bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Celiac Disease and Glandular Autoimmunity
Authors: Kahaly George J. , Frommer Lara , Schuppan Detlef
Published: June 2018

Celiac disease is a small intestinal inflammatory disease with autoimmune features that is triggered and maintained by the ingestion of the storage proteins (gluten) of wheat, barley, and rye. Prevalence of celiac disease is increased in patients with mono- and/or polyglandular autoimmunity and their relatives. We have reviewed the current and pertinent literature that addresses the close association between celiac disease and endocrine autoimmunity. The close relationship between celiac disease and glandular autoimmunity can be largely explained by sharing of a common genetic background. Further, between 10 and 30% of patients with celiac disease are thyroid and/or type 1 diabetes antibody positive, while around 5–7% of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, and/or polyglandular autoimmunity are IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody positive. While a gluten free diet does not reverse glandular autoimmunity, its early institution may delay or even prevent its first manifestation. In conclusion, this brief review highlighting the close association between celiac disease and both monoglandular and polyglandular autoimmunity, aims to underline the need for prospective studies to establish whether an early diagnosis of celiac disease and a prompt gluten-free diet may positively impact the evolution and manifestation of glandular autoimmunity.
Optimal Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet May Not Overcome the Deleterious Effects of Low Physical Fitness on Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Pooled Analysis
Authors: Agostinis-Sobrinho César , Santos Rute , Rosário Rafaela , Moreira Carla , Lopes Luís , Mota Jorge , Martinkenas Arvydas , García-Hermoso Antonio , Correa-Bautista Jorge Enrique , Ramírez-Vélez Robinson
Published: June 2018

To examine the combined association of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular fitness (MF), and adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MeDiet) on cardiovascular risk in adolescents, a pooled study, including cross-sectional data from two projects [2477 adolescents (1320 girls) aged 12–18 years], was completed. A shuttle run test was used to assess CRF. MF was assessed by the standing-long jump and handgrip tests. Adherence to a MeDiet was assessed by the Kidmed questionnaire. A cardiovascular risk score was computed from the following components: Age and sex, waist circumference, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and glucose. Analysis of covariance showed that participants classified as having optimal (High) adherence to a MeDiet/HighMF/HighCRF, as well those classified as low adherence to a MeDiet/HighMF/HighCRF, had, on average, the lowest cardiovascular risk score (F = 15.6; p < 0.001). In addition, the high adherence to a MeDiet/LowMF/LowCRF group had the highest odds of having a high cardiovascular risk (OR = 7.1; 95% CI: 3.4–15.1; p < 0.001), followed by the low adherence to a MeDiet/LowMF/LowCRF group (OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 2.2–6.3; p < 0.001), high adherence to a MeDiet/HighMF/LowCRF group (OR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.4–7.0; p = 0.006), and low adherence to a MeDiet/LowMF/HighCRF group (OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.5–4.4; p = 0.002) when compared to those with high adherence to a MeDiet/HighMF/HighCRF, after adjustments for potential confounders. In conclusion, our findings showed that, regardless of the MeDiet status, adolescents with low MF and low CRF cumulatively, presented the highest cardiovascular disease risk. Therefore, these findings suggest that the combination of these two fitness components may be beneficial to adolescents’ cardiometabolic profile, independent of MeDiet behaviour.
Contemporary Dietary Intake: Too Much Sodium, Not Enough Potassium, yet Sufficient Iodine: The SALMEX Cohort Results
Authors: Vega-Vega Olynka , Fonseca-Correa Jorge I. , Mendoza-De la Garza Angeles , Rincón-Pedrero Rodolfo , Espinosa-Cuevas Angeles , Baeza-Arias Yolanda , Dary Omar , Herrero-Bervera Bertha , Nieves-Anaya Iris , Correa-Rotter Ricardo
Published: June 2018

Initiatives to reduce sodium intake are encouraged globally, yet there is concern about compromised iodine intake supplied through salt. The aim of the present study was to determine baseline sodium, potassium, and iodine intake in a sample of workers from our Institution in Mexico City (SALMEX Cohort). Methods. From a cohort of 1009 workers, appropriate 24-h urine and three-day dietary recall was collected in a sample of 727 adult subjects for assessment of urinary sodium, potassium, and iodine concentrations. Median urinary iodine excretion (UIE) was compared across categories of sodium intake of <2, 2–3.6, and ≥3.6 g/day. Results. Average sodium intake was 3.49 ± 1.38 g/day; higher in men than women (4.14 vs. 3.11 g/day, p ≤0.001). Only 10.6% of the population had sodium intake within the recommended range (<2 g/day); 45.4% had high (2–3.6 g/day) and 44% had excessive intake (>3.6 g/day). Average urinary Na/K ratio was 3.15 ± 1.22 (ideal < 1), higher in men (3.42 vs. 3.0, p ≤ 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that sodium intake was associated with age (p = 0.03), male sex (p < 0.001), caloric intake (p = 0.002), UKE (p < 0.001) and BMI (p < 0.001). Median iodine intake was 286.7 µg/day (IQR 215–370 µg/day). Less than 2% of subjects had iodine intake lower than recommended for adults (95 µg/day); 1.3% of subjects in the recommended range of salt intake had low iodine intake. There is a direct relationship between iodine and sodium urinary excretion (r = 0.57, p < 0.0001). Conclusions. In the studied population, there was an excessive sodium intake and an imbalance between sodium and potassium intake. Only 10.6% of the population had sodium intake within the recommended values, but iodine intake in this group appears to be adequate.
Association between Platescapes, Foodscapes, and Meal Energy Intake in Government Employees from Muar, Johor, Malaysia
Authors: Lim Ying Jye , Jamaluddin Rosita , Er Ying Ting
Published: June 2018

