bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Optimisation of a Multiresidue Method for the Determination of 40 Anthelmintic Compounds in Environmental Water Samples by Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) with LC-MS/MS Detection
Authors: Mooney Damien , Coxon Catherine , Richards Karl G , Gill Laurence , Mellander Per-Erik , Danaher Martin
Published: May 2019

A comprehensive multiresidue method was developed and validated for the determination of 40 anthelmintic compounds, including 13 transformation products, in surface and groundwater samples at sub nanogram per litre (ng L−1) levels. Anthelmintic residues were extracted from unfiltered water samples using polymeric divinylbenzene solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, and eluted with methanol: acetone (50:50, v/v). Purified extracts were concentrated, filtered and injected for UHPLC-MS/MS determination. The method recovery (at a concentration representative of realistic expected environmental water levels based on literature review) ranged from 83–113%. The method was validated, at three concentration levels, in accordance to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and SANTE/11813/2017 guidelines. Trueness and precision, under within-laboratory reproducibility conditions, ranged from 88–114% and 1.1–19.4%, respectively. The applicability of the method was assessed in a pilot study whereby 72 different surface and groundwater samples were collected and analysed for the determination of these 40 compounds for the first time in Ireland. This is the most comprehensive method available for the investigation of the occurrence of both anthelmintic parent compounds and their transformation products in raw, unfiltered environmental waters.
Xylopia aethiopica Seeds from Two Countries in West Africa Exhibit Differences in Their Proteomes, Mineral Content and Bioactive Phytochemical Composition
Authors: Yin Xiaojian , Chávez León María A.S.C. , Osae Richard , Linus Loveth O. , Qi Lian-Wen , Alolga Raphael N.
Published: May 2019

Aside from its multiple medicinal uses, the fruit of Xylopia aethiopica is widely used in Africa as food. Herein, we characterize the protein profiles, mineral content and bioactive phytochemical composition of the seeds of this plant sourced in Ghana and Nigeria. Using label-free proteomics, a total of 677 proteins were identified, with 260 found in the Ghana-sourced samples while 608 proteins were detected in the samples from Nigeria. However, 114 proteins were common between the samples from the two countries, among which 48 were significantly changed. Bioinformatics and functional analyses revealed that the differential levels of the proteins were mainly linked to pathways involved amino acids metabolism and biosynthesis. The significantly changed proteins related mainly to catalytic activity and carbon metabolism. The samples from Nigeria also exhibited superior qualities in terms of their antioxidant effects, and total phenolic and flavonoid content. Finally, only the content of Na varied to a statistically significant level. This study lends support to its culinary use and hints towards the impact of location of cultivation on the quality of the seeds. There is however need for further mechanistic investigations to unravel the underlying reasons for the observed differences.
Genome-Wide Identification of the LAC Gene Family and Its Expression Analysis Under Stress in Brassica napus
Authors: Ping Xiaoke , Wang Tengyue , Lin Na , Di Feifei , Li Yangyang , Jian Hongju , Wang Hao , Lu Kun , Li Jiana , Xu Xinfu , Liu Liezhao
Published: May 2019

Lignin is an important biological polymer in plants that is necessary for plant secondary cell wall ontogenesis. The laccase (LAC) gene family catalyzes lignification and has been suggested to play a vital role in the plant kingdom. In this study, we identified 45 LAC genes from the Brassica napus genome (BnLACs), 25 LAC genes from the Brassica rapa genome (BrLACs) and 8 LAC genes from the Brassica oleracea genome (BoLACs). These LAC genes could be divided into five groups in a cladogram and members in same group had similar structures and conserved motifs. All BnLACs contained hormone- and stress- related elements determined by cis-element analysis. The expression of BnLACs was relatively higher in the root, seed coat and stem than in other tissues. Furthermore, BnLAC4 and its predicted downstream genes showed earlier expression in the silique pericarps of short silique lines than long silique lines. Three miRNAs (miR397a, miR397b and miR6034) target 11 BnLACs were also predicted. The expression changes of BnLACs under series of stresses were further investigated by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The study will give a deeper understanding of the LAC gene family evolution and functions in B. napus.
Analysis of Chemical Composition of Extractives by Acetone and the Chromatic Aberration of Teak (Tectona Grandis L.F.) from China
Authors: Qiu Hongyun , Liu Ru , Long Ling
Published: May 2019

In order to clarify the chemical color change of teak (Tectona grandis L.F.), the difference of chemical composition between the heartwood and sapwood of teak was investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based on the acetone extractive compounds. The results showed that the difference in content of the main components between heartwood and sapwood was not obvious. However, the amount of extractives in heartwood was higher than that in sapwood, especially for phenols, quinones, and ketones. The most obvious different substances in the acetone extractive between heartwood and sapwood were 4-tert-butyl-2-phenyl-phenol,2-methyl-anthraquinone, and 2,3-dimethyl-1,4,4a,9a-tetrahydro-9,10-anthracenedione, which might be the main composition for the chromatic aberration of teak. This paper focuses on a preliminary study and further work such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet photometric detector (UV)/mass spectrometry (MS) will be carried out.
Phenolic Compounds from Populus alba L. and Salix subserrata Willd. (Salicaceae) Counteract Oxidative Stress in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Tawfeek Nora , Sobeh Mansour , Hamdan Dalia I. , Farrag Nawaal , Roxo Mariana , El-Shazly Assem M. , Wink Michael
Published: May 2019

