bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adsorption of Direct Blue 78 Using Chitosan and Cyclodextrins as Adsorbents
Authors: Murcia-Salvador Ainoa , Pellicer José A. , Fortea María I. , Gómez-López Vicente M. , Rodríguez-López María I. , Núñez-Delicado Estrella , Gabaldón José A.
Published: June 2019

The dyeing industry is one of the most polluting in the world. The adsorption of dyes by polymeric matrixes can be used to minimize the discharge of dyes into the environment. In the present study, chitosan-NaOH and β-cyclodextrin-epichlorohydrin polymers were used to remove the dye Direct Blue 78 from a wastewater model. To understand the adsorption behavior of Direct Blue 78 onto the polymers, adsorption rate and maximum adsorption capacity were calculated using kinetic tests and isotherm curves respectively. The kinetic data and mechanism of the adsorption process were analyzed by three models and the equilibrium data by three adsorption isotherms; also the different thermodynamic parameters were calculated. Results showed that the adsorption process follows pseudo-second-order kinetics in both polymers and the Langmuir isotherm best-fitted data for chitosan-NaOH polymer and the Freundlich isotherm for the β-CDs-EPI polymer. The adsorption process is exothermic in both cases and spontaneous for the β-CDs-EPI polymer to a certain temperature and not spontaneous for the chitosan-NaOH polymer and β-CDs-EPI polymer at higher temperatures. The complementary action of an advanced oxidation process eliminated >99% of the dye from water. The coupled process seems to be suitable for reducing the environmental impact of the dyeing industry.
Additive Manufacturing of Information Carriers Based on Shape Memory Polyester Urethane
Authors: Chalissery Dilip , Pretsch Thorsten , Staub Sarah , Andrä Heiko
Published: June 2019

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are stimuli-responsive materials, which are able to retain an imposed, temporary shape and recover the initial, permanent shape through an external stimulus like heat. In this work, a novel manufacturing method is introduced for thermoresponsive quick response (QR) code carriers, which originally were developed as anticounterfeiting technology. Motivated by the fact that earlier manufacturing processes were sometimes too time-consuming for production, filaments of a polyester urethane (PEU) with and without dye were extruded and processed into QR code carriers using fused filament fabrication (FFF). Once programmed, the distinct shape memory properties enabled a heating-initiated switching from non-decodable to machine-readable QR codes. The results demonstrate that FFF constitutes a promising additive manufacturing technology to create complex, filigree structures with adjustable horizontal and vertical print resolution and, thus, an excellent basis to realize further technically demanding application concepts for shape memory polymers.
Catalytic Effect of NaCl on the Improvement of the Physicochemical Structure of Coal-Based Activated Carbons for SO2 Adsorption
Authors: Liu Dongdong , Su Rui , Hao Zhengkai , Zhao Xiaoman , Jia Boyin , Dong Liangjie
Published: June 2019

The utilization of coal-based activated carbons focuses on improving the physicochemical structure for achieving high-capacity. Herein, the catalytic effect of NaCl (1 and 3 wt%) in the presence of oxygen functional groups on the improvement of the physicochemical structure of coal-based activated carbons is studied in this work. A large quantity of Na can be retained in 1NaJXO and 3NaJXO with the presence of oxygen functional groups to promote further its catalytic characteristics during pyrolysis, resulting in the disordered transformation of the carbon structure. In addition, the development of micropores is mainly affected by the distribution and movement of Na catalyst, whereas the growth of mesopores is mainly influenced by the evolution of oxygen functional groups. Then, the active sites of 3NaJXO-800 can no longer be consumed preferentially in the presence of Na catalyst during subsequent CO2 activation to facilitate the sustained disordered conversion of the microstructure and the rapid development of the micropores, resulting in the obvious high SBET value as activation proceeds. And the high SBET/burn-off ratio value (41.48 m2∙g−1/%) of 3NaJXO-800 with a high value of SBET (1995.35 m2∙g−1) at a low burn-off value (48.1%) can be obtained, presenting the high efficiency of pore formation. Finally, the SO2 adsorption efficiency of 3NaJXO-800-48.1 maintains at 100% within 90 min. After 180 min, 3NaJXO-800-48.1 still presents a high adsorptive capacity (140.2 mg/g). It is observed that a large micropore volume in the case of hierarchical pore structure necessarily assures optimal adsorption of SO2.
Biopolymer Solution Evaluation Methodology: Thermal and Mechanical Assessment for Enhanced Oil Recovery with High Salinity Brines
Authors: Al-Saleh Mohammad , Yussuf Abdirahman , Jumaa Mohammad , Hammoud Abbas , Al-Shammari Tahani
Published: June 2019

