bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Application of Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposite Materials in Stretched Organic Thin Film Transistors
Authors: Yu Yang-Yen , Yang Cheng-Huai
Published: May 2020

High-transparency soluble polyimide with COOH and fluorine functional groups and TiO2-SiO2 composite inorganic nanoparticles with high dielectric constants were synthesized in this study. The polyimide and inorganic composite nanoparticles were further applied in the preparation of organic-inorganic hybrid high dielectric materials as the gate dielectric for a stretchable transistor. The optimal ratio of organic and inorganic components in the hybrid films was investigated. In addition, Jeffamine D2000 and polyurethane were added to the gate dielectric to improve the tensile properties of the organic thin film transistor (OTFT) device. PffBT4T-2OD was used as the semiconductor layer material and indium gallium liquid alloy as the upper electrode. Electrical property analysis demonstrated that the mobility could reach 0.242 cm2·V−1·s−1 at an inorganic content of 30 wt.%, and the switching current ratio was 9.04 × 103. After Jeffamine D2000 and polyurethane additives were added, the mobility and switching current could be increased to 0.817 cm2·V−1·s−1 and 4.27 × 105 for Jeffamine D2000 and 0.562 cm2·V−1·s−1 and 2.04 × 105 for polyurethane, respectively. Additives also improved the respective mechanical properties. The stretching test indicated that the addition of polyurethane allowed the OTFT device to be stretched to 50%, and the electrical properties could be maintained after stretching 150 cycles.
Study of the Sound Absorption Properties of 3D-Printed Open-Porous ABS Material Structures
Authors: Vasina Martin , Monkova Katarina , Monka Peter Pavol , Kozak Drazan , Tkac Jozef
Published: May 2020

Noise pollution is a negative factor that affects our environment. It is, therefore, necessary to take appropriate measures to minimize it. This article deals with the sound absorption properties of open-porous Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) material structures that were produced using 3D printing technology. The material’s ability to damp sound was evaluated based on the normal incidence sound absorption coefficient and the noise reduction coefficient, which were experimentally measured by the transfer function method using an acoustic impedance tube. The different factors that affect the sound absorption behavior of the studied ABS specimens are presented in this work. In this study, it was discovered that the sound absorption properties of the tested ABS samples are significantly influenced by many factors, namely by the type of 3D-printed, open-porous material structure, the excitation frequency, the sample thickness, and the air gap size behind the sound-absorbing materials inside the acoustic impedance tube.
Controlled Drug Delivery Vehicles in Veterinary Oncology: State-of-the-Art and Future Directions
Authors: Lainetti Patricia de Faria , Zuliani Fernanda , Leis-Filho Antonio Fernando , Fonseca Alves Ricardo Henrique , Fonseca-Alves Carlos Eduardo
Published: May 2020

Controlled drug delivery systems can be used to carry several anticancer agents, including classical chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel or cisplatin, and are also used for the encapsulation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. Usually, the controlled systems are used to decrease drug toxicity, increase local drug concentration or target specific organs or systems. In dogs, liposomal doxorubicin is the most known controlled drug delivery vehicle in veterinary medicine. However, several antitumor drugs can be encapsulated within these systems. Since the delivery vehicles are a relatively new topic in veterinary oncology, this review aims to discuss the current knowledge regarding the controlled drug delivery vehicles and discuss the current challenges and future direction of its use in veterinary oncology.
The Legacies of Bindy Johal: The Contemporary Folk Devil or Sympathetic Hero
Authors: Pabla Manjit
Published: May 2020

A folk devil has the ability to elicit a community’s fear over crime. Notorious late gangster, Bindy Johal, occupies this position as his legacy stirs the social anxieties over gang violence by some in the Punjabi-Sikh community in Western Canada. A competing narrative of Johal’s legacy has emerged, which frames him in a more sympathetic light, and as an individual who overcame systemic racial barriers that subordinated the masculinity of South Asian men in British Columbia. Based on interviews with 34 authorities in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, and drawing attention to his status as both a folk devil and hero, the discussion reveals two dueling narratives framing his legacy. The overall effect of these contradictory narratives is the overshadowing of racism, class oppression and a regional history within Sikh extremist movements that illustrate why gang involvement may appeal to some disenfranchised boys and men in the Indo-Canadian community.
Importance of Sustainable Mineral Resource Management in Implementing the Circular Economy (CE) Model and the European Green Deal Strategy
Authors: Smol Marzena , Marcinek Paulina , Duda Joanna , Szołdrowska Dominika
Published: May 2020

