bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Daily Fire Hazard Index: A Fire Danger Rating Method for Mediterranean Areas
Authors: Laneve Giovanni , Pampanoni Valerio , Uddien Shaik Riyaaz
Published: July 2020

Mediterranean forests are gravely affected by wildfires, and despite the increased prevention effort of competent authorities in the past few decades, the yearly number of fires and the consequent damage has not decreased significantly. To this end, a number of dynamical methods have been developed in order to produce short-term hazard indices, such as the Fire Probability Index and the Fire Weather Index. The possibility to estimate the fire hazard is based on the observation that there is a relationship between the characteristics of the vegetation (i.e., the fuel), in terms of abundance and moisture content, and the probability of fire insurgence. The density, type, and moisture content of the vegetation are modeled using custom fuel maps, developed using the latest Corine Land Cover, and using a number of indices such as the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), Global Vegetation Moisture Index (GVMI), and the evapotranspiration, derived from daily satellite imagery. This paper shows how the algorithm for the calculation of the Fire Potential Index (FPI) was improved by taking into account the effect of wind speed, topography, and local solar illumination through a simple temperature correction, preserving the straightforward structure of the FPI algorithm. The results were validated on the Italian region of Sardinia using official wildfire records provided by the regional administration.
First Measurement of Soil Freeze/Thaw Cycles in the Tibetan Plateau Using CYGNSS GNSS-R Data
Authors: Wu Xuerui , Dong Zhounan , Jin Shuanggen , He Yang , Song Yezhi , Ma Wenxiao , Yang Lei
Published: July 2020

The process of soil freezing and thawing refers to the alternating phase change of liquid water and solid water in the soil, accompanied by a large amount of latent heat exchange. It plays a vital role in the land water process and is an important indicator of climate change. The Tibetan Plateau in China is known as the “roof of the world”, and it is one of the most prominent physical characteristics is the freezing and thawing process of the soil. For the first time, this paper utilizes the spaceborne GNSS-R mission, i.e., CYGNSS (Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System), to study the feasibility of monitoring the soil freeze-thaw (FT) cycles on the Tibetan Plateau. In the theoretical analysis part, model simulations show that there are abrupt changes in soil permittivities and surface reflectivities as the soil FT occurs. The CYGNSS reflectivities from January 2018 to January 2020 are compared with the SMAP FT state. The relationship between CYGNSS reflectivity and SMAP soil moisture within this time series is analyzed and compared. The results show that the effect of soil moisture on reflectivity is very small and can be ignored. The periodic oscillation change of CYGNSS reflectivity is almost the same as the changes in SMAP FT data. Freeze-thaw conversion is the main factor affecting CYGNSS reflectivity. The periodical change of CYGNSS reflectivity in the 2 years indicates that it is mainly caused by soil FT cycles. It is feasible to use CYGNSS to monitor the soil FT cycles in the Tibetan Plateau. This research expands the current application field of CYGNSS and opens a new chapter in the study of cryosphere using spaceborne GNSS-R with high spatial-temporal resolution.
A Novel Classification Extension-Based Cloud Detection Method for Medium-Resolution Optical Images
Authors: Chen Xidong , Liu Liangyun , Gao Yuan , Zhang Xiao , Xie Shuai
Published: July 2020

Accurate cloud detection using medium-resolution multispectral satellite imagery (such as Landsat and Sentinel data) is always difficult due to the complex land surfaces, diverse cloud types, and limited number of available spectral bands, especially in the case of images without thermal bands. In this paper, a novel classification extension-based cloud detection (CECD) method was proposed for masking clouds in the medium-resolution images. The new method does not rely on thermal bands and can be used for masking clouds in different types of medium-resolution satellite imagery. First, with the support of low-resolution satellite imagery with short revisit periods, cloud and non-cloud pixels were identified in the resampled low-resolution version of the medium-resolution cloudy image. Then, based on the identified cloud and non-cloud pixels and the resampled cloudy image, training samples were automatically collected to develop a random forest (RF) classifier. Finally, the developed RF classifier was extended to the corresponding medium-resolution cloudy image to generate an accurate cloud mask. The CECD method was applied to Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 imagery to test the performance for different satellite images, and the well-known function of mask (FMASK) method was employed for comparison with our method. The results indicate that CECD is more accurate at detecting clouds in Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 imagery, giving an average F-measure value of 97.65% and 97.11% for Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 imagery, respectively, as against corresponding results of 90.80% and 88.47% for FMASK. It is concluded, therefore, that the proposed CECD algorithm is an effective cloud-classification algorithm that can be applied to the medium-resolution optical satellite imagery.
Reducing Global Environmental Uncertainties in Reports of Tropical Forest Carbon Fluxes to REDD+ and the Paris Agreement Global Stocktake
Authors: Grainger Alan , Kim Junwoo
Published: July 2020