The methodology to study an eco-friendly and non-toxic, Schizophyllan, biopolymer for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) polymer flooding is described. The methodology is divided into two parts; the first part estimates the molar concentration of the biopolymer, which is needed to prepare the biopolymer solution with optimal viscosity. This is required to improve the sweep efficiency for the selected reservoir in Kuwait. The second part of this generalized methodology evaluates the biopolymer solution capability to resist degradation and maintain its essential properties with the selected reservoir conditions. The evaluation process includes thermal and mechanical assessment. Furthermore, to study the biopolymer solution behavior in both selected reservoir and extreme conditions, the biopolymer solution samples were prepared using 180 g/L and 309 g/L brine. It was found that the prepared biopolymer solution demonstrated great capability in maintaining its properties; and therefore, can be introduced as a strong candidate for EOR polymer flooding with high salinity brines.
Optimal Design of a Carbon Dioxide Separation Process with Market Uncertainty and Waste Reduction
Authors: Gutierrez Juan Pablo , Erdmann Eleonora , Manca Davide
Published: June 2019

The aim of this work is to optimize the conceptual design of an amine-based carbon dioxide (CO2) separation process for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). A systematic approach is applied to predict the economic profitability of the system while reducing the environmental impacts. Firstly, we model the process with UniSim and determine the governing degrees of freedom (DoF) through a sensitivity analysis. Then, we proceed with the formulation of the economic problem, where the employment of econometric models allows us to predict the highest dynamic economic potential (DEP). In the second part, we apply the Waste Reduction (WAR) algorithm to quantify the environmental risks of the studied process. This method is based on the minimization of the potential environmental indicator (PEI) by using the generalization of the Waste Reduction algorithm. Results show that the CO2 separation plant is promising in terms of economic revenues. However, the PEI value indicates that the higher the profitability, the larger the environmental risk. The optimal value of the DEP corresponds to 0.0274 kmol/h and 60 °C, with a plant capacity according to the mole flow rate of the produced acid gas. In addition, the highest environmental risk is observed at the upper bounds of the DoF.
New Workflow of Plastic-Mulched Farmland Mapping using Multi-Temporal Sentinel-2 data
Authors: Hao Pengyu , Chen Zhongxin , Tang Huajun , Li Dandan , Li He
Published: June 2019

Using plastic film mulch on cropland improves crop yield in water-deficient areas, but the use of plastic film on cropland leads to soil pollution. The accurate mapping of plastic-mulched land (PML) is valuable for monitoring the environmental problems caused by the use of plastic film. The drawback of PML mapping is that the detectable period of PML changes among the fields, which causes uncertainty when supervised classification methods are used to identify PML. In this study, a new workflow which merging PML of multiple temporal phases (MTPML) is proposed. For each temporal phase, the “possible PML” is firstly generated, these “temporal possible PML” layers are then combined to generate the “possible PML” layer. Finally, the maximum normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the growing season is used to remove the non-cropland pixels from the “possible PML layer,” and then generate PML images. When generating “temporal possible PML layers,” three new PML indices (PMLI with near-infrared bands known as PMLI_NIR, PMLI with shortwave infrared bands known as PMLI_SWIR, and Normalized Difference PMLI known as PMLI_ND) are proposed to separate PML from bare land at plastic film cover stage; and the “temporal possible PML layer” are identified by the threshold based method. To estimate the performance of the three PML indices, two other approaches, PMLI threshold and Random Forest (RF) are used to generate “temporal possible PML layer.” Finally, PML images generated from the five MTPML approaches are compared with the image time series supervised classification (SUPML) result. Two study regions, Hengshui (HS) and Guyuan (GY), are used in this study. PML identification models are generated using training samples in HS and the models are used for PML mapping in both study regions. The results showed that MTPML workflow outperformed SUPML with 3%–5% higher classification accuracy. The three proposed PML indices had higher separability and importance score for bare land and PML discrimination. Among the five approaches used to generate the “temporal possible PML layer,” PMLI_SWIR is the recommended approach because the PMLI_SWIR threshold approach is easy to implement and the accuracy is only slightly lower than the RF approach. It is notable that no training sample was used in GY and the accuracy of the MTPML approach was higher than 85%, which indicated that the rules proposed in this study are suitable for other study regions.
Data Registration with Ground Points for Roadside LiDAR Sensors
Authors: Yue Rui , Xu Hao , Wu Jianqing , Sun Renjuan , Yuan Changwei
Published: June 2019

The Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors are being considered as new traffic infrastructure sensors to detect road users’ trajectories for connected/autonomous vehicles and other traffic engineering applications. A LiDAR-enhanced traffic infrastructure system requires multiple LiDAR sensors around intersections, along with road segments, which can provide a seamless detection range at intersections or along arterials. Each LiDAR sensor generates cloud points of surrounding objects in a local coordinate system with the sensor at the origin, so it is necessary to integrate multiple roadside LiDAR sensors’ data into the same coordinate system. None of existing methods can integrate the data from roadside LiDAR sensors, because the extensive detection range of roadside sensors generates low-density cloud points and the alignment of roadside sensors is different from mapping scans or autonomous sensing systems. This paper presents a method to register datasets from multiple roadside LiDAR sensors. This approach innovatively integrates LiDAR datasets with 3D cloud points of road surface and 2D reference point features, so the method is abbreviated as RGP (Registration with Ground and Points). The RGP method applies optimization algorithms to identify the optimized linear coordinate transformation. This research considered the genetic algorithm (global optimization) and the hill climbing algorithm (local optimization). The performance of the RGP method and the different optimization algorithms was evaluated with field LiDAR sensors data. When the developed process can integrate data from roadside sensors, it can also register LiDAR sensors’ data on an autonomous vehicle or a robot.
Accurate Evaluation of Vertical Tidal Displacement Determined by GPS Kinematic Precise Point Positioning: A Case Study of Hong Kong
Authors: Wei Guoguang , Wang Qijie , Peng Wei
Published: June 2019

