bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Insight on the Study of the Kinetic of Biobased Polyurethanes Synthesis Based on Oleo-Chemistry
Authors: Peyrton Julien , Chambaretaud Clémence , Avérous Luc
Published: November 2019

Nowadays, polyols are basic chemicals for the synthesis of a large range of polymers, such as polyurethane foams (PUF), which are produced with several other compounds, such as polyisocyanates. During the last decades, the oleo-chemistry has developed several routes from glycerides to polyols for the polyurethanes (PU) industry to replace mainly conventional fossil-based polyols. A large range of biobased polyols can be now obtained by epoxidation of the double bonds and ring-opening (RO) of the subsequent epoxides with different chemical moieties. In preliminary studies, the RO kinetics of an epoxidized model molecule (methyl oleate) with ethanol and acetic acid were investigated. Subsequently, polyols that were derived from unsaturated triglycerides were explored in the frame of e.g., PUF formulations. Different associations were studied with different mono-alcohols derived from epoxidized and ring-opened methyl oleate while using several ring-openers to model such systems and for comparison purposes. Kinetic studies were realized with the pseudo-first-order principle, meaning that hydroxyls are in large excess when compared to the isocyanate groups. The rate of isocyanate consumption was found to be dependent on the moiety located in β-position of the reactive hydroxyl, following this specific order: tertiary amine >> ether > ester. The tertiary amine in β-position of the hydroxyl tremendously increases the reactivity toward isocyanate. Consequently, a biobased reactive polyurethane catalyst was synthesized from unsaturated glycerides. These approaches offer new insights regarding the replacement of current catalysts often harmful, pungent, and volatile used in PU and PUF industry, in order to revisit this chemistry.
Effects of Different Colored LEDs on the Enhancement of Biologically Active Ingredients in Callus Cultures of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr.
Authors: Lian Thang , Moe Myat , Kim Yong , Bang Keuk
Published: November 2019

Conventional fluorescent lamps that are used in tissue culture are costly light sources, exhibiting excessive wavelength emission-bandwidth that must be replaced by alternative, less costly, and much lower power-consuming energy sources. The use of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) is the best option due to their potential role as elicitors of secondary metabolite production in many plant models. Gynura procumbens (G. procumbens) is widely used for treating various diseases. Here, leaf explants were cultivated in MS medium that was supplemented with 0.5 mg/L of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 2.0 mg/L of benzylaminopurine (BAP) for 30 days under white, blue, and red LEDs. Secondary metabolites were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). Blue LEDs elicited the highest antioxidant activity, total flavonoid, and phenolic content. Furthermore, the content of cyanidin-monoglucosides significantly increased under blue light.
Malnutrition as a Strong Predictor of the Onset of Sarcopenia
Authors: Beaudart Charlotte , Sanchez-Rodriguez Dolores , Locquet Médéa , Reginster Jean-Yves , Lengelé Laetitia , Bruyère Olivier
Published: November 2019

This study aims to explore the association between malnutrition diagnosed according to both the Global Leadership Initiative of Malnutrition (GLIM) and the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) criteria and the onset of sarcopenia/severe sarcopenia, diagnosed according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criterion, in the sarcopenia and physical impairment with advancing age (SarcoPhAge) cohort during a four-year follow-up. Adjusted Cox-regression and Kaplan-Meier curves were performed. Among the 534 community-dwelling participants recruited in the SarcoPhAge study, 510 were free from sarcopenia at baseline, of whom 336 had complete data (186 women and 150 men, mean age of 72.5 ± 5.8 years) to apply the GLIM and ESPEN criteria. A significantly higher risk of developing sarcopenia/severe sarcopenia during the four-year follow-up based on the GLIM [sarcopenia: Adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 3.23 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.73–6.05); severe sarcopenia: Adjusted HR = 2.87 (95% CI 1.25–6.56)] and ESPEN [sarcopenia: Adjusted HR = 4.28 (95% CI 1.86–9.86); severe sarcopenia: Adjusted HR = 3.86 (95% CI 1.29–11.54)] criteria was observed. Kaplan-Meier curves confirmed this relationship (log rank p < 0.001 for all). These results highlighted the importance of malnutrition since it has been shown to be associated with an approximately fourfold higher risk of developing sarcopenia/severe sarcopenia during a four-year follow-up.
Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Faecal Microbiota: A Randomised Clinical Trial
Authors: Naderpoor Negar , Mousa Aya , Fernanda Gomez Arango Luisa , Barrett Helen L. , Dekker Nitert Marloes , de Courten Barbora
Published: November 2019

