bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Fiber-Optic Ring Acoustic Emission Sensor
Authors: Wei Peng , Han Xiaole , Xia Dong , Liu Taolin , Lang Hao
Published: January 2018

Acoustic emission technology has been applied to many fields for many years. However, the conventional piezoelectric acoustic emission sensors cannot be used in extreme environments, such as those with heavy electromagnetic interference, high pressure, or strong corrosion. In this paper, a novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor is proposed. The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, anti-electromagnetic interference, and corrosion resistance. First, the principle of a novel fiber-optic ring sensor is introduced. Different from piezoelectric and other fiber acoustic emission sensors, this novel sensor includes both a sensing skeleton and a sensing fiber. Second, a heterodyne interferometric demodulating method is presented. In addition, a fiber-optic ring sensor acoustic emission system is built based on this method. Finally, fiber-optic ring acoustic emission experiments are performed. The novel fiber-optic ring sensor is glued onto the surface of an aluminum plate. The 150 kHz standard continuous sinusoidal signals and broken lead signals are successfully detected by the novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor. In addition, comparison to the piezoelectric acoustic emission sensor is performed, which shows the availability and reliability of the novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor. In the future, this novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor will provide a new route to acoustic emission detection in harsh environments.
AuNPs Hybrid Black ZnO Nanorods Made by a Sol-Gel Method for Highly Sensitive Humidity Sensing
Authors: Zhang Hongyan , Zhang Min , Lin Cunchong , Zhang Jun
Published: January 2018

A highly sensitive self-powered humidity sensor has been realized from AuNPs hybrid black zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods prepared through a sol-gel method. XRD pattern reveals that both ZnO and ZnO/AuNPs exhibit a wurtzite structure. ZnO/AuNPs nanorods grow in a vertical alignment, which possesses high uniformity and forms dense arrays with a smaller diameter than that of ZnO nanoparticles. All ZnO/AuNPs and pure black ZnO show lower band gap energy than the typically reported 3.34 eV of pure ZnO. Furthermore, the band gap of ZnO/AuNPs nanocomposites is effectively influenced by the amount of AuNPs. The humidity sensing tests clearly prove that all the ZnO/AuNPs humidity sensors exhibit much higher response than that of ZnO sensors, and the sensitivity of such ZnO/AuNPs nanorods (6 mL AuNPs) display a change three orders higher than that of pure ZnO with relative humidity (RH) ranging from 11% to 95% at room temperature. The response and recovery time of the ZnO/AuNPs are 5.6 s and 32.4 s, respectively. This study of the construction of semiconductor/noble metal sensors provides a rational way to control the morphology of semiconductor nanomaterials and to design a humidity sensor with high performance.
Improved Coarray Interpolation Algorithms with Additional Orthogonal Constraint for Cyclostationary Signals
Authors: Song Jinyang , Shen Feng
Published: January 2018

Many modulated signals exhibit a cyclostationarity property, which can be exploited in direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation to effectively eliminate interference and noise. In this paper, our aim is to integrate the cyclostationarity with the spatial domain and enable the algorithm to estimate more sources than sensors. However, DOA estimation with a sparse array is performed in the coarray domain and the holes within the coarray limit the usage of the complete coarray information. In order to use the complete coarray information to increase the degrees-of-freedom (DOFs), sparsity-aware-based methods and the difference coarray interpolation methods have been proposed. In this paper, the coarray interpolation technique is further explored with cyclostationary signals. Besides the difference coarray model and its corresponding Toeplitz completion formulation, we build up a sum coarray model and formulate a Hankel completion problem. In order to further improve the performance of the structured matrix completion, we define the spatial spectrum sampling operations and the derivative (conjugate) correlation subspaces, which can be exploited to construct orthogonal constraints for the autocorrelation vectors in the coarray interpolation problem. Prior knowledge of the source interval can also be incorporated into the problem. Simulation results demonstrate that the additional constraints contribute to a remarkable performance improvement.
Envelope Correction of Micro-Motion Targets in the Terahertz ISAR Imaging
Authors: Yang Qi , Deng Bin , Wang Hongqiang , Qin Yuliang , Zhang Ye
Published: January 2018

Motion compensation is a crucial step to inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging, and envelope correction is the foundation of motion compensation. Research on envelope correction based on the small-angle imaging model has matured after years of development. However, the small-angle imaging model is not applicable to parameter estimation and imaging of micro-motion targets. According to the characteristics of the micro-motion targets and the superiorities of terahertz imaging radar, an envelope correction method for micro-motion targets in the terahertz region was proposed in this paper, including the jump error correction based on periodic correction and drift error compensation based on nonlinear fitting. Then a 330 GHz imaging radar and two experiments on corner reflectors and a warhead model were introduced. The validity of the method was verified by the experimental results, and the performance of the method was proved by the inverse Radon transform of the range profile sequences.
A Novel Adaptive Modulation Based on Nondata-Aided Error Vector Magnitude in Non-Line-Of-Sight Condition of Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Yang Fan , Zeng Xiaoping , Mao Haiwei , Jian Xin , Tan Xiaoheng , Du Derong
Published: January 2018

