bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of the Lateral Dynamic Displacement of High-Rise Buildings under Wind Load Based on Fusion of a Remote Sensing Vibrometer and an Inclinometer
Authors: Hu Wei-Hua , Xu Zeng-Mao , Liu Ming-Yue , Tang De-Hui , Lu Wei , Li Zuo-Hua , Teng Jun , Han Xiao-Hui , Said Samir , Rohrmann Rolf. G.
Published: April 2020

This paper proposes a novel method to estimate the lateral displacement of high-rise structures under wind loads. The coefficient β(x) is firstly derived, reflecting the relation between the structural lateral dynamic displacement and the inclination angle at the height x of a structure. If the angle is small, it is the ratio between the structural fundamental mode shape and its first-order derivative without influence of external loads. Several dynamic experiments of structures are performed based on a laser remote sensing vibrometer and an inclinometer, which shows that the fundamental mode is dominated in the structural displacement response under different types of excitations. Once the coefficient β(x) is curve-fitted by measuring both the structural lateral dynamic displacement and the inclination angle synchronously, the real-time structural lateral displacement under operational conditions is estimated by multiplying the coefficient β(x) with the inclination angle. The advantage of the proposed method is that the coefficient β(x) can be identified by lateral dynamic displacement measured in high resolution by the remote sensing vibrometer, which is useful to reconstruct the displacement accurately by the inclination angle under operational conditions.
A Study of Lunar Microwave Radiation Based on Satellite Observations
Authors: Yang Hu , Burgdorf Martin
Published: April 2020

In recent years, the study of microwave radiation from the Moon’s surface has been of interest to the astronomy and remote sensing communities. Due to the stable geophysical properties of the Moon’s surface, microwave lunar radiation is highly predictable and can be accurately modeled, given sufficient observations from reliable instruments. Specifically, for microwave remote sensing study, if International System of Unit (SI) traceable observations of the Moon are available, the Moon can thus be used as an SI traceable calibration reference for microwave instruments to evaluate their calibration accuracies and assess their long-term calibration stabilities. Major challenges of using the Moon as a radiometric source standard for microwave sensors include the uncertainties in antenna pattern measurements, the reliability of measurements of brightness temperature (Tb) in the microwave spectrum of the lunar surface, and knowledge of the lunar phase lag because of penetration depths at different detection frequencies. Most microwave-sounding instruments can collect lunar radiation data from space-view observations during so-called lunar intrusion events that usually occur several days each month. Addressed in this work based on Moon observations from the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit/Microwave Humidity Sounder are two major issues in lunar calibration: the lunar surface microwave Tb spectrum and phase lag. The scientific objective of this study is to present our most recent progress on the study of lunar microwave radiation based on satellite observations. Reported here are the lunar microwave Tb spectrum and phase lag from 23 to 183 GHz based on observations of microwave-sounding instruments onboard different satellite platforms. For current Moon microwave radiation research, this study can help toward better understanding lunar microwave radiation features over a wide spectrum range, laying a solid foundation for future lunar microwave calibration efforts.
On-the-Fly Camera and Lidar Calibration
Authors: Nagy Balázs , Benedek Csaba
Published: April 2020

Sensor fusion is one of the main challenges in self driving and robotics applications. In this paper we propose an automatic, online and target-less camera-Lidar extrinsic calibration approach. We adopt a structure from motion (SfM) method to generate 3D point clouds from the camera data which can be matched to the Lidar point clouds; thus, we address the extrinsic calibration problem as a registration task in the 3D domain. The core step of the approach is a two-stage transformation estimation: First, we introduce an object level coarse alignment algorithm operating in the Hough space to transform the SfM-based and the Lidar point clouds into a common coordinate system. Thereafter, we apply a control point based nonrigid transformation refinement step to register the point clouds more precisely. Finally, we calculate the correspondences between the 3D Lidar points and the pixels in the 2D camera domain. We evaluated the method in various real-life traffic scenarios in Budapest, Hungary. The results show that our proposed extrinsic calibration approach is able to provide accurate and robust parameter settings on-the-fly.
Detection of Driving Capability Degradation for Human-Machine Cooperative Driving
Authors: Gao Feng , He Bo , He Yingdong
Published: April 2020

Due to the limitation of current technologies and product costs, humans are still in the driving loop, especially for public traffic. One key problem of cooperative driving is determining the time when assistance is required by a driver. To overcome the disadvantage of the driver state-based detection algorithm, a new index called the correction ability of the driver is proposed, which is further combined with the driving risk to evaluate the driving capability. Based on this measurement, a degraded domain (DD) is further set up to detect the degradation of the driving capability. The log normal distribution is used to model the boundary of DD according to the bench test data, and an online algorithm is designed to update its parameter interactively to identify individual driving styles. The bench validation results show that the identification algorithm of the DD boundary converges finely and can reflect the individual driving characteristics. The proposed degradation detection algorithm can be used to determine the switching time from manual to automatic driving, and this DD-based cooperative driving system can drive the vehicle in a safe condition.
An Efficient Superframe Structure with Optimal Bandwidth Utilization and Reduced Delay for Internet of Things Based Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Khan Sangrez , Alvi Ahmad Naseem , Javed Muhammad Awais , Roh Byeong-hee , Ali Jehad
Published: April 2020

