bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dyeing Performance of Disperse Dyes on Polyester Fabrics Using Eco-Friendly Carrier and Their Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities
Authors: Al-Etaibi Alya M. , El-Apasery Morsy Ahmed
Published: November 2019

Both non eco- and eco-friendly carriers were utilized for accelerating the dyeing rate of polyethylene terephthalate fabrics (PET) dyed with disperse dyes at 100 °C. Fastness properties of the dyed fabrics showed good and excellent results. Finally, the prepared disperse dyes 1 and 2 showed potent anti-tumor cytotoxic activity in vitro using MCF-7 cells (human breast cancer cell line), HepG-2 cells (human Hepatocellular carcinoma), HCT-116 (colon carcinoma), A-549 cells (Lung carcinoma cell line), and anti-oxidant activities.
Antimicrobials and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment and Its Remediation: A Global One Health Perspective
Authors: Tamhankar Ashok J. , Stålsby Lundborg Cecilia
Published: November 2019

The awareness about pollution of the environment by antimicrobials/antibiotics is increasing globally [...]
Molecular Interactions between Pathogens and the Circadian Clock
Authors: Barik Sailen
Published: November 2019

The daily periodicity of the Earth’s rotation around the Sun, referred to as circadian (Latin “circa” = about, and “diem” = day), is also mirrored in the behavior and metabolism of living beings. The discovery that dedicated cellular genes control various aspects of this periodicity has led to studies of the molecular mechanism of the circadian response at the cellular level. It is now established that the circadian genes impact on a large network of hormonal, metabolic, and immunological pathways, affecting multiple aspects of biology. Recent studies have extended the role of the circadian system to the regulation of infection, host–pathogen interaction, and the resultant disease outcome. This critical review summarizes our current knowledge of circadian-pathogen interaction at both systemic and cellular levels, but with emphasis on the molecular aspects of the regulation. Wherever applicable, the potential of a direct interaction between circadian factors and pathogenic macromolecules is also explored. Finally, this review offers new directions and guidelines for future research in this area, which should facilitate progress.
Fecal Eosinophil Cationic Protein Is a Diagnostic and Predictive Biomarker in Young Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Abedin Nada , Seemann Teresa , Kleinfeld Sandra , Ruehrup Jessica , Röseler Stefani , Trautwein Christian , Streetz Konrad , Sellge Gernot
Published: November 2019

Background and Aims: Fecal biomarkers are important non-invasive markers monitoring disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We compared the significance of fecal eosinophil cationic protein (fECP) and fecal calprotectin (fCal). Methods: fECP and fCal were measured in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD, n = 97), ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 53), Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI, n = 9), primary food allergy (PFA, n = 11), pollen-associated food allergy (n = 25) and non-inflammatory controls (n = 78). Results were correlated with clinical and endoscopic IBD activity scores. Results: fECP was significantly elevated in CD, UC, CDI and PFA compared to controls. fCal was significantly increased in CD, UC and CDI. fECP had lower diagnostic accuracy than fCal (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.88) in differentiating between endoscopically active and inactive patients with IBD (AUC = 0.77, ROC analysis). In contrast to fCal, fECP correlated negatively with age and levels were also elevated in clinically and endoscopically inactive patients with IBD <45 years (endoscopically inactive IBD vs controls; AUC for fECP = 0.86; AUC for fCal = 0.62). However, in those patients with low inflammatory activity (fCal <250 mg/kg), high fECP indicated the need for treatment modification or surgery (fECP <200 µg/kg = 22%; 200–600 µg/kg = 44%; >600 µg/kg = 82%) at month 48 of follow-up. Conclusions: fECP is a diagnostic and prognostic marker in young patients with IBD in remission.
Comparison of Hot Deformation Behavior Characteristics Between As-Cast and Extruded Al-Zn-Mg-Cu (7075) Aluminum Alloys with a Similar Grain Size
Authors: Jeong H.T. , Kim W.J.
Published: November 2019

The hot compressive behavior and processing maps of as-cast and extruded 7075 aluminum alloys with a similar grain size (320–350 μm) were studied and compared, which allows us to directly observe the effect of segregated phases in the as-cast microstructure on the deformation behavior and hot workability of 7075 alloys. In the as-cast alloy, the compound phases segregated along the interdendritic interfaces within the interiors of original grains provided the additional sites for continuous dynamic recrystallization via the particle stimulation nucleation mechanism. As a result, the as-cast alloy exhibited higher fractions of recrystallized grains and smaller grain sizes than the extruded alloy after compression. The stress exponent values of the as-cast alloy were smaller than those of the extruded alloy. In the processing maps, the domain associated with high power dissipation efficiencies (≥35%) occurred in a wider temperature range in the as-cast alloy compared to the extruded alloy. The segregated phases that remained undissolved in the as-cast alloy after compressive deformation could be effectively eliminated during the solid solution treatment (753 K for 2 h) for T6 aging applied after hot compression. The current results suggest the possibility and advantage of omitting the extrusion step when preparing 7xxx aluminum forging or extrusion feedstocks for hot working. The proposed method can be applied to other precipitation hardenable aluminum alloys.
Numerical Study of Electro-Osmotic Fluid Flow and Vortex Formation
Authors: Bezerra Wesley De Souza , Castelo Antonio , Afonso Alexandre M.
Published: November 2019

