bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principles and Applications of Ultrasonic-Based Nondestructive Methods for Self-Healing in Cementitious Materials
Authors: Ahn Eunjong , Kim Hyunjun , Sim Sung-Han , Shin Sung , Shin Myoungsu
Published: March 2017

Recently, self-healing technologies have emerged as a promising approach to extend the service life of social infrastructure in the field of concrete construction. However, current evaluations of the self-healing technologies developed for cementitious materials are mostly limited to lab-scale experiments to inspect changes in surface crack width (by optical microscopy) and permeability. Furthermore, there is a universal lack of unified test methods to assess the effectiveness of self-healing technologies. Particularly, with respect to the self-healing of concrete applied in actual construction, nondestructive test methods are required to avoid interrupting the use of the structures under evaluation. This paper presents a review of all existing research on the principles of ultrasonic test methods and case studies pertaining to self-healing concrete. The main objective of the study is to examine the applicability and limitation of various ultrasonic test methods in assessing the self-healing performance. Finally, future directions on the development of reliable assessment methods for self-healing cementitious materials are suggested.
Certain Concepts of Bipolar Fuzzy Directed Hypergraphs
Authors: Akram Muhammad , Luqman Anam
Published: March 2017

A hypergraph is the most developed tool for modeling various practical problems in different fields, including computer sciences, biological sciences, social networks and psychology. Sometimes, given data in a network model are based on bipolar information rather than one sided. To deal with such types of problems, we use mathematical models that are based on bipolar fuzzy (BF) sets. In this research paper, we introduce the concept of BF directed hypergraphs. We describe certain operations on BF directed hypergraphs, including addition, multiplication, vertex-wise multiplication and structural subtraction. We introduce the concept of B = ( m + , m − ) -tempered BF directed hypergraphs and investigate some of their properties. We also present an algorithm to compute the minimum arc length of a BF directed hyperpath.
Performance of Carbon Nanotube/Polysulfone (CNT/Psf) Composite Membranes during Oil–Water Mixture Separation: Effect of CNT Dispersion Method
Authors: Daramola Michael , Hlanyane Palesa , Sadare Oluwafolakemi , Oluwasina Olugbenga , Iyuke Sunny
Published: March 2017

Effect of the dispersion method employed during the synthesis of carbon nanotube (CNT)/polysulfone-infused composite membranes on the quality and separation performance of the membranes during oil–water mixture separation is demonstrated. Carbon nanotube/polysulfone composite membranes containing 5% CNT and pure polysulfone membrane (with 0% CNT) were synthesized using phase inversion. Three CNT dispersion methods referred to as Method 1 (M1), Method 2 (M2), and Method 3 (M3) were used to disperse the CNTs. Morphology and surface property of the synthesized membranes were checked with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. Separation performance of the membranes was evaluated by applying the membrane to the separation of oil–water emulsion using a cross-flow filtration setup. The functional groups obtained from the FTIR spectra for the membranes and the CNTs included carboxylic acid groups (O–H) and carbonyl group (C=O) which are responsible for the hydrophilic properties of the membranes. The contact angles for the membranes obtained from Method 1, Method 2, and Method 3 were 76.6° ± 5.0°, 77.9° ± 1.3°, and 77.3° ± 4.5°, respectively, and 88.1° ± 2.1° was obtained for the pure polysulfone membrane. The oil rejection (OR) for the synthesized composite membranes from Method 1, Method 2, and Method 3 were 48.71%, 65.86%, and 99.88%, respectively, indicating that Method 3 resulted in membrane of the best quality and separation performance.
Facilitated Visual Interpretation of Scores in Principal Component Analysis by Bioactivity-Labeling of 1H-NMR Spectra—Metabolomics Investigation and Identification of a New α-Glucosidase Inhibitor in Radix Astragali
Authors: Liu Yueqiu , Nyberg Nils , Jäger Anna , Staerk Dan
Published: March 2017

Radix Astragali is a component of several traditional medicines used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in China. Radix Astragali is known to contain isoflavones, which inhibit α-glucosidase in the small intestines, and thus lowers the blood glucose levels. In this study, 21 samples obtained from different regions of China were extracted with ethyl acetate, then the IC50-values were determined, and the crude extracts were analyzed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. A principal component analysis of the 1H-NMR spectra labeled with their IC50-values, that is, bioactivity-labeled 1H-NMR spectra, showed a clear correlation between spectral profiles and the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The loading plot and LC-HRMS/NMR of microfractions indicated that previously unknown long chain ferulates could be partly responsible for the observed antidiabetic activity of Radix Astragali. Subsequent preparative scale isolation revealed a compound not previously reported, linoleyl ferulate (1), showing α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 0.5 mM) at a level comparable to the previously studied isoflavones. A closely related analogue, hexadecyl ferulate (2), did not show significant inhibitory activity, and the double bonds in the alcohol part of 1 seem to be important structural features for the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. This proof of concept study demonstrates that bioactivity-labeling of the 1H-NMR spectral data of crude extracts allows global and nonselective identification of individual constituents contributing to the crude extract’s bioactivity.
Chroman-4-One Derivatives Targeting Pteridine Reductase 1 and Showing Anti-Parasitic Activity
Authors: Di Pisa Flavio , Landi Giacomo , Dello Iacono Lucia , Pozzi Cecilia , Borsari Chiara , Ferrari Stefania , Santucci Matteo , Santarem Nuno , Cordeiro-da-Silva Anabela , Moraes Carolina , Alcantara Laura , Fontana Vanessa , Freitas-Junior Lucio , Gul Sheraz , Kuzikov Maria , Behrens Birte , Pöhner Ina , Wade Rebecca , Costi Maria , Mangani Stefano
Published: March 2017

