bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radioimmunotherapy in Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Retrospective Adverse Event Profiling of Zevalin and Bexxar
Authors: Sachpekidis Christos , Jackson David B. , Soldatos Theodoros G.
Published: September 2019

The development of monoclonal antibodies has dramatically changed the outcome of patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), the most common hematological malignancy. However, despite the satisfying results of monoclonal antibody treatment, only few NHL patients are permanently cured with single-agent therapies. In this context, radioimmunotherapy, the administration of radionuclides conjugated to monoclonal antibodies, is aimed to augment the single-agent efficacy of immunotherapy in order to deliver targeted radiation to tumors, particularly CD20+ B-cell lymphomas. Based on evidence from several trials in NHL, the radiolabeled antibodies 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals) and 131I-tositumomab (Bexxar, GlaxoSmithKline) received FDA approval in 2002 and 2003, respectively. However, none of the two radioimmunotherapeutic agents has been broadly applied in clinical practice. The main reason for the under-utilization of radioimmunotherapy includes economic and logistic considerations. However, concerns about potential side effects have also been raised. Driven by these developments, we performed retrospective analysis of adverse events reporting Zevalin or Bexxar, extracted from the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the World Health Organization’s VigiBase repository. Our results indicate that the two radioimmunotherapeutic agents have both related and distinct side effect profiles and confirm their known toxicological considerations. Our work also suggests that computational analysis of real-world post-marketing data can provide informative clinical insights. While more prospective studies are necessary to fully characterize the efficacy and safety of radioimmunotherapy, we expect that it has not yet reached its full therapeutic potential in modern hematological oncology.
Tamoxifen Protects from Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Infection
Authors: Cham Lamin B. , Friedrich Sarah-Kim , Adomati Tom , Bhat Hilal , Schiller Maximilian , Bergerhausen Michael , Hamdan Thamer , Li Fanghui , Machlah Yara Maria , Ali Murtaza , Duhan Vikas , Lang Karl Sebastian , Friebus-Kardash Justa , Lang Judith
Published: September 2019

Background: Tamoxifen (TAM) is an estrogen-receptor antagonist, widely used in the adjuvant treatment of early stage estrogen-sensitive breast cancer. Several studies have revealed new biological targets of TAM that mediate the estrogen receptor independent activities of the drug. Recently, the antiviral activity of TAM on replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) in vitro was described. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of TAM on infection with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Methods: Vero cells were treated with different concentrations of TAM for 24 h and then infected with VSV. Additionally, C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with 4 mg TAM, one day and three days before infection with VSV. Results: Treatment of Vero cells with TAM suppressed the viral replication of VSV in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effect of TAM on VSV replication correlated with an enhanced interferon-I response and stimulation of macrophages. Conclusions: TAM was identified as being capable to protect from VSV infection in vitro and in vivo. Consequently, this antiviral function (as an advantageous side-effect of TAM) might give rise to new clinical applications, such as treatment of resistant virus infections, or serve as an add-on to standard antiviral therapy.
Linear and Nonlinear Dynamic Behavior of Polymer Micellar Assemblies Connected by Metallo-Supramolecular Interactions
Authors: Yan Zhi-Chao , Stadler Florian J. , Guillet Pierre , Mugemana Clément , Fustin Charles-André , Gohy Jean-François , Bailly Christian
Published: September 2019

The linear and nonlinear rheology of associative colloidal polymer assemblies with metallo-supramolecular interactions is herein studied. Polystyrene-b-poly(tert-butylacrylate) with a terpyridine ligand at the end of the acrylate block is self-assembled into micelles in ethanol, a selective solvent for the latter block, and supramolecularly connected by complexation to divalent metal ions. The dependence of the system elasticity on polymer concentration can be semi-quantitatively understood by a geometrical packing model. For strongly associated (Ni2+, Fe2+) and sufficiently concentrated systems (15 w/v%), any given ligand end-group has a virtually 100% probability of being located in an overlapping hairy region between two micelles. By assuming a 50% probability of intermicellar crosslinks being formed, an excellent prediction of the plateau modulus was achieved and compared with the experimental results. For strongly associated but somewhat more dilute systems (12 w/v%) that still have significant overlap between hairy regions, the experimental modulus was lower than the predicted value, as the effective number of crosslinkers was further reduced along with possible density heterogeneities. The reversible destruction of the network by shear forces can be observed from the strain dependence of the storage and loss moduli. The storage moduli of the Ni2+ and Zn2+ systems at a lower concentration (12 w/v%) showed a rarely observed feature (i.e., a peak at the transition from linear to nonlinear regime). This peak disappeared at a higher concentration (15 w/v%). This behavior can be rationalized based on concentration-dependent network stretchability.
Optically Pumped Intensive Light Amplification from a Blue Oligomer
Authors: Aljaafreh Mamduh J. , Prasad Saradh , AlSalhi Mohamad S. , Alahmed Zeyad A. , Al-Mogren Muneerah M.
Published: September 2019