Global Positioning System (GPS) kinematic precise point positioning (KPPP) is an effective approach for estimating the Earth’s tidal deformation. The accuracy of KPPP is usually evaluated by comparing results with tidal models. However, because of the uncertainties of the tidal models, the accuracy of KPPP-estimated tidal displacement is difficult to accurately determine. In this paper, systematic vector differences between GPS estimates and tidal models were estimated by least squares methods in complex domain to analyze the uncertainties of tidal models and determine the accuracy of KPPP-estimated tidal displacements. Through the use of GPS data for 12 GPS reference stations in Hong Kong from 2008 to 2017, vertical ocean tide loading displacements (after removing the body tide effect) for eight semidiurnal and diurnal tidal constituents were obtained by GPS KPPP. By an in-depth analysis of the systematic and residual differences between the GPS estimates and nine tidal models, we demonstrate that the uncertainty of the tidal displacement determined by GPS KPPP for the M2, N2, O1, and Q1 tidal constituents is 0.2 mm, and for the S2 constituent it is 0.5 mm, while the accuracy of the GPS-estimated K1, P1, and K2 tidal constituents is weak because these three tidal constituents are affected by significant common-mode errors. These results suggest that GPS KPPP can be used to precisely constrain the Earth’s vertical tidal displacement in the M2, N2, O1, and Q1 tidal frequencies.
Methods for Assessing and Optimizing Solar Orientation by Non-Planar Sensor Arrays
Authors: Wang Jiang , Fan Xingang , Zhang Yongchao , Yang Jianyu , Du Yuming , He Jianxin
Published: June 2019

Non-planar sensor arrays are used to determine solar orientation based on the orientation matrix formed by orientation vectors of the sensor planes. Solar panels or existing photodiodes can be directly used without increasing the size or mass of the spacecraft. However, a limiting factor for the improvement of the accuracy of orientation lies with the lack of an assessment-based approach. A formulation was developed for the supremum (i.e., the least upper bound) of orientation error of an arbitrary orientation matrix in terms of its influencing factors. The new formulation offers a way to evaluate the supremum of orientation error considering interference with finite energy and interference with infinite energy but finite average energy. For a given non-planar sensor array, a sub-matrix of the full orientation matrix would reach the optimal accuracy of orientation if its supremum of orientation error is the least. Principles for designing an optimal sensor array relate to the configuration of the orientation matrix, which can be pre-determined for a given number of sensors. Simulations and field experiment tested and validated the methods, showing that our sensor array optimization method outperforms the existing methods, while providing a way of assessment and optimization.
Interference Range-Reduced Cooperative Multiple Access with Optimal Relay Selection for Large Scale Wireless Networks
Authors: Liu Kai , Wang Rui , Yue Caizhao , Liu Feng , Lu Tao , Xiong Zixiang
Published: June 2019

Cooperative communication improves the link throughput of wireless networks through spatial diversity. However, it reduces the frequency reuse of the entire network due to the enlarged link interference range introduced by each helper. In this paper, we propose a cooperative medium access control (MAC) protocol with optimal relay selection (ORS-CMAC) for multihop, multirate large scale networks, which can reduce the interference range and improve the network throughput. Then, we investigate the performance gain achieved by these two competitive factors, i.e., the spatial frequency reuse gain and spatial diversity gain, in large scale wireless networks. The expressions of maximum network throughput for direct transmissions and cooperative transmissions in the whole network are derived as a function of the number of concurrent transmission links, data packet length, and average packet transmission time. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the theoretical results. The theoretical and simulation results show that the helper can reduce the spatial frequency reuse slightly, and spatial diversity gain can compensate for the decrease of the spatial frequency reuse, thereby improving the network throughput from the viewpoint of the whole network.
A Power-Efficient Multiband Planar USB Dongle Antenna for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Chiang Wei-Yuan , Ku Chia-Hao , Chen Chiung-An , Wang Le-Yu , Abu Patricia Angela R. , Rao Pei-Zong , Liu Chih-Kai , Liao Chao-Hsiang , Chen Shih-Lun
Published: June 2019

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) had been applied in Internet of Things (IoT) and in Industry 4.0. Since a WSN system contains multiple wireless sensor nodes, it is necessary to develop a low-power and multiband wireless communication system that satisfies the specifications of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Certification European (CE). In a WSN system, many devices are of very small size and can be slipped into a Universal Serial Bus (USB), which is capable of connecting to wireless systems and networks, as well as transferring data. These devices are widely known as USB dongles. This paper develops a planar USB dongle antenna for three frequency bands, namely 2.30–2.69 GHz, 3.40–3.70 GHz, and 5.15–5.85 GHz. This study proposes a novel antenna design that uses four loops to develop the multiband USB dongle. The first and second loops construct the low and intermediate frequency ranges. The third loop resonates the high frequency property, while the fourth loop is used to enhance the bandwidth. The performance and power consumption of the proposed multiband planar USB dongle antenna were significantly improved compared to existing multiband designs.
Estimation of Interference Arrival Direction Based on a Novel Space-Time Conversion MUSIC Algorithm for GNSS Receivers
Authors: Wang Hao , Chang Qing , Xu Yong , Li Xianxu
Published: June 2019