The phenomenon of electro-osmosis was studied by performing numerical simulations on the flow between parallel walls and at the nozzle microchannels. In this work, we propose a numerical approximation to perform simulations of vortex formation which occur after the passage of the fluid through an abrupt contraction at the microchannel. The motion of the charges in the solution is described by the Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations and used the generalized finite differences to solve the numerical problem. First, solutions for electro-osmotic flow were obtained for the Phan–Thien/Thanner model in a parallel walls channel. Later simulations for electro-osmotic flow were performed in a nozzle. The formation of vortices near the contraction within the nozzle was verified by taking into account a flow perturbation model.
The Th17/Treg Cell Balance: A Gut Microbiota-Modulated Story
Authors: Cheng Hongyu , Guan Xiong , Chen Dekun , Ma Wentao
Published: November 2019

The intestinal tract of vertebrates is normally colonized with a remarkable number of commensal microorganisms that are collectively referred to as gut microbiota. Gut microbiota has been demonstrated to interact with immune cells and to modulate specific signaling pathways involving both innate and adaptive immune processes. Accumulated evidence suggests that the imbalance of Th17 and Treg cells is associated with the development of many diseases. Herein, we emphatically present recent findings to show how specific gut microbiota organisms and metabolites shape the balance of Th17 and Treg cells. We also discuss the therapeutic potential of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in diseases caused by the imbalance of Th17 and Treg cells
Marek’s Disease Virus Infection of Natural Killer Cells
Authors: Bertzbach Luca D. , van Haarlem Daphne A. , Härtle Sonja , Kaufer Benedikt B. , Jansen Christine A.
Published: November 2019

Natural killer (NK) cells are key players in the innate immune response. They kill virus-infected cells and are crucial for the induction of adaptive immune responses. Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is a highly contagious alphaherpesvirus that causes deadly T cell lymphomas in chickens. Host resistance to MDV is associated with differences in NK cell responses; however, the exact role of NK cells in the control of MDV remains unknown. In this study, we assessed if MDV can infect NK cells and alter their activation. Surprisingly, we could demonstrate that primary chicken NK cells are very efficiently infected with very virulent RB-1B MDV and the live-attenuated CVI988 vaccine. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that both RB-1B and CVI988 enhance NK cell degranulation and increase interferon gamma (IFNγ) production in vitro. In addition, we could show that the MDV Eco Q-encoded oncogene (meq) contributes to the induction of NK cell activation using meq knockout viruses. Taken together, our data revealed for the first time that NK cells are efficiently infectable with MDV and that this oncogenic alphaherpesvirus enhances NK cell degranulation and increased IFNγ production in vitro.
Effect of Carbon on the Volume of Solid Iron at High Pressure: Implications for Carbon Substitution in Iron Structures and Carbon Content in the Earth’s Inner Core
Authors: Yang Jing , Fei Yingwei , Hu Xiaojun , Greenberg Eran , Prakapenka Vitali B.
Published: November 2019

Understanding the effect of carbon on the density of hcp (hexagonal-close-packed) Fe-C alloys is essential for modeling the carbon content in the Earth’s inner core. Previous studies have focused on the equations of state of iron carbides that may not be applicable to the solid inner core that may incorporate carbon as dissolved carbon in metallic iron. Carbon substitution in hcp-Fe and its effect on the density have never been experimentally studied. We investigated the compression behavior of Fe-C alloys with 0.31 and 1.37 wt % carbon, along with pure iron as a reference, by in-situ X-ray diffraction measurements up to 135 GPa for pure Fe, and 87 GPa for Fe-0.31C and 109 GPa for Fe-1.37C. The results show that the incorporation of carbon in hcp-Fe leads to the expansion of the lattice, contrary to the known effect in body-centered cubic (bcc)-Fe, suggesting a change in the substitution mechanism or local environment. The data on axial compressibility suggest that increasing carbon content could enhance seismic anisotropy in the Earth’s inner core. The new thermoelastic parameters allow us to develop a thermoelastic model to estimate the carbon content in the inner core when carbon is incorporated as dissolved carbon hcp-Fe. The required carbon contents to explain the density deficit of Earth’s inner core are 1.30 and 0.43 wt % at inner core boundary temperatures of 5000 K and 7000 K, respectively.
Efficient Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Biomass Hemicellulose in the Absence of Bulk Water
Authors: Ostadjoo Shaghayegh , Hammerer Fabien , Dietrich Karolin , Dumont Marie-Josée , Friscic Tomislav , Auclair Karine
Published: November 2019