In animal studies, vitamin D supplementation has been shown to improve gut microbiota and intestinal inflammation. However, limited evidence exists on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the human gut microbiota. We examined the effect of vitamin D supplementation on faecal microbiota in 26 vitamin D-deficient (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) ≤50 nmol/L), overweight or obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) otherwise healthy adults. Our study was ancillary to a community based double-blind randomised clinical trial, conducted between 2014 and 2016. The participants provided stool samples at baseline and after 100,000 international units (IU) loading dose of cholecalciferol followed by 4000 IU daily or matching placebo for 16 weeks. Faecal microbiota was analysed using 16S rRNA sequencing; V6–8 region. There was no significant difference in microbiome α-diversity between vitamin D and placebo groups at baseline and follow-up (all p > 0.05). In addition, no clustering was found based on vitamin D supplementation at follow-up (p = 0.3). However, there was a significant association between community composition and vitamin D supplementation at the genus level (p = 0.04). The vitamin D group had a higher abundance of genus Lachnospira, and lower abundance of genus Blautia (linear discriminate analysis >3.0). Moreover, individuals with 25(OH)D >75 nmol/L had a higher abundance of genus Coprococcus and lower abundance of genus Ruminococcus compared to those with 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L. Our findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation has some distinct effects on faecal microbiota. Future studies need to explore whether these effects would translate into improved clinical outcomes.
Circulating miRNAs as Biomarkers of Obesity and Obesity-Associated Comorbidities in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review
Authors: Oses Maddi , Margareto Sanchez Javier , Portillo Maria P. , Aguilera Concepción María , Labayen Idoia
Published: November 2019

Early detection of obesity and its associated comorbidities in children needs priority for the development of effective therapeutic intervention. Circulating miRNAs (microRNAs) have been proposed as biomarkers for obesity and its comorbidities; therefore, we conducted a systematic review to summarize results of studies that have quantified the profile of miRNAs in children and adolescents with obesity and/or associated disorders. Nine studies aiming to examine differences in miRNA expression levels between children with normal weight and obesity or between obese children with or without cardiometabolic diseases were included in this review. We identified four miRNAs overexpressed in obesity (miR-222, miR-142–3, miR-140-5p, and miR-143) and two miRNAs (miR-122 and miR-34a) overexpressed in children with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and/or insulin resistance. In conclusion, circulating miRNAs are promising diagnostic biomarkers of obesity-associated diseases such as NAFLD and type 2 diabetes already in childhood. However, more studies in children, using massive search technology and with larger sample sizes, are required to draw any firm conclusions.
Impact of Processing Parameters on the Quality of Pharmaceutical Solid Dosage Forms Produced by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Authors: Alhijjaj Muqdad , Nasereddin Jehad , Belton Peter , Qi Sheng
Published: November 2019

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) three-dimensional (3D) printing is being increasingly explored as a direct manufacturing method to product pharmaceutical solid dosage forms. Despite its many advantages as a pharmaceutical formulation tool, it remains restricted to proof-of-concept formulations. The optimization of the printing process in order to achieve adequate precision and printing quality remains to be investigated. Demonstrating a thorough understanding of the process parameters of FDM and their impact on the quality of printed dosage forms is undoubtedly necessary should FDM advance from a proof-of-concept stage to an adapted pharmaceutical manufacturing tool. This article describes the findings of an investigation into a number of critical process parameters of FDM and their impact on quantifiable, pharmaceutically-relevant measures of quality. Polycaprolactone, one of the few polymers which is both suitable for FDM and is a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) material, was used to print internally-exposed grids, allowing examination of both their macroscopic and microstructural reproducibility of FDM. Of the measured quality parameters, dimensional authenticity of the grids was found to poorly match the target dimensions. Weights of the grids were found to significantly vary upon altering printing speed. Printing temperature showed little effect on weight. Weight uniformity per batch was found to lie within acceptable pharmaceutical quality limits. Furthermore, we report observing a microstructural distortion relating to printing temperature which we dub The First Layer Effect (FLE). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to study factor interactions and revealed, among others, the existence of an interaction between weight/dosing accuracy and dimensional authenticity dictating a compromise between the two quality parameters. The Summed Standard Deviation (SSD) is proposed as a method to extract the optimum printing parameters given all the perceived quality parameters and the necessary compromises among them.
The Use of a Biopolymer Conjugate for an Eco-Friendly One-Pot Synthesis of Palladium-Platinum Alloys
Authors: Silvestri Daniele , Wacławek Stanisław , K. Ramakrishnan Rohith , Venkateshaiah Abhilash , Krawczyk Kamil , Padil Vinod V. T. , Sobel Bartłomiej , Černík Miroslav
Published: November 2019