A microscale built environment was the focus in this cross-sectional study which aimed to investigate the associations between platescapes, foodscapes, and meal energy intake among subjects. A total of 133 subjects (54 male, 79 female) with mean age 36.8 ± 7.3 years completed a self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, platescapes, and foodscape preferences. For platescapes, a plate mapping method was used, where subjects were required to place various sizes of food models on two different sized plates (23 cm and 28 cm) based on their preferences. For foodscape preferences, subjects were given a 23-cm plate and various food models differentiated by shapes and colours. Then, 24-h daily recalls (for one weekday and one weekend day) were obtained using interviews. Significant differences were observed in meal energy intake (p < 0.05) between males (1741 ± 339 kcal) and females (1625 ± 247 kcal) and also between age groups (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference (p < 0.0001) in terms of subjects’ meal energy intake when comparing 23-cm plates (419 ± 124 kcal) and 28-cm plates (561 ± 143 kcal). The bigger plate (28 cm) (p < 0.01) was significantly associated with subjects’ meal energy intakes, but this was not so for the 23-cm plate. There were significant differences in subjects’ meal energy when comparing white rice and multicoloured rice (p < 0.0001), unicoloured and multicoloured proteins (p < 0.0001), and unicoloured and multicoloured vegetables (p < 0.0001). There was a significant difference found between round- and cube-shaped proteins (p < 0.05). The colours of rice (p < 0.01), protein (p < 0.05), and vegetables (p < 0.05) were significantly associated with subjects’ meal energy. Only the shape of carrots in vegetables (p = 0.01) was significantly associated with subjects’ meal energy. Subconsciously, platescapes and foodscapes affect an individual’s energy intake, and thus these elements should be considered in assessing one’s dietary consumption.
Insights into Macrophage Heterogeneity and Cytokine-Induced Neuroinflammation in Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Dey Adwitia , Hankey Giblin Pamela A.
Published: June 2018

Over 350 million individuals suffer from depression, a psychiatric illness classified as major depressive disorder (MDD) with symptoms that include a loss of interest or pleasure in life accompanied by depressed mood. The present understanding of major depressive disorder does not encompass a systematic characterization of the neurobiological processes that drive the behavioral physiology in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Psychiatric illness is a complex intersection between genetics, physiology, immunology and environmental stress. The increased attention to the relevance of depression has led to new discoveries that highlight the biological significance of ‘neuroinflammation’ and immunity underlying a spectrum of psychiatric illnesses. The process of neuroinflammation involves sentinel immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS). The activation and polarization of microglia, CNS-resident macrophages, modulates the production and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines implicated in the etiology of major depressive disorder, and this phenomenon has been aptly titled the ‘macrophage theory of depression’. Of particular interest are three hallmark cytokines, IL-6, TNFα and IL-1β, which have been studied extensively in basic research, cell-receptor signaling and drug development. The field of inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation is an emerging area of MDD research that is providing new cellular insight into how macrophages mechanistically support cytokine-associated neuropathology, particularly in the case of IL-1β-associated inflammation in MDD. With the increasing number of individuals identified with depression, a comprehensive understanding of macrophage-cytokine signaling pathways in the CNS in depression is necessary for developing effective anti-depressant therapeutics.
Kinetic Prediction of Fast Curing Polyurethane Resins by Model-Free Isoconversional Methods
Authors: Stanko Michael , Stommel Markus
Published: June 2018