Utilizing bioassay- and TLC-guided column chromatography, fifteen secondary metabolites from Populus alba and eight compounds from Salix subserrata were isolated, including a novel plant metabolite salicyl ether and characterized using ultralviolet light (UV) absorbance, mass spectrometry (MS), 1H-, 13C-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectroscopy (HSQC) and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC). The extracts, their sub-fractions and the isolated compounds exhibited promising antioxidant activities in vitro in DPPH and FRAP assays. Also, the extracts of P. alba leaf (PL), shoots (PS), and S. subserrata leaf (SL) demonstrated substantial antioxidant activities in vivo in the multicellular model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. For the first time, the isolated secondary metabolites, aromadendrin, tremuloidin, salicin, isorhamnetin-3-O-β-d-rutinoside, gallocatechin, triandrin, and chrysoeriol-7-O-glucuronide were investigated. They exhibited substantial antioxidant activities in vivo. Salicin, isorhamnetin-3-O-β-d-rutinoside and gallocatechin, in particular, protected the worms against a lethal dose of the pro-oxidant juglone (80 µM), decreased the endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) level to 45.34%, 47.31%, 68.09% and reduced juglone- induced hsp-16.2::GFP (green fluorescence protein) expression to 79.62%, 70.17%, 26.77%, respectively. However, only gallocatechin induced higher levels of sod-3 expression. These findings support the traditional use of Populus alba and Salix subserrata for treating inflammation especially when ROS are involved.
Nonlinear Absorption Properties of Cr2Ge2Te6 and Its Application as an Ultra-Fast Optical Modulator
Authors: Ma Peng-fei , Lin Wei , Zhang Hua-nian , Xu Shan-hui , Yang Zhong-min
Published: May 2019

In this manuscript, the nonlinear absorption properties of Cr2Ge2Te6 and its application in ultra-fast optical modulation are investigated. Typical parameters, namely, nonlinear absorption coefficient (β), saturation intensity, and modulation depth are measured to be ~1.66 × 10−9 m/W, 15.3 MW/cm2, and 5.8%, respectively. To investigate the feasibility of using the Cr2Ge2Te6 as an ultra-fast optical modulator, a ring-cavity passively mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser has been constructed. The output power/pulse, duration/pulse, and repetition rate/signal-to-noise ratios for the stable mode-locked operation are 2.88 mW/881 fs/19.33 MHz/48 dB, respectively, which proves that the Cr2Ge2Te6 has outstanding nonlinear optical properties and advantages in performing as an ultra-fast optical modulator. Further, the experimental results provide valuable references and open new avenues for developing two-dimensional, material-based, ultra-fast optical modulators and advanced photonic devices based on Cr2Ge2Te6.
Influence of Preparation Procedure on Physicochemical and Antibacterial Properties of Titanate Nanotubes Modified with Silver
Authors: Jose Manu , Sienkiewicz Paulina , Szymańska Karolina , Darowna Dominika , Moszyński Dariusz , Lendzion-Bieluń Zofia , Szymański Kacper , Mozia Sylwia
Published: May 2019

Silver nanoparticles (NPs) are effective antibacterial agents; however, aggregation of NPs and uncontrolled release of Ag+ affect their efficiency and may pose a risk to the environment. To overcome these disadvantages, immobilization of Ag onto titanate nanotubes (TNTs) was investigated. This paper describes the physicochemical and antibacterial properties of silver incorporated titanate nanotubes (Ag/TNTs) prepared using five procedures and containing different Ag amounts (0.11–30.85 wt.%). The methods were (i) sol-gel followed by a hydrothermal process; (ii) photodeposition under ambient conditions; (iii) photodeposition under an inert atmosphere; (iv) NaBH4 reduction; and (v) electroless deposition after activation of TNTs with Sn2+. Depending on the synthesis procedure, the presence of metallic Ag NPs, AgO or AgCl was observed. The electroless method led to an additional deposition of SnO2 NPs. The antibacterial properties of Ag/TNTs were analyzed as a function of Ag content and released against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The best bactericidal properties exhibited Ag/TNTs prepared through the photodeposition process due to the higher interaction of exposed Ag NPs with bacteria. An increase of Ag loading resulted in improvement of antibacterial activity of Ag/TNTs although no direct correlation between silver content or release and inhibition of bacterial growth was found.
Intraluminal Impact of Food: New Insights from MRI
Authors: Spiller Robin , Marciani Luca
Published: May 2019

