bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Temperature on the Structural and Physicochemical Properties of Biochar with Apple Tree Branches as Feedstock Material
Authors: Zhao Shi-Xiang , Ta Na , Wang Xu-Dong
Published: August 2017

The objective of this study was to study the structure and physicochemical properties of biochar derived from apple tree branches (ATBs), whose valorization is crucial for the sustainable development of the apple industry. ATBs were collected from apple orchards located on the Weibei upland of the Loess Plateau and pyrolyzed at 300, 400, 500 and 600 °C (BC300, BC400, BC500 and BC600), respectively. Different analytical techniques were used for the characterization of the different biochars. In particular, proximate and element analyses were performed. Furthermore, the morphological, and textural properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Boehm titration and nitrogen manometry. In addition, the thermal stability of biochars was also studied by thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicated that the increasing temperature increased the content of fixed carbon (C), the C content and inorganic minerals (K, P, Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg), while the yield, the content of volatile matter (VM), O and H, cation exchange capacity, and the ratios of O/C and H/C decreased. Comparison between the different samples show that highest pH and ash content were observed in BC500. The number of acidic functional groups decreased as a function of pyrolysis temperature, especially for the carboxylic functional groups. In contrast, a reverse trend was found for the basic functional groups. At a higher temperature, the brunauer–emmett–teller (BET) surface area and pore volume are higher mostly due to the increase of the micropore surface area and micropore volume. In addition, the thermal stability of biochars also increased with the increasing temperature. Hence, pyrolysis temperature has a strong effect on biochar properties, and therefore biochars can be produced by changing pyrolysis temperature in order to better meet their applications.
Identification of Critical Transmission Lines in Complex Power Networks
Authors: Wang Ziqi , He Jinghan , Nechifor Alexandru , Zhang Dahai , Crossley Peter
Published: August 2017

Growing load demands, complex operating conditions, and the increased use of intermittent renewable energy pose great challenges to power systems. Serious consequences can occur when the system suffers various disturbances or attacks, especially those that might initiate cascading failures. Accurate and rapid identification of critical transmission lines is helpful in assessing the system vulnerability. This can realize rational planning and ensure reliable security pre-warning to avoid large-scale accidents. In this study, an integrated “betweenness” based identification method is introduced, considering the line’s role in power transmission and the impact when it is removed from a power system. At the same time, the sensitive regions of each line are located by a cyclic addition algorithm (CAA), which can reduce the calculation time and improve the engineering value of the betweenness, especially in large-scale power systems. The simulation result verifies the effectiveness and the feasibility of the identification method.
Improvised Performances: Urban Ethnography and the Creative Tactics of Montreal’s Metro Buskers
Authors: Wees Nick
Published: August 2017

Buskers—street performers—evince the creative tactics of self-conscious agents who are both produced by and productive of the social and material conditions within which they carry out their practices. In this article, I discuss my ethnographic research among buskers in Montreal’s underground transit system—the metro—and examine their highly variable and improvisational practices (musical and spatial). I detail how buskers work with and against the constraints and possibilities posed by the material characteristics of those spaces (especially in terms of acoustics) as well as formal regulations and prevailing social norms. This suggests understanding busking as a relational process of “cobbling together” that is never entirely fixed or bounded, but dispersed and always in-the-making. Further, I demonstrate how the research process in this context is itself a creative, improvisational approach, guided as much by the conditions at hand as by an overarching research design. By drawing parallels between the busker-performer and my role as researcher and creative producer, particularly in my use of audio-visual production, I argue that ethnographic research is, itself, a form of assemblaging, of bricolage—an embodied, relational process that involves multiple participants (human and material) of varying influences, bound together by the tactical activities of the researcher.
Peri-Urbanism in Globalizing India: A Study of Pollution, Health and Community Awareness
Authors: Waldman Linda , Bisht Ramila , Saharia Rajashree , Kapoor Abhinav , Rizvi Bushra , Hamid Yasir , Arora Meghana , Chopra Ima , Sawansi Kumud , Priya Ritu , Marshall Fiona
Published: August 2017

This paper examines the intersection between environmental pollution and people’s acknowledgements of, and responses to, health issues in Karhera, a former agricultural village situated between the rapidly expanding cities of New Delhi (India’s capital) and Ghaziabad (an industrial district in Uttar Pradesh). A relational place-based view is integrated with an interpretive approach, highlighting the significance of place, people’s emic experiences, and the creation of meaning through social interactions. Research included surveying 1788 households, in-depth interviews, participatory mapping exercises, and a review of media articles on environment, pollution, and health. Karhera experiences both domestic pollution, through the use of domestic waste water, or gandapani, for vegetable irrigation, and industrial pollution through factories’ emissions into both the air and water. The paper shows that there is no uniform articulation of any environment/health threats associated with gandapani. Some people take preventative actions to avoid exposure while others do not acknowledge health implications. By contrast, industrial pollution is widely noted and frequently commented upon, but little collective action addresses this. The paper explores how the characteristics of Karhera, its heterogeneous population, diverse forms of environmental pollution, and broader governance processes, limit the potential for citizen action against pollution.
Longitudinal Study-Based Dementia Prediction for Public Health
Authors: Kim HeeChel , Chun Hong-Woo , Kim Seonho , Coh Byoung-Youl , Kwon Oh-Jin , Moon Yeong-Ho
Published: August 2017

