bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agroecology in Europe: Research, Education, Collective Action Networks, and Alternative Food Systems
Authors: Wezel Alexander , Goette Julia , Lagneaux Elisabeth , Passuello Gloria , Reisman Erica , Rodier Christophe , Turpin Grégoire
Published: April 2018

Agroecology is considered with different focus and weight in different parts of the world as a social and political movement, as science, and as practice. Despite its multitude of definitions, agroecology has begun in Europe to develop in different regional, national and continental networks of researchers, practitioners, advocates and movements. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive overview about these different developments and networks. Therefore, this paper attempts to document and provide a mapping of the development of European agroecology in its diverse forms. Through a literature review, interviews, active conference participation, and an extensive internet search we have collected information about the current state and development of agroecology in Europe. Agroecological research and higher education exist more in western and northern Europe, but farm schools and farmer-to-farmer training are also present in other regions. Today a large variety of topics are studied at research institutions. There is an increasing number of bottom-up agroecological initiatives and national or continental networks and movements. Important movements are around food sovereignty, access to land and seeds. Except for France, there are very few concrete policies for agroecology in Europe. Agroecology is increasingly linked to different fields of agri-food systems. This includes Community Supported Agriculture systems, but also agroecological territories, and some examples of labelling products. To amplify agroecology in Europe in the coming years, policy development will be crucial and proponents of agroecology must join forces and work hand-in-hand with the many stakeholders engaged in initiatives to develop more sustainable agriculture and food systems.
Exceptional Drought and Unconventional Energy Production
Authors: Stevens Reid B. , Torell Gregory L.
Published: April 2018

The hydraulic fracturing boom in Texas required massive water flows. Beginning in the summer of 2011, water became scarce as a prolonged heat wave and subsequent severe drought spread across the state. Oil and gas producers working in drought areas needed to purchase expensive local water or transport water from a non-drought county far from the drill site. In response to decreased water availability in drought areas, these producers completed fewer wells and completed wells that used less water. This decrease in well-level water use had a measurable effect on the amount of oil and gas produced by wells completed during exceptional conditions.
Empirical Study of How Traffic Intensity Detector Parameters Influence Dynamic Street Lighting Energy Consumption: A Case Study in Krakow, Poland
Authors: Wojnicki Igor , Kotulski Leszek
Published: April 2018

The deployment of dynamic street lighting, which adjusts lighting levels to fulfill particular needs, leads to energy savings. These savings contribute to the overall lighting infrastructure maintenance cost. Yet another contribution is the cost of traffic intensity data. The data is read directly from sensor systems or intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). The more frequent the readings are, the more costly they become, because of hardware capabilities, data transfer and software license costs, among others. The paper investigates a relationship between the frequency of readings, in particular the averaging window size and step, and achieved energy savings. It is based on a simulation, taking into account a representative part of a city and traffic intensity data, which span over a period of one year. While the energy consumption reduction is simulated, all data, including each luminaire power setting, induction loop locations and street characteristics, come from a representative sample of the city of Krakow, Poland. Controlling the power settings complies with the lighting standard CEN/TR 13201. Analysis of the outcomes indicates that the shorter the window size or step are, the more energy saving that is available. In particular, for the previous standard CEN/TR 13201 2004, having the window size and step at 15 min results in 26.75% of energy saving, while reducing these values to 6 min provides 27%. Savings are more profound for the current standard (CEN/TR 13201 2014), assuming a 15 min size and step results in 47.43%, while having a 6 min size and step provides 47.69%. The results can serve as a guideline for identifying the economic viability of dynamic lighting control systems. Additionally, it can be observed that the current lighting standard provides far greater potential for dynamic control then the previous standard.
Towards Comprehensive Policy Integration for the Sustainability of Small Islands: A Landscape-Scale Planning Approach for the Galápagos Islands
Authors: Pazmiño Andrés , Serrao-Neumann Silvia , Low Choy Darryl
Published: April 2018

Accomplishing and implementing sustainable development goals in the context of insular socio-ecological systems requires effective policy integration—i.e., the integration of policy actors across multiple sectors and levels of government to improve policy outcomes. However, achieving policy integration entails significant challenges because it is highly context-dependent. This study investigates policy integration within the complex socio-ecological context of the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador. The paper analyses Galápagos legal and planning documents to evaluate the extent to which they support comprehensive policy integration. The analysis found that recently adopted institutional arrangements have strengthened government institutions at the provincial level, and started to consider concepts relating to socio-ecological and land–sea management. Nevertheless, key policy actors and pressing issues remain unattended, due to policy inconsistencies, institutional arrangements limitations, and fragmented approaches to conservation and development control between provincial and local governments. Insights are presented to improve the comprehensiveness of policy integration in Galápagos based on a landscape-scale planning approach.
Transport Choice Modeling for the Evaluation of New Transport Policies
Authors: Pijoan Ander , Kamara-Esteban Oihane , Alonso-Vicario Ainhoa , Borges Cruz E.
Published: April 2018