The high demand for multimedia applications in environmental monitoring, invasion detection, and disaster aid has led to the rise of wireless sensor network (WSN). With the increase of reliability and diversity of information streams, the higher requirements on throughput and quality of service (QoS) have been put forward in data transmission between two sensor nodes. However, lower spectral efficiency becomes a bottleneck in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) transmission of WSN. This paper proposes a novel nondata-aided error vector magnitude based adaptive modulation (NDA-EVM-AM) to solve the problem. NDA-EVM is considered as a new metric to evaluate the quality of NLOS link for adaptive modulation in WSN. By modeling the NLOS scenario as the η − μ fading channel, a closed-form expression for the NDA-EVM of multilevel quadrature amplitude modulation (MQAM) signals over the η − μ fading channel is derived, and the relationship between SER and NDA-EVM is also formulated. Based on these results, NDA-EVM state machine is designed for adaptation strategy. The algorithmic complexity of NDA-EVM-AM is analyzed and the outage capacity of NDA-EVM-AM in an NLOS scenario is also given. The performances of NDA-EVM-AM are compared by simulation, and the results show that NDA-EVM-AM is an effective technique to be used in the NLOS scenarios of WSN. This technique can accurately reflect the channel variations and efficiently adjust modulation order to better match the channel conditions, hence, obtaining better performance in average spectral efficiency.
Walking Distance Estimation Using Walking Canes with Inertial Sensors
Authors: Dang Duc , Suh Young
Published: January 2018

A walking distance estimation algorithm for cane users is proposed using an inertial sensor unit attached to various positions on the cane. A standard inertial navigation algorithm using an indirect Kalman filter was applied to update the velocity and position of the cane during movement. For quadripod canes, a standard zero-velocity measurement-updating method is proposed. For standard canes, a velocity-updating method based on an inverted pendulum model is proposed. The proposed algorithms were verified by three walking experiments with two different types of canes and different positions of the sensor module.
Electrical Design and Evaluation of Asynchronous Serial Bus Communication Network of 48 Sensor Platform LSIs with Single-Ended I/O for Integrated MEMS-LSI Sensors
Authors: Shao Chenzhong , Tanaka Shuji , Nakayama Takahiro , Hata Yoshiyuki , Muroyama Masanori
Published: January 2018

For installing many sensors in a limited space with a limited computing resource, the digitization of the sensor output at the site of sensation has advantages such as a small amount of wiring, low signal interference and high scalability. For this purpose, we have developed a dedicated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Large-Scale Integration (LSI) (referred to as “sensor platform LSI”) for bus-networked Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS)-LSI integrated sensors. In this LSI, collision avoidance, adaptation and event-driven functions are simply implemented to relieve data collision and congestion in asynchronous serial bus communication. In this study, we developed a network system with 48 sensor platform LSIs based on Printed Circuit Board (PCB) in a backbone bus topology with the bus length being 2.4 m. We evaluated the serial communication performance when 48 LSIs operated simultaneously with the adaptation function. The number of data packets received from each LSI was almost identical, and the average sampling frequency of 384 capacitance channels (eight for each LSI) was 73.66 Hz.
An Enhanced Method to Estimate Heart Rate from Seismocardiography via Ensemble Averaging of Body Movements at Six Degrees of Freedom
Authors: Lee Hyunwoo , Lee Hana , Whang Mincheol
Published: January 2018

Continuous cardiac monitoring has been developed to evaluate cardiac activity outside of clinical environments due to the advancement of novel instruments. Seismocardiography (SCG) is one of the vital components that could develop such a monitoring system. Although SCG has been presented with a lower accuracy, this novel cardiac indicator has been steadily proposed over traditional methods such as electrocardiography (ECG). Thus, it is necessary to develop an enhanced method by combining the significant cardiac indicators. In this study, the six-axis signals of accelerometer and gyroscope were measured and integrated by the L2 normalization and multi-dimensional kineticardiography (MKCG) approaches, respectively. The waveforms of accelerometer and gyroscope were standardized and combined via ensemble averaging, and the heart rate was calculated from the dominant frequency. Thirty participants (15 females) were asked to stand or sit in relaxed and aroused conditions. Their SCG was measured during the task. As a result, proposed method showed higher accuracy than traditional SCG methods in all measurement conditions. The three main contributions are as follows: (1) the ensemble averaging enhanced heart rate estimation with the benefits of the six-axis signals; (2) the proposed method was compared with the previous SCG method that employs fewer-axis; and (3) the method was tested in various measurement conditions for a more practical application.
Fabrication of a Textile-Based Wearable Blood Leakage Sensor Using Screen-Offset Printing
Authors: Nomura Ken-ichi , Horii Yoshinori , Kanazawa Shusuke , Kusaka Yasuyuki , Ushijima Hirobumi
Published: January 2018