The issue of public health in Korea has attracted significant attention given the aging of the country’s population, which has created many types of social problems. The approach proposed in this article aims to address dementia, one of the most significant symptoms of aging and a public health care issue in Korea. The Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior Cohort Database contains personal medical data of every citizen in Korea. There are many different medical history patterns between individuals with dementia and normal controls. The approach used in this study involved examination of personal medical history features from personal disease history, sociodemographic data, and personal health examinations to develop a prediction model. The prediction model used a support-vector machine learning technique to perform a 10-fold cross-validation analysis. The experimental results demonstrated promising performance (80.9% F-measure). The proposed approach supported the significant influence of personal medical history features during an optimal observation period. It is anticipated that a biomedical “big data”-based disease prediction model may assist the diagnosis of any disease more correctly.
Transgenic Cotton Plants Expressing the HaHR3 Gene Conferred Enhanced Resistance to Helicoverpa armigera and Improved Cotton Yield
Authors: Han Qiang , Wang Zhenzhen , He Yunxin , Xiong Yehui , Lv Shun , Li Shupeng , Zhang Zhigang , Qiu Dewen , Zeng Hongmei
Published: August 2017

RNA interference (RNAi) has been developed as an efficient technology. RNAi insect-resistant transgenic plants expressing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that is ingested into insects to silence target genes can affect the viability of these pests or even lead to their death. HaHR3, a molt-regulating transcription factor gene, was previously selected as a target expressed in bacteria and tobacco plants to control Helicoverpa armigera by RNAi technology. In this work, we selected the dsRNA-HaHR3 fragment to silence HaHR3 in cotton bollworm for plant mediated-RNAi research. A total of 19 transgenic cotton lines expressing HaHR3 were successfully cultivated, and seven generated lines were used to perform feeding bioassays. Transgenic cotton plants expressing dsHaHR3 were shown to induce high larval mortality and deformities of pupation and adult eclosion when used to feed the newly hatched larvae, and 3rd and 5th instar larvae of H. armigera. Moreover, HaHR3 transgenic cotton also demonstrated an improved cotton yield when compared with controls.
Phenylketonuria and Hirschsprung Disease—A Report of an Unusual Neonatal Presentation
Authors: Lenherr Nina , Pfeifle Viktoria , Holland-Cunz Stefan , Sluka Susanna , Thöny Beat , Szinnai Gabor , Huemer Martina , Rohrbach Marianne , Fingerhut Ralph
Published: August 2017

We describe a term born boy of non-consanguineous Swiss parents with tetrahydrobiopterine (BH4)-responsive Phenylketonuria (PKU) and Hirschsprung disease with unusual neonatal presentation. The child presented with floppiness, irritability, recurrent bilious vomiting and failure to pass meconium until 32 hours after birth, resulting in the clinical suspicion of an intoxication-type metabolic disease such as maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). Although the slightly elevated branched-chain amino acids in newborn screening on the fourth day of life initially supported the clinical suspicion of MSUD, the elevated Phenylalanine (Phe) of 650 µmol/L, low Tyrosine (Tyr) of 30 µmol/L, and a Phe/Tyr ratio of 22, led to the diagnosis of PKU. BH4-testing resulted in a significant decrease of Phe from 1011 to 437 µmol/L within 24 h. Urinary pterins and dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) activity were normal, supporting the diagnosis of BH4-responsive PKU. Dietary restriction of Phe was initiated immediately, but oral feeding turned out to be difficult because of gastrointestinal symptoms. Intestinal motility disorder was suspected due to distended abdomen, obstructive symptoms and radiological findings with dilated intestinal loops and lack of intestinal gas in the anorectal region. Hirschsprung disease was confirmed by rectal suction biopsies and treated by a laparoscopically-assisted transanal pull-through (de la Torre) procedure. The boy is additionally compound heterozygous for two mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene, which confirmed BH4-responsive PKU. It is the first case to be described in the literature of the comorbidity of PKU and Hirschsprung disease.
Models and Techniques for Temperature Robust Systems on a Reconfigurable Platform
Authors: Shah Sahil , Toreyin Hakan , Hasler Jennifer , Natarajan Aishwarya
Published: August 2017