Internet of Things (IoT) is a promising technology that uses wireless sensor networks to enable data collection, monitoring, and transmission from the physical devices to the Internet. Due to its potential large scale usage, efficient routing and Medium Access Control (MAC) techniques are vital to meet various application requirements. Most of the IoT applications need low data rate and low powered wireless transmissions and IEEE 802.15.4 standard is mostly used in this regard which offers superframe structure at the MAC layer. However, for IoT applications where nodes have adaptive data traffic, the standard has some limitations such as bandwidth wastage and latency. In this paper, a new superframe structure is proposed that is backward compatible with the existing parameters of the standard. The proposed superframe overcomes limitations of the standard by fine-tuning its superframe structure and squeezing the size of its contention-free slots. Thus, the proposed superframe adjusts its duty cycle according to the traffic requirements and accommodates more nodes in a superframe structure. The analytical results show that our proposed superframe structure has almost 50% less delay, accommodate more nodes and has better link utilization in a superframe as compared to the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.
Direct Use of the Savitzky–Golay Filter to Develop an Output-Only Trend Line-Based Damage Detection Method
Authors: Kordestani Hadi , Zhang Chunwei
Published: April 2020

The Savitzky–Golay filter (SGF) is a time-domain technique that determines a trend line for a signal. The direct application of SGF for damage localization and quantification is investigated in this paper. Therefore, a single-stage trend line-based damage detection method employing SGF is proposed in which the damage is located and quantified at the bridge under moving load. A simply supported beam under moving sprung mass is numerically simulated to verify the proposed method. Four different velocities and five different single- and multi-damage scenarios are considered. The acceleration data along the beam are obtained, manually polluted with noise and their trend lines are then determined using SGF. The results show that the proposed method can accurately locate and quantify the damage using these trend lines. It is proved that the proposed method is insensitive to the noise and velocity variation in which having a constant velocity is a hard task before and after damage. Additionally, defining a normalization factor and fitting a Gaussian curve to this factor provide an estimation for the baseline and therefore, it categorizes the proposed method as baseline-free method.
Detection of Multiple Cracks in Four-Point Bending Tests Using the Coda Wave Interferometry Method
Authors: Wang Xin , Chakraborty Joyraj , Bassil Antoine , Niederleithinger Ernst
Published: April 2020

The enlargement of the cracks outside the permitted dimension is one of the main causes for the reduction of service life of Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures. Cracks can develop due to many causes such as dynamic or static load. When tensile stress exceeds the tensile strength of RC, cracks appear. Traditional techniques have limitations in early stage damage detection and localisation, especially on large-scale structures. The ultrasonic Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI) method using diffuse waves is one of the most promising methods to detect subtle changes in heterogeneous materials, such as concrete. In this paper, the assessment of the CWI method applied for multiple cracks opening detection on two specimens based on four-point bending test is presented. Both beams were monitored using a limited number of embedded Ultrasonic (US) transducers as well as other transducers and techniques (e.g., Digital Image Correlation (DIC), LVDT sensors, strain gauges, and Fiber Optics Sensor (FOS)). Results show that strain change and crack formation are successfully and efficiently detected by CWI method even earlier than by the other techniques. The CWI technique using embedded US transducers is undoubtedly a feasible, efficient, and promising method for long-term monitoring on real infrastructure.
Wideband Epidermal Antenna for Medical Radiometry
Authors: León Germán , Herrán Luis F. , Mateos Ignacio , Villa Enrique , Ruiz-Alzola Juan B.
Published: April 2020

Microwave thermometry is a noninvasive and passive technique for measuring internal body temperature. Wearable compact antennas, matched to the specific body area, are required for this method. We present a new epidermal wideband antenna for medical radiometry. The double asymmetric H-shaped slot antenna was designed to be matched to different parts of the body without fat layers. The slots are fed by a short-circuited microstrip line in order to decrease size and back radiation, thus reducing potential interferences. In this way, contribution to radiometric temperature due to back radiation is lower than 4%, versus the 20% of the volume under investigation, over the whole operating frequency band. The designed prototype was manufactured on a flexible substrate. The antenna is a very small size, to make it comfortable and suitable for being used by patients with different body mass indexes. The double H-shaped antenna shows good wideband matching results from around 1.5 GHz up to 5 GHz, in different body locations such as the neck, foot instep and foot sole.
RF Channel-Selectivity Sensing by a Small Antenna of Metamaterial Channel Filters for 5G Sub-6-GHz Bands
Authors: Khattak Muhammad Kamran , Lee Changhyeong , Park Heejun , Kahng Sungtek
Published: April 2020

