bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Rapid Urbanization on Forest Landscape Connectivity in Zhuhai City, China
Authors: Cui Nan , Feng Chen-Chieh , Wang Dan , Li Jianfei , Guo Luo
Published: September 2018

Urban forests can provide the necessary ecosystem services for their residents and play an important part in improving the urban environment. Forest landscape connectivity is a vital indicator reflecting the quality of the ecological environment and ecological functions. Detecting changes in landscape connectivity is, therefore, an important step for providing sound scientific evidence for the better urban planning. Using remote sensing images of a study area in Zhuhai City in 1999, 2005, 2009 and 2013, the dynamic forest landscape connectivity of Zhuhai city can be evaluated based on a graph-theoretic approach. The aims of our study were to discover and interpret the effect of rapid urbanization on forest landscape connectivity. The construction of ecological corridors helps us specifically compare the landscape connectivity of three parts of urban forests. On the basis of functional landscape metrics, the correlation of these metrics and patch area was discussed in order to comprehensively identify the key patches. The analysis showed that the total areas of forestlands reduced from 1999 to 2009 and then increased from 2009 to 2013, and the same trend was found in overall forest landscape connectivity. To improve the overall landscape connectivity, construct urban ecological network and appropriately protect biodiversity in the future, the existing important patches with large areas or key positions should be well protected. This study revealed that urbanization reduced the area of key patches and consequently reduced the forest landscape connectivity, which increased while the patch areas increased due to the environmental protection policy. Functional connectivity indicators could provide more comprehensive information in the development of environmental protection strategies.
An Internal Control System that Includes Corporate Social Responsibility for Social Sustainability in the New Era
Authors: Liu Jau-Yang
Published: September 2018

Although the importance of corporate social responsibility has received more attention over the years, the goal of social sustainability has still not been achieved. The main reason is that companies seeking to implement social sustainability, have failed to incorporate the concept of corporate social responsibility into their corporate internal control objectives. Furthermore, studying the interactive relationship between corporate social responsibility and internal control and ensuring the consistency of corporate strategy and internal control objectives are done to help promote the sustainable development of enterprises. In order to promote social sustainability and improve management decision-making gaps, therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a new hybrid multi-attribute decision model to assess the impact of corporate social responsibility for the implementation of internal control that includes corporate social responsibility. The empirical results show that a social responsibility-oriented internal control system may be a better strategy than maintaining the original internal control objectives. In addition, by adjusting the internal control system to jointly promote the sustainable development goals of the company and ensure the consistency of corporate strategy and internal control objectives, the company can be truly guided to implement the social responsibility management objectives. Finally, the social sustainable development goals can be truly realized, and the interests of all stakeholders in the enterprise can be truly satisfied.
Karst Development Mechanism and Characteristics Based on Comprehensive Exploration along Jinan Metro, China
Authors: Sun Shangqu , Li Liping , Wang Jing , Shi Shaoshuai , Song Shuguang , Fang Zhongdong , Ba Xingzhi , Jin Hao
Published: September 2018

Jinan is the capital of Shandong Province and is famous for its spring water. Water conservation has become the consensus of Jinan citizens and the government and the community. The construction of metro engineering in Jinan has lagged behind other cities of the same scale for a long time. The key issue is the protection of spring water. When metro lines are constructed in Jinan karst area, the water-inrushing, quicksand, and piping hazards can easily occur, which can change the groundwater seepage environment and reduce spring discharge. Therefore, we try to reveal the development conditions, mechanism, and mode of karst area in Jinan. In addition, we propose the comprehensive optimizing method of “shallow-deep” and “region-target” suitable for exploration of karst areas along Jinan metro, and systematically study the development characteristics of the karst areas along Jinan metro, thus providing the basis for the shield tunnel to go through karst areas safely and protecting the springs in Jinan.
General (α,2)-Path Sum-Connectivirty Indices of One Important Class of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Authors: Wang Haiying
Published: September 2018