This paper investigates the variability of various circuits and systems over temperature and presents several methods to improve their performance over temperature. The work demonstrates use of large scale reconfigurable System-On-Chip (SOC) for reducing the variability of circuits and systems compiled on a Floating Gate (FG) based Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA). Temperature dependencies of circuits are modeled using an open-source simulator built in the Scilab/XCOS environment and the results are compared with measurement data obtained from the FPAA. This comparison gives further insight into the temperature dependence of various circuits and signal processing systems and allows us to compensate as well as predict their behavior. Also, the work presents several different current and voltage references that could help in reducing the variability caused due to changes in temperature. These references are standard blocks in the Scilab/Xcos environment that could be easily compiled on the FPAA. An FG based current reference is then used for biasing a 12 × 1 Vector Matrix Multiplication (VMM) circuit and a second order G m − C bandpass filter to demonstrate the compilation and usage of these voltage/current reference in a reconfigurable fabric. The large scale FG FPAA presented here is fabricated in a 350 nm CMOS process.
Ciguatoxins Evoke Potent CGRP Release by Activation of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Subtypes NaV1.9, NaV1.7 and NaV1.1
Authors: Touska Filip , Sattler Simon , Malsch Philipp , Lewis Richard , Reeh Peter , Zimmermann Katharina
Published: August 2017

Ciguatoxins (CTXs) are marine toxins that cause ciguatera fish poisoning, a debilitating disease dominated by sensory and neurological disturbances that include cold allodynia and various painful symptoms as well as long-lasting pruritus. Although CTXs are known as the most potent mammalian sodium channel activator toxins, the etiology of many of its neurosensory symptoms remains unresolved. We recently described that local application of 1 nM Pacific Ciguatoxin-1 (P-CTX-1) into the skin of human subjects induces a long-lasting, painful axon reflex flare and that CTXs are particularly effective in releasing calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) from nerve terminals. In this study, we used mouse and rat skin preparations and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to study the molecular mechanism by which P-CTX-1 induces CGRP release. We show that P-CTX-1 induces CGRP release more effectively in mouse as compared to rat skin, exhibiting EC50 concentrations in the low nanomolar range. P-CTX-1-induced CGRP release from skin is dependent on extracellular calcium and sodium, but independent from the activation of various thermosensory transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels. In contrast, lidocaine and tetrodotoxin (TTX) reduce CGRP release by 53–75%, with the remaining fraction involving L-type and T-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC). Using transgenic mice, we revealed that the TTX-resistant voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) NaV1.9, but not NaV1.8 or NaV1.7 alone and the combined activation of the TTX-sensitive VGSC subtypes NaV1.7 and NaV1.1 carry the largest part of the P-CTX-1-caused CGRP release of 42% and 34%, respectively. Given the contribution of CGRP to nociceptive and itch sensing pathways, our findings contribute to a better understanding of sensory symptoms of acute and chronic ciguatera that may help in the identification of potential therapeutics.
Emergence and Progression of Abnormal Grain Growth in Minimally Strained Nickel-200
Authors: Underwood Olivia , Madison Jonathan , Thompson Gregory
Published: August 2017

Grain boundary engineering (GBE) is a thermomechanical processing technique used to control the distribution, arrangement, and identity of grain boundary networks, thereby improving their mechanical properties. In both GBE and non-GBE metals, the phenomena of abnormal grain growth (AGG) and its contributing factors is still a subject of much interest and research. In a previous study, GBE was performed on minimally strained (ε < 10%), commercially pure Nickel-200 via cyclic annealing, wherein unique onset temperature and induced strain pairings were identified for the emergence of AGG. In this study, crystallographic segmentation of grain orientations from said experiments are leveraged in tandem with image processing to quantify growth rates for abnormal grains within the minimally strained regime. Advances in growth rates are shown to vary directly with initial strain content but inversely with initiating AGG onset temperature. A numeric estimator for advancement rates associated with AGG is also derived and presented.
Multiple Antibiotic-Resistant, Extended Spectrum-β-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Enterobacteria in Fresh Seafood
Authors: Sanjit Singh Asem , Lekshmi Manjusha , Prakasan Sreepriya , Nayak Binaya , Kumar Sanath
Published: August 2017

Members of the family Enterobacteriaceae include several human pathogens that can be acquired through contaminated food and water. In this study, the incidence of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing enterobacteria was investigated in fresh seafood sold in retail markets. The ESBL-positive phenotype was detected in 169 (78.60%) isolates, with Escherichia coli being the predominant species (53), followed by Klebsiella oxytoca (27), and K. pneumoniae (23). More than 90% of the isolates were resistant to third generation cephalosporins, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and cefpodoxime. Sixty-five percent of the isolates were resistant to the monobactam drug aztreonam, 40.82% to ertapenem, and 31.36% to meropenem. Resistance to at least five antibiotics was observed in 38.46% of the isolates. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis of ESBL-encoding genes detected blaCTX, blaSHV, and blaTEM genes in 76.92%, 63.3%, and 44.37% of the isolates, respectively. Multiple ESBL genes were detected in majority of the isolates. The recently discovered New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase gene (blaNDM-1) was detected in two ESBL+ isolates. Our study shows that secondary contamination of fresh seafood with enteric bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics may implicate seafood as a potential carrier of antibiotic resistant bacteria and emphasizes an urgent need to prevent environmental contamination and dissemination of such bacteria.
Low Docosahexaenoic Acid, Dihomo-Gamma-Linolenic Acid, and Arachidonic Acid Levels Associated with Long-Term Mortality in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure in Different Nutritional Statuses
Authors: Ouchi Shohei , Miyazaki Tetsuro , Shimada Kazunori , Sugita Yurina , Shimizu Megumi , Murata Azusa , Kato Takao , Aikawa Tatsuro , Suda Shoko , Shiozawa Tomoyuki , Hiki Masaru , Takahashi Shuhei , Iwata Hiroshi , Kasai Takatoshi , Miyauchi Katsumi , Daida Hiroyuki
Published: August 2017