In the estimation of the direction of arrival (DOA) for interference signals, the direction-finding error of the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm will increase in the case of multiple interferences or when the interfering signal power is weak. In this paper, a space-time conversion MUSIC (STC-MUSIC) algorithm is proposed, and the concept of a focusing parameter is introduced to improve the performance of the DOA estimation. Meanwhile, a method of variable step size peak search is proposed to reduce the amount of calculation of the STC-MUSIC algorithm. The final simulation and experimental results show that the STC-MUSIC algorithm improves the purity of the noise subspace effectively, thus improving the precision and robustness of the DOA estimation for interference signals significantly. In comparison to traditional algorithms, the convergence, stability, root mean square error (RMSE) and other performance characteristics are improved greatly.
Scour Damage Detection and Structural Health Monitoring of a Laboratory-Scaled Bridge Using a Vibration Energy Harvesting Device
Authors: Fitzgerald Paul C. , Malekjafarian Abdollah , Bhowmik Basuraj , Prendergast Luke J. , Cahill Paul , Kim Chul-Woo , Hazra Budhaditya , Pakrashi Vikram , OBrien Eugene J.
Published: June 2019

A vibration-based bridge scour detection procedure using a cantilever-based piezoelectric energy harvesting device (EHD) is proposed here. This has an advantage over an accelerometer-based method in that potentially, the requirement for a power source can be negated with the only power requirement being the storage and/or transmission of the data. Ideally, this source of power could be fulfilled by the EHD itself, although much research is currently being done to explore this. The open-circuit EHD voltage is used here to detect bridge frequency shifts arising due to scour. Using one EHD attached to the central bridge pier, both scour at the pier of installation and scour at another bridge pier can be detected from the EHD voltage generated during the bridge free-vibration stage, while the harvester is attached to a healthy pier. The method would work best with an initial modal analysis of the bridge structure in order to identify frequencies that may be sensitive to scour. Frequency components corresponding to harmonic loading and electrical interference arising from experiments are removed using the filter bank property of singular spectrum analysis (SSA). These frequencies can then be monitored by using harvested voltage from the energy harvesting device and successfully utilised towards structural health monitoring of a model bridge affected by scour.
Assessing the Regional Sustainability of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration from 2000 to 2015 Using the Human Sustainable Development Index
Authors: Chen Shiyin , Huang Qingxu , Liu Ziwen , Meng Shiting , Yin Dan , Zhu Lei , He Chunyang
Published: June 2019

Sustainability assessment can analyze the challenges of regional development from societal, economic, and environmental dimensions and provide an important baseline for regional planning. Recently, the rapid socio-economic development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration has inflicted great pressure on the regional environment. Therefore, this paper evaluated the sustainability dynamics of the BTH urban agglomeration from 2000 to 2015 at the city scale using the Human Sustainable Development Index (HSDI) and discussed the major drivers of the changes in regional sustainability. The results showed that the overall sustainability of the BTH urban agglomeration increased from 2000 to 2015, with the HSDI increasing by 10%. Among the three dimensions, the economic sustainability indicators grew the fastest, with a growth rate of 42%, while the environmental sustainability indicators declined by 8%. The decline of environmental sustainability played an important role in limiting regional sustainable development. Specifically, the optimization of the energy structure in six cities, e.g., Tangshan, Langfang and Cangzhou, was relatively weaker than that in the remaining seven cities. In the future, the BTH urban agglomeration must further optimize the energy structure to build a resource-saving and environmentally friendly society.
Hybridization of Hemp Fiber and Recycled-Carbon Fiber in Polypropylene Composites
Authors: Shah Niyati , Fehrenbach Joseph , Ulven Chad A.
Published: June 2019

In recent years there has been a substantial growth in the use of natural fiber reinforced composite in more advanced applications. However, high strength applications require high mechanical properties. Hybridization of natural fibers with synthetic fibers is an effective method of increasing the field of application and mechanical properties. The effects of hybridizing hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fiber with recycled-carbon fiber were investigated in this study to determine the trends in mechanical properties resulting from varied weight fractions. Characterization of void content was accomplished using micro computed tomography (micro-CT). Through hybridizing hemp fiber and recycled carbon fiber in a polypropylene thermoplastic, a new class of high performance, low cost composites were demonstrated for injection molding applications. This study showcased a 10–15% increase in tensile strength after the reinforcement of recycled-carbon fiber with hemp fiber. A 30–35% increase was observed in the flexure strength after the reinforcement of recycled-carbon fiber with hemp fiber. Impact strength also had an increase of 35–40% for hemp fiber reinforced recycled-carbon fiber polypropylene composites.
The Effect of the Compensation System on Earnings Management and Sustainability: Evidence from Korea Banks
Authors: Lee Mijoo , Hwang In Tae
Published: June 2019