The general ( α , t ) -path sum-connectivity index of a molecular graph originates from many practical problems, such as the three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationships (3D QSAR) and molecular chirality. For arbitrary nonzero real number α and arbitrary positive integer t, it is defined as t χ α ( G ) = ∑ P t = v i 1 v i 2 ⋯ v i t + 1 ⊆ G [ d G ( v i 1 ) d G ( v i 2 ) ⋯ d G ( v i t + 1 ) ] α , where we take the sum over all possible paths of length t of G and two paths v i 1 v i 2 ⋯ v i t + 1 and v i t + 1 ⋯ v i 2 v i 1 are considered to be one path. In this work, one important class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their structures are firstly considered, which play a role in organic materials and medical sciences. We try to compute the exact general ( α , 2 ) -path sum-connectivity indices of these hydrocarbon systems. Furthermore, we exactly derive the monotonicity and the extremal values of these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for any real number α . These valuable results could produce strong guiding significance to these applied sciences.
Development and Application of a QuEChERS-Based Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method to Quantitate Multi-Component Alternaria Toxins in Jujube
Authors: Wang Cheng , Fan Yingying , He Weizhong , Hu Dongqiang , Wu Aibo , Wu Wenliang
Published: September 2018

A simple, rapid and efficient methodology was developed and validated for the analysis of four Alternaria toxins in jujube: Tenuazonic acid, alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, and tentoxin. Under the optimized extraction procedure, chromatographic conditions, and instrumental parameters, the four toxins were effectively extracted via a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method, and quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Matrix-matched calibrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 μg mL−1 were conducted for the quantification due to the matrix effect. A blank jujube sample was spiked at 40, 80 and 160 μg kg−1, obtaining recoveries in the range of 83.5–109.6%. Limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.14–0.26 and 0.47–0.87 μg kg−1, respectively. Finally, the developed method was applied for the quantification of the four toxins in 14 jujube samples, including black spot-infected and uninfected samples. Results showed that the predominant toxin detected in all the samples was tenuazonic acid, the content of which was associated with the infection level; alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, and tentoxin were detected in all the infected samples and some of the uninfected samples with rather low contents.
Characterization of Chicken-Derived Single Chain Antibody Fragments against Venom of Naja Naja Atra
Authors: Lee Chi-Hsin , Leu Sy-Jye , Lee Yu-Ching , Liu Chia-I , Lin Liang-Tzung , Mwale Pharaoh Fellow , Chiang Jen-Ron , Tsai Bor-Yu , Chen Chi-Ching , Hung Ching-Sheng , Yang Yi-Yuan
Published: September 2018

Traditional, horse-derived antivenin is currently the most efficient treatment against snake bites. However, it is costly and has unpredictable side effects. Thus, alternative, cost-effective strategies for producing antivenin are needed. In this study, we immunized hens with inactivated NNA venom proteins from the cobra Naja naja atra (NNA). Purified yolk IgY antibodies showed specific anti-NNA binding activity comparable to that of the equine-derived antivenin. We used phage display technology to generate two antibody libraries containing 9.0 × 108 and 8.4 × 108 clones with a short or long linker, respectively. The phage ELISA indicated that anti-NNA clones displaying single-chain variable fragments (scFv) were significantly enriched after biopanning. The nucleotide sequences of the light and heavy chain genes of 30 monoclonal scFv antibodies were determined and classified into six groups with the short linker and nine groups with the long linker. These scFv clones specifically bound to NNA proteins but not to venom proteins from other snakes. Their binding affinities were further determined by competitive ELISA. Animal model studies showed that anti-NNA IgY antibodies exhibited complete protective effects, while a combination of scFv antibodies raised the survival rates and times of mice challenged with lethal doses of NNA venom proteins.
Ridership and the Built-Form Indicators: A Study from Ahmedabad Janmarg Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS)
Authors: Islam Md Rabiul , Brussel Mark , Grigolon Anna , Munshi Talat
Published: September 2018