We fabricate a wearable blood leakage sensor on a cotton textile by combining two newly developed techniques. First, we employ a screen-offset printing technique that avoids blurring, short circuiting between adjacent conductive patterns, and electrode fracturing to form an interdigitated electrode structure for the sensor on a textile. Furthermore, we develop a scheme to distinguish blood from other substances by utilizing the specific dielectric dispersion of blood observed in the sub-megahertz frequency range. The sensor can detect blood volumes as low as 15 μL, which is significantly lower than those of commercially available products (which can detect approximately 1 mL of blood) and comparable to a recently reported value of approximately 10 μL. In this study, we merge two technologies to develop a more practical skin-friendly sensor that can be applied for safe, stress-free blood leakage monitoring during hemodialysis.
Electrochemical Characterization of a Polymer Inclusion Membrane Made of Cellulose Triacetate and Aliquat 336 and Its Application to Sulfonamides Separation
Authors: Benavente Juana , Romero Virginia , Vázquez María , Anticó Enriqueta , Fontàs Clàudia
Published: January 2018

An electrochemical characterization of a polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) fabricated with the ionic liquid (IL) Aliquat 336 (26%) and the polymer cellulose triacetate (CTA) (76%) is presented. Considering the use of PIMs in separation systems to remove pollutants from water, the characterization was performed with NaCl solutions by measuring membrane potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and salt diffusion and results were compared with those obtained from dry membranes. Results showed a significant reduction in the membrane diffusive permeability and electrical conductivity as well as the transport number of cation Na+ across the PIM when compared with solution values, which could be mainly related to the dense character of the membrane. Membrane application in the separation of different sulfonamides (sulfathiazole, sulfapyridine, sulfamethazine, and sulfamethoxazole) from water, with 1 M NaCl solution as striping phase, was also considered. These results indicated that the different chemical characteristics of the compounds, as well as the compact structure of the PIM, limited the transport of the organic molecules though it.
Sustainable Collaborative Governance in Supply Chain
Authors: Wang Jiguang , Ran Bing
Published: January 2018

Collaborative governance plays a critical role in guiding the whole supply chain to achieve its strategic goals. Today’s tremendously changing and competitive business environment imposes a significant challenge for firms to sustain a balance between their self-interest and the required interdependency existed among them within a supply chain. Built upon the extensive literature on the supply chain management, this paper theorizes and proposes a Sustainable Collaborative Governance Framework detailing adaptive decision-making and action mechanisms throughout supply chain lifecycle that will enable the whole supply chain proactively and resiliently respond to uncertainties or perturbations without undergoing significant changes to firms’ normal operations. The framework extends the understanding and practice of the sustainable supply chain management by focusing on its dynamic, elastic, holistic, uncertainty-handling and future-oriented characteristics.
Development of Perennial Grain Sorghum
Authors: Cox Stan , Nabukalu Pheonah , Paterson Andrew , Kong Wenqian , Nakasagga Shakirah
Published: January 2018

Perennial germplasm derived from crosses between Sorghum bicolor and either S. halepense or S. propinquum is being developed with the goal of preventing and reversing soil degradation in the world’s grain sorghum-growing regions. Perennial grain sorghum plants produce subterranean stems known as rhizomes that sprout to form the next season’s crop. In Kansas, breeding perennial sorghum involves crossing S. bicolor cultivars or breeding lines to S. halepense or perennial S. bicolorn × S. halepense breeding lines, selecting perennial plants from F2 or subsequent populations, crossing those plants with S. bicolor, and repeating the cycle. A retrospective field trial in Kansas showed that selection and backcrossing during 2002–2009 had improved grain yields and seed weights of breeding lines. Second-season grain yields of sorghum lines regrowing from rhizomes were similar to yields in the first season. Further selection cycles have been completed since 2009. Many rhizomatous lines that cannot survive winters in Kansas are perennial at subtropical or tropical locations in North America and Africa. Grain yield in Kansas was not correlated with rhizomatousness in either Kansas or Uganda. Genomic regions affecting rhizome growth and development have been mapped, providing new breeding tools. The S. halepense gene pool may harbor many alleles useful for improving sorghum for a broad range of traits in addition to perenniality.
Impact of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change on Meteorology in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region from 1990 to 2010
Authors: Li Jiayang , Zheng Xinqi , Zhang Chunxiao , Chen Youmin
Published: January 2018

Land use and land cover (LULC) in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region has changed significantly since 1990. To comprehensively understand its impact on meteorology, this paper uses an LULC transfer matrix to discuss changes 10 years before the millennium (BM) and 10 years after the millennium (AM). The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is used to simulate air temperature, precipitation, and wind speed in January and July using 1990, 2000, and 2010 LULC data. The temperature increase in the AM period (0.118 °C) was greater than that in the BM period (0.042 °C) and increased by 0.36 °C in response to the transformation from croplands to urban and built-up lands (UBL). The change in precipitation showed an obvious seasonal difference, where the trend decreased in winter and increased in summer. There was a small band of precipitation change that extended from Beijing to Shijiazhuang. The wind speed at 10 m decreased by 0.04 m/s in winter and 0.017 m/s in summer. Simultaneously, the impact on meteorology from different classification transformations was quantified. The region where land was transformed into UBL had the largest reduction in wind speed, and was later transformed into woodlands. A comprehensive discussion on the impact of LULC changes on climate should support the future development of more environmentally compatible and sustainable land planning.
Incorporating Road User Costs into Integrated Life-Cycle Cost Analyses for Infrastructure Sustainability: A Case Study on Sr-91 Corridor Improvement Project (Ca)
Authors: Lee Eul-Bum , Thomas David , Alleman Douglas
Published: January 2018

Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a decision-making tool that allows governing agencies the ability to assess several long-term alternative investment options. This paper presents a LCCA analysis process which integrates the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) program, RealCost (a road user cost calculation program), the FHWA-endorsed Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies (CA4PRS) and Caltrans specific design tools (CalFP and CalAC), into the existing Caltrans LCCA process (a modified version of the FHWA LCCA process). In using tools backed by the FHWA and validated through previous agency use, the presented process has a potential to be replicated on urban corridor improvement projects across the US while aiding agencies in achieving economical sustainability throughout the infrastructure maintenance phases. This paper also fills the gap identified by Ozbay et al. in 2004, incorporating road user cost calculations into the LCCA process. Validation was achieved through the execution of the recently completed $1.4 B US California SR-91 Corridor Improvement Project. The SR-91 team used the presented tool to choose one of the two alternatives (maintain HOV SR-91 lane and add I-15 HOV lane using long-life Portland Cement Concrete Pavement or add Express Lane to SR-91 and I-15 using long-life Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement and Asphalt Concrete Pavement), equating to an estimated life-cost savings of $32 M.
The Sustainable Seafood Movement Is a Governance Concert, with the Audience Playing a Key Role
Authors: Barclay Kate , Miller Alice
Published: January 2018

Private standards, including ecolabels, have been posed as a governance solution for the global fisheries crisis. The conventional logic is that ecolabels meet consumer demand for certified “sustainable” seafood, with “good” players rewarded with price premiums or market share and “bad” players punished by reduced sales. Empirically, however, in the markets where ecolabeling has taken hold, retailers and brands—rather than consumers—are demanding sustainable sourcing, to build and protect their reputation. The aim of this paper is to devise a more accurate logic for understanding the sustainable seafood movement, using a qualitative literature review and reflection on our previous research. We find that replacing the consumer-driven logic with a retailer/brand-driven logic does not go far enough in making research into the sustainable seafood movement more useful. Governance is a “concert” and cannot be adequately explained through individual actor groups. We propose a new logic going beyond consumer- or retailer/brand-driven models, and call on researchers to build on the partial pictures given by studies on prices and willingness-to-pay, investigating more fully the motivations of actors in the sustainable seafood movement, and considering audience beyond the direct consumption of the product in question.
An Algorithm for Modelling the Impact of the Judicial Conflict-Resolution Process on Construction Investment
Authors: Bugajev Andrej , Šostak Olga
Published: January 2018

In this article, the modelling of the judicial conflict-resolution process is considered from a construction investor’s point of view. Such modelling is important for improving the risk management for construction investors and supporting sustainable city development by supporting the development of rules regulating the construction process. Thus, this raises the problem of evaluation of different decisions and selection of the optimal one followed by distribution extraction. First, the example of such a process is analysed and schematically represented. Then, it is formalised as a graph, which is described in the form of a decision graph with cycles. We use some natural problem properties and provide the algorithm to convert this graph into a tree. Then, we propose the algorithm to evaluate profits for different scenarios with estimation of time, which is done by integration of an average daily costs function. Afterwards, the optimisation problem is solved and the optimal investor strategy is obtained—this allows one to extract the construction project profit distribution, which can be used for further analysis by standard risk (and other important information)-evaluation techniques. The overall algorithm complexity is analysed, the computational experiment is performed and conclusions are formulated.
Rice Pricing during Organic Conversion of the Honghe Hani Rice Terrace System in China
Authors: Liu Moucheng , Min Qingwen , Yang Lun
Published: January 2018

In 2002, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization initiated the Globally Important Agriculture Heritage Systems conservation program. Agricultural organic certification, based on traditional environmentally friendly technology, increases farmer income and encourages traditional agricultural heritage. However, during the organic conversion period, farmer income cannot be guaranteed; this period is also a bottleneck for heritage conservation via organic certification. Based on experiences at the Honghe Hani rice terrace system in Yunnan, China, we calculated and compared inputs and outputs of traditional and modern systems during organic conversion and developed a calculation method for determining opportunity costs of agricultural production. We found that the stability of farmer income during conversion can be guaranteed by setting the protective purchasing price at 6.93 CNY/kg, thereby achieving the goal of dynamic conservation of agricultural heritage systems.
Estimating Forest Carbon Fluxes Using Machine Learning Techniques Based on Eddy Covariance Measurements
Authors: Dou Xianming , Yang Yongguo , Luo Jinhui
Published: January 2018