Flavonoids have previously been identified as antiparasitic agents and pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) inhibitors. Herein, we focus our attention on the chroman-4-one scaffold. Three chroman-4-one analogues (1–3) of previously published chromen-4-one derivatives were synthesized and biologically evaluated against parasitic enzymes (Trypanosoma brucei PTR1–TbPTR1 and Leishmania major–LmPTR1) and parasites (Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania infantum). A crystal structure of TbPTR1 in complex with compound 1 and the first crystal structures of LmPTR1-flavanone complexes (compounds 1 and 3) were solved. The inhibitory activity of the chroman-4-one and chromen-4-one derivatives was explained by comparison of observed and predicted binding modes of the compounds. Compound 1 showed activity both against the targeted enzymes and the parasites with a selectivity index greater than 7 and a low toxicity. Our results provide a basis for further scaffold optimization and structure-based drug design aimed at the identification of potent anti-trypanosomatidic compounds targeting multiple PTR1 variants.
PlantRNA_Sniffer: A SVM-Based Workflow to Predict Long Intergenic Non-Coding RNAs in Plants
Authors: Vieira Lucas , Grativol Clicia , Thiebaut Flavia , Carvalho Thais , Hardoim Pablo , Hemerly Adriana , Lifschitz Sergio , Ferreira Paulo , Walter Maria
Published: March 2017

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute an important set of transcripts produced in the cells of organisms. Among them, there is a large amount of a particular class of long ncRNAs that are difficult to predict, the so-called long intergenic ncRNAs (lincRNAs), which might play essential roles in gene regulation and other cellular processes. Despite the importance of these lincRNAs, there is still a lack of biological knowledge and, currently, the few computational methods considered are so specific that they cannot be successfully applied to other species different from those that they have been originally designed to. Prediction of lncRNAs have been performed with machine learning techniques. Particularly, for lincRNA prediction, supervised learning methods have been explored in recent literature. As far as we know, there are no methods nor workflows specially designed to predict lincRNAs in plants. In this context, this work proposes a workflow to predict lincRNAs on plants, considering a workflow that includes known bioinformatics tools together with machine learning techniques, here a support vector machine (SVM). We discuss two case studies that allowed to identify novel lincRNAs, in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and in maize (Zea mays). From the results, we also could identify differentially-expressed lincRNAs in sugarcane and maize plants submitted to pathogenic and beneficial microorganisms.
Integration of Traditional and Metabolomics Biomarkers Identifies Prognostic Metabolites for Predicting Responsiveness to Nutritional Intervention against Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Authors: Kim You , Huh Iksoo , Kim Ji , Park Saejong , Ryu Sung , Kim Kyu-Bong , Kim Suhkmann , Park Taesung , Kwon Oran
Published: March 2017

Various statistical approaches can be applied to integrate traditional and omics biomarkers, allowing the discovery of prognostic markers to classify subjects into poor and good prognosis groups in terms of responses to nutritional interventions. Here, we performed a prototype study to identify metabolites that predict responses to an intervention against oxidative stress and inflammation, using a data set from a randomized controlled trial evaluating Korean black raspberry (KBR) in sedentary overweight/obese subjects. First, a linear mixed-effects model analysis with multiple testing correction showed that four-week consumption of KBR significantly changed oxidized glutathione (GSSG, q = 0.027) level, the ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) to GSSG (q = 0.039) in erythrocytes, malondialdehyde (MDA, q = 0.006) and interleukin-6 (q = 0.006) levels in plasma, and seventeen NMR metabolites in urine compared with those in the placebo group. A subsequent generalized linear mixed model analysis showed linear correlations between baseline urinary glycine and N-phenylacetylglycine (PAG) and changes in the GSH:GSSG ratio (p = 0.008 and 0.004) as well as between baseline urinary adenine and changes in MDA (p = 0.018). Then, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that a two-metabolite set (glycine and PAG) had the strongest prognostic relevance for future interventions against oxidative stress (the area under the curve (AUC) = 0.778). Leave-one-out cross-validation confirmed the accuracy of prediction (AUC = 0.683). The current findings suggest that a higher level of this two-metabolite set at baseline is useful for predicting responders to dietary interventions in subjects with oxidative stress and inflammation, contributing to the emergence of personalized nutrition.
Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Associations with Skin Color in Pregnant Women in the First Trimester in a Sample from Switzerland
Authors: Richard Aline , Rohrmann Sabine , Quack Lötscher Katharina
Published: March 2017