Current enzymatic methods for hemicellulosic biomass depolymerization are solution-based, typically require a harsh chemical pre-treatment of the material and large volumes of water, yet lack in efficiency. In our study, xylanase (E.C. 3.2.1.8) from Thermomyces lanuginosus is used to hydrolyze xylans from different sources. We report an innovative enzymatic process which avoids the use of bulk aqueous, organic or inorganic solvent, and enables hydrolysis of hemicellulose directly from chemically untreated biomass, to low-weight, soluble oligoxylosaccharides in >70% yields.
Nanoparticle Delivery Systems in the Treatment of Diabetes Complications
Authors: Souto Eliana B. , Souto Selma B. , Campos Joana R. , Severino Patricia , Pashirova Tatiana N. , Zakharova Lucia Y. , Silva Amélia M. , Durazzo Alessandra , Lucarini Massimo , Izzo Angelo A. , Santini Antonello
Published: November 2019

Diabetes mellitus, an incurable metabolic disease, is characterized by changes in the homeostasis of blood sugar levels, being the subcutaneous injection of insulin the first line treatment. This administration route is however associated with limited patient’s compliance, due to the risk of pain, discomfort and local infection. Nanoparticles have been proposed as insulin carriers to make possible the administration of the peptide via friendlier pathways without the need of injection, i.e., via oral or nasal routes. Nanoparticles stand for particles in the nanometer range that can be obtained from different materials (e.g., polysaccharides, synthetic polymers, lipid) and are commonly used with the aim to improve the physicochemical stability of the loaded drug and thereby its bioavailability. This review discusses the use of different types of nanoparticles (e.g., polymeric and lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers, niosomes, micelles, nanoemulsions and also drug nanosuspensions) for improved delivery of different oral hypoglycemic agents in comparison to conventional therapies.
Optimizing the Synthetic Route of Chromone-2-carboxylic Acids: A Step forward to Speed-up the Discovery of Chromone-based Multitarget-directed Ligands
Authors: Cagide Fernando , Oliveira Catarina , Reis Joana , Borges Fernanda
Published: November 2019

6-Bromochromone-2-carboxylic acid (3) was synthesized by a microwave-assisted process. The optimization of the reaction was performed varying parameters, such as type of base/number of reagent equivalents, solvent, temperature and reaction time. The yield of the reaction was improved to 87%. The new synthetic route is versatile as several chromone-2-carboxylic acids (compounds 4B–10B) were obtained with good yields (54–93%). Only in the case of the nitro substituent (compound 11B), an ester was obtained instead of the desired carboxylic acid. Following this synthetic route chromone carboxylic acids can be attained with a high degree of purity, without the need of the tedious and expensive purification processes through column chromatography. The reaction is safe, cost-effective, fast and robust, and can be used in the development of concise and diversity-oriented libraries based on chromone scaffold. The overall study can be looked as a step forward to speed-up the discovery of chromone-based multitarget-directed ligands.
Electrophysiology and Behavioral Assessment of the New Molecule SMe1EC2M3 as a Representative of the Future Class of Triple Reuptake Inhibitors
Authors: Koprdova Romana , Csatlosova Kristina , Durisova Barbora , Bogi Eszter , Majekova Magdalena , Dremencov Eliyahu , Mach Mojmir
Published: November 2019

SMe1EC2M3 is a pyridoindole derivative related to the neuroleptic drug carbidine. Based on the structural similarities of SMe1EC2M3 and known serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine, and dopamine reuptake inhibitors, we hypothesized that this compound may also have triple reuptake inhibition efficacy and an antidepressant-like effect. PreADMET and Dragon software was used for in silico prediction of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of SMe1EC2M3. Forced swim test was used to evaluate its antidepressant-like effects. Extracellular in vivo electrophysiology was used to assess 5-HT, norepinephrine, and dopamine reuptake inhibition efficacy of SMe1EC2M3. PreADMET predicted reasonable intestinal absorption, plasma protein binding, and blood-brain permeability for SMe1EC2M3. Dragon forecasted its efficiency as an antidepressant. Using behavioral measurements, it was found that SMe1EC2M3 decreased immobility time and increase swimming time during the forced swim test (FST). Electrophysiological investigations showed that SMe1EC2M3 dose-dependently suppressed the excitability of 5-HT neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), norepinephrine neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC), and dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The SMe1EC2M3-induced suppression of 5-HT, norepinephrine, and dopamine neurons was reversed by the antagonists of serotonin-1A (5-HT1A; WAY100135), α-2 adrenergic (α2, yohimbine), and dopamine-2 receptors (D2, haloperidol), respectively. We conclude that SMe1EC2M3 is prospective triple 5-HT, norepinephrine, and dopamine reuptake inhibitor with antidepressant-like properties, however future studies should be performed to complete the pharmacological profiling of this compound.
Effect of Forsythiaside A on the RLRs Signaling Pathway in the Lungs of Mice Infected with the Influenza A Virus FM1 Strain
Authors: Zheng Xiao , Fu Yingjie , Shi Shan-Shan , Wu Sha , Yan Yuqi , Xu Liuyue , Wang Yiwei , Jiang Zhenyou
Published: November 2019