Since the global financial crisis, management incentive compensation, which is sensitive to financial firms’ short-term performance, has been noted to threaten financial systems’ sustainability by incentivizing managers to pursue excessive risks. Subsequently, international standards have been established regarding compensation for financial institutions’ senior executives and employees. However, this compensation may impact not only banks’ risk-taking behaviors, but also their earnings management, as the latter affects financial performance while compensation is decided as a reflection of such performance. Therefore, this study analyses executive compensation’s impact on banks’ earnings management using compensation data on South Korean banks. The analysis revealed higher earnings management using a loan loss provision with more variable compensation. On the one hand, if the proportion of equity-linked compensation to incentive compensation increased, then earnings management increased. On the other hand, more deferred compensation led to increased earnings smoothing. This study evaluates regulatory impacts across multiple dimensions by analyzing the effects of incentive compensation standards—intended to increase financial systems’ sustainability—on individual financial institutions and further contributes to studies on managerial decision making.
Developing Sustainable City Indicators for Cambodia through Delphi Processes of Panel Surveys
Authors: Chan Puthearath , Lee Myeong-Hun
Published: June 2019

Currently, Cambodia does not have sustainable city indicators, and green and clean city indicators are also limited compared to UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) indicators. Therefore, this research aims to develop sustainable city indicators for Cambodia and to address the questions “Are the green and clean city indicators limited in terms of sustainability?” and “Are the UN SDG 11 indicators suitable for Cambodia?” Delphi processes of panel surveys were conducted to develop the indicators in Round 1, pre-validate the indicators in Round 2, and validate the indicators in Round 3. The results showed that 69 initial indicators were obtained from Round 1; 41 pre-validated indicators were obtained from Round 2; and finally, 32 validated indicators were obtained from Round 3. All of the 32 indicators reached consensus. Based on the consensus indicators, the green and clean city indicators were found to be limited in terms of sustainability, and the UN SDG 11 has nine indicators suitable for Cambodia. These findings could be useful for applying the UN SDG 11 indicators to Cambodia and transforming the green and clean city indicators to sustainable city indicators. The 32 consensus indicators could be used as alternative sustainable city indicators for Cambodia.
Injury Severity of Bus–Pedestrian Crashes in South Korea Considering the Effects of Regional and Company Factors
Authors: Park Ho-Chul , Joo Yang-Jun , Kho Seung-Young , Kim Dong-Kyu , Park Byung-Jung
Published: June 2019

Bus–pedestrian crashes typically result in more severe injuries and deaths than any other type of bus crash. Thus, it is important to screen and improve the risk factors that affect bus–pedestrian crashes. However, bus–pedestrian crashes that are affected by a company’s and regional characteristics have a cross-classified hierarchical structure, which is difficult to address properly using a single-level model or even a two-level multi-level model. In this study, we used a cross-classified, multi-level model to consider simultaneously the unobserved heterogeneities at these two distinct levels. Using bus–pedestrian crash data in South Korea from 2011 through to 2015, in this study, we investigated the factors related to the injury severity of the crashes, including crash level, regional and company level factors. The results indicate that the company and regional effects are 16.8% and 5.1%, respectively, which justified the use of a multi-level model. We confirm that type I errors may arise when the effects of upper-level groups are ignored. We also identified the factors that are statistically significant, including three regional-level factors, i.e., the elderly ratio, the ratio of the transportation infrastructure budget, and the number of doctors, and 13 crash-level factors. This study provides useful insights concerning bus–pedestrian crashes, and a safety policy is suggested to enhance bus–pedestrian safety.
Gender and Academic Rank in the UK
Authors: Santos Georgina , Dang Van Phu Stéphanie
Published: June 2019

This paper fills in a research gap in what concerns gender and academic rank at UK universities, where women are not far from reaching the 50% share of all academic and research staff, but not even close to reaching such a share at (full) professorial level. Using an ordered logit model and the results of a survey conducted in 2013 with 2270 responses from academics from all fields of knowledge at the 24 Russell Group universities, we find three consistent results. First, being a woman has a negative and significant association with academic rank, except for the case when parenthood is timed with career considerations in mind. Second, the percentage of time spent on teaching and teaching-related activities has a negative and statistically significant association with academic rank. This association is more pronounced in the case of women, who spend a higher percentage of their working time on teaching and teaching-related activities than men, as do those in lower academic ranks. Since women tend to be in lower ranks, the percentage of time spent on teaching and teaching-related activities may be considered both a cause and a result of the gender gap. Third, we find a positive and significant association between the number of children under the age of 18 years and the academic rank of both men and women, as long as babies were timed with career considerations in mind, and a non-significant association when they were not. A possible explanation for this is unlikely to be that children have a positive impact on academic rank, but rather that they arrived after a certain rank had been secured. We conclude with some policy recommendations to help reduce the gender gap.
Landslide Susceptibility Mapping for the Muchuan County (China): A Comparison Between Bivariate Statistical Models (WoE, EBF, and IoE) and Their Ensembles with Logistic Regression
Authors: Li Renwei , Wang Nianqin
Published: June 2019