We demonstrated the time-resolved dynamics of laser action from the conductive oligomer (CO) 1,4-Bis(9-ethyl-3-carbazo-vinylene)-9,9-dihexyl-fluorene (BECV-DHF). Absorption and fluorescence spectra were studied for BECV-DHF in different solvents under a wide range of concentrations. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectrum was measured using simulation and experiments. The Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS) spectra of the BECV-DHF were simulated in two different solutions. This CO formed a dimer and had two vibration bands in nonpolar solvents, partially dissolved in polar protic solvents, and created an H-type aggregate in polar aprotic solvents. BECV-DHF produced amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) at 464 nm in many solvents. The high efficiency of ASE is due to the waveguiding and self-assembly nature of the oligomer, which is very rare for optically pumped systems. However, BECV-DHF did not produce ASE in polar protic solvents. BECV-DHF produced ASE in both longitudinal and transverse pumping, and the full-width half maximum (FWHM) was 4 nm and 8 nm respectively for different solvents, such as toluene and acetone. The CO had a very low threshold pump energy (~0.5 mJ). The ASE efficiency was approximately 20%. The time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS) studies showed a temporal Gaussian-shaped ASE output from this CO. BECV-DHF shows remarkably high stability compare to the conjugated polymer (CP) PFO-co-pX.
Fluorinated Montmorillonite Composite Resin as a Dental Pit and Fissure Sealant
Authors: Li Keng-Yuan , Tsai Cheng-Chia , Fang Chih-Hsiang , Wang Yin-Lin , Lin Feng-Huei , Lin Chun-Pin
Published: September 2019

Molar pits and fissures tend to be affected by caries due to cleaning difficulties. As such, the filling of pits and cracks with sealants is common to deter the onset of caries. However, current clinical practices rely on sealants that lack the ability to release and recharge fluoride ions. Thus, we herein report the development of a fluoride—montmorillonite nanocomposite resin that has the potential to provide sustained release of fluoride due to the strong adsorption of fluoride by montmorillonite. X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to confirm the successful insertion of the polymer into the interlayer structure. The mechanical properties (viscosity, hardening depth, hardness, diametral tensile strength, flexural strength, and wear resistance) of the developed composite resin were then examined, and simulation of the oral environment demonstrated a good fluoride ion release and recharge ability for the effective prevention of dental caries. Finally, we demonstrated the non-cytotoxic nature of this material using the water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) test. We expect that the described fluoride-containing composite resin may become a new clinical option in the near future.
Some Foundational Considerations on Taxonomy: A Case for Hagiography
Authors: Rondolino Massimo A.
Published: September 2019

Since its now notorious mid-1800s historiographical positivist critiques, the term hagiography was often contested as a valid and valuable category for the comparative study of religious phenomena. This essay argues for the perpetuation and careful use of the term hagiography and its cognates in comparative contexts. Drawing from my work on the narrative traditions of the medieval Christian Saint Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) and the Tibetan Buddhist Milarepa (c. 1052–1135), I offer a revised definition of hagiography that reflects the nexus of behaviors, practice, beliefs, and productions through which a community constructs the memory of a human being it considers to have embodied religious perfection. I then suggest that the category, so redefined, allows us to more readily and accurately characterize these kinds of narratives. Consequently, we can easily apprehend them as emic historiographical creations that situate a given community between past and future in light of a given theory of truth, embodied in the literary saintly figure. This, eventually, orients individuals and communities, doctrines, and practices within a historical timeframe.
The Interannual Calibration and Global Nighttime Light Fluctuation Assessment Based on Pixel-Level Linear Regression Analysis
Authors: Zheng Zihao , Yang Zhiwei , Chen Yingbiao , Wu Zhifeng , Marinello Francesco
Published: September 2019

The Operational Linescan System (OLS) carried by the National Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) can capture the weak visible radiation emitted from earth at night and produce a series of annual cloudless nighttime light (NTL) images, effectively supporting multi-scale, long-term human activities and urbanization process research. However, the interannual instability and sensor bias of NTL time series products greatly limit further studies of lighting data in time series with OLS. Several calibration models for OLS have been proposed to implement interannual corrections to improve the continuity and consistency of time series NTL products; however, due to the subjective factors intervention and insufficient automation in the calibration process, the interannual correction study of NTL time series images is still worth being developed further. Therefore, to avoid the involvement of subjective factors and to optimize the Pseudo-Invariant Features (PIF) identification, an interannual calibration model Pixel-based PIF (PBPIF) is proposed, which identifies PIF by pixel fluctuation characteristics. Results show that a PBPIF-based model can reduce subjective interference and improve the degree of automation during the NTL interannual calibration process. The calibration performance evaluation based on Total Sum of Lights (TSOL) and Sum of the Normalized Difference Index (SNDI) shows that compared to the traditional PIF-based (tPIF-based) and Ridgeline Sampling Regression based (RSR-based) models, the PBPIF-based one achieves better performance in reducing NTL interannual turbulence and minimizing the deviation between sensors. In addition, based on the corrected NTL time series products, pixel-level linear regression analysis is implemented to maximize the potential of the NTL resolution to produce global Light Intensity Change Coefficient (LICC). The results of global LICC can be widely applied to the detailed study of the characteristics of economic development and urbanization.
MODIS Aqua Reflective Solar Band Calibration for NASA’s R2018 Ocean Color Products
Authors: Lee Shihyan , Meister Gerhard , Franz Bryan
Published: September 2019

