bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highly Conductive 3D Segregated Graphene Architecture in Polypropylene Composite with Efficient EMI Shielding
Authors: Alam Fakhr , Yu Jinhong , Shen Dianyu , Dai Wen , Li He , Zeng Xiaoliang , Yao Yagang , Du Shiyu , Jiang Nan , Lin Cheng-Te
Published: December 2017

The extensive use of electronic equipment in modern life causes potential electromagnetic pollution harmful to human health. Therefore, it is of great significance to enhance the electrical conductivity of polymers, which are widely used in electronic components, to screen out electromagnetic waves. The fabrication of graphene/polymer composites has attracted much attention in recent years due to the excellent electrical properties of graphene. However, the uniform distribution of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in a non-polar polymer matrix like polypropylene (PP) still remains a challenge, resulting in the limited improvement of electrical conductivity of PP-based composites achieved to date. Here, we propose a single-step approach to prepare GNPs/PP composites embedded with a segregated architecture of GNPs by coating PP particles with GNPs, followed by hot-pressing. As a result, the electrical conductivity of 10 wt % GNPs-loaded composites reaches 10.86 S·cm−1, which is ≈7 times higher than that of the composites made by the melt-blending process. Accordingly, a high electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of 19.3 dB can be achieved. Our method is green, low-cost, and scalable to develop 3D GNPs architecture in a polymer matrix, providing a versatile composite material suitable for use in electronics, aerospace, and automotive industries.
Surfactant-Free RAFT Emulsion Polymerization of Styrene Using Thermoresponsive macroRAFT Agents: Towards Smart Well-Defined Block Copolymers with High Molecular Weights
Authors: Eggers Steffen , Abetz Volker
Published: December 2017

The combination of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and emulsion polymerization has recently attracted much attention as a synthetic tool for high-molecular-weight block copolymers and their micellar nano-objects. Up to recently, though, the use of thermoresponsive polymers as both macroRAFT agents and latex stabilizers was impossible in aqueous media due to their hydrophobicity at the usually high polymerization temperatures. In this work, we present a straightforward surfactant-free RAFT emulsion polymerization to obtain thermoresponsive styrenic block copolymers with molecular weights of around 100 kDa and their well-defined latexes. The stability of the aqueous latexes is achieved by adding 20 vol % of the cosolvent 1,4-dioxane (DOX), increasing the phase transition temperature (PTT) of the used thermoresponsive poly(N-acryloylpyrrolidine) (PAPy) macroRAFT agents above the polymerization temperature. Furthermore, this cosolvent approach is combined with the use of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide)-block-poly(N-acryloylpiperidine-co-N-acryloylpyrrolidine) (PDMA-b-P(APi-co-APy)) as the macroRAFT agent owning a short stabilizing PDMA end block and a widely adjustable PTT of the P(APi-co-APy) block in between 4 and 47 °C. The temperature-induced collapse of the latter under emulsion polymerization conditions leads to the formation of RAFT nanoreactors, which allows for a very fast chain growth of the polystyrene (PS) block. In dynamic light scattering (DLS), as well as cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryoTEM), moreover, all created latexes indeed reveal a high (temperature) stability and a reversible collapse of the thermoresponsive coronal block upon heating. Hence, this paper pioneers a versatile way towards amphiphilic thermoresponsive high-molecular-weight block copolymers and their nano-objects with tailored corona switchability.
Biosynthesis and Characterization of Recombinant Silk-Like Polypeptides Derived from the Heavy Chain of Silk Fibrion
Authors: Wu Yue , Kang Zhao , Tian Zhifang , Wu Mingyang , Wang Jiannan
Published: December 2017

In order to investigate the impacts on the structure and biomedical function of typical fragments derived from repetitive and non-repetitive regions of the Bombyx mori silk fibroin heavy chain, several block combination genes (gs16f1, gs16f4, gs16f8, and gs16f12) were designed, cloned into a fusion protein expression vector tagged with glutathione S-transferase (GST), and expressed in Escherichia coli. Fusion proteins GST-GS16F1, GST-GS16F4, and GST-GS16F8 were purified by GST affinity chromatography, and single bands were identified by SDS-PAGE. Under optimal initial cell density, in ducer concentration and induction expression time, the yield of purified GST-GS16F1, GST-GS16F4, and GST-GS16F8 per liter of bacterial culture reached 79, 53, and 28 mg, respectively. Mass spectrometry revealed molecular weights for GST-GS16F1, GST-GS16F4, and GST-GS16F8 of 37.7, 50.0, and 65.7 kDa, respectively, consistent with the theoretical values of 37.4, 49.4, and 65.5 kDa. Similarly, measured values of pI were 5.35, 4.5, and 4.2 for the fusion proteins, consistent with predicted values of 5.34, 4.44, and 4.09. CD spectra showed the molecular conformation of GS16F1 was mainly β-sheet structure, while more stable α-helix structure formed in GS16F4 and GS16F8.
Hydrogels for Cartilage Regeneration, from Polysaccharides to Hybrids
Authors: Sánchez-Téllez Daniela , Téllez-Jurado Lucía , Rodríguez-Lorenzo Luís
Published: December 2017