Forsythiaside A, a phenylethanoid glycoside monomer extracted from Forsythia suspensa, shows anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, anti-oxidative, and antiviral pharmacological effects. The precise mechanism underlying the antiviral action of forsythiaside A is not completely clear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine whether the anti-influenza action of forsythiaside A occurs via the retinoic acid-inducible gene-I–like receptors (RLRs) signaling pathway in the lung immune cells. Forsythiaside A was used to treat C57BL/6J mice and MAVS−/− mice infected with mouse-adapted influenza A virus FM1 (H1N1, A/FM1/1/47 strain), and the physical parameters (body weight and lung index) and the expression of key factors in the RLRs/NF-κB signaling pathway were evaluated. At the same time, the level of virus replication and the ratio of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg of T cell subsets were measured. Compared with the untreated group, the weight loss in the forsythiaside A group in the C57BL/6J mice decreased, and the histopathological sections showed less inflammatory damage after the infection with the influenza A virus FM1 strain. The gene and protein expression of retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I), MAVS, and NF-κB were significantly decreased in the forsythiaside A group. Flow cytometry showed that Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg differentiated into Th2 cells and Treg cells, respectively, after treatment with forsythiaside A. In conclusion, forsythiaside A reduces the inflammatory response caused by influenza A virus FM1 strain in mouse lungs by affecting the RLRs signaling pathway in the mouse lung immune cells.
Nutritional Support and Physical Modalities for People with Osteoporosis: Current Opinion
Authors: Chen Li-Ru , Hou Peng-Hsuan , Chen Kuo-Hu
Published: November 2019

Osteoporosis is a vital healthcare issue among elderly people. During the aging process, a gradual loss of bone mass results in osteopenia and osteoporosis. Heritable factors account for 60–80% of optimal bone mineralization, whereas modifiable factors such as nutrition, weight-bearing exercise, body mass, and hormonal milieu affect the development of osteopenia and osteoporosis in adulthood. Osteoporosis substantially increases the risk of skeletal fractures and further morbidity and mortality. The effective prevention of fractures by reducing the loss of bone mass is the primary goal for physicians treating people with osteoporosis. Other than pharmacologic agents, lifestyle adjustment, nutritional support, fall prevention strategies, exercise, and physical modalities can be used to treat osteoporosis or prevent further osteoporotic fracture. Each of these factors, alone or in combination, can be of benefit to people with osteoporosis and should be implemented following a detailed discussion with patients. This review comprises a systematic survey of the current literature on osteoporosis and its nonpharmacologic and nonsurgical treatment. It provides clinicians and healthcare workers with evidence-based information on the assessment and management of osteoporosis. However, numerous issues regarding osteoporosis and its treatment remain unexplored and warrant future investigation.
Validation of a Novel Electronic Device for Medication Adherence Monitoring of Ambulatory Patients
Authors: Arnet Isabelle , Rothen Jean-Pierre , Albert Valerie , Hersberger Kurt
Published: November 2019

Several methods exist for measuring medication adherence. The Time4MedTM device (Adherence Innovations, Hong Kong) is a small, electronic card to affix on medication packaging that records date and time of intakes when a button is pushed. We aimed to validate the device with an emphasis on polypharmacy. Twenty volunteers used Time4MedTM devices with a virtual thrice daily intake over 14 days. Diary-recorded date and time were compared to electronically-stored events. Functionality, reliability and recovery for different stress conditions were calculated. User‘s acceptability was assessed with the System Usability Scale (SUS). Eleven elderly outpatients (mean age 80.2 ± 8.1 years) taking >3 medications daily used the device over 4 weeks. Volunteers logged 847 events. Functionality (100%), sensitivity (94.9%), specificity (99.4%) and recovery (100%) were high. Dropping the smart card and storing it in a refrigerator caused either the recording of false events or no recording at all. The mean SUS score was 82.6 (SD 14.8), demonstrating excellent acceptability. Satisfaction was very high for volunteers and patients, except for pushing the button. Time4MedTM devices are highly accurate in recording, retaining and delivering electronic data of multiple medication intake. They are well accepted by elderly patients. They can be recommended in clinical studies and for practitioners who desire to elucidate adherence patterns of ambulatory patients.
Synthesis and Characterization of Sucrose and Ammonium Dihydrogen Phosphate (SADP) Adhesive for Plywood
Authors: Zhao Zhongyuan , Sun Shijing , Wu Di , Zhang Min , Huang Caoxing , Umemura Kenji , Yong Qiang
Published: November 2019

