bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deriving VTEC Maps from SMOS Radiometric Data
Authors: Rubino Roselena , Duffo Nuria , González-Gambau Verónica , Corbella Ignasi , Torres Francesc , Durán Israel , Martín-Neira Manuel
Published: May 2020

In this work, a new methodology is proposed in order to derive vertical total electron content (VTEC) maps from the radiometric measurements of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission as an alternative approach to those based on external databases and models. This approach uses spatiotemporal filtering techniques with optimized filters to be robust against the thermal noise and image reconstruction artifacts present in SMOS images. It is also possible to retrieve the Faraday rotation angle from the recovered VTEC maps in order to correct the effect that it causes in the SMOS brightness temperatures.
Integrating UAV and TLS Approaches for Environmental Management: A Case Study of a Waste Stockpile Area
Authors: Son Seung Woo , Kim Dong Woo , Sung Woong Gi , Yu Jae Jin
Published: May 2020

A methodology for optimal volume computation for the environmental management of waste stockpiles was derived by integrating the terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies. Among the UAV-based point clouds generated under various flight scenarios, the most accurate point cloud was selected for analysis. The root mean square errors (RMSEs) of the TLS- and UAV-based methods were 0.202 and 0.032 m, respectively, and the volume computation yielded 41,226 and 41,526 m3, respectively. Both techniques showed high accuracy but also exhibited drawbacks in terms of their spatial features and efficiency. The TLS and UAV methods required 800 and 340 min, respectively, demonstrating the high efficiency of the UAV method. The RMSE and volume obtained using the TLS/UAV fusion model were calculated as 0.030 m and 41,232 m3, respectively. The UAV approach generally yielded high point cloud accuracy and volume computation efficiency.
Physical and Physiological Responses of U-14, U-16, and U-18 Soccer Players on Different Small-Sided Games
Authors: López-Fernández Jorge , Sánchez-Sánchez Javier , García-Unanue Jorge , Hernando Enrique , Gallardo Leonor
Published: May 2020

As most existing studies in youth academies are focused on top players, the objective of this research is to analyze the physical and physiological demands of various small-sided games (SSGs) on different age categories within a sub-elite soccer academy. We evaluated 63 young players from a Spanish sub-elite academy (under 14 = 21; under 16 = 21; under 18 = 21). Players performed four different small-side games focused on possession game (3-a-side; 4-a-side; 5-a-side; 6-a-side). The global indicators of performance and high-intensity actions were recorded through global positioning systems, whereas the heart rate responses were measured using heart rate monitors. Results: Under 16 ran a greater distance at high-intensity velocity than under 14 in the small side games 3v3 and 6v6. Furthermore, under 16 also ran a greater distance at high-intensity velocity than under 18 in the small side game 3v3 (p < 0.01). Under 14 showed greater acceleration at the highest intensity (> 2.75 m/s2) than the other age groups, under 16 and U18 (p < 0.01; ES (effect size) > 1). According to the physiological load, SSG 3v3 presented lower outcomes in Zone 6 (> 95% HRmax) than the small side game 4v4 and the small side game 5v5, in both under 14 and under 16. The workload of SSGs varies depending on the number of players, but also depending on the players’ ages. Therefore, when designing the SSGs it is important to consider both the players’ ages and the workload that want to be achieved.
Global Life Satisfaction and General Antisocial Behavior in Young Individuals: The Mediating Role of Perceived Loneliness in Regard to Social Sustainability—A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Demeter Edgar , Rad Dana
Published: May 2020

Healthy development can be viewed as an important dimension of the general wellbeing index and can be based upon lifelong sustainable satisfaction. Young individuals can represent an important component for society and its development. The literature shows that increased levels of global life satisfaction (LS) can be associated with minimal levels of problematic behaviors and elevated levels of pro-social behaviors. However, low levels of LS can be associated with high levels of perceived loneliness (PL), which, in turn, can be associated with antisocial behavior (AS). In light of this, the current investigation aims to study the mediating effect of PL and the link between LS and AS. This study is a preliminary investigation referring to aggressive behaviors and cognition in relation to subjective wellbeing. The sample consisted of 81 young individuals (M = 27.57, Standard Deviation = 9.25) from Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Romania. AS was evaluated with the How I Think Questionnaire (HIT), PL was measured with a single item inquiry and LS was evaluated with the satisfaction with life scale (SWLS). The results display that there is a powerful association between LS and AS, between LS and PL and between PL and AS. After the inclusion of the mediator (PL) to the model, the influence of the independent variable (LS) increased and the effect of LS on AS significantly decreased. In light of this, the relationship between LS and AS can be explained by the mediating role of the PL variable. The results indicate the importance of perceived loneliness in regard to one’s life satisfaction and antisocial behaviors. In light of this, interventions that focus on the social aspect could prove useful for the improvement of sustainable life satisfaction, therefore decreasing the chance of the emergence of AS.
Urban Blue Acupuncture: A Protocol for Evaluating a Complex Landscape Design Intervention to Improve Health and Wellbeing in a Coastal Community
Authors: Bell Simon , Mishra Himansu Sekhar , Elliott Lewis R. , Shellock Rebecca , Vassiljev Peeter , Porter Miriam , Sydenham Zoe , White Mathew P.
Published: May 2020