The European Green Deal is the new strategy for economic growth adopted by the European Commission (EC) in late 2019. One of the most important tasks in the realisation of this strategy is the mobilisation of the industry for a clean and circular economy (CE). Currently, the European Union (EU) is in the process of transformation towards a CE model, which was announced in 2014. The CE assumes a transition from a linear model based on take–make–dispose to a circular model, in which waste, if it arises, becomes a valuable resource. At the same time, it is recommended to use raw materials (RMs) more efficiently and to recycle them. The EC underlines that both changes in the management of mineral resources in individual member states and their effects should be monitored. Therefore, in 2018, the EC pointed out issues related to RM management as important elements of the monitoring framework in transformation process towards CE. The paper presents strategic directions aimed at sustainable and circular RM management in the EU, with a strong emphasis on the key elements of sustainable development—environmental, economic and social. Moreover, the importance of mineral resources management in the EC in the context of transformation towards the European Green Deal and CE is presented, and the results of selected CE indicators related to the RMs, and indicators that present sustainable RMs management are discussed. The core of the paper is presentation of a set of recommended actions which should be taken in coming years with strong emphasis on the implementation of the sustainable development (SD) principles. RM management faces a number of challenges, primarily in achieving increased levels of critical raw materials (CRMs) recycling, as well as the greater involvement of stakeholders themselves and awareness raising in the field of SD and CE among enterprises operating in the RMs sector. Currently, all member states are working together to accelerate the transformation process in the area of CE and the European Green Deal, e.g., by implementing national CE programs. A great opportunity to accelerate the transformation process is the new financial perspective for projects under the balanced and circular management of RMs—Horizon Europe, which plans to finance the new projects on RMs management and recycling.
Technical Analysis on the Bitcoin Market: Trading Opportunities or Investors’ Pitfall?
Authors: Resta Marina , Pagnottoni Paolo , De Giuli Maria Elena
Published: May 2020

In this paper we aimed to examine the profitability of technical trading rules in the Bitcoin market by using trend-following and mean-reverting strategies. We applied our strategies on the Bitcoin price series sampled both at 5-min intervals and on a daily basis, during the period 1 January 2012 to 20 August 2019. Our findings suggest that, overall, trading on daily data is more profitable than going intraday. Furthermore, we concluded that the Buy and Hold strategy outperforms the examined alternatives on an intraday basis, while Simple Moving Averages yield the best performances when dealing with daily data.
Optimal Soybean (Glycine max L.) Land Suitability Using GIS-Based Multicriteria Analysis and Sentinel-2 Multitemporal Images
Authors: Radočaj Dorijan , Jurišić Mladen , Gašparović Mateo , Plaščak Ivan
Published: May 2020

Soybean is regarded as one of the most produced crops in the world, presenting a source of high-quality protein for human and animal diets. The general objective of the study was to determine the optimal soybean land suitability and conduct its mapping based on the multicriteria analysis. The multicriteria analysis was based on Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) integration, using Sentinel-2 multitemporal images for suitability validation. The study area covered Osijek-Baranja County, a 4155 km2 area located in eastern Croatia. Three criteria standardization methods (fuzzy, stepwise and linear) were evaluated for soybean land suitability calculation. The delineation of soybean land suitability classes was performed by k-means unsupervised classification. An independent accuracy assessment of calculated suitability values was performed by a novel approach with peak Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values, derived from four Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite images. Fuzzy standardization with the combination of soil and climate criteria produced the most accurate suitability values, having the top coefficient of determination of 0.8438. A total of 14.5% of the study area (602 km2) was determined as the most suitable class for soybean cultivation based on k-means classification results, while 64.3% resulted in some degree of suitability.
Evaluating the Relationships of Inter-Annual Farmland Vegetation Dynamics with Biodiversity Using Multi-Spatial and Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Alavi Niloofar , King Douglas
Published: May 2020

Agricultural landscapes are highly dynamic ecosystems, but the effects of temporal farmland vegetation dynamics on species diversity have not been widely studied. In 93 sample farm landscapes in eastern Ontario, Canada, biodiversity data for seven taxa were collected in 2011 and 2012, prior to the initiation of this study. The goal of this study was to determine if trends and variability in vegetation productivity detected in these sample landscapes using long-term archived moderate and coarse resolution remote sensing time series data are related to the measured biodiversity. Mid-summer Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (2000–2011) and Landsat 5 (1985–2011) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data were used with the Thiel–Sen slope and Contextual Mann–Kendall trend analysis to identify pixels showing significant trends. NDVI temporal metrics included 1) the percentage of pixels in each landscape with a significant negative or positive trend, and 2) the temporal coefficient of variation (CV) of both the mean and spatial CV of landscape NDVI. Larger areas of significant positive NDVI trends were found in the sample landscapes than negative trends, the former being associated with agricultural intensification or crop changes and the latter with smaller areas of natural vegetation removal. Landsat better-detected changes in individual fields or small areas of natural vegetation due to its much smaller pixel size. In addition, the longer Landsat time series showed a change in the NDVI trend from positive (1985–2000) to negative or a leveling off (2000–2011) for many pixels. In biodiversity modeling, the Landsat temporal CV of NDVI was negatively correlated with 2011–2012 plant and beetle diversity, while plant biodiversity was positively correlated with the percentage of pixels in a sample landscape showing a significantly positive NDVI trend. No significant relationships were found using the MODIS data. This study shows that temporal trends and variability in farmland vegetation density derived from Landsat data are related to biodiversity for certain taxa and that such relationships should be considered along with the more commonly studied spatial landscape attributes in evaluating landscape-level impacts of farming on biodiversity.
Investigation on Surface Tilting in the Failure Process of Shallow Landslides
Authors: Qiao Shifan , Feng Chaobo , Yu Pengkun , Tan Junkun , Uchimura Taro , Wang Lin , Tang Junfeng , Shen Quan , Xie Jiren
Published: May 2020