The main purpose of this study is to apply three bivariate statistical models, namely weight of evidence (WoE), evidence belief function (EBF) and index of entropy (IoE), and their ensembles with logistic regression (LR) for landslide susceptibility mapping in Muchuan County, China. First, a landslide inventory map contained 279 landslides was obtained through the field investigation and interpretation of aerial photographs. Next, the landslides were randomly divided into two parts for training and validation with the ratio of 70/30. In addition, according to the regional geological environment characteristics, twelve landslide conditioning factors were selected, including altitude, plan curvature, profile curvature, slope angle, distance to roads, distance to rivers, topographic wetness index (TWI), normalized different vegetation index (NDVI), land use, soil, and lithology. Subsequently, the landslide susceptibility mapping was carried out by the above models. Eventually, the accuracy of this research was validated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the results indicated that the landslide susceptibility map produced by EBF-LR model has the highest accuracy (0.826), followed by IoE-LR model (0.825), WoE-LR model (0.792), EBF model (0.791), IoE model (0.778), and WoE model (0.753). The results of this study can provide references of landslide prevention and land use planning for local government.
Sufficiency Criterion for A Subfamily of Meromorphic Multivalent Functions of Reciprocal Order with Respect to Symmetric Points
Authors: Mahmood Shahid , Srivastava Gautam , Srivastava Hari Mohan , Abujarad Eman S.A. , Arif Muhammad , Ghani Fazal
Published: June 2019

In the present research paper, our aim is to introduce a new subfamily of meromorphic p-valent (multivalent) functions. Moreover, we investigate sufficiency criterion for such defined family.
Development of Optimal Eighth Order Derivative-Free Methods for Multiple Roots of Nonlinear Equations
Authors: Sharma Janak Raj , Kumar Sunil , Argyros Ioannis K.
Published: June 2019

A number of higher order iterative methods with derivative evaluations are developed in literature for computing multiple zeros. However, higher order methods without derivative for multiple zeros are difficult to obtain and hence such methods are rare in literature. Motivated by this fact, we present a family of eighth order derivative-free methods for computing multiple zeros. Per iteration the methods require only four function evaluations, therefore, these are optimal in the sense of Kung-Traub conjecture. Stability of the proposed class is demonstrated by means of using a graphical tool, namely, basins of attraction. Boundaries of the basins are fractal like shapes through which basins are symmetric. Applicability of the methods is demonstrated on different nonlinear functions which illustrates the efficient convergence behavior. Comparison of the numerical results shows that the new derivative-free methods are good competitors to the existing optimal eighth-order techniques which require derivative evaluations.
Exploring the Role of Staphylococcus Aureus Toxins in Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Seiti Yamada Yoshikawa Fabio , Feitosa de Lima Josenilson , Notomi Sato Maria , Álefe Leuzzi Ramos Yasmin , Aoki Valeria , Leao Orfali Raquel
Published: June 2019

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and inflammatory skin disease with intense pruritus and xerosis. AD pathogenesis is multifactorial, involving genetic, environmental, and immunological factors, including the participation of Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium colonizes up to 30–100% of AD skin and its virulence factors are responsible for its pathogenicity and antimicrobial survival. This is a concise review of S. aureus superantigen-activated signaling pathways, highlighting their involvement in AD pathogenesis, with an emphasis on skin barrier disruption, innate and adaptive immunity dysfunction, and microbiome alterations. A better understanding of the combined mechanisms of AD pathogenesis may enhance the development of future targeted therapies for this complex disease.
A Gold Growth-Based Plasmonic ELISA for the Sensitive Detection of Fumonisin B1 in Maize
Authors: Zhan Shengnan , Zheng Lingyan , Zhou Yaofeng , Wu Kesheng , Duan Hong , Huang Xiaolin , Xiong Yonghua
Published: June 2019

In this paper, a highly sensitive plasmonic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (pELISA) was developed for the naked-eye detection of fumonisin B1 (FB1). Glucose oxidase (GOx) was used as an alternative to horseradish peroxidase as the carrier of the competing antigen. GOx catalyzed the oxidation of glucose to produce hydrogen peroxide, which acted as a reducing agent to reduce Au3+ to Au on the surface of gold seeds (5 nm), This reaction led to a color change in the solution from colorless to purple, which was observable to the naked eye. Various parameters that could influence the detection performance of pELISA were investigated. The developed method exhibited a considerably high sensitivity for FB1 qualitative naked-eye detection, with a visible cut-off limit of 1.25 ng/mL. Moreover, the proposed pELISA showed a good linear range of 0.31–10 ng/mL with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.86 ng/mL, which was approximately 13-fold lower than that of a horseradish peroxidase- (HRP)-based conventional ELISA. Meanwhile, the proposed method was highly specific and accurate. In summary, the new pELISA exhibited acceptable accuracy and precision for sensitive naked-eye detection of FB1 in maize samples and can be applied for the detection of other chemical contaminants.
Prevalence of Fowl Adenovirus Serotype 4 and Co-Infection by Immunosuppressive Viruses in Fowl with Hydropericardium Hepatitis Syndrome in Shandong Province, China
Authors: Yu Guanliu , Lin Yun , Dou Yanguo , Tang Yi , Diao Youxiang
Published: June 2019

Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) is the pathogenic agent of hydropericardium hepatitis syndrome (HHS) in chickens and ducks, which has caused huge economic losses for the Chinese poultry industry since 2015. In order to objectively determine the prevalence and co-infection status of the virus in Shandong province in China, we analyzed a total of 679 clinical cases of chickens and ducks from 36 farms in the province. The results showed that the FAdV-4 infection rate was 65.2% (443/679), and the rate in breeder ducks was almost two-fold higher than that in breeder chickens (68.57% vs. 34.30%). Notably, co-infection by H9N2 avian influenza virus, infectious bursal disease virus, and/or chicken infectious anemia virus was very common in the 443 FAdV-4-positive cases. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of the hexon genes of four Shandong FAdV-4 isolates revealed that these strains clustered into Indian reference strains, indicating that the Shandong FAdV-4 strains might have originated in India. These findings provide the first data on the prevalence and co-infection status of FAdV-4 in Shandong province, which may serve as a foundation for the prevention of FAdV-4 in the field.
Effects of Intranasal Pseudorabies Virus AH02LA Infection on Microbial Community and Immune Status in the Ileum and Colon of Piglets
Authors: Zhang Chuanjian , Liu Yamei , Chen Saisai , Qiao Yongfeng , Zheng Yating , Xu Mengwei , Wang Zhisheng , Hou Jibo , Wang Jichun , Fan Hongjie
Published: June 2019

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) variants broke out in china since 2011, causing high fever, respiratory distress, systemic neurological symptoms, and diarrhea in piglets. This study investigated the effect of intranasal PRV variant (AH02LA) infection on ileal and colonic bacterial communities and immune status in piglets. Ten piglets (free of PRV) were assigned to PRV variant and control groups (uninfected). At day 5 after inoculation, all piglets were euthanized. No PRV was detected in the ileal and colonic mucosa. In the PRV group, we observed up-regulation of specific cytokines gene expression, down-regulation of intestinal barrier-related gene expression, and reduction of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) concentration in the ileum and colon. PRV infection increased the diversity of ileal bacterial community composition. PRV infection reduced the abundance of some beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus species in the ileum and colon; butyrate-producing bacteria species in the colon) and increased the abundance of potentially pathogenic Fusobacterium nucleatum in the ileum and Sphingomonas paucimobilis in the colon. Moreover, PRV infection decreased concentrations of the beneficial lactate in the ileum and butyrate in the colon. However, this study does not allow to evaluate whether the observed changes are directly due to the PRV infection or rather to indirect effects (fever, clinical signs and changes in diet), and will be our next research content. In summary, our findings provide evidence that intranasal PRV infection directly or indirectly brings gut health risks and implications, although no PRV was detected in the ileum and colon.
Avian Sarcoma and Leukosis Virus Envelope Glycoproteins Evolve to Broaden Receptor Usage Under Pressure from Entry Competitors †
Authors: Munguia Audelia , Federspiel Mark J.
Published: June 2019

The subgroup A through E avian sarcoma and leukosis viruses (ASLV(A) through ASLV(E)) are a group of highly related alpharetroviruses that have evolved their envelope glycoproteins to use different receptors to enable efficient virus entry due to host resistance and/or to expand host range. Previously, we demonstrated that ASLV(A) in the presence of a competitor to the subgroup A Tva receptor, SUA-rIgG immunoadhesin, evolved to use other receptor options. The selected mutant virus, RCASBP(A)Δ155–160, modestly expanded its use of the Tvb and Tvc receptors and possibly other cell surface proteins while maintaining the binding affinity to Tva. In this study, we further evolved the Δ155–160 virus with the genetic selection pressure of a soluble form of the Tva receptor that should force the loss of Tva binding affinity in the presence of the Δ155–160 mutation. Viable ASLVs were selected that acquired additional mutations in the Δ155–160 Env hypervariable regions that significantly broadened receptor usage to include Tvb and Tvc as well as retaining the use of Tva as a receptor determined by receptor interference assays. A similar deletion in the hr1 hypervariable region of the subgroup C ASLV glycoproteins evolved to broaden receptor usage when selected on Tvc-negative cells.
Characterization of Flagellotropic, Chi-Like Salmonella Phages Isolated from Thai Poultry Farms
Authors: Phothaworn Preeda , Dunne Matthew , Supokaivanich Rattaya , Ong Catherine , Lim Jiali , Taharnklaew Rutjawate , Vesaratchavest Mongkol , Khumthong Rabuesak , Pringsulaka Onanong , Ajawatanawong Pravech , Klumpp Jochen , Brown Nathan , Imam Mohammed , Clokie Martha R. J. , Galyov Edouard E. , Korbsrisate Sunee
Published: June 2019