In this work, the characterisation of reaction kinetics of a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI)-based fast curing polyurethane resin (PUR) and the mathematical description of its curing process are presented. For the modelling of the reaction process isoconversional methods, which are also called model-free approaches, are used instead of model-based approaches. One of the main challenges is the characterisation of a reactive system with a short pot life, which already starts to crosslink below room temperature. The main focus is the evaluation of the applicability of isoconversional methods for predicting the reaction kinetics of fast curing polyurethane resins. In order to realise this, a repeatable methodology for the determination of time- and temperature-dependent reaction curves using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is defined. The cure models defined by this method serve as the basis for process simulations of PUR processing technologies such as resin transfer moulding (RTM) or reactive injection moulding (RIM) and reactive extrusion (REX). The characterisation of the reaction kinetics using DSC measurements is carried out under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Within this work isoconversional methods have been applied successfully to experimentally determined DSC data sets. It is shown that the reaction kinetics of fast curing polyurethane resins can be predicted using this methods. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the time-dependent change of conversion of the considered polyurethane under isothermal curing conditions can also be predicted using isoconversional methods based on non-isothermal DSC measurements. This results in a significant reduction in the experimental effort required to characterise and model the curing process of polyurethanes.
Cellulose-Based Absorbent Production from Bacterial Cellulose and Acrylic Acid: Synthesis and Performance
Authors: Luo Mu-Tan , Li Hai-Long , Huang Chao , Zhang Hai-Rong , Xiong Lian , Chen Xue-Fang , Chen Xin-De
Published: June 2018

Cellulose-based superabsorbent was synthesized by bacterial cellulose (BC) grafting acrylic acid (AA) in the presence of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (NMBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator. The influence of different factors on composite synthesis, including the weight ratio of the monomer to BC, initiator content, crosslinker content, AA neutralization degree, reaction temperature, and reaction time on the water absorbency of the composite, were systematically learned. Under the optimized conditions, the maximum water absorbency of the composite was 322 ± 23 g/g distilled water. However, the water absorbency was much less for the different salt solutions and the absorption capacity of the composite decreased as the concentration of the salt solutions increased. The pH value had a significant influence on water absorption performance, and with the increase of temperature, the water retention rate of the composite decreased. Additionally, the structure of this composite was characterized with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results of NMR and FT-IR provided evidence that the composite was synthesized by BC and AA, and the microstructure showed that it had good performance for water absorption. In addition, the composite possessed suitable thermal stability, and that it could be used in a few high-temperature environments. Overall, this composite is promising for application in water absorption.
36% Enhanced Efficiency of Ternary Organic Solar Cells by Doping a NT-Based Polymer as an Electron-Cascade Donor
Authors: Li Jianfeng , Liang Zezhou , Peng Yichun , Lv Jie , Ma Xuying , Wang Yufei , Xia Yangjun
Published: June 2018

In recent years, ternary organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) have been dedicated to improving power conversion efficiency (PCE) by broadening optical absorption spectra. Ternary OPVs with different poly[thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2,5-diyl-alt-4,9-bis(4-(2-decyltetradecyl)thien-2-yl)naphtho[1,2-c:5,6-c’]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole-5,5′-diyl] (PTT-DTNT-DT) doping concentrations were designed and the effect of PTT-DTNT-DT as a complementary electron donor on the performance of OPVs was investigated. The optimized PCE of OPVs was increased from 3.42% to 4.66% by doping 20 wt % PTT-DTNT-DT. The remarkable improvement in the performance of the ternary device is mainly attributed to the sharp increase in the short-circuit current density and fill-factor. The major reasons have been systematically studied from atomic force microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, surface energy, space charge limited current and photocurrent behavior. It has been found that the separation of excitons and the transportation of charge are enhanced while light absorption is increased, and the charge recombination also decreases due to the optimization of the cascade energy level and the morphology of the ternary active layer. The results show that it is feasible to improve the performance of ternary OPVs by their complementary absorption.
Modification of Refractory Concretes with Aeration Agents as a Method of Protection against the Phenomenon of Spalling
Authors: Ogrodnik Paweł , Powęzka Aleksandra , Zegardło Bartosz
Published: June 2018

The aim of the work is to carry out tests analyzing the effectiveness of introducing pores to concrete on eliminating explosive spalling of concrete in fire conditions. A fireproof concrete is designed, which contains aluminum cement and aggregate obtained from waste sanitary ware. A Microporan aerating agent is used to modify the concrete features. The tests are carried out on cubic samples with nominal dimensions 10 × 10 × 10 cm and cylindrical dimensions 10 × 20 cm. Three batches of test samples are prepared, with different levels of aeration of the concrete mixture, i.e., without an aeration agent, with 0.5% and a 1% amount of aeration admixture weighted relative to the amount of cement used. Samples of all batches are divided into two series and conditioned in two types of environments with different humidity levels: dry and humid. The article presents the results of strength tests of concrete samples that are subjected to high temperatures similar to the temperatures occurring in the fire environment. The process of heating the samples proceeds according to the standard curve showing the temperature rise during the standard fire. The soaking temperature is in the range of 20 to 1000 °C. After baking in the oven, the samples are tested on a strength machine. The authors carry out only pilot studies. Only results from destructive tests of compressive strength of a refractory concrete composite are presented. The simulation station for the fire impact is the PK-1100/5 high-temperature chamber furnace together with the control system and a computer station with temperature monitoring software. Samples are loaded with increasing temperatures, according to the “temperature–time” standard curve. The compressive strength test is used as a criterion for assessing the effectiveness of the aeration agent. Strength tests are carried out both on unheated and soaked conditions in different environments. This paper presents the results of laboratory tests that allow for the authors to determine the characteristics of the material being tested. The empirical data include, among others, testing of selected physical properties (water absorption of concrete) and mechanical properties (measurements of compressive strength before and after thermal load). Based on the results obtained, conclusions from the tests are formulated. The proposed considerations show that the modification of the composite by aeration is an effective preventive measure in relation to the phenomenon of explosive concrete spalling.
Post-Fire Vegetation Succession and Surface Energy Fluxes Derived from Remote Sensing
Authors: Li Xuedong , Zhang Hongyan , Yang Guangbin , Ding Yanling , Zhao Jianjun
Published: June 2018