Raising health and environmental concerns over the nanoparticles synthesized from hazardous chemicals have urged researchers to focus on safer, environmentally friendlier and cheaper alternatives as well as prompted the development of green synthesis. Apart from many advantages, green synthesis is often not selective enough (among other issues) to create shape-specific nanoparticle structures. Herein, we have used a biopolymer conjugate and Pd and Pt precursors to prepare sustainable bimetallic nanoparticles with various morphology types. The nanoparticles were synthesized by a novel green approach using a bio-conjugate of chitosan and polyhydroxybutyrate (Cs-PHB). The bio-conjugate plays the simultaneous roles of a reducing and a capping agent, which was confirmed by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) analysis, proving the presence of a Cs-PHB layer on the surface of the prepared nanoparticles. The EDS profile also revealed the elemental structure of these nanoparticles and confirmed the formation of a Pd/Pt alloy. TEM morphological analysis showed the formation of star-like, octahedron or decahedron Pd/Pt nanoparticles, depending on the synthesis conditions. The bimetallic Pd/Pt nanoparticles synthesized with various Pd/Pt molar ratios were successfully applied for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by borohydride. The calculated κc values (ratio of kapp to the concentration of the catalyst) revealed that the decahedron nanoparticles (size of 15 ± 4 nm), synthesized at the molar ratio of 2:1 (Pd/Pt), temperature of 130 °C, 10 g/L of Cs-PHB conjugate and time of 30 min, exhibited excellent catalytic activity compared to other bimetallic nanoparticles reported in the literature.
Caseinate-Stabilized Emulsions of Black Cumin and Tamanu Oils: Preparation, Characterization and Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Urbánková Lucie , Kašpárková Věra , Egner Pavlína , Rudolf Ondřej , Korábková Eva
Published: November 2019

Caseinate-stabilized emulsions of black cumin (Nigella sativa) and tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum) oils were studied in terms of preparation, characterization, and antibacterial properties. The oils were described while using their basic characteristics, including fatty acid composition and scavenging activity. The oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions containing the studied oils were formulated, and the influence of protein stabilizer (sodium caseinate (CAS), 1–12 wt%), oil contents (5–30 wt%), and emulsification methods (high-shear homogenization vs sonication) on the emulsion properties were investigated. It was observed that, under both preparation methods, emulsions of small, initial droplet sizes were predominantly formed with CAS content that was higher than 7.5 wt%. Sonication was a more efficient emulsification procedure and was afforded emulsions with smaller droplet size throughout the entire used concentration ranges of oils and CAS when compared to high-shear homogenization. At native pH of ~ 6.5, all of the emulsions exhibited negative zeta potential that originated from the presence of caseinate. The antibacterial activities of both oils and their emulsions were investigated with respect to the growth suppression of common spoilage bacteria while using the disk diffusion method. The oils and selected emulsions were proven to act against gram positive strains, mainly against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Bacillus cereus (B. cereus); regrettably, the gram negative species were fully resistant against their action.
Microstructure and Mechanical/Hydrophilic Features of Agar-Based Films Incorporated with Konjac Glucomannan
Authors: Qiao Dongling , Tu Wenyao , Zhong Lei , Wang Zhong , Zhang Binjia , Jiang Fatang
Published: November 2019

Different characterization methods spanning length scales from molecular to micron scale were applied to inspect the microstructures and mechanical/hydrophilic features of agar/konjac glucomannan (KGM) films prepared under different drying temperatures (40 and 60 °C). Note that the lower preparation temperature (40 °C) could increase the strength and elongation of agar/KGM films at high KGM levels (18:82 wt/wt KGM-agar, or higher). This was related to the variations in the film multi-scale structures with the increment of KGM content: the reduced crystallinity, the increased perfection of nanoscale orders at some KGM amounts, and the negligibly-changed morphology and molecular chemical structure under 40 °C preparation temperature. These structural changes initially decreased the film tensile strength, and subsequently increased the film strength and elongation with increasing KGM content. Moreover, under the higher drying temperature (60 °C), the increased KGM content could concurrently reduce the strength and elongation for the films, associated with probable phase separations on nano and smaller scales. In addition, the increased KGM amount tended to make the film more hydrophilic, whereas the changes in the film structures did not dominantly affect the changing trend of hydrophilicity.
A Survey of the Attitudes Concerning the Role of the Laity in Korea’s Jogye Order
Authors: Park Cheonghwan , Kim Kyungrae
Published: November 2019

Despite its 17-century-long history, Korean Buddhism is currently undergoing a crisis. In addition to the declining number of lay practitioners, Korea’s largest Buddhist order, the Jogye Order (K. Daehan Bulgyo Jogyejong, hereafter “JO” or “the order”), is facing a significant drop in monastic recruitment. Compounding this crisis, a series of scandals within the order’s monastic leadership have caused widespread loss of confidence among the order’s laity. In addition to calls for greater financial transparency and moral accountability for JO monastics, many reformers are demanding greater lay participation within the order’s political hierarchy, challenging the centuries-old roles assigned to monastics and laity. However, these challenges have failed to produce any practical changes within the order while its monastic establishment continues espousing rhetoric reinforcing monastic authority and its supremacy over the laity. In light of these crises, this paper will conduct a perfunctory examination of the attitudes the JO’s monastic establishment exhibits towards its lay supporters and the roles it expects for them. Utilizing, in part, previously unpublished internal JO documents, this paper will begin by investigating monastic attitudes expressed towards the laity in the order’s 2015 General Meeting of the Four-fold Assembly as well as the ensuing debate over these roles in Korea’s Buddhist media. This paper will then explore how the laity are viewed within the JO’s lay education program, additionally examining how the needs and concerns of the laity are addressed in introductory textbooks used within this program. While not exhaustive, by examining this variety of sources, this paper seeks to clarify the roles the JO’s monastic establishment expects for its lay supporters and interrogate whether such attitudes are sustainable as the order attempts to respond effectively to the crises it currently faces.
Debris Flow Susceptibility Mapping Using Machine-Learning Techniques in Shigatse Area, China
Authors: Zhang Yonghong , Ge Taotao , Tian Wei , Liou Yuei-An
Published: November 2019