Approximating the complex nonlinear relationships that dominate the exchange of carbon dioxide fluxes between the biosphere and atmosphere is fundamentally important for addressing the issue of climate change. The progress of machine learning techniques has offered a number of useful tools for the scientific community aiming to gain new insights into the temporal and spatial variation of different carbon fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and generalized regression neural network (GRNN) models were developed to predict the daily carbon fluxes in three boreal forest ecosystems based on eddy covariance (EC) measurements. Moreover, a comparison was made between the modeled values derived from these models and those of traditional artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) models. These models were also compared with multiple linear regression (MLR). Several statistical indicators, including coefficient of determination (R2), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), bias error (Bias) and root mean square error (RMSE) were utilized to evaluate the performance of the applied models. The results showed that the developed machine learning models were able to account for the most variance in the carbon fluxes at both daily and hourly time scales in the three stands and they consistently and substantially outperformed the MLR model for both daily and hourly carbon flux estimates. It was demonstrated that the ANFIS and ANN models provided similar estimates in the testing period with an approximate value of R2 = 0.93, NSE = 0.91, Bias = 0.11 g C m−2 day−1 and RMSE = 1.04 g C m−2 day−1 for daily gross primary productivity, 0.94, 0.82, 0.24 g C m−2 day−1 and 0.72 g C m−2 day−1 for daily ecosystem respiration, and 0.79, 0.75, 0.14 g C m−2 day−1 and 0.89 g C m−2 day−1 for daily net ecosystem exchange, and slightly outperformed the GRNN and SVM models. In practical terms, however, the newly developed models (ANFIS and GRNN) are more robust and flexible, and have less parameters needed for selection and optimization in comparison with traditional ANN and SVM models. Consequently, they can be used as valuable tools to estimate forest carbon fluxes and fill the missing carbon flux data during the long-term EC measurements.
Dynamic Gesture Recognition Using a Smart Glove in Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery
Authors: Santos Lidia , Carbonaro Nicola , Tognetti Alessandro , González José , De la Fuente Eusebio , Fraile Juan , Pérez-Turiel Javier
Published: January 2018

This paper presents a methodology for movement recognition in hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery using a textile-based sensing glove. The aim is to recognize the commands given by the surgeon’s hand inside the patient’s abdominal cavity in order to guide a collaborative robot. The glove, which incorporates piezoresistive sensors, continuously captures the degree of flexion of the surgeon’s fingers. These data are analyzed throughout the surgical operation using an algorithm that detects and recognizes some defined movements as commands for the collaborative robot. However, hand movement recognition is not an easy task, because of the high variability in the motion patterns of different people and situations. The data detected by the sensing glove are analyzed using the following methodology. First, the patterns of the different selected movements are defined. Then, the parameters of the movements for each person are extracted. The parameters concerning bending speed and execution time of the movements are modeled in a prephase, in which all of the necessary information is extracted for subsequent detection during the execution of the motion. The results obtained with 10 different volunteers show a high degree of precision and recall.
Molecular and Physiological Effects on the Small Intestine of Weaner Pigs Following Feeding with Deoxynivalenol-Contaminated Feed
Authors: Pasternak J. , Aiyer Vaishnavi , Hamonic Glenn , Beaulieu A. , Columbus Daniel , Wilson Heather
Published: January 2018

We intended to assess how exposure of piglets to deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated feed impacted their growth, immune response and gut development. Piglets were fed traditional Phase I, Phase II and Phase III diets with the control group receiving 0.20–0.40 ppm DON (referred to as the Control group) and treatment group receiving much higher level of DON-contaminated wheat (3.30–3.80 ppm; referred to as DON-contaminated group). Feeding a DON-contaminated diet had no impact on average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p < 0.08) or average daily gain (ADG) (p > 0.10) but it did significantly reduce body weight over time relative to the control piglets (p < 0.05). Cytokine analysis after initial exposure to the DON-contaminated feed did not result in significant differences in serum interleukin (IL) IL1β, IL-8, IL-13, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α or interferon (IFN)-γ. After day 24, no obvious changes in jejunum or ileum gut morphology, histology or changes in gene expression for IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNFα, or Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 genes. IL-8 showed a trend towards increased expression in the ileum in DON-fed piglets. A significant increase in gene expression for claudin (CLDN) 7 gene expression and a trend towards increased CLDN 2-expression was observed in the ileum in piglets fed the highly DON-contaminated wheat. Because CLDN localization was not negatively affected, we believe that it is unlikely that gut permeability was affected. Exposure to DON-contaminated feed did not significantly impact weaner piglet performance or gut physiology.
Metagenomic Virome Analysis of Culex Mosquitoes from Kenya and China
Authors: Atoni Evans , Wang Yujuan , Karungu Samuel , Waruhiu Cecilia , Zohaib Ali , Obanda Vincent , Agwanda Bernard , Mutua Morris , Xia Han , Yuan Zhiming
Published: January 2018

Many blood-feeding arthropods are known vectors of viruses that are a source of unprecedented global health concern. Mosquitoes are an integral part of these arthropod vectors. Advancements in next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics has expanded our knowledge on the richness of viruses harbored by arthropods. In the present study, we applied a metagenomic approach to determine the intercontinental virome diversity of Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex tritaeniorhynchus in Kwale, Kenya and provinces of Hubei and Yunnan in China. Our results showed that viromes from the three locations were strikingly diverse and comprised 30 virus families specific to vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and protozoa as well as unclassified group of viruses. Though sampled at different times, both Kwale and Hubei mosquito viromes were dominated by vertebrate viruses, in contrast to the Yunnan mosquito virome, which was dominated by insect-specific viruses. However, each virome was unique in terms of virus proportions partly influenced by type of ingested meals (blood, nectar, plant sap, environment substrates). The dominant vertebrate virus family in the Kwale virome was Papillomaviridae (57%) while in Hubei it was Herpesviridae (30%) and the Yunnan virome was dominated by an unclassified viruses group (27%). Given that insect-specific viruses occur naturally in their hosts, they should be the basis for defining the viromes. Hence, the dominant insect-specific viruses in Kwale, Hubei, and Yunnan were Baculoviridae, Nimaviridae and Iflaviridae, respectively. Our study is preliminary but contributes to growing and much needed knowledge, as mosquito viromes could be manipulated to prevent and control pathogenic arboviruses.
Basin Irrigation Design with Multi-Criteria Analysis Focusing on Water Saving and Economic Returns: Application to Wheat in Hetao, Yellow River Basin
Authors: Miao Qingfeng , Shi Haibin , Gonçalves José , Pereira Luis
Published: January 2018