In recent decades, early warning systems to predict the occurrence of landslides using tilt sensors have been developed and employed in slope monitoring due to their low cost and simple installation. Although many studies have been carried out to validate the efficiency of these early warning systems, few studies have been carried out to investigate the tilting direction of tilt sensors at the slope surface, which have revealed controversial results in field monitoring. In this paper, the tilting direction and the pre-failure tilting behavior of slopes were studied by performing a series of model tests as well as two field tests. These tests were conducted under various testing conditions. Tilt sensors with different rod lengths were employed to investigate the mechanism of surface tilting. The test results show that the surface tilting measured by the tilt sensors with no rods and those with short rods located above the slip surface are consistent, while the tilting monitored by the tilt sensors with long rods implies an opposite rotational direction. These results are important references to understand the controversial surface tilting behavior in in situ landslide monitoring cases and imply the correlation between the depth of the slip surface of the slope and the surface tilting in in situ landslide monitoring cases, which can be used as the standard for tilt sensor installation in field monitoring.
Isogeometric iFEM Analysis of Thin Shell Structures
Authors: Kefal Adnan , Oterkus Erkan
Published: May 2020

Shape sensing is one of most crucial components of typical structural health monitoring systems and has become a promising technology for future large-scale engineering structures to achieve significant improvement in their safety, reliability, and affordability. The inverse finite element method (iFEM) is an innovative shape-sensing technique that was introduced to perform three-dimensional displacement reconstruction of structures using in situ surface strain measurements. Moreover, isogeometric analysis (IGA) presents smooth function spaces such as non-uniform rational basis splines (NURBS), to numerically solve a number of engineering problems, and recently received a great deal of attention from both academy and industry. In this study, we propose a novel “isogeometric iFEM approach” for the shape sensing of thin and curved shell structures, through coupling the NURBS-based IGA together with the iFEM methodology. The main aim is to represent exact computational geometry, simplify mesh refinement, use smooth basis/shape functions, and allocate a lower number of strain sensors for shape sensing. For numerical implementation, a rotation-free isogeometric inverse-shell element (isogeometric Kirchhoff–Love inverse-shell element (iKLS)) is developed by utilizing the kinematics of the Kirchhoff–Love shell theory in convected curvilinear coordinates. Therefore, the isogeometric iFEM methodology presented herein minimizes a weighted-least-squares functional that uses membrane and bending section strains, consistent with the classical shell theory. Various validation and demonstration cases are presented, including Scordelis–Lo roof, pinched hemisphere, and partly clamped hyperbolic paraboloid. Finally, the effect of sensor locations, number of sensors, and the discretization of the geometry on solution accuracy is examined and the high accuracy and practical aspects of isogeometric iFEM analysis for linear/nonlinear shape sensing of curved shells are clearly demonstrated.
Robust Vehicle Detection and Counting Algorithm Adapted to Complex Traffic Environments with Sudden Illumination Changes and Shadows
Authors: Chen Yue , Hu Wusheng
Published: May 2020

The real-time vehicle detection and counting plays a crucial role in traffic control. To collect traffic information continuously, the access to information from traffic video shows great importance and huge advantages compared with traditional technologies. However, most current algorithms are not adapted to the effects of undesirable environments, such as sudden changes in illumination, vehicle shadows, and complex urban traffic conditions, etc. To address these problems, a new vehicle detection and counting method was proposed in this paper. Based on a real-time background model, the problem of sudden illumination changes could be solved, while the vehicle shadows could be removed using a detection method based on motion. The vehicle counting was built on two types of ROIs—called Normative-Lane and Non-Normative-Lane—which could adapt to the complex urban traffic conditions, especially for non-normative driving. Results have shown that the methodology we proposed is able to count vehicles with 99.93% accuracy under the undesirable environments mentioned above. At the same time, the setting of the Normative-Lane and the Non-Normative-Lane can realize the detection of non-normative driving, and it is of great significance to improve the counting accuracy.
Effects of a Motion Seat System on Driver’s Passive Task-Related Fatigue: An On-Road Driving Study
Authors: Lee Seunghoon , Kim Minjae , Jung Hayoung , Kwon Dohoon , Choi Sunwoo , You Heecheon
Published: May 2020