The aims of this paper are: (1) to review the current state of the art in the field of cartilage substitution and regeneration; (2) to examine the patented biomaterials being used in preclinical and clinical stages; (3) to explore the potential of polymeric hydrogels for these applications and the reasons that hinder their clinical success. The studies about hydrogels used as potential biomaterials selected for this review are divided into the two major trends in tissue engineering: (1) the use of cell-free biomaterials; and (2) the use of cell seeded biomaterials. Preparation techniques and resulting hydrogel properties are also reviewed. More recent proposals, based on the combination of different polymers and the hybridization process to improve the properties of these materials, are also reviewed. The combination of elements such as scaffolds (cellular solids), matrices (hydrogel-based), growth factors and mechanical stimuli is needed to optimize properties of the required materials in order to facilitate tissue formation, cartilage regeneration and final clinical application. Polymer combinations and hybrids are the most promising materials for this application. Hybrid scaffolds may maximize cell growth and local tissue integration by forming cartilage-like tissue with biomimetic features.
Pope Francis and Joseph Selling: A New Approach to Mercy in Catholic Sexual Ethics
Authors: O’Reilly-Gindhart Mary
Published: December 2017

Since the Apostolic Exhortation of Amoris Laetitia in May 2016 and Apostolic Letter Misericordia et Misera in November 2016, Pope Francis has stirred a new discussion on mercy and the role of mercy in certain matters of sexual ethics including divorced, remarried, and cohabiting couples. During the same year, moral theologian Joseph A. Selling published a revolutionary book which provides a new vision of virtues and examines how people consider and arrive at ethical judgements. This article examines Pope Francis’s understanding of mercy using Selling’s method of the “virtuous trapezium” as a way to actively illustrate Pope Francis’s new approach to matters concerning Catholic sexuality. In matters of human sexuality, the Catholic moral tradition has focused for years on an act-centered morality, but Selling’s method instead considers the goals of ethical living before making an ethical judgment. This article contributes to the current discussion in theological ethics concerning Pope Francis’s recent pronouncements on mercy and Catholic sexual ethics, as well as brings into conversation Selling’s new method and approach to understanding virtue.
Dematerialization—A Disputable Strategy for Resource Conservation Put under Scrutiny
Authors: Müller Felix , Kosmol Jan , Keßler Hermann , Angrick Michael , Rechenberg Bettina
Published: December 2017

Dematerialization is a paradigm in resource conservation strategies. Material use should be reduced so that resource consumption as a whole can be lowered. The benefit for humankind should be completely decoupled from the natural expenditure by a definite factor X. Instinctively, this approach is convincing, because our entire value-added chain is based on material transformation. Targets for mass-based indicators are found within the context of justification for ecological carrying capacity and intergenerational fairness, taking into account the economic and socio-political expectation of raw material scarcity. However, in light of further development of material flow indicators and the related dematerialization targets, the question arises as to what they actually stand for and what significance they have for resource conservation. Can it be assumed that pressure on the environment will decline steadily if the use of materials is reduced, whether for an economy or at the level of individual products or processes? The present narrative review paper has discussed this issue and takes into account the authors’ experience of the extended political and scientific discourse on dematerialization in Germany and Europe. As a result, a high “resource relevance” cannot be inferred from high physical material inputs at any of the levels considered. It has been shown that establishing mass-based indicators as control and target variables is questionable and that dematerialization exclusively based on such indicators without mapping other resources should be critically examined.
Cloud-Edge Suppression for Visual Outdoor Navigation
Authors: Hoffmann Annika , Möller Ralf
Published: December 2017

Outdoor environments pose multiple challenges for the visual navigation of robots, like changing illumination conditions, seasonal changes, dynamic environments and non-planar terrain. Illumination changes are mostly caused by the movement of the Sun and by changing cloud cover. Moving clouds themselves also are a dynamic aspect of a visual scene. For visual homing algorithms, which compute the direction to a previously visited place by comparing the current view with a snapshot taken at that place, in particular, the changing cloud cover poses a problem, since cloud movements do not correspond to movements of the camera and thus constitute misleading information. We propose an edge-filtering method operating on linearly-transformed RGB channels, which reliably detects edges in the ground region of the image while suppressing edges in the sky region. To fulfill this criterion, the factors for the linear transformation of the RGB channels are optimized systematically concerning this special requirement. Furthermore, we test the proposed linear transformation on an existing visual homing algorithm (MinWarping) and show that the performance of the visual homing method is significantly improved compared to the use of edge-filtering methods on alternative color information.
High Throughput Phenotyping of Blueberry Bush Morphological Traits Using Unmanned Aerial Systems
Authors: Patrick Aaron , Li Changying
Published: December 2017