Within the BlueHealth project, funded under the Horizon 2020 European Union research framework, a number of targeted experimental design interventions were used to test the effect and impact of planning and design on encouraging people to use various blue spaces. Complex interventions were implemented and evaluations before and after each were made using a set of tools which triangulate with each other—a site assessment tool, a behaviour observation tool, a questionnaire survey (including an economic evaluation) and qualitative interviews. The theoretical basis for the research is that of affordances, and the projects each involved modest changes to the landscape using the approach of “urban acupuncture” where a small intervention can potentially have an effect out of all proportion to the investment. This paper is a protocol paper and describes the research strategy and methodology in detail for one of the intervention sites, located in Plymouth in the UK. The aim is to present the methodology as a whole so as to act as (a) a reference framework for the results of all the projects which will be reported separately in a series of research articles once all the results are in and analysed and (b) a useful reference for other researchers wishing to carry out such complex projects and where a comprehensive presentation of the strategy and methodology is unavailable. We offer this protocol for reference, for critique and for inspiration to those following us.
Environmental Determinants of a Country’s Food Security in Short-Term and Long-Term Perspectives
Authors: Vysochyna Alina , Stoyanets Natalia , Mentel Grzegorz , Olejarz Tadeusz
Published: May 2020

About 10% of the world population suffered from hunger in 2018. Thereby, the main objective of this research is the identification of environmental drivers and inhibitors of a country’s food security in the short and long run. The Food Security Index (FSI) was constructed from 19 indicators using Principal Component Analysis. Identification of the short- and long-run relationships between the FSI and environmental factors was realized with the pooled mean-group estimator for 28 post-socialistic countries for 2000–2016. Empirical research results showed that a country’s food security in the short run is affected by greenhouse gas emissions but boosted by the increase of renewable energy production. Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, electrification of rural populations, access to clean fuels, renewable energy production, arable land, and forest area growth might be essential tasks in order to ensure countries’ food security in the long-run.
Consumer Assessment of Sustainability Traits in Meat Production. A Choice Experiment Study in Spain
Authors: Eldesouky Ali , Mesias Francisco J. , Escribano Miguel
Published: May 2020

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the way their food is produced. This is particularly relevant in the case of meat, due to the impacts that its production methods can have on greenhouse gas emissions and its role in climate change. In relation to this issue, the purpose of our research is to obtain more information on the consumer decision-making process for beef, in order to determine the relative importance of sustainability claims and traditional attributes, and identify consumer profiles with similar perceptions and intentions. A choice experiment was used to assess the influence of these attributes on consumers’ purchasing decisions. The results reveal that the best purchase choice for the consumer would be organic beef, produced in Spain, with an animal welfare label and eco-labelled. Later on, a cluster analysis was carried out using consumer beliefs and attitudes towards meat consumption as inputs, together with purchasing behaviour variables. A solution was obtained with three well-defined consumer segments showing different preference patterns: Cluster 1 (Male millennials indifferent towards environment or sustainability), Cluster 2 (Sustainability-concerned mature women) and Cluster 3 (Middle-aged meat eaters with established families). The results of this study are relevant to develop more appropriate strategies that may be adapted to the behaviour and expectations of eco-friendly food consumers.
Mapping Climate Vulnerability of River Basin Communities in Tanzania to Inform Resilience Interventions
Authors: Macharia Denis , Kaijage Erneus , Kindberg Leif , Koech Grace , Ndungu Lilian , Wahome Anastasia , Mugo Robinson
Published: May 2020

Increasing climate variability and change coupled with steady population growth is threatening water resources and livelihoods of communities living in the Wami-Ruvu and Rufiji basins in Tanzania. These basins are host to three large urban centers, namely Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Morogoro, with a combined total of more than 7 million people. Increased demand for ecosystem services from the available surface water resources and a decreasing supply of clean and safe water are exacerbating the vulnerability of communities in these basins. Several studies have analyzed climate projects in the two basins but little attention has been paid to identify locations that have vulnerable communities in a spatially-explicit form. To address this gap, we worked with stakeholders from national and local government agencies, basin water boards and the Water Resources Integration Development Initiative (WARIDI) project funded by USAID to map the vulnerability of communities to climate variability and change in the two basins. A generalized methodology for mapping social vulnerability to climate change was used to integrate biophysical and socioeconomic indicators of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity and produced climate vulnerability index maps. Our analysis identified vulnerability “hotspots” where communities are at a greater risk from climate stressors. The results from this study were used to identify priority sites and adaptation measures for the implementation of resilience building interventions and to train local government agencies and communities on climate change adaptation measures in the two basins.
Institutional Determinants of Budgetary Expenditures. A BMA-Based Re-Evaluation of Contemporary Theories for OECD Countries
Authors: Beck Krzysztof , Możdżeń Michał
Published: May 2020