The magnitude of net carbon dioxide emissions resulting from global forest carbon change, and hence the contribution of forests to global climate change, is highly uncertain, owing to the lack of direct measurement by Earth observation and ground data collection. This paper uses a new method to evaluate this uncertainty with greater precision than before. Sources of uncertainty are divided into conceptualization and measurement categories and distributed between the spatial, vertical and temporal dimensions of Earth observation. The method is applied to Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL) reports and National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (NGGIs) submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by 12 countries containing half of tropical forest area. The two sets of estimates are typical of those to be submitted to the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) mechanism of the UNFCCC and the 2023 Global Stocktake of its Paris Agreement, respectively. Assembling the Uncertainty Fingerprint of each estimate shows that Uncertainty Scores are between 10 and 14 for the NGGIs and 5 and 10 for the FREL reports, and so both exceed the threshold of 2 when it is advisable to evaluate uncertainty by standard statistical methods. Conceptualization uncertainties account for 60% of all uncertainties in the NGGIs and 47% in the FREL reports, e.g., there is incomplete coverage of forest carbon fluxes, and limited disaggregation of fluxes between different ecosystem types and forest carbon pools. Of the measurement uncertainties, all FREL reports base forest area estimates on at least medium resolution satellite data, compared with only 3 NGGIs; after REDD+ Readiness schemes, mean area mapping frequency has fallen to 2.3 years in Latin America and 3.0 years in Asia, but only 8.3 years in Africa; and carbon density estimates are based on national forest inventory data in all FREL reports but only 4 NGGIs. The effectiveness of the Global Stocktake and REDD+ monitoring will therefore be constrained by considerable uncertainties, and to reduce these requires a new phase of REDD+ Readiness to ensure more frequent national forest inventories and forest carbon mapping.
Internal Wave Dark-Band Signatures in ALOS-PALSAR Imagery Revealed by the Standard Deviation of the Co-Polarized Phase Difference
Authors: de Macedo Carina R. , da Silva José C. B.
Published: July 2020

Analysis of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images in L-band of short-period internal waves (IWs), and classification of their radar signatures is presented by means of a polarimetric data set from ALOS-PALSAR mission. We choose the polarimetric feature named standard deviation(std) of the co-polarized phase difference (CPD) to identify fundamental differences in SAR signatures of internal waves, and divided them into three different classes, according to their backscattered modulation depths and morphology as well as the std CPD, namely: double-signed, single-negative, and single-positive signatures, for IW normalized image transects that display, respectively, signatures in the form of bright/dark, dark, and bright bands that correspond to positive/negative, negative, or positive variations of radar backscatter. These radar power types of signatures have a counterpart in the std CPD normalized transects, and in this paper we discuss those correlations and decorrelations. We focus in the single-negative type of signature, that is dark bands on gray background, and show that the std CPD is greatly enhanced over the troughs and rear slopes of those IWs. It is suggested that such behavior is consistent with the presence of surface slicks owing to enhanced surfactant concentration. Furthermore, those single-negative SAR signatures appear at locations where and when biological productivity is enhanced. It is found that the modulation depths associated to the std CPD is higher than the one associated to the HH-polarized radar backscatter for single-negative signatures propagating in the range direction, while the reverse occurs for the other types of signatures.
Global Significance of Mangrove Blue Carbon in Climate Change Mitigation (Version 1)
Authors: Alongi Daniel M.
Published: July 2020

Mangrove forests store and sequester large area-specific quantities of blue carbon (Corg). Except for tundra and peatlands, mangroves store more Corg per unit area than any other ecosystem. Mean mangrove Corg stock is 738.9 Mg Corg ha−1 and mean global stock is 6.17 Pg Corg, which equates to only 0.4–7% of terrestrial ecosystem Corg stocks but 17% of total tropical marine Corg stocks. Seagrasses sequester more Corg per unit area than mangroves (179.6 g Corg m−2·a−1) but twice the Corg sequestered by mangroves globally (15 Tg Corg a−1). Mangroves sequester only 4% (range 1.3–8%) of Corg sequestered by terrestrial ecosystems, indicating that mangroves are a minor contributor to global C storage and sequestration. CO2 emissions from mangrove losses equate to 0.036 Pg CO2-equivalents a−1 based on rates of C sequestration but 0.088 Pg CO2-equivalents a−1 based on complete destruction for conversion to aquaculture and agriculture. Mangrove CO2 emissions account for only 0.2% of total global CO2 emissions but 18% of CO2 emissions from the tropical coastal ocean. Despite significant data limitations, the role of mangrove ecosystems in climate change mitigation is globally insignificant but may be more significant and effective at the national and regional scale.
Transformability as a Wicked Problem: A Cautionary Tale?
Authors: Sediri Samia , Trommetter Michel , Frascaria-Lacoste Nathalie , Fernandez-Manjarrés Juan
Published: July 2020