Passive task-related (TR) fatigue caused by monotonous driving can negatively affect driving safety by impairing driver alertness and performance. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a motion seat system on the driver’s passive TR fatigue in terms of driving performance, physiological response, and subjective fatigue by using automotive and physiological sensors those applicable to on-road driving environment. Twenty drivers (5 females and 15 males; age = 38.5 ± 12.2) with more than two years of driving experience participated in an on-road experiment with two driving conditions: driving in the static seat condition during the first half of the driving session and then in the static (static–static, SS) or motion seat (static–motion, SM) condition during the second half. The SM condition showed significantly lower passive TR fatigue by 4.4~56.5% compared to the SS condition in terms of the standard deviation of velocity, percentage of eyelid closure rate (PERCLOS), and the ratio of low- to high-frequency power (LF/HF) of electrocardiography signals. The drivers rated significantly lower subjective state changes of overall fatigue, mental fatigue, passive TR fatigue, drowsiness, and decreased concentration in the SM condition than those in the SS condition. The findings of the study support the use of a motion seat system can be an effective countermeasure to reduce passive TR fatigue.
Training Data Extraction and Object Detection in Surveillance Scenario
Authors: Wilkowski Artur , Stefańczyk Maciej , Kasprzak Włodzimierz
Published: May 2020

Police and various security services use video analysis for securing public space, mass events, and when investigating criminal activity. Due to a huge amount of data supplied to surveillance systems, some automatic data processing is a necessity. In one typical scenario, an operator marks an object in an image frame and searches for all occurrences of the object in other frames or even image sequences. This problem is hard in general. Algorithms supporting this scenario must reconcile several seemingly contradicting factors: training and detection speed, detection reliability, and learning from small data sets. In the system proposed here, we use a two-stage detector. The first region proposal stage is based on a Cascade Classifier while the second classification stage is based either on a Support Vector Machines (SVMs) or Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). The proposed configuration ensures both speed and detection reliability. In addition to this, an object tracking and background-foreground separation algorithm is used, supported by the GrabCut algorithm and a sample synthesis procedure, in order to collect rich training data for the detector. Experiments show that the system is effective, useful, and applicable to practical surveillance tasks.
The Potential of Networks for Families in the Child Protection System: A Systematic Review
Authors: Pérez-Hernando Sara , Fuentes-Peláez Nuria
Published: May 2020

There has recently been increased interest in the potential for formal and informal networks to aid interventions with biologic families in helping them achieve reunification in the context of the child protection system. When group support is provided to families, the creation of a network of social support seems to be a consequence. The article analyzes the conceptualization of social support in order to create social support networks and the benefits on the intervention with families in the framework of the child protection system through a systematic review. From a wide search 4348 documents, finally 14 articles were included in the reviews. Results show that social support is considered a process by which social resources are provided from formal (professional services and programs associated with those services in any off the protection, health of educational systems) and informal (extended family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances) networks, allowing the families to confront daily moments as well as in crisis situations. This social support is related to emotional, psychological, physical, instrumental, material and information support that allow families to face their difficulties. Formal and informal networks of child protection systems contribute to social support, resilience, consolidation of learning and the assistance of families to social intervention programs.
Whether the CEO Turnover Can Improve the Conversion of Enterprise’s New and Old Driving Force?
Authors: Liu Hongyu , Chen Yufei , Wu Sijian , Zhao Shukuan
Published: May 2020

After 2014, China focused on supply-side reform and put forward the concept of replacing old driving with new driving force, which can create a new round of economic improvement. From the perspective of the conversion of old and new driving forces of enterprises, this paper takes the listed enterprises in China’s a-share manufacturing industry from 2016 to 2018 as samples. This paper also discusses the “Net Effect” of CEO turnover on the conversion of new and old driving forces of enterprises. The results reflect that CEO turnover has a negative effect on the conversion of old and new driving force. Moving forward, when the CEO and chairman changes at the same time or the ownership of the enterprise turns to state-owned, the change of CEO has a higher degree of prevention on the conversion of old and new force. The number of board’s conferences and the degree of equity balance will increase the negative effect of CEO turnover on the conversion of old and new driving force.
Enterprise Sustainability: Economic Policy Uncertainty, Enterprise Investment, and Profitability
Authors: Guo Aijun , Wei Haiqi , Zhong Fanglei , Liu Shuangshuang , Huang Chunlin
Published: May 2020