Quantifying the impact of the application of sustainable transport policies is essential in order to mitigate effects of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the transport sector. One of the most common approaches used for this purpose is that of traffic modelling and simulation, which consists of emulating the operation of an entire road network. This article presents the results of fitting 8 well known data science methods for transport choice modelling, the area in which more research is needed. The models have been trained with information from Biscay province in Spain in order to match as many of its commuters as possible. Results show that the best models correctly forecast more than 51% of the trips recorded. Finally, the results have been validated with a second data set from the Silesian Voivodeship in Poland, showing that all models indeed maintain their forecasting ability.
Multilevel Analysis of International Scientific Collaboration Network in the Influenza Virus Vaccine Field: 2006–2013
Authors: Liu Yun , Cheng Yijie , Yan Zhe , Ye Xuanting
Published: April 2018

Influenza virus vaccine plays an important role in preventing influenza and protecting people’s health. The international collaboration in influenza virus vaccine field is related to the sustainability of healthcare. To understand the elaborate characteristics of multiform international collaboration in the influenza virus vaccine field, this paper constructs a multilayered analytical framework (at the country, city and institution levels) of international scientific collaboration to examine the regional distribution, dynamic changes and common themes of collaboration. A total of 1878 international collaboration papers of the influenza virus vaccine field published from 2006 to 2013 were collected from the Web of Science database. Based on this dataset, the paper utilizes bibliometrics and social network analysis approaches to explore international publication trends and collaboration performance in the influenza virus vaccine field. Results show that: (1) the three kinds of collaboration networks (country, city and institution levels) all present dynamic structures, strong core-periphery characteristics, and their degree centrality distributions follows segmented Zifp-Pareto distribution; and (2) although it is known that there exist corresponding relationships among countries, cities and institutions in the geographical position, most of their associated categories, network locations and changing trends are all non-conformal. These findings suggest that multilayered analysis enables a more comprehensive understanding of international scientific collaboration in the influenza virus vaccine field. In general, detailed conclusions can help different levels of governments to draw policy implications for promoting further international collaboration research to enhance the ability on preventing the disease.
Analogs of the Scorpion Venom Peptide Stigmurin: Structural Assessment, Toxicity, and Increased Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Parente Adriana M. S. , Daniele-Silva Alessandra , Furtado Allanny A. , Melo Menilla A. , Lacerda Ariane F. , Queiroz Moacir , Moreno Cláudia , Santos Elizabeth , Rocha Hugo A. O. , Barbosa Euzébio G. , Carvalho Eneas , Silva-Júnior Arnobio A. , Silva Marcelo S. , Fernandes-Pedrosa Matheus de F.
Published: April 2018

Scorpion venom is a rich source of biologically active components and various peptides with high-potential therapeutic use that have been characterized for their antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities. Stigmurin is a peptide identified from the Tityus stigmurus venom gland with high antibacterial and antiproliferative activities and low toxicity. Amino acid substitutions in peptides without a disulfide bridge sequence have been made with the aim of reducing their toxicity and increasing their biological activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the structural conformation and structural stability, as well as antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and hemolytic activities of two peptide analogs to Stigmurin, denominated StigA6 and StigA16. In silico analysis revealed the α-helix structure for both analog peptides, which was confirmed by circular dichroism. Data showed that the net charge and hydrophobic moment of the analog peptides were higher than those for Stigmurin, which can explain the increase in antimicrobial activity presented by them. Both analog peptides exhibited activity on cancerous cells similar to the native peptide; however, they were less toxic when tested on the normal cell line. These results reveal a potential biotechnological application of the analog peptides StigA6 and StigA16 as prototypes to new therapeutic agents.
Cysteine Proteinase C1A Paralog Profiles Correspond with Phylogenetic Lineages of Pathogenic Piroplasmids
Authors: Ascencio Mariano , Florin-Christensen Monica , Mamoun Choukri , Weir William , Shiels Brian , Schnittger Leonhard
Published: April 2018