Remote-sensing ocean color products have stringent requirements on radiometric calibration stability. To address a calibration deficiency in Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua in recent years, the NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) developed a new calibration for reflective solar bands. Prior to the reprocessing of NASA’s ocean color products for 2018 (R2018), the OBPG MODIS products had been based on calibration provided by the MODIS Calibration Support Team (MCST). Several modifications were made to the MCST calibration approach to improve the calibration accuracy for ocean color products. These include (1) applying 936-nm detector normalization to solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) data to reduce coherent noise; (2) modeling solar diffuser (SD) degradation wavelength dependency to determine SD degradation in near-infrared and shortwave infrared wavelengths; (3) computing detector gains using SD screen-closed data to better match ocean radiance levels in all bands; (4) performing a simple atmospheric correction to reduce bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) effects in desert trends; (5) estimating and using modulated relative spectral response (RSR) impact on ocean data to adjust the calibration coefficients; (6) using smoothing to characterize the temporal change in calibration; and characterizing response versus scan angle (RVS) changes using 2nd-order polynomials to improve spatial/temporal calibration stability. Relative to the previous R2014 ocean color products, the R2018 calibration removed the suspect late-mission global trends in blue-band water-leaving reflectance and some anomalously large short-term variability (spikes) in the temporal trend of chlorophyll concentration. This paper will describe the OBPG calibration with a focus on the differences between the MCST and OBPG approaches.
TSM—Tracing Surface Motion: A Generic Toolbox for Analyzing Ground-Based Image Time Series of Slope Deformation
Authors: Desrues Mathilde , Malet Jean-Philippe , Brenguier Ombeline , Point Julien , Stumpf André , Lorier Lionel
Published: September 2019

Passive sensors such as multi-spectral (e.g., Single Lens Reflex, SLR) cameras are increasingly being used for geohazards monitoring (landslides, cliffs affected by rock falls, ice glaciers, and volcano flanks) because of their low cost compared to expensive terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) or radar imaging (GB-InSAR) systems. Indeed, due to the large consumer market, sensor resolution and quality (e.g., gain, dynamic range, and geometry) are increasing rapidly. For gravitational processes, such as landslides, recent research has focused on the development and implementation of image correlation techniques to estimate the spatial shift between at least a pair of images by maximizing a cross-correlation function. A generic and fully automated pipeline is proposed for the processing of long image time series acquired for several site configurations. The system associates modules for 1) the selection of the image sequences, 2) the registration of the image stacks and the correction of the camera movements, and 3) the calculation of the terrain motion using change detection approaches. The system is based on the open-source photogrammetric library MicMac and tailored for the processing of monoscopic images. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to design and test the image processing for two use cases respectively the Chambon landslide (Isère, France) characterized by slow motion (< 10 cm.day−1), and the Pas de l’Ours landslide (Hautes-Alpes, France) characterized by moderate motion (> 50 cm.day−1). Four categories of parameters are tested: the image modality, the image matching parameters, the size of the stable area used in the co-registration stage, and the strategy used to combine the images in the time series. The application of the pipeline on the two use cases provides information about the kinematics and the spatial behavior of the landslides.
Decreasing Trend of Geohazards Induced by the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake Inferred from Time Series NDVI Data
Authors: Ni Zhongyun , Yang Zhenyu , Li Weile , Zhao Yinbing , He Zhengwei
Published: September 2019