Transformability is increasingly promoted as a way of moving societies toward more sustainable futures in the era of the Anthropocene, mostly because the concept of resilience has fallen short in many instances where impacts on social-ecological systems are continuous, varied, and usually unknown. While such transformations can play a crucial role in improving the sustainability of social-ecological systems, they may lead to unexpected and undesirable outcomes. This literature review on social-ecological transformability and wicked problems seeks to shed light on and acknowledge some of the limitations of transformability regarding unforeseen conditions. We argue that wicked problems arise in transformation initiatives in the presence of high complexity, deep uncertainty, deep conflicts, and divergence among stakeholders, as well as scale mismatches concerning spatial, temporal, and institutional processes. Our findings may explain why some transformation initiatives fail to generate expected changes on the ground, mainly in two cases: (a) a polarized configuration that maintains the status quo of the system to be transformed and (b) an unforeseen transformation that causes the system to lurch from crisis to crisis. To conclude, we recommend using diagnostic questions to prevent wicked problems in social-ecological transformations.
Family Climate and Life Satisfaction in 12-Year-Old Adolescents in Europe
Authors: Gomez-Baya Diego , Muñoz-Silva Alicia , Garcia-Moro Francisco Jose
Published: July 2020

This research aimed to examine the association between life satisfaction and family climate indicators in 12-year-old European adolescents. Cross-sectional data from the second wave of the Children’s Worlds project—an international survey of children’s lives and well-being—were examined. Specifically, data from participating European countries were analyzed: i.e., Estonia, Spain, Germany, England, Romania, Norway, Poland, and Malta. This sample of 9281 adolescents (50.3% girls) filled in self-report measures of life satisfaction and some indicators of family climate. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were performed by country. Furthermore, a confirmatory model was tested to examine the association between family climate and life satisfaction. The results pointed out that having a good time together with family and being treated fairly by parents/carers were the indicators with the greatest positive effects on life satisfaction. In general, a more positive family climate was associated with higher life satisfaction among 12-year-old adolescents in the participating eight European countries.
Assessment of Nitrogen Uptake and Biological Nitrogen Fixation Responses of Soybean to Nitrogen Fertiliser with SPACSYS
Authors: Wu Lu , Misselbrook Thomas H. , Feng Liping , Wu Lianhai
Published: July 2020

Chemical fertiliser nitrogen addition will inhibit biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) for soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr) growth. The optimal balance of these two nitrogen input sources has been a key issue for sustainable development in Northeast China. We used the data collected from a four-year experiment with varied irrigation and fertiliser treatments from 2007 to 2010 to evaluate the SPACSYS (Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum SYStem) model. The validated model was run to investigate the responses to different management practices in seed yield, BNF, protein yield and soil nitrogen budgets. Scenario testing showed average yield increase of 2.4–5.2% with additional 50–100 kg N/ha application. Irrigation at the reproductive stage improved seed yield in drier years with an increase of 12–33% compared with the rain-fed treatment. BNF was suppressed by fertiliser nitrogen application and drought stress with a decrease of 6–33% and 8–34%, respectively. The average nitrogen budget without fertilization indicated a deficit of 39 kg N/ha. To attain higher seed yield, applying fertiliser at 25–30 and 15–20 kg N/ha before sowing is advised in drier and wetter years, respectively. To achieve a higher seed nitrogen content, an application rate of 55–60 and 45–50 kg N/ha is recommended for drier and wetter years, respectively.
Demand-Side Food Policies for Public and Planetary Health
Authors: Temme Elisabeth H.M. , Vellinga Reina E. , de Ruiter Henri , Kugelberg Susanna , van de Kamp Mirjam , Milford Anna , Alessandrini Roberta , Bartolini Fabio , Sanz-Cobena Alberto , Leip Adrian
Published: July 2020

Background: The current food system has major consequences for the environment and for human health. Alignment of the food policy areas of mitigating climate change and public health will ensure coherent and effective policy interventions for sustaining human health and the environment. This paper explores literature on demand-side policies that aim to reduce consumption of animal-based foods, increase plant-based foods, and reduce overconsumption. Methods: We searched for publications, published between January 2000 and December 2019, considering the above policy domains. Articles were distinguished for type of policy instrument, for topic via keywords and examples were given. Results: The majority of demand-side policies focus on preventing overweight and obesity, using all types of policy instruments including more forceful market-based policies. Hardly any examples of public policies explicitly aiming to lower animal-based foods consumption were found. Policies combining health and sustainability objectives are few and mainly of the information type. Discussion: Moving towards environmentally sustainable and healthy diets is challenging as the implemented demand-side policies focus largely on human health, and not yet on environmental outcomes, or on win-wins. Policies targeting foods from the health perspective can contribute to lower environmental impacts, by indicating suitable animal-based food replacers, and aiming at avoiding overconsumption of energy dense-nutrient poor foods. Preferred policies include a variety of instruments, including strong measures. Conclusions: Working solutions are available to ensure coherent and effective demand side food policies aligning public health and environmental aims. Implementation of aligned and effective policy packages is urgent and needed.
The Relationship between Sustainable Development Practices and Financial Performance: A Case Study of Textile Firms in Vietnam
Authors: Phan Thi Thu Hien , Tran Hiep Xuan , Le Trung Thanh , Nguyen Ninh , Pervan Simon , Tran Manh Dung
Published: July 2020