Phenotyping morphological traits of blueberry bushes in the field is important for selecting genotypes that are easily harvested by mechanical harvesters. Morphological data can also be used to assess the effects of crop treatments such as plant growth regulators, fertilizers, and environmental conditions. This paper investigates the feasibility and accuracy of an inexpensive unmanned aerial system in determining the morphological characteristics of blueberry bushes. Color images collected by a quadcopter are processed into three-dimensional point clouds via structure from motion algorithms. Bush height, extents, canopy area, and volume, in addition to crown diameter and width, are derived and referenced to ground truth. In an experimental farm, twenty-five bushes were imaged by a quadcopter. Height and width dimensions achieved a mean absolute error of 9.85 cm before and 5.82 cm after systematic under-estimation correction. Strong correlation was found between manual and image derived bush volumes and their traditional growth indices. Hedgerows of three Southern Highbush varieties were imaged at a commercial farm to extract five morphological features (base angle, blockiness, crown percent height, crown ratio, and vegetation ratio) associated with cultivation and machine harvestability. The bushes were found to be partially separable by multivariate analysis. The methodology developed from this study is not only valuable for plant breeders to screen genotypes with bush morphological traits that are suitable for machine harvest, but can also aid producers in crop management such as pruning and plot layout organization.
Comparison and Evaluation of the TES and ANEM Algorithms for Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Separation over the Area of Valencia, Spain
Authors: Pérez-Planells Lluís , Valor Enric , Coll César , Niclòs Raquel
Published: December 2017

Land Surface temperature (LST) is a key magnitude for numerous studies, especially for climatology and assessment of energy fluxes between surface and atmosphere. Retrieval of accurate LST requires a good characterization of surface emissivity. Both quantities are coupled in a single radiance measurement; for this reason, for N spectral bands available in a remote sensor, there will always be N + 1 unknowns. To solve the indeterminacy, temperature-emissivity separation methods have been proposed, among which the Temperature Emissivity Separation (TES) algorithm is one of the most widely used. The Adjusted Normalized Emissivity Method (ANEM) was proposed as a modification of the Normalized Emissivity Method (NEM) algorithm by adjusting the initial emissivity guess using an estimation provided by the Vegetation Cover Method (VCM). In this work, both methods were applied to a set of five ASTER scenes over the area of Valencia, Spain, which were recalibrated and atmospherically corrected using local radiosoundings and ground measurements. These scenes were compared to the ASTER temperature and emissivity standard products (AST08 and AST05, respectively). The comparison to reference measurements showed a better agreement of ANEM LST in low spectral contrast surfaces, with biases of +0.4 K, +0.8 K for TES and +1.4 K for the AST08 product in a rice crop site. For sea surface temperature, bias was −0.1 K for ANEM, +0.3 K for TES and +1.3 K for the AST08 product. The larger differences of the AST08 product could be ascribed mainly to the atmospheric correction based on NCEP profiles in contrast to the local correction used in TES and ANEM and to a lesser extent the Maximum-Minimum Difference (MMD) empirical relationship used by TES. In terms of emissivity, ANEM obtained biases up to ±0.007 (positive over vegetation and negative over water), while TES biases were up to −0.015. The AST05 product showed differences up to −0.050, although for high contrast areas, such as sand surfaces, it showed better accuracy than both TES and ANEM. A comparison between TES and ANEM on four different classes within the scene showed a systematic difference between both algorithms, which was more pronounced for low spectral contrast surfaces. Therefore, ANEM improves the accuracy at low spectral contrast surfaces, while obtaining similar results to TES at higher spectral contrast surfaces, such as urban areas. The combination of both methods could provide a procedure benefiting from the strengths shown by each of them.
Experiences from Large-Scale Forest Mapping of Sweden Using TanDEM-X Data
Authors: Persson Henrik , Olsson Håkan , Soja Maciej , Ulander Lars , Fransson Johan
Published: December 2017

This paper report experiences from the processing and mosaicking of 518 TanDEM-X image pairs covering the entirety of Sweden, with two single map products of above-ground biomass (AGB) and forest stem volume (VOL), both with 10 m resolution. The main objective was to explore the possibilities and overcome the challenges related to forest mapping extending a large number of adjacent satellite scenes. Hence, numerous examples are presented to illustrate challenges and possible solutions. To derive the forest maps, the observables backscatter, interferometric phase height and interferometric coherence, obtained from TanDEM-X, were evaluated using empirical robust linear regression models with reference data extracted from 2288 national forest inventory plots with a 10 m radius. The interferometric phase height was the single most important observable, to predict AGB and VOL. The mosaics were evaluated on different datasets with field-inventoried stands across Sweden. The root mean square error (RMSE) was about 21%–25% (27–30 tons/ha and 52–65 m3/ha) at the stand level. It was noted that the most influencing factors on the observables in this study were local temperature and geolocation errors that were challenging to robustly compensate against. Because of this variability at the scene-level, determinations of AGB and VOL for single stands are recommended to be used with care, as an equivalent accuracy is difficult to achieve for all different scenes, with varying acquisition conditions. Still, for the evaluated stands, the mosaics were of sufficient accuracy to be used for forest management at the stand level.
Measuring Vegetation Height in Linear Disturbances in the Boreal Forest with UAV Photogrammetry
Authors: Chen Shijuan , McDermid Gregory , Castilla Guillermo , Linke Julia
Published: December 2017