Under economic fluctuations, the sustainable development of enterprises is crucial. Currently, there are few studies on the interaction between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and the sustainable development behavior of enterprises. Based on a panel vector autoregressive (PVAR) model, this paper explores the static and dynamic interactions among EPU, enterprise investment, and enterprise profitability and then analyzes regional heterogeneity in these factors. It finds that EPU has an inhibitory effect on the investment and profitability of enterprises, while the investment and profitability of enterprises also have an inhibitory effect on EPU. In addition, there are contribution differences and regional differences in the degrees of influence of the three factors. In the long run, EPU and the inhibition of enterprise investment and profitability are strongest in China’s central region. The results show that the stronger the certainty of economic policy, the more conducive this policy is to promoting enterprise investment behavior and improving enterprise profitability. Therefore, to ensure normal economic development, the government should limit changes in economic policy as much as possible; doing so is critical for promoting investment behavior and improving the profitability of enterprises.
Mobile Money Use and Healthcare Utilization: Evidence from Rural Uganda
Authors: Egami Hiroyuki , Matsumoto Tomoya
Published: May 2020

Lack of cash on hand is a significant obstacle in accessing healthcare services in developing countries. Many expectant mothers in the least developed countries do not receive sufficient care during pregnancy due to financial constraints. If such hurdles in accessing healthcare can be overcome, it will contribute to reduction in maternal and newborn mortality, which is a key target of Sustainable Development Goal 3. This study reports the first assessment of the impact of mobile money services on maternal care utilization. We hypothesize that mobile money adoption would motivate rural Ugandan women to receive antenatal care and to deliver their children at health facilities or with skilled birth attendants. By receiving remittances utilizing mobile money, poor rural households may obtain more cash in hand, which might change women’s health-seeking behavior. We apply community- and mother-fixed effects models with heterogeneity analysis to longitudinal panel data (the RePEAT [Research on Poverty, Environment, and Agricultural Technology] survey) of three waves (2009, 2012, and 2015). The analysis uses pregnancy reports of 2007–2015 from 586 rural Ugandan households. We find suggestive evidence that mobile money adoption positively affects the take-up of antenatal care. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that mobile money brings a larger benefit to geographically challenged households by easing their liquidity constraint as they face higher cost of traveling to distant health facilities. The models failed to reject the null hypothesis of no mobile money effect on the delivery-related outcome variables. This study suggests that promoting financial inclusion by means of mobile money motivates women in rural and remote areas to make antenatal care visits while the evidence of such effect is not found for take-up of facility delivery or delivery with skilled birth attendants.
Demonstration of Tryptophan-Like Fluorescence Sensor Concepts for Fecal Exposure Detection in Drinking Water in Remote and Resource Constrained Settings
Authors: Bedell Emily , Sharpe Taylor , Purvis Timothy , Brown Joe , Thomas Evan
Published: May 2020

Low-cost, field-deployable, near-time methods for assessing water quality are not available when and where waterborne infection risks are greatest. We describe the development and testing of a novel device for the measurement of tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF), making use of recent advances in deep-ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) and sensitive semiconductor photodiodes and photomultipliers. TLF is an emerging indicator of water quality that is associated with members of the coliform group of bacteria and therefore potential fecal contamination. Following the demonstration of close correlation between TLF and E. coli in model waters and proof of principle with sensitivity of 4 CFU/mL for E. coli, we further developed a two-LED flow-through configuration capable of detecting TLF levels corresponding to “high risk” fecal contamination levels (>10 CFU/100 mL). Findings to date suggest that this device represents a scalable solution for remote monitoring of drinking water supplies to identify high-risk drinking water in near-time. Such information can be immediately actionable to reduce risks.
Production Risk and Competency among Categorized Rice Peasants: Cross-Sectional Evidence from an Emerging Country
Authors: Rizwan Muhammad , Qing Ping , Saboor Abdul , Iqbal Muhammad Amjed , Nazir Adnan
Published: May 2020

Pakistan is an agrarian economy confronting both risk and uncertainty. Rural migration to urban and off-farm work is increasing in the country. Off-farm work assists in decreasing risk and uncertainty while technical efficiency is linked with off-farm employment. This research effort aims at investigating the underpinnings of production characteristics, risk, and efficiency across categories of rice farmers, i.e., with and without off-farm work, by developing two stochastic frontier models. Empirical results reveal that both groups of farmers are using inputs in different ways, subsequently production varies across these groups. Farmers in both the categories have common characteristics in terms of production function. Coefficient of family size is positively significant to the group of farmers having off-farm work while negatively associated to their counterparts. High temperature and prevalence of disease found risk increasing factors. Though one group is more efficient, in general both groups are technically inefficient. The short-term policy focus should be diverted to ensuring availability and timely application of inputs to enhance efficiency. In the long run, policy initiatives need to be taken towards rural development by providing employment facilitating social and economic infrastructure, along with focus on Research and Development (R&D) particularly keeping the rice belt in view.
Assessment of the Resilience in SEPLS (Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes) in Yanuo Village, Xishuangbanna, Southwest China
Authors: Yang Yunhui , Bai Keyu , Li Guanhua , Jarvis Devra I. , Long Chunlin
Published: May 2020