The increasing frequency of fires inhibits the estimation of carbon reserves in boreal forest ecosystems because fires release significant amounts of carbon into the atmosphere through combustion. However, less is known regarding the effects of vegetation succession processes on ecosystem C-flux that follow fires. This paper describes intra- and inter-annual vegetation restoration trajectories via MODIS time-series and Landsat data. The temporal and spatial characteristics of the natural succession were analyzed from 2000 to 2016. Finally, we regressed post-fire MODIS EVI, LST and LSWI values onto GPP and NPP values to identify the main limiting factors during post-fire carbon exchange. The results show immediate variations after the fire event, with EVI and LSWI decreasing by 0.21 and 0.31, respectively, and the LST increasing to 6.89 °C. After this initial variation, subsequent fire-induced variations were significantly smaller; instead, seasonality began governing the change characteristics. The greatest differences in EVI, LST and LSWI were observed in August and September compared to those in other months (0.29, 6.9 and 0.35, respectively), including July, which was the second month after the fire. We estimated the mean EVI recovery periods under different fire intensities (approximately 10, 12 and 16 years): the LST recovery time is one year earlier than that of the EVI. GPP and NPP decreased after the fire by 22–45 g C·m−2·month−1 (30–80%) and 0.13–0.35 kg C·m−2·year−1 (20–60%), respectively. Excluding the winter period, when no photosynthesis occurred, the correlation between the EVI and GPP was the strongest, and the correlation coefficient varied with the burn intensity. When changes in EVI, LST and LSWI after the fire in the boreal forest were more significant, the severity of the fire determined the magnitude of the changes, and the seasonality aggravated these changes. On the other hand, the seasonality is another important factor that affects vegetation restoration and land-surface energy fluxes in boreal forests. The strong correlations between EVI and GPP/NPP reveal that the C-flux can be simply and directly estimated on a per-pixel basis from EVI data, which can be used to accurately estimate land-surface energy fluxes during vegetation restoration and reduce uncertainties in the estimation of forests’ carbon reserves.
A Conservative Downscaling of Satellite-Detected Chemical Compositions: NO2 Column Densities of OMI, GOME-2, and CMAQ
Authors: Kim Hyun Cheol , Lee Sang-Mi , Chai Tianfeng , Ngan Fong , Pan Li , Lee Pius
Published: June 2018

A conservative downscaling technique was applied when comparing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column densities from space-borne observations and a fine-scale regional model. The conservative downscaling was designed to enhance the spatial resolution of satellite measurements by applying the fine-scale spatial structure from the model, with strict mass conservation at each satellite footprint pixel level. With the downscaling approach, NO2 column densities from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI; 13 × 24 km nadir footprint resolution) and the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2; 40 × 80 km) show excellent agreement with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ; 4 × 4 km) NO2 column densities, with R = 0.96 for OMI and R = 0.97 for GOME-2. We further introduce an approach to reconstruct surface NO2 concentrations by combining satellite column densities and simulated surface-to-column ratios from the model. Compared with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality System (AQS) surface observations, the reconstructed surface concentrations show a good agreement; R = 0.86 for both OMI and GOME-2. This study demonstrates that the conservative downscaling approach is a useful tool to compare coarse-scale satellites with fine-scale models or observations in urban areas for air quality and emissions studies. The reconstructed fine-scale surface concentration field could be used for future epidemiology and urbanization studies.
On the Use of Bright Scatterers for Monitoring Doppler, Dual-Polarization Weather Radars
Authors: Gabella Marco
Published: June 2018