The clinical significance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in various nutritional statuses remains unclear. For this study, we enrolled 267 patients with ADHF admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit at Juntendo University hospital between April 2012 and March 2014. The association between long-term mortality, the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), and levels of PUFAs, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), and arachidonic acid (AA) was investigated. The median age was 73 (64–82) years, and mortality was 29% (62 patients). The event-free survival rates for all-cause death were higher in patients with high PUFA levels or GNRI than in those with low PUFA levels or GNRI (p < 0.05 for all). In particular, high DGLA in the low-GNRI group and high DHA or AA in the high-GNRI group were associated with high event-free survival (p < 0.05 for all). After accounting for confounding variables, DHA, DGLA, and AA, but not EPA, were associated with long-term mortality (p < 0.01 for all). This study concludes that in patients with ADHF, decreased levels of DHA, DGLA, and AA are independently associated with long-term mortality in the various nutritional statuses.
Using Theory to Explore the Determinants of Medication Adherence; Moving Away from a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Authors: Easthall Claire , Barnett Nina
Published: August 2017

Non-adherence to prescribed medicines has been described as “a worldwide problem of striking magnitude”, diminishing treatment effects and wasting resources. Evidence syntheses report current adherence interventions achieve modest improvements at best, and highlight the poor progress toward the longstanding aim of a gold-standard intervention, tailored to meet individual need. Techniques such as motivational interviewing and health coaching, which aim to facilitate patient-centred care and improve patient resourcefulness, have shown promise in supporting adherence, especially in patients with psychological barriers to medicine-taking, such as illness perceptions and health beliefs. Despite a plethora of research, there is little recognition that the nature and complexity of non-adherence is such that a one-size-fits-all approach to interventions is never likely to suffice. This commentary re-visits the call for adherence interventions to be tailored to meet individual need, by considering what this means for day-to-day practice and how this can be achieved. It provides an update on advances in psychological theory to identify the root cause of an individual’s non-adherence to encourage matching of provided adherence support. It also provides a practical perspective by considering exemplars of innovative practice and evaluating the day-to-day practicalities of taking a novel approach.
Polyol Structure and Ionic Moieties Influence the Hydrolytic Stability and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Bio-Based 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid (FDCA) Copolyesters
Authors: Haernvall Karolina , Zitzenbacher Sabine , Yamamoto Motonori , Schick Michael Bernhard , Ribitsch Doris , Guebitz Georg
Published: August 2017

A series of copolyesters based on furanic acid and sulfonated isophthalic acid with various polyols were synthetized and their susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis by cutinase 1 from Thermobifida cellulosilytica (Thc_Cut1) investigated. All copolyesters consisted of 30 mol % 5-sulfoisophthalate units (NaSIP) and 70 mol % 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), while the polyol component was varied, including 1,2-ethanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,8-octanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, or tetraethylene glycol. The composition of the copolyesters was confirmed by 1H-NMR and the number average molecular weight (Mn) was determined by GPC to range from 2630 to 8030 g/mol. A DSC analysis revealed glass-transition temperatures (Tg) from 84 to 6 °C, which were decreasing with increasing diol chain length. The crystallinity was below 1% for all polyesters. The hydrolytic stability increased with the chain length of the alkyl diol unit, while it was generally higher for the ether diol units. Thc_Cut1 was able to hydrolyze all of the copolyesters containing alkyl diols ranging from two to eight carbon chain lengths, while the highest activities were detected for the shorter chain lengths with an amount of 13.6 ± 0.7 mM FDCA released after 72 h of incubation at 50 °C. Faster hydrolysis was observed when replacing an alkyl diol by ether diols, as indicated, e.g., by a fivefold higher release of FDCA for triethylene glycol when compared to 1,8-octanediol. A positive influence of introducing ionic phthalic acid was observed while the enzyme preferentially cleaved ester bonds associated to the non-charged building blocks.
Fluorescent Polymer Incorporating Triazolyl Coumarin Units for Cu2+ Detection via Planarization of Ict-Based Fluorophore
Authors: Ngororabanga Jean , Du Plessis Jacolien , Mama Neliswa
Published: August 2017

A novel fluorescent polymer with pendant triazolyl coumarin units was synthesized through radical polymerization. The polymer showed reasonable sensitivity and selectivity towards Cu2+ in acetonitrile in comparison to other tested metal ions with a significant quenching effect on fluorescence and blue shifting in the range of 20 nm. The blue shift was assigned to the conformation changes of the diethylamino group from the coumarin moiety which led to planarization of the triazolyl coumarin units. The possible binding modes for Cu2+ towards the polymer were determined through the comparison of the emission responses of the polymer, starting vinyl monomer and reference compound, and the triazole ring was identified as one of the possible binding sites for Cu2+. The detection limits of the polymer and vinyl monomer towards Cu2+ were determined from fluorescence titration experiments and a higher sensitivity (35 times) was observed for the polymer compared with its starting monomer.
Development and Validation of a Reproducible and Label-Free Surface Plasmon Resonance Immunosensor for Enrofloxacin Detection in Animal-Derived Foods
Authors: Pan Mingfei , Li Shijie , Wang Junping , Sheng Wei , Wang Shuo
Published: August 2017