Debris flows have been always a serious problem in the mountain areas. Research on the assessment of debris flows susceptibility (DFS) is useful for preventing and mitigating debris flow risks. The main purpose of this work is to study the DFS in the Shigatse area of Tibet, by using machine learning methods, after assessing the main triggering factors of debris flows. Remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) are used to obtain datasets of topography, vegetation, human activities and soil factors for local debris flows. The problem of debris flow susceptibility level imbalances in datasets is addressed by the Borderline-SMOTE method. Five machine learning methods, i.e., back propagation neural network (BPNN), one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) have been used to analyze and fit the relationship between debris flow triggering factors and occurrence, and to evaluate the weight of each triggering factor. The ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests have revealed that the XGBoost model exhibited the best mean accuracy (0.924) on ten-fold cross-validation and the performance was significantly better than that of the BPNN (0.871), DT (0.816), and RF (0.901). However, the performance of the XGBoost did not significantly differ from that of the 1D-CNN (0.914). This is also the first comparison experiment between XGBoost and 1D-CNN methods in the DFS study. The DFS maps have been verified by five evaluation methods: Precision, Recall, F1 score, Accuracy and area under the curve (AUC). Experiments show that the XGBoost has the best score, and the factors that have a greater impact on debris flows are aspect, annual average rainfall, profile curvature, and elevation.
Study on the Intensity and Coherence Information of High-Resolution ALOS-2 SAR Images for Rapid Massive Landslide Mapping at a Pixel Level
Authors: Ge Pinglan , Gokon Hideomi , Meguro Kimiro , Koshimura Shunichi
Published: November 2019

A rapid mapping of landslides following a disaster is important for coordinating emergency response and limiting rescue delays. A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can provide a solution even in harsh weather and at night, due to its independence of weather and light, quick response, no contact and broad coverage. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive exploration on the intensity and coherence information of three Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) SAR images, for rapid massive landslide mapping in a pixel level, in order to provide a reference for future applications. Applied data were two pre-event and one post-event high-resolution ALOS-2 products. Studied area was in the east of Iburi, Hokkaido, Japan, where massive shallow landslides were triggered in the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake. Potential parameters, including intensity difference (d), co-event correlation coefficient (r), correlation coefficient difference ( ∆ r ), co-event coherence ( γ ), and coherence difference ( ∆ γ ), were first selected and calculated based on a radar reflection mechanism, to facilitate rapid detection. Qualitative observation was then performed by overlapping ground truth landslides to calculated parameter images. Based on qualitative observation, an absolute value of d ( d a b s 1 ) was applied to facility analyses, and a new parameter ( d a b s 2 ) was proposed to avoid information loss in the calculation. After that, quantitative analyses of the six parameters ( d a b s 1 , d a b s 2 , r, ∆ r , γ and ∆ γ ) were performed by receiver operating characteristic. d a b s 2 and ∆ r were found to be favorable parameters, which had the highest AUC values of 0.82 and 0.75, and correctly classified 69.36% and 64.57% landslide and non-landslide pixels by appropriate thresholds. Finally, a discriminant function was developed, combining three relatively favorable parameters ( d a b s 2 , ∆ r , and ∆ γ ) with one in each type, and achieved an overall accuracy of 74.31% for landslide mapping.
Social Navigation in a Cognitive Architecture Using Dynamic Proxemic Zones
Authors: Ginés Jonatan , Martín Francisco , Vargas David , Rodríguez Francisco J. , Matellán Vicente
Published: November 2019

Robots have begun to populate the everyday environments of human beings. These social robots must perform their tasks without disturbing the people with whom they share their environment. This paper proposes a navigation algorithm for robots that is acceptable to people. Robots will detect the personal areas of humans, to carry out their tasks, generating navigation routes that have less impact on human activities. The main novelty of this work is that the robot will perceive the moods of people to adjust the size of proxemic areas. This work will contribute to making the presence of robots in human-populated environments more acceptable. As a result, we have integrated this approach into a cognitive architecture designed to perform tasks in human-populated environments. The paper provides quantitative experimental results in two scenarios: controlled, including social navigation metrics in comparison with a traditional navigation method, and non-controlled, in robotic competitions where different studies of social robotics are measured.
Development and Experimental Analysis of a Seeding Quantity Sensor for the Precision Seeding of Small Seeds
Authors: Liu Wei , Hu Jianping , Zhao Xingsheng , Pan Haoran , Lakhiar Imran Ali , Wang Wei , Zhao Jun
Published: November 2019