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy has negative clinical consequences, such as associations with glucose intolerance, and has been shown to be distributed differently in certain ethnic groups. In some countries, a difference in the rate of vitamin D deficiency was detected in pregnant women depending on their skin color. We examined the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) in women in early pregnancy in Switzerland and evaluated the association of skin color with vitamin D deficiency. In a single-center cohort study, the validated Fitzpatrick scale and objective melanin index were used to determine skin color. Of the 204 pregnant women included, 63% were vitamin D deficient. The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 26.1 ng/mL (95% confidence interval (CI) 24.8–27.4) in vitamin D–sufficient women and 10.5 ng/mL (95% CI 9.7–11.5) in women with deficiency. In the most parsimonious model, women with dark skin color were statistically significantly more often vitamin D deficient compared to women with light skin color (OR 2.60; 95% CI 1.08–6.22; adjusted for age, season, vitamin D supplement use, body mass index, smoking, parity). This calls for more intense counseling as one policy option to improve vitamin D status during pregnancy, i.e., use of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy, in particular for women with darker skin color.
Antibacterial Property and Cytotoxicity of a Poly(lactic acid)/Nanosilver-Doped Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite
Authors: Tsou Chi-Hui , Yao Wei-Hua , Lu Yi-Cheng , Tsou Chih-Yuan , Wu Chin-San , Chen Jian , Wang Ruo , Su Chaochin , Hung Wei-Song , De Guzman Manuel , Suen Maw-Cherng
Published: March 2017

A novel method was used to synthesize a nanosilver-doped multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT-Ag), and subsequently, the novel poly(lactic acid) (PLA)- and MWCNT-Ag-based biocompatible and antimicrobial nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending. Based on energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry images, an MWCNT-Ag was successfully synthesized. The effect of the MWCNT-Ag on the PLA bionanocomposites was investigated by evaluating their thermal and mechanical properties, antifungal activity, and cytotoxicity. The nanocomposites exhibited a high degree of biocompatibility with the MWCNT-Ag content, which was less than 0.3 phr. Furthermore, tensile strength testing, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and antibacterial evaluation revealed that the tensile strength, thermostability, glass transition temperature, and antibacterial properties were enhanced by increasing the MWCNT-Ag content. Finally, hydrolysis analysis indicated that the low MWCNT-Ag content could increase the packing density of PLA.
“Santísima Muerte, Vístete de Negro, Santísima Muerte, Vístete de Blanco”: La Santa Muerte’s Illegal Marginalizations
Authors: Martín Desirée
Published: March 2017

La Santísima Muerte, the death saint patron of the marginalized and dispossessed in Mexico, the United States, and beyond, is especially favored by devotees who identify with her duality between dark and light, and good and evil. Most of Santa Muerte’s devotees understand that good and evil coexist in her, and they often simultaneously appeal to both. At the same time, illegality and marginalization, which are generally associated with the saint’s “dark” or “evil” sides, take on multiple, diverse forms, encompassing criminalized activity such as narcotrafficking, religious transgressions that reflect unorthodox spiritual practices such as witchcraft, and most contentiously of all, the very conditions of poverty and racialization in Mexico. Nevertheless, cultural representations of Santa Muerte often resist such diversity and persist in opposing her dark and light sides. Films such as Eva Aridjis’s La Santa Muerte and Pável Valenzuela Arámburo’s La Santísima Muerte aim to represent all Santa Muerte in all of her multiplicity and to correct stereotypical representations of the death saint in general. But perhaps inadvertently, Aridjis’s film reinforces the contrast, rather than the intersections, between “light” and “dark”. However, in La Santísima Muerte, Valenzuela Arámburo deliberately embraces the saint’s contradictory duality to provide a different perspective on illegality and criminality, simultaneously accepting such illegality as a dark menace in the vein of Santa Muerte’s typical detractors, and rearticulating it as a necessary aspect of the saint’s holy works. Valenzuela Arámburo’s film not only emphasizes that the very same devotees invoke Santa Muerte for her powers of “good” as well as for those of “evil”, it demonstrates that these devotees incorporate the saint’s dark side as they see fit not as a consequence of their marginalized status, but as a means to resist it. Thus, while both films underscore that marginalized populations are just as nuanced and contradictory as their patroness of death is, Valenzuela Arámburo’s film grounds itself in Santa Muerte’s duality in order to demonstrate how her seemingly contradictory aspects construct and shape each other. As such, the film combats the representation of marginalization and criminality in Mexico and beyond, highlighting the extent to which her devotees appeal to both her dark and light sides precisely because they are simultaneously victims of marginalization and agents of resistance.
Fast Detection of Oil Spills and Ships Using SAR Images
Authors: Lupidi Alberto , Staglianò Daniele , Martorella Marco , Berizzi Fabrizio
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we show the capabilities of a new maritime control system based on the processing of COSMO-SkyMed Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. This system aims at fast detection of ships that may be responsible for illegal oil dumping. In particular, a novel detection algorithm based on the joint use of the significance parameter, wavelet correlator and a two-dimensional Constant False Alarm Rate (2D-CFAR) is designed. Results show the effectiveness of such algorithms, which can be used by the maritime authorities to have a faster although still reliable response. The proposed algorithm, together with the short revisit time of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation, can help with tracking the scenario evolution from one acquisition to the next.
Characterization of Turbulence in Wind Turbine Wakes under Different Stability Conditions from Static Doppler LiDAR Measurements
Authors: Kumer Valerie-Marie , Reuder Joachim , Oftedal Eikill Rannveig
Published: March 2017