Piroplasmid parasites comprising of Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon are transmitted by ticks to farm and pet animals and have a significant impact on livestock industries and animal health in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. In addition, diverse Babesia spp. infect humans as opportunistic hosts. Molecular phylogeny has demonstrated at least six piroplasmid lineages exemplified by B. microti, B. duncani, C. felis, T. equi, Theileria sensu stricto (T. annulata, T. parva, and T. orientalis) and Babesia sensu stricto (B. bovis, B. bigemina, and B. ovis). C1A cysteine-proteinases (C1A-Cp) are papain-like enzymes implicated in pathogenic and vital steps of the parasite life cycle such as nutrition and host cell egress. An expansion of C1A-Cp of T. annulata and T. parva with respect to B. bovis and B. ovis was previously described. In the present work, C1A-Cp paralogs were identified in available genomes of species pertaining to each piroplasmid lineage. Phylogenetic analysis revealed eight C1A-Cp groups. The profile of C1A-Cp paralogs across these groups corroborates and defines the existence of six piroplasmid lineages. C. felis, T. equi and Theileria s.s. each showed characteristic expansions into extensive families of C1A-Cp paralogs in two of the eight groups. Underlying gene duplications have occurred as independent unique evolutionary events that allow distinguishing these three piroplasmid lineages. We hypothesize that C1A-Cp paralog families may be associated with the advent of the schizont stage. Differences in the invertebrate tick host specificity and/or mode of transmission in piroplasmid lineages might also be associated with the observed C1A-Cp paralog profiles.
A Study on the Comparison of Corrosion in Water Supply Pipes Due to Tap Water (TW) and Reclaimed Water (RW)
Authors: Lee Hyundong , Rasheed Usman , Kong Myeongsik
Published: April 2018

Among a wide variety of alternative water resources, reclaimed water from waste-water has drawn much attention, as it is considered a stable water resource to be substituted for agricultural, industrial, recreational, and public water. This study aimed to compare and evaluate the effects of tap water and reclaimed water on the corrosion of the inner surface of pipes. The investigated pipes included GSP (Galvanized Steel Pipe), CIP (Cast Iron Pipe), STSP (Stainless Steel Pipe), and PVCP (Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe). Assessment of corrosion impact on the different materials of pipes was conducted by analyzing the corrosion accelerators and inhibitors related to the characteristics of reclaimed water. Reclaimed water with higher ionic content showed a faster corrosion rate than tap water because corrosion accelerators have more of an effect on pipe corrosion than do corrosion inhibitors. In terms of pipe materials, the corrosion rate was fastest in CIP, followed by GSP, and STSP; PVCP exhibited no electrochemical corrosion.
The Long-Term Hydrological Performance of Permeable Pavement Systems in Northern Spain: An Approach to the “End-of-Life” Concept
Authors: Sañudo-Fontaneda Luis A. , Andres-Valeri Valerio C. , Costales-Campa Carlos , Cabezon-Jimenez Iñigo , Cadenas-Fernandez Fernando
Published: April 2018

Porous mixtures and Interlocking Concrete Block Pavements (ICBP) are the most widely used surfaces in Permeable Pavement Systems (PPS). Despite the fact that there are many studies based on the hydrological performance of PPS, there are few long-term studies that identify the end of life of PPS regarding their hydrological performance. A field study has been developed over 10 years in the experimental car park “Las Llamas” in the city of Santander, Northern Spain. Permeability was measured in 37 car park bays (nine Polymer-Modified Porous Concrete, nine Porous Asphalt, and 17 ICBP of two different designs). Tests were conducted under the Spanish Standard NLT-327/00 for the porous-mixture surfaces and the ASTM methods C1701/C1701M-17a and C1781/C1781M-15 for porous mixtures and ICBP, respectively. No maintenance was carried out in this car park since it was opened to traffic in 2008, allowing for the assessment and identification of the hydrological failure of each surface. The research showed that after 10 years of operation without maintenance, the bays constructed using porous mixtures were completely clogged, reaching the end of their operational life after nine years. However, ICBP maintained high infiltration rates, showing better resilience to sediment clogging. Further research is needed to confirm the evolution of ICBP surfaces.
Embedding, Covert Movement, and Intervention in Kathmandu Newari
Authors: Zhang Borui , Chacón Dustin Alfonso
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we explore the syntax of wh-dependencies in Newari (Sino-Tibetan). We examine the patterns of intervention and island effects in wh-in-situ configurations, and we find that sensitivity to these constraints often co-occur. We thus argue that Newari permits wh-operators to either covertly move to fix their scope, or may take scope in-situ via focus alternative composition analysis. Additionally, we argue that clausal complements to verbs (“verbal argument CPs”) may be islands for covert movement in this language.
!? (Where’s the Ban on Imperative Questions?)
Authors: Stegovec Adrian
Published: April 2018

This paper argues for a re-evaluation of the common assumption that imperatives cannot appear in (true information seeking) questions. This is challenged based on new data from Slovenian, which show that imperatives can occur in scope marking questions. It is proposed that instead of a categorical exclusion of imperative questions based on clause type, the ban on imperative questions is the result of a matrix clause version of subject obviation. The proposed analysis not only reduces the putative "ban on imperative questions" to another independent phenomenon, but also correctly predicts the behavior of imperatives in scope marking questions.
Laws for biscuits: Independence and dependence in conditionals
Authors: Goebel Arno
Published: April 2018

Pragmatic theories of biscuit conditionals (BCs) claim that BCs have a standard conditional semantics and that the defining characteristics is a contextual assumption of independence. Intuitively there is no connection between antecedent and consequent. I argue that the standard formalization of independence is insuf- ficient. This is shown with the phenomenon of factual uses of conditionals where the antecedent is mutually accepted by discourse participants. The standard account is amended with a framework which represents dependencies between facts and ‘grounds’ the standard formalization in the independence of facts.
An illocutionary account of reportative evidentials in imperatives
Authors: AnderBois Scott
Published: April 2018