The occurrence of aftershocks and geohazards (landslides, collapses, and debris flows) decreases with time following a major earthquake. The 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake in Sichuan, China, provides the opportunity to characterize the subsequent spatiotemporal evolution of geohazards. Following the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, the incidence of geohazards first increased sharply, representing a “post-earthquake effect”, before starting to decrease. We compared the spatial distribution of the area affected by vegetation damage (AVD) triggered by large and medium-scale geohazards (LMG). We studied the interval prior to the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake (2001–2007), the co-seismic period (2008), and the post-earthquake interval (2009–2016) and characterized the trend of decreasing geohazards at a macro scale. In vegetated areas, geohazards often seriously damage the vegetation, resulting in pronounced contrasts with the surrounding surface in terms of color tone, texture, morphology, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) which are evident in remote sensing images (RSI). In principle, it is possible to use the strong positive correlation between AVD and geohazards to determine indirectly the resulting vegetation and to monitor its spatiotemporal evolution. In this study we attempted to characterize the process of geohazard evolution in the region affected by the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake during 2001–2016. Our approach was to analyze the characteristics of areas with reduced vegetation coverage caused by LMG. Our principal findings are as follows: (i) Before the Wenchuan Earthquake (during 2001–2007), there was no evidence for a linear increase in the number of LMG with time; thus, the geological environment was relatively stable and the geohazards were mainly induced by rainfall events. (ii) The 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake was the main cause of a surge in geohazards in 2008, with the characteristics of seismogenic faults and strong aftershocks determining the spatial distribution of geohazards. (iii) Following the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake (during 2009–2016) the incidence of geohazards exhibited an oscillating pattern of attenuation, with a decreasing trend of higher-grade seismic intensity. The intensity of geohazards was related to rainfall and seismogenic faults, and also to the number, magnitude and depth of new earthquakes following the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. Our results provide a new perspective on the temporal pattern of attenuation of seismic geohazards, with implications for disaster prevention and mitigation and ecological restoration in the areas affected by the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake.
Investigating the Impact of Land Parcelization on Forest Composition and Structure in Southeastern Ohio Using Multi-Source Remotely Sensed Data
Authors: Zhu Xiaolin , Liu Desheng
Published: September 2019

Forestland parcelization (i.e., a process by which large parcels of forestland ownership are divided into many small parcels) presents an increasing challenge to sustainable forest development in the United States. In Southeastern Ohio, forests also experienced intensive forestland parcelization, where the majority of forest owners own parcels smaller than 10 acres currently. To better understand the impact of forestland parcelization on forest development, this study employed multi-source remotely sensed data and land ownership data in Hocking County, Ohio to examine the relationship between forestland parcel size and forest attributes, including forest composition and structure. Our results show that private forestland parcels are generally smaller than public forestland (the average parcel sizes are 21.5 vs. 275.0 acres). Compared with private lands, public lands have higher values in all forest attributes, including forest coverage, abundance of oak-dominant stands, canopy height and aboveground biomass. A further investigation focusing on private forestland reveals that smaller parcels tend to have smaller forest coverage, less greenness, lower height and aboveground biomass, indicating that forests in smaller parcels may experience more human disturbances than larger parcels. The results also show that logarithmic models can well quantify the non-linear relationship between forest attributes and parcel size in the study area. Our study suggests that forestland parcelization indeed has negative effects on forest development, so it is very important to take appropriate measures to protect forests in small ownership parcels.
Editorial for: Remote Sensing Methods and Applications for Traffic Meteorology
Authors: Jerg Matthias
Published: September 2019

Recently, remote sensing for traffic and especially aviation meteorology has become a focus of attention by the aviation industry and air navigation services [...]
A Review of Protocols for Fiducial Reference Measurements of Water-Leaving Radiance for Validation of Satellite Remote-Sensing Data over Water
Authors: Ruddick Kevin G. , Voss Kenneth , Boss Emmanuel , Castagna Alexandre , Frouin Robert , Gilerson Alex , Hieronymi Martin , Johnson B. Carol , Kuusk Joel , Lee Zhongping , Ondrusek Michael , Vabson Viktor , Vendt Riho
Published: September 2019

This paper reviews the state of the art of protocols for measurement of water-leaving radiance in the context of fiducial reference measurements (FRM) of water reflectance for satellite validation. Measurement of water reflectance requires the measurement of water-leaving radiance and downwelling irradiance just above water. For the former there are four generic families of method, based on: (1) underwater radiometry at fixed depths; or (2) underwater radiometry with vertical profiling; or (3) above-water radiometry with skyglint correction; or (4) on-water radiometry with skylight blocked. Each method is described generically in the FRM context with reference to the measurement equation, documented implementations and the intra-method diversity of deployment platform and practice. Ideal measurement conditions are stated, practical recommendations are provided on best practice and guidelines for estimating the measurement uncertainty are provided for each protocol-related component of the measurement uncertainty budget. The state of the art for measurement of water-leaving radiance is summarized, future perspectives are outlined, and the question of which method is best adapted to various circumstances (water type, wavelength) is discussed. This review is based on practice and papers of the aquatic optics community for the validation of water reflectance estimated from satellite data but can be relevant also for other applications such as the development or validation of algorithms for remote-sensing estimation of water constituents including chlorophyll a concentration, inherent optical properties and related products.
Potential of Passive Microwave around 183 GHz for Snowfall Detection in the Arctic
Authors: Edel Léo , Rysman Jean-François , Claud Chantal , Palerme Cyril , Genthon Christophe
Published: September 2019