Monitoring vegetation recovery typically requires ground measurements of vegetation height, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have shown great promise for characterizing vegetation in a cost-efficient way, but the literature on specific methods and cost savings is scant. In this study, we surveyed vegetation height on seismic lines in Alberta’s Boreal Forest using a point-intercept sampling strategy, and compared them to height estimates derived from UAV-based photogrammetric point clouds. In order to derive UAV-based vegetation height, we tested three different approaches to estimate terrain elevation: (1) UAV_RTK, where photogrammetric point clouds were normalized using terrain measurements obtained from a real-time kinematic global navigation satellite system (RTK GNSS) surveys; (2) UAV_LiDAR, where photogrammetric data were normalized using pre-existing LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data; and (3) UAV_UAV, where UAV photogrammetry data were used alone. Comparisons were done at two scales: point level (n = 1743) and site level (n = 30). The point-level root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of UAV_RTK, UAV_LiDAR, and UAV_UAV were 28 cm, 31 cm, and 30 cm, respectively. The site-level RMSEs were 11 cm, 15 cm, and 8 cm, respectively. At the aggregated site level, we found that UAV photogrammetry could replace traditional field-based vegetation surveys of mean vegetation height across the range of conditions assessed in this study, with an RMSE less than 10 cm. Cost analysis indicates that using UAV-based point clouds is more cost-effective than traditional field vegetation surveys.
Synthesis and Characterization of Polyaniline/Graphene Composite Nanofiber and Its Application as an Electrochemical DNA Biosensor for the Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Mohamad Fatimah , Mat Zaid Mohd , Abdullah Jaafar , Zawawi Ruzniza , Lim Hong , Sulaiman Yusran , Abdul Rahman Norizah
Published: December 2017

This article describes chemically modified polyaniline and graphene (PANI/GP) composite nanofibers prepared by self-assembly process using oxidative polymerization of aniline monomer and graphene in the presence of a solution containing poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) (PMVEA). Characterization of the composite nanofibers was carried out by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images revealed the size of the PANI nanofibers ranged from 90 to 360 nm in diameter and was greatly influenced by the proportion of PMVEA and graphene. The composite nanofibers with an immobilized DNA probe were used for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by using an electrochemical technique. A photochemical indicator, methylene blue (MB) was used to monitor the hybridization of target DNA by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method. The detection range of DNA biosensor was obtained from of 10−6–10−9 M with the detection limit of 7.853 × 10−7 M under optimum conditions. The results show that the composite nanofibers have a great potential in a range of applications for DNA sensors.
A Wideband Magnetoresistive Sensor for Monitoring Dynamic Fault Slip in Laboratory Fault Friction Experiments
Authors: Kilgore Brian
Published: December 2017

A non-contact, wideband method of sensing dynamic fault slip in laboratory geophysical experiments employs an inexpensive magnetoresistive sensor, a small neodymium rare earth magnet, and user built application-specific wideband signal conditioning. The magnetoresistive sensor generates a voltage proportional to the changing angles of magnetic flux lines, generated by differential motion or rotation of the near-by magnet, through the sensor. The performance of an array of these sensors compares favorably to other conventional position sensing methods employed at multiple locations along a 2 m long × 0.4 m deep laboratory strike-slip fault. For these magnetoresistive sensors, the lack of resonance signals commonly encountered with cantilever-type position sensor mounting, the wide band response (DC to ≈ 100 kHz) that exceeds the capabilities of many traditional position sensors, and the small space required on the sample, make them attractive options for capturing high speed fault slip measurements in these laboratory experiments. An unanticipated observation of this study is the apparent sensitivity of this sensor to high frequency electomagnetic signals associated with fault rupture and (or) rupture propagation, which may offer new insights into the physics of earthquake faulting.
Repetitively Mode-Locked Cavity-Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (RML-CEAS) for Near-Infrared Gas Sensing
Authors: He Qixin , Lou Minhan , Zheng Chuantao , Ye Weilin , Wang Yiding , Tittel Frank
Published: December 2017

A Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH)-based mode-locked cavity-enhanced sensor system was developed using a distributed feedback diode laser centered at 1.53 µm as the laser source. Laser temperature scanning, bias control of the piezoelectric ceramic transducer (PZT) and proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback control of diode laser current were used to repetitively lock the laser modes to the cavity modes. A gas absorption spectrum was obtained by using a series of absorption data from the discrete mode-locked points. The 15 cm-long Fabry-Perot cavity was sealed using an enclosure with an inlet and outlet for gas pumping and a PZT for cavity length tuning. The performance of the sensor system was evaluated by conducting water vapor measurements. A linear relationship was observed between the measured absorption signal amplitude and the H2O concentration. A minimum detectable absorption coefficient of 1.5 × 10–8 cm–1 was achieved with an averaging time of 700 s. This technique can also be used for the detection of other trace gas species by targeting the corresponding gas absorption line.
A Round-Efficient Authenticated Key Agreement Scheme Based on Extended Chaotic Maps for Group Cloud Meeting
Authors: Lin Tsung-Hung , Tsung Chen-Kun , Lee Tian-Fu , Wang Zeng-Bo
Published: December 2017

The security is a critical issue for business purposes. For example, the cloud meeting must consider strong security to maintain the communication privacy. Considering the scenario with cloud meeting, we apply extended chaotic map to present passwordless group authentication key agreement, termed as Passwordless Group Authentication Key Agreement (PL-GAKA). PL-GAKA improves the computation efficiency for the simple group password-based authenticated key agreement (SGPAKE) proposed by Lee et al. in terms of computing the session key. Since the extended chaotic map has equivalent security level to the Diffie–Hellman key exchange scheme applied by SGPAKE, the security of PL-GAKA is not sacrificed when improving the computation efficiency. Moreover, PL-GAKA is a passwordless scheme, so the password maintenance is not necessary. Short-term authentication is considered, hence the communication security is stronger than other protocols by dynamically generating session key in each cloud meeting. In our analysis, we first prove that each meeting member can get the correct information during the meeting. We analyze common security issues for the proposed PL-GAKA in terms of session key security, mutual authentication, perfect forward security, and data integrity. Moreover, we also demonstrate that communicating in PL-GAKA is secure when suffering replay attacks, impersonation attacks, privileged insider attacks, and stolen-verifier attacks. Eventually, an overall comparison is given to show the performance between PL-GAKA, SGPAKE and related solutions.
Mapping Sensory Spots for Moderate Temperatures on the Back of Hand
Authors: Yang Fan , Chen Guixu , Zhou Sikai , Han Danhong , Xu Jingjing , Xu Shengyong
Published: December 2017

Thermosensation with thermoreceptors plays an important role in maintaining body temperature at an optimal state and avoiding potential damage caused by harmful hot or cold environmental temperatures. In this work, the locations of sensory spots for sensing moderate temperatures of 40–50 °C on the back of the hands of young Chinese people were mapped in a blind-test manner with a thermal probe of 1.0 mm spatial resolution. The number of sensory spots increased along with the testing temperature; however, the surface density of sensory spots was remarkably lower than those reported previously. The locations of the spots were irregularly distributed and subject-dependent. Even for the same subject, the number and location of sensory spots were unbalanced and asymmetric between the left and right hands. The results may offer valuable information for designing artificial electronic skin and wearable devices, as well as for clinical applications.
Contamination Event Detection with Multivariate Time-Series Data in Agricultural Water Monitoring
Authors: Mao Yingchi , Qi Hai , Ping Ping , Li Xiaofang
Published: December 2017

Time series data of multiple water quality parameters are obtained from the water sensor networks deployed in the agricultural water supply network. The accurate and efficient detection and warning of contamination events to prevent pollution from spreading is one of the most important issues when pollution occurs. In order to comprehensively reduce the event detection deviation, a spatial–temporal-based event detection approach with multivariate time-series data for water quality monitoring (M-STED) was proposed. The M-STED approach includes three parts. The first part is that M-STED adopts a Rule K algorithm to select backbone nodes as the nodes in the CDS, and forward the sensed data of multiple water parameters. The second part is to determine the state of each backbone node with back propagation neural network models and the sequential Bayesian analysis in the current timestamp. The third part is to establish a spatial model with Bayesian networks to estimate the state of the backbones in the next timestamp and trace the “outlier” node to its neighborhoods to detect a contamination event. The experimental results indicate that the average detection rate is more than 80% with M-STED and the false detection rate is lower than 9%, respectively. The M-STED approach can improve the rate of detection by about 40% and reduce the false alarm rate by about 45%, compared with the event detection with a single water parameter algorithm, S-STED. Moreover, the proposed M-STED can exhibit better performance in terms of detection delay and scalability.
Is Economic Inequality Really a Problem? A Review of the Arguments
Authors: Peterson E.
Published: December 2017