This paper provides a detailed analysis of reportative evidentials in imperative sentences, drawing on original fieldwork in Tagalog and Yucatec Maya. Previous literature presents two distinct views of such sentences, which we dub `imperative-by-proxy' and `neutral report' views. Based on a range of data across different  sorts of imperatives uses in different sorts of contexts, we argue for a version of the `imperative-by-proxy' theory and proposal a formal analysis with theory of illocutionary updates.
A-type Stellar Abundances: A Corollary to Herschel Observations of Debris Disks
Authors: Draper Zachary H , Matthews Brenda , Venn Kim , Lambert David , Kennedy Grant , Sitnova Tatyana
Published: April 2018

In order to assess the relationship between metallicity and exoplanetary systems, we compare the abundances of AF-type main-sequence stars with debris disk properties assessed using Herschel observations of an unbiased survey of nearby stars. Hot stars are not as commonly observed, given their unique constraints in data reduction, lack of metal lines, and “astrophysical noise” from rotation speed. Here, we address that deficiency using new and archival spectra of 83 AF-type stars. We measure the abundances of a few species in addition to Fe in order to classify the stars with Ap/Am or Lambda Boo signatures. Lambda Boo stars have a chemical signature of solar-abundant volatile species and sub-solar refractory abundances that is hypothesized to be altered by the pollution of volatiles. Overall, we see no correlation between debris disks and metallicity, primarily because the sample size is cut significantly when using only reliable fits to the spectroscopic data. The abundance measured from the Mg ii 4481 blend is a useful diagnostic because it can be reliably measured at large v·sin(i) and is found to be lower around stars with bright debris disks. We find that Lambda Boo stars have brighter debris disks compared to a bias-free sample of AF stars. The trend with disk brightness and Mg abundances suggests pollution effects can be significant and used as a marker for the stability of planetary systems. We explore trends with other species, such as with the C/O ratios, but are significantly limited by the low number of reliable detections.
Constraining Type Ia Supernova Progenitor Scenarios with Extremely Late-time Photometry of Supernova SN 2013aa
Authors: Jacobson-Galán Wynn V. , Dimitriadis Georgios , Foley Ryan J. , Kilpatrick Charles D.
Published: April 2018

We present Hubble Space Telescope observations and photometric measurements of the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) SN 2013aa 1500 days after explosion. At this epoch, the luminosity is primarily dictated by the amounts of radioactive

and

, while at earlier epochs, the luminosity depends on the amount of radioactive

. The ratio of odd-numbered to even-numbered isotopes depends significantly on the density of the progenitor white dwarf (WD) during the SN explosion, which, in turn, depends on the details of the progenitor system at the time of ignition. From a comprehensive analysis of the entire light curve of SN 2013aa, we measure a

ratio of

, which indicates a relatively low central density for the progenitor WD at the time of explosion, consistent with DD progenitor channels. We estimate

, and place an upper limit on the abundance of

. A recent study reported a possible correlation between

and stretch for four SNe Ia. SN 2013aa, however, does not fit this trend, indicating either SN 2013aa is an extreme outlier or the correlation does not hold up with a larger sample. The

measured for the expanded sample of SNe Ia with photometry at extremely late times has a much larger range than that of explosion models, perhaps limiting conclusions about SN Ia progenitors drawn from extremely late-time photometry.
A new species of Ischiodon Sack (Diptera, Syrphidae) from Madagascar
Authors: Mengual Ximo
Published: April 2018

The flower fly genus Ischiodon Sack (Diptera, Syrphidae) is revised and a new species, Ischiodonastales sp. n., is described from Madagascar. Additionally, a lectotype for Ischiodonaegyptius is designated and the first records of Ischiodonscutellaris for the Arabian Peninsula are reported. Diagnoses, illustrations, synonymies and distributional data are given for all described species, as well as an identification key to all known species.
L’expédition de Carthagène en 1697 et la fin de la flibuste, ou comment Saint-Domingue est devenue territoire français
Authors: Grégoire Vincent
Published: April 2018

La règle des trois unités Etat-peuple-territoire qui s’affirme pendant la période moderne en Europe doit être pensée dans sa relation contradictoire avec l’administration des territoires coloniaux. Il nous semble pouvoir esquisser une approche de cette articulation à la lumière d’un évènement qui contribua de manière décisive à la fin de la guerre entre la France et l’Europe coalisée en 1697 : la prise de Carthagène des Indes par les Français en mai de cette année.
Réagir, anticiper, soutenir. Ce que le monde du travail attend des sociologues
Authors: Hinault Anne-Claude , Osty Florence , Servel Laurence
Published: April 2018