Wake characteristics are of great importance for wind park performance and turbine loads. While wind tunnel experiments provided a solid base for the basic understanding of the structure and dynamics of wind turbine wakes, the consequent step forward to characterize wakes is full-scale measurements in real atmospheric boundary layer conditions under different stability regimes. Scanning Doppler LiDAR measurements have proven to be a flexible and useful tool for such measurements. However, their advantage of measuring spatial fluctuation is accompanied by the limited temporal resolution of individual sampling volumes within the scanned area. This study presents results from LiDAR Doppler Beam Swing (DBS) measurements and highlights the potential of information retrieved from a spectral analysis of wake measurements. Data originate from three Windcube v1 and sonic anemometers, collected during the Wind Turbine Wake Experiment–Wieringermeer. Despite the ongoing research on the reliability of turbulence retrievals based on DBS data, our results show wake peak frequencies consistent with sonic anemometer measurements. The energy spectra show rather distinct maxima during stable conditions, which broaden during unstable and neutral conditions. Investigations on the effect of blade pitch on downstream wind speed and turbulence intensity profiles indicate the potential for the development of stability-dependent wind farm control strategies.
Urban Change Analysis with Multi-Sensor Multispectral Imagery
Authors: Tang Yuqi , Zhang Liangpei
Published: March 2017

An object-based method is proposed in this paper for change detection in urban areas with multi-sensor multispectral (MS) images. The co-registered bi-temporal images are resampled to match each other. By mapping the segmentation of one image to the other, a change map is generated by characterizing the change probability of image objects based on the proposed change feature analysis. The map is then used to separate the changes from unchanged areas by two threshold selection methods and k-means clustering (k = 2). In order to consider the multi-scale characteristics of ground objects, multi-scale fusion is implemented. The experimental results obtained with QuickBird and IKONOS images show the superiority of the proposed method in detecting urban changes in multi-sensor MS images.
SAHARA: A Simplified AtmospHeric Correction AlgoRithm for Chinese gAofen Data: 1. Aerosol Algorithm
Authors: She Lu , Mei Linlu , Xue Yong , Che Yahui , Guang Jie
Published: March 2017

The recently launched Chinese GaoFen-4 (GF4) satellite provides valuable information to obtain geophysical parameters describing conditions in the atmosphere and at the Earth’s surface. The surface reflectance is an important parameter for the estimation of other remote sensing parameters linked to the eco-environment, atmosphere environment and energy balance. One of the key issues to achieve atmospheric corrected surface reflectance is to precisely retrieve the aerosol optical properties, especially Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD). The retrieval of AOD and corresponding atmospheric correction procedure normally use the full radiative transfer calculation or Look-Up-Table (LUT) methods, which is very time-consuming. In this paper, a Simplified AtmospHeric correction AlgoRithm for gAofen data (SAHARA) is presented for the retrieval of AOD and corresponding atmospheric correction procedure. This paper is the first part of the algorithm, which describes the aerosol retrieval algorithm. In order to achieve high-accuracy analytical form for both LUT and surface parameterization, the MODIS Dark-Target (DT) aerosol types and Deep Blue (DB) similar surface parameterization have been proposed for GF4 data. Limited Gaofen observations (i.e., all that were available) have been tested and validated. The retrieval results agree quite well with MODIS Collection 6.0 aerosol product, with a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.72. The comparison between GF4 derived AOD and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) observations has a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.86. The algorithm, after comprehensive validation, can be used as an operational running algorithm for creating aerosol product from the Chinese GF4 satellite.
Optimising Phenological Metrics Extraction for Different Crop Types in Germany Using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS)
Authors: Xu Xingmei , Conrad Christopher , Doktor Daniel
Published: March 2017