Although the Janmarg (people’s way) Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) system in Ahmedabad, India, achieved worldwide accolades since its introduction, it has not reached its expected ridership. In analyzing ridership, research shows that external factors of BRTS such as built-form indicators have a potentially greater effect on ridership than its internal factors. In order to assess the ridership of the Janmarg BRTS, a methodology was developed based on built-form indicators that were quantified using the “5D” approach. The use of appropriate geo-information science (GIS) techniques helped to analyze the built-form spatial data effectively. The calculated built-form indicators were used as inputs in a regression analysis. The consulted literature suggests a relationship between built-form indicators and ridership. However, in the present study this relationship was not confirmed. Moreover, land-use diversity, road connectivity, and job accessibility by BRTS were found to be relatively low. Several policy recommendations were suggested along the BRTS corridors in line with the existing policy such as the utilization of full Floor Space Index potential, the application of Transit Oriented Development strategies and the integration with non-motorized modes to increase the accessibility to the most important job locations.
Investigating Functional Roles for Positive Feedback and Cellular Heterogeneity in the Type I Interferon Response to Viral Infection
Authors: Leviyang Sivan , Griva Igor
Published: September 2018

Secretion of type I interferons (IFN) by infected cells mediates protection against many viruses, but prolonged or excessive type I IFN secretion can lead to immune pathology. A proper type I IFN response must therefore maintain a balance between protection and excessive IFN secretion. It has been widely noted that the type I IFN response is driven by positive feedback and is heterogeneous, with only a fraction of infected cells upregulating IFN expression even in clonal cell lines, but the functional roles of feedback and heterogeneity in balancing protection and excessive IFN secretion are not clear. To investigate the functional roles for feedback and heterogeneity, we constructed a mathematical model coupling IFN and viral dynamics that extends existing mathematical models by accounting for feedback and heterogeneity. We fit our model to five existing datasets, reflecting different experimental systems. Fitting across datasets allowed us to compare the IFN response across the systems and suggested different signatures of feedback and heterogeneity in the different systems. Further, through numerical experiments, we generated hypotheses of functional roles for IFN feedback and heterogeneity consistent with our mathematical model. We hypothesize an inherent tradeoff in the IFN response: a positive feedback loop prevents excessive IFN secretion, but also makes the IFN response vulnerable to viral antagonism. We hypothesize that cellular heterogeneity of the IFN response functions to protect the feedback loop from viral antagonism. Verification of our hypotheses will require further experimental studies. Our work provides a basis for analyzing the type I IFN response across systems.
Catestatin Regulates Epithelial Cell Dynamics to Improve Intestinal Inflammation
Authors: Eissa Nour , Hussein Hayam , Mesgna Ruth , Bonin Sandra , Hendy Geoffrey N. , Metz-Boutigue Marie-Hélène , Bernstein Charles N. , Ghia Jean-Eric
Published: September 2018

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by aberrant regulation of tight junctions (TJ), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and interleukin (IL)-8/18, which lead to intestinal barrier defects. Catestatin (CST), an enterochromaffin-derived peptide, regulates immune communication and STAT-3 in the inflamed intestine. Here, we investigated the effects of CST during the development of inflammation using human biopsies from patients with active UC, human colonic epithelial cells (Caco2), and an experimental model of UC (dextran sulfate sodium [DSS]-colitis). In UC patients, the protein and mRNA level of CST was significantly decreased. Colonic expression of CST showed a strong positive linear relationship with TJ proteins and STAT3, and a strong negative correlation with IL-8 and IL-18. Intra-rectal administration of CST reduced the severity of experimental colitis, IL-18 colonic levels, maintained TJ proteins and enhanced the phosphorylation of STAT3. CST administration increased proliferation, viability, migration, TJ proteins, and p-STAT3 levels, and reduced IL-8 & IL-18 in LPS- & DSS-induced Caco2 cell epithelial injury, and the presence of STAT-3 inhibitor abolished the beneficial effect of CST. In inflammatory conditions, we conclude that CST could regulate intestinal mucosal dynamic via a potential STAT3-dependent pathway that needs to be further defined. Targeting CST in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) should be a promising therapeutic approach such as when intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis is compromised in UC patients.
The Multifaceted Zoonotic Risk of H9N2 Avian Influenza
Authors: Pusch Elizabeth A. , Suarez David L.
Published: September 2018