In this paper, a new small antenna is suggested for 5G Sub-6-GHz band mobile communication. It can change the channel among the three given bands (called the 3.5-GHz area), as a wide-band antenna is connected to a small multiplexer comprising three metamaterial channel filters. The function of channel selection of this antenna system is experimentally demonstrated to prove the validity of the presented scheme. The channel selection for 5G mobile communication is conducted from f1 (channel 1) through f2 (channel 2) to f3 (channel 3), when TX and RX antennas with gains over 0 dBi and S11 less than −10 dB are located far-field apart (RFar ≫ 2.1 cm), and result in the transmission coefficient (S21) being the greatest at the selected channel, which is detected by a vector network analyzer.
An Automatic Instrument Integration Scheme for Interoperable Ocean Observatories
Authors: Lin Shijun , Lyu Feng , Nie Huixin
Published: April 2020

Due to the heterogeneity, high cost, and harsh environment, ocean observatories demand a flexible, robust, and capable scheme to integrate science instruments. To deal with the challenges of automatic instrument integration and machine-to-machine interaction in ocean observatories, a systematic scheme is proposed based on Zero Configuration Networking (Zeroconf), Programmable Underwater Connector with Knowledge (PUCK), Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), and Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocols, as well as a smart interface module to achieve instrument plug-and-play and standard communication among heterogeneous ocean instruments. The scheme specifically considers the resource-constrained ocean observatories and machine-to-machine interoperability, which is of great significance to interoperable ocean observatories. The laboratory tests have verified the feasibility of the proposed scheme.
Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring
Authors: Trevathan Jarrod , Read Wayne , Schmidtke Simon
Published: April 2020

Turbidity is a key environmental parameter that is used in the determination of water quality. The turbidity of a water body gives an indication of how much suspended sediment is present, which directly impacts the clarity of the water (i.e., whether it is cloudy or clear). Various commercial nephelometric and optical approaches and products exist for electronically measuring turbidity. However, most of these approaches are unsuitable or not viable for collecting data remotely. This paper investigates ways for incorporating a turbidity sensor into an existing remote aquatic environmental monitoring platform that delivers data in near real-time (i.e., 15-min intervals). First, we examine whether an off-the-shelf turbidity sensor can be modified to provide remote and accurate turbidity measurements. Next, we present an inexpensive design for a practical light attenuation turbidity sensor. We outline the sensor’s design rationale and how various technical and physical constraints were overcome. The turbidity sensor is calibrated against a commercial turbidimeter using a Formazin standard. Results indicate that the sensor readings are indicative of actual changes in turbidity, and a calibration curve for the sensor could be attained. The turbidity sensor was trialled in different types of water bodies over nine months to determine the system’s robustness and responsiveness to the environment.
Challenges to a Rights-Based Approach in Sexual Health Policy: A Comparative Study of Turkey and England
Authors: Yilmaz Volkan , Willis Paul
Published: April 2020

Politics around sexual health have been polarised in recent years, but the policy implications of this polarisation have not yet been examined in depth. Therefore, this article explores political challenges to a rights-based approach in sexual health policies in Turkey and England. Its focus is on two domains: The prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STI), and sexual health education. Drawing on an interpretive documentary analysis, this article reveals that although social attitudes to sexuality and the levels of overall alignment with a rights-based framework within the selected countries do differ, both face significant political challenges in putting a rights-based approach to sexual health into practice. While common political challenges include heightened domestic controversy regarding sexual health, the specific challenges take the forms of a broader conservative turn that undermines the autonomy of sexual health policy in Turkey (similar to the cases of Hungary and Poland), and neoliberal policy preferences coupled with local discretion and service fragmentation that create access inequities in England (similar to the case of Germany). This study concludes that implementing a rights-based approach is a complex political task requiring a nuanced approach that incorporates the political dimension.
Watching over or Working with? Understanding Social Work Innovation in Response to Extra-Familial Harm
Authors: Wroe Lauren Elizabeth , Lloyd Jenny
Published: April 2020

This paper critically reflects on the role of surveillance and trusted relationships in social work in England and Wales. It explores the characteristics of relationships of trust and relationships of surveillance and asks how these approaches apply to emerging policy and practices responses to extra-familial forms of harm (EFH). Five bodies of research that explore safeguarding responses across a range of public bodies are drawn on to present an analytical framework that explores elements of safeguarding responses, constituting relationships of trust or relationships of surveillance and control. This analytic framework is applied to two case studies, each of which detail a recent practice innovation in response to EFH studied by the authors, as part of a larger body of work under the Contextual Safeguarding programme. The application of this framework signals a number of critical issues related to the focus/rationale, methods and impact of interventions into EFH that should be considered in future work to address EFH, to ensure young people’s rights to privacy and participation are upheld.
Agronomic Practices for Reducing Soil Erosion in Hillside Vineyards under Atlantic Climatic Conditions (Galicia, Spain)
Authors: Mirás-Avalos José M. , Ramírez-Cuesta Juan M. , Fandiño María , Cancela Javier J. , Intrigliolo Diego S.
Published: April 2020