This study evaluates the potential use of the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) for snowfall detection in the Arctic. Using two years of colocated MHS and CloudSat observations, we develop an algorithm that is able to detect up to 90% of the most intense snowfall events (snow water path ≥400 g m−2 and 50% of the weak snowfall rate events (snow water path ≤50 g m−2. The brightness temperatures at 190.3 GHz and 183.3 ± 3 GHz, the integrated water vapor, and the temperature at 2 m are identified as the most important variables for snowfall detection. The algorithm tends to underestimate the snowfall occurrence over Greenland and mountainous areas (by as much as −30%), likely due to the dryness of these areas, and to overestimate the snowfall occurrence over the northern part of the Atlantic (by up to 30%), likely due to the occurrence of mixed phase precipitation. An interpretation of the selection of the variables and their importance provides a better understanding of the snowfall detection algorithm. This work lays the foundation for the development of a snowfall rate quantification algorithm.
Recurrent Neural Network for Inertial Gait User Recognition in Smartphones
Authors: Fernandez-Lopez Pablo , Liu-Jimenez Judith , Kiyokawa Kiyoshi , Wu Yang , Sanchez-Reillo Raul
Published: September 2019

In this article, a gait recognition algorithm is presented based on the information obtained from inertial sensors embedded in a smartphone, in particular, the accelerometers and gyroscopes typically embedded on them. The algorithm processes the signal by extracting gait cycles, which are then fed into a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) to generate feature vectors. To optimize the accuracy of this algorithm, we apply a random grid hyperparameter selection process followed by a hand-tuning method to reach the final hyperparameter configuration. The different configurations are tested on a public database with 744 users and compared with other algorithms that were previously tested on the same database. After reaching the best-performing configuration for our algorithm, we obtain an equal error rate (EER) of 11.48% when training with only 20% of the users. Even better, when using 70% of the users for training, that value drops to 7.55%. The system manages to improve on state-of-the-art methods, but we believe the algorithm could reach a significantly better performance if it was trained with more visits per user. With a large enough database with several visits per user, the algorithm could improve substantially.
Geometry Optimisation of a Hall-Effect-Based Soft Fingertip for Estimating Orientation of Thin Rectangular Objects
Authors: Rosle Muhammad Hisyam , Wang Zhongkui , Hirai Shinichi
Published: September 2019

Soft tactile sensors have been applied to robotic grippers for assembly. It is a challenging task to obtain contact information and object orientation using tactile sensors during grasping. Currently, the design of Hall-effect-based tactile sensors to perform such tasks is based on trial and error. We present a method of investigating the optimal geometrical design of a cylindrical soft sensor to increase its sensitivity. The finite element model of a soft fingertip was constructed in Abaqus with two design variables, i.e., hollow radius and magnet position. Then, the model was imported into Isight, with the maximisation of magnet displacement as the objective function. We found that the optimal design was at the boundary of the parameter design space. Four fingertips were fabricated with one intuitive, one optimal, and two optional sets of parameters. Experiments were performed, and object orientation was estimated by utilising linear approximation and a machine learning approach. Good agreements were achieved between optimisation and experiments. The results revealed that the estimated average error in object orientation was decreased by the optimised fingertip design. Furthermore, the 3-axis forces could successfully be estimated based on sensor outputs.
StarNAV: Autonomous Optical Navigation of a Spacecraft by the Relativistic Perturbation of Starlight
Authors: Christian John
Published: September 2019

Future space exploration missions require increased autonomy. This is especially true for navigation, where continued reliance on Earth-based resources is often a limiting factor in mission design and selection. In response to the need for autonomous navigation, this work introduces the StarNAV framework that may allow a spacecraft to autonomously navigate anywhere in the Solar System (or beyond) using only passive observations of naturally occurring starlight. Relativistic perturbations in the wavelength and direction of observed stars may be used to infer spacecraft velocity which, in turn, may be used for navigation. This work develops the mathematics governing such an approach and explores its efficacy for autonomous navigation. Measurement of stellar spectral shift due to the relativistic Doppler effect is found to be ineffective in practice. Instead, measurement of the change in inter-star angle due to stellar aberration appears to be the most promising technique for navigation by the relativistic perturbation of starlight.
Comparative Study of Coupling Techniques in Lamb Wave Testing of Metallic and Cementitious Plates
Authors: Vázquez Santiago , Gosálbez Jorge , Bosch Ignacio , Carrión Alicia , Gallardo Carles , Payá Jordi
Published: September 2019

Lamb waves have emerged as a valuable tool to examine long plate-like structures in a faster way compared to conventional bulk wave techniques, which make them attractive in non-destructive testing. However, they present a multimodal and dispersive nature, which hinders signal identification. Oblique incidence is one of the most known methods to generate and receive Lamb waves and it is applied in different experimental arrangements with different types of sensors. In this work, several setups were conducted and compared to determine the optimal ones to launch and detect ultrasonic Lamb waves, especially in non-homogeneous specimens. The chosen arrangements were contact with angle beam transducers, immersion in a water tank, localised water coupling using conical containers and air coupling. Plates of two different materials were used, stainless steel and Portland cement mortar. Theoretical and experimental dispersion curves were compared to verify the existence of Lamb modes and good correspondence was achieved.
Do Silvi-Medicinal Plantations Affect Tree Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Mineralization?
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxi , Lei Hangyu , Chong Yujie , Hu Jiawei , Che Wenrong , Hu Man , Xu Shuoyu , Zhang Pan , Zhang Lingling , Xu Jiyuan , Liu Zengwen
Published: September 2019