Sustainable development practices have become very important for firms to go beyond short-term profitability, towards economic, environmental and social sustainability. This research aims to examine the relationship between a firm’s sustainable development practices and its financial performance. Modelled as a multidimensional construct, sustainable development practices are represented by environmental practices, social practices in the workplace and social practices in the community, while financial performance is determined by profitability and growth. Using a mixed method survey, data were obtained from 389 textile firms in Vietnam, where there is a dire need to promote sustainable and environmental practices. Data analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling demonstrates that sustainable development practices positively affect financial performance directly and indirectly via customer loyalty, employee satisfaction and corporate reputation. The findings also reveal the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation, whereby the impact of sustainable development practices on financial performance is stronger for firms that are more innovative, proactive and willing to take risks. Taken together, these findings provide support for firms to holistically implement sustainable development practices and adopt an entrepreneurial orientation.
Effects of the Performance-Based Research Fund and Other Factors on the Efficiency of New Zealand Universities: A Malmquist Productivity Approach
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Tibo Hector , Nguyen Van Thanh , Duong Duy Hung
Published: July 2020

Universities and academic institutions play a very crucial role in nation development through the production of highly competent manpower. The eight universities in New Zealand have been recognized as some of the top academic institutions in the world. However, the rankings from different international organizations are declining and are hardly likely to rise. Government policies in funding allocation are being blamed for the universities’ regress as they operate with an insufficient amount of funds. This study uses the Malmquist Productivity Index model to examine the technical efficiency, technological change, and productivity performance of the eight universities. This model uses a variety of inputs (number of academic and non-academic staff and total enrolment) and outputs (number of degree and postgraduate graduates, total graduates, and total operating revenue from the Equivalent Full-Time Student (EFTS) funding system and the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF), etc.) obtained for the period 2013–2018. The overall results show that the average catch-up and frontier-shift efficiencies of the universities are roughly in a “no-change” scenario, meaning that the universities did not make any progress over these years. The Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) also shows a stable result, with average final values slightly higher than 1, wherein only five universities reached an actual productivity score of 1. It is recommended that the universities improve their internal factors, including personnel, equipment, facilities, and student services, while taking accounts of external aspects, such as rapid growth in technological environments and innovations, to achieve sustainable organizational progress and improved productivity. The re-assessment of government policies for funding allocation is also suggested. This research paper offers insights into the New Zealand universities’ productivity performances for the past few years. This could be used as a reference for other purposes.
Sustainability in Business Process Management as an Important Strategic Challenge in Human Resource Management
Authors: Lorincová Silvia , Čambál Miloš , Miklošík Andrej , Balážová Žaneta , Gyurák Babeľová Zdenka , Hitka Miloš
Published: July 2020

The main goal of human resource management (HRM) is to create conditions that allow enterprises to run businesses effectively by following the maximum performance and sustainability of business processes, which are key factors for an enterprise to succeed on the market. For effective management of employees as a part of HRM, systematic employee motivation is necessary because human resources are a key factor for achieving enterprise sustainability. As employees can be motivated by everything stimulating their activity, the aim is to define the importance of employee motivation through the most important motivation factors relating to mutual relationships. The emphasis is put on the identification of statistically significant differences in terms of socio-demographic features of employees. At a significance level of 5%, the statistically significant differences in terms of gender, age, and job were tested further using Tukey’s honestly significant difference test. The research results showed a large number of statistically significant differences between individual employee categories. This leads to the conclusion that employers should focus on creating individual motivation programs for employees and not approach employees uniformly because of their various needs. Creating individual motivation programs for employees should respect their needs in terms of gender, age, and job position. Enterprises are recommended to focus their motivation programs on supporting motivation factors related to finance, mutual relationships, and work conditions.
Comparison of Long Short-Term Memory and Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season Models for Nitrate-N Load Estimation
Authors: Jung Kichul , Um Myoung-Jin , Markus Momcilo , Park Daeryong
Published: July 2020

The long short-term memory (LSTM) model has been widely used for a broad range of applications entailing the estimation of variables in different fields to improve water quality management in rivers. The main objectives of this study are (1) to develop a novel LSTM-based model for the estimation of nitrate-N loads, which adversely affect water resources, and (2) to evaluate the performance of the model by comparing it with that of Monte Carlo sub-sampling and the weighted regressions on time discharge and season (WRTDS) model. We evaluated the model performance using various numbers of hidden layers, ranging from one to four, in the LSTM model to determine the appropriate number of hidden layers; furthermore, we applied the sampling frequencies of 6, 12, and 24 to assess their impact. Seven polluted river basins in the United States were used for analysis, and the relative root mean squared error (rRMSE) and the mean percentage error (MPE) metrics were applied for the validation of the model estimates. The proposed model achieved accurate nitrate-N load estimates using three to four hidden layers, and improved model performance was observed when the sampling frequency was increased. The differences among the results obtained using the LSTM model were examined based on a binning technique via a log-log plot of nitrate-N concentration against discharge. The binning analysis showed that the slope obtained from the average rates of discharge and low discharge values apparently influenced the estimates. Furthermore, box plot analyses of the statistical indices such as rRMSE and MPE demonstrate that the LSTM model seems to exhibit better performance than the WRTDS model. The results of the examination demonstrate that the LSTM model may be a good alternative with regard to estimating nitrate-N loads for the control of water quality constituents.
Special-Length-Priority Algorithm to Minimize Reinforcing Bar-Cutting Waste for Sustainable Construction
Authors: Lee Dongho , Son Seunghyun , Kim Doyeong , Kim Sunkuk
Published: July 2020