The article tackles the problem of the most important institutional determinants of public expenditures. Within the traditions of public choice and institutional economics, it tests several theories ranging from the fiscal commons framework, Political Business/Budget Cycle (PBC) and path dependence to veto players theory. Its novelty compared to previous research stems from an attempt to test several theories simultaneously, dealing with model uncertainty by using sensitivity analysis within the Bayesian Model Averaging framework with a vast prior structure in terms of model, g and multicollinearity dilution priors. The results confirm several hypotheses tested in the area of fiscal management across the recent decades within the group of developed economies, giving especially strong support to the tragedy of the fiscal commons and path dependence concepts, while only partial support to veto players theory. In contrast, explanations based on political budget cycle (PBC) theory are dismissed. Among other interesting findings reported in the study, Scandinavian countries turn out to be the most fiscally responsible when other institutional factors are taken into account. Similarly, contrary to other recent research into the issue of EU fiscal institutional framework, Euro area countries are characterized by limited public expenditures.
A Survey of Context-Aware Messaging-Addressing for Sustainable Internet of Things (IoT)
Authors: Almagrabi Alaa Omran , Al-Otaibi Yasser D.
Published: May 2020

Nowadays, communication engineering technology is merging with the Internet of Things (IoT), which consists of numerous connected devices (referred to as things) around the world. Many researchers have shown significant growth of sensor deployments for multiple smart engineering technologies, such as smart-healthcare, smart-industries, smart-cities, and smart-transportation, etc. In such intelligent engineering technologies, sensors continuously generate a bunch of messages in the network. To enhance the value of the data in the messages, we must know the actuality of the data embedded inside the messages. For this purpose, the contextual information of the data creates a vital challenge. Recently, context-aware computing has emerged to be fruitful in dealing with sensor information. In the ubiquitous computing domain, location is commonly considered one of the most essential sources of context. However, whenever users or applications are concerned with objects, and their site or spatial relationships, location models or spatial models are necessary to form a model of the environment. This paper investigates the area of context-aware messaging and addressing services in diverse IoT applications. The paper examines the notion of context and the use of context within the data exchanged by the sensors in an IoT application for messaging and addressing purposes. Based on the importance and need for context of the information, we identify three critical categories of new IoT applications for context-aware messaging and addressing services: emergency applications, applications for guiding and reminding, and social networking applications. For this purpose, a representative range of systems is reviewed according to the application type, the technology being used, their architecture, the context information, and the services they provide. This survey assists the work of defining an approach for context-aware messaging services domain by discovering the area of context-aware messaging.
What Ecosystem Services Flowing from Linpan System—A Cultural Landscape in Chengdu Plain, Southwest China
Authors: Wu Shuang , Wu Ning , Zhong Bo
Published: May 2020

As an ecosystem complex integrated with functions of agricultural production, residence, and socio-cultural activity, linpan (wooded lot) has characterized socio-ecologically and culturally the rural landscape in Chengdu Plain. Although functioning for centuries without disruption and supporting continuously the regional prosperity, it is currently under big threats due to rapid urbanization and a growing population. The overall goal of this paper is to improve our understanding of the linpan system and its services. Within the framework of four categories of ecosystem services, including provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services, the deliverables by linpan were elaborated respectively based on document review and field survey. It was addressed that as a localized cultural landscape, linpan has and will continue to provide various services to rural as well as urban people. These services including material and non-material values were highly recognized by local people, but the perceived importance of services were changeable with the socio-economic development, market fluctuation, and people’s awareness rise. Regarding the preservation of the linpan system as an important agricultural heritage system, cultural services should not be neglected within a landscape management framework. Finally, this study called for attention to the dynamics of the linpan system which required an adaptive approach for assessing and managing ecosystem services.
Memory as Material of the Project of Sustainability
Authors: D’Urso Sebastiano
Published: May 2020