In a silvi-medicinal system, the plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) released from medicinal herbs could affect tree litter decomposition and nutrient release. However, the specific effects of PSMs on arboreous litter decomposition are still not well understood. In this study, the extracts of nine types of medicinal herbs were used to treat Pinus armandii Franch. and Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. litter during a simulated half-year decomposition. The effects of the extracts on the decomposition and the N and P release of the conifer litter were investigated. The results indicated that most of the medicinal herb extracts significantly inhibited the late decomposition of P. armandii litter, whereas only two of them accelerated the entire decomposition process. Only a few significantly affected the decomposition of the L. gmelinii litter. Four of the nine types of extract significantly inhibited the N and P release of the P. armandii litter, while 3/9 and 6/9 inhibited the N and P release of the L. gmelinii litter, respectively. The accelerating effects of the extracts on the cellulase activity and the inhibitory effects on the polyphenol oxidase activity might be responsible for the early acceleration and late inhibition of litter decomposition, while the effects of the extracts on the activities of protease and phosphatase might not be the main reason for the inhibitory or accelerating effects on the N and P release. In general, the inhibitory effects of medicinal herbs on the nutrient cycling of ecosystems should be taken into consideration when building silvi-medicinal systems, especially in P. armandii forests.
Experimental Research on Deformation Characteristics of Using Silty Clay Modified by Oil Shale Ash and Fly Ash as the Subgrade Material after Freeze-Thaw Cycles
Authors: Wei Haibin , Li Qinglin , Han Leilei , Han Shuanye , Wang Fuyu , Zhang Yangpeng , Chen Zhao
Published: September 2019

To achieve the purposes of disposing industry solid wastes and enhancing the sustainability of subgrade life-cycle service performance in seasonally frozen regions compared to previous research of modified silty clay (MSC) composed of oil shale ash (OSA), fly ash (FA), and silty clay (SC), we identified for the first time the axial deformation characteristics of MSC with different levels of cycle load number, dynamic stress ratio, confining pressure, loading frequency, and F-T cycles; and corresponding to the above conditions, the normalized and logarithmic models on the plastic cumulative strain prediction of MSC are established. For the effect of cycle load number, results show that the cumulative plastic strain of MSC after 1, 10, and 100 cycle loads occupies for 28.72%~35.31%, 49.86%~55.59%, and 70.87%~78.39% of those after 8000 cycle loads, indicating that MSC possesses remarkable plastic stability after 100 cycles of cycle loads. For the effect of dynamic stress ratio, confining pressure, loading frequency, and F-T cycles, results show that dynamic stress ratio and F-T cycles are important factors affecting the axial deformation of MSC after repeated cycle loads; and under the low dynamic stress ratio, increasing confining pressure and loading frequency have insignificant effect on the axial strain of MSC after 8000 loads. In term of the normalized and logarithmic models on the plastic cumulative strain prediction of MSC, they have a high correlation coefficient with testing data, and according to the above models, the predicted result shows that the cumulative plastic strain of MSC ranges from 0.38 cm to 2.71 cm, and these predicted values are within the requirements in the related standards of highway subgrades and railway, indicating that the cumulative plastic strain of MSC is small and MSC is suitable to be used as the subgrade materials.
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Mobile Power Banks with Lithium-Ion Battery and Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery
Authors: Yang Jie , Gu Fu , Guo Jianfeng , Chen Bin
Published: September 2019

Mobile power bank (MPB) is an emerging consumer electronic that stores and delivers electricity to other electronics. Nowadays, MPBs are produced and discarded in massive quantities, yet their environmental impacts have never been quantitatively evaluated. Employing a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, this study assesses the life cycle environmental impacts of MPBs, with a specific focus on comparing the environmental performance of different MPBs that are based on two types of batteries, namely, lithium-ion battery (LIB) and lithium-ion polymer battery (LIPB). The results suggest that battery production is the greatest contributor to the environmental impacts of both MPBs. LIPB based MPB is environmentally friendlier due to its higher energy density and longer cycle life. In addition, it is found that recycling can reduce the environmental burden of MPB industry as well as ease the vast depletion of metals such as cobalt and copper. The sensitivity analysis shows that figuring out an optimal retirement point and using less carbon-intensive electricity can reduce the climate change potential of MPBs. This study provides recommendations to further improve the environmental performance of MPB, including the usage of more sustainable cathode materials, market promoting direction, and formulation of end-of-life management policy.
Making Resource Democracy Radically Meaningful for Stakeowners: Our World, Our Rules?
Authors: Ahen Frederick
Published: September 2019