Poultry-adapted H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are commonly found in many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, and although classified as low pathogenic viruses, they are an economically important disease. Besides the importance of the disease in the poultry industry, some H9N2 AIVs are also known to be zoonotic. The disease in humans appears to cause primarily a mild upper respiratory disease, and doesn’t cause or only rarely causes the severe pneumonia often seen with other zoonotic AIVs like H5N1 or H7N9. Serologic studies in humans, particularly in occupationally exposed workers, show a large number of people with antibodies to H9N2, suggesting infection is commonly occurring. Of the four defined H9N2 poultry lineages, only two lineages, the G1 and the Y280 lineages, are associated with human infections. Almost all of the viruses from humans have a leucine at position 226 (H3 numbering) of the hemagglutinin associated with a higher affinity of binding with α2,6 sialic acid, the host cell receptor most commonly found on glycoproteins in the human upper respiratory tract. For unknown reasons there has also been a shift in recent years of poultry viruses in the G1 and Y280 lineages to also having leucine instead of glutamine, the amino acid found in most avian viruses, at position 226. The G1 and Y280 poultry lineages because of their known ability to infect humans, the high prevalence of the virus in poultry in endemic countries, the lack of antibody in most humans, and the shift of poultry viruses to more human-like receptor binding makes these viruses a human pandemic threat. Increased efforts for control of the virus, including through effective vaccine use in poultry, is warranted for both poultry and public health goals.
Dogs (Canis familiaris) as Sentinels for Human Infectious Disease and Application to Canadian Populations: A Systematic Review
Authors: Bowser Natasha H. , Anderson Neil E.
Published: September 2018

In a world where climate change, vector expansion, human activity, and pathogen dispersal do not respect boundaries, the human–animal–pathogen interface has become less defined. Consequently, a One Health approach to disease surveillance and control has generated much interest across several disciplines. This systematic review evaluates current global research on the use of domestic dogs as sentinels for human infectious disease, and critically appraises how this may be applied within Canada. Results highlighted a bias in research from high- and middle-income-economy countries, with 35% of the studies describing data from the Latin America/Caribbean region, 25% from North America, and 11% from the European/Central Asia region. Bacteria were the most studied type of infectious agent, followed by protozoa, viruses, helminths, and fungi. Only six out of 142 studies described disease in Canada: four researched a variety of pathogens within Indigenous communities, one researched Borrelia burgdorferi in British Columbia, and one researched arboviruses in Quebec. Results from this review suggest that dogs could provide excellent sentinels for certain infectious-disease pathogens in Canada, yet are currently overlooked. Further research into the use of dog-sentinel surveillance is specifically recommended for California serogroup viruses, Chikungunya virus, West Nile virus, Lyme borreliosis, Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Dirofilaria immitis.
Re-Examining Regional Total-Factor Water Efficiency and Its Determinants in China: A Parametric Distance Function Approach
Authors: Zheng Jiao , Zhang Hengquan , Xing Zhencheng
Published: September 2018

It is accepted that improving water efficiency is a key task for China in achieving water sustainability, as the knowledge of water efficiency and its determinants can provide critical information for water policy formulation. To this end, this paper presents a parametric frontier approach to analyze water efficiency performance and its influencing factors in one step. The proposed approach first introduces the Shephard water distance function to construct total-factor water efficiency (TFWE) index and then adopts the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) technique to compute the index and its determinants. A case study of regions in China from 2000 to 2015 is presented. The main findings are summarized as follows: (1) Both the overall China and most of the regions still have room for improvement in water efficiency. SFA and data envelopment analysis (DEA) might lead to different results in benchmarking water efficiency. Moreover, SFA has higher discriminating power than DEA in this regard. (2) There exists significant disparity of water efficiency among the regions of China, and the difference in TFWE takes on a U-shaped evolution trend, which first decreases in a fluctuation way and then increases monotonically. (3) Factors like industrial structure, import and export trade, environmental regulation and urbanization level have a positive impact on water efficiency, while resource endowment and economic level exhibit negative and nonlinear effects, respectively. Finally, several policy recommendations are made to improve water efficiency levels and promote water sustainability.
Optimal Allocation of Water Resources from the “Wide-Mild Water Shortage” Perspective
Authors: He Huaxiang , Yin Mingwan , Chen Aiqi , Liu Junqiu , Xie Xinmin , Yang Zhaohui
Published: September 2018