The sustainability of the Hetao Irrigation System, located in the water scarce upper Yellow River basin, is a priority considering the need for water saving, increased water productivity, and higher farmers’ incomes. The upgrading of basin irrigation, the main irrigation method, is essential and includes the adoption of precise land levelling, cut-off management, improved water distribution uniformity, and adequate irrigation scheduling. With this objective, the current study focuses on upgrading wheat basin irrigation through improved design using a decision support system (DSS) model, which considers land parcels characteristics, crop irrigation scheduling, soil infiltration, hydraulic simulation, and environmental and economic impacts. Its use includes outlining water saving scenarios and ranking alternative designs through multi-criteria analysis considering the priorities of stakeholders. The best alternatives concern flat level basins with a 100 and 200 m length and inflow rates between 2 and 4 L s−1 m−1. The total irrigation cost of designed projects, including the cost of the autumn irrigation, varies between 2400 and 3300 Yuan ha−1; the major cost component is land levelling, corresponding to 33–46% of total irrigation costs. The economic land productivity is about 18,000 Yuan ha−1. The DSS modelling defined guidelines to be applied by an extension service aimed at implementing better performing irrigation practices, and encouraged a good interaction between farmers and the Water Users Association, thus making easier the implementation of appropriate irrigation management programs.
Modified Principal Component Analysis for Identifying Key Environmental Indicators and Application to a Large-Scale Tidal Flat Reclamation
Authors: Chu Kejian , Liu Wenjuan , She Yuntong , Hua Zulin , Tan Min , Liu Xiaodong , Gu Li , Jia Yongzhi
Published: January 2018

Identification of the key environmental indicators (KEIs) from a large number of environmental variables is important for environmental management in tidal flat reclamation areas. In this study, a modified principal component analysis approach (MPCA) has been developed for determining the KEIs. The MPCA accounts for the two important attributes of the environmental variables: pollution status and temporal variation, in addition to the commonly considered numerical divergence attribute. It also incorporates the distance correlation (dCor) to replace the Pearson’s correlation to measure the nonlinear interrelationship between the variables. The proposed method was applied to the Tiaozini sand shoal, a large-scale tidal flat reclamation region in China. Five KEIs were identified as dissolved inorganic nitrogen, Cd, petroleum in the water column, Hg, and total organic carbon in the sediment. The identified KEIs were shown to respond well to the biodiversity of phytoplankton. This demonstrated that the identified KEIs adequately represent the environmental condition in the coastal marine system. Therefore, the MPCA is a practicable method for extracting effective indicators that have key roles in the coastal and marine environment.
Effect of Climate Change on Reliability of Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Kabarole District, Uganda
Authors: Kisakye Violet , Akurut Mary , Van der Bruggen Bart
Published: January 2018

This paper assesses the effect of climate change on reliability of rainwater harvesting systems for Kabarole district, Uganda, as predicted by 6 best performing global circulation models (GCMs). A daily water balance model was used to simulate the performance of a rainwater harvesting system using historical daily rainfall data for 20 years. The GCMs used to generate daily rainfall projections for 2025–2055 and 2060–2090 periods included; ACCESS1-0, BCC-CSM-1-M, CNRM-CM5, HADGEM2-CC, HADGEM2-ES and MIROC5. Analysis was based on the Ugandan weather seasons which included March, April, May (MAM) and September, October, November (SON) rain seasons in addition to December, January, February (DJF) and June, July, August (JJA) dry seasons. While an increase in reliability is predicted for the SON season, the worst-case scenario is projected during the MAM season with a reliability reduction of over 40% for the 2055–2090 period. This corresponds to a 27% reduction in water security for the same period. The DJF season is also expected to experience reduced water security by 1–8% for 2025–2055 and 2060–2090 with a 0.5 m3 tank size. Therefore, some form of extra harvesting surface and increased tank size will be required to maintain 80% systems reliability considering climate change.
A Time-Domain Green’s Function for Interaction between Water Waves and Floating Bodies with Viscous Dissipation Effects
Authors: Guo Zhiqun , Ma Q. , Qin Hongde
Published: January 2018