Water erosion is a severe threat to soil resources, especially on cultivated lands, such as vineyards, which are extremely susceptible to soil losses. In this context, management practices aiming at reducing erosion risks must be favored. This current study aimed at estimating soil losses in two vineyards under Atlantic climatic conditions (Galicia, North West Spain). The capacity of two management practices for reducing soil erosion was tested and compared with tilled soil in the inter-rows: (i) application of mulching, and (ii) maintaining native vegetation. Soil losses were assessed using erosion pins and micro-plots. In addition, the improved stock unearthing method (ISUM) was employed in one of the vineyards to estimate soil remobilization since plantation. Soil loss rates in one of the vineyards were lower when soil was managed under mulching (0.36 Mg ha−1) and native vegetation (0.42 Mg ha−1), compared to tilled soil (0.84 Mg ha−1). Sediment losses measured in the second vineyard ranged between 0.21 and 0.69 Mg ha−1, depending on the treatment, but no clear conclusions could be drawn. Long-term soil loss, as estimated by ISUM, was of the same order of magnitude than that obtained by erosion pins and micro-plots. In both vineyards, soil loss rates were lower than those registered in Mediterranean vineyards, and were below the limit for sustainable erosion in Europe. Nevertheless, soil management practices alternative to tillage in the inter-row might reduce erosion risks under Atlantic climate conditions.
Towards a Sustainable Greenhouse: Review of Trends and Emerging Practices in Analysing Greenhouse Ventilation Requirements to Sustain Maximum Agricultural Yield
Authors: Akrami Mohammad , Salah Alaa H. , Javadi Akbar A. , Fath Hassan E.S. , Hassanein Matthew J. , Farmani Raziyeh , Dibaj Mahdieh , Negm Abdelazim
Published: April 2020

Cultivation in open fields mainly depends on the location and time of farming, which itself highly depends on the quality and quantity of water for irrigation, weather conditions and soil characteristics. Water resources are highly dependent on the limited freshwater resources from the groundwater system, or rainwater. Countries in MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) rely mostly on desalination technologies for agriculture, due to water scarcity. Therefore, greenhouse (GH) agriculture can be developed to succeed in dealing with the water scarcity and provide sufficient sources of agricultural products as a sustainable solution. These indoor agriculture facilities, which are enclosed by transparent covers, can produce different sources of fruits and vegetables, using a controlled amount of water. By reducing the exchange rate of air with the outside environment, which is known as the confinement effects, greenhouses generate a suitable environment for the plants to grow under transparent covers to trap the sunlight. This raises the inside temperature above the maximum threshold levels, especially within the warm season, due to the high solar radiation intensity, having an adverse influence on the microclimate conditions and consequently the crop growth. In order to sustain maximum agricultural yield, greenhouse ventilation is an important parameter in which its trends and emerging practices were reviewed in this study.
Pedestrian–Vehicle Interaction at Unsignalized Crosswalks: A Systematic Review
Authors: Amado Harley , Ferreira Sara , Tavares José Pedro , Ribeiro Paulo , Freitas Elisabete
Published: April 2020

A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), to generate a document that supports the development of future research, compiling the various studies focused on the analysis of the pedestrian-vehicle interaction at unsignalized crosswalks. Firstly, 381 studies were identified by applying the search protocol in the database sources; however, only nine studies were included in this review because most of the studies are not focused on this type of crosswalks or have not considered the micro-simulation perspective. For each study, an analysis of the used methodology for data collection was carried out, in addition to what type of model it was applied, including the variables that represent the PVI (Pedestrian-Vehicle Interaction). The outcomes obtained by this systematic review show that although the video camera observation technique is the most used, it is possible to complement them with other tools to add specific field information. Additionally, variables such as the adjacent yields, speed variables vehicles, pedestrian attitude, and the number of pedestrians waiting at the crossing were those most used in the cellular automata model or micro-simulation, which are the commonly developed models to simulate this interaction.
The Methodology of Landscape Quality (LQ) Indicators Analysis Based on Remote Sensing Data: Polish National Parks Case Study
Authors: Sowińska-Świerkosz Barbara , Michalik-Śnieżek Malwina
Published: April 2020

Landscape quality (LQ) encompasses diverse characteristic of the natural and cultural environment. The most effective tool to analyze LQ is the use of indicators. The main problem in the assessment of LQ is not the lack of indicators, but its multitude. That is why, the indicators’ categorization is a problematic issue. The paper aims to introduce and test the methodology for selecting the suitable indicators based on the example of two national parks located in the south-east part of Poland. The method composed of the following stages: (1) Selection of spatial units being analyzed; (2) selection of indicators type(s); (3) selection of specific indicators; (4) calculation of indicator set no 1; (5) analysis of the correlation between indicators’ pairs; (6) selection of a final set of indicators; (7) analysis of effectiveness. The latter stage, refers to the statistical analysis of significance between results obtained dependently on the data sources, a spatial unit of analysis and analyzed regions. The results showed that the categorization composed of ten, mainly composite indicators, can be applied to conclude on different levels of LQ of protected areas. The differences between two analyzed data sources, different spatial units, as well as diverse regions, occurred to be statistically insignificant. Generally, the results of the effectiveness analysis showed that a final categorization of LQ indicators is adequate to conclude on the diverse dimensions of LQ of analyzed protected areas.
The Role of Universities in a Sustainable Society. Why Value-Free Research is Neither Possible nor Desirable
Authors: Vogt Markus , Weber Christoph
Published: April 2020