A major objective of the optimization of water resources allocation is to ensure the supply an adequate amount of water to users at the right time and maximize the utilization of water resources. However, in case of insufficient water supply, water shortage is likely to occur intensively for specific water users or in specific periods, referred to as a “concentrated water shortage”. The risk of a concentrated water shortage should be shared across a wider range of users and periods, so that it would have a less severe impact on each calculation unit in each period, which we refer to as the “wide-mild water shortage”. In this study, the nonlinear weight of the water supply objective function can be converted into a piecewise linear weight based on the law of diminishing marginal utility, making it possible to reduce or even eliminate the concentrated water shortage and thus making the allocation of water resources more reasonable. The case study in the Nen River basin in northeast China shows that the improved method results in a significant increase in water shortage units but a significant reduction in water shortage range. As a consequence, water shortage is more uniformly distributed from April to June, which contributes to solving the concentrated water shortage problem in May. However, it should be noted that to what extent the wide-mild water shortage can be realized depends not only on the marginal utility of water demand, but also on the available water supply and the regulative capacity of water supply projects. In spite of this, the improved method enables water to be supplied more suitably for users at the appropriate time, which contributes to improving the utilization of water resources and helping decision-makers better address the problem of concentrated water shortage.
The Effect of Bedrock Topography on Timing and Location of Landslide Initiation Using the Local Factor of Safety Concept
Authors: Moradi Shirin , Huisman Johan Alexander , Class Holger , Vereecken Harry
Published: September 2018

Bedrock topography is known to affect subsurface water flow and thus the spatial distribution of pore water pressure, which is a key factor for determining slope stability. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bedrock topography on the timing and location of landslide initiation using 2D and 3D simulations with a hydromechanical model and the Local Factor of Safety (LFS) method. A set of synthetic modeling experiments was performed where water flow and slope stability were simulated for 2D and 3D slopes with layers of variable thickness and hydraulic parameters. In particular, the spatial and temporal development of water content, pore water pressure, and the resulting LFS were analyzed. The results showed that the consideration of variable bedrock topography can have a significant effect on slope stability and that this effect is highly dependent on the intensity of the event rainfall. In addition, it was found that the consideration of 3D water flow may either increase or decrease the predicted stability depending on how bedrock topography affected the redistribution of infiltrated water.
Optimization Model for Agricultural Reclaimed Water Allocation Using Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming
Authors: Aljanabi Ahmed A. , Mays Larry W. , Fox Peter
Published: September 2018

Reclaimed water (RW) is a reliable alternative water supply for irrigation in the agricultural sector, which is the predominant consumer of water in Iraq. A mixed-integer nonlinear programming reclaimed water allocation optimization model was developed to maximize the net benefit generated from the cultivation of different types of crops, comparing the use of reclaimed water type A (tertiary treated water), and reclaimed water type B (secondary treated water). The model was solved using the Algorithms for coNTinuous/Integer Global Optimization of Nonlinear Equations (ANTIGONE) optimizer in the general algebraic modeling system (GAMS). A total of 84 agricultural farms located on 5300 ha to the south of Baghdad, Iraq were available for irrigation with reclaimed water. Analysis considered varying quantities of available reclaimed water and different irrigation efficiencies (45–85%). The net benefits from using lower quantities of reclaimed water were similar for both types of reclaimed water, and the highest net benefit crop was cultivated on 384 ha. As the quantities of water increased, the amount of cultivated land increased and the net benefit per hectare decreased as the model required the cultivation of more crops with lower economic value. Irrigation with reclaimed water has potential to increase agricultural and economic activity adjacent to Baghdad.
Enumerating the Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources Using GCM Scenarios at the Xin’anjiang Watershed, China
Authors: Zaman Muhammad , Naveed Anjum Muhammad , Usman Muhammad , Ahmad Ijaz , Saifullah Muhammad , Yuan Shouqi , Liu Shiyin
Published: September 2018