Having the correct seeding rate for a unit area is vital to crop yields. In order to assess the desirable seeding rate, the number of discharged seeds needs to be monitored in real-time. However, for small seeds, the miscounting of seeds during monitoring happens frequently when using conventional seeding quantity sensors, which have wide light beam intervals. Thus, a seeding quantity sensor, which enables small seeds to pass through the light beam steadily, was developed. Based on the seed-shading time, a seed-counting algorithm was proposed. Moreover, the key structure parameters of the proposed sensor were ascertained using an optimization experiment. Finally, the developed seeding quantity sensor was tested against a photoelectric sensor and a fiber sensor to compare the seed monitoring accuracies. The results show that the average monitoring accuracy of the developed sensor, photoelectric sensor, and fiber sensor were 97.09%, 56.79%, and 91.10%, respectively. Furthermore, the factorial analysis shows that the forward velocity of the experimental apparatus and the rotational speed of the seeding plate did not significantly change the monitoring accuracies obtained by the developed sensor. Therefore, the developed sensor can be applied to monitor the seed quantity for the precision seeding of small seeds accurately and robustly.
Flexible Pressure Sensors with a Wide Detection Range Based on Self-Assembled Polystyrene Microspheres
Authors: Chen Wufan , Wang Bingwei , Zhu Qianbing , Yan Xin
Published: November 2019

Flexible pressure sensors are important components of electronic skin and flexible wearable devices. Most existing piezoresistive flexible pressure sensors have obtained high sensitivities, however, they have relatively small pressure detection ranges. Here, we report flexible pressure sensors with a wide detection range using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the substrate, carbon nanotube films as the electrode material, and self-assembled polystyrene microsphere film as the microstructure layer. The obtained pressure sensor had a sandwich structure, and had a wide pressure detection range (from 4 kPa to 270 kPa), a sensitivity of 2.49 kPa−1, and a response time of tens of milliseconds. Two hundred load–unload cycles indicated that the device had good stability. In addition, the sensor was obtained by large-area fabrication with a low power consumption. This pressure sensor is expected to be widely used in applications such as electronic skin and flexible wearable devices.
An Integrated Energy System Operating Scenarios Generator Based on Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Zhou Suyang , Hu Zijian , Zhong Zhi , He Di , Jiang Meng
Published: November 2019

The convergence of energy security and environmental protection has given birth to the development of integrated energy systems (IES). However, the different physical characteristics and complex coupling of different energy sources have deeply troubled researchers. With the rapid development of AI and big data, some attempts to apply data-driven methods to IES have been made. Data-driven technologies aim to abandon complex IES modeling, instead mining the mapping relationships between different parameters based on massive volumes of operating data. However, integrated energy system construction is still in the initial stage of development and operational data are difficult to obtain, or the operational scenarios contained in the data are not enough to support data-driven technologies. In this paper, we first propose an IES operating scenario generator, based on a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), to produce high quality IES operational data, including energy price, load, and generator output. We estimate the quality of the generated data, in both visual and quantitative aspects. Secondly, we propose a control strategy based on the Q-learning algorithm for a renewable energy and storage system with high uncertainty. The agent can accurately map between the control strategy and the operating states. Furthermore, we use the original data set and the expanded data set to train an agent; the latter works better, confirming that the generated data complements the original data set and enriches the running scenarios.
The Spatial Pattern of Urban Settlement in China from the 1980s to 2010
Authors: Shi Lifeng , Zhong Taiyang
Published: November 2019

The dynamic urbanization process of China has stimulated a massive growth of urban settlements in the past few decades. With the development of remote sensing technology and the release of the long-time Landsat archive, spatial characteristics of urban settlement are gradually analyzed on a large scale, and various patterns are developed for describing and analyzing it. However, the urban settlement patterns were mainly quantified by the landscape metrics in existing studies, the underlying features shaping urban settlement pattern were always neglected. In this study, we establish a systematic and comprehensive ‘urban development index system’ for describing China’s urban settlement pattern and its evolutions during the end of the 1980s through to 2010 by using a series of statistical methods. Results show that (1) urban settlement pattern in 2010 is quantified comparatively simpler and more completely than in the end of the 1980s; (2) urban settlements in western and eastern regions present integrated pattern and homogeneous attributes, while urban settlements in central and northeastern regions present relatively complex pattern and various attributes; (3) urban settlements with the most variable pattern are accompanied by the most dynamic population and economic capacity, followed by landscape dispersion. Topographic complexity of urban settlements generally remained unchanged or with slight fluctuations, therefore, it has limited influence on settlement pattern evolution.
The Effect of Parental Economic Expectation on Gender Disparity in Secondary Education in Ghana: A Propensity Score Matching Approach
Authors: Donkor Prince , Ding Ya , Adu-Boateng Gideon
Published: November 2019