Participatory ‘assessment workshops’ were held in 2018 in Yanuo Village, Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. The ‘Indicators of Resilience in Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS)’ tool was used to provide the community with a framework for discussion and analysis of socio-ecological processes essential for resilience. Workshops were planned and implemented by local people together with researchers from outside the community. Discussion, including a scoring process, was undertaken using a subset of twenty indicators designed to capture the communities’ perceptions of factors affecting the resilience of their landscapes. The indicators were also used to provide the local community with a framework to discuss both current conditions of resilience and potential areas for improvement. A key result was that the existing community management approach did not include loss of traditional knowledge as a factor that would impact on the livelihoods and well-being of the community. A mechanism to encourage young people to inherit and actively use traditional knowledge was agreed to be necessary and included in economic activities. In addition, the socio-economic infrastructure in the community needs further improvement. This community management assessment framework in Yanuo Village can be scaled out to other communities in tropical montane regions with similar socio-economic environments by supporting stakeholders (policymakers, NGOs and development agencies, etc.).
Quantifying the Individual Contributions of Climate Change, Dam Construction, and Land Use/Land Cover Change to Hydrological Drought in a Marshy River
Authors: Qi Peng , Xu Y. Jun , Wang Guodong
Published: May 2020

Hydrological drought for marshy rivers is poorly characterized and understood. Our inability to quantify hydrological drought in marshy river environments stems from the lack of understanding how wetland loss in a river basin could potentially change watershed structure, attenuation, storage, and flow characteristics. In this study, hydrological drought in a marshy river in far Northeast China at a higher latitude was assessed with a streamflow drought index (SDI). A deterministic, lumped, and conceptual Rainfall–Runoff model, the NAM (Nedbor Afstromnings Model), was used to quantify the individual contributions of climate change, land use/land cover (LULC) change, and river engineering to hydrological drought. We found that in the last five decades, the frequency of hydrological droughts has been 55% without considering LULC change and reservoir construction in this wetland-abundant area. The frequency of hydrological drought increased by 8% due to land use change and by 19% when considering both the impacts of LULC change and a reservoir construction (the Longtouqiao Reservoir). In addition to the more frequent occurrence of hydrological droughts, human activities have also increased drought intensity. These findings suggest that LULC and precipitation changes play a key role in hydrological drought, and that the effect can be significantly modified by a river dam construction.
Reducing the Carbon Footprint of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies through Green Facades in an Economically Efficient Manner
Authors: Pătărlăgeanu Simona Roxana , Negrei Costel , Dinu Mihai , Chiocaru Roxana
Published: May 2020

This paper focuses on the current environmental issues, more specifically the amount of greenhouse gases humanity is being confronted with at the moment. The research was carried out on a niche of the topic, namely on the carbon footprint of public buildings. The concept of a sustainable university is new and insufficiently explored, and as part of the environmental metabolism, it influences anthropic sustainability in a directly proportional manner. This indicator’s monitoring systems reveal how vulnerable humanity is in front of the latency of an unprecedented and inevitable environmental catastrophe. The ecological effects may be mitigated by the academic community through green urban design. The ecological performance can be expressed in an economically efficient manner, which can, at the same time, create a precious channel of communication within the entire academic community though volunteering for sustainability. Moreover, this research has identified several solutions for optimizing the carbon footprint, which do not hinder the necessary economic development. Within the current context, when most economic activities are leading to ecological collapse, sustainability should be reprioritized with the help of the academic society, through the examples offered by applied research. The premises of this research were represented by bibliometric analyses and the results obtained have proven its importance, as well as the importance of certain scenarios involving solutions for improving the metabolism of nature.
Operational Lifecycle Carbon Value of Bus Electrification in Macau
Authors: Xu Xinkuo , Han Liyan
Published: May 2020

The economic value of carbon emission reduction in the electrification of buses is of concern in practical and academic fields. The aim of this paper, which focuses on direct and indirect carbon emissions, is to study the economic value of the carbon emission reduction of bus electrification in an operational lifecycle carbon footprint, with the empirical data sourced from the bus electrification in Macau. First, it proposes the methodology to evaluate the operational lifecycle carbon value of bus electrification (OLCVBE). Second, it analyses the distinct impacts of internal determinants on OLCVBE. Third, it discusses the determinants’ characteristics for OLCVBE. The results indicate that (1) OLCVBE may be a carbon debt, but it is not a carbon asset in some situations; (2) OLCVBE is determined by the carbon emission coefficients of both electric power and fossil fuel, buses’ electric or fossil fuel consumption levels, buses’ terminations, carbon price and discounted rate; and (3) as a comparison, electric power’s embedded carbon emission coefficient has the biggest impact on OLCVBE, then carbon price and the electric consumption have the second or third biggest impacts, and the annual driving distance of buses has relative less impact. This paper provides a new perspective to study the economic and environmental effects of bus electrification.
Asymmetry of Cerebellar Lobular Development in Ferrets
Authors: Sawada Kazuhiko , Kamiya Shiori , Aoki Ichio
Published: May 2020