The concept of sustainability is multidimensional and includes institutional, social, cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions. It shows the extent to which humans and the environment are interdependent. The multidisciplinary drive of research applied to sustainability, therefore, stems from the awareness of an interconnected world. Man, endowed with the gift of memory, establishes with the environment mnemonic relationships, from recollections to oblivion. Memory also protects us from past events because we remember the perceptions and feelings experienced during personal or collective circumstance. Starting from this perspective, a reflection is proposed on how memory, as a tool and measure of human knowledge, can offer solutions to both the problem of sustainability and to the development of processes and projects based on shared values. The concept of memory can also include things or objects as they store knowledge, meanings and memories to be discovered. The various forms memory takes, are to be considered the material through which man decodes and builds time and space. Hence, memory has always been the bedrock of sustainability as it works as a common theme across generations until its goals are achieved. In space, these mnemonic relationships are manifest in terms of heritage and nature. Nonetheless, the outcome of these considerations is that in order to use memory as an instrument of the project of sustainability it is necessary to redefine, through their interconnections, the concepts of both memory and sustainability.
Digital Cement Integrity: A Methodology for 3D Visualization of Cracks and Microannuli in Well Cement
Authors: Vrålstad Torbjørn , Skorpa Ragnhild
Published: May 2020

Leakages of greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide from wells, may have considerable environmental consequences. Although much emphasis is currently put on understanding well barrier failures, and thus, preventing well leakages, especially for an important barrier material as cement, there are still several knowledge gaps and unknowns. However, a step-change in well integrity understanding may be obtained by applying advanced characterization techniques and scientific approaches to studying well barrier materials and their failure mechanisms. This paper describes the development of an experimental methodology that uses X-ray computed tomography to obtain 3D visualizations of cracks and microannuli in annular cement sheaths. Several results are included that demonstrate the value of using such digital methods to study well cement, and it is shown that such experimental studies provide an improved understanding of cement sheath integrity. For example, it is seen that radial cracks do not form in symmetrical patterns and that microannuli do not have uniform geometries. Such experimental findings can potentially be used as benchmark to validate and improve cement integrity simulation tools.
Willingness-to-Pay for District Heating from Renewables of Private Households in Germany
Authors: Krikser Thomas , Profeta Adriano , Grimm Sebastian , Huther Heiko
Published: May 2020

Recent discussion about future energy production promotes the recovery of industrial heat as a potential solution to reduce carbon emissions. Experts call for an expansion of central heating by renewable energy systems to ensure a decarbonization of energy systems. In this context, district heating could play a significant role in city and district planning. Nonetheless, for private households, environmental aspects are only one factor amongst others as, e.g., capital costs, comfort and security. In this study, we focus on private household preferences and willingness-to-pay for district heating and district heating from renewables compared to gas condensing boilers and heat pumps. For the study, we decided to apply a discrete-choice experiment and collected data on attitudes towards sustainability, economic aspects and demands for providers of heat supply as dimensions for a factor and cluster analysis in order to apply a market segmentation. The results show that district heating by renewables is the most preferred heating option for households followed by district heating from fossil fuels, heat pumps and gas boilers. Furthermore, the study offers more profound insight into the willingness-to-pay for each heating option and reports interaction effects for the different market segments that could be identified in the analysis.
Integrating Ecosystem Services Supply–Demand and Spatial Relationships for Intercity Cooperation: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta
Authors: Cai Wenbo , Wu Tong , Jiang Wei , Peng Wanting , Cai Yongli
Published: May 2020

Transboundary environmental problems caused by urban expansion and economic growth cannot be solved by individual cities. Successful intercity environmental cooperation relies on the clear identification and definition of the rights and obligations of each city. An Ecosystem services (ES) approach not only budgets the ES supply and demand of a city, but also defines the spatial relationships between Services Provisioning Areas (SPA) and Services Benefiting Areas (SBA). However, to date, quantitative studies integrating ES budgets and spatial relations have been scarce. This study integrates ecosystem services supply–demand budgeting with flow direction analysis to identify intercity environmental cooperation in the highly urbanized Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China for water-related ecosystem services (flood protection, erosion regulation and water purification). The results demonstrated that there were significant spatial mismatches in the supply and demand of three water-related ES among 16 core cities in the YRD region: five to six cities in the southern part of the region had significant service surpluses, while ten to 11 cities in the north–central part had significant service deficits. We then went on to offer definitions for Ecosystem Services Surplus City, Ecosystem Services Deficit City and Ecosystem Services Balance City, as well as Service Provisioning City, Service Benefiting City and Service Connecting City in which to categorize cities in the YRD Region. Furthermore, we identified two intercity cooperation types and two non-cooperation types. This framework can be used to promote ecological integration in highly urbanized regions to advance sustainable development.
Species Distribution Modeling of Sassafras Tzumu and Implications for Forest Management
Authors: Zhang Keliang , Zhang Yin , Jia Diwen , Tao Jun
Published: May 2020