Résumé Les demandes provenant du monde du travail adressées aux sociologues présentent de multiples visages. En s’appuyant sur un corpus de 65 terrains d’enquête menés dans le cadre d’un dispositif de formation continue depuis près d’une vingtaine d’années, cet article propose d’en élaborer une typologie. À partir d’un modèle envisageant tout à la fois l’orientation de la demande (compréhensive vs prescriptive) mais aussi sa temporalité (orientée vers le passé, le présent ou l’avenir), trois grands types d’attentes peuvent être repérés. Les premières, qui sont aussi les plus nombreuses, renvoient de la part des commanditaires à une demande de compréhension de symptômes critiques pour réagir de manière plus ajustée. Pour les deuxièmes, moins fréquentes, la demande d’analyse est mise en rapport avec un besoin d’anticipation : pressentant des changements à venir, les commanditaires cherchent à préserver ou à adapter des dynamiques sociales jusqu’alors vertueuses. Un troisième ensemble, largement minoritaire, correspond à des demandes plus prescriptives se traduisant par une demande de soutien pour renforcer ou aménager des dispositifs existants.
Heart Transplant in Children: What a Primary Care Provider Needs to Know
Authors: Sehgal Swati , Shea Emily , Kelm Lauren , Kamat Deepak
Published: April 2018

Heart transplantation is offered to children with heart failure that is not amenable to medical or surgical therapy. Indications for heart transplant include unrepairable congenital heart disease, failed palliation of congenital heart disease, and cardiomyopathies. There has been tremendous progress in this field since the first heart transplant was performed in 1967. Each year, approximately 500 pediatric heart transplants take place worldwide. Pediatric heart transplant survivors are living longer with their initial transplant. Many pediatric practitioners are faced with caring for these patients before as well as after the heart transplant and, therefore, they should be knowledgeable about basic principles related to heart transplant. There are certain complications that are unique to this population, and medication side-effects, evaluation and management of a febrile illness, opportunistic infections, vaccination, pregnancy, and exercise recommendations are areas that require special consideration.

[
Pediatr Ann.
2018;47(4):e172–e178.]
NICU Graduates: The Role of the Allied Health Team in Follow-Up
Authors: Orton Jane L. , Olsen Joy E. , Ong Katherine , Lester Rochelle , Spittle Alicia J.
Published: April 2018

Infants who graduate from the neonatal intensive care unit, including those infants born preterm and/or with brain injury, are at increased risk of long-term neurodevelopmental impairments. The developmental allied health team, consisting of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology, is crucial in early evaluation of gross motor, fine motor, feeding, and language development. Surveillance of neurodevelopment in the first year of life is essential to ensure early detection of specific developmental delays and impairments, and to ensure timely referral for early intervention. Early intervention is not only important in optimizing long-term outcomes for the child, but it also plays an important role in enhancing the parent-child relationship and parental well-being. In this review, we discuss the role of the developmental allied health team in the follow-up of high-risk infants, identify key assessment tools used in early neurodevelopmental surveillance, and provide recommendations regarding referral to intervention programs to optimize child and family outcomes. [

Pediatr Ann.
2018;47(4):e165–e171.]
Follow-Up Care for High-Risk Preterm Infants
Authors: Voller Stephannie M. B.
Published: April 2018

Preterm infants continue to have complex medical and developmental issues after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. Over the past few decades there has been an increase in preterm births and a decrease in preterm mortality. Many infants are referred to follow-up clinics that specialize in neurodevelopmental assessment. Often, a community pediatrician or family practitioner provides both the medical management and observes developmental milestones of the high-risk neonate. Intense medical management, early identification of delay, and referral for developmental services may improve preterm infant outcomes. This article provides an overview of common medical and developmental problems specific to high-risk preterm infants.

[
Pediatr Ann.
2018;47(4):e142–e146.]
Low Cost Absorbents, Techniques, and Heavy Metal Removal Efficiency
Authors: Sharma Harendra Kumar , Sofi Irfan Rashid , Wani Khursheed Ahmad
Published: April 2018

Heavy metal contamination in water is a serious concern to the environment and human health. High concentrations of heavy metals in the environment can be toxic to a variety of living species. Natural bio-absorbents are abundant and inexpensive and considered a waste if not managed properly. The role of bio-absorbents has been widely studied and has been utilized for the removal of heavy metals. The objective of the chapter is to search the database for different absorbents and their efficiency for the removal of heavy metals. Key words related to the study have been used to select different papers published by the researchers all over the world. A rigorous three-tier process has been utilized by the authors to select the papers from the database for the current study. This chapter has identified a few research gaps in the field of heavy metal removal by using different low cast absorbents that need to be taken into account in future research.
Housing Citizenship Through the Federation of Urban Poor in South Africa
Authors: Tshishonga Ndwakhulu Stephen
Published: April 2018