The current climate crisis confronts us with a deep discrepancy between knowledge and action. Therefore, this article is looking for a readjustment of the relationship between science and society. The positivist self-understanding of science and its fragmented organizational form lead to a marginalization of ethical questions. Instead, sustainability calls for a re-examination of the preconditions and embedding contexts of supposedly value-free research. Faced with the increasing complexity of the modern world, ethics must spell out a new “grammar of responsibility” that addresses the prevalent “declamatory overload of responsibility”. Ethicists can fulfil this role by uncovering and regulating conflicting goals and dilemmas. Instead of playing the role of “marginal echo chambers”, universities ought to assume their social responsibility as structural policy actors. This article suggests a methodology of responsible research as a specific ethical contribution to the model of “transformative” and “catalytic” science for a “post-normal age”. True to their founding mission, academia should herald a “New Enlightenment” that is more self-reflexive regarding its own practical and ethical preconditions, foundations, and consequences. This article presents a possible practical method for fostering the dialogue between the natural sciences and the humanities and to link research, education, practice, and social communication in new ways. It is concluded that a foundation of a whole-rationality approach with a multidimensional understanding of wisdom and, respectively, rationality and sagacity is necessary for sustainable universities.
Why Are Consumers Willing to Pay More for Liquid Foods in Environmentally Friendly Packaging? A Dual Attitudes Perspective
Authors: Popovic Igor , Bossink Bart A. G. , van der Sijde Peter C. , Fong Christine Y. M.
Published: April 2020

Considering that one of the key components of liquid food in environmentally friendly packaging is its higher price, it may not be appealing to all consumers. However, a growing body of evidence has shown that the sale of liquid food in environmentally friendly packaging is increasing. The purpose of this study was to analyze why consumers are willing to pay more for liquid food in environmentally friendly packaging. Drawing on the theory of dual attitudes by Wilson, Lindsey, and Schooler, this study proposes that consumer purchasing behavior can be explained through implicit and explicit attitudes. Moreover, a consumer’s ecoliteracy and ecofriendly lifestyle might be important predictors of consumer attitudes toward environmentally friendly packaging. Our conceptual model was tested on survey data from 11 countries, with a total of 7028 respondents. The study revealed that consumers’ willingness to pay a higher price for liquid food in environmentally friendly packaging could be predicted by their positive attitudes toward (a) the environmental friendliness of the packaging, (b) the brand of the liquid food, and (c) the affordability of the liquid food in the environmentally friendly packaging. Ecoliteracy and having an ecofriendly lifestyle were found to be important predictors of consumer attitudes toward environmentally friendly packaging. This study contributes to the literature that aims to explain consumers’ willingness to pay more for food in environmentally friendly packaging. It identifies how much more consumers are willing to pay for food in environmentally friendly packaging and why.
The Impact of Relationship Trust, Environmental Protection Awareness, and Regenerative Innovation on Environmental Performance: A Case Study of the Industrial Waste Industry
Authors: Yeh Wen-Chih , Tseng Ming-Hsun , Lee Chun-Chang , Yu Cheng
Published: April 2020

In order to expand on the scope of research on partnership governance, this study explored the impact of relationship trust, stakeholder environmental awareness, and regenerative innovation on environmental performance. The study participants were primarily employees of legitimate public waste disposal and treatment facilities in the six special municipalities of Taiwan (including domestic and overseas facilities). The investigation was conducted via a questionnaire survey. A total of 1000 questionnaires were distributed and 550 were recovered, of which 539 were valid, indicating an effective recovery rate of 53.9%. Data analysis was conducted by structural equation modeling. The empirical results showed that relationship trust had a significant and positive impact on stakeholders’ environmental awareness, which, in turn, had a significant and positive impact on regenerative innovation. Relationship trust had no direct and significant impact on regenerative innovation. Hence, the impact of relationship trust on regenerative innovation is mediated by stakeholders’ environmental awareness. The results also showed that regenerative innovation had a significant and positive impact on environmental management performance, and no significant impact on environmental operational performance. Hence, the impact of regenerative innovation on environmental management performance is not mediated by environmental operational performance.
Consumers’ Preferences for Wine Attributes: A Best-Worst Scaling Analysis
Authors: Stanco Marcello , Lerro Marco , Marotta Giuseppe
Published: April 2020

The current paper aims to explore consumers’ preferences for wine attributes related to tradition, sustainability, and innovation. A total of 419 regular wine consumers participated in an online survey that took place in Italy. Consumers’ preferences were assessed through a Best-Worst experiment with 11 wine attributes drawn from the literature. The result shows that the wine attributes, more important for consumers, are mainly related to tradition and sustainability. More specifically, the most important attributes for consumers when purchasing wine are “geographical indications”, “grape variety”, “sustainable certification”, “vintage”, and “price”. By contrast, the innovative wine attributes investigated were ranked among the least important ones, namely “canned wine”, “alcohol-free wine”, and “vegan wine”. The study findings offer several implications for wineries and marketers involved in the wine sector. They specifically provide suggestions on the wine attribute wineries should focus on to meet the current consumers’ preferences.
A Study on the Value of Preserving a Parasitic Volcanic Sieve as a Tourism Good for Sustainable Management: Using the Contingent Valuation Method
Authors: Lee Won Seok
Published: April 2020