The development of eco-friendly adhesives for wood composite products has been a major topic in the field of wood science and product engineering. Although the research on tannin-based and soybean protein-based adhesives has already reached, or at least nears, industrial implementation, we also face a variety of remaining challenges with regards to the push for sustainable adhesives. First, petroleum-derived substances remain a pre-requisite for utilization of said adhesive systems, and also the viscosity of these novel adhesives continues to limit its ability to serve as a drop-in substitute. Within this study, we focus upon the development of an eco-friendly plywood adhesive that does not require any addition of petroleum derived reagents, and the resultant liquid adhesive has both high solid contents as well as a manageably low viscosity at processing temperatures. Specifically, a system based on sucrose and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) was synthesized into an adhesive with ~80% solid content and with viscosities ranging from 480–1270 mPa·s. The bonding performance of all adhesive-bound veneer specimens satisfied GB/T 9846-2015 standard at 170 °C hot pressing temperature. To better explain the system’s efficiency, in-depth chemical analysis was performed in an effort to understand the chemical makeup of the cured adhesives as well as the components over the time course of curing. Several new structures involving the fixation of nitrogen speak to a novel adhesive molecular network. This research provides a possibility of synthesizing an eco-friendly wood adhesive with a high solid content and a low viscosity by renewable materials, and this novel adhesive system has the potential to be widely utilized in the wood industry.
Numerical Study on Separation Performance of Cyclone Flue Used in Grate Waste Incinerator
Authors: Chen Dong-mei , Ran Jing-yu , Niu Jun-tian , Yang Zhong-qing , Pu Ge , Yang Lin
Published: November 2019

The traditional treatment of waste incineration flue gas is mostly carried out in low temperatures, but there are some problems such as corrosion of the heating surface at high and low temperatures, re-synthesis of dioxins, and low efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the pollutants at high temperatures. For the grate waste incinerator, this study proposes an adiabatic cyclone flue arranged at the exit of the first-stage furnace of the grate waste incinerator to pre-remove the fly ash at high temperatures, so as to alleviate the abrasion and corrosion of the tail heating surface. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is applied to study the performance of a cyclone flue under different structural parameters, and the comprehensive performance of the cyclone flue is evaluated by the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. The results show that particle separation efficiency increases at first and then decreases with the increase of the vortex finder length, the vortex finder diameter, and the distance between vortex finder and gas outlet tube, while it decreases with the increase of the gas outlet tube diameter. The pressure drop increases with the increase of the vortex finder length, and the vortex finder diameter, while decreases with the increase of the distance between the vortex finder, the gas outlet tube, and the gas outlet tube diameter. In the scope of this study, when h1/a = 1.1, D1/A = 0.33, h2/A = 1.5, and D2/A = 0.50, the comprehensive performance of the cyclone flue is much better.
Theoretical Evaluation of Anisotropic Reflectance Correction Approaches for Addressing Multi-Scale Topographic Effects on the Radiation-Transfer Cascade in Mountain Environments
Authors: Bishop Michael P. , Young Brennan W. , Colby Jeffrey D. , Furfaro Roberto , Schiassi Enrico , Chi Zhaohui
Published: November 2019

Research involving anisotropic-reflectance correction (ARC) of multispectral imagery to account for topographic effects has been ongoing for approximately 40 years. A large body of research has focused on evaluating empirical ARC methods, resulting in inconsistent results. Consequently, our research objective was to evaluate commonly used ARC methods using first-order radiation-transfer modeling to simulate ASTER multispectral imagery over Nanga Parbat, Himalaya. Specifically, we accounted for orbital dynamics, atmospheric absorption and scattering, direct- and diffuse-skylight irradiance, land cover structure, and surface biophysical variations to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing multi-scale topographic effects. Our results clearly reveal that the empirical methods we evaluated could not reasonably account for multi-scale topographic effects at Nanga Parbat. The magnitude of reflectance and the correlation structure of biophysical properties were not preserved in the topographically-corrected multispectral imagery. The CCOR and SCS+C methods were able to remove topographic effects, given the Lambertian assumption, although atmospheric correction was required, and we did not account for other primary and secondary topographic effects that are thought to significantly influence spectral variation in imagery acquired over mountains. Evaluation of structural-similarity index images revealed spatially variable results that are wavelength dependent. Collectively, our simulation and evaluation procedures strongly suggest that empirical ARC methods have significant limitations for addressing anisotropic reflectance caused by multi-scale topographic effects. Results indicate that atmospheric correction is essential, and most methods failed to adequately produce the appropriate magnitude and spatial variation of surface reflectance in corrected imagery. Results were also wavelength dependent, as topographic effects influence radiation-transfer components differently in different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Our results explain inconsistencies described in the literature, and indicate that numerical modeling efforts are required to better account for multi-scale topographic effects in various radiation-transfer components.
Eco-Friendly Estimation of Heavy Metal Contents in Grapevine Foliage Using In-Field Hyperspectral Data and Multivariate Analysis
Authors: Mirzaei Mohsen , Verrelst Jochem , Marofi Safar , Abbasi Mozhgan , Azadi Hossein
Published: November 2019