Sassafras tzumu (Chinese sassafras) is an economically and ecologically important deciduous tree species. Over the past few decades, increasing market demands and unprecedented human activity in its natural habitat have created new threats to this species. Nonetheless, the distribution of its habitat and the crucial environmental parameters that determine the habitat suitability remain largely unclear. The present study modeled the current and future geographical distribution of S. tzumu by maximum entropy (MAXENT) and genetic algorithm for rule set prediction (GARP). The value of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), Kappa, and true skill statistic (TSS) of MAXENT was significantly higher than that of GARP, indicating that MAXENT performed better. Temperate and subtropical regions of eastern China where the species had been recorded was suitable for growth of S. tzumu. Relative humidity (26.2% of permutation importance), average temperature during the driest quarter (16.6%), annual precipitation (12.6%), and mean diurnal temperature range (10.3%) were identified as the primary factors that accounted for the present distribution of S. tzumu in China. Under the climate change scenario, both algorithms predicted that range of suitable habitat will expand geographically to northwest. Our results may be adopted for guiding the preservation of S. tzumu through identifying the habitats susceptible to climate change.
Symmetric Fuzzy Stochastic Differential Equations with Generalized Global Lipschitz Condition
Authors: Malinowski Marek T.
Published: May 2020

The paper contains a discussion on solutions to symmetric type of fuzzy stochastic differential equations. The symmetric equations under study have drift and diffusion terms symmetrically on both sides of equations. We claim that such symmetric equations have unique solutions in the case that equations’ coefficients satisfy a certain generalized Lipschitz condition. To show this, we prove that an approximation sequence converges to the solution. Then, a study on stability of solution is given. Some inferences for symmetric set-valued stochastic differential equations end the paper.
Reliable Mobile Edge Service Offloading Based on P2P Distributed Networks
Authors: Tang Lujie , Tang Bing , Tang Luyu , Guo Feiyan , Zhang Jiaming
Published: May 2020

Intelligent vehicles and their applications increasingly demand high computing power and low task delays, which poses significant challenges for providing reliable and efficient vehicle services. Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a new model that reduces the completion time of tasks and improves vehicle service by performing computation offloading near the moving vehicles. Considering the high-speed mobility of the vehicles and the unstable connection of the wireless cellular network, symmetric and geographically distributed edge servers are regarded as peers in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, and a P2P-based vehicle edge offloading model is proposed in this paper to determine the optimal offloading server for the vehicle and the offloading ratio of tasks to achieve the goal of minimizing execution time. Because the edge computing infrastructure is deployed at the edge of the network, the data in the edge nodes are easily damaged or lost. Therefore, a P2P-based edge node fault tolerance mechanism is proposed to improve the reliability and fault tolerance of the system. The feasibility and effectiveness of our proposed system have been verified through simulation experiments, which greatly reduces the task completion delay.
A Zynq-Based Robotic System for Treatment of Contagious Diseases in Hospital Isolated Environment
Authors: Paparizos Christos , Tsafas Nikolaos , Birbas Michael
Published: May 2020

The rapid evolution of smart assisted living operations in combination with the blooming of commercial robots calls for the use of robotic based systems. Specifically, certain circumstances such as the handling of critical, contagious virus outbreaks like the recent novel Coronavirus epidemic can be benefited by an assisting mobile robot system controlled remotely, complementing measures like the isolation of patients from medical stuff. Within this context, the robotic-based solution to be employed needs to be easy to deploy, able to manufacture with low cost, and able to operate with ease by non-trained personnel. Also, to address the needs of existing hospitals, traditional or smart ones, as well as the temporary risk management facilities in, for example, quarantined cities, ease of integration in terms of size and infrastructure requirements is a must. In this work, the design and implementation of a robotic chassis bearing an arm manipulator is presented, addressing all these needs efficiently. Special attention has been given to the ease of teleoperation with minimal need for equipment and expertise, utilizing a Leap Motion virtual reality sensor which outweighs Microsoft’s Kinect capabilities. Furthermore, a reconfigurable hardware and software integrated system has been used to control the communication, algorithm processing and motion control utilizing a Xilinx Zynq system on chip (SoC).
Tetanus Toxin Synthesis is Under the Control of A Complex Network of Regulatory Genes in Clostridium tetani
Authors: Chapeton-Montes Diana , Plourde Lucile , Deneve Cecile , Garnier Dominique , Barbirato Fabien , Colombié Vincent , Demay Sandy , Haustant Georges , Gorgette Olivier , Schmitt Christine , Thouvenot Catherine , Brüggemann Holger , Popoff Michel R.
Published: May 2020

