) outperforms all other estimators by a wide margin. When the endogeneity is not weak and β ρ < 0 ( β being the structural parameter), the Kleibergen and van Dijk approach seems to work very well. Surprisingly, the performance of JIVE was disappointing in all our experiments.
Active Power Decoupling Design of a Single-Phase AC–DC Converter
Authors: Qiu Mingjie , Wang Ping , Bi Huakun , Wang Zhishuang
Published: July 2019

The second-order ripple power of single-phase converter causes second-order ripple voltages on the DC bus. For eliminating second-order ripple components, passive power decoupling methods including DC bus electrolytic capacitors have some shortcomings, such as low power density and poor stability of converters. Thus, an active power decoupling method based on a single-phase converter is proposed in this paper. The control method, taking single-phase voltage source pulse width modulation (PWM) rectifier (single-phase VSR) as the basic converter and adopting a buck-boost power decoupling circuit, introduces second-order ripple of DC bus voltage into a power decoupling circuit. The ripple acts as compensation of the phase deviation between the command value and the actual value of the second-order ripple current. Therefore, estimation of the second-order ripple current is more accurate, the power decoupling circuit absorbs the second-order ripple power behind the H-bridge more completely, and the DC bus voltage ripple is effectively suppressed accordingly. Finally, experimental results of the single-phase VSR are given to verify the validity of the proposed method.
Coherently Driven and Superdirective Antennas
Authors: Krasnok Alex
Published: July 2019

Antennas are crucial elements for wireless technologies, communications and power transfer across the entire spectrum of electromagnetic waves, including radio, microwaves, THz and optics. In this paper, we review our recent achievements in two promising areas: coherently enhanced wireless power transfer (WPT) and superdirective dielectric antennas. We show that the concept of coherently enhanced WPT allows improvement of the antenna receiving efficiency by coherent excitation of the outcoupling waveguide with a backward propagating guided mode with a specific amplitude and phase. Antennas with the superdirectivity effect can increase the WPT system’s performance in another way, through tailoring of radiation diagram via engineering antenna multipoles excitation and interference of their radiation. We demonstrate a way to achieve the superdirectivity effect via higher-order multipoles excitation in a subwavelength high-index spherical dielectric resonator supporting electric and magnetic Mie multipoles. Thus, both types of antenna discussed here possess a coherent nature and can be used in modern intelligent antenna systems.
Adaptive Transmit Power Control Algorithm for Sensing-Based Semi-Persistent Scheduling in C-V2X Mode 4 Communication
Authors: Haider Amir , Hwang Seung-Hoon
Published: July 2019

For cellular-based vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication, vital information about status and intention is periodically broadcasted by each vehicle using the cooperative awareness message (CAM) service. In C-V2X, the task of resource allocation can either be carried out in a centralized manner by the network, termed Mode 3, or by the vehicles themselves in a distributed manner without any core network support, termed Mode 4. Mode 4 scheduling is accomplished by employing sensing-based semi-persistent scheduling (SB-SPS), where the vehicles sense the medium and identify the best time-frequency resource combination for transmission of the CAM. Focusing on Mode 4 in this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of the impact of variations in the transmit power of the vehicle on the performance of SB-SPS for C-V2X communications in various traffic scenarios through simulations. An adaptive-transmit power control (A-TPC) algorithm is presented to improve the quality of service for various large-scale traffic scenarios, where each vehicle uses real-time channel-sensing information to adjust the transmit power in order to avoid interference with neighbouring vehicles. The results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm outperforms the conventional TPC schemes.
Investigation on the Impact of Air Admission in a Prototype Francis Turbine at Low-Load Operation
Authors: Unterluggauer Julian , Maly Anton , Doujak Eduard
Published: July 2019