Increasing economic inequality in recent years has triggered an outpouring of analysis and reflection on the causes and consequences of these changes. Several commentators have argued that inequality does not merit all the attention it has been receiving noting that the focus on inequality can divert attention from the real problem, which is poverty. This article reviews the arguments for and against this position, highlighting the effects of economic inequality on economic growth and efficiency, politics and democracy, individual behaviors that result in poor health outcomes and social disruption, social cohesion, and environmental degradation. Poverty is, of course, a very important social issue but this review of the arguments about inequality shows that economic inequality in itself is also an important social ill that should be addressed.
Examining Trust and Risk in Mobile Money Acceptance in Uganda
Authors: Baganzi Ronald , Lau Antonio K. W.
Published: December 2017

Mobile money adoption can contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Uganda but the factors affecting its sustainable adoption remain largely unknown. This paper explores the extent to which mobile money users’ trust and risk perceptions affect mobile money services adoption of in Uganda. A survey was conducted with 438 mobile money users from Uganda and data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). From the results, we obtained new empirical evidence for applying trust and risk perceptions for analyzing mobile money acceptance. We found that mobile money users rely on the structural soundness of mobile money services providers and their ability to provide mobile money services with low perceived risk. Performance expectancy, perceived risk and structural assurance significantly influenced behavioral intention to adopt mobile money. Trust belief did not significantly influence behavioral intention. These results help us to understand and promote mobile banking services in underdeveloped countries, which is of practical and scientific interests. We finally provide practical implications for mobile money services providers, commercial banks and central banks in Africa.
Solid Waste Disposal in Chinese Cities: An Evaluation of Local Performance
Authors: Zhou Boya , Sun Chunxia , Yi Hongtao
Published: December 2017

China meets increasingly serious solid waste problems and has adopted various policies in response in recent years. Meanwhile, few studies have investigated the performance of solid waste disposal through statistical analysis with empirical data. This study examines provincial resource use policy’s influence on the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial solid waste in Chinese cities. Through comparing results for statistical analysis in the year 2009 and 2015 by multiple linear regression analysis, this study analyzes similarities and differences in the drivers for solid waste disposal in the era of the 11th Five-Year Plan and the 12th Five-Year Plan in China. It finds that the adoption of resource use policy positively increases the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial solid waste. Other factors such as industrial SO2 emission, local environmental regulations, GDP per capita, population density and educational level also affect industrial solid waste disposal. Therefore, China should continue implementing solid waste disposal policies, upgrade current industrial systems, push forward economic and social reform and increase environmental education to enhance the effectiveness of solid waste disposal for long-term sustainable development.
Sustaining Employability: A Process for Introducing Cloud Computing, Big Data, Social Networks, Mobile Programming and Cybersecurity into Academic Curricula
Authors: Bologa Razvan , Lupu Ana-Ramona , Boja Catalin , Georgescu Tiberiu
Published: December 2017

This article describes a process for introducing modern technological subjects into the academic curricula of non-technical universities. The process described may increase and contribute to social sustainability by enabling non-technical students’ access to the field of the Internet of Things and the broader Industry 4.0. The process has been defined and tested during a curricular reform project that took place in two large universities in Eastern Europe. In this article, the authors describe the results and impact, over multiple years, of a project financed by the European Union that aimed to introduce the following subjects into the academic curricula of business students: cloud computing, big data, mobile programming, and social networks and cybersecurity (CAMSS). The results are useful for those trying to implement similar curricular reforms, or to companies that need to manage talent pipelines.
Environmental Risks or Costs? Exploring Flooding and the Urban Heat Island Effect in Planning for Policymaking: A Case Study in the Southern Taiwan Science Park
Authors: Lu Peiwen , Shen Yang-Ting , Lin Tang-Huang
Published: December 2017

This study examined a specific case of planning for policymaking in response to two physical environmental issues: flooding and the urban heat island effect (UHI). The Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) was selected as a case study. Data were primarily collected through interviews as well as through policy review. The assessment showed significant differences in policymaking when comparing these two issues. The issue of flooding was considered and managed well. The UHI, however, was poorly considered or ignored altogether in policymaking, even though it has shown an increasing trend over the last decades, to a greater degree in the STSP than in the city centre. The results implied that the neoliberal approach to planning of decision-making performed better in managing risks (i.e., flooding and relevant disasters which had occurred in the past) than costs (i.e., the UHI and the future threats resulting from development). The STSP’s spatial development strategy, underpinned by the neoliberal approach with an agenda for maximising economic growth, was questionable for environmental management toward resilience.
Virtualized Network Function Orchestration System and Experimental Network Based QR Recognition for a 5G Mobile Access Network
Authors: Ahn Misun , Lee SeungGwan , Lee Sungwon
Published: December 2017