Understanding how the gut responds to food has always been limited by the available investigatory techniques. Previous methods involving intubation and aspiration are largely limited to liquid-only meals. The aim of this review is to describe how MRI has allowed analysis of the processing of complex multiphase meals. This has demonstrated the role of physical factors such as viscosity, fat and fibre content in controlling gastric secretion and motility. It has also allowed the description of changes induced in small bowel water content and the role of osmotic effects of poorly absorbed carbohydrates such as fructose, sorbitol and mannitol. Intestinal secretions can be shown to be stimulated by a range of fruit and vegetables and the effect of this on colonic water content can also be measured. This has been used to demonstrate the mode of action of commonly used laxatives including bran and psyllium. The wealth of data which can be obtained together with its non-invasive nature and safety makes the technique ideal for the serial evaluation of the impact of different nutrients and drugs in both health and disease.
Snack Consumption Patterns among Canadians
Authors: Vatanparast Hassan , Islam Naorin , Patil Rashmi Prakash , Shafiee Mojtaba , Smith Jessica , Whiting Susan
Published: May 2019

The snacking prevalence, frequency of daily snack consumption, and the contribution of snacks to daily energy intake have substantially increased globally. The aim of this study was to examine the patterns of snack consumption among a representative sample of Canadians aged 2 and older. Nationally representative dietary data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) conducted in 2015 (n = 19,677 participants aged ≥2 years) were used to describe snacking patterns. In all, 80.4% of Canadians reported consuming at least one snack per day, which varied between different age groups from 77.0% (≥55 years) to 96.4% (2–5 years). About 37% of snack consumers reported only one snack episode per day but nearly 10% reported four or more episodes of snacking. Snacking contributed to nearly 23% of total daily energy intake in Canadians, which was highest among younger children (27%) and lowest among older adults (20.8%). There were no significant differences in obesity measures comparing snack consumers and non-consumers in children and adults. Snacking considerably contributes to total nutrient and energy intake of Canadians. Promoting nutrient-dense snacks provides an opportunity to improve overall diet quality.
The Impact of Different Animal-Derived Protein Sources on Adiposity and Glucose Homeostasis during Ad Libitum Feeding and Energy Restriction in Already Obese Mice
Authors: Myrmel Lene Secher , Fauske Kristin Røen , Fjære Even , Bernhard Annette , Liisberg Ulrike , Hasselberg Astrid Elise , Øyen Jannike , Kristiansen Karsten , Madsen Lise
Published: May 2019

Low-fat diets and energy restriction are recommended to prevent obesity and to induce weight loss, but high-protein diets are popular alternatives. However, the importance of the protein source in obesity prevention and weight loss is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of different animal protein sources to prevent or reverse obesity by using lean or obese C57BL/6J mice fed high-fat/high-protein or low-fat diets with casein, cod or pork as protein sources. Only the high-fat/high-protein casein-based diet completely prevented obesity development when fed to lean mice. In obese mice, ad libitum intake of a casein-based high-fat/high-protein diet modestly reduced body mass, whereas a pork-based high-fat/high-protein diet aggravated the obese state and reduced lean body mass. Caloric restriction of obese mice fed high-fat/high-protein diets reduced body weight and fat mass and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, irrespective of the protein source. Finally, in obese mice, ad libitum intake of a low-fat diet stabilized body weight, reduced fat mass and increased lean body mass, with the highest loss of fat mass found in mice fed the casein-based diet. Combined with caloric restriction, the casein-based low-fat diet resulted in the highest loss of fat mass. Overall, the dietary protein source has greater impact in obesity prevention than obesity reversal.
Consumers’ Perceptions and Preferences for Bitterness in Vegetable Foods: The Case of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Brassicaceae—A Narrative Review
Authors: Cavallo Carla , Cicia Gianni , Del Giudice Teresa , Sacchi Raffaele , Vecchio Riccardo
Published: May 2019

The presence of some healthy phytochemicals in food can be paired with high bitterness, and consumers have a widespread avoidance toward bitter-tasting food. This causes a gap between preferences and healthy needs of consumers. Therefore, this review collected insights from literature belonging to different discipline domains in order to have a broad view of the current state-of-the-art about biochemical aspects and consumers’ perceptions and preferences toward foods with an enhanced bitter taste. In detail, we focused on two core products of the Mediterranean diet: Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) and Brassicaceae, both characterized by specific phytochemicals having strong healthy properties and bitter-pungent taste. Results suggested that, although bitter taste is a general driver of dislike, some exceptions can be represented by: niches of consumers (e.g., innovators and organic buyers), foods consumed with specific purposes (e.g., coffee, chocolate, and alcoholic beverages). The level of bitterness perceived by the consumers can be modulated through exposure, information on benefits, and elements within the environment (e.g., music). Thus, these insights can be used to develop specific campaigns aimed at promoting bitter (healthy) food, considering also the key role that could be played by food pairings.
Assessing Eating Behaviour Using Upper Limb Mounted Motion Sensors: A Systematic Review
Authors: Heydarian Hamid , Adam Marc , Burrows Tracy , Collins Clare , Rollo Megan E.
Published: May 2019