The purpose of this study is to estimate the economic value of Geomun Oreum (GO), a parasitic volcanic sieve, for sustainable management by using the dichotomous choice contingent valuation method. To address the exaggeration tendency of willingness to pay (WTP), the contingent valuation method’s (CVM’s) traditional threshold, respondents’ WTP answers were reconfirmed to screen only true responses for our analysis. In addition to estimating the economic value, the causal relationship between the tour guide’s quality of explanation and the respondents’ payment intention is examined in the study. The results reveal that the estimated preservation value of GO is 35,881 KRW (33.28 USD), and the quality of the tour guide’s narrative is statistically related to the respondents’ payment intention.
A GL Model on Thermo-Elastic Interaction in a Poroelastic Material Using Finite Element Method
Authors: Saeed Tareq , Abbas Ibrahim , Marin Marin
Published: April 2020

The purpose of this study is to provide a method to investigate the effects of thermal relaxation times in a poroelastic material by using the finite element method. The formulations are applied under the Green and Lindsay model, with four thermal relaxation times. Due to the complex governing equation, the finite element method has been used to solve these problems. All physical quantities are presented as symmetric and asymmetric tensors. The effects of thermal relaxation times and porosity in a poro-thermoelastic medium are studied. Numerical computations for temperatures, displacements and stresses for the liquid and the solid are presented graphically.
The Generalized Neutrosophic Cubic Aggregation Operators and Their Application to Multi-Expert Decision-Making Method
Authors: Khan Majid , Gulistan Muhammad , Ali Mumtaz , Chammam Wathek
Published: April 2020

In the modern world, the computation of vague data is a challenging job. Different theories are presented to deal with such situations. Amongst them, fuzzy set theory and its extensions produced remarkable results. Samrandache extended the theory to a new horizon with the neutrosophic set (NS), which was further extended to interval neutrosophic set (INS). Neutrosophic cubic set (NCS) is the generalized version of NS and INS. This characteristic makes it an exceptional choice to deal with vague and imprecise data. Aggregation operators are key features of decision-making theory. In recent times several aggregation operators were defined in NCS. The intent of this paper is to generalize these aggregation operators by presenting neutrosophic cubic generalized unified aggregation (NCGUA) and neutrosophic cubic quasi-generalized unified aggregation (NCQGUA) operators. The accuracy and precision are a vital tool to minimize the potential threat in decision making. Generally, in decision making methods, alternatives and criteria are considered to evaluate the better outcome. However, sometimes the decision making environment has more components to express the problem completely. These components are named as the state of nature corresponding to each criterion. This complex frame of work is dealt with by presenting the multi-expert decision-making method (MEDMM).
Two New Asymmetric Boolean Chaos Oscillators with No Dependence on Incommensurate Time-Delays and Their Circuit Implementation
Authors: Munoz-Pacheco Jesus M. , García-Chávez Tonatiuh , Gonzalez-Diaz Victor R. , de La Fuente-Cortes Gisela , del Carmen Gómez-Pavón Luz del Carmen
Published: April 2020

This manuscript introduces two new chaotic oscillators based on autonomous Boolean networks (ABN), preserving asymmetrical logic functions. That means that the ABNs require a combination of XOR-XNOR logic functions. We demonstrate analytically that the two ABNs do not have fixed points, and therefore, can evolve to Boolean chaos. Using the Lyapunov exponent’s method, we also prove the chaotic behavior, generated by the proposed chaotic oscillators, is insensitive to incommensurate time-delays paths. As a result, they can be implemented using distinct electronic circuits. More specifically, logic-gates–, GAL–, and FPGA–based implementations verify the theoretical findings. An integrated circuit using a CMOS 180nm fabrication technology is also presented to get a compact chaos oscillator with relatively high-frequency. Dynamical behaviors of those implementations are analyzed using time-series, time-lag embedded attractors, frequency spectra, Poincaré maps, and Lyapunov exponents.
Ritz Method in Vibration Analysis for Embedded Single-Layered Graphene Sheets Subjected to In-Plane Magnetic Field
Authors: Mazur Olga , Awrejcewicz Jan
Published: April 2020

Vibrations of single-layered graphene sheets subjected to a longitudinal magnetic field are considered. The Winkler-type and Pasternak-type foundation models are employed to reproduce the surrounding elastic medium. The governing equation is based on the modified couple stress theory and Kirchhoff–Love hypotheses. The effect of the magnetic field is taken into account due to the Lorentz force deriving from Maxwell’s equations. The developed approach is based on applying the Ritz method. The proposed method is tested by a comparison with results from the existing literature. The numerical calculations are performed for different boundary conditions, including the mixed ones. The influence of the material length scale parameter, the elastic foundation parameters, the magnetic parameter and the boundary conditions on vibration frequencies is studied. It is observed that an increase of the magnetic parameter, as well as the elastic foundation parameters, brings results closer to the classical plate theory results. Furthermore, the current study can be applied to the design of microplates and nanoplates and their optimal usage.
On the Cauchy Problem of Vectorial Thermostatted Kinetic Frameworks
Authors: Bianca Carlo , Carbonaro Bruno , Menale Marco
Published: April 2020