This study describes the development of a reproducible and label-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunosensor and its application in the detection of harmful enrofloxacin (ENRO) in animal-derived foods. The experimental parameters for the immunosensor construction and regeneration, including the pH value (4.5), concentration for coating ENRO-ovalbumin conjugate (ENRO-OVA) (100 μg·mL−1), concentration of anti-ENRO antibody (80 nM) and regeneration solution (0.1 mol·L−1 HCl) were evaluated in detail. With the optimized parameters, the proposed SPR immunosensor obtained a good linear response to ENRO with high sensitivity (IC50: 3.8 ng·mL−1) and low detection limit (IC15: 1.2 ng·mL−1). The proposed SPR immunosensor was further validated to have favorable performances for ENRO residue detection in typical animal-derived foods after a simple matrix pretreatment procedure, as well as acceptable accuracy (recovery: 84.3–96.6%), precision (relative standard deviation (n = 3): 1.8–4.6%), and sensitivity (IC15 ≤ 8.4 ng·mL−1). Each SPR chip for analysis can be reused at least 100 times with good stability and the analysis cycle containing the steps of sample uploading/chip regeneration/baseline recovery can be completed within 6 min (one cycle) and auto-operated by a predetermined program. These results demonstrated that the proposed SPR immunosensor provided an effective strategy for accurate, sensitive, and rapid detection for ENRO residue, which has great potential for routine analysis of large numbers of samples for measuring different types of compounds.
Proposal and Evaluation of BLE Discovery Process Based on New Features of Bluetooth 5.0
Authors: Hernández-Solana Ángela , Perez-Diaz-de-Cerio David , Valdovinos Antonio , Valenzuela Jose Luis
Published: August 2017

The device discovery process is one of the most crucial aspects in real deployments of sensor networks. Recently, several works have analyzed the topic of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device discovery through analytical or simulation models limited to version 4.x. Non-connectable and non-scannable undirected advertising has been shown to be a reliable alternative for discovering a high number of devices in a relatively short time period. However, new features of Bluetooth 5.0 allow us to define a variant on the device discovery process, based on BLE scannable undirected advertising events, which results in higher discovering capacities and also lower power consumption. In order to characterize this new device discovery process, we experimentally model the real device behavior of BLE scannable undirected advertising events. Non-detection packet probability, discovery probability, and discovery latency for a varying number of devices and parameters are compared by simulations and experimental measurements. We demonstrate that our proposal outperforms previous works, diminishing the discovery time and increasing the potential user device density. A mathematical model is also developed in order to easily obtain a measure of the potential capacity in high density scenarios.
Design of Artificial Riboswitches as Biosensors
Authors: Findeiß Sven , Etzel Maja , Will Sebastian , Mörl Mario , Stadler Peter
Published: August 2017

RNA aptamers readily recognize small organic molecules, polypeptides, as well as other nucleic acids in a highly specific manner. Many such aptamers have evolved as parts of regulatory systems in nature. Experimental selection techniques such as SELEX have been very successful in finding artificial aptamers for a wide variety of natural and synthetic ligands. Changes in structure and/or stability of aptamers upon ligand binding can propagate through larger RNA constructs and cause specific structural changes at distal positions. In turn, these may affect transcription, translation, splicing, or binding events. The RNA secondary structure model realistically describes both thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of RNA structure formation and refolding at a single, consistent level of modelling. Thus, this framework allows studying the function of natural riboswitches in silico. Moreover, it enables rationally designing artificial switches, combining essentially arbitrary sensors with a broad choice of read-out systems. Eventually, this approach sets the stage for constructing versatile biosensors.
‘Is It Entrepreneurship, or Is It Survival?’: Gender, Community, and Innovation in Boston’s Black Immigrant Micro-Enterprise Spaces
Authors: Addo Ping-Ann
Published: August 2017

Micro-enterprises are typically classified as businesses with fewer than six employees and very small amounts of financial capital. Focusing on black immigrant women’s micro-entrepreneurial ventures in Boston, this paper explores how non-economic forms of capital are crucial to the survival of micro-enterprise, in large part because of customer choices to patronize businesses they trust and to support proprietors whose identities and values they share. The richness of social and cultural capital and local information—controlled by minority immigrant women micro-entrepreneurs—can easily go undetected by mainstream lenders, training programs, and policy-makers. Other features that go unnoticed include the fact that the proprietors and patrons of micro-enterprises can often be highly skilled and educated and that innovative business moves are often embodied in already-existing processes of reciprocity and exchange. With implications for how funding can be infused into communities deeply connected to informal economy processes in U.S. cities, the paper argues for support for community-based processes of local development, economic growth, and social justice that are rooted in the communities that need them.
Assessing the Effect of a Crop-Tree Intercropping Program on Smallholders’ Incomes in Rural Xinjiang, China
Authors: Dai Xiaoqing , Pu Lijie , Rao Fangping
Published: August 2017