The present study developed a novel approach to study the climate change impact on the water resources and generation of hydropower optimally using forecasted stream flows for the Xin’anjiang water shed in China. Future flows were projected using six large-scale Global circulation models (GCMs) with RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. A newly developed mathematical modeling using particle swarm optimization was incorporated to work out the projected optimal electricity generation from the Xin’anjiang hydropower station. The results reveal that watershed will be warmer by the end of the 21st century with a maximum increase of up to 4.9 °C for mean maximum, and 4.8 °C for mean minimum temperature. Six GCMs under Representative Concentration pathways (RCPs) showed that future precipitation is complex to predict with certainty and significant differences were observed among the different GCMs. The overall mean monthly and seasonal precipitation increase for most scenarios with the maximum increase during the 2020s and 2080s, whereas 2050s exhibited the lesser increase. Resultantly, there would be an increase in the stream flows during these periods, which was used for electricity production up to 31.41 × 108 kW·h.
Denitrification-Potential Evaluation and Nitrate-Removal-Pathway Analysis of Aerobic Denitrifier Strain Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus RAD-2
Authors: Kong Dedong , Li Wenbing , Deng Yale , Ruan Yunjie , Chen Guangsuo , Yu Jianhai , Lin Fucheng
Published: September 2018

An aerobic denitrifier was isolated from a long-term poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) PHBV-supported denitrification reactor that operated under alternate aerobic/anoxic conditions. The strain was identified as Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus RAD-2 based on 16S rRNA-sequence phylogenetic analysis. Morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and phylogenetic characteristics were analyzed with the API 20NE test. Strain RAD-2 showed efficient aerobic denitrification ability when using NO3−-N or NO2−-N as its only nitrogen source, while heterotrophic nitrification was not detected. The average NO3−-N and NO2−-N removal rates were 6.47 mg/(L·h)and 6.32 mg/(L·h), respectively. Single-factor experiments indicated that a 5:10 C/N ratio, 25–40 °C temperature, and 100–150 rpm rotation speed were the optimal conditions for aerobic denitrification. Furthermore, the denitrifying gene napA had the highest expression on a transcriptional level, followed by the denitrifying genes nirS and nosZ. The norB gene was found to have significantly low expression during the experiment. Overall, great aerobic denitrification ability makes the RAD-2 strain a potential alternative in enhancing nitrate management for marine recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) practices.
Evaluation of Hydraulic Performance Characteristics of a Newly Designed Dynamic Fluidic Sprinkler
Authors: Zhu Xingye , Fordjour Alexander , Yuan Shouqi , Dwomoh Frank , Ye Daoxing
Published: September 2018

A newly designed dynamic fluidic sprinkler was tested with different types of nozzles at different operating pressures. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to evaluate the hydraulic performance of a newly designed dynamic fluidic sprinkler. MATLAB R2014a software was employed to establish the computational program for the computed uniformity. Droplet sizes were determined using a Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor. Results showed that the nozzle with a diameter of 5.5 mm gave the highest coefficient of uniformity value of 86% at a low pressure of 150 kPa. The comparison of water distribution profiles for the nozzle sizes (2, 3, 4, 5.5, 6 and 7 mm) at different operating pressures (100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 kPa) showed that a 5.5-mm nozzle size produced a parabola-shaped profile at 150 kPa. The mean droplet diameters for the nozzles sizes of 2, 3, 4, 5.5, 6 and 7 mm ranged from 0 to 4.2, 0 to 3.7, 0 to 3.6, 0 to 3.2, 0 to 0.5 and 0 to 3.8 mm, respectively. The comparison of droplet size distributions showed that 5.5 mm had the optimum droplet diameter of 3.2 mm. The largest droplet sizes had a maximum value of 4.0 for a 2-mm nozzle size. For all the nozzles sizes, 5.5 mm produced better results for hydraulic performance, which can significantly improve the performance and save water for crop production in sprinkler-irrigated fields.
Long-Term Suspended Sediment Concentrations and Loads from a Relatively Undisturbed Agroforested Catchment in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Rodríguez-Blanco M. Luz , Taboada-Castro M. Mercedes , Taboada-Castro M. Teresa
Published: September 2018