This paper is devoted to the derivation and mathematical analysis of new thermostatted kinetic theory frameworks for the modeling of nonequilibrium complex systems composed by particles whose microscopic state includes a vectorial state variable. The mathematical analysis refers to the global existence and uniqueness of the solution of the related Cauchy problem. Specifically, the paper is divided in two parts. In the first part the thermostatted framework with a continuous vectorial variable is proposed and analyzed. The framework consists of a system of partial integro-differential equations with quadratic type nonlinearities. In the second part the thermostatted framework with a discrete vectorial variable is investigated. Real world applications, such as social systems and crowd dynamics, and future research directions are outlined in the paper.
Learning the Kinematics of a Manipulator Based on VQTAM
Authors: Lan Luo , Li Hou , Yang Wu , Yongqiao Wei , Qi Zhang
Published: April 2020

The kinematics of a robotic manipulator is critical to the real-time performance and robustness of the robot control system. This paper proposes a surrogate model of inverse kinematics for the serial six-degree of freedom (6-DOF) robotic manipulator, based on its kinematics symmetry. Herein, the inverse kinematics model is derived via the training of the Vector-Quantified Temporal Associative Memory (VQTAM) network, which originates from Self-Organized Mapping (SOM). During the processes of training, testing, and estimating of this neural network, a priority K-means tree search algorithm is utilized, thus improving the training efficacy. Furthermore, Local Linear Regression (LLR), Local Weighted Linear Regression (LWR), and Local Linear Embedding (LLE) algorithms are, respectively, combined with VQTAM to obtain three improvement algorithms, all of which aim to further optimize the prediction accuracy of the networks for subsequent comparison and selection. To speed up the solving of the least squared equation, which is common among the three algorithms, Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is introduced. Finally, data from forward kinematics, in the form of the exponential product of a motion screw, are obtained, and are used for the construction and validation of the VQTAM neural network. Our results show that the prediction effect of the LLE algorithm is better than others, and that the LLE algorithm is a potential surrogate model to estimate the output of inverse kinematics.
A Self-Adaptive Extra-Gradient Methods for a Family of Pseudomonotone Equilibrium Programming with Application in Different Classes of Variational Inequality Problems
Authors: Rehman Habib ur , Kumam Poom , Argyros Ioannis K. , Alreshidi Nasser Aedh , Kumam Wiyada , Jirakitpuwapat Wachirapong
Published: April 2020

The main objective of this article is to propose a new method that would extend Popov’s extragradient method by changing two natural projections with two convex optimization problems. We also show the weak convergence of our designed method by taking mild assumptions on a cost bifunction. The method is evaluating only one value of the bifunction per iteration and it is uses an explicit formula for identifying the appropriate stepsize parameter for each iteration. The variable stepsize is going to be effective for enhancing iterative algorithm performance. The variable stepsize is updating for each iteration based on the previous iterations. After numerical examples, we conclude that the effect of the inertial term and variable stepsize has a significant improvement over the processing time and number of iterations.
Individual and Combined Effect of Zearalenone Derivates and Beauvericin Mycotoxins on SH-SY5Y Cells
Authors: Agahi Fojan , Font Guillermina , Juan Cristina , Juan-García Ana
Published: April 2020

Beauvericin (BEA) and zearalenone derivatives, α-zearalenol (α-ZEL), and β-zearalenol (β-ZEL), are produced by several Fusarium species. Considering the impact of various mycotoxins on human’s health, this study determined and evaluated the cytotoxic effect of individual, binary, and tertiary mycotoxin treatments consisting of α-ZEL, β-ZEL, and BEA at different concentrations over 24, 48, and 72 h on SH-SY5Y neuronal cells, by using the MTT assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5diphenyltetrazoliumbromide). Subsequently, the isobologram method was applied to elucidate if the mixtures produced synergism, antagonism, or additive effects. Ultimately, we determined the amount of mycotoxin recovered from the media after treatment using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–qTOF-MS). The IC50 values detected at all assayed times ranged from 95 to 0.2 μM for the individual treatments. The result indicated that β-ZEL was the most cytotoxic mycotoxin when tested individually. The major effect detected for all combinations assayed was synergism. Among the combinations assayed, α-ZEL + β-ZEL + BEA and α-ZEL + BEA presented the highest cytotoxic potential with respect to the IC value. In individual treatment, α-ZEL was the most recovered mycotoxin; while, this was observed for BEA in binary combination α-ZEL + BEA.
Plastics in Cyanobacterial Blooms—Genotoxic Effects of Binary Mixtures of Cylindrospermopsin and Bisphenols in HepG2 Cells
Authors: Hercog Klara , Štern Alja , Maisanaba Sara , Filipič Metka , Žegura Bojana
Published: April 2020