Ghana, like most sub-Saharan African countries, continues to face gender disparity at the higher levels of the educational hierarchy. This paper seeks to investigate whether gender disparity in senior secondary schools in Ghana is influenced by the economic expectations that parents have for their children’s education. Using data from Ghana Living Standard Survey round 6 (GLSS 6), the study employs Propensity Score Matching in its analysis. Intra-household income inequality was used as a for measure parental expectations of the economic returns of education. The results revealed that, on the average, Ghanaian parents expect their male children to reap more economic benefits from education than girls. This attitude culminates in higher investment in boys’ education to the disadvantage of their female counterparts at senior secondary schools. It is therefore recommended that appropriate policies should be implemented to ensure that the barriers that prevent women from occupying high-earning positions in the labor market are expunged. With this, parents will believe that girls can have the same economic opportunities as boys and hence will invest equal resources in children’s education irrespective of their gender.
Trains in the Land of the Car: A Case Study of Mobility as Agency in the United States
Authors: Bergman Zinette
Published: November 2019

Recent studies have shown that self-efficacy—the belief that individuals are able to execute behaviors that lead to desired outcomes—is a key factor for adopting more sustainable travel modes and practices. Also crucial are societal values and policies associated with sustainability, which guide individual mobility behaviors. Thus, sustainable travel research and policies are divided into hard and soft approaches. This study applies Albert Bandura’s concept of personal agency and his model of triadic reciprocal causation (TRC) to explore mobility as agency from the perspective of 32 car users from regions, which no longer have an adequate passenger rail infrastructure. The aim is to investigate the applicability of TRC theory in a US context, as well as a substantive study of how car users make sense of their mobility practices in relation to trains. Based on hermeneutic content analysis, a mixed-method analytic framework, findings reveal that Bandura’s agentive pathways associated with individual and proxy agency define the mobility practices of interviewees. By exploring the underlying structures of salient agentive pathways, this study traces the links between agency and (un)sustainable travel within a US American mobility culture.
Negotiation and Decision-Making for a Pedestrian Roadway Crossing: A Literature Review
Authors: Ezzati Amini Roja , Katrakazas Christos , Antoniou Constantinos
Published: November 2019

The interaction among pedestrians and human drivers is a complicated process, in which road users have to communicate their intentions, as well as understand and anticipate the actions of users in their vicinity. However, road users still ought to have a proper interpretation of each others’ behaviors, when approaching and crossing the road. Pedestrians, as one of the interactive agents, demonstrate different behaviors at road crossings, which do not follow a consistent pattern and may vary from one situation to another. The presented inconsistency and unpredictability of pedestrian road crossing behaviors may thus become a challenge for the design of emerging technologies in the near future, such as automated driving system (ADS). As a result, the current paper aims at understanding the effectual communication techniques, as well as the factors influencing pedestrian negotiation and decision-making process. After reviewing the state-of-the-art and identifying research gaps with regards to vehicle–pedestrian crossing encounters, a holistic approach for road crossing interaction modeling is presented and discussed. It is envisioned that the presented holistic approach will result in enhanced safety, sustainability, and effectiveness of pedestrian road crossings.
Characterizing Stakeholders of Aging-in-Place through Social Network Analysis: A Study of Nanjing, China
Authors: Zhou Shenghua , Ng S. Thomas , Li Dezhi , Zhang Jiankun , Fan Jie , Yang Yifan
Published: November 2019

China currently has an elderly population of 249 million with over 97% of them ending up aging in place. Although various regional pilot programs have been conducted, a sustainable aging-in-place system has not been established to effectively and efficiently provide aging services in many cities of China. The characteristics of stakeholder networks in the aging-in-place systems have not attracted great attention from researchers. This research applies social network analysis to characterize the interactions of stakeholders in aging-in-place systems to facilitate cooperation and coordination amongst them. Using Nanjing as a case study, 23 stakeholders in Nanjing’s aging-in-place system are identified, such as the Aging Affairs Committee, Aging-in-Place Service Association, and aging-in-place service centers; and then the relationship networks of these stakeholders in terms of communication, supervision, and trust are developed and analyzed. The results show that the aging-in-place system suffers from certain defects, including the loose connection of government departments, redundant information channels, low trustworthiness of certain aging-in-place service centers, poor credibility of third-party training and assessment institutions, and excess power of the industry association. To tackle these issues, a wide spectrum of actionable measures applicable to Nanjing’s conditions, as well as high-level policy implications for other cities of China, are proposed for augmenting the communication, supervision, and trust among stakeholder groups.
Does Distance Affect the Role of Nonlocal Subsidiaries on Cluster Firms’ Innovation? An Empirical Investigation on Chinese Biotechnology Cluster Firms
Authors: Xiang Xiyao , Huang Wei-Chiao
Published: November 2019

As translocation strategy has been pursued by cluster firms, two types of nonlocal subsidiaries, nonlocal manufacturing subsidiaries (NMS) and nonlocal R&D subsidiaries (NRS) contribute to their holding firms’ innovation in different ways. Prior studies have not paid much attention to the role of NMS and NRS, and how their effects are contingent on distance. To address this gap, this paper assesses the contribution of NMS and NRS on cluster firms’ innovation performance respectively and ascertains the moderating effect of geographical distance and social distance. The empirical investigation is conducted using a sample of 79 Chinese cluster firms. Our results indicate that both NMS and NRS have positively influenced cluster firms’ innovative performance. Moreover, geographical distance negatively moderates both the role of NMS and NRS. On the other hand, social distance only increases the influence of NRS on their holding firms’ innovation. Thus, spatial distance may hamper knowledge acquisition through NMS and NRS while loosely connected NRS would contribute more to their parent companies in local clusters. Our research contributes to the literature on cluster firms’ relocation strategy by clarifying the distinct role of NMS and NRS and recognizing the contingent effect caused by geographical and social distance.
Spelt Wheat: An Alternative for Sustainable Plant Production at Low N-Levels
Authors: Sugár Eszter , Fodor Nándor , Sándor Renáta , Bónis Péter , Vida Gyula , Árendás Tamás
Published: November 2019