Clostridium tetani produces a potent neurotoxin, the tetanus toxin (TeNT), which is responsible for an often-fatal neurological disease (tetanus) characterized by spastic paralysis. Prevention is efficiently acquired by vaccination with the TeNT toxoid, which is obtained by C. tetani fermentation and subsequent purification and chemical inactivation. C. tetani synthesizes TeNT in a regulated manner. Indeed, the TeNT gene (tent) is mainly expressed in the late exponential and early stationary growth phases. The gene tetR (tetanus regulatory gene), located immediately upstream of tent, encodes an alternative sigma factor which was previously identified as a positive regulator of tent. In addition, the genome of C. tetani encodes more than 127 putative regulators, including 30 two-component systems (TCSs). Here, we investigated the impact of 12 regulators on TeNT synthesis which were selected based on their homology with related regulatory elements involved in toxin production in other clostridial species. Among nine TCSs tested, three of them impact TeNT production, including two positive regulators that indirectly stimulate tent and tetR transcription. One negative regulator was identified that interacts with both tent and tetR promoters. Two other TCSs showed a moderate effect: one binds to the tent promoter and weakly increases the extracellular TeNT level, and another one has a weak inverse effect. In addition, CodY (control of dciA (decoyinine induced operon) Y) but not Spo0A (sporulation stage 0) or the DNA repair protein Mfd (mutation frequency decline) positively controls TeNT synthesis by interacting with the tent promoter. Moreover, we found that inorganic phosphate and carbonate are among the environmental factors that control TeNT production. Our data show that TeNT synthesis is under the control of a complex network of regulators that are largely distinct from those involved in the control of toxin production in Clostridium botulinum or Clostridium difficile.
Neuroprotective Fragment C of Tetanus Toxin Modulates IL-6 in an ALS Mouse Model
Authors: Moreno-Martinez Laura , de la Torre Miriam , Muñoz María J. , Zaragoza Pilar , Aguilera José , Calvo Ana C. , Osta Rosario
Published: May 2020

Neuroinflammation plays a significant role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathology, leading to the development of therapies targeting inflammation in recent years. Our group has studied the tetanus toxin C-terminal fragment (TTC) as a therapeutic molecule, showing neuroprotective properties in the SOD1G93A mouse model. However, it is unknown whether TTC could have some effect on inflammation. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of TTC on the regulation of inflammatory mediators to elucidate its potential role in modulating inflammation occurring in ALS. After TTC treatment in SOD1G93A mice, levels of eotaxin-1, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha (α) and galectin-1 were analyzed by immunoassays in plasma samples, whilst protein expression of caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-6 and NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) was measured in the spinal cord, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle and soleus (SOL) muscle. The results showed reduced levels of IL-6 in spinal cord, EDL and SOL in treated SOD1G93A mice. In addition, TTC showed a different role in the modulation of NLRP3 and caspase-1 depending on the tissue analyzed. In conclusion, our results suggest that TTC could have a potential anti-inflammatory effect by reducing IL-6 levels in tissues drastically affected by the disease. However, further research is needed to study more in depth the anti-inflammatory effect of TTC in ALS.
Biometric Pilot-Studies Reveal the Arrangement and Shape of Windows on a Traditional Façade to be Implicitly “Engaging”, Whereas Contemporary Façades are Not
Authors: Salingaros Nikos A. , Sussman Ann
Published: May 2020

The human brain evolved to implicitly approach or avoid objects in its surroundings. Requisite for survival, this behavior happens without conscious awareness or control, honed over 60 million years of primate evolution. Biometric technologies, including eye tracking, reveal these unconscious behaviors at work and allow us to predict the initial response of a design experience. This paper shows how a biometric tool, 3M-VAS (Visual Attention Software), can be effectively used in architecture. This tool aggregates 30 years of eye-tracking data, and is commonly applied in website and signage design. A pilot-study uses simplified drawings of building elevations to show 3M-VAS’s predictive power in revealing implicit human responses of engagement and disengagement to buildings. The implications on the impact of a structure in creating the public realm suggest recommendations for approving new architecture.
No Advantage for Separating Overt and Covert Attention in Visual Search
Authors: MacInnes W. Joseph , Jóhannesson Ómar I. , Chetverikov Andrey , Kristjánsson Árni
Published: May 2020

We move our eyes roughly three times every second while searching complex scenes, but covert attention helps to guide where we allocate those overt fixations. Covert attention may be allocated reflexively or voluntarily, and speeds the rate of information processing at the attended location. Reducing access to covert attention hinders performance, but it is not known to what degree the locus of covert attention is tied to the current gaze position. We compared visual search performance in a traditional gaze-contingent display, with a second task where a similarly sized contingent window is controlled with a mouse, allowing a covert aperture to be controlled independently by overt gaze. Larger apertures improved performance for both the mouse- and gaze-contingent trials, suggesting that covert attention was beneficial regardless of control type. We also found evidence that participants used the mouse-controlled aperture somewhat independently of gaze position, suggesting that participants attempted to untether their covert and overt attention when possible. This untethering manipulation, however, resulted in an overall cost to search performance, a result at odds with previous results in a change blindness paradigm. Untethering covert and overt attention may therefore have costs or benefits depending on the task demands in each case.
A GIS Approach to Analyzing the Spatial Pattern of Baseline Resilience Indicators for Community (BRIC)
Authors: Sung Chien-Hao , Liaw Shyue-Cherng
Published: May 2020