Reinforcing bars (rebar), which have the most embodied carbon dioxide (CO2) per unit weight in built environments, generate a significant amount of cutting waste during the construction phase. Excessive cutting waste not only increases the construction cost but also contributes to a significant amount of CO2 emissions. The objective of this paper is to propose a special-length-priority cutting waste minimization (CWM) algorithm for rebar, for sustainable construction. In the proposed algorithms, the minimization method by special and stock lengths was applied. The minimization by special length was performed first, and then the combination by stock length was performed for the remaining rebar. As a result of verifying the proposed algorithms through a case application, it was confirmed that the quantity of rebar was reduced by 6.04% compared with the actual quantity used. In the case building, a CO2 emissions reduction of 406.6 ton-CO2 and a cost savings of USD 119,306 were confirmed. When the results of this paper are applied in practice, they will be used as a tool for sustainable construction management as well as for construction cost reduction.
Imbalanced Data Fault Diagnosis Based on an Evolutionary Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine
Authors: Hao Wei , Liu Feng
Published: July 2020

To quickly and effectively identify an axle box bearing fault of high-speed electric multiple units (EMUs), an evolutionary online sequential extreme learning machine (OS-ELM) fault diagnosis method for imbalanced data was proposed. In this scheme, the resampling scale is first determined according to the resampling empirical formulation, the K-means synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) method is then used for oversampling the minority class samples, a method based on Euclidean distance is applied for undersampling the majority class samples, and the complex data features are extracted from the reconstructed dataset. Second, the reconstructed dataset is input into the diagnosis model. Finally, the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is used to globally optimize the combination of input weights, hidden layer bias, and the number of hidden layer nodes for an OS-ELM, and the diagnosis model is allowed to evolve. The proposed method was tested on the axle box bearing monitoring data of high-speed EMUs, on which the position of the axle box bearings was symmetrical. Numerical testing proved that the method has the characteristics of faster detection and higher classification performance regarding the minority class data compared to other standard and classical algorithms.
Helical Hypersurfaces in Minkowski Geometry E 1 4
Authors: Güler Erhan
Published: July 2020

We define helical (i.e., helicoidal) hypersurfaces depending on the axis of rotation in Minkowski four-space E 1 4 . There are three types of helicoidal hypersurfaces. We derive equations for the curvatures (i.e., Gaussian and mean) and give some examples of these hypersurfaces. Finally, we obtain a theorem classifying the helicoidal hypersurface with timelike axes satisfying Δ I H = A H .
Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Novel Annular Tube with Outer Straight and Inner Twisted Oval Tubes
Authors: Luo Chao , Song KeWei , Tagawa Toshio , Liu TengFei
Published: July 2020

The thermal-hydraulic performance in a novel annular tube formed by outer straight and inner twisted oval tubes is numerically investigated. An annular tube formed by two straight oval tubes is also studied for comparison. Inner twisted oval tubes with different aspect ratios and twist ratios are studied. The heat transfer is well improved by the symmetrical secondary flow in the annulus. The Nusselt number generally increases when the inner oval tube becomes flatter and the twists stronger in the studied range of geometrical parameters. The largest Nusselt number Nu of the inner twisted tube increases by 116% while the friction factor f increases by only 46% compared with that of the inner straight tube, and the largest value of the thermal performance factor (JF) can be up to 1.9. Correlations of the Nusselt number and friction factor are proposed for laminar and turbulent flows, and the deviations of the correlations are within ±5% and ±4% for Nu and f, respectively.
Dangerous Liaisons: Gammaherpesvirus Subversion of the Immunoglobulin Repertoire
Authors: Zelazowska Monika A. , McBride Kevin , Krug Laurie T.
Published: July 2020