Due to significant changes in the energy system, hydraulic turbines are required to operate over a wide power range. In particular, older turbines which are not designed for these environments will suffer under off-design conditions. In order to evaluate whether or not such a turbine could fulfill the new requirements of the energy market, a study about the behavior of a prototype plant in low-load operation is presented. Therefore, prototype site measurements are performed to determine the most damaging operating point by means of acceleration sensors and pressure transducers. Moreover, unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations considering two-phase flow and two hybrid turbulence models are used to analyze the flow conditions inside the turbine. The resulting pressure pulsations are mapped onto the runner blade to obtain stress and further calculate damage factors. Accordingly, the stresses are compared to those obtained by the strain gauge measurement. Moreover, the influence of active flow control by means of air injection on plant behavior and runner lifetime is discussed as well.
Modeling and Design of the Vector Control for a Three-Phase Single-Stage Grid-Connected PV System with LVRT Capability according to the Spanish Grid Code
Authors: Rey-Boué Alexis B. , Guerrero-Rodríguez N. F. , Stöckl Johannes , Strasser Thomas I.
Published: July 2019

This article deals with the vector control in dq axes of a three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic system with single-stage topology and low-voltage-ride-through capability. The photovoltaic generator is built using an array of several series-parallel Suntech PV modules and is modeled as a Lookup Table (two-dimensional; 2-D). The requirements adopted when grid voltage sags occur are based in both the IEC 61400-21 European normative and the allowed amount of reactive power to be delivered according to the Spanish grid code, which avoids the disconnection of the inverter under grid faults by a limitation in the magnitude of the three-phase output inverter currents. For this, the calculation of the positive- and negative-sequences of the grid voltages is made and a conventional three-phase Phase-Locked Loop is used for the inverter-grid synchronization, allowing the control of the active and reactive powers solely with the dq components of the inverter currents. A detailed enhanced flowchart of the control algorithm with low-voltage-ride-through capability is presented and several simulations and experiments using Matlab/SIMULINK and the Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation technique, respectively, are run for several types of one- and three-phase voltage sags in order to validate its behavior.
Profit Maximizing Control of a Microgrid with Renewable Generation and BESS Based on a Battery Cycle Life Model and Energy Price Forecasting
Authors: Zhuo Wenhao , Savkin Andrey V.
Published: July 2019

In this paper, an optimal control strategy is presented for grid-connected microgrids with renewable generation and battery energy storage systems (BESSs). In order to optimize the energy cost, the proposed approach utilizes predicted data on renewable power, electricity price, and load demand within a future period, and determines the appropriate actions of BESSs to control the actual power dispatched to the utility grid. We formulate the optimization problem as a Markov decision process and solve it with a dynamic programming algorithm under the receding horizon approach. The main contribution in this paper is a novel cost model of batteries derived from their life cycle model, which correlates the charge/discharge actions of batteries with the cost of battery life loss. Most cost models of batteries are constructed based on identifying charge–discharge cycles of batteries on different operating conditions, and the cycle counting methods used are analytical, so cannot be expressed mathematically and used in an optimization problem. As a result, the cost model proposed in this paper is a recursive and additive function over control steps that will be compatible with dynamic programming and can be included in the objective function. We test the proposed approach with actual data from a wind farm and an energy market operator.
Development of Engine Efficiency Characteristic in Dynamic Working States
Authors: Bera Piotr
Published: July 2019

The objective of this paper is to present a new approach to the problem of combustion engine efficiency characteristic development in dynamic working states. The artificial neural network (ANN) method was used to build a mathematical model of the engine comprising the following parameters: Engine speed, angular acceleration, engine torque, torque change intensity, and fuel mass flow, measured on a test bed on a spark ignition engine in static and dynamic working states. A detailed analysis of ANN design, data preparation, the training method, and the ANN model accuracy are described. The paper presents conducted calculations that clearly show the suitability of the approach in every aspect. Then, a simplified ANN was created, which allows a two dimensional characteristic in dynamic states, including 4 variables, to be determined.
Evaluation of Energy-Environment Efficiency of European Transport Sectors: Non-Radial DEA and TOPSIS Approach
Authors: Djordjević Boban , Krmac Evelin
Published: July 2019