The ferret cerebellum is anteriorly right-lateralized and posteriorly left-lateralized. This study characterized the left/right difference in ferret cerebellar lobular morphology using 3D-rendered magnetic resonance images of fixed brains from seven male and seven female ferrets on postnatal day 90. Asymmetrical lobular morphology showed asymmetrical sublobular development in the anterior vermis, lobulus simplex, and ansiform lobules and additional grooves asymmetrically appearing in the paramedian lobule, lobule VI, and ansiform lobules. Although we observed these asymmetric hallmarks in four cerebellar transverse domains in both sexes, there was no left/right difference in their incidence in each domain. Males showed a significantly higher incidence of the additional grooves in the left side of the ansiform lobules than in females. Data were combined and classified as per the asymmetry quotient (AQ) into left- (AQ < 0) and right-dominant (AQ > 0) groups. There were significantly higher incidences of poor sublobular development of ansiform lobules and additional groove appearing in lobule VI on the right than on the left in the left-dominant group. Asymmetric hallmarks visible on the cerebellar surface of ferrets are relevant to the left-biased volume asymmetry of the central zone of cerebellar transversus domains containing lobule VI and ansiform lobules.
Quantum Computation and Measurements from an Exotic Space-Time R4
Authors: Planat Michel , Aschheim Raymond , Amaral Marcelo M. , Irwin Klee
Published: May 2020

The authors previously found a model of universal quantum computation by making use of the coset structure of subgroups of a free group G with relations. A valid subgroup H of index d in G leads to a ‘magic’ state ψ in d-dimensional Hilbert space that encodes a minimal informationally complete quantum measurement (or MIC), possibly carrying a finite ‘contextual’ geometry. In the present work, we choose G as the fundamental group π 1 ( V ) of an exotic 4-manifold V, more precisely a ‘small exotic’ (space-time) R 4 (that is homeomorphic and isometric, but not diffeomorphic to the Euclidean R 4 ). Our selected example, due to S. Akbulut and R. E. Gompf, has two remarkable properties: (a) it shows the occurrence of standard contextual geometries such as the Fano plane (at index 7), Mermin’s pentagram (at index 10), the two-qubit commutation picture G Q ( 2 , 2 ) (at index 15), and the combinatorial Grassmannian Gr ( 2 , 8 ) (at index 28); and (b) it allows the interpretation of MICs measurements as arising from such exotic (space-time) R 4 s. Our new picture relating a topological quantum computing and exotic space-time is also intended to become an approach of ‘quantum gravity’.
Novel Treatment Strategy for Patients with Venom-Induced Consumptive Coagulopathy from a Pit Viper Bite
Authors: Park Eun Jung , Choi Sangchun , Kim Hyuk-Hoon , Jung Yoon Seok
Published: May 2020

Pit viper venom commonly causes venom-induced consumptive coagulopathy (VICC), which can be complicated by life-threatening hemorrhage. VICC has a complex pathophysiology affecting multiple steps of the coagulation pathway. Early detection of VICC is challenging because conventional blood tests such as prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) are unreliable for early-stage monitoring of VICC progress. As the effects on the coagulation cascade may differ, even in the same species, the traditional coagulation pathways cannot fully explain the mechanisms involved in VICC or may be too slow to have any clinical utility. Antivenom should be promptly administered to neutralize the lethal toxins, although its efficacy remains controversial. Transfusion, including fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, and specific clotting factors, has also been performed in patients with bleeding. The effectiveness of viscoelastic monitoring in the treatment of VICC remains poorly understood. The development of VICC can be clarified using thromboelastography (TEG), which shows the procoagulant and anticoagulant effects of snake venom. Therefore, we believe that TEG may be able to be used to guide hemostatic resuscitation in victims of VICC. Here, we aim to discuss the advantages of TEG by comparing it with traditional coagulation tests and propose potential treatment options for VICC.
Minimizing Ochratoxin A Contamination through the Use of Actinobacteria and Their Active Molecules
Authors: Campos-Avelar Ixchel , Colas de la Noue Alexandre , Durand Noel , Fay Blandine , Martinez Véronique , Fontana Angélique , Strub Caroline , Schorr-Galindo Sabine
Published: May 2020