The suspended sediment dynamics in small catchments are difficult to estimate accurately because they result from the coupling of complex processes occurring at different scales. In this study, the dynamics of suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) and loads were assessed in an agroforested humid catchment in NW Spain, based on a long-term rainfall, discharge and suspended sediment dataset (12 hydrological years) from high-frequency monitoring. The results highlight the episodic nature of sediment transport in the study area, given that about 78% of SS was exported over 10% of the study period. The SS transport was related to runoff generation and flooding, although sediment availability also played an important role in SS transport. The SS load was mainly driven by high-magnitude rainfall events, while intense rainfall episodes generated high SSC peaks. The mean annual suspended sediment yield was relatively low from a quantitative stand point (10 Mg km−2 y−1); however, during 11% of the monitoring, SS concentrations exceeding the threshold threatened surface water quality (Freshwater Fish Directive 78/659/EEC and Directive 75/440/EEC), mainly during runoff events, indicating the need to adopt management practices in order to reduce or mitigate sediment loss during such episodes.
A New Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Water Quality: Improved Fuzzy Support Vector Machine
Authors: Shan Wei , Cai Shensheng , Liu Chen
Published: September 2018

With the pressure of population growth and environmental pollution, it is particularly important to develop and utilize water resources more rationally, safely, and efficiently. Due to safety concerns, the government today adopts a pessimistic method, single factor assessment, for the evaluation of domestic water quality. At the same time, however, it is impossible to grasp the timely comprehensive pollution status of each area, so effective measures cannot be taken in time to reverse or at least alleviate its deterioration. Thus, the main propose of this paper is to establish a comprehensive evaluation model of water quality, which can provide the managers with timely information of water pollution in various regions. After considering various evaluation methods, this paper finally decided to use the fuzzy support vector machine method (FSVM) to establish the model that is mentioned above. The FSVM method is formed by applying the membership function to the support vector machine. However, the existing membership functions have some shortcomings, so after some improvements in these functions, a new membership function is finally formed. The model is then tested on the artificial data, UCI dataset, and water quality evaluation historical data. The results show that the improvement is meaningful, the improved fuzzy support vector machine has good performance, and it can deal with noise and outliers well. Thus, the model can completely solve the problem of comprehensive evaluation of water quality.
Comprehensive Comparison between Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Using a Multi-Dimensional Techno-Economic Assessment Diagram: Concept and Application
Authors: Hara Takuya
Published: September 2018

This paper presents a visualization methodology, in the form of a multi-dimensional techno-economic assessment diagram, to comprehensively illustrate the relationship between assumptions (sets of input parameters) and results (corresponding output variables). This methodology is applied to analyze the lifecycle costs and CO2 emissions of hybrid vehicles (HVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). This paper then develops an eight-dimensional interactive diagram showing the relative advantages of HVs or EVs in the input space consisting of the following parameters: HV fuel efficiency; EV energy efficiency, total mileage travelled gasoline price, electricity price, battery price, gasoline CO2 intensity, and electricity CO2 intensity. This methodology provides a map illustrating the comprehensive relationship between the inputs and outputs in the model used, where specific scenarios (specific sets of inputs and their outputs) are represented by points plotted on the map. This methodology can be used in systematic comparisons of electric vehicles and related uncertainty analyses.
Non-agglomerated silicon–organic nanoparticles and their nanocomplexes with oligonucleotides: synthesis and properties
Authors: Levina Asya S , Repkova Marina N , Shikina Nadezhda V , Ismagilov Zinfer R , Yashnik Svetlana A , Semenov Dmitrii V , Savinovskaya Yulia I , Mazurkova Natalia A , Pyshnaya Inna A , Zarytova Valentina F
Published: September 2018

The development of efficient and convenient systems for the delivery of nucleic-acid-based drugs into cells is an urgent task. А promising approach is the use of various nanoparticles. Silica nanoparticles can be used as vehicles to deliver nucleic acid fragments into cells. In this work, we developed a method for the synthesis of silicon–organic (Si–NH2) non-agglomerated nanoparticles by the hydrolysis of aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The resulting product forms a clear solution containing nanoparticles in the form of low molecular weight polymer chains with [─Si(OH)(C3H