Governments in developing counties often promote intercropping (crops intercropped with fruit trees on cultivated land) schemes in order to improve smallholders’ income. However, the implementation of such schemes is often hindered by inappropriate institutional environments and inefficient project management. It is important to assess the impacts of such intercropping programs, especially since such a cultivation strategy can often align closely with smallholders’ livelihood strategies, particularly in poor and remote rural regions. This paper attempts to assess the impact of an intercropping program on participants’ incomes in rural Xinjiang (China), and to explore the possible shortcomings in the program’s design and implementation. We apply a propensity score matching method, based on a survey dataset of 352 households, supplemented with descriptive analysis based on our anecdotal field observations. The findings demonstrate that the intercropping program had negative effects on the incomes that participants derived from farming, their off-farm income and their gross income. Overall, participants experienced significant losses of income. Anecdotal observations show that land tenure insecurity played a crucial role in negating the anticipated income improvement effect of this program. Farmer’s perceptions that they have limited security of tenure made them reluctant to invest the necessary time and resources to make the new cropping systems a success, while the available subsidies only partially covered the costs involved. In addition, the program led to a significant drop in yields of field crops as the trees were competing for a limiting and fixed supply of irrigation water.
Are Korean Households Willing to Pay a Premium for Induction Cooktops over Gas Stoves?
Authors: Kim Hyo-Jin , Lim Seul-Ye , Yoo Seung-Hoon
Published: August 2017

Korean households generally prefer to use induction cooktops rather than gas stoves because of their greater convenience and safety features. This paper tries to investigate whether Korean households are willing to pay a premium for replacing their gas stoves, which are currently common in Korea, with induction cooktops, from the perspective of convenience and safety. To this end, a contingent valuation technique was applied to assess the additional willingness to pay (WTP) a premium for using an induction cooktop rather than a gas stove. A nationwide survey of 1000 households was carried out. The results indicate that the mean additional WTP for using an induction cooktop rather than a gas stove is KRW 207 (USD 0.19) per cubic meter of residential gas. This value can be interpreted as the convenience and safety benefits to the consumer of using an induction cooktop rather than a gas stove, or residential electricity rather than residential gas for cooking. It amounts to approximately 26.7% of the average 2015 price of residential gas, which was KRW 775 (USD 0.70) per cubic meter. If the gap between the price for residential electricity and the price for residential gas is less than the WTP value, households will increase their demand for residential electricity for cooking.
Chiral Buckybowl Molecules
Authors: Kanagaraj Kuppusamy , Lin Kangjie , Wu Wanhua , Gao Guowei , Zhong Zhihui , Su Dan , Yang Cheng
Published: August 2017

Buckybowls are polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons that have a curved aromatic surface and are considered fragments of buckminsterfullerenes. The curved aromatic surface led to the loss of planar symmetry of the normal aromatic plane and may cause unique inherent chirality, so-called bowl chirality, which it is possible to thermally racemize through a bowl-to-bowl inversion process. In this short review, we summarize the studies concerning the special field of bowl chirality, focusing on recent practical aspects of attaining diastereo/enantioenriched chiral buckybowls through asymmetric synthesis, chiral optical resolution, selective chiral metal complexation, and chiral assembly formation.
Study of Self-Induced Sloshing in Model Test of a Water Retaining Weir
Authors: Hua Yulong , Cai Fulin , Zhou Jianxu , Zhang Wen
Published: August 2017

This paper presents for the first time observations of a self-induced sloshing phenomenon in the water-retaining weir model. Fast Fourier Transform method is used to detect the dominant frequency for the sloshing water. The characteristics of the sloshing water in terms of sloshing strength and frequency are experimentally studied for six different cases. Results show that both sloshing regions and sloshing strength depends on not only the water levels but also the inlet velocities, and the relationship between them is displayed in this paper. Different prediction models for sloshing frequencies are built and compared with the experimental results, with discussions of the differences between them. For higher water level sloshing region, a new factor is introduced to the Faltinsen’s prediction formula, leading to a better agreement between prediction and experimental results. The mechanism of the self-induced sloshing is also discussed in this paper.
Atoll Groundwater Movement and Its Response to Climatic and Sea-Level Fluctuations
Authors: Oberle Ferdinand , Swarzenski Peter , Storlazzi Curt
Published: August 2017