Wearable motion tracking sensors are now widely used to monitor physical activity, and have recently gained more attention in dietary monitoring research. The aim of this review is to synthesise research to date that utilises upper limb motion tracking sensors, either individually or in combination with other technologies (e.g., cameras, microphones), to objectively assess eating behaviour. Eleven electronic databases were searched in January 2019, and 653 distinct records were obtained. Including 10 studies found in backward and forward searches, a total of 69 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 28 published since 2017. Fifty studies were conducted exclusively in laboratory settings, 13 exclusively in free-living settings, and three in both settings. The most commonly used motion sensor was an accelerometer (64) worn on the wrist (60) or lower arm (5), while in most studies (45), accelerometers were used in combination with gyroscopes. Twenty-six studies used commercial-grade smartwatches or fitness bands, 11 used professional grade devices, and 32 used standalone sensor chipsets. The most used machine learning approaches were Support Vector Machine (SVM, n = 21), Random Forest (n = 19), Decision Tree (n = 16), Hidden Markov Model (HMM, n = 10) algorithms, and from 2017 Deep Learning (n = 5). While comparisons of the detection models are not valid due to the use of different datasets, the models that consider the sequential context of data across time, such as HMM and Deep Learning, show promising results for eating activity detection. We discuss opportunities for future research and emerging applications in the context of dietary assessment and monitoring.
From Reflex to Reflection: Two Tricks AI Could Learn from Us
Authors: Dessalles Jean-Louis
Published: May 2019

Deep learning and other similar machine learning techniques have a huge advantage over other AI methods: they do function when applied to real-world data, ideally from scratch, without human intervention. However, they have several shortcomings that mere quantitative progress is unlikely to overcome. The paper analyses these shortcomings as resulting from the type of compression achieved by these techniques, which is limited to statistical compression. Two directions for qualitative improvement, inspired by comparison with cognitive processes, are proposed here, in the form of two mechanisms: complexity drop and contrast. These mechanisms are supposed to operate dynamically and not through pre-processing as in neural networks. Their introduction may bring the functioning of AI away from mere reflex and closer to reflection.
Designing, Developing and Validating a Forecasting Method for the Month Ahead Hourly Electricity Consumption in the Case of Medium Industrial Consumers
Authors: Petroșanu Dana-Mihaela
Published: May 2019

An accurate forecast of the electricity consumption is particularly important to both consumers and system operators. The purpose of this study is to develop a forecasting method that provides such an accurate forecast of the month-ahead hourly electricity consumption in the case of medium industrial consumers, therefore assuring an intelligent energy management and an efficient economic scheduling of their resources, having the possibility to negotiate in advance appropriate billing tariffs relying on accurate hourly forecasts, in the same time facilitating an optimal energy management for the dispatch operator. The forecasting method consists of developing first non-linear autoregressive, with exogenous inputs (NARX) artificial neural networks (ANNs) in order to forecast an initial daily electricity consumption, a forecast that is being further processed with custom developed long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks with exogenous variables support in order to refine the daily forecast as to achieve an accurate hourly forecasted consumed electricity for the whole month-ahead. The obtained experimental results (highlighted also through a very good value of 0.0244 for the root mean square error performance metric, obtained when forecasting the month-ahead hourly electricity consumption and comparing it with the real consumption), the validation of the developed forecasting method, the comparison of the method with other forecasting approaches from the scientific literature substantiate the fact that the proposed approach manages to fill a gap in the current body of knowledge consisting of the need of a high-accuracy forecasting method for the month-ahead hourly electricity consumption in the case of medium industrial consumers. The developed forecasting method targets medium industrial consumers, but, due to its accuracy, it can also be a useful tool for promoting innovative business models with regard to industrial consumers willing to produce a part of their own electricity using renewable energy resources, benefiting from reduced production costs and reliable electricity prices.
The Fallacy of Equating the Hereditarian Hypothesis with Racism
Authors: Carl Noah
Published: May 2019

There is a large amount of evidence that groups differ in average cognitive ability. The hereditarian hypothesis states that these differences are partly or substantially explained by genetics. Despite being a positive claim about the world, this hypothesis is frequently equated with racism, and scholars who defend it are frequently denounced as racists. Yet equating the hereditarian hypothesis with racism is a logical fallacy. The present article identifies ten common arguments for why the hereditarian hypothesis is racist and demonstrates that each one is fallacious. The article concludes that society will be better served if the hereditarian hypothesis is treated the same way as any other scientific claim—critically, but dispassionately.
Cannabis and Tramadol are Prevalent among the First Episode Drug-Induced Psychosis in the Egyptian Population: Single Center Experience
Authors: Taha Mai , Taalab Yasmeen M. , Abo-Elez Warda F. , Eldakroory Sahar A.
Published: May 2019