Phenological metrics extracted from satellite data (phenometrics) have been increasingly used to access timely, spatially explicit information on crop phenology, but have rarely been calibrated and validated with field observations. In this study, we developed a calibration procedure to make phenometrics more comparable to ground-based phenological stages by optimising the settings of Best Index Slope Extraction (BISE) and smoothing algorithms together with thresholds. We used a six-year daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series and 211 ground-observation records from four major crop species (winter wheat/barley, oilseed rape, and sugar beet) in central Germany. Results showed the superiority of the Savitzky–Golay algorithm in combination with BISE. The satellite-derived senescence dates matched ripeness stages of winter crops and the dates with maximum NDVI were closely related to the field-observed heading stage of winter cereals. We showed that the emergence of winter crops corresponded to the dates extracted with a threshold of 0.1, which translated into 8.89 days of root-mean-square error (RMSE) improvement compared to the standard threshold of 0.5. The method with optimised settings and thresholds can be easily transferred and applied to areas with similar growing conditions. Altogether, the results improve our understanding of how satellite-derived phenometrics can explain in situ phenological observations.
Geostatistical Integration of Coarse Resolution Satellite Precipitation Products and Rain Gauge Data to Map Precipitation at Fine Spatial Resolutions
Authors: Park No-Wook , Kyriakidis Phaedon , Hong Sungwook
Published: March 2017

This paper investigates the benefits of integrating coarse resolution satellite-derived precipitation estimates with quasi-point rain gauge data for generating a fine spatial resolution precipitation map product. To integrate the two precipitation data sources, a geostatistical downscaling and integration approach is presented that can account for the differences in spatial resolution between data from different supports and adjusts inherent errors in the coarse resolution precipitation estimates. First, coarse resolution precipitation estimates are downscaled at a fine spatial resolution via area-to-point kriging to allow direct comparison with rain gauge data. Second, the downscaled precipitation estimates are integrated with the rain gauge data by multivariate kriging. In particular, errors in the coarse resolution precipitation estimates are adjusted against rain gauge data during this second stage. In this study, simple kriging with local means (SKLM) and kriging with an external drift (KED) are used as multivariate kriging algorithms. For comparative purposes, conditional merging (CM), a frequently-applied method for integrating rain gauge data and radar precipitation, is also employed. From a case study with Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B43 monthly precipitation products acquired in South Korea from May–October in 2013, we found that the incorporation of TRMM data with rain gauge data did not improve prediction performance when the number of rain gauge data was relatively large. However, the benefit of integrating TRMM and rain gauge data was most striking, regardless of multivariate kriging algorithms, when a small number of rain gauge data was used. These results indicate that the coarse resolution satellite-derived precipitation product would be a useful source for mapping precipitation at a fine spatial resolution if the geostatistical integration approach is applied to areas with sparse rain gauges.
A Novel System for Correction of Relative Angular Displacement between Airborne Platform and UAV in Target Localization
Authors: Liu Chenglong , Liu Jinghong , Song Yueming , Liang Huaidan
Published: March 2017

This paper provides a system and method for correction of relative angular displacements between an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and its onboard strap-down photoelectric platform to improve localization accuracy. Because the angular displacements have an influence on the final accuracy, by attaching a measuring system to the platform, the texture image of platform base bulkhead can be collected in a real-time manner. Through the image registration, the displacement vector of the platform relative to its bulkhead can be calculated to further determine angular displacements. After being decomposed and superposed on the three attitude angles of the UAV, the angular displacements can reduce the coordinate transformation errors and thus improve the localization accuracy. Even a simple kind of method can improve the localization accuracy by 14.3%.
A Fast Algorithm for 2D DOA Estimation Using an Omnidirectional Sensor Array
Authors: Nie Weike , Xu Kaijie , Feng Dazheng , Wu Chase , Hou Aiqin , Yin Xiaoyan
Published: March 2017

The traditional 2D MUSIC algorithm fixes the azimuth or the elevation, and searches for the other without considering the directions of sources. A spectrum peak diffusion effect phenomenon is observed and may be utilized to detect the approximate directions of sources. Accordingly, a fast 2D MUSIC algorithm, which performs azimuth and elevation simultaneous searches (henceforth referred to as AESS) based on only three rounds of search is proposed. Firstly, AESS searches along a circle to detect the approximate source directions. Then, a subsequent search is launched along several straight lines based on these approximate directions. Finally, the 2D Direction of Arrival (DOA) of each source is derived by searching on several small concentric circles. Unlike the 2D MUSIC algorithm, AESS does not fix any azimuth and elevation parameters. Instead, the adjacent point of each search possesses different azimuth and elevation, i.e., azimuth and elevation are simultaneously searched to ensure that the search path is minimized, and hence the total spectral search over the angular field of view is avoided. Simulation results demonstrate the performance characters of the proposed AESS over some existing algorithms.
Collaboration and Gender Equity among Academic Scientists
Authors: Misra Joya , Smith-Doerr Laurel , Dasgupta Nilanjana , Weaver Gabriela , Normanly Jennifer
Published: March 2017