This paper proposes a virtualized network function orchestration system based on Network Function Virtualization (NFV), one of the main technologies in 5G mobile networks. This system should provide connectivity between network devices and be able to create flexible network function and distribution. This system focuses more on access networks. By experimenting with various scenarios of user service established and activated in a network, we examine whether rapid adoption of new service is possible and whether network resources can be managed efficiently. The proposed method is based on Bluetooth transfer technology and mesh networking to provide automatic connections between network machines and on a Docker flat form, which is a container virtualization technology for setting and managing key functions. Additionally, the system includes a clustering and recovery measure regarding network function based on the Docker platform. We will briefly introduce the QR code perceived service as a user service to examine the proposal and based on this given service, we evaluate the function of the proposal and present analysis. Through the proposed approach, container relocation has been implemented according to a network device’s CPU usage and we confirm successful service through function evaluation on a real test bed. We estimate QR code recognition speed as the amount of network equipment is gradually increased, improving user service and confirm that the speed of recognition is increased as the assigned number of network devices is increased by the user service.
Biosocial Determinants of Persistent Schistosomiasis among Schoolchildren in Tanzania despite Repeated Treatment
Authors: Donohue Rose , Mashoto Kijakazi , Mubyazi Godfrey , Madon Shirin , Malecela Mwele , Michael Edwin
Published: December 2017

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease endemic to Tanzania and other countries of the global south, which is currently being addressed through preventive chemotherapy campaigns. However, there is growing recognition that chemotherapy strategies will need to be supplemented to sustainably control and eventually eliminate the disease. There remains a need to understand the factors contributing to continued transmission in order to ensure the effective configuration and implementation of supplemented programs. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire, to evaluate the biosocial determinants facilitating the persistence of schistosomiasis, among 1704 Tanzanian schoolchildren residing in two districts undergoing a preventive chemotherapeutic program: Rufiji and Mkuranga. A meta-analysis was carried out to select the diagnostic questions that provided a likelihood for predicting infection status. We found that self-reported schistosomiasis continues to persist among the schoolchildren, despite multiple rounds of drug administration.Using mixed effects logistic regression modeling, we found biosocial factors, including gender, socio-economic status, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related variables, were associated with this continued schistosomiasis presence. These findings highlight the significant role that social factors may play in the persistence of disease transmission despite multiple treatments, and support the need not only for including integrated technical measures, such as WASH, but also addressing issues of poverty and gender when designing effective and sustainable schistosomiasis control programs.
On Maximal Homogeneous 3-Geometries and Their Visualization
Authors: Molnár Emil , Prok István , Szirmai Jeno
Published: December 2017

The motivation for this talk and paper is related to the classification of the homogeneous simply connected maximal 3-geometries (the so-called Thurston geometries: E 3 , S 3 , H 3 , S 2 × R , H 2 × R , S L 2 R ˜ , Nil , and Sol ) and their applications in crystallography. The first author found in (Molnár 1997) (see also the more popular (Molnár et al. 2010; 2015) with co-author colleagues, together with more details) a unified projective interpretation for them in the sense of Felix Klein’s Erlangen Program: namely, each S of the above space geometries and its isometry group Isom ( S ) can be considered as a subspace of the projective 3-sphere: S ⊂ P S 3 , where a special maximal group G = Isom ( S ) ⊆ Coll ( P S 3 ) of collineations acts, leaving the above subspace S invariant. Vice-versa, we can start with the projective geometry, namely with the classification of Coll ( P S 3 ) through linear transforms of dual pairs of real 4-vector spaces ( V 4 , V 4 , R , ∼ ) = P S 3 (up to positive real multiplicative equivalence ∼) via Jordan normal forms. Then, we look for projective groups with 3 parameters, and with appropriate properties for convenient geometries described above and in this paper.
An Opportunistic Pathogen Afforded Ample Opportunities: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus
Authors: Mackay Ian , Arden Katherine
Published: December 2017

The human coronaviruses (CoV) include HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1, some of which have been known for decades. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) CoV briefly emerged into the human population but was controlled. In 2012, another novel severely human pathogenic CoV—the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-CoV—was identified in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 80% of over 2000 human cases have been recorded over five years. Targeted research remains key to developing control strategies for MERS-CoV, a cause of mild illness in its camel reservoir. A new therapeutic toolbox being developed in response to MERS is also teaching us more about how CoVs cause disease. Travel-related cases continue to challenge the world’s surveillance and response capabilities, and more data are needed to understand unexplained primary transmission. Signs of genetic change have been recorded, but it remains unclear whether there is any impact on clinical disease. How camels came to carry the virus remains academic to the control of MERS. To date, human-to-human transmission has been inefficient, but virus surveillance, characterisation, and reporting are key to responding to any future change. MERS-CoV is not currently a pandemic threat; it is spread mainly with the aid of human habit and error.
Detection of Nuclear Protein Profile Changes by Human Metapneumovirus M2-2 Protein Using Quantitative Differential Proteomics
Authors: Ren Yuping , Choi Eunjin , Zhang Ke , Chen Yu , Ye Sha , Deng Xiaoling , Zhang Kangling , Bao Xiaoyong
Published: December 2017