Heavy metal monitoring in food-producing ecosystems can play an important role in human health safety. Since they are able to interfere with plants’ physiochemical characteristics, which influence the optical properties of leaves, they can be measured by in-field spectroscopy. In this study, the predictive power of spectroscopic data is examined. Five treatments of heavy metal stress (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cd) were applied to grapevine seedlings and hyperspectral data (350–2500 nm), and heavy metal contents were collected based on in-field and laboratory experiments. The partial least squares (PLS) method was used as a feature selection technique, and multiple linear regressions (MLR) and support vector machine (SVM) regression methods were applied for modelling purposes. Based on the PLS results, the wavelengths in the vicinity of 2431, 809, 489, and 616 nm; 2032, 883, 665, 564, 688, and 437 nm; 1865, 728, 692, 683, and 356 nm; 863, 2044, 415, 652, 713, and 1036 nm; and 1373, 631, 744, and 438 nm were found most sensitive for the estimation of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cd contents in the grapevine leaves, respectively. Therefore, visible and red-edge regions were found most suitable for estimating heavy metal contents in the present study. Heavy metals played a significant role in reforming the spectral pattern of stressed grapevine compared to healthy samples, meaning that in the best structures of the SVM regression models, the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cd were estimated with R2 rates of 0.56, 0.85, 0.71, 0.80, and 0.86 in the testing set, respectively. The results confirm the efficiency of in-field spectroscopy in estimating heavy metals content in grapevine foliage.
A Depth-Adaptive Waveform Decomposition Method for Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry
Authors: Xing Shuai , Wang Dandi , Xu Qing , Lin Yuzhun , Li Pengcheng , Jiao Lin , Zhang Xinlei , Liu Chenbo
Published: November 2019

Airborne LiDAR bathymetry (ALB) has shown great potential in shallow water and coastal mapping. However, due to the variability of the waveforms, it is hard to detect the signals from the received waveforms with a single algorithm. This study proposed a depth-adaptive waveform decomposition method to fit the waveforms of different depths with different models. In the proposed method, waveforms are divided into two categories based on the water depth, labeled as “shallow water (SW)” and “deep water (DW)”. An empirical waveform model (EW) based on the calibration waveform is constructed for SW waveform decomposition which is more suitable than classical models, and an exponential function with second-order polynomial model (EFSP) is proposed for DW waveform decomposition which performs better than the quadrilateral model. In solving the model’s parameters, a trust region algorithm is introduced to improve the probability of convergence. The proposed method is tested on two field datasets and two simulated datasets to assess the accuracy of the water surface detected in the shallow water and water bottom detected in the deep water. The experimental results show that, compared with the traditional methods, the proposed method performs best, with a high signal detection rate (99.11% in shallow water and 74.64% in deep water), low RMSE (0.09 m for water surface and 0.11 m for water bottom) and wide bathymetric range (0.22 m to 40.49 m).
Development of a Green Building Materials Integrated Platform Based on Materials and Resources in G-SEED in South Korea
Authors: Wang Seongjo , Tae Sungho , Kim Rakhyun
Published: November 2019

Various eco-friendly materials are used in the construction industry. South Korea employs the Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design (G-SEED), a green building certification system, in which materials account for 11% of the evaluation criteria. However, data for each eco-friendly material are managed individually by different institutions, causing inefficiency, increased costs, and potentially greater environmental impacts associated with material and resource selection. Hence, this study develops a green building materials integrated platform (GIP) that collates information on eco-friendly materials across different industries in South Korea, to support the G-SEED evaluations. Guidelines and standards related to each evaluation item were analyzed and used to compile a green building materials database. The database includes 12,636 data points representing product prices and environmental impact data. This database was used to develop the four-level Excel-based GIP. Case studies were conducted on actual G-SEED buildings to analyze the economic efficiency and environmental performance achieved by using alternative materials to those recommended by the GIP. Case 1 exhibits improvements in economic efficiency and environmental performance of 17% and 10%, respectively, whereas Case 2 exhibits improvements of 8% and 21%, respectively. Thus, both case studies boast superior combinations of green building materials compared to existing alternatives.
The Role of Ethical Marketing Issues in Consumer-Brand Relationship
Authors: Lee Jung-Yong , Jin Chang-Hyun
Published: November 2019

This study investigated the components of ethical marketing such as product, price, place, and promotion using ethical views on the consumer-brand relationship and perceived product quality in B2C (business to consumer) transactions. It examined whether the quality and consumer-perceived product quality of a consumer-brand relationship affects corporate brand loyalty. Data from a panel of 1,200 consumers who had multiple experiences with a company’s products and brands were used to test the hypotheses, which were verified using structural equation modeling. The results support the proposed research model with statistical significance. A corporate marketing mix strategy with respect to ethical issues was crucial to generate a consumer-brand relationship and perceived product quality, which were influenced by corporate brand loyalty. However, the outcomes associated with each area of ethical marketing practice—through the relationship between the mediating variables and the dependent variable—vary with the business type and other characteristics. Without considering this aspect, it is difficult to generalize the current results. Thus, further analyses are required in future studies. However, this study identifies influential factors for building a relationship that involves ethical marketing practice, relationship quality, and brand loyalty in B2C transactions. Finally, this study suggests implications for companies regarding which aspects of (un)ethical marketing practices should be reinforced to achieve corporate brand loyalty. This study confirmed the significant correlation between the marketing mix strategy from ethical issues, which form the basis of transactions and relationship quality.
Resilience Assessment of Interdependent Infrastructure Systems: A Case Study Based on Different Response Strategies
Authors: Kong Jingjing , Simonovic Slobodan P. , Zhang Chao
Published: November 2019