Groundwater resources of low-lying atoll islands are threatened due to short-term and long-term changes in rainfall, wave climate, and sea level. A better understanding of how these forcings affect the limited groundwater resources was explored on Roi-Namur in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. As part of a 16-month study, a rarely recorded island-overwash event occurred and the island’s aquifer’s response was measured. The findings suggest that small-scale overwash events cause an increase in salinity of the freshwater lens that returns to pre-overwash conditions within one month. The overwash event is addressed in the context of climate-related local sea-level change, which suggests that overwash events and associated degradations in freshwater resources are likely to increase in severity in the future due to projected rises in sea level. Other forcings, such as severe rainfall events, were shown to have caused a sudden freshening of the aquifer, with salinity levels retuning to pre-rainfall levels within three months. Tidal forcing of the freshwater lens was observed in electrical resistivity profiles, high-resolution conductivity, groundwater-level well measurements and through submarine groundwater discharge calculations. Depth-specific geochemical pore water measurements further assessed and confirmed the distinct boundaries between fresh and saline water masses in the aquifer. The identification of the freshwater lens’ saline boundaries is essential for a quantitative evaluation of the aquifers freshwater resources and help understand how these resources may be impacted by climate change and anthropogenic activities.
Preparation of a Thermally Modified Diatomite and a Removal Mechanism for 1-Naphthol from Solution
Authors: Yang Xiuzhen , Zhang Yuezhou , Wang Liping , Cao Lili , Li Kelin , Hursthouse Andrew
Published: August 2017

The adsorption of 1-naphthol (NAP) in aqueous solution was investigated using unmodified and modified diatomite at different temperature, pH, adsorbent mass and contact time. The adsorption capacity of the modified diatomite significantly improved (about 2 times at 298 K) compared to the unmodified diatomite. The adsorption showed a good fit with the Langmuir model. The further data analysis demonstrated that the adsorption of 1-NAP on both materials could be best described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters, including Gibbs’ free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy changes (ΔS) were determined. It was observed that the ΔH values (less than 40 kJ/mol) was positive, which indicated that the adsorption process is endothermic, physical adsorption. The ΔG values were negative, indicating that the adsorption of 1-NAP onto raw and modified adsorbent was spontaneous.
NHC-catalyzed cleavage of vicinal diketones and triketones followed by insertion of enones and ynones
Authors: Takaki Ken , Hino Makoto , Ohno Akira , Komeyama Kimihiro , Yoshida Hiroto , Fukuoka Hiroshi
Published: August 2017

Thiazolium carbene-catalyzed reactions of 1,2-diketones and 1,2,3-triketones with enones and ynones have been investigated. The diketones gave α,β-double acylation products via unique Breslow intermediates isolable as acid salts, whereas the triketones formed stable adducts with the NHC instead of the coupling products.
Varicose Vein And Ecchymosis: A Case Report
Authors: Yetkin Ertan , Öztürk Selçuk , ILeri Mehmet
Published: August 2017

Assessment of varicose vein and chronic venous insufficiency and making a differential diagnosis in patients suffering from a variety of sign and symptoms is sometimes a big challenge in daily clinical practice. Here, we present a female patient with varicose vein symptoms and ecchymosis on her lower extremities. Several irregular shaped ecchymotic lesions on both extremities in different stage of healing with deep purple have been treated by using micronized purified flavonoid fraction.
Investigation and Modeling of Manganese Concentration in the Gravel Roadside
Authors: Mikalajūnė Audronė
Published: August 2017

Road transport is one of the biggest soil polluter. There are a lot of investigations of soil pollution near highways, but soil pollution near gravel roadsides needs more experimental research. In this experimental study we selected gravel road Juseviciai – Budvietis – Derviniai and analyzed soil pollution near this road. Soil samples were collected on both sides of the road by making the transversal profile, the sampling points move away of the road at a distance 1; 2; 5; 10 meters, the samples were collected in 600 meters long strip. All samples were collected by using the envelope principle, samples were taken from the top of the soil layer 0–10 cm depth. It was established that Mn concentration in the soil sample, which was taken from the middle of gravel road carriageway, reached 238,5 mg/kg – it means 1,79 times less than background value. This value is more than 6 times less than maximum allowed concentration and quit close to the values, which were established on both sides in the soil close to gravel road. The modelling of Mn concentration where made in appropriate scale of mathematical model – 15 meter to both sides of gravel road, the width of the road – 4 meters. The simulated soil volume is 34 x 14 meters, the soil type – medium-coarse sandy loam. It was modeled that after one year Mn concentration in the soil, close to gravel road remains 1,3 times less than background value (at a constant Mn emission in the environment). Moving away from driveway till 10–15 meters the concentration of Mn decrease to 200 mg/kg in the soil depth of 0,5 m. After 10 years this concentration will reach 1 meter depth. Bet there would be no changes of Mn concentration in the groundwater level.
Research on the Dynamics of Changes in the Sight-aesthetic
Quality of Rural Lake District Landscapes in the Aspect
of Implementing the European Landscape Convention
Authors: Senetra Adam
Published: August 2017