A novel time-domain Green’s function is developed for dealing with two-dimensional interaction between water waves and floating bodies with considering viscous dissipation effects based on the “fairly perfect fluid” model. In the Green’s function, the temporal (lower order viscosity coefficient term) and spatial (higher order viscosity coefficient term) viscous dissipation effects are fully considered. As compared to the methods based on the existing time-domain Green’s functions that could not account for the spatial viscous dissipation, the method based on the new time-domain Green’s function can give much better numerical results and overcome instability problems related to the existing Green’s function, according to the numerical tests and comparison with CFD modeling data for a few cases related to floating bodies with a flare angle.
Rice Intensification in a Changing Environment: Impact on Water Availability in Inland Valley Landscapes in Benin
Authors: Danvi Alexandre , Giertz Simone , Zwart Sander , Diekkrüger Bernd
Published: January 2018

This study assesses the impact of climate change on hydrological processes under rice intensification in three headwater inland valley watersheds characterized by different land conditions. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to simulate the combined impacts of two land use scenarios defined as converting 25% and 75% of lowland savannah into rice cultivation, and two climate scenarios (A1B and B1) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. The simulations were performed based on the traditional and the rainfed-bunded rice cultivation systems and analyzed up to the year 2049 with a special focus on the period of 2030–2049. Compared to land use, climate change impact on hydrological processes was overwhelming at all watersheds. The watersheds with a high portion of cultivated areas are more sensitive to changes in climate resulting in a decrease of water yield of up to 50% (145 mm). Bunded fields cause a rise in surface runoff projected to be up to 28% (18 mm) in their lowlands, while processes were insignificantly affected at the vegetation dominated-watershed. Analyzing three watersheds instead of one as is usually done provides further insight into the natural variability and therefore gives more evidence of possible future processes and management strategies.
A Highland Perspective on the Archaeology and Settlement History of Sumatra
Authors: Bonatz Dominik
Published: January 2018

The first systematic archaeological research in the Highlands of Jambi in West Sumatra was pursued by a joint German-Indonesian project from 2002 to 2008. The project was attracted by the impressive megalithic remains which are known since the early 20th century. Different areas of this important cultural region were surveyed and six archaeological sites excavated in order to provide a comprehensive account of the settlement history of this region. With this multi-local and diachronic approach in mind it was possible to document developments in the settlement pattern and material culture from an early Neolithic phase in the mid of the 2nd millennium BC to modern times. Reconstructing the history of this particular highland region by means of archaeological data and additional ethnohistoric sources was not the only objective. Another purpose was to set it in relation to socioeconomic and political developments in the history of the lowlands. The results and conclusions of this highland perspective on the archaeology and history of Sumatra are summarised in this article.
A Hybrid Community in East Malaysia: The Sino-Kadazans of Sabah and their Search for Identity
Authors: Wong Tze-Ken Danny
Published: January 2018

The mass arrival of Chinese to the West Coast of Sabah in present day East Malaysia since the middle of 19th century, had brought the newly arrived community into contact with the indigenous people. This had inevitably brought about a proliferation of mixed marriages between these Chinese and the indigenous people, which resulted in the emergence of pockets of Sino-Native communities on the West Coast of Sabah. A transformation of these communities is traceable in a tussle between the adherence of Chinese culture and the adoption of native ones – where more often than not, the latter, usually the mothers’ culture, prevailed. This had eventually resulted in the emergence of a community where the names could be Chinese but little else of traces of Chineseness could be detected. In fact, by the 1930s, tussles between those who were Sino-Natives versus Chinese who lived amongst these communities culminated in the formation of the Society of Kadazan in 1952. The Society advocated for the rights of this new community and saw themselves as defenders of the native rights vis-à-vis what was perceived to be the encroachments of the Chinese on their rights. Yet, just a couple of generations ago, these communities were created through the intermarriages between the Chinese and the natives. The paper will trace the evolution of the Sino-Kadazan community in Sabah with the aim of answering questions relating to the choice of their identity and cultural practices. This paper will attempt to answer how the Sino-Kadazans maneuvered their ways in the 1950s and 1960s in the face of the emergence of indigenous nationalism and the immediate post-independence years. Finally, this paper will attempt to position this community vis-à-vis the Chinese in Sabah.
Monde insulindien et péninsule indochinoise : un panorama de contacts millénaires
Authors: Perret Daniel , Wong Tze-Ken Danny
Published: January 2018

Les relations historiques entre différentes régions d’Asie du Sud-Est restent une approche encore largement sous-étudiée, surtout lorsqu’il s’agit d’examiner ces relations sur la longue durée. Malgré des avancées notables depuis une trentaine d’années, l’histoire des relations entre le monde insulindien et la péninsule indochinoise, deux aires qui vues globalement ont emprunté des chemins divergents sur les plans linguistique, religieux et politique notamment, n’échappe pas à ce constat. Afin de stimuler ces recherches, ce panorama diachronique présente, à partir de données les plus récentes, plusieurs jalons couvrant quelque 13 000 ans de contacts possibles ou avérés depuis le «phénomène hoabinhien » jusqu’aux principaux phénomènes migratoires observables aujourd’hui. Jusqu’au VIIe siècle EC, les données encore très fragmentaires ne permettent pas pour l’instant d’aller au-delà de la mise en lumière d’espaces et de réseaux caractérisés par des traits communs. Ensuite, progressivement la multiplication des événements, toponymes et personnages connus permet de mieux préciser ces relations et d’envisager des approches thématiques multiples allant de la culture matérielle jusqu’à la circulation des idées.
The Cham Arrivals in Malaysia: Distant Memories and Rekindled Links
Authors: Wong Tze-Ken Danny
Published: January 2018