Universities were established as hierarchical bureaucracies that reward individual attainment in evaluating success. Yet collaboration is crucial both to 21st century science and, we argue, to advancing equity for women academic scientists. We draw from research on gender equity and on collaboration in higher education, and report on data collected on one campus. Sixteen focus group meetings were held with 85 faculty members from STEM departments, separated by faculty rank and gender (i.e., assistant professor men, full professor women). Participants were asked structured questions about the role of collaboration in research, career development, and departmental decision-making. Inductive analyses of focus group data led to the development of a theoretical model in which resources, recognition, and relationships create conditions under which collaboration is likely to produce more gender equitable outcomes for STEM faculty. Ensuring women faculty have equal access to resources is central to safeguarding their success; relationships, including mutual mentoring, inclusion and collegiality, facilitate women’s careers in academia; and recognition of collaborative work bolsters women’s professional advancement. We further propose that gender equity will be stronger in STEM where resources, relationships, and recognition intersect—having multiplicative rather than additive effects.
Compromise between Short- and Long-Term Financial Sustainability: A Hybrid Model for Supporting R&D Decisions
Authors: Shen Kao-Yi
Published: March 2017

The debate of “short-termism” has gained increasing interests from various fields, ranging from management to economics; it mainly concerns the decisions or actions taken by businesses that might yield short-term returns at the cost of long-term value or sustainability. Previous studies have highlighted this dilemma faced by managers, mainly from the pressure of capital markets or short-sighted shareholders who crave for immediate financial outcomes; intelligent decision aids that can compromise between the short- and long-term financial sustainability, based on a company’s policy, are highly needed. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a multiple-rule-based hybrid decision model to support management teams on prioritizing new R&D projects, considering the financial prospects in dual timeframes (i.e., short- and long-term) for sustainability. Furthermore, in the presence of business uncertainty and the limited knowledge of managers on new projects, the intuitionistic fuzzy technique is incorporated. A case of selecting new R&D projects for an IC design company is illustrated using the proposed approach, and the financial data from a group of public-listed IC stocks from Taiwan are inducted to form the decision model. The findings not only support the IC design company to select new projects but also provide business insights to facilitate the understandings of this controversial issue in managerial practice.
Sustainability in Practice: Experiences from Rural Water and Sanitation Services in West Africa
Authors: Jiménez Alejandro , Jawara Dawda , LeDeunff Hélène , Naylor Kelly , Scharp Cecilia
Published: March 2017

Sustainability in water and sanitation, understood as the durability of services with a set of agreed characteristics over time, is a major challenge, particularly in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. This fundamental issue must be addressed if the Sustainable Development Goals for universal access to water and sanitation are to be achieved. Major international organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) need to work alongside governments to improve sustainability. This paper describes the framework for sustainability programming developed by UNICEF, which is based on a collaborative and iterative learning and adaptive approach, underpinned by regular sustainability spot checks that inform a wider national sustainability agreement. The paper details the results of application of this framework in eight West African countries over the period 2013–2015. Results show the usefulness of the framework in identifying sustainability challenges and acting upon them. However, the continuous adaptation of programs is challenging for governments and international organizations. At the same time, structural aspects that threaten sustainability (e.g., lack of capacity) cannot be addressed in the short term. Further cycles of application of the framework will continue to provide evidence on the successes and limitations of the approach and inform its evolution into a stable country led-framework.
Assessing the Sodium Exchange Capacity in Rainfed and Irrigated Soils in the Mediterranean Basin Using GIS
Authors: Loures Luís , Gama José , Nunes José , Lopez-Piñeiro António
Published: March 2017

The soil exchange complex consists of colloidal materials on which ion exchange phenomena occur allowing it to attract, retain, and exchange elements that have opposite electric charges. Since their mineral constituents (clay) and organic components (humus) are mainly of a negative nature retained or exchanged ion are predominantly cations. Historically, failing to monitor parameters like the exchange sodium percentage (ESP) has led to the permanent deterioration of soils which have become completely unproductive, largely reducing the sustainability of the agricultural systems. This study assesses how the sodium exchange capacity in irrigated soils differs from the rainfed ones through a sample survey that was carried out in the 15,031 ha of the Caia Irrigation Perimeter and adjacent areas, located in the municipalities of Elvas and Campo Maior, Portalegre District, Portugal where 14,280 georeferenced samples were collected from the top soil layer (0–20 cm), which were mixed 10 at a time so that each composite sample representing 11.1 ha. Then the samples were analyzed regarding the most relevant parameters for characterizing the soil exchange complex including the concentrations of exchanged bases and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). The results were arranged in a georeferenced grid with 1451 entries. Using classical statistical analysis and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, it was possible to relate the individual soil samples analyzed with the cultural system practiced (irrigated or rainfed) and the present soil group which permitted us to analyze the influence of the cultural system in the soil exchange complex. The distribution chart of the exchange sodium and CEC were created. The obtained results confirm a general decrease of CEC values and an increase of the exchangeable sodium content of irrigated explored soils when compared to the rainfed ones, putting forward noteworthy ideas not only regarding the necessary changes towards the sustainability of these irrigated agricultural landscapes, but also considering the impact of these productive techniques on different agricultural systems.
Sustainability Matters in National Development Visions—Evidence from Saudi Arabia’s Vision for 2030
Authors: Alshuwaikhat Habib , Mohammed Ishak
Published: March 2017