Despite a wealth of knowledge on Salmonella phages worldwide, little is known about poultry-associated Salmonella phages from Thailand. Here, we isolated 108 phages from Thai poultry farms that infect Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Phages STm101 and STm118 were identified as temperate Siphoviridae phages. Genome sequencing and analyses revealed these phages share approximately 96% nucleotide sequence similarity to phage SPN19, a member of the Chi-like virus genus. PCR amplification of the gene encoding capsid protein E of the Chi-like phage was positive for 50% of phage isolates, suggesting a predominance of this phage type among the sampled poultry farms. In addition to the flagella, two phages required the lipopolysaccharide to infect and lyse Salmonella. Furthermore, phylogenomic analysis demonstrated that phages STm101 and STm118 formed a monophyletic clade with phages isolated from Western countries, but not from closer isolated phages from Korea. However, further investigation and more phage isolates are required to investigate possible causes for this geographic distribution.
Impact of Rhinovirus Infections in Children
Authors: Vandini Silvia , Biagi Carlotta , Fischer Maximilian , Lanari Marcello
Published: June 2019

Rhinovirus (RV) is an RNA virus that causes more than 50% of upper respiratory tract infections in humans worldwide. Together with Respiratory Syncytial Virus, RV is one of the leading causes of viral bronchiolitis in infants and the most common virus associated with wheezing in children aged between one and two years. Because of its tremendous genetic diversity (>150 serotypes), the recurrence of RV infections each year is quite typical. Furthermore, because of its broad clinical spectrum, the clinical variability as well as the pathogenesis of RV infection are nowadays the subjects of an in-depth examination and have been the subject of several studies in the literature. In fact, the virus is responsible for direct cell cytotoxicity in only a small way, and it is now clearer than ever that it may act indirectly by triggering the release of active mediators by structural and inflammatory airway cells, causing the onset and/or the acute exacerbation of asthmatic events in predisposed children. In the present review, we aim to summarize the RV infection’s epidemiology, pathogenetic hypotheses, and available treatment options as well as its correlation with respiratory morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population.
2,4-Thiazolidinedione in Well-Fed Lactating Dairy Goats: II. Response to Intra-Mammary Infection
Authors: Rosa Fernanda , Moridi Misagh , Osorio Johan S. , Lohakare Jayant , Trevisi Erminio , Filley Shelby , Estill Charles , Bionaz Massimo
Published: June 2019

In a prior experiment, treatment of goats with the putative PPARγ agonist 2,4-thiazolidinedione (2,4-TZD) ameliorated the response to intramammary infection without evidence of PPARγ activation. The lack of PPARγ activation was possibly due to deficiency of vitamin A and/or a poor body condition of the animals. Therefore, the present study hypothesized that activation of PPARγ by 2,4-TZD in goats supplemented with adequate amounts of vitamin A can improve the response to sub-clinical mastitis. Lactating goats receiving a diet that met National Research Council requirements, including vitamin A, were injected with 8 mg/kg BW of 2,4-TZD (n = 6) or saline (n = 6; control (CTR)) daily. Two weeks into treatment, all goats received Streptococcus uberis (IMI) in the right mammary gland. Blood biomarkers of metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative status plus leukocytes phagocytosis were measured. Mammary epithelial cells (MEC) and macrophages were isolated from milk and liver tissue collected for gene expression analysis. Milk fat was maintained by treatment with 2,4-TZD, but decreased in CTR, after IMI. Haptoglobin was increased after IMI only in 2,4-TZD without any effect on negative acute phase proteins, indicating an improved liver function. 2,4-TZD vs. CTR had a greater amount of globulin. The expression of inflammation-related genes was increased by IMI in both macrophages and MEC. Except for decreasing expression of SCD1 in MEC, 2,4-TZD did not affect the expression of measured genes. Results confirmed the successful induction of sub-clinical mastitis but did not confirm the positive effect of 2,4-TZD on the response to IMI in well-fed goats.
Investigation of the Influence of Rainfall Runoff on Shallow Landslides in Unsaturated Soil Using a Mathematical Model
Authors: Chiu Yen-Yu , Chen Hung-En , Yeh Keh-Chia
Published: June 2019

Infiltration and groundwater have been widely considered as the main factors that cause shallow landslides; however, the effect of runoff has received less attention. In this study, an in-house physical-process-based shallow landslide model is developed to demonstrate the influence of runoff. The model is controlled by coupling the shallow water equation (dynamic) and Richards’ equation. An infinite slope stability analysis is applied to evaluate the possibility of regional landslides. A real, small catchment topography is adopted as a demonstration example. The simulation illustrates the variations of runoff and the factor of safety (FS) during a storm. The results indicate that, after the surface becomes saturated, the FS may keep varying due to the increasing pressure head, which is caused by increasing surface water depth. This phenomenon most likely occurs downstream where the slopes easily accumulate water. The depth of the surface water may also be a factor of slope failure. Therefore, it is essential to increase the accuracy of calculating the runoff depth when assessing regional shallow landslides.
Quelques exemples d'applications des centres colorés
Authors: Farge Yves
Published: June 2019

Colour centres have not found wide application. This article reviews their uses in dosimetry, as geological thermometers and as optical memories.
Phénomènes de canalisation
Authors: Cohen Camille
Published: June 2019

Les effets produits par le phénomène de canalisation sont décrits et illustrés par divers résultats expérimentaux. Les concepts physiques essentiels à la compréhension théorique du phénomène sont introduits. Des applications importantes de la canalisation sont passées en revue.