“Bright” scatterers are useful for monitoring modern weather radars. In order to be “bright”, a point target with deterministic backscattering properties should be present at a near range and be hit by the antenna beam axis. In this note, a statistical characterization of the echoes from a metallic tower located on Cimetta, at an 18 km range and at the same altitude as the Monte Lema radar, is presented. The analysis is based on five clear sky days (1440 samples with a spatial resolution of 1° × 1° × 83.33 m). The spectral and polarimetric signatures are striking: The spectrum width is perfectly stable; the mean radial velocity is very stable; the radar reflectivity is also quite stable, with the vertical (V) polarization being more variable than the horizontal (H) one. As far as the polarimetric information is concerned, the daily average of the differential reflectivity is approximately 1 ± 0.9 dB. The copolar correlation coefficient between H and V is remarkably large (0.9962, on average) and stable. It is believed that these unique and stable ground clutter signals could be used to monitor operational dual-polarization weather radars.
Hydro-Meteorological Assessment of Three GPM Satellite Precipitation Products in the Kelantan River Basin, Malaysia
Authors: Tan Mou Leong , Samat Narimah , Chan Ngai Weng , Roy Ranjan
Published: June 2018

The rapid development of Satellite Precipitation Products (SPPs) has heightened the need for a hydro-meteorological assessment of the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) products in different climate and geographical regions. Reliability of the IMERG early (IMERG_E), late (IMERG_L) and final (IMERG_F) run products in precipitation estimations was evaluated over the Kelantan River Basin, Malaysia from 12 March 2014 to 31 December 2016. The three IMERG products were then incorporated into a calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to assess their reliability in streamflow simulations. Overall, monthly precipitation variability is well captured by the three SPPs. The IMERG_F exhibited a smaller systematic bias (RB = 7.14%) compared to the IMERG_E (RB = −10.42%) and IMERG_L (RB = −17.92%) in daily precipitation measurement. All the three SPPs (NSE = 0.66~0.71 and R2 = 0.73~0.75) performed comparably well as precipitation gauges (NSE = 0.74 and R2 = 0.79) in the daily streamflow simulation. However, the IMERG_E and IMERG_L showed a significant underestimation of daily streamflow by 27.6% and 36.3%, respectively. The IMERG_E and IMERG_F performed satisfactory in streamflow simulation during the 2014–2015 flood period, with NSE and R2 values of 0.5~0.51 and 0.62~0.65, respectively. With a better peak flow capture ability, the IMERG_F outperformed the near real-time products in cumulative streamflow measurement. The study has also shown that the point-to-pixel or pixel-to-pixel comparison schemes gave comparable conclusions. Future work should focus on the development of a standardized GPM hydro-meteorological assessment framework, so that a fair comparison among IMERG validation studies can be conducted.
A Component-Based Multi-Layer Parallel Network for Airplane Detection in SAR Imagery
Authors: He Chu , Tu Mingxia , Xiong Dehui , Tu Feng , Liao Mingsheng
Published: June 2018

In this paper, a component-based multi-layer parallel network is proposed for airplane detection in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. In response to the problems called sparsity and diversity brought by SAR scattering mechanism, depth characteristics and component structure are utilized in the presented algorithm. Compared with traditional features, the depth characteristics have better description ability to deal with diversity. Component information is contributing in detecting complete targets. The proposed algorithm consists of two parallel networks and a constraint layer. First, the component information is introduced into the network by labeling. Then, the overall target and corresponding components are detected by the trained model. In the following discriminative constraint layer, the maximum probability and prior information are adopted to filter out wrong detection. Experiments for several comparative methods are conducted on TerraSAR-X SAR imagery; the results indicate that the proposed network has a higher accuracy for airplane detection.
Compressive Sensing Based Multilevel Fast Multipole Acceleration for Fast Scattering Center Extraction and ISAR Imaging
Authors: Zhu Wei , Jiang Ming , He Xin , Hu Jun
Published: June 2018

In recent years, Compressive Sensing (CS) theory has been very popular in the data sensing and process area as it utilizes the sparsity and measurement matrix to reconstruct the compressible signal from limited samples successfully. In this paper, CS is introduced into an efficient numerical method, multilevel fast multipole acceleration (MLFMA), for the electromagnetic (EM) scattering problem over a wide incident angle. This allows composition of a new kind of incident wave, which obtains efficient and reliable data for scattering centers extraction with low complexity. The resulting data from CS-based MLFMA are processed for ISAR) imaging. Simulation results show the received data for ISAR imaging from MLFMA with CS can outperform the data from MLFMA, which achieves a similar quality of ISAR imaging. Additionally, the computation complexity is improved by CS through the reduced matrix computation for fewer incident waves. It makes ISAR imaging using real data feasible and meaningful.
UAVs, Hyperspectral Remote Sensing, and Machine Learning Revolutionizing Reef Monitoring
Authors: Parsons Mark , Bratanov Dmitry , Gaston Kevin J. , Gonzalez Felipe
Published: June 2018