When Phnom Penh and Saigon fell in 1975, throngs of refugees fled Cambodia and Vietnam in the face of incoming Communist regimes in the two countries. Malaysia became a destination for many of them. However, Malaysia’s position in relations to the Indochinese refugees was clear, namely, they were to be processed and to be resettled to a third country. In spite of this, until 1985, some ten thousand among them were allowed to settle. They were Muslims or practitioners of the Islamic faith, ethnically known as Chams or Islam Kemboja. This paper sets out to investigate the reasons behind the Malaysian Government’s decision to accept these refugees and the reasons the Chams chose Malaysia. Apart from the common adherence to Islam as the main reason behind both decisions, this paper also argues that old links, both religious and political, were strongly imprinted in the minds of the Chams so much so that when Cambodia and Vietnam fell to the Communists, it was Kelantan and the Malay Peninsula that the Chams had chosen to settle in. For the first time, first-hand information from the personal papers of Mubin Sheppard, at the time Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Muslim Welfare Organisation, was consulted to write this paper.
La principauté de Daya, mi-XVe-mi-XVIe siècle [Épigraphie islamique d’Aceh 6]
Authors: Kalus Ludvik , Guillot Claude
Published: January 2018

Cet îlot de tombes à Daya (ou Lamno) est assez remarquable par le nombre et la qualité des personnages qui y sont enterrés. On y trouve en effet la sépulture du sultan ʻ Alâ ʼ al-dîn, fils de ʻ Inâyat shâh, premier prince musulman de Daya, mais surtout celle de sa fille Dame Hûr. Mariée au sultan d’Aceh, ʻ Alî Mughâyat shâh, elle est devenue la mère du sultan Salâh al-dîn renversé par son frère ʻ Alâ ʼ al-dîn Ri ʼ âyat shâh, celui qui a fait Aceh.
Om Swasty-Alaikum… Interpreting Religio-Ethnic Humor on the Balinese Stage
Authors: Fox Richard
Published: January 2018

Om swasty-Alaikum… Interpréter l’humour religio-ethnique sur la scène balinaise.

Cet article examine l’humour religio-ethnique sur l’île indonésienne de Bali, avec un accent particulier sur la transformation du théâtre improvisé en arène de commentaire social et politique. L’analyse est centrée sur le personnage d’un ‘ bouffon’ musulman à bec-de-lièvre (bondrés), dont les bouffonneries se font l’écho et amplifient une gamme de susceptibilités comiques et chauvines très répandues dans la société balinaise actuelle. À première vue, le préjugé incarné dans ce personnage semble refléter les frustrations balinaises face aux difficultés économiques persistantes faisant suite aux attentats perpétrés dans des boîtes de nuit en 2002 et 2005. Comme l’a dit le religieux le plus célèbre de l’île, les Balinais ont été contraints de vendre leur terre pour acheter des brochettes, alors que les musulmans «de l’extérieur » vendent des brochettes pour acheter des terres balinaises. Si l’on ajoute à cela la place croissante de la piété islamique dans la vie publique indonésienne et les récentes attaques sur ce qui est perçu comme hétérodoxe (cf. Ahmadiyah), on pourrait penser que les Balinais hindous ont des raisons de s’inquiéter. Mais les musulmans «de l’extérieur » sont-ils réellement la cause des difficultés des Balinais ? Ou bien, est-ce qu’en prenant pour cibles «les nouveaux venus » dans l’île, les acteurs et leurs publics ne contribuent-ils pas à passer sous silence un certain nombre d’injustices plus difficiles à traiter ?
The French-Indonesian Archaeological Project in Kota Cina (North Sumatra): Preliminary Results and Prospects
Authors: Perret Daniel , Surachman Heddy , Soedewo Ery , Oetomo R.W. , Mudjiono
Published: January 2018

Le programme archéologique franco-indonésien de Kota Cina (Sumatra-Nord) : résultats préliminaires et perspectives.

Situé entre Medan et Belawan, sur la côte nord-est de Sumatra, le site archéologique de Kota Cina a été redécouvert au début des années 1970. Prospections et sondages conduits à l’époque sur une superficie de quelque 137 m² ont révélé les vestiges de huit structures en briques à fonction religieuse, des sculptures en pierre, des statues hindoues et bouddhiques, des centaines de kilogrammes de poteries, grès et porcelaines, objets métalliques, verre, perles en pierre, ainsi que des kilogrammes de vestiges organiques, datés entre la fin du XIe s. et le début du XIVe s. EC. Les recherches archéologiques ont repris en 2011 à Kota Cina. Les résultats préliminaires et perspectives de ce projet franco-indonésien sont présentés dans cet article. Ces prospections et sondages confirment l’importance de ce site d’habitat, comparé à des sites similaires récemment fouillés à Sumatra-Nord. Au-delà des questions relatives au site lui-même, ce programme tentera de replacer Kota Cina dans l’histoire de l’archipel, et d’éclairer son rôle dans les relations entre l’océan Indien et la Chine.