Sustainable agriculture strives for maintaining or even increasing productivity, quality and economic viability while leaving a minimal foot print on the environment. To promote sustainability and biodiversity conservation, there is a growing interest in some old wheat species that can achieve better grain yields than the new varieties in marginal soil and/or management conditions. Generally, common wheat is intensively studied but there is still a lack of knowledge of the competitiveness of alternative species such as spelt wheat. The aim is to provide detailed analysis of vegetative, generative and spectral properties of spelt and common wheat grown under different nitrogen fertiliser levels. Our results complement the previous findings and highlight the fact that despite the lodging risk increasing together with the N fertiliser level, spelt wheat is a real alternative to common wheat for low N input production both for low quality and fertile soils. Vitality indices such as flag leaf chlorophyll content and normalized difference vegetation index were found to be good precursors of the final yield and the proposed estimation equations may improve the yield forecasting applications. The reliability of the predictions can be enhanced by including crop-specific parameters which are already available around flowering, beside soil and/or weather parameters.
New Environmentally Friendly Acid System for Iron Sulfide Scale Removal
Authors: Gamal Hany , Abdelgawad Khaled , Elkatatny Salaheldin
Published: November 2019

Iron sulfide scale is a common problem in the oil and gas industry. The precipitation of the iron sulfide scale on the well completion tools or inside surface flow lines restricts the flow of the produced fluids and might affect the integrity of the pipelines or the surface and subsurface tools. Failure of the downhole completions tools will not only reduce the production rates but it might require workover and remedial operations that will add extra cost. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate a new environmentally friendly acid system (NEFAS) for iron sulfide scale removal using an actual field sample. The scale sample collected from a natural gas well is dominated by pyrrhotite (55%) in addition to calcite (21%), pyrite (8%), and torilite (6%) with minor traces of hibbingite, siderite, geothite, akaganeite, and mackinawite. High-temperature solubility tests were performed by soaking 2 g of the scale field sample with 20 cm3 of the NEFAS under static condition at 125 °C for different time periods (2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h). The solubility results were compared with commercial solutions for iron sulfide scale removal such as hydrochloric acid (15 wt.%), glutamic acid diacetic acid (GLDA, 20 wt.%), and high density converters (HDC-3) under the same conditions. The corrosion test was performed at 125 °C for the developed solution after mixing with 2 wt.% corrosion inhibitor (CI) and 2 wt.% corrosion intensifier (CIN). The results were compared with HCl (15 wt.%) under the same conditions. NEFAS consists of 75 wt.% biodegradable acid at pH of 0.04. NEFAS achieved 83 g/L solubility of iron sulfide scale after 6 h at 125 °C under static conditions. The solubility efficiency was very close to 15 wt.% HCl after 24 h where the solubility was 82 and 83 g/L for NEFAS and HCl, respectability. HDC-3 and GLDA (20 wt.%) achieved a lower scale solubility; 18 g/L and 65 g/L respectively, after 24 h. NEFAS achieved a corrosion rate of 0.211 kg/m2 after adding the CI and and CIN compared to 0.808 kg/m2 for HCl. The new environmentally friendly biodegradable acid system provides efficient performance for the scale removal without harming the environment and causing any side effects to the operation.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Aircraft Taxiing on the Airport Surface with Consideration to Taxiing Conflicts and the Airport Environment
Authors: Zhang Ming , Huang Qianwen , Liu Sihan , Li Huiying
Published: November 2019