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory infection in pediatric populations globally. This study examined proteomic profile changes in A549 cells infected with hMPV and two attenuated mutants with deleted PDZ domain-binding motif(s) in the M2-2 protein. These motifs are involved in the interruption of antiviral signaling, namely the interaction between the TNF receptor associated factor (TRAF) and mitochondrial antiviral-signaling (MAVS) proteins. The aim of this study was to provide insight into the overall and novel impact of M2-2 motifs on cellular responses via an unbiased comparison. Tandem mass tagging, stable isotope labeling, and high-resolution mass spectrometry were used for quantitative proteomic analysis. Using quantitative proteomics and Venn analysis, 1248 common proteins were detected in all infected samples of both technical sets. Hierarchical clustering of the differentiated proteome displayed distinct proteomic signatures that were controlled by the motif(s). Bioinformatics and experimental analysis confirmed the differentiated proteomes, revealed novel cellular biological events, and implicated key pathways controlled by hMPV M2-2 PDZ domain-binding motif(s). This provides further insight for evaluating M2-2 mutants as potent vaccine candidates.
In Situ and Satellite Observation of CDOM and Chlorophyll-a Dynamics in Small Water Surface Reservoirs in the Brazilian Semiarid Region
Authors: Coelho Christine , Heim Birgit , Foerster Saskia , Brosinsky Arlena , De Araújo José
Published: December 2017

We analyzed chlorophyll-a and Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) dynamics from field measurements and assessed the potential of multispectral satellite data for retrieving water-quality parameters in three small surface reservoirs in the Brazilian semiarid region. More specifically, this work is comprised of: (i) analysis of Chl-a and trophic dynamics; (ii) characterization of CDOM; (iii) estimation of Chl-a and CDOM from OLI/Landsat-8 and RapidEye imagery. The monitoring lasted 20 months within a multi-year drought, which contributed to water-quality deterioration. Chl-a and trophic state analysis showed a highly eutrophic status for the perennial reservoir during the entire study period, while the non-perennial reservoirs ranged from oligotrophic to eutrophic, with changes associated with the first events of the rainy season. CDOM characterization suggests that the perennial reservoir is mostly influenced by autochthonous sources, while allochthonous sources dominate the non-perennial ones. Spectral-group classification assigned the perennial reservoir as a CDOM-moderate and highly eutrophic reservoir, whereas the non-perennial ones were assigned as CDOM-rich and oligotrophic-dystrophic reservoirs. The remote sensing initiative was partially successful: the Chl-a was best modelled using RapidEye for the perennial one; whereas CDOM performed best with Landsat-8 for non-perennial reservoirs. This investigation showed potential for retrieving water quality parameters in dry areas with small reservoirs.
Comparison of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Estimated by Three Different Methods
Authors: Hwang Hyoun-Tae , Jeen Sung-Wook , Suleiman Ayman , Lee Kang-Kun
Published: December 2017

This study compares saturated hydraulic conductivities ( K s ) of three sandy soils such as coarse, medium and fine sand. The K s was obtained using three different methods: empirical methods based on the grain size analysis, the relative effective porosity model (REPM), and breakthrough curve analyses based on tracer tests. Column drainage tests were performed to characterize the water retention properties of the samples, which are required in the REPM. Bench scale tracer tests with various conditions were conducted to obtain reasonable linear velocities of the samples using breakthrough curve analyses and then K s was estimated using Darcy’s law. For the REPM, the differences of K s for the coarse and fine sand soils were less than one order of magnitude; however, the difference of K s values between the empirical methods and the breakthrough curve analyses was larger than one order of magnitude. The comparison results suggest that the REPM can be a reliable method for estimating K s for soil grains, and is cost effective due to its experimental simplicity.
Changes in Extreme Precipitation: A Case Study in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River in China
Authors: Pei Fengsong , Wu Changjiang , Qu Aixue , Xia Yan , Wang Kun , Zhou Yi
Published: December 2017

Monitoring extreme climate events is of great importance, mainly due to increasingly severe impacts of extreme climate on nature and humanity. However, the characteristics of extreme climate events, especially extreme precipitation, frequently show complex variations in the context of climate change. Taking the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLR-YR) in China as a case study, extreme daily precipitation during 1961–2012 was analyzed from the aspects of frequency and intensity. The changes in extreme daily precipitation in the MLR-YR were further attributed to several factors, including large-scale circulation, hydrologic engineering and local topography. Our analyses indicate that both frequency and intensity of the extreme daily precipitation in the MLR-YR showed overall increasing trends from 1961 to 2012. The increase could be associated with weakened East Asian summer monsoon in past decades. In addition, inverse trends could also be found locally between the frequency and the intensity. For instance, extreme precipitation intensity revealed an enhanced trend in the western part of the middle reach of the Yangtze River, while extreme precipitation frequency showed decreasing trends in this region. These phenomena could be associated with the effects of some local factors (e.g., lake regulation, hydropower engineering, topography). Our study highlights the important role of local factors on extreme precipitation changes.