Recent advances in unmanned aerial system (UAS) sensed imagery, sensor quality/size, and geospatial image processing can enable UASs to rapidly and continually monitor coral reefs, to determine the type of coral and signs of coral bleaching. This paper describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing methodology to increase the efficiency and accuracy of existing surveillance practices. The methodology uses a UAV integrated with advanced digital hyperspectral, ultra HD colour (RGB) sensors, and machine learning algorithms. This paper describes the combination of airborne RGB and hyperspectral imagery with in-water survey data of several types in-water survey of coral under diverse levels of bleaching. The paper also describes the technology used, the sensors, the UAS, the flight operations, the processing workflow of the datasets, the methods for combining multiple airborne and in-water datasets, and finally presents relevant results of material classification. The development of the methodology for the collection and analysis of airborne hyperspectral and RGB imagery would provide coral reef researchers, other scientists, and UAV practitioners with reliable data collection protocols and faster processing techniques to achieve remote sensing objectives.
Gulf of Mexico Seafood Harvesters, Part 2: Occupational Health-Related Risk Factors
Authors: Myers Melvin L. , Durborow Robert M. , Kane Andrew S.
Published: June 2018

The purpose of this literature review, the second in a series following one on traumatic injuries and fatigue, is to identify potential health hazards to inform a study of occupational health and safety among fish harvesters in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Fish harvesters are potentially at a high risk of occupational illnesses in GoM fisheries. GoM fishers engage in harvesting shrimp, finfish, oysters, crabs, and clams. Method: The method is a narrative literature review. Search terms that included safety, seafood, occupational, fishing, oyster, clam, shrimp, crab, and GoM were used to identify relevant literature in combination (i.e., a string search). Results: A total of 53 manuscripts were reviewed, of which only two regarded the GoM, but 19 were from the US Atlantic Coast. Musculoskeletal disorders are widespread across the fishing sector. Other hazards include bites and stings from aquatic animals (some of which may be life-threatening), vessel engine noise, dermatoses, and other skin afflictions (including possible strep infection of wounds), solar ray-induced eye diseases, and respiratory exposures (such as to protein aerosols) that can cause asthma. Diving poses multiple breathing and other hazards. Conclusion: While fish harvesters are protected from respiratory problems when working on the well-ventilated deck and dermal hazards by wearing gloves, musculoskeletal, bite and sting, ocular, engine-related hearing loss, and skin, lip, and eye cancer hazards are potentially serious risks among GoM fish harvesters.
Interest in and Awareness of French President Emmanuel Macron’s “Make our Planet Great Again” Initiative
Authors: Dadural Joshua , Reznikov Leah
Published: June 2018

President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement served as an impetus for the French President to enact “Make our Planet Great Again”, an initiative aimed at attracting international scientists to study climate change. In the current study, we evaluated the extent of interest and awareness towards this initiative. Our goal was to determine factors that impacted awareness and interest, with the hypothesis that political views and beliefs towards climate change would be strong influencers. We also predicted that there would be a greater number of scientists among the aware and interested participants. To test these hypotheses, we distributed anonymous online surveys during October–November 2017 to multiple academic departments within the University of Florida, a land grant institution with top ranking programs in environmental sciences, agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and horticulture. We recruited 185 participants. Approximately 45% of the participants were aware of French President Macron’s initiative; of those aware, 51.8% expressed interest. We found a moderate influence of political party on awareness and interest. Nearly all of the participants that were aware and interested in the initiative agreed that climate change was a real event. Slightly lower agreement was reported by the unaware and uninterested. Surprisingly, there were fewer scientists among the aware and interested participants compared to those that were unaware and uninterested participants. These findings highlight that both political party and belief towards climate change influenced interest and awareness in President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative. Thus, employing strategies that engage all political parties, as well as educating individuals on climate change, might result in more effective future global initiatives.
Community-Based Rural Tourism in Inter-Organizational Collaboration: How Does It Work Sustainably? Lessons Learned from Nglanggeran Tourism Village, Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Manaf Asnawi , Purbasari Novia , Damayanti Maya , Aprilia Nanda , Astuti Winny
Published: June 2018

In recent years, socio-economic disparities, especially between rural and urban areas (Gini index up to 0.4) have attracted significant concern from the Government of Indonesia, which developed a community-based rural tourism program as one of the attempts to overcome this problem. Though the program seems quite promising, the implementation was challenging, especially regarding sustainability. Therefore, successful and sustainable practical examples are needed. This paper analyzes the results of a case study from the experiences of community-based tourism implementation in Nglanggeran Tourism Village, Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which was considered as successful and sustainable. The main focus of this research is on how the collaboration and involvement of the related inter-organizational stakeholders, initiated by the local community, particularly the youth, has contributed to the program sustainability. Data and information for this study were obtained through in-depth interviews, observation, and documents review. This study found that the local community has a major role in implementing the program, among those various entities of stakeholders. Hence, the paper states this is the key to the success and sustainability of the program.
The Fourth Regime of Open Space
Authors: Gulinck Hubert , Marcheggiani Ernesto , Verhoeve Anna , Bomans Kirsten , Dewaelheyns Valerie , Lerouge Frederik , Galli Andrea
Published: June 2018