A common biologic property of the gammaherpesviruses Epstein–Barr Virus and Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus is their use of B lymphocytes as a reservoir of latency in healthy individuals that can undergo oncogenic transformation later in life. Gammaherpesviruses (GHVs) employ an impressive arsenal of proteins and non-coding RNAs to reprogram lymphocytes for proliferative expansion. Within lymphoid tissues, the germinal center (GC) reaction is a hub of B cell proliferation and death. The goal of a GC is to generate and then select for a pool of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes that will provide a protective humoral adaptive immune response. B cells infected with GHVs are detected in GCs and bear the hallmark signatures of the mutagenic processes of somatic hypermutation and isotype class switching of the Ig genes. However, data also supports extrafollicular B cells as a reservoir engaged by GHVs. Next-generation sequencing technologies provide unprecedented detail of the Ig sequence that informs the natural history of infection at the single cell level. Here, we review recent reports from human and murine GHV systems that identify striking differences in the immunoglobulin repertoire of infected B cells compared to their uninfected counterparts. Implications for virus biology, GHV-associated cancers, and host immune dysfunction will be discussed.
Gilt Vaccination with a Mixed Administration of a PRRS MLV and a PPV1 Subunit Vaccine Protects against Heterologous PRRSV1 Infection and Prevents Detrimental Effects on Piglet Performance
Authors: Garcia-Morante Beatriz , Friedrich Rachel , Kaiser Troy , Kraft Christian , Bridger Philip , Noguera Marta
Published: July 2020

The efficacy of the combined administration of a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) modified live virus (MLV) vaccine and a porcine parvovirus 1 (PPV1) subunit vaccine in gilts was addressed in two experiments. Experiment A aimed to establish a 4-week onset of immunity (OOI). Gilts were randomly distributed in three treatment groups: non-vaccinated control animals (group 1), animals vaccinated with the combined vaccine (group 2), and a third group that consisted of animals vaccinated with the PRRS MLV vaccine alone (group 3). Four weeks after the first vaccination, gilts were challenged with a heterologous PRRS virus 1 (PRRSV1) and euthanized three weeks after. Besides this, experiment B pursued a 17-week duration of immunity (DOI). In this case, gilts were distributed in the same treatment groups, but for the third group, which consisted of non-vaccinated, non-challenged animals were used instead. For the DOI assessment, gilts were artificially inseminated 4 weeks after the first vaccination, challenged at day 90 of gestation, and followed up, together with their offspring, until day 20 post-farrowing. Serology and viremia post-challenge were determined in gilts from both experiments, while farrowing and piglet performance were only evaluated in experiment B. Overall, the combined vaccine helped to protect gilts from viremia post-challenge and, consequently, to prevent PRRS clinical symptoms and diminish the proportion of piglets infected congenitally or early in life. The combined vaccine also elicited a significant improvement in piglet survival rate and growth performance until weaning. The present results reveal efficacy and lack of interference of the mixed use of the tested vaccines against PRRSV1 infection, with at least 4-week OOI and 17-week DOI.
Sex-Differential Impact of Human Cytomegalovirus Infection on In Vitro Reactivity to Toll-Like Receptor 2, 4 and 7/8 Stimulation in Gambian Infants
Authors: Cox Momodou , Adetifa Jane U. , Noho-Konteh Fatou , Sanyang Lady C. , Drammeh Abdoulie , Plebanski Magdalena , Whittle Hilton C. , Rowland-Jones Sarah L. , Robertson Iain , Flanagan Katie L.
Published: July 2020

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection rates approach 100% by the first year of life in low-income countries. It is not known if this drives changes to innate immunity in early life and thereby altered immune reactivity to infections and vaccines. Given the panoply of sex differences in immunity, it is feasible that any immunological effects of HCMV would differ in males and females. We analysed ex vivo innate cytokine responses to a panel of toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands in 108 nine-month-old Gambian males and females participating in a vaccine trial. We found evidence that HCMV suppressed reactivity to TLR2 and TLR7/8 stimulation in females but not males. This is likely to contribute to sex differences in responses to infections and vaccines in early life and has implications for the development of TLR ligands as vaccine adjuvants. Development of an effective HCMV vaccine would be able to circumvent some of these potentially negative effects of HCMV infection in childhood.
Exercise but Not Supplemental Dietary Tryptophan Influences Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate in Sled Dogs
Authors: Thornton Emma , Templeman James R. , Bower Michael , Cant John P. , Holloway Graham P. , Shoveller Anna K.
Published: July 2020

Tryptophan (Trp), an indispensable amino acid for dogs, is the precursor of serotonin, a neurotransmitter with a variety of effects throughout the body, including the ability to modulate cardiac and pulmonary activity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week incremental exercise regimen and supplemental dietary Trp on heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) in client-owned sled dogs. Sixteen Siberian huskies were randomly allocated to either treatment or control diet groups. Both groups were fed a control diet (Trp to large neutral amino acid ratio of 0.047:1); however, treatment dogs received a Trp supplement to achieve a Trp to large neutral amino acid ratio of 0.075:1. Every three weeks, external telemetry equipment was used to non-invasively measure and record HR and RR at a resting, working, and post-exercise state in a controlled exercise challenge. A mixed model was used to test differences between diet, activity parameter, and week. Dietary Trp supplementation had no effect on HR or RR. Independent of diet, resting, working, post-exercise HR, and time to recover post-exercise HR decreased from week −1 to week 11 (p < 0.05). Resting HR had the greatest reduction from week −1 to week 11 (21%, p < 0.05). Working RR did not change with exercise (p > 0.10), but rRR and postRR decreased from week −1 to week 11 (p < 0.05). These data suggest that the exercise regimen the dogs were subjected to may have positively impacted the dogs’ capacity to sustain aerobic exercise, whereas Trp supplementation had no effect on HR or RR.
Numerical Study on Dynamical Structures and the Destratification of Vertical Turbulent Jets in Stratified Environment
Authors: Huang Xuan , Wang Ling-ling , Xu Jin
Published: July 2020