This paper has a three-fold purpose: to challenge the current conceptualization of firm-stakeholder engagement, to popularize ‘allemansrätten’, the Scandinavian social innovation tradition for environmental value creation and environmental governance for ensuring ecological balance, and to introduce the concept of usufructual rights and the tutelage of natural resources for promoting human dignity. We underscore the deficiencies in the current stakeholder paradigm by pinpointing the specific essential catalysts that move the stakeholder theory to a new paradigm of a universal stakeownership. This is a quest to ensure the preservation and sustainability of natural resources and life support systems within specific institutional orders. We employ an adaptive research approach based on the Finnish/Nordic ecological case with a focus on the concept of ‘everyman’s right’: Everyone has the freedom to enjoy Finland’s/Scandinavia’s forests and lakes but with that also comes everyman’s responsibility to preserve the country’s nature for future generations. We argue that uncritically valorizing the universalized position of the current understanding of stakeholdership, with its flourish of contradictory and inaccurate characterization of global sustainability, retroactively aborts our ecological ideals from the uterus of preferred futures at the expense of humanity as a whole for the benefit of a few speculators and profiteers. Thus, we are woven into an ecological and economic tapestry whose present and future the current generation is accountable for in the era of universal stakeownership for a crucial evolutionary adaptation. This, however, cannot come about without fundamentally ‘democratizing’ resource democracy from the grassroots and questioning the global power structure that decides on the distributive effects of resources.
Moveable Production Systems for Sustainable Development and Trade: Limitations, Opportunities and Barriers
Authors: Fox Stephen
Published: September 2019

It has been claimed that technological advances will make it possible to make anything anywhere and to do so sustainably. In particular, making anything anywhere would increase the diversity of locations and participants involved in production, with positive effects for sustainability. For example, increasing the diversity of locations can reduce the long-distance transportation of materials and goods, which can improve the ecological sustainability of production. At the same time, increasing the diversity of people included in manufacturing can contribute to the spread of manufacturing communities, which can improve the social sustainability of production. However, physical production continues to be dominated by the same countries that have dominated global manufacturing in recent decades. Meanwhile, trade imbalances between rich and poor countries are similar to those of the past. In this paper, limitations and opportunities are explained for moveable production systems to increase the diversity of locations and participants in global production and trade. In addition, potential geopolitical barriers to the deployment of moveable production systems are explained.
Structure Disentanglement and Effect Analysis of the Arid Riverscape Social-Ecological System Using a Network Approach
Authors: Zhang Mengmeng , Wang Shuai , Fu Bojie , Wei Xiaohua , Wang Cong , Song Shuang , Wei Fangli
Published: September 2019

Riverscapes are coupled social-ecological systems (SESs), in which the differences between the scales and functioning of interacting social and ecological components ( “mismatch”) impose challenges for global arid basin sustainability. Here, we defined riverscape SESs as networks of connected ecological and social components (nodes) to disentangle the structure and effects of SESs in Heihe River Basin (HRB) in arid regions of northwest China. Results showed the ecological network in HRB has low network density and high vertex strength. Heihe River Basin Bureau, as an emerging bridging organization, changed the SES structure and increased the matching degree of SES from 0.33 to 0.53, which has caused an obvious improvement in the downstream ecology. However, the characteristics of the ecological network demonstrated that cross-boundary management actions restricted to only the river would exacerbate local environmental pressures, such as the continued decline of groundwater in midstream regions and the potential appropriation of water for ecology by the expanding farmland in the downstream region. Our study demonstrated that network analysis could be one promising direction to untangle the complex SES and understand the relationship between SES structure and outcomes. We suggest comanaging the cross-boundary river and lands to further match the SES for basin sustainability.
Recognizing Crucial Aquatic Factors Influencing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Eutrophication Zone of Taihu Lake, China
Authors: Wang Yulin , Wang Liang , Cheng Jilin , He Chengda , Cheng Haomiao
Published: September 2019

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are closely related to climate change and serious ecological instability, have attracted global attention. The estimation of crucial aquatic factors for the flux of GHGs in lakes is a key step in controlling and reducing GHG emissions. The importance of 14 aquatic factors for GHG emissions was estimated in Meiliang Bay, which is an eutrophication shallow bay in Taihu Lake in eastern China. The random forest (RF) method, which is an improved version of the classified and regression tree (CART) model, was employed. No distribution assumption on variables was required in this method and it could include nonlinear actions and interactions among factors. The results show significant positive correlations among the fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O. The most crucial factor influencing CO2 emissions is the water temperature (WT) followed by sulfate (SO42−), alkalinity (Alk), dissolved oxygen (DO), and nitrate (NO3−–N). The important factors for CH4 emissions are WT, SO42−, DO, Alk, and NO2−–N. The outcome for N2O, in which the key factor is NO2−–N, was slightly different from those of CO2 and CH4. A comprehensive ranking index (CRI) for the fluxes of all three GHGs was also calculated and showed that WT, NO2−–N, SO42−, DO, and Alk are the most crucial aquatic factors. These results indicate that increasing DO might be the most effective means of controlling GHG emissions in eutrophication lake bays. The role of SO42− in GHG emissions, which has previously been ignored, is also worth paying attention to. This study provides a useful basis for controlling GHG emissions in eutrophication shallow lake bays.
Affordability Linked with Subsidy: Impact of Fertilizers Subsidy on Household Welfare in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Akhter , Rahut Dil Bahadur , Imtiaz Muhammad
Published: September 2019