This article reinterprets open space as the theatre of adaptive regimes in the interfering wakes of two major waves of transformation: the agricultural and the urban transformation. The aim of the wave regime concept is to accommodate traditional and emerging land uses in a logical scheme of co-existing regimes separated by transition waves in space and time. Each wave corresponds to a transitional stage from one set to another set of value regime, which by the agents of the transformation is interpreted as a major value increase. The current struggle for space and the difficult interpretations of quality and sustainability can be explained as expressions of competition between value regimes. These value regimes tend to be driven and perpetuated by customary paradigms of land-use planning and management (urban planning, ecology, agronomy, etc.). Land-use sectors ask for rather unambiguous definitions and clear use rights of land use categories and zoning, leaving limited possibility for interaction, mixed regimes and innovative multifunctional land-use. New service demands, new sustainability and resilience urgencies challenge these customary land-use planning paradigms and their rules and instruments. This paper acknowledges a third wave and consequent fourth regime. This regime seeks overall increased sustainability and resilience in open spaces, stressing the strategic importance of unsealed soils and other life conditioning substrates. Different existing land-use models, such as “transition towns”, “agroforestry” and many more, can be interpreted as fourth regime examples, but altogether there is a need for more coordination or integration to turn the third wave concept into a real “wave”. A specific target is to scan territories for characteristics and values according to the prevailing regimes, and assess each unit in terms of third wave transition opportunities, even within active uses that may be at odds with customary rules and expectations. This is illustrated for cases of illegal intake of farmland for non-agricultural activities and for domestic gardens as a missing category in customary rural and land use policy.
Impacts of Dryland Farm Management Systems on Weeds and Ground Beetles (Carabidae) in the Northern Great Plains
Authors: Adhikari Subodh , Menalled Fabian D.
Published: June 2018

Farming systems act as ecological filters impacting cropland associated biodiversity; however, the extent of these effects is largely unknown in the drylands of the Northern Great Plains (NGP), a key conventional and organic crop production region. In this 3-year (2013–2015) on-farm study, we addressed this knowledge gap by assessing the effects of conventional and organic farming systems on weed and ground beetle (carabidae) communities. We observed 25 weed species in conventional and 44 in organic fields. Weed species richness and weed species evenness were 237% and 137% greater in organic fields than in conventional fields. We collected a total of 1520 beetle specimens, representing 28 species in conventional and 37 in organic fields. Beetle activity-density and species richness were 220% and 156% greater in organic fields than in conventional fields. Both weed and ground beetle communities differed between conventional and organic fields, indicating that farming systems act as distinct ecological filters. We conclude that, in the drylands of the NGP, adoption of organic farming enhances weed abundance which could have potential management challenges, but provide floral resources to the pollinators and parasitoids. Similarly, greater diversity of ground beetles could enhance conservation biological control of crop pests, ultimately supporting for sustainable agriculture.
Ecological Restoration of Compacted Soil Following the Application of Different Leaf Litter Mulches on the Skid Trail over a Five-Year Period
Authors: Jourgholami Meghdad , Nasirian Ali , Labelle Eric R.
Published: June 2018

Ground-based skidding operations performed with heavy machinery have drastic effects on forest soils, which normally culminate in an increased soil bulk density and removal of the litter layer. We aimed to assess the efficacy of different tree species litter on the recovery of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties over a 5-year period in the Hyrcanian forests, northern Iran. Therefore, treatments included 45 combinations of five treatments (undisturbed area—UND, untreated trail or bare soil—U, and three leaf litter types: pure beech—B, beech-hornbeam—B-H, and beech-hornbeam-maple—B-H-M) replicated in three plots in three transects. Results show that the highest litter thickness, and concentrations of C and N in the litter were observed in the UND treatment. The litter C/N ratios were highest in the untreated trail (U; 27.52) followed by B > B-H ≈ B-H-M > UND treatments. The highest recovery of soil bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, soil penetration resistance, and aggregate stability was observed on the B-H-M and B-H treatment followed by the B treatment. The highest recovery values of pH, C, N, C/N ratio, C and N sequestration recovery rates were observed on the B-H-M treatment, followed by the B-H treatment. Significantly higher values of available nutrients (P, K, Ca, and Mg), earthworm density, and biomass were found in the UND treatment followed by B-H-M ≈ B-H > B treatment, while the lowest amounts of available P, K, Ca, and Mg were detected for the U trail. The high-quality litter species (hornbeam and maple) allowed for better recovery of the soil organic matter and increased nutrient availability compared to the lower quality litter (beech). We can conclude that by applying the different litters on compacted soil, the measured soil properties were significantly improved at the B, B-H, and B-H-M treatments. Nevertheless, the soil properties following the B, B-H, and B-H-M treatments still demonstrated significant differences with the UND treatment, even over a 5-year period.
Analysis of the Factors Influencing Willingness to Pay and Payout Level for Ecological Environment Improvement of the Ganjiang River Basin
Authors: Xiong Kai , Kong Fanbin , Zhang Ning , Lei Ni , Sun Chuanwang
Published: June 2018