(1) Background: Cannabis and tramadol are featuring prominently in Egypt; however, their prevalence in first episode psychosis is still uncertain. We aimed at determining the prevalence of cannabis and tramadol among the first-psychotic episode in Egyptian inpatients and to compare the demographic and psychopathological profiles of substance abusers versus patients with the comorbid diagnosis. (2) Methods: Patients presented with psychotic episode and admitted to Mansoura Psychiatric Department were recruited. Diagnosis of psychiatric illness and drug/substance use was carried out using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual- Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. Standard urine tests and thin layer chromatography were performed to detect cannabis and tramadol. (3) Results: Of the 100 subjects in the study, the majority (55.6%) of patients were cannabis-only positive. Overall, cannabis-alone showed the highest frequency of substance used among the currently diagnosed psychotic disorders. According to urine tests, cannabis demonstrates the higher frequency of intake in both studied groups. 66.7% of the studied population had 1–5 years self-reported histories of substance abuse predating the first psychotic episode. (4) Conclusions: The percentage of cannabis and tramadol among the first episode psychotic patients has been unexpectedly high and the standard urine testing should be considered in emergency and mental health facilities.
Physically Based Approach for Combined Atmospheric and Topographic Corrections
Authors: Santini Federico , Palombo Angelo
Published: May 2019

The enhanced spectral and spatial resolutions of the remote sensors have increased the need for highly performing preprocessing procedures. In this paper, a comprehensive approach, which simultaneously performs atmospheric and topographic corrections and includes second order corrections such as adjacency effects, was presented. The method, developed under the assumption of Lambertian surfaces, is physically based and uses MODTRAN 4 radiative transfer model. The use of MODTRAN 4 for the estimates of the radiative quantities was widely discussed in the paper and the impact on remote sensing applications was shown through a series of test cases.
Estimation of Translational Motion Parameters in Terahertz Interferometric Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (InISAR) Imaging Based on a Strong Scattering Centers Fusion Technique
Authors: Zhang Ye , Yang Qi , Deng Bin , Qin Yuliang , Wang Hongqiang
Published: May 2019

Translational motion of a target will lead to image misregistration in interferometric inverse synthetic aperture radar (InISAR) imaging. In this paper, a strong scattering centers fusion (SSCF) technique is proposed to estimate translational motion parameters of a maneuvering target. Compared to past InISAR image registration methods, the SSCF technique is advantageous in its high computing efficiency, excellent antinoise performance, high registration precision, and simple system structure. With a one-input three-output terahertz InISAR system, translational motion parameters in both the azimuth and height direction are precisely estimated. Firstly, the motion measurement curves are extracted from the spatial spectrums of mutually independent strong scattering centers, which avoids the unfavorable influences of noise and the “angle scintillation” phenomenon. Then, the translational motion parameters are obtained by fitting the motion measurement curves with phase unwrapping and intensity-weighted fusion processing. Finally, ISAR images are registered precisely by compensating the estimated translational motion parameters, and high-quality InISAR imaging results are achieved. Both simulation and experimental results are used to verify the validity of the proposed method.
Joint Local Block Grouping with Noise-Adjusted Principal Component Analysis for Hyperspectral Remote-Sensing Imagery Sparse Unmixing
Authors: Feng Ruyi , Wang Lizhe , Zhong Yanfei
Published: May 2019

Spatial regularized sparse unmixing has been proved as an effective spectral unmixing technique, combining spatial information and standard spectral signatures known in advance into the traditional spectral unmixing model in the form of sparse regression. In a spatial regularized sparse unmixing model, spatial consideration acts as an important role and develops from local neighborhood pixels to global structures. However, incorporating spatial relationships will increase the computational complexity, and it is inevitable that some negative influences obtained by inaccurate estimated abundances’ spatial correlations will reduce the accuracy of the algorithms. To obtain a more reliable and efficient spatial regularized sparse unmixing results, a joint local block grouping with noise-adjusted principal component analysis for hyperspectral remote-sensing imagery sparse unmixing is proposed in this paper. In this work, local block grouping is first utilized to gather and classify abundant spatial information in local blocks, and noise-adjusted principal component analysis is used to compress these series of classified local blocks and select the most significant ones. Then the representative spatial correlations are drawn and replace the traditional spatial regularization in the spatial regularized sparse unmixing method. Compared with total variation-based and non-local means-based sparse unmixing algorithms, the proposed approach can yield comparable experimental results with three simulated hyperspectral data cubes and two real hyperspectral remote-sensing images.
Characterization of Electromagnetic Properties of In Situ Soils for the Design of Landmine Detection Sensors: Application in Donbass, Ukraine
Authors: Bechtel Timothy , Truskavetsky Stanislav , Pochanin Gennadiy , Capineri Lorenzo , Sherstyuk Alexander , Viatkin Konstantin , Byndych Tatyana , Ruban Vadym , Varyanitza-Roschupkina Liudmyla , Orlenko Oleksander , Kholod Pavlo , Falorni Pierluigi , Bulletti Andrea , Bossi Luca , Crawford Fronefield
Published: May 2019