This chapter explores the notion of housing citizenship through the Federation of Urban Poor (FEDUP) among the poor and homeless in South African townships. Through the Federation of Urban Poor, the poor people have been instrumental and pragmatic in promoting housing citizenship self-funded and with the help of the Department of Human Settlement both locally and nationally. The chapter makes use of human-capability development framework to draw lessons for active participation and empowerment in the delivery of services such as houses. The chapter found that the people involved in FEDUP managed to transform their dire situation from marginalization to empowerment and have managed to further outsource both government and private sector resources in the form of finances and human expertise. The data in this chapter are collected through face-to-face interviews, document analysis, and observations.
Informal Housing and the Urban Poor
Authors: Admasu Tesfaye Gebeyehu
Published: April 2018

This chapter examines the nexus between the housing market and the urban poor. Affordability, tenure security, and good governance were examined. The study has employed questionnaires, focus group discussion, key informant interview, and field observation to collect data. Mixed approaches were used for data analysis. The study has revealed that the poorer segment of the population in the study area has less likely benefited from formal housing schemes. Informal settlement areas seem affordable only to some households who have the economic potential in the early years of land transaction (2003/04-2005/06). Tenure insecurity has reached its climax first with the demolition of about 500 houses in the study kebeles in 2011 and then with the promulgation of the new land lease proclamation No721/2011. Decentralized administration has failed to ensure good governance. Therefore, more attention should be given to revisiting housing development programs and projects, taking preventive measures rather than reactive ones, promoting housing finance, and monitoring the decentralization process.
Responsible Practices of Stakeholders for Sustained Tourism Destination Development
Authors: Jog Deepti
Published: April 2018

Sustainability as a phrase is used differently in a number of frameworks and perspectives and is associated in a different manner by various people. The sensitivity of the sustainability paradigm is appraised due to the industry's juxtaposition to natural assets and closer association with the socio-cultural makeup at an attraction/destination. In the past studies, there is very little consideration given to understanding the stakeholder responsibilities taking into consideration all the stakeholders at an attraction/destination. However, a number of multi-stakeholder studies have supported the fact that there should be unidirectional planning of sustainable practices at an attraction/destination by all the stakeholder groups involved.
Informal Sector Operations and the Environment
Authors: Chirisa Innocent , Bobo Tinashe
Published: April 2018

Using case studies from Cairo, Harare, Kigali, and Addis Ababa, this study seeks to disentangle the relationship that exists between the informal sector and the urban environments in Africa. It argues that there are two sides to the coin of the informal sector: the informal sector as a major contributor to urban environmental pollution (land, water, air, and sound), and the sector works as a “cleanser” given its ability to re-use the materials that the formal sector has disgorged. The study defines the inputs, processes, throughputs, and outputs in the sector in keeping with the debates of informal sector contributor to poor environmental management and the informal sector cleanser of the potentially polluted environment. In light of these debates, the authors see the extant imperative of balancing between the two debates in order to inform the urban environmental policy. Overall, with improved technology or appropriate technology coupled with rigorous environmental stewardship campaigns, it is possible to create safer cities where brown, green, and red issues are balanced out.
Innovative Social Movements as an Urban Activism
Authors: Akiner Ilknur , Erdogan Sezgi
Published: April 2018

Taksim Park İstanbul protests initially started to stop the urban development plan within the frame of pedestrianization of Taksim Square and construction of artillery barracks in Taksim Park. As a part of the project, after heavy construction equipment had entered to Taksim Park on May 27, 2013, this situation started spreading especially via social media in a short time. Thus, this situation turned into a problem for Turkey and became like a resistance movement. Historical transformation process of Taksim Park and the most prominent events of the protests are summarized before analyzing this civil disobedience in terms of the theory of NSMs. In this context, it is questioned whether the NSMs have been affected or not in cancelling the project prepared for the purpose of demolishing and rebuilding the Taksim Park having an important place in the memory of the city. The NSMs are mostly related with politics, human rights, violence against women, or religion. On the other hand, the Taksim Park events are a movement of people protecting their own architectural or urban environment.
A Survey of Mobile Computing Devices and Sensors in Healthcare Applications
Authors: Narayana Moorthi M.  , Manjula R.
Published: April 2018

Mobile devices are continuously improving, adding integrated sensors, which are of value to the healthcare industry. Sensor-enabled mobile phones collect data from patients, which is useful for doctors in providing immediate care and treatment. As smartphones become ubiquitous, their use as health monitors should become commonplace. This chapter surveys mobile computing devices and sensors in healthcare applications.
Body Fitness Monitoring Using IoT Device
Authors: Govinda K.
Published: April 2018