China has continuously stepped up its efforts to protect the ecological environment of the Ganjiang River Basin. The government has played a leading role, but the residents, who have also played an important role in this issue, are often overlooked. Consequently, it is necessary and urgent to study the willingness of the residents, who are the direct stakeholders, to pay for the protection of the ecological environment of the Ganjiang River Basin. Based on a survey of 773 households, this study examines the downstream residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) and their payout levels. Using the payment card (PC) contingent valuation method (CVM), we measure the payment probability of the downstream residents and the amount they are willing to pay. Additionally, Heckman’s two-stage model is adopted for exploring the influencing factors of the surveyed residents’ WTP and payout levels and avoiding the possible presence of sample selection bias. The results showed that 75.03% of the surveyed residents are willing to pay for ecological compensation in the Ganjiang River Basin. The downstream residents are willing to pay an annual average amount of about $47.62/household for ecological compensation. The factors that significantly influence their WTP include the educational background, work type, residential location, and water quality and quantity. In the case of payout levels, the influencing factors include the education background, work type, household annual disposable income, and water quality and quantity. In addition, the factor of value recognition is marginal and significantly related to WTP and payout levels. The results of this empirical study have important policy implications and recommendations that the government should intensify its propaganda about the ecological value, increase investment in education, and establish a variety of ecological compensation payments, in order to protect and improve the ecological environment of the Ganjiang River Basin.
The Asian Values of Guānxì as an Economic Model for Transition toward Green Growth
Authors: Choi Yongrok
Published: June 2018

Most Asian countries are experiencing escalating air pollution and other environmental challenges. Many political measures, such as regulations and promotional subsidies, have not proved effective or efficient due to a lack of governance. The reason for this may come from the historical and cultural background of government-led economies. Due to the top-down approach to sustainable development, most private sector companies, as well as the general population, do not participate voluntarily in meeting these new challenges. In order for these Asian countries to become leaders in the new global trend towards green growth, this paper examines the Asian values of guānxì to facilitate the interrelationship between public and private sectors, and proposes an Asian public–private partnership model with five structural principles, three functional propositions, and seven procedural factors. Using these governance elements, Asian governments should create, maintain, and utilize the progression of guānxì from acquaintance via trust to loyalty. Through this stepwise approach, Asian governments could construct an innovative virtuous circle to create value based on network management, which is the ultimate paradigm of sustainable development.
Environmental Proactivity and Firms’ Performance: Mediation Effect of Competitive Advantages in Spanish Wineries
Authors: Junquera Beatriz , Barba-Sánchez Virginia
Published: June 2018

The main aim of this paper is to show the extent to which environmental proactivity is able to generate competitive advantages in a firm in order to improve their economic-financial performance by introducing the role of managerial perception into the analysis. This study focuses on Spanish wineries and their environmental practices and covers a total of 4598 wineries with a sample of 142 valid responses during the month of November 2015. The results can be summarized as follows. Firstly, there is positive environmental proactivity in terms of obtaining both cost-based and differentiation-based competitive advantages. Likewise, this proactivity has a positive impact on the manager’s perception of performance. Secondly, obtaining differentiation-based competitive advantages has a positive impact on the manager’s perception of performance although a negative impact on performance itself. There is, however, no significant evidence of the impact of cost-based competitive advantages on financial performance nor on the perception of performance itself, nor the impact of environmental proactivity on financial performance.
Transformative Leadership and Contextual Change
Authors: Grin John , Hassink Jan , Karadzic Vanja , Moors Ellen H.M.
Published: June 2018

Transitions to deal with the grand challenges of contemporary societies require novel kinds of leadership, which can both stimulate novel organizational practices and changes in practices and structures in the organization’s context. This article seeks to understand how (changes in) the external structural context may influence organizational-internal transformative leadership and vice versa, and what kind of work is implied in leadership to transform current business models. It uses notions from literature on relational leadership and transformative leadership as sensitizing concepts. It then explores the leadership work in two case studies, on fishing in Portugal and care farming in the Netherlands. We find a dialectic interplay of the interactions between leaders and others on the one hand, and contextual changes on the other. Using a system-building perspective from innovation system literature, that interaction is driven by the quest to establish legitimacy and market formation and acceptance, knowledge and other resources for innovations.