We explore the baseline resilience to natural hazards through the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Community (BRIC) in northeastern Taiwan. Based on the specific situation of our study site, we slightly modified the BRIC. Due to the correlation between some of the subcomponents, we apply principal component analysis (PCA) to solve this issue. Therefore, we slightly changed the classification of subcomponents. We aggregated economic resilience, social resilience, and community capital resilience into socioeconomic community resilience. The result of geographically weighted regression (GWR) shows that even though we modified the indicator, the BRIC we built is still valid. Through spatial autocorrelation analysis, it reveals that the urban region in plain areas is the cluster of high resilience areas. On the other hand, almost all the entire mountain areas are the cluster of low resilience areas. The topography is the most important factor to cause this distribution. Plain areas have favorable characteristics to trigger development and create high socioeconomic community resilience. Mountain areas, on the other hand, do not have these advantages. The distribution of institutional and infrastructure subcomponents shows no particular pattern. That is to say, institutional and infrastructure subcomponents do not influence the distribution of BRIC. The difference in socioeconomic community resilience causes the uneven distribution of baseline resilience to natural hazards. Nevertheless, the distribution of institutional and infrastructure resources is also a crucial issue. In our case, although the distribution of institutional and infrastructure follows the “distributive justice” approach and distribution randomly, whether it is an appropriate approach is still under debate.
Sensitivity of Hydrangea paniculata Plants to Residual Herbicides in Recycled Irrigation Varies with Plant Growth Stage
Authors: Poudyal Shital , Owen James S. , Fernandez R. Thomas , Cregg Bert
Published: May 2020

Recycling irrigation return flow is a viable option to achieve sustainability in horticultural production systems, but residual herbicides present in recycled water may be phytotoxic. The sensitivity of plants to residual herbicides may vary depending on the growth stage of the plant. If sensitive growth stages are avoided, the risk associated with using recycled water can be reduced. Here, we quantified the effect of residual oryzalin and oxyfluorfen exposure at various growth stages of Hydrangea paniculata. Exposure to both herbicides reduced plant growth, leaf visual rating, soil plant analysis development (SPAD) chlorophyll index, net photosynthesis, and light-adapted fluorescence of H. paniculata. Herbicide injury was greater for plants exposed to herbicides at early growth stages, however, the recovery rate of those plants was also rapid. For oxyfluorfen, plants produced healthy new growth immediately after the end of exposure, but for oryzalin, even newly formed leaves developed herbicide injury after the end of exposure, therefore leaf damage continued to progress before recovering. However, damage caused by residual herbicide exposure at all growth stages recovered over time. Physiological measurements such as the SPAD index, net photosynthesis, and light-adapted fluorescence responded quickly to herbicides exposure hence provided an early indicator of herbicide damage and recovery.
An Assessment of Hydropeaking Metrics of a Large-Sized Hydropower Plant Operating in a Lowland River, Lithuania
Authors: Šilinis Linas , Punys Petras , Radzevičius Algirdas , Kasiulis Egidijus , Dumbrauskas Antanas , Jurevičius Linas
Published: May 2020

This paper discusses rapid flow and stage fluctuations in a large lowland river downstream from a large hydropower plant (HPP) in Lithuania. The main problem arises when the HPP is operating in peak mode. Such operation of HPP causes rapid flow and stage fluctuations, which can have a certain impact on river ecosystems. The study analyzes general abiotic indicators such as upramping and downramping rates and stage fluctuations downstream of the HPP. The main idea was to assess recorded stage upramping and downramping rates along the river downstream of large HPP. To assess stage fluctuation statistics, COSH software was used. A maximum upramping rate of 1.04 m/h and maximum downramping rate of 0.88 m/h were identified using data from temporary and permanent gauging stations. Obtained results revealed that stage fluctuations exceed ecologically acceptable rates up to 20 km downstream of HPP. The effect of hydropeaking fades out only at a chainage of 45 km downstream of HPP. In mountainous regions, ecologically acceptable rates are reached at much smaller distances. The study shows that the traditional coefficient of variation of stage fluctuation data can be used to describe hydropeaking indicators. The main results of this study can be used for environmental impact assessment downstream from HPPs.
System Dynamics Modeling for Supporting Drought-Oriented Management of the Jucar River System, Spain
Authors: Rubio-Martin Adria , Pulido-Velazquez Manuel , Macian-Sorribes Hector , Garcia-Prats Alberto
Published: May 2020