Resilient infrastructure systems are essential for continuous and reliable functioning of social and economic systems. Taking advantage of network theory, this paper models street network, water supply network, power grid and information infrastructure network as layers that are integrated into a multilayer network. The infrastructure interdependencies are described using five basic dependence patterns of fundamental network elements. Definitions of dynamic cascading failures and recovery mechanisms of infrastructure systems are also established. The main contribution of the paper is a new infrastructure network resilience measure capable of addressing complex infrastructure system, as well as network component (layer) interdependences. The new measure is based on infrastructure network performance, proactive absorptive capacity and reactive restorative capacity, with three resilience features of network—robustness, resourcefulness, and rapidity. The quantitative resilience measure using dynamic space-time simulation model is illustrated with a multilayer infrastructure network numerical test, including different response strategies to floods of different scale. The results demonstrate that the resilience measure provides an evaluation method of various protection and restoration strategies that will optimize the performance of interdependent infrastructure system. The sector-specific decisions could not always lead to optimal system solutions, and systems approach offers significant benefits for increasing infrastructure system resilience. This study can assist municipal decision makers in (i) better understanding the effects of different response strategies on the resilience of interdependent infrastructure system, and (ii) deciding which strategy should be adopted under different types of disasters.
Factors Controlling Urban and Rural Indirect Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Household Consumption: A Case Study in Beijing
Authors: Jin Xueting , Li Yu , Sun Dongqi , Zhang Jinzhou , Zheng Ji
Published: November 2019

Residential carbon dioxide emissions can be divided into a direct component caused by consumers via direct energy usage and an indirect component caused by consumers buying and using products to meet their needs, with a higher proportion caused by the latter. Based on Beijing panel data for 1993–2012, an economic boom period in China, indirect carbon dioxide emissions were separately calculated for urban and rural households using the consumer lifestyle approach (CLA) model. Then, an extended stochastic impact by regression on population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) model was used to analyze the influence from two aspects, social economy, and land use, with high precision. Results indicate that indirect CO2 emissions in Beijing households display a rising trend in urban areas but a slight decrease in rural areas. Technology influences and forest land are, respectively, the most important aspects of the social economy and land use. Higher population and urbanization resulted in enhanced emissions in both urban and rural areas. The Engel coefficient presented a negative correlation with indirect CO2 emissions for both rural and urban areas. Compared with urban areas, the per capita net income of rural areas restrained consumption. The consumption structure of urban residents was more biased toward the tertiary industry than that of rural residents. Although technical progress has proceeded, it cannot offset urban residents’ indirect CO2 emissions caused by the large amount and rapid growth of consumption. Regarding land use, urban construction land net primary productivity (NPP) was high and not an important factor contributing to indirect CO2 emissions. Forest and lawn primarily served a recreational function and exhibited a positive impact. Water and cultivated land offered insufficient production and thus had a negative influence. For rural residents, lawn and cultivated land production is self-sufficient. Forests offer a carbon sequence effect, and construction land expansion increased the proportion of developed area, offering a scale effect that resulted in reduced carbon emissions. Based on the results, alternative carbon emission reduction policies have been proposed for each tested influence aspect to reduce emissions, including policies for optimizing industrialization quality, constructing a medium-density city, increasing space efficiency, encouraging sustainable consumption behavior, and increasing the efficiency of energy utilization.
The Pre-Potential of a Field Propagating with the Speed of Light and Its Dual Symmetry
Authors: Friedman Yaakov , Gootvilig David Hai , Scarr Tzvi
Published: November 2019

Relativity theory assumes that force fields propagate with the speed of light. We show that such force fields generated by a single source can be described by a pre-potential, which is a complex-valued function on spacetime outside the worldline of the source. The pre-potential is invariant under a spin-half representation of the Lorentz group acting on complexified spacetime. The complex four-potential of such a field is defined and calculated explicitly from the pre-potential without assuming any particular force law for the field. The real part of the obtained four-potential coincides with the known Liénard–Wiechert potential. The symmetry of the four-potential is described herein. The pre-potential satisfies the wave equation. The single source electromagnetic field derived from this four-potential is self-dual or anti-self-dual. The pre-potential and the four-potential are extended to a field with several sources.
Efficient Delivery of Dengue Virus Subunit Vaccines to the Skin by Microprojection Arrays
Authors: Muller David A. , Depelsenaire Alexandra C. I. , Shannon Ashleigh E. , Watterson Daniel , Corrie Simon R. , Owens Nick S. , Agyei-Yeboah Christiana , Cheung Stacey T. M. , Zhang Jin , Fernando Germain J. P. , Kendall Mark A. F. , Young Paul R.
Published: November 2019