Recent technological advances in wireless communications and wireless sensor networks have enabled the design of intelligent, tiny, low-cost, and lightweight medical sensor nodes that can be placed on the human body strategically. The focus of this chapter is to implement the health monitoring system continuously without hospitalization using wearable sensors and create a wireless body area network (WBAN). Wearable sensors monitor the parameters of the human body like temperature, pressure, and heart beat by using sensors and providing real-time feedback to the user and medical staff and WBANs promise to revolutionize health monitoring. In this chapter, medical sensors are used to collect physiological data from patients and transmit it to the system which has details of an individual stored using Bluetooth/Wi-Fi with the help of Arduino and to medical server using Wi-Fi/3G communications.
Upconversion Luminescence Behaviour of Er3+/Yb3+ Doped MY2O4 (M=Ba, Ca, Sr) Phosphors
Authors: Dubey Vikas , Dubey Neha , Shrivastava Ravi , KaurSaluja Jagjeet , Som Sudipta , Dutta Somrita , Chandrakar Rituraj
Published: April 2018

The upconversion (UC) of the rare earth doped MY2O4 (M=Ba, Sr, Ca) has been extensively investigated due to their potential applications in many fields, such as color display, high density memories, optical data storage, sensor and energy solar cell, etc. Many series of them, especially the Er3+, Yb3+ doped MY2O4 were studied in this chapter, due to the thermal and mechanical toughness, high optical transmittance from the ultraviolet to the infrared regions, and a low nonlinear refractive index compared to the other commercial laser glasses. The energy transfer (ET) mechanism of rare earth doped phosphor plays an important role in the upconversion process.
Perspectives of Hydrothermal Synthesis of Fluorides for Luminescence Applications
Authors: Ugemuge Nilesh. S. , Gayner Chhatrasal , Natrajan V. , Dhoble Sanjay. J.
Published: April 2018

Hydrothermal synthesis is an easy, portable, less-hazardous, and low-cost synthesis method. Various researchers across the globe are worked on the synthesis of different materials via this route. Practically, fluorides are difficult to synthesize due to their hygroscopic nature by conventional methods. But, the hydrothermal synthesis is used to prepare several compositionally optimized fluoride-based materials using closed-system physical and chemical processes in an aqueous solution at low temperatures and pressures. The silent features of the hydrothermal method over conventional methods of materials processing are a crystallization of materials, crystal growth, in the processing of a wide range of materials not only the bulk crystals but fine particles with a controlled size and morphology. Therefore, in order to place its numerous recent developments, past and current research come together in this chapter. This chapter is a recent clocking update for synthesis, materials, and their applications.
A Review of Chemical Treatments on Natural Fibers-Based Hybrid Composites for Engineering Applications
Authors: Jayapalan Sudeepan
Published: April 2018

The development of hybrid-fiber-reinforced composites has increased in recent decades because of its abundance, low cost, low weight, high strength, stiffness, and bio-degradability, thereby increasing its engineering applications. However, the major drawbacks of natural fibers in composites are their high moisture absorption and poor compatibility between fiber and matrix. Hence, chemical treatments are primarily considered to modify the fiber surfaces with the objective to improve interfacial bonding between fiber and matrix. This chapter addresses an overview of chemical treatments and their effects on natural fibers-based hybrid composites are reviewed. The chemical treatments include alkali, silane, maleated, and others, focused mainly on hybrid natural fiber composites. The significance of chemical treatment of natural fibers aimed to improve adhesion between fiber surface and matrix along with reduction in water absorption property to improve physical and mechanical properties as compared with untreated fibers for use in components of engineering applications is explored.
Development of Aerospace Composite Structures Through Vacuum-Enhanced Resin Transfer Moulding Technology (VERTMTy)
Authors: Kuppusamy Raghu Raja Pandiyan
Published: April 2018

Quality products with low cost manufacturing routes are the major objectives for the product development in any application. The current statement is evident for polymer-matrix composites, particularly in high end applications such as aerospace and mass transit structures. These applications require advanced composite materials tailored to meet the property demands posted by dynamic load conditions, and hence, the use of wide spectrum of constituents and architectures are vital to cater the needs. Consequently, the development of novel composite materials with the permutations of ingredients leads to the innovative processing techniques. To address the gap in the manufacturing with economical processing routes of thick sectioned advanced composite parts showing superior properties at different wall sections, an innovative composite manufacturing technology coupling resin transfer moulding (RTM) processing and vacuum applications, namely vacuum enhanced resin transfer moulding technology (VERTMTy), is conceptualized, proposed, and developed.
A Decision-Making Approach for Material Selection of Polymeric Composite Bumper Beam
Authors: Zindani Divya , Maity Saikat Ranjan , Bhowmik Sumit
Published: April 2018

Selection of material is a crucial part of the voyage of obtaining the optimal product. The task is challenging for the designer who has to select the optimal material from a list of thousands of materials that satisfy the tangible and intangible criteria. The problem of identification of the optimum material can be solved using different MCDM (multi-criteria decision-making) tools. This chapter proposes to select the optimal material for polymeric composite bumper beam using TODIM (tomada de decisao interativa multicriterio, which means in Portuguese “interactive and multi-criteria decision-making”) method. Six different composite materials were considered. Glass fiber epoxy turns out to be the optimal material for the bumper beam. Further, finite element analysis was carried out to study the behavior of the candidate materials under specific loading conditions.
Advanced Composites for Civil Engineering Infrastructures
Authors: Cui Xia , Zeng Shuzhu , Li Zhen , Zheng Qiaofeng , Yu Xun , Han Baoguo
Published: April 2018