The management of water in systems where the balance between resources and demands is already precarious can pose a challenge and it can be easily disrupted by drought episodes. Anticipated drought management has proved to be one of the main strategies to reduce their impact. Drought economic, environmental, and social impacts affect different sectors that are often interconnected. There is a need for water management models able to acknowledge the complex interactions between multiple sectors, activities, and variables to study the response of water resource systems to drought management strategies. System dynamics (SD) is a modeling methodology that facilitates the analysis of interactions and feedbacks within and between sectors. Although SD has been applied for water resource management, there is a lack of SD models able to regulate complex water resource systems on a monthly time scale and considering multiple reservoir operating rules, demands, and policies. In this paper, we present an SD model for the strategic planning of drought management in the Jucar River system, incorporating dynamic reservoir operating rules, policies, and drought management strategies triggered by a system state index. The DSS combines features from early warning and information systems, allowing for the simulation of drought strategies, evaluating their economic impact, and exploring new management options in the same environment. The results for the historical period show that drought early management can be beneficial for the performance of the system, monitoring the current state of the system, and activating drought management measures results in a substantial reduction of the economic impact of droughts.
End-of-Pipe Horticultural Reuse of Recirculating Aquaculture System Effluent: Comparing the Hydro-Economics of Two Horticulture Systems
Authors: Moore Eugene , Ward James , Lennard Wilson
Published: May 2020

To assist waste management decision-making, there is a need to assess the economics of commercial-scale reuse of recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) effluent in horticulture. This study compared the feasibility/viability of using two representative horticulture systems, considering their distinct hydrological characteristics, in horticultural reuse schemes for RAS effluent. These representative systems included a soil-based system in field conditions (SOIL-FIELD) and a hydroponic system in greenhouse conditions (HYDRO-GH). A novel two-step hydro-economic modelling approach was used to quantify and compare the effluent storage volume, total land area, capital expenditure and crop price required for feasible/viable end-of-pipe reuse in the two systems. The modelling assessed several water management scenarios across four Australian climates. Results showed HYDRO-GH, reusing 100% of the annual effluent load and targeting an internal rate of return of 11.0%, required approximately 3 times more land, 14 times more capital expenditure and 5 times the crop price of SOIL-FIELD, targeting a 3.6% internal rate of return. As well as comparing two horticulture systems, this study presents a method to assess feasibility/viability of horticultural reuse schemes for other industrial wastewaters, using a water balance design approach.
Experimental Analysis of Velocity Distribution in a Coarse-Grained Debris Flow: A Modified Bagnold’s Equation
Authors: Termini Donatella , Fichera Antonio
Published: May 2020

Today, Bagnold’s theory is still applied to gravity-driven flows under the assumption of uniform sediment concentration. This study presents findings of flume experiments conducted to investigate the velocity and concentration distributions within the debris body by using high-resolution images. The analysis has shown that the concentration and mobility of grains vary along the depth. A linear law to interpret the grains concentration distribution, starting from the knowledge of the packing concentration and of the surface concentration, Cs, has been identified. By considering such a law, modified expressions of the Bagnold’s number and the velocity in stony-type debris flows are also presented. By using these expressions, three regimes of motion have been identified along the depth, and the velocity profile within the debris body is determined as a function of the parameter Cs. It has been verified that the velocity profiles estimated by using the modified equation compare well (mean square error less than 0.1) with the literature’s measured profiles when Cs is correctly measured or estimated. Results of cutting tests, conducted for a sample of the used material, have also allowed us to verify that Cs could be determined as a function of the static friction angle of the material.
Comparing Rainfall Erosivity Estimation Methods Using Weather Radar Data for the State of Hesse (Germany)
Authors: Kreklow Jennifer , Steinhoff-Knopp Bastian , Friedrich Klaus , Tetzlaff Björn
Published: May 2020

Rainfall erosivity exhibits a high spatiotemporal variability. Rain gauges are not capable of detecting small-scale erosive rainfall events comprehensively. Nonetheless, many operational instruments for assessing soil erosion risk, such as the erosion atlas used in the state of Hesse in Germany, are still based on spatially interpolated rain gauge data and regression equations derived in the 1980s to estimate rainfall erosivity. Radar-based quantitative precipitation estimates with high spatiotemporal resolution are capable of mapping erosive rainfall comprehensively. In this study, radar climatology data with a spatiotemporal resolution of 1 km2 and 5 min are used alongside rain gauge data to compare erosivity estimation methods used in erosion control practice. The aim is to assess the impacts of methodology, climate change and input data resolution, quality and spatial extent on the R-factor of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Our results clearly show that R-factors have increased significantly due to climate change and that current R-factor maps need to be updated by using more recent and spatially distributed rainfall data. Radar climatology data show a high potential to improve rainfall erosivity estimations, but uncertainties regarding data quality and a need for further research on data correction approaches are becoming evident.