Historically, the government of Pakistan has been providing subsidy on fertilizers, and the most recent subsidy program started during 2015–2016. The current study aims to estimate the impact of the fertilizers subsidy program on fertilizers application and its impact on the crops yield and household income levels using a comprehensive cross-sectional dataset collected from 850 farmers from all four major provinces of Pakistan. The fertilizer subsidy program enabled 80% of the farmers to apply recommended doses of fertilizers, and also incentivized the farmers to bring more area under cultivation. The empirical analysis has been carried out by employing the propensity score matching approach (PSM), and results indicated that fertilizer subsidy has a positive impact on crops yield and household income levels. As a result of subsidy, the wheat yields are higher in the range of 65–71 kg per hectare while the rice yields are higher in the range of 34–43 kg per hectare. The household income levels are higher in the range of 5671 to 6549 rupees. The fertilizer subsidy on a sustainable basis can encourage the resource-poor farmers to apply recommended doses of fertilizers and thus increase crop production, thereby contributing to the improvement in their livelihood.
Research on the Economic Benefit Evaluation of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Technical Renovation Projects Based on the Improved Factor Analysis and Incremental Method in China
Authors: Yang Xiaolong , Li Yan , Niu Dongxiao , Sun Lijie
Published: September 2019

With the increasingly prominent problems of resources and environment, thermal power enterprises in China are facing more severe challenges. To improve energy efficiency, a great number of thermal power enterprises implement the technical renovation of equipment. However, current methods cannot meet the needs of scientific and effective evaluations. In this context, the internal rate of return (IRR) is used as the main index to evaluate the economic benefits of the technical renovation of combined heat and power (CHP) plants. In order to improve the accuracy of the economic benefit evaluation results, the incremental cash flow is calculated through the incremental method, which is based on the existence and non-existence method, and the improved factor analysis method is utilized to eliminate the influence of price factors from markets that have no direct and definite relationship with the technical renovation. Then, the evaluation method is validated by taking a CHP technical renovation project in B city of China as an example. By comparing with other methods, the results show that the IRRs calculated by different methods are quite different, and the difference between the maximum and the minimum can reach 69.95%. The result of the method proposed in this paper is more reasonable and reliable and can effectively evaluate the economic benefits of CHP technical renovation projects.
Stability Evaluation of an Expressway Construction Site above an Abandoned Coal Mine Based on the Overlay and Index Method
Authors: Guo Qingbiao , Guo Guangli , Li Yingming , Wang Lei , Zhao Xingwang
Published: September 2019

In recent years, more and more expressways pass through the abandoned coal mine, while the surface residual subsidence of the abandoned coal mine threatens the operation safety of the expressway. It is of significance to evaluate the stability of the construction site and take reasonable managements for effectively guaranteeing the traffic safety. How to accurately evaluate the stability of the construction site is the primary problem. This study proposes a stability evaluation model using the overlay and index method and points out that the evaluation scores and weights of evaluation indices are key parameters to determine the reliability of evaluation results. To reasonably determine the evaluation score, the scoring criteria of qualitative indices is obtained by the equidistant method, while the scoring criteria of quantitative indices is obtained by establishing scoring functions. The weights of evaluation indices are got by adopting the FAHP (fuzzy analytic hierarchy process). Then the built model is applied to evaluate the stability of the Wuyun Expressway construction site, and the results show that the Wuyun Expressway construction site is basic stable. Finally, the sensitivity of indices weights on the evaluation result is analyzed with the maximum C k ( C m , p c ) of 5.9% far lower than the weight change of ±30%, and the average residual subsidence velocity of the maximum subsidence point is 0.0456 mm/d using a high-resolution leveling, proving the credibility of the proposed model. Research results provide new ideas and systematic technical references for the stability evaluation of the construction site above an abandoned coal mine.
Social Determinants of Success: Social Media, Corporate Governance and Revenue
Authors: Paniagua Jordi , Rivelles Rafael , Sapena Juan
Published: September 2019

This study examined how social media (Twitter and LinkedIn) relates to the operating revenue by investigating the effect of the use of social media by the board of directors. To tackle this question, we analyzed the mediating and moderating relationship of social media on the effect of board size in operating revenue (turnover). We studied the implications of the use of social media by the board members by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The data consisted of a random sample of 100 companies listed on the NASDAQ. The study makes two main contributions. First, it shows interesting differences in the use of social media for the operating revenue. Our results suggest that while Twitter mediated and inhibited the negative effect of board size on revenue, LinkedIn moderated and re-enforced this effect. Second, it offers marketers and managers some useful hints about the relationship between social media and financial performance.