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary metabolite produced by fungal pathogens such as Penicillium verrucosum, which develops in food commodities during storage such as cereals, grapes, and coffee. It represents public health concerns due to its genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and teratogenicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of actinobacteria and their metabolites to degrade OTA and/or to decrease its production. Sixty strains of actinobacteria were tested for their ability to prevent OTA formation by in vitro dual culture assays or with cell free extracts (CFEs). In dual culture, 17 strains strongly inhibited fungal growth, although it was generally associated with an increase in OTA specific production. Seventeen strains inhibited OTA specific production up to 4% of the control. Eleven actinobacteria CFEs reduced OTA specific production up to 62% of the control, while no substantial growth inhibition was observed except for two strains up to 72% of the control. Thirty-three strains were able to degrade OTA almost completely in liquid medium whereas only five were able to decrease it on solid medium, and two of them reduced OTA to an undetectable amount. Our results suggest that OTA decrease could be related to different strategies of degradation/metabolization by actinobacteria, through enzyme activities and secretion of secondary metabolites interfering with the OTA biosynthetic pathway. CFEs appeared to be ineffective at degrading OTA, raising interesting questions about the detoxification mechanisms. Common degradation by-products (e.g., OTα or L-β-phenylalanine) were searched by HPLC-MS/MS, however, none of them were found, which implies a different mechanism of detoxification and/or a subsequent degradation into unknown products.
The Cytocidal Spectrum of Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins: From Insects to Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Mendoza-Almanza Gretel , Esparza-Ibarra Edgar L. , Ayala-Luján Jorge L. , Mercado-Reyes Marisa , Godina-González Susana , Hernández-Barrales Marisa , Olmos-Soto Jorge
Published: May 2020

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a ubiquitous bacterium in soils, insect cadavers, phylloplane, water, and stored grain, that produces several proteins, each one toxic to different biological targets such as insects, nematodes, mites, protozoa, and mammalian cells. Most Bt toxins identify their particular target through the recognition of specific cell membrane receptors. Cry proteins are the best-known toxins from Bt and a great amount of research has been published. Cry are cytotoxic to insect larvae that affect important crops recognizing specific cell membrane receptors such as cadherin, aminopeptidase-N, and alkaline phosphatase. Furthermore, some Cry toxins such as Cry4A, Cry4B, and Cry11A act synergistically with Cyt toxins against dipteran larvae vectors of human disease. Research developed with Cry proteins revealed that these toxins also could kill human cancer cells through the interaction with specific receptors. Parasporins are a small group of patented toxins that may or may not have insecticidal activity. These proteins could kill a wide variety of mammalian cancer cells by recognizing specific membrane receptors, just like Cry toxins do. Surface layer proteins (SLP), unlike the other proteins produced by Bt, are also produced by most bacteria and archaebacteria. It was recently demonstrated that SLP produced by Bt could interact with membrane receptors of insect and human cancer cells to kill them. Cyt toxins have a structure that is mostly unrelated to Cry toxins; thereby, other mechanisms of action have been reported to them. These toxins affect mainly mosquitoes that are vectors of human diseases like Anopheles spp (malaria), Aedes spp (dengue, zika, and chikungunya), and Culex spp (Nile fever and Rift Valley fever), respectively. In addition to the Cry, Cyt, and parasporins toxins produced during spore formation as inclusion bodies, Bt strains also produce Vip (Vegetative insecticidal toxins) and Sip (Secreted insecticidal proteins) toxins with insecticidal activity during their vegetative growth phase.
An RNA-Directed Gene Editing Strategy for Attenuating the Infectious Potential of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Cells: A Proof of Concept
Authors: Murphy Brian G. , Wolf Tatiana , Vogel Helena , Castillo Diego , Woolard Kevin
Published: May 2020

Modern antiretroviral therapy for immunodeficiency viruses, although remarkably effective in controlling viral transcription, and overt virus-associated morbidity, has failed to absolutely eradicate retroviruses from their infected hosts as a result of proviral integration in long-lived reservoir cells. Immunodeficiency virus-infected patients are therefore consigned to lifelong antiviral therapy as a means to control viremia, viral transmission, and infection-associated morbidity. Unfortunately, lifelong antiviral therapies can be difficult for patients to continuously maintain and may be associated with therapy-specific morbidities. Patient advocates have argued for new methods to achieve retroviral eradication. As a proof-of-concept study, a lentivirus-delivered RNA-directed gene editing strategy was utilized in a series of in vitro experiments in an attempt to attenuate the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) proviral load, viral transcription, and production of infectious virions. We found that a feline T lymphocyte cell line (MCH5-4) treated with an FIV-specific clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene editing tool resulted in a reduction of cell-free viral RNA relative to control cells. Decreased infectious potential was demonstrated in a two-step FIV infection study—naïve MCH5-4 cells infected with cell-free FIV harvested from FIV-infected and CRISPR lentivirus-treated cells had less integrated proviral DNA than control cells. This study represents the initial steps towards the development of an effective method of proviral eradication in an immunodeficiency virus-infected host.