High-efficiency taxiing for safe operations is needed by all types of aircraft in busy airports to reduce congestion and lessen fuel consumption and carbon emissions. This task is a challenge in the operation and control of the airport’s surface. Previous studies on the optimization of aircraft taxiing on airport surfaces have rarely integrated waiting constraints on the taxiway into the multi-objective optimization of taxiing time and fuel emissions. Such studies also rarely combine changes to the airport’s environment (such as airport elevation, field pressure, temperature, etc.) with the multi-objective optimization of aircraft surface taxiing. In this study, a multi-objective optimization method for aircraft taxiing on an airport surface based on the airport’s environment and traffic conflicts is proposed. This study aims to achieve a Pareto optimized taxiing scheme in terms of taxiing time, fuel consumption, and pollutant emissions. This research has the following contents: (1) Previous calculations of aircraft taxiing pathways on the airport’s surface have been based on unimpeded aircraft taxiing. Waiting on the taxiway is excluded from the multi-objective optimization of taxiing time and fuel emissions. In this study, the waiting points were selected, and the speed curve was optimized. A multi-objective optimization scheme under aircraft taxiing obstacles was thus established. (2) On this basis, the fuel flow of different aircraft engines was modified with consideration to the aforementioned environmental airport differences, and a multi-objective optimization scheme for aircraft taxiing under different operating environments was also established. (3) A multi-objective optimization of the taxiing time and fuel consumption of different aircraft types was realized by acquiring their parameters and fuel consumption indexes. A case study based on the Shanghai Pudong International Airport was also performed in the present study. The taxiway from the 35R runway to the 551# stand in the Shanghai Pudong International Airport was optimized by the non-dominant sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II). The taxiing time, fuel consumption, and pollutant emissions at this airport were compared with those of the Kunming Changshui International Airport and Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, which have different airport environments. Our research conclusions will provide the operations and control departments of airports a reference to determine optimal taxiing schemes.
The Latoia consocia Caterpillar Induces Pain by Targeting Nociceptive Ion Channel TRPV1
Authors: Yao Zhihao , Kamau Peter Muiruri , Han Yalan , Hu Jingmei , Luo Anna , Luo Lei , Zheng Jie , Tian Yuhua , Lai Ren
Published: November 2019

Accidental contact with caterpillar bristles causes local symptoms such as severe pain, intense heat, edema, erythema, and pruritus. However, there is little functional evidence to indicate a potential mechanism. In this study, we analyzed the biological characteristics of the crude venom from the larval stage of Latoia consocia living in South-West China. Intraplantar injection of the venom into the hind paws of mice induced severe acute pain behaviors in wild type (WT) mice; the responses were much reduced in TRPV1-deficit (TRPV1 KO) mice. The TRPV1-specific inhibitor, capsazepine, significantly attenuated the pain behaviors. Furthermore, the crude venom evoked strong calcium signals in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of WT mice but not those of TRPV1 KO mice. Among the pain-related ion channels we tested, the crude venom only activated the TRPV1 channel. To better understand the venom components, we analyzed the transcriptome of the L. consocia sebaceous gland region. Our study suggests that TRPV1 serves as a primary nociceptor in caterpillar-induced pain and forms the foundation for elucidating the pain-producing mechanism.
EHT Constraint on the Ultralight Scalar Hair of the M87 Supermassive Black Hole
Authors: Cunha Pedro , Herdeiro Carlos , Radu Eugen
Published: November 2019

Hypothetical ultralight bosonic fields will spontaneously form macroscopic bosonic halos around Kerr black holes, via superradiance, transferring part of the mass and angular momentum of the black hole into the halo. Such a process, however, is only efficient if resonant—when the Compton wavelength of the field approximately matches the gravitational scale of the black hole. For a complex-valued field, the process can form a stationary, bosonic field black hole equilibrium state—a black hole with synchronised hair. For sufficiently massive black holes, such as the one at the centre of the M87 supergiant elliptic galaxy, the hairy black hole can be robust against its own superradiant instabilities, within a Hubble time. Studying the shadows of such scalar hairy black holes, we constrain the amount of hair which is compatible with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations of the M87 supermassive black hole, assuming the hair is a condensate of ultralight scalar particles of mass μ ∼ 10 − 20 eV, as to be dynamically viable. We show the EHT observations set a weak constraint, in the sense that typical hairy black holes that could develop their hair dynamically, are compatible with the observations, when taking into account the EHT error bars and the black hole mass/distance uncertainty.
Numerical Modelling of the Mulino Delle Vene Aquifer (Northern Italy) as a Tool for Predicting the Hydrogeological System Behavior under Different Recharge Conditions
Authors: Petronici Francesca , Pujades Estanislao , Jurado Anna , Marcaccio Marco , Borgatti Lisa
Published: November 2019

Water scarcity periods will increase in frequency and magnitude in the near future, especially in Mediterranean regions, and proper groundwater management has been recognized as a key issue to mitigate possible impacts. In this context, numerical models acquire a special relevance to quantify the availability of water resources and predict their behavior under changing climate conditions. This work shows the procedure followed to model a mountainous fractured aquifer located in the northern Apennines (Italy) using an open source code. This aquifer feeds springs with an average discharge of about 96.8 L/s. Even though they are not exploited at the moment, these springs might represent a relevant resource of freshwater for public water supply and are essential for ecosystem sustainment. The main limitation faced to model the aquifer in a realistic way is the lack of data, which hinders the calibration of the model. A nonconventional procedure was followed to obtain information on the hydraulic parameters. The hydraulic conductivity is computed from a steady-state calibration for which a limited number of groundwater head observations are available, whilst information concerning the storage coefficient is obtained analytically from the spring discharge recession curve. Finally, the model is used for predicting the system behavior under different groundwater recharge scenarios. Numerical simulations and analytical approximations reveal that the studied aquifer can provide fresh water under different groundwater recharge conditions and has the capacity to smooth the effects of short drought periods, representing an option for water management strategies in the region.