Dengue virus is the most important arbovirus impacting global human health, with an estimated 390 million infections annually, and over half the world’s population at risk of infection. While significant efforts have been made to develop effective vaccines to mitigate this threat, the task has proven extremely challenging, with new approaches continually being sought. The majority of protective, neutralizing antibodies induced during infection are targeted by the envelope (E) protein, making it an ideal candidate for a subunit vaccine approach. Using truncated, recombinant, secreted E proteins (sE) of all 4 dengue virus serotypes, we have assessed their immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mice, with or without Quil-A as an adjuvant, and delivered via micropatch array (MPA) to the skin in comparison with more traditional routes of immunization. The micropatch contains an ultra-high density array (21,000/cm2) of 110 μm microprojections. Mice received 3 doses of 1 μg (nanopatch, intradermal, subcutaneous, or intra muscular injection) or 10 μg (intradermal, subcutaneous, or intra muscular injection) of tetravalent sE spaced 4 weeks apart. When adjuvanted with Quil-A, tetravalent sE vaccination delivered via MPA resulted in earlier induction of virus-neutralizing IgG antibodies for all four serotypes when compared with all of the other vaccination routes. Using the infectious dengue virus AG129 mouse infectious dengue model, these neutralizing antibodies protected all mice from lethal dengue virus type 2 D220 challenge, with protected animals showing no signs of disease or circulating virus. If these results can be translated to humans, MPA-delivered sE represents a promising approach to dengue virus vaccination.
Precipitation Isotopes Associated with the Duration and Distance of Moisture Trajectory in a Westerly-Dominant Setting
Authors: Wang Shengjie , Du Mingxia , Zhang Mingjun , Shi Mengyu , Jiao Rong , Wang Liwei
Published: November 2019

A Lagrangian diagnostic adjusted using specific humidity, with 6 h intervals along the trajectory and with lifting condensation level as cloud base height, was employed to identify the moisture source regions around the Tianshan Mountains, northwest China. Then, the relationship between precipitation stable isotopes and diagnosed duration–distance of moisture trajectory was analyzed. In this region, the median value of transport duration from moisture source to precipitation sampling site is approximately 3 days, and most moisture sources are closer than 1000 km. According to the Lagrangian diagnosed moisture sources, the higher precipitation summer months usually have rapid air mass movement, and remotely sourced moisture can be delivered to arid central Asia; in the dryer winter months, the moisture loading is weak, and longer transport duration and shorter source distances are observed. As trajectory duration increases, δ18O in sampled precipitation shows a positive trend, especially on the northern slope, and the short-duration events are usually significantly impacted by local recycled moisture with depleted isotopic signatures. The northern slope usually shows relatively shorter duration and longer distance, and more distant sources have more enriched isotopic values.
UPAYA PEMERINTAH TURKI UNTUK BERGABUNG DENGAN UNI EROPA
Authors: Wardana Adhi
Published: November 2019

The European Union is an inter-governmental organization whose members are European countries. Since July 1, 2013 already has 28 member countries, many countries of the European region who want to join the European Union, one of which is Turkish, the extent to which the Turkish government's efforts to join the European Union? This study aims to determine the extent of the Turkish Government Efforts To Join The European Union (2004-2008). To be able to Turkey joining the European Union must meet the Copenhagen criteria which consists of the political criteria, economic and acquis, Turkey must conform to all the regulations of the European Union so researchers try to analyze from the effort, constraints, and prospects for Turkey to join the European Union. This type of research is a qualitative research method used is descriptive analysis techniques. aims to describe the facts related to the problem under study. Most of the data that is collected through library research, online data retrieval, and documentation, data were then analyzed with a theoretical approach to dealing with International Relations. The results showed that the Turkish government has made progress in meeting the criteria candidates are awarded by the European Union, Turkey showed promising economic growth, recorded during the year 2004-2008 Turkish economic growth averaged 7%. Turkey managed to adopt new chapters in the Acquis criteria, although there are many other chapters that have not adapted to the European Union, in the political aspects of the Turkish government has been working hard to solve the problem of ham with the Kurds, Armenia and Cyprus, but in line with the efforts that have been The Turkish government in its application, there are still many obstacles that eventually make Turkey's accession to EU membership back hampered..
PERANAN ILO MELALUI PROYEK PROPEL (PROMOTING RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN EMPLOYMENT THROUGH LEGISLATION)-INDONESIA DALAM MEMPROMOSIKAN HAK KESEMPATAN KERJA BAGI PARA PENYANDANG DISABILITAS DI INDONESIA
Authors: Hanny Fitria Budi Widya
Published: November 2019

This study aims to determine the role and efforts of the ILO in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities employment opportunities in Indonesia in 2012-2014. This study used qualitative methods, with the data collection technique literature (online searches, interviews, documentation). As for analyzing the data, researchers used data reduction techniques. The results showed that the role carried out by the ILO through PROPEL project-Indonesia in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities employment opportunities in Indonesia serves as a platform and means. ILO helps, socialize, approach, providing technical assistance and recommend solutions or policies in dealing with disability issues against the government, employers and labor unions in Indonesia. The conclusion from this study is the ILO has contributed to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities employment opportunities in Indonesia, is viewed from many policy makers began raising the issue of disability in providing employment opportunities to Indonesian people with disabilities and priorities Disability Bill for the Government of Indonesia today.