The article presents selected methodological assumptions of developing and evaluating landscape attribute
maps that could be used in the process of the implementation of the European Landscape Convention (ELC). The Convention
led to the passing of the Act of 24th April 2015 on the modification of some acts due to the enhancement of
landscape protection tools. Article 7 implements changes in the Act of 23rd March 2003 on spatial planning and land
use management. Determining general rules for landscape auditing and defining the priority landscape are elements of
the changes. On 11th September 2015, the regulations that partially carry out the recommendation of the Convention
entered into force. The regulations oblige local governments to conduct landscape auditing (not less often than every 20
years).
The article presents a new method for evaluating the aesthetic-scenic value of landscape (EEVL), developed by the
author on the basis of conceptual works done between 2004 and 2008. Tests of this method started in 2008. Then an
assessment of the aesthetic value of the municipality of Pozezdrze in the Masurian Lake District was made. The three
measurements, collected in 2008, 2012 and 2016, were then used in comparing the dynamics of landscape transformations
considering the aesthetic value over 8 years. The research enabled the assessment of the usefulness of the
method in landscape auditing.
An Attempt to Improve Air Quality in Primary Schools
Authors: Telejko Marek , Zender-Swiercz Ewa
Published: August 2017

Most primary school buildings in Poland rely on natural ventilation. This fact is attributed to the age of these
buildings constructed more than dozen or even several tens of years ago. Few of them were fitted with a mechanical
ventilation system allowing for the adjustment of microclimate parameters. The national requirements for gravity ventilation
provide general guidelines, specifying strict description only for the airtightness of windows and doors and the
minimum airflow to be supplied to the rooms. The minimum airflow supplied is independent of the number of occupants
and purpose of the room.
Low indoor air quality (IAQ) can impact occupants’ health and lead to poor productivity or low academic performance.
Therefore the provision of good IAQ in classrooms and laboratories is very important. This paper presents the results
of the investigation devoted to the quality of indoor air in classrooms of selected Polish primary school. Six primary
school in a town with a population of 200 000 inhabitants were involved in the investigations. The participating school
buildings were built between 1976 and 1994 and had gravity ventilation systems. The variability of basic IAQ parameters,
i.e., temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide level, was analysed and the assessment of the classrooms in
terms of microbiological purity was performed. The outcomes confirmed the low quality of the indoor air in these
buildings. The maximum value of CO2 concentration amounted to more than 4000 ppm. Certain modifications aimed at
improving IAQ were proposed during the investigations. Two solutions were implemented. The results of this study
indicate that the proposed solution offers the potential to improve IAQ within classrooms.
Calculation of the Probability Integral Indicator
of the Level of Air Pollution
Authors: Y. A. Tunakova , S. V. Novikova , A. R. Shagidullin
Published: August 2017

This article describes the method for calculation of probability integral indicator of the level of air pollution.
The calculation is based on information on easily identifiable meteorological parameters by using neural network
technology. This is especially true in terms of space-time constraints for existing network stations for environmental
monitoring system observations.
Classification of the Oxbow Lakes of the Hármas-Körös River and
Determination of Ways for Further Exploiting the Various Water
Regions in the Light of the Water Framework Directive
Authors: Vilmos Józsa , Kozłowski Jacek , Zróbek-Sokolnik Anna , Kozłowski Krzysztof , Dynowski Piotr
Published: August 2017

Hármas-Koros river lies between the mouth of the Tisza and the city Békés. In the nineteenth century, the
work of regulatory her bed was made, which resulted in 44 oxbow lakes were created, of which 36 still exist till today.
In presented work 14 oxbow lakes was selected and the following objectives were carried out:
1. The classification of oxbow lakes based on selected criteria: the manner and intensity of water exchange, sediment
thickness, redox potential, usage, ichtiofouna.
2. The assessment of the state of spawning and its impact on ichtiofauna.
3. Determination the best methods of water management in particular types of oxbow lakes, which could stop their
further degradation.
The obtained results led to the following conclusions:
- Tested oxbow lakes belong to different categories
- Anthropogenic factors had a negative effect on the conditions of fish reproduction and survival of their juvenile stages.
- The management of fisheries was not a factor differentiating the individual water regions, but had an impact on the
ecological status.
- For the maintenance and/or improvement of the natural environment of the individual oxbow lakes significant impact
may have fishery management, carried out in the following years.
Research of Different Noise Barriers Efficiency at Different Temperature
Authors: Vilniškis Tomas , Januševicius Tomas
Published: August 2017

In this article was analyzed acoustic efficiency of two different construction noise barriers. Field measurements of noise tests were carried out before and behind a wooden barrier, which height was 2.9 meters and a wooden wall with equipped roof, which height was 3.2 m. As is known the length of the wall, height, surface roughness, shape and material of the wall – key aspects of determining the effectiveness of noise barrier. Different materials, depending on their characteristics of the hard or soft, porous or dense, interact differently with the sound of waves. Article contains research results of noise measurements at positive and negative air temperature. There analyzing wooden noise barrier acoustic efficiency at different temperatures and the effects of temperature to the diffraction of sound waves through the peak of the barrier. Test results show, that noise barrier without structural changes reduced noise level to 14–22 dB, noise barrier with structural changes reduced noise level to 20–23,1 dB, when air temperature was positive. When air temperature was negative, noise barrier without structural changes reduced noise level to 15,5–21,4 dB, noise level with structural changes to 19–26,6 dB.