The law of pollutant emission and diffusion in stratified waters is a common issue. In this paper, numerical study on the interaction between vertical turbulent jets and the pycnocline is carried out to study the problems of jet’s emission through the large eddy simulation (LES). A trigonometric function disturbance (TFD) method is developed to ensure the velocity distribution of the jet in the horizontal plane yield to Gaussian profile. Numerical simulations are carried out in the range of 1.11 < Frp < 4.77, corresponding to 1393 < Rep < 5979, where the Froude number Frp and the Reynolds number Rep are defined at the entrance of pycnocline. The coherent structure and internal waves are observed at the pycnocline during the process of jets impinging. After the impingement, the destratification effects can be found. It can be found that Frp = 3 is a threshold value for the interaction between jets and the pycnocline. When Frp > 3, the interaction becomes intensely. Furthermore, the fitting formula of the radial momentum flux dissipation rate that is used to describe the decay of energy contained by the jets during the impinging process, is established through the dimensionless analysis. As a result, the influence range of the jet on the horizontal plane can be evaluated by Rep. It is also found that the destratification of jets is mainly affected by the velocity of the internal wave induced by jets. In addition, by employing the dimensionless time T related to that velocity, the law of destratification varies with dimensionless time is obtained, which can be summarized as follows: Due to the influence of the first internal wave, the thickness of the pycnocline increases rapidly and reaches a critical value at T = 1.4, after that, the increase of the thickness of the pycnocline becomes linear.
Annual Runoff Forecasting Based on Multi-Model Information Fusion and Residual Error Correction in the Ganjiang River Basin
Authors: Song Peibing , Liu Weifeng , Sun Jiahui , Wang Chao , Kong Lingzhong , Nong Zhenxue , Lei Xiaohui , Wang Hao
Published: July 2020

Accurate forecasting of annual runoff time series is of great significance for water resources planning and management. However, considering that the number of forecasting factors is numerous, a single forecasting model has certain limitations and a runoff time series consists of complex nonlinear and nonstationary characteristics, which make the runoff forecasting difficult. Aimed at improving the prediction accuracy of annual runoff time series, the principal components analysis (PCA) method is adopted to reduce the complexity of forecasting factors, and a modified coupling forecasting model based on multiple linear regression (MLR), back propagation neural network (BPNN), Elman neural network (ENN), and particle swarm optimization-support vector machine for regression (PSO-SVR) is proposed and applied in the Dongbei Hydrological Station in the Ganjiang River Basin. Firstly, from two conventional factors (i.e., rainfall, runoff) and 130 atmospheric circulation indexes (i.e., 88 atmospheric circulation indexes, 26 sea temperature indexes, 16 other indexes), principal components generated by linear mapping are screened as forecasting factors. Then, based on above forecasting factors, four forecasting models including MLR, BPNN, ENN, and PSO-SVR are developed to predict annual runoff time series. Subsequently, a coupling model composed of BPNN, ENN, and PSO-SVR is constructed by means of a multi-model information fusion taking three hydrological years (i.e., wet year, normal year, dry year) into consideration. Finally, according to residual error correction, a modified coupling forecasting model is introduced so as to further improve the accuracy of the predicted annual runoff time series in the verification period.
Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from Florida
Authors: Borisova Tatiana , Cutillo Matthew , Beggs Kate , Hoenstine Krystle
Published: July 2020

This paper examines the capital costs for alternative water supply projects in Florida, the third most populous state in the United States. The increasing scarcity of fresh groundwater in Florida has led to investments in alternative water supply sources, including brackish groundwater, surface water capture and storage, reclaimed water, and stormwater. Expenditures to meet the growing water demand for the 20-year planning horizon are estimated using water demand projections and existing supply estimates from Florida’s five water management districts. In the regions where demand projections exceed the existing supply, the districts are required to identify project options to meet the growing water demand while protecting the natural systems. This study uses the database of 645 projects implemented in the past or considered for the future. The Ordinary Least Squares regression model shows that project implementation costs depend on project capacity, type, implementation status, and implementation region. Given the most common project types and project sizes, the total investments to meet the state’s future water demand could reach almost $2 billion in the next 20 years. The expenditures necessitate more cost-effective options (such as expanding stormwater use and water conservation).
Parameter Identification and State Estimation of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles with Vibration and Temperature Dynamics
Authors: Omariba Zachary Bosire , Zhang Lijun , Kang Hanwen , Sun Dongbai
Published: July 2020