To design holographic and impulse ground penetrating radar (GPR) sensors suitable for humanitarian de-mining in the Donbass (Ukraine) conflict zone, we measured critical electromagnetic parameters of typical local soils using simple methods that could be adapted to any geologic setting. Measurements were recorded along six profiles, each crossing at least two mapped soil types. The parameters selected to evaluate GPR and metal detector sensor performance were magnetic permeability, electrical conductivity, and dielectric permittivity. Magnetic permeability measurements indicated that local soils would be conducive to metal detector performance. Electrical conductivity measurements indicated that local soils would be medium to high loss materials for GPR. Calculation of the expected attenuation as a function of signal frequency suggested that 1 GHz may have optimized the trade-off between resolution and penetration and matched the impulse GPR system power budget. Dielectric permittivity was measured using both time domain reflectometry and impulse GPR. For the latter, a calibration procedure based on an in-situ measurement of reflection coefficient was proposed and the data were analyzed to show that soil conditions were suitable for the reliable use of impulse GPR. A distinct difference between the results of these two suggested a dry (low dielectric) soil surface, grading downward into more moist (higher dielectric) soils. This gradation may provide a matching layer to reduce ground surface reflections that often obscure shallow subsurface targets. In addition, the relatively high dielectric deeper (10 cm–20 cm) subsurface soils should provide a strong contrast with plastic-cased mines.
Quaternion-Based Robust Attitude Estimation Using an Adaptive Unscented Kalman Filter
Authors: Chiella Antônio C. B. , Teixeira Bruno O. S. , Pereira Guilherme A. S.
Published: May 2019

This paper presents the Quaternion-based Robust Adaptive Unscented Kalman Filter (QRAUKF) for attitude estimation. The proposed methodology modifies and extends the standard UKF equations to consistently accommodate the non-Euclidean algebra of unit quaternions and to add robustness to fast and slow variations in the measurement uncertainty. To deal with slow time-varying perturbations in the sensors, an adaptive strategy based on covariance matching that tunes the measurement covariance matrix online is used. Additionally, an outlier detector algorithm is adopted to identify abrupt changes in the UKF innovation, thus rejecting fast perturbations. Adaptation and outlier detection make the proposed algorithm robust to fast and slow perturbations such as external magnetic field interference and linear accelerations. Comparative experimental results that use an industrial manipulator robot as ground truth suggest that our method overcomes a trusted commercial solution and other widely used open source algorithms found in the literature.
Agreement between the Open Barbell and Tendo Linear Position Transducers for Monitoring Barbell Velocity during Resistance Exercise
Authors: Gonzalez Adam M. , Mangine Gerald T. , Spitz Robert W. , Ghigiarelli Jamie J. , Sell Katie M.
Published: May 2019

To determine the agreement between the Open Barbell (OB) and Tendo weightlifting analyzer (TWA) for measuring barbell velocity, eleven men (19.4 ± 1.0 y) performed one set of 2–3 repetitions at four sub-maximal percentage loads, [i.e., 30, 50, 70, and 90% one-repetition maximum (1RM)] in the back (BS) and front squat (FS) exercises. During each repetition, peak and mean barbell velocity were recorded by OB and TWA devices, and the average of the 2–3 repetitions was used for analyses. Although the repeated measures analysis of variance revealed significantly (p ≤ 0.005) greater peak and mean velocity scores from OB across all intensities, high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,K = 0.790–0.998), low standard error of measurement (SEM2,K = 0.040–0.119 m·s−1), and coefficients of variation (CV = 2–4%) suggested consistency between devices. Positive (r = 0.491–0.949) Pearson correlations between averages and differences (between devices) in peak velocity, as well as associated Bland-Altman plots, showed greater differences occurred as the velocity increased, particularly at low-moderate intensity loads. OB consistently provides greater barbell velocity scores compared to TWA, and the differences between devices were more apparent as the peak velocity increased with low-to-moderate loads. Strength coaches and athletes may find better agreement between devices if the mean velocity scores are only considered.
Assuring SME’s Sustainable Competitiveness in the Digital Era: A Labor Policy between Guaranteed Minimum Wage and ICT Skill Mismatch
Authors: Avram Alexandru , Benvenuto Marco , Avram Costin Daniel , Gravili Ginevra
Published: May 2019

The aim of this paper is to analyze the real impact of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) skills mismatch on SME’s (small and medium enterprises) sustainable competitiveness in the presence of a guaranteed minimum wage. As part of public policies—the minimum wage needs to maintain a balance between increasing employment and not being a burden for the companies, leading them to bankruptcies, especially in times of disruptive change, in which economies have to be more resilient. The rapid progress in information and communication technologies has dramatically redefined rising unemployment as a result of skills mismatch. This paper aims to understand, on the one hand, whether there is a match between the supply demand of ICT skills, and how increasingly powerful digital technologies affect the skills, jobs, and demand for human labor. On the other hand, it aims to understand whether increasing productivity and a fair minimum wage could be an integrated approach for stimulating SME’s in increasing sustainable competitiveness.
Orthodox Soil Science versus Alternative Philosophies: A Clash of Cultures in a Modern Context
Authors: White Robert E , Andrew Martin
Published: May 2019