Sustainability advocates for a universally shared common vision of progress towards a society that is just, safe and sustainable for humanity. Beyond environmental protection, the concept recognizes the urgent need to improve life quality through strategies that build socio-economic growth and address a wide range of cross cutting issues. While consensus abound that a more sustainable society serves everyone, opinions on what sustainability means and how it can be achieved are diverse. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), through the 2030 Vision and the 2020 National Transformation Program (NTP) outlines an agenda for a more balanced growth and socio-economic development. The extent to which the vision systematically aligns with sustainability principles, however, remains unexplored. This research is a maiden attempt to investigate how much sustainability substance is in the 2030 Vision and the NTP of Saudi Arabia. The Sustainable Society Index (SSI) has been employed to examine the 2030 Vision and the NTP to understand the Kingdom’s commitment to building resilient, inclusive and sustainable societies. The vision and NTP texts were matched against five broad measures and 22 sub-measures of the SSI to identity the points of convergence. While both the 2030 Vision and the NTP align with the SSI measures in some respect, the goals and objectives are, at best, a reflection of the needs, aspirations and context of Saudi Arabia. The paper concludes that the success of the 2030 Vision rests on the active involvement and empowerment of relevant stakeholders at all levels as well as the development of comprehensive assessment mechanisms based on which to measure progress towards sustainability.
A Top-Down Approach to Estimating Spatially Heterogeneous Impacts of Development Aid on Vegetative Carbon Sequestration
Authors: Runfola Daniel , BenYishay Ariel , Tanner Jeffery , Buchanan Graeme , Nagol Jyoteshwar , Leu Matthias , Goodman Seth , Trichler Rachel , Marty Robert
Published: March 2017

Since 1945, over $4.9 trillion dollars of international aid has been allocated to developing countries. To date, there have been no estimates of the regional impact of this aid on the carbon cycle. We apply a geographically explicit matching method to estimate the relative impact of large-scale World Bank projects implemented between 2000 and 2010 on sequestered carbon, using a novel and publicly available data set of 61,243 World Bank project locations. Considering only carbon sequestered due to fluctuations in vegetative biomass caused by World Bank projects, we illustrate the relative impact of World Bank projects on carbon sequestration. We use this information to illustrate the geographic variation in the apparent effectiveness of environmental safeguards implemented by the World Bank. We argue that sub-national data can help to identify geographically heterogeneous impact effects, and highlight many remaining methodological challenges.
Individual and Combined Cytotoxic Effects of Co‐Occurring Deoxynivalenol Family Mycotoxins on Human Gastric Epithelial Cells
Authors: Yang Yunxia , Yu Song , Tan Yanglan , Liu Na , Wu  Aibo
Published: March 2017

Mycotoxin contamination is a significant health concern for human beings, but health risk assessments are usually based on one single mycotoxin, which might neglect the additive or competitive interactions between co‐occurring mycotoxins [...]
The Cost of Cost-Sharing: The Impact of Medicaid Benefit Design on Influenza Vaccination Uptake
Authors: Stoecker Charles , Stewart Alexandra , Lindley Megan
Published: March 2017

Prior research indicates that cost-sharing and lack of insurance coverage reduce preventive services use among low-income persons. State Medicaid policy may affect the uptake of recommended adult vaccinations. We examined the impact of three aspects of Medicaid benefit design (coverage for vaccines, prohibiting cost-sharing, and copayment amounts) on vaccine uptake in the fee-for-service Medicaid population 19–64 years old. We combined previously published reports to obtain state Medicaid policy information from 2003 and 2012. Data on influenza vaccination uptake were taken from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We used a differences-in-differences framework, controlling for national trends and state differences, to estimate the effect of each benefit design factor on vaccination uptake in different Medicaid-eligible populations. Each additional dollar of copayment for vaccination decreased influenza vaccination coverage 1–6 percentage points. The effects of covering vaccines or prohibiting cost-sharing were mixed. Imposing copayments for vaccination is associated with lower vaccination coverage. These findings have implications for the implementation of Medicaid expansion in states that currently impose copayments.
A Pilot Study of the Sludge Recycling Enhanced Coagulation–Ultrafiltration Process for Drinking Water: The Effects of Sludge Recycling Ratio and Coagulation Stirring Strategy
Authors: Liu Bin , Qu Fangshu , Guo Shaodong , Yu Huarong , Li Guibai , Liang Heng , Van der Bruggen Bart
Published: March 2017

The pilot-scale study on a sludge recycling enhanced coagulation–ultrafiltration (UF) process for surface water treatment is investigated in this paper. The impact of the sludge recycling ratio and coagulation stirring strategy on removal, sedimentation efficiency, and membrane fouling control was studied in this work. Sludge recycling ratios of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% were applied, and the optimal ratio was found to be 10%. Moreover, four stirring strategies were also applied, and the best stirring strategy for coagulation was found to be rapid mixing (velocity gradient: 280 s−1), which is quite different from the coagulation stirring strategy without sludge recycling. This suggests that the adsorption effect of sludge could play a leading role during the procedure. Moreover, shortening the coagulation process makes it possible to reduce energy consumption.
Depth-Averaged Non-Hydrostatic Hydrodynamic Model Using a New Multithreading Parallel Computing Method
Authors: Kang Ling , Jing Zheng
Published: March 2017

Compared to the hydrostatic hydrodynamic model, the non-hydrostatic hydrodynamic model can accurately simulate flows that feature vertical accelerations. The model’s low computational efficiency severely restricts its wider application. This paper proposes a non-hydrostatic hydrodynamic model based on a multithreading parallel computing method. The horizontal momentum equation is obtained by integrating the Navier–Stokes equations from the bottom to the free surface. The vertical momentum equation is approximated by the Keller-box scheme. A two-step method is used to solve the model equations. A parallel strategy based on block decomposition computation is utilized. The original computational domain is subdivided into two subdomains that are physically connected via a virtual boundary technique. Two sub-threads are created and tasked with the computation of the two subdomains. The producer–consumer model and the thread lock technique are used to achieve synchronous communication between sub-threads. The validity of the model was verified by solitary wave propagation experiments over a flat bottom and slope, followed by two sinusoidal wave propagation experiments over submerged breakwater. The parallel computing method proposed here was found to effectively enhance computational efficiency and save 20%–40% computation time compared to serial computing. The parallel acceleration rate and acceleration efficiency are approximately 1.45% and 72%, respectively. The parallel computing method makes a contribution to the popularization of non-hydrostatic models.
A Thermodynamical Approach for Evaluating Energy Consumption of the Forward Osmosis Process Using Various Draw Solutes
Authors: Zeng Lan-mu , Du Ming-yuan , Wang Xiao-lin
Published: March 2017

The forward-osmosis (FO) processes have received much attention in past years as an energy saving desalination process. A typical FO process should inclu de a draw solute recovery step which contributes to the main operation costs of the process. Therefore, investigating the energy consumption is very important for the development and employment of the forward osmosis process. In this work, NH3-CO2, Na2SO4, propylene glycol mono-butyl ether, and dipropylamine were selected as draw solutes. The FO processes of different draw solute recovery approaches were simulated by Aspen PlusTM with a customized FO unit model. The electrolyte Non-Random Two-Liquid (Electrolyte-NRTL) and Universal Quasi Chemical (UNIQUAC) models were employed to calculate the thermodynamic properties of the feed and draw solutions. The simulation results indicated that the FO performance decreased under high feed concentration, while the energy consumption was improved at high draw solution concentration. The FO process using Na2SO4 showed the lowest energy consumption, followed by NH3-CO2, and dipropylamine. The propylene glycol mono-butyl ether process exhibited the highest energy consumption due to its low solubility in water. Finally, in order to compare the equivalent work of the FO processes, the thermal energy requirements were converted to electrical work.
Modeling the Influence of River Cross-Section Data on a River Stage Using a Two-Dimensional/Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model
Authors: Chen Wei-Bo , Liu Wen-Cheng
Published: March 2017

A large amount of accurate river cross-section data is indispensable for predicting river stages. However, the measured river cross-section data are usually sparse in the transverse direction at each cross-section as well as in the longitudinal direction along the river channel. This study presents three algorithms to resample the river cross-section data points in both the transverse and longitudinal directions from the original data. A two-dimensional (2D) high-resolution unstructured-grid hydrodynamic model was used to assess the performance of the original and resampled cross-section data on a simulated river stage under low flow and high flow conditions. The simulated river stages are significantly improved using the resampled cross-section data based on the linear interpolation in the tidal river and non-tidal river segments. The resampled cross-section data based on the linear interpolation satisfactorily maintains the topographic and morphological features of the river channel, especially in the meandering river segment. Furthermore, the performance of the 2D and three-dimensional (3D) models on the simulated river stage was also evaluated using the resampled cross-section data. The results indicate that the 2D and 3D models reproduce similar river stages in both tidal and non-tidal river segments under the low flow condition. However, the 2D model overestimates the river stages in both the tidal and non-tidal river segments compared to the 3D model under the high flow condition. The model sensitivity was implemented to investigate the influence of bottom drag coefficient and vertical eddy viscosity on river stage using 2D and 3D models based on the linear interpolation method to resample river bed cross-section. The results reveal that the change of bottom drag coefficient has a minor impact on river stage, but the change of vertical eddy viscosity is insensitive to river stage.