The development of advanced composites not only enhances strength, ductility, durability of materials, and endows materials with the multifunctional property, but also reduces the construction cost and promotes civil engineering infrastructure to make sustainable development. In this chapter, several representative advanced composites with abundant research achievements and wide applications are systematically introduced with regard to cementitious composites, fiber-reinforced polymer composites, novel thermally functional composites, and 3D printing composites in terms of their definitions, properties, research progress, and applications in civil engineering infrastructures.
Visible Light Active Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Applications
Authors: Singh Rohini , Dutta Suman
Published: April 2018

This chapter explores the concept of visible light active nanocomposites for the enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation and dye degradation. Since the late 1960s, A. Fujishima has been involved in unfolding the fascinating characteristics of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as semiconductor oxide. The increased growth in population and industrial development has tremendously increased the generation of waste products and consumption of energy worldwide. This situation creates an immense need of clean and sustainable alternative sources of energy. Hydrogen, having a high energy capacity, is considered as a reliable fuel for the future energy requirements. In addition to that, due to the rapid industrialisation, our water is being contaminated with various harmful industrial effluents. This chapter illustrates the significance of visible light nanocomposites for the photocatalytic application of hydrogen generation for future energy security and dye degradation for the effective effluent treatment of textile industries.
An Approach for Detecting Social Interactions on Mobile Devices
Authors: Vasconcellos e Souza Isadora , Pereira William Bortoluzzi , Lima João Carlos D
Published: April 2018

Social exclusion can occur in a variety of ways, one of which is lack of social interaction. The recognition of the social relations that occur in a group is fundamental to identify possible exclusions. This chapter proposes SocialCount, a mobile application that identifies social interactions performed by the user. In order not to interfere in the naturalness of relationships, the application was designed to infer social interactions without user intervention. The data of the interactions generated sociograms that represented the structure of the relations in a group in a simple way. Through the sociogram it was possible to visualize the users who may be socially at risk and alert the professionals responsible to solve the situation.
Factors for Resistance to the Use of Mobile Banking
Authors: Neves da Rocha Juliana Yamaguchi , Martins Valéria Farinazzo
Published: April 2018

In spite of the great potential for the development of mobile banking in Brazil, since the banking index reaches more than half of the population and the number of internet users is even higher, this potential is not evenly distributed among the age groups in the country. Taking into account the tendency to resist new technologies as one ages, this chapter aimed to identify the factors that lead the Brazilian population aged 45 years or over to use the internet and, within this spectrum, identify the barriers to the adoption of mobile banking technology. A questionnaire was applied and 113 responses were analyzed and categorized between functional and psychological aspects in these barriers. This chapter presents the results of this research.
UX Design Guideline for Health Mobile Application to Improve Accessibility for the Visually Impaired
Authors: Kim Woo Jin , Kim Il Kon , Kim Jongoh , Kim Minji
Published: April 2018

A health mobile application (app) has enabled users to access personal health records at any time and place. As an app provides health service to users, it is crucial for an app to be accessible to every user. However, often an app does not provide proper visual aid for users who are visually impaired. The authors restrict the range of visually impaired to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients in this chapter. RP is a rare type of progressive retinal disease that is hard to cure. Unfortunately, there are no established guidelines to assist RP patients in using their degrading sense of vision. In this chapter, the authors review WCAG (web content accessibility guidelines) specified by W3C, analyze the UX designs of 140 popular health apps chosen based on the number of download counts in app stores, and propose a set of standard-compliant UX design guidelines to assist the visually impaired (RP) in accessing visual data and evaluate its compliance compared to WCAG.
An Adaptive Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control Scheme for Fractional Chaotic Systems Synchronization With Chattering Elimination
Authors: Khettab Khatir , Bensafia Yassine
Published: April 2018

This chapter presents a fractional adaptive interval type-2 fuzzy logic control strategy based on active fractional sliding mode controller (FAIT2FSMC) to synchronize tow chaotic fractional-order systems. The interval type-2 fuzzy logic systems (IT2FLS) are used to approximate the plant dynamics represented by unknown functions of the system, and the IT2F adaptation law adjusts the consequent parameters of the rules based on a Lyapunov synthesis approach. One of the main contributions in this work is the use of an IT2F and an adaptive fractional order PIλ control law to eliminate the chattering action in the control signal. Based on fractional order Lyapunov stability criterion, stability analysis is performed for the proposed method for an acceptable synchronization error level. The performance of the proposed scheme is demonstrated through the synchronization of two different fractional order chaotic gyro systems. Simulations are implemented using a numerical method based on Grünwald-Letnikov approach to solve the fractional differential equations.