In Australia, orthodox soil scientists dealing with land management and alternative practitioners who promote ‘regenerative agriculture’ have not been communicating and engaging effectively with each other. Over many years, scientists in the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), state departments and universities have made significant achievements in mapping soil distribution, describing soil behaviour and identifying key soil properties and processes that are fundamental to healthy soil function. However, many alternative practitioners are dismissive of these achievements and highly critical of orthodox soil science. Yet many of the tools of soil science are essential to conduct evidence-based research towards elucidating how and why the exceptional results claimed by some alternative practitioners are achieved. We stress the importance of effective engagement and communication among all parties to resolve this ‘clash of cultures’.
The Social Fabric of Cheese Agroindustry: Cooperation and Competition Aspects
Authors: Rendón-Rendón María Camila , Núñez Espinoza Juan Felipe , Soriano-Robles Ramón , Espinosa Ortiz Valentín Efrén , Chávez Pérez Luis Manuel , Jiménez-Jiménez Randy Alexis
Published: May 2019

The aim of this study was to analyze the relational social structure of the cheese factories based on an agribusiness territory of Mexico through social network analysis (SNA) in order to understand how different types of agroindustries coexist and endure. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were carried out in 17 cheese agribusinesses located in the area of San José de Gracia, Michoacán (Mexico), in order to get insight into the family, inter-company, commercial and technical ties they have built. The SNA showed that in the community there is a meso-system where different cheese companies that produce either natural, imitation or both cheeses converge and coexist. These agroindustries make up a complex social structure composed of 1717 actors, comprising a dispersed network with low connectivity (density ˂0.5%) due to the commercial nature of the relationships (95.9%). Simultaneously, an underlying network with a higher density (1.73%) was also evident, enriched by kinship and friendship ties that create cooperation and trust among the parties through 136 reciprocal tangible and intangible exchanges. Despite the differences and asymmetries of cheese agribusinesses in this community, the social structure they form behaves like a ‘local neighborhood’ where everyone knows everyone, and everyone coexists, competes and shares with one another, allowing them to be sustainable in the marketplace. This study provides important lessons for institutions that promote competitiveness and local development, because it shows that in order to achieve sustainability of agroindustrial companies, it is important to recognize and promote long-term social structures based on trust, friendship and reciprocity.
Conventionalization of Organic Farms in Germany: An Empirical Investigation Based on a Composite Indicator Approach
Authors: Seidel Claudia , Heckelei Thomas , Lakner Sebastian
Published: May 2019

The term “conventionalization” of organic agriculture was created to depict the controversially discussed phenomenon that organic agriculture departs from the core organic principles on which it is based. We present an empirical, index-based approach to investigate developments of organic farming practices towards conventionalization. An index of conventionalization can be used as a monitoring tool to support policymakers to further develop agricultural regulations. We calculate composite indicators for three farm types: farms specialized on crop production, farms specialized on animal husbandry, and mixed farms. Principal component analysis serves to derive objective weights based on the correlations between indicators which then allow a linear aggregation to the composite indicator. Results show that developments towards conventionalization of the whole organic farming sector cannot be detected for German farms between 2000 and 2009. Therefore, we do not see the necessity for changes in regulation of the organic sector with regard to conventionalization.
Community Attachment Formation and Its Influence on Sustainable Participation in a Digitalized Community: Focusing on Content and Social Capital of an Online Community
Authors: Lee Sungwook , Park Do-Hyung
Published: May 2019

Individuals’ lives and behaviors progressively change as information technology evolves. Through the rapid growth of information technology, individuals can access abundant information and virtual networks and create online communities for information and knowledge exchange and other intellectual pursuits. Some of the most important aspects of community success involve the engagement, participation, and active discussion of and among community members. This study focuses on the user-generated content (UGC) community and explores the mechanism for formation of community attachment from the perspective of the content capital and social capital of community members. In addition, this study demonstrates the moderating effect of membership duration on the mechanism of community attachment formation. Finally, this study reveals that the attachment formed with content and social capital can affect the decision to either continue to participate in a current UGC service site, or move to an alternative site.
Evaluating Urban Bus Emission Characteristics Based on Localized MOVES Using Sparse GPS Data in Shanghai, China
Authors: Shan Xiaonian , Chen Xiaohong , Jia Wenjian , Ye Jianhong
Published: May 2019

Bus emissions have become one of the important contributing factors in urban environmental pollution due to the frequent use of heavy-duty diesel engines in the day-time. Local bus driving cycles have a significant influence on bus emissions under the different traffic conditions. This study investigated the operation mode distributions and emission characteristics for urban buses based on localized MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) using sparse Global Position System (GPS) data in Shanghai, China. Sparse GPS data from forty-three buses were prepared, and then bus trajectories were reconstructed to calculate local bus driving cycles, including model description, model calibration, and trajectory reconstruction. MOVES localization was conducted for emission estimation mainly focusing on the bus emission inventory comparison between US and China. Bus emission factors were estimated based on the localized MOVES from the aspect of different driving conditions. Results show that with the increase in average traveling speed, the proportion of idling operation mode showed a decreasing trend. Four typical vehicle operation mode distributions were identified with different average speeds to show the impact of traffic conditions. Bus emission factors first rapidly decreased and then slowly declined towards some minimum values. Bus lanes exhibited emission reduction benefits under serious traffic congestion. The findings of this study have great importance for transportation operation management and policy-making to reduce bus emissions, as well as improving air quality.
Mapping of Soils and Land-Related Environmental Attributes in France: Analysis of End-Users’ Needs
Authors: Richer-de-Forges Anne C. , Arrouays Dominique , Bardy Marion , Bispo Antonio , Lagacherie Philippe , Laroche Bertrand , Lemercier Blandine , Sauter Joëlle , Voltz Marc
Published: May 2019