Transport is recognized as a major energy consumer and environment pollutant. Recently scholars have paid considerable attention to the evaluation of transport energy and environmental efficiency (EEE). In this paper, the non-radial Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model was employed to evaluate EEE on a macro level—i.e., of European road, rail and air sectors. The evaluation was conducted under the joint production framework, which considers energy and non-energy inputs, and desirable and undesirable outputs for the last ten years period. To rank decision-making units and check the aptness of this non-radial DEA model in transport EEE evaluation, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method has been proposed. An empirical study has been conducted for as many European countries as possible, depending on availability of data. Based on the non-radial DEA model, it could be said that the level of EEE is improving for the road sector, while many evaluated countries have low EEE for the rail transport sector. Additionally, results have indicated that the TOPSIS method is more suitable than the non-radial DEA model in transport EEE evaluation and for identification of best practices.
Micro Axial Turbine Hill Charts: Affinity Laws, Experiments and CFD Simulations for Different Diameters
Authors: Simão Mariana , Ramos Helena M.
Published: July 2019

Water supply systems are one of the main hydraulic systems with significant potential for the installation of micro-hydropower devices. Although there are already some mini-hydropower applications in water supply systems, it is still a huge potential that continues to be under-exploited. The arrangement based on an axial turbine, such as an inline tubular propeller, with different diameters and rotational speeds suitable to exploit the existing potential in the water sector, is fully tested. The turbine with the nominal diameter of 85 mm was analysed through experimental campaigns and numerical models for a large range of heads and flow measurements to access its performance. A good correlation between the physical model and the numerical results were obtained, with mean values of deviation less than 5% regarding flow, mechanical power and efficiency. These results were extrapolated to other similar turbine with 170 mm, using affinity laws to investigate the power extraction performance. Both geometries were also numerically investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and comparisons were made between the affinity model and experimental results. The results identified differences when compared with the classical affinity curves. Therefore, new formulations based on affinity equations were proposed for the analyzed axial turbine with different diameters without imposing a constant turbine efficiency since actually it does not keep constant as CFD calibrated model proved. Compared to experimental test efficiencies for different rotational speeds, the new proposed affinity laws provided a maximum error of 12% for both diameters.
Algorithm to Determine the Knee Point on Capacity Fade Curves of Lithium-Ion Cells
Authors: Diao Weiping , Saxena Saurabh , Han Bongtae , Pecht Michael
Published: July 2019

Lithium-ion batteries typically exhibit a transition to a more rapid capacity fade trend when subjected to extended charge–discharge cycles and storage conditions. The identification of the knee point can be valuable to identify the more severe degradation trend, and to provide guidance when scheduling battery replacements and planning secondary uses of the battery. However, a concise and repeatable determination of a knee point has not been documented. This paper provides a definition of the knee point which can be used as a degradation metric, and develops an algorithm to identify it. The algorithm is implemented on various data cases, and the results indicate that the approach provides repeatable knee point identification.
The Impact of Zero-Mode Inrush Current of T-Hin on Zero-Sequence Overcurrent Protection and an Improved Protection with the Second Harmonic Restraint
Authors: Cao Wenbin , Yin Xianggen , Chen Yongxin , Pan Yuanlin , Yin Xiangyuan , Wang Yuxue
Published: July 2019

In recent years, the zero-mode inrush current of high-impedance transformer with built-in high-voltage winding (T-Hin), which has large amplitude and decays slowly, causes the misoperation of zero-sequence overcurrent protection. Compared with magnetizing inrush current, the waveform of zero-mode inrush current is inconsistent and irregular, and few researches have proposed the mathematical analysis as well as the improved protection using waveform characteristics. In this paper, the mathematical expression of transformer zero-mode inrush current is derived. Further considering the parameter differences, the zero-mode inrush current of T-Hin is larger, which tends to cause the misoperation. The mathematical waveforms fit well with the recorded waveforms. Both recorded waveforms and mathematical waveforms in various conditions prove that the second harmonic ratio (the ratio between the second harmonic and first harmonic) of zero-mode inrush current is significant. Based on the above analysis, a criterion based on the second harmonic ratio restraint of zero-mode inrush current is proposed. If the second harmonic ratio exceeds the setting value, it is considered that the inrush current is generated and sends a signal to restrain the protection. The theoretical setting value of the proposed criterion and the practical engineering method for determining the setting value are obtained.
Life Cycle Assessment of New High Concentration Photovoltaic (HCPV) Modules and Multi-Junction Cells
Authors: Payet Jérôme , Greffe Titouan
Published: July 2019