There are different types of rechargeable batteries, but lithium-ion battery has proven to be superior due to its features including small size, more volumetric energy density, longer life, and low maintenance. However, lithium-ion batteries face safety issues as one of the common challenges in their development, necessitating research in this area. For the safe operation of lithium-ion batteries, state estimation is very significant and battery parameter identification is the core in battery state estimation. The battery management system for electric vehicle application must perform a few estimation tasks in real-time. Battery state estimation is defined by the battery model adopted and its accuracy impacts the accuracy of state estimation. The knowledge of the actual operating conditions of electric vehicles requires the application of an accurate battery model; for our research, we adopted the use of the dual extended Kalman filter and it demonstrated that it yields more accurate and robust state estimation results. Since no single battery model can satisfy all the requirements of battery estimation and parameter identification, the hybridization of battery models together with the introduction of internal sensors to batteries to measure battery internal reactions is very essential. Similarly, since the current battery models rarely consider the coupling effect of vibration and temperature dynamics on model parameters during state estimation, this research goal is to identify the battery parameters and then present the effect of the vibration and temperature dynamics in battery state estimation.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor and Oxygen Biology in the Kidney
Authors: Sugahara Mai , Tanaka Tetsuhiro , Nangaku Masaomi
Published: July 2020

Kidney tissue hypoxia is detected in various kidney diseases and is considered to play an important role in the pathophysiology of both AKI and CKD. Because of the characteristic vascular architecture and high energy demand to drive tubular solute transport, the renal medulla is especially prone to hypoxia. Injured kidneys often present capillary rarefaction, inflammation, and fibrosis, which contribute to sustained kidney hypoxia, forming a vicious cycle promoting progressive CKD. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a transcription factor responsible for cellular adaptation to hypoxia, is generally considered to protect against AKI. On the contrary, consequences of sustained HIF activation in CKD may be either protective, neutral, or detrimental. The kidney outcomes seem to be affected by various factors, such as cell types in which HIF is activated/inhibited, disease models, balance between two HIF isoforms, and time and methods of intervention. This suggests multifaceted functions of HIF and highlights the importance of understanding its role within each specific context. Prolyl-hydroxylase domain (PHD) inhibitors, which act as HIF stabilizers, have been developed to treat anemia of CKD. Although many preclinical studies demonstrated renoprotective effects of PHD inhibitors in CKD models, there may be some situations in which they lead to deleterious effects. Further studies are needed to identify patients who would gain additional benefits from PHD inhibitors and those who may need to avoid them.
Diabetic wound infection: A review on microbial population and infection control
Authors: Rozman Nur Amiera Syuhada , Tong Woei Yenn , Leong Chean Ring , Tan Wen-Nee , Ab Rashid Syarifah
Published: July 2020

A diabetic foot ulcer is one of the major complications of diabetes and it leads to lower extremity amputation in patients. This review explores the current research on microbial populations on diabetic wounds, and also treatment alternatives to combat the infection on chronic diabetic wounds. The microbial communities exist in diabetic wound infection are diverse. Microbes rarely survived in single species of planktonic cells. They usually exist in a complex polymicrobial biofilm population which consists of different types of microorganisms. Furthermore, the development of bacterial biofilm on the wound that usually consists of multidrug-resistant pathogens also delayed the wound healing. To overcome this problem, many types of modern wound dressing were developed including hydrocolloid, hydrogel, alginate and collagen wound dressing. Besides, modern biotechnological advancements such as cell therapy, bioengineered skin, dermal scaffolds, tissue-engineered artificial skin and growth factors were also employed to promote the recovery of the wound. In conclusion, diabetes mellitus is a major health care challenge worldwide. Diabetic patients are at risk for developing foot ulcer which ultimately leads to amputation; hence a safe and effective alternative treatment is required to improve diabetic patients’ quality life.
Devenir-bruja. El afecto de una manada
Authors: Andrews Barraza Macarena
Published: July 2020

El presente artículo explora la reunión de mujeres denominada aquelarre o Sabbath en el marco de la Cacería de Brujas en Escocia (1563-1736), a través de la obra La Tragedia de Macbeth (1606) de William Shakespeare. Propone articular políticamente la figura de la mujer/bruja y revelar su impacto en el tiempo histórico de los hombres que por medio de la guerra buscan la obtención de poder. A partir de la noción de “devenir”, propuesta por Deleuze y Guattari, es posible proponer un devenir-bruja, resistente a la construcción de la mujer como “otro”; a su vez, revelar un afecto que incorpore el carácter “maléfico” como agenciamiento del poder de la manada de mujeres. Al revindicar al aquelarre como “cahuín”, bajo la lectura de Menard en la sociedad mapuche, los vínculos existentes entre las mujeres/brujas durante la reunión posibilitan la práctica de una producción de memoria de la venganza que es impulsada por los cuerpos espectrales de las mujeres que fueron quemadas en la hoguera. Las mujeres perseguidas durante la cacería escocesa, al devenir-bruja, propagan un misterio empapado de sexualidad que encuentra su contraparte en el ministerio que legaliza la práctica de la violencia sobre sus cuerpos.