The 1:250,000 soil mapping program of France is nearly complete. Although mapping has been conducted using conventional methods, there is a discernible need to obtain more precise soil data using other methods, and this is attracting considerable attention. However, it is currently not possible to implement a conventional and systematic program throughout the French territory, as the cost of acquiring new data on a finer scale is too high. In light of this, the Ministry of Agriculture commissioned a national survey to determine the needs of soil mapping in France, which asked questions to soil data producers and end-users. The results presented here summarize the main needs expressed by end-users. The main topics covered by soil mapping applications are identified in addition to the main mismatches between topics currently covered using available soil maps and the needs of end-users. Certain priorities for producing new soil information are identified in relation to geographical environments and settings, soil attributes, the spatial resolution of maps and the use of uncertainty estimates. Digital Soil Mapping is identified as a method that can bridge economic, scientific and practical considerations, but it requires dedicated efforts in order to build capacity. Finally, there is discussion of how the consideration of user needs can be employed to enhance the contribution of a new Digital Soil Mapping era, and to launch an operational soil security paradigm in France.
Dynamic Incentive Mechanism Design for Recycling Construction and Demolition Waste under Dual Information Asymmetry
Authors: Hu Qidan , Peng Ying , Guo Chunxiang , Cai Dong , Su Peiyang
Published: May 2019

The generation of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a problem for societies aspiring to sustainability. In this regard, governments have the responsibility to support the CDW recycling through subsidies. However, the information asymmetry, as well as the “dynamic nature” of the CDW recycling market, results in a number of barriers for the government to promote CDW recycling. In this paper, we establish a mathematical model that includes the government and the recycling enterprise in the presence of dual information asymmetry including the unknown recycling technology level and unobservable recycling efforts in one-stage and two-stage cooperation. Using the incentive theory, the static and dynamic optimal recycling incentive contracts of the government were designed, and the optimal decisions of the recycler were identified. A numerical simulation revealed that by designing reasonable contracts, the government can encourage the recycler to report the true technical level and achieve information screening. Furthermore, the subsidy of the high-tech recycler remained unchanged under different circumstances. However, the subsidy of the low-tech recycler was closely related to the probability of misreporting and the proportion of technology types. This finding suggests that the government and recycler are inclined towards long-term dynamic cooperation.
Carbon Footprint of Wines from the Finger Lakes Region in New York State
Authors: Trombly Amanda J. , Fortier Marie-Odile P.
Published: May 2019

The goal of this study was to evaluate the cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emissions of Finger Lakes wine using life cycle assessment. It was hypothesized that the carbon footprint of Finger Lakes wines would be lower than that of wines from other regions, based on winery practices and climate conditions. Primary data was collected from three wineries representing a range of production volumes, and sensitivity analyses were also performed. Bottle production contributed the most to the impacts of the wine. Impacts associated with cultivation were highest for the winery with the smallest production volume. The cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emissions for the three case studies ranged from 0.617 to 1.03 kg CO2eq bottle−1. These results suggest that wines from these three Finger Lakes wineries have among the lowest carbon footprints of wines globally (which range from 0.68 to 2.68 kg CO2eq bottle−1), promoting the need to assess the impacts of other wineries in this wine region.
Towards a Moral Compass to Guide Sustainability Transformations in a High-End Climate Change World
Authors: Grasso Marco , Tàbara J. David
Published: May 2019

High-end climate change (HECC) raises unprecedented challenges for the transformation of society’s governance arrangements. In such potentially dangerous situation, these challenges have profound moral—rather than only scientific, technical, or managerial—implications. Unfortunately, despite the growing recognition of the necessity for morally-grounded, urgent social-ecological reconfigurations in order to sustainably navigate the uncertain landscape derived from HECC, explicit moral guidance to support the transformation of governance arrangements is still lacking. This work, through the metaphor of a moral compass, proposes a normative tool to support an integrated assessment processes in order to confront the moral challenges and dilemmas in governance and thus favour sustainable transformations under conditions of HECC.
Some Refinements of Ostrowski’s Inequality and an Extension to a 2-Inner Product Space
Authors: Minculete Nicuşor
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this paper is to prove certain refinements of Ostrowski’s inequality in an inner product space. We study extensions of Ostrowski type inequalities in a 2-inner product space. Finally, some applications which are related to the Chebyshev function and the Grüss inequality are presented.