Worldwide electricity consumption increases by 2.6% each year. Greenhouse gas emissions due to electricity production raise by 2.1% per year on average. The development of efficient low-carbon-footprint renewable energy systems is urgently needed. CPVMatch investigates the feasibility of mirror or lens-based High Concentration Photovoltaic (HCPV) systems. Thanks to innovative four junction solar cells, new glass coatings, Position Sensitive Detectors (PSD), and DC/DC converters, it is possible to reach concentration levels higher than 800× and a module efficiency between 36.7% and 41.6%. From a circular economy’s standpoint, the use of concentration technologies lowers the need in active material, increases recyclability, and reduces the risk of material contamination. By using the Life Cycle Assessment method, it is demonstrated that HCPV presents a carbon footprint ranking between 16.4 and 18.4 g CO2-eq/kWh. A comparison with other energy means for 16 impact categories including primary energy demand and particle emissions points out that the environmental footprint of HCPV is typically 50 to 100 times lower than fossil fuels footprint. HCPV’s footprint is also three times lower than that of crystalline photovoltaic solutions and is close to the environmental performance of wind power and hydropower.
Why Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Production in Some Basins is Difficult
Authors: Olajossy Andrzej , Cieślik Jerzy
Published: July 2019

The changes in the permeability of coal-bed reservoirs with methane, as associated with gas depletion, are the consequence of two opposing processes, namely geomechanical compaction that narrows down fractures, and matrix shrinkage, which, in turn, widens fractures. Many previous studies on the effects of these processes have emphasised, albeit not always, the circumstances and conditions that led to a greater coal permeability, with a natural decrease in the pore pressure of methane during its production, and, in consequence, to an increase in the cumulative volume of this gas. However, in some coal basins, there are beds where the methane production has failed to reach the appropriate level, whether in economic or engineering terms. This paper identifies some reasons for the failed attempts at well exploration of gas from such coal beds. Specifically, it describes seven parameters to be considered in relation to CBM, including geomechanical parameters such as Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and the initial porosity, which define coal cleat compressibility, a very important parameter, and parameters related to methane desorption, i.e., desorption-induced volumetric strain, the Langmuir pressure, and the initial pressure of gas within the bed. In addition to cleat compressibility, there are other, equally important parameters, such as the rebound pressure and recovery pressure, which are defined by the following parameters in order of importance: Young’s modulus, desorption-induced volumetric strain, initial pressure of methane, the Langmuir pressure, and Poisson’s ratio. To assess the impact of these parameters on changes in permeability, we used the Cui-Bastin model. The simulation results were analysed to allow us to present our findings.
A 3-In-1 Approach to Evaluate Gas Hydrate Inhibitors
Authors: Kumar Narendra , Chowdhury Niaz Bahar , Beltran Juan G.
Published: July 2019

With a single apparatus and very short experimentation times, we have assessed phase equilibria, apparent kinetics and morphology of methane gas hydrates in the presence of thermodynamic inhibitors ethane-1,2-diol (MEG) and sodium chloride (NaCl); and kinetic hydrate inhibitor polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP). Tight, local temperature control produced highly repeatable crystal morphologies in constant temperature systems and in systems subject to fixed temperature gradients. Hydrate-Liquid-Vapor (HLV) equilibrium points were obtained with minimal temperature and pressure uncertainties (u T avg = 0.13 K and u p = 0.005 MPa). By applying a temperature gradient during hydrate formation, it was possible to study multiple subcoolings with a single experiment. Hydrate growth velocities were determined both under temperature gradients and under constant temperature growth. It was found that both NaCl and MEG act as kinetic inhibitors at the studied concentrations. Finally, insights on the mechanism of action of classical inhibitors are presented.
Wood–Moisture Relationships Studied with Molecular Simulations: Methodological Guidelines
Authors: Chen Mingyang , Zhang Chi , Shomali Ali , Coasne Benoit , Carmeliet Jan , Derome Dominique
Published: July 2019

This paper aims at providing a methodological framework for investigating wood polymers using atomistic modeling, namely, molecular dynamics (MD) and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations. Atomistic simulations are used to mimic water adsorption and desorption in amorphous polymers, make observations on swelling, mechanical softening, and on hysteresis. This hygromechanical behavior, as observed in particular from the breaking and reforming of hydrogen bonds, is related to the behavior of more complex polymeric composites. Wood is a hierarchical material, where the origin of wood-moisture relationships lies at the nanoporous material scale. As water molecules are adsorbed into the hydrophilic matrix in the cell walls, the induced fluid–solid interaction forces result in swelling of these cell walls. The interaction of the composite polymeric material, that is the layer S2 of the wood cell wall, with water is known to rearrange its internal material structure, which makes it moisture sensitive, influencing its physical properties. In-depth studies of the coupled effects of water sorption on hygric and mechanical properties of different polymeric components can be performed with atomistic modeling. The paper covers the main components of knowledge and good practice for such simulations.
Space, Habitat and Isolation are the Key Determinants of Tree Colonization by the Carpenter Ant in Plantation Forests
Authors: Véle Adam , Horák Jakub
Published: July 2019

Forest plantations are still often considered the antithesis of real nature. However, plantations can host many organisms. The problem is that some of the hosted species are regarded ad hoc as pests. The main aim of our paper was to study the carpenter ant (Camponotus ligniperdus) in windstorm habitats. We studied forests in East Bohemia, Czech Republic, and focused on the spatial distribution of snapped trees and the influence of selected forest characteristics on the incidence of ant nests. We found that the nests in the study area mainly occurred in Norway spruce, which is the most commercially important tree in the majority of Central Europe. More than one quarter of the snapped trees were inhabited by the ants. We found that nests exhibited a spatially autocorrelated pattern that differed on spatial scales. The most important characteristic of the host tree for determining carpenter ant nests was the presence of brown rot, and the majority of tree nests were isolated from forest openings. The presence of carpenter ants in forest plantations is, therefore, not harmful. Their presence could be used by forest managers as an indication of unsuitable stand conditions for the successful growth of the Norway spruce and other coniferous plantation trees.
Nitrogen Deposition and Responses of Forest Structure to Nitrogen Deposition in a Cool-Temperate Deciduous Forest
Authors: Cao Ruoming , Chen Siyu , Yoshitake Shinpei , Ohtsuka Toshiyuki
Published: July 2019

Few studies have reported the estimation of nitrogen (N) deposition, including dissolved organic N (DON) fluxes, through water flows and the contribution of snowfall in Asia. In this study, the concentrations and fluxes of DON and dissolved inorganic N (DIN) in bulk precipitation (BP), the throughfall (TF) of trees and understory dwarf bamboo, and stemflow (SF) were evaluated in a cool-temperate forest over three years to clarify N fluxes via precipitation and responses of trees and understory canopies to N deposition. The input of N to the study site in BP was 11.1 ± 1.71 kg N ha−1 year−1, with a significant contribution from DON (78%). Snowfall fluxes contributed up to 46% of the total N input, with variations related to the amount of snowfall (2.08–5.52 kg N ha−1 year−1). The forest canopy enriched DON (2.11 ± 0.42 kg N ha−1 year−1) but consumed NO3 + NO2–N (−0.73 ± 0.19 kg N ha−1 year−1). In contrast, through the understory bamboo canopy, DON (−1.02 ± 0.55 kg N ha−1 year−1) decreased while DIN (0.35 ± 0.44 kg N ha−1 year−1) increased. This study indicates that DON and snowfall should not be neglected when evaluating total N deposition into forest ecosystems, especially in remote regions. The canopy processes related to the dissolved N in the presence of understory plants might have significant implications for the internal N cycle in forest ecosystems.
Physiological and Psychological Effects of Viewing Forests on Young Women
Authors: Song Chorong , Ikei Harumi , Kagawa Takahide , Miyazaki Yoshifumi
Published: July 2019

Research Highlights: This study demonstrated that viewing forest landscapes induced physical and mental health benefits on young women. Background and Objectives: The health-promoting effects of spending time in forests have received increasing attention; however, there is a lack of evidence-based research investigating the effects of spending time in forests on women. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological and psychological effects of viewing forest landscapes on young women. Materials and Methods: The experiments were conducted in six forests and six city areas and included 65 women (mean age, 21.0 ± 1.3 years). Participants viewed a forest and a city area for 15 min, during which their heart rate variability and heart rate were measured continuously. Blood pressure and pulse rate were measured before and after the viewing. After the viewing, participants’ psychological responses were assessed using the modified semantic differential method, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: Compared with viewing city areas, viewing forest landscapes was associated with significantly higher parasympathetic nervous activity and lower sympathetic nervous activity and heart rate. Moreover, scores of the comfortable, relaxed, and natural parameters and vigor subscales of POMS were significantly higher with forest viewing. The scores of negative feelings, such as tension–anxiety, depression–dejection, anger–hostility, fatigue, and confusion, were significantly lower, as were scores for the total mood disturbance observed using POMS and the anxiety dimension observed using STAI. Conclusions: Viewing forest landscapes resulted in physiological and psychological relaxations in young women.
Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis) Biomass, Nutrient Content, and Heating Values in Southern Thailand
Authors: Hytönen Jyrki , Nurmi Juha , Kaakkurivaara Nopparat , Kaakkurivaara Tomi
Published: July 2019

Rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis (Willd.) Muell.Arg.) are cultivated for latex production, but they also produce timber for industry, and logging residues can be used for power generation. In this study, we determined the biomass of above- and below-ground tree compartments (leaves, branches <3 cm in diameter, branches 3–5 cm in diameter, stumps and roots) of 20-, 25-, and 30-year-old rubber tree plantations in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, at the clear-cutting stage. We also studied the nutrient content and heating value of the compartments. The total dry mass (including leaves, branches, stems and stumps and roots) of the mature rubber wood stands was 157–289 Mg ha−1. The residual harvestable dry mass without leaves (39–68 Mg ha−1, branches <5 cm in diameter, stumps and roots) comprised 25% of the total dry mass. Nutrient concentrations were highest in the leaves, followed by small branches. In most cases, the stems and larger branches had similar concentrations. One ton of rubber tree biomass (leaves and stumps and roots included) contained an average of 2.4 kg N, 0.2 kg P, 3.4 kg K, and 4.8 kg Ca. Depending on the biomass of the stands, the rubber trees had 380–700 kg, 36–64 kg, 530–980 kg, and 750–1360 kg of bound N, P, K, and Ca per hectare, respectively. The effective heating value of the stumps and roots was the lowest (17.65 MJ kg−1). Stems and branches were similar (18.37–18.58 MJ kg−1), and leaves were the highest (20.34 MJ kg−1). The unharvested residual biomass in southern Thailand is a potential fuel source for power generation.
Review of Japanese Pine Bast Scale, Matsucoccus matsumurae (Kuwana) (Coccomorpha: Matsucoccidae), Occurring on Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii Parl.) and Japanese Red Pine (P. densiflora Siebold & Zucc.) from Korea
Authors: Choi Jinyeong , Cha Deokjea , Kim Dong-Soo , Lee Seunghwan
Published: July 2019

Matsucoccus matsumurae (Kuwana, 1905), commonly known as Japanese pine bast scale, is a destructive pest on pine trees in North America, East Asia, and Northern Europe. The spread of damage to black pine trees, Pinus thunbergii Parl., due to M. matsumurae has been reported throughout Southern and some Eastern and Western coastal regions in Korea, under the name M. thunbergianae, which was described by Miller and Park (1987). Recently, M. thunbergianae was synonymized with M. matsumurae by Booth and Gullan (2006), based on molecular sequences and morphological data. However, M. thunbergianae is still considered a valid species in Korea. Since supporting data for the synonyms are unavailable in any DNA database (e.g., GenBank and BOLD), we performed morphological and molecular comparisons to review the results of Booth and Gullan (2006) using samples of M. matsumurae collected from Japan and topotype materials of M. thunbergianae from Korea. Our study supports the opinion of Booth and Gullan (2006), as the morphological features of the adult female and male of M. thunbergianae are identical to those of M. matsumurae, and DNA sequences (18S and 28S) of M. thunbergianae show identical or very low genetic distances with those of M. matsumurae. Additionally, regional sampling of Korea produced the first documented occurrence of M. matsumurae in Jeju.
Response to Sulfur Dioxide Addition by Two Commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains
Authors: Morgan Sydney C. , Haggerty Jade J. , Johnston Britney , Jiranek Vladimir , Durall Daniel M.
Published: July 2019

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent used in winemaking. Its effects on spoilage microorganisms has been studied extensively, but its effects on commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, the dominant yeast in winemaking, require further investigation. To our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated both the potential SO2 resistance mechanisms of commercial yeasts as well as their production of aroma-active volatile compounds in response to SO2. To study this, fermentations of two commercial yeast strains were conducted in the presence (50 mg/L) and absence (0 mg/L) of SO2. Strain QA23 was more sensitive to SO2 than Strain BRL97, resulting in delayed cell growth and slower fermentation. BRL97 exhibited a more rapid decrease in free SO2, a higher initial production of hydrogen sulfide, and a higher production of acetaldehyde, suggesting that each strain may utilize different mechanisms of sulfite resistance. SO2 addition did not affect the production of aroma-active volatile compounds in QA23, but significantly altered the volatile profiles of the wines fermented by BRL97.
YAP-Based Fibers Obtained by Internal Crystallization Method
Authors: Mileiko Sergei , Kolchin Andrew , Shakhlevich Olga , Prokopenko Nelly , Galyshev Sergei
Published: July 2019

Two new types of oxide fibers, namely, those of single crystalline yttrium-aluminum perovskite YAlO3 (YAP) and two-phase YAlO3-Y4Al2O9 (YAP-YAM), have been grown by the internal crystallization method. The fibers of the second type retain their strength at temperatures up to 1000 °C. Their effective strength in a molybdenum matrix reaches about 600 MPa at a temperature of 1400 °C.
Spatial Prediction of Wildfire Susceptibility Using Field Survey GPS Data and Machine Learning Approaches
Authors: Ghorbanzadeh Omid , Valizadeh Kamran Khalil , Blaschke Thomas , Aryal Jagannath , Naboureh Amin , Einali Jamshid , Bian Jinhu
Published: July 2019

Recently, global climate change discussions have become more prominent, and forests are considered as the ecosystems most at risk by the consequences of climate change. Wildfires are among one of the main drivers leading to losses in forested areas. The increasing availability of free remotely sensed data has enabled the precise locations of wildfires to be reliably monitored. A wildfire data inventory was created by integrating global positioning system (GPS) polygons with data collected from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) thermal anomalies product between 2012 and 2017 for Amol County, northern Iran. The GPS polygon dataset from the state wildlife organization was gathered through extensive field surveys. The integrated inventory dataset, along with sixteen conditioning factors (topographic, meteorological, vegetation, anthropological, and hydrological factors), was used to evaluate the potential of different machine learning (ML) approaches for the spatial prediction of wildfire susceptibility. The applied ML approaches included an artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machines (SVM), and random forest (RF). All ML approaches were trained using 75% of the wildfire inventory dataset and tested using the remaining 25% of the dataset in the four-fold cross-validation (CV) procedure. The CV method is used for dealing with the randomness effects of the training and testing dataset selection on the performance of applied ML approaches. To validate the resulting wildfire susceptibility maps based on three different ML approaches and four different folds of inventory datasets, the true positive and false positive rates were calculated. In the following, the accuracy of each of the twelve resulting maps was assessed through the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The resulting CV accuracies were 74%, 79% and 88% for the ANN, SVM and RF, respectively.
Synchronized Multiple Drop Impacts into a Deep Pool
Authors: Guilizzoni Manfredo , Santini Maurizio , Fest-Santini Stephanie
Published: July 2019

Drop impacts (onto dry or wet surfaces or into deep pools) are important in a wide range of applications, and, consequently, many studies, both experimental and numerical, are available in the literature. However, such works are focused either on statistical analyses of drop populations or on single drops. The literature is heavily lacking in information about the mutual interactions between a few drops during the impact. This work describes a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study on the impact of two, three, and four synchronized drops into a deep pool. The two-phase finite-volume solver interFoam of the open source CFD package OpenFOAM® was used. After validation with respect to high speed videos, to confirm the performance of the solver in this field, impact conditions and aspects that would have been difficult to obtain and to study in experiments were investigated: namely, the energy conversion during the crater evolution, the effect of varying drop interspace and surface tension, and multiple drop impacts. The results show the very significant effect of these aspects. This implies that an extension of the results of single-drop, distilled-water laboratory experiments to real applications may not be reliable.
Seed Oil Quality of Brassica napus and Brassica rapa Germplasm from Northwestern Spain
Authors: Cartea Elena , De Haro-Bailón Antonio , Padilla Guillermo , Obregón-Cano Sara , del Rio-Celestino Mercedes , Ordás Amando
Published: July 2019

The seed oil content and the fatty acid composition of a germplasm collection of Brassica napus and Brassica rapa currently grown in Galicia (northwestern Spain) were evaluated in order to identify potentially interesting genotypes and to assess their suitability as oilseed crops for either edible or industrial purposes. The seeds of the B. rapa landraces had higher oil content (mean 47.3%) than those of B. napus (mean 42.8%). The landraces of both species showed a similar fatty acid profile (12% oleic acid, 13% linoleic acid, 8–9% linolenic acid, 8–9% eicosenoic acid, and 50–51% erucic acid). They were very high in erucic acid content, which is nutritionally undesirable in a vegetable oil, and very low in oleic and linoleic acid contents. Therefore, they could be used for industrial purposes but not as edible oil. The erucic acid content ranged from 42% to 54% of the total fatty acid composition with an average value of 50% in the B. napus landraces whereas in B. rapa, it ranged from 43% to 57%, with an average value of 51%. Considering the seed oil and the erucic acid content together, three varieties within the B. napus collection and two varieties within the B. rapa one seem to be the most promising genotypes for industrial purposes.
HPTLC-PCA Complementary to HRMS-PCA in the Case Study of Arbutus unedo Antioxidant Phenolic Profiling
Authors: Maldini Mariateresa , D’Urso Gilda , Pagliuca Giordana , Petretto Giacomo Luigi , Foddai Marzia , Gallo Francesca Romana , Multari Giuseppina , Caruso Donatella , Montoro Paola , Pintore Giorgio
Published: July 2019

A comparison between High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) analysis and Liquid Chromatography High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC–HRMS), coupled with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was carried out by performing a combined metabolomics study to discriminate Arbutus unedo (A. unedo) plants. For a rapid digital record of A. unedo extracts (leaves, yellow fruit, and red fruit collected in La Maddalena and Sassari, Sardinia), HPTLC was used. Data were then analysed by PCA with the results of the ability of this technique to discriminate samples. Similarly, extracts were acquired by non-targeted LC–HRMS followed by unsupervised PCA, and then by LC–HRMS (MS) to identify secondary metabolites involved in the differentiation of the samples. As a result, we demonstrated that HPTLC may be applied as a simple and reliable untargeted approach to rapidly discriminate extracts based on tissues and/or geographical origins, while LC–HRMS could be used to identify which metabolites are able to discriminate samples.
Understanding Food Loss and Waste—Why Are We Losing and Wasting Food?
Authors: Ishangulyyev Rovshen , Kim Sanghyo , Lee Sang
Published: July 2019

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reported that approximately one-third of all produced foods (1.3 billion tons of edible food) for human consumption is lost and wasted every year across the entire supply chain. Significant impacts of food loss and waste (FLW) have increased interest in establishing prevention programs around the world. This paper aims to provide an overview of FLW occurrence and prevention. Economic, political, cultural, and socio-demographic drivers of FLW are described, highlighting the global variation. This approach might be particularly helpful for scientists, governors, and policy makers to identify the global variation and to focus on future implications. The main focus here was to identify the cause of the FLW occurrence throughout the food supply chain. We have created a framework for FLW occurrence at each stage of the food supply chain. Several feasible solutions are provided based on the framework.