Ever-expanding environmental pollution is causing a rise in cyanobacterial blooms and the accumulation of plastics in water bodies. Consequently, exposure to mixtures of cyanotoxins and plastic-related contaminants such as bisphenols (BPs) is of increasing concern. The present study describes genotoxic effects induced by co-exposure to one of the emerging cyanotoxins—cylindrospermopsin (CYN)—(0.5 µg/mL) and BPs (bisphenol A (BPA), S (BPS), and F (BPF); (10 µg/mL)) in HepG2 cells after 24 and 72 h of exposure. The cytotoxicity was evaluated with an MTS assay and genotoxicity was assessed through the measurement of the induction of DNA double strand breaks (DSB) with the γH2AX assay. The deregulation of selected genes (xenobiotic metabolic enzyme genes, DNA damage, and oxidative response genes) was assessed using qPCR. The results showed a moderate reduction of cell viability and induction of DSBs after 72 h of exposure to the CYN/BPs mixtures and CYN alone. None of the BPs alone reduced cell viability or induced DSBs. No significant difference was observed between CYN and CYN/BPs exposed cells, except with CYN/BPA, where the antagonistic activity of BPA against CYN was indicated. The deregulation of some of the tested genes (CYP1A1, CDKN1A, GADD45A, and GCLC) was more pronounced after exposure to the CYN/BPs mixtures compared to single compounds, suggesting additive or synergistic action. The present study confirms the importance of co-exposure studies, as our results show pollutant mixtures to induce effects different from those confirmed for single compounds.
Identification of Mosquito Bloodmeals Collected in Diverse Habitats in Malaysian Borneo Using COI Barcoding
Authors: Young Katherine I. , Medwid Joseph T. , Azar Sasha R. , Huff Robert M. , Drumm Hannah , Coffey Lark L. , Pitts R. Jason , Buenemann Michaela , Vasilakis Nikos , Perera David , Hanley Kathryn A.
Published: April 2020

Land cover and land use change (LCLUC) acts as a catalyst for spillover of arthropod-borne pathogens into novel hosts by shifting host and vector diversity, abundance, and distribution, ultimately reshaping host–vector interactions. Identification of bloodmeals from wild-caught mosquitoes provides insight into host utilization of particular species in particular land cover types, and hence their potential role in pathogen maintenance and spillover. Here, we collected 134 blood-engorged mosquitoes comprising 10 taxa across 9 land cover types in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, a region experiencing intense LCLUC and concomitant spillover of arthropod-borne pathogens. Host sources of blood were successfully identified for 116 (87%) mosquitoes using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding. A diverse range of hosts were identified, including reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Sixteen engorged Aedes albopictus, a major vector of dengue virus, were collected from seven land cover types and found to feed exclusively on humans (73%) and boar (27%). Culex tritaeniohynchus (n = 2), Cx. gelidus (n = 3), and Cx. quiquefasciatus (n = 3), vectors of Japanese encephalitis virus, fed on humans and pigs in the rural built-up land cover, creating potential transmission networks between these species. Our data support the use of COI barcoding to characterize mosquito–host networks in a biodiversity hotspot.
Successive Passage In Vitro Led to Lower Virulence and Higher Titer of A Variant Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus
Authors: Zhao Pengwei , Wang Song , Chen Zhi , Yu Jiang , Tang Rongzhi , Qiu Wenbin , Zhao Lu , Liu Yueyue , Guo Xiaozhen , He Hongbin , Xu Guanlong , Li Jinxiang , Wu Jiaqiang
Published: April 2020

A highly virulent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) appeared in China and spread rapidly to neighbor countries, which have led to great economic losses to the pig industry. In the present study, we isolated a PEDV using Vero cells and serially propagated 100 passages. PEDV SDSX16 was characterized in vitro and in vivo. The viral titers increased to 107.6 TCID50/mL (100th) by serial passages. The spike (S) gene and the whole gene of the SDSX16 virus was fully sequenced to assess the genetic stability and relatedness to previously identified PEDV. Along with successive passage in vitro, there were 18 nucleotides (nt) deletion occurred in the spike (S) gene resulting in a deletion of six amino acids when the SDSX16 strain was passaged to the 64th generation, and this deletion was stable until the P100. However, the ORF1a/b, M, N, E, and ORF3 genes had only a few point mutations in amino acids and no deletions. According to growth kinetics experiments, the SDSX16 deletion strain significantly enhanced its replication in Vero cells since it was passaged to the 64th generation. The animal studies showed that PEDV SDSX16-P10 caused more severe diarrhea and vomiting, fecal shedding, and acute atrophic enteritis than SDSX16-P75, indicating that SDSX16-P10 is enteropathogenic in the natural host, and the pathogenicity of SDSX16 decreased with successive passage in vitro. However, SDSX16-P10 was found to cause lower levels of cytokine expression than SDSX16-P75 using real-time PCR and flow cytometry, such as IL1β, IL6, IFN-β, TNF-α, indicating that SDSX16-P10 might inhibit the expression of cytokines. Our data indicated that successive passage in vitro resulted in virulent attenuation in vivo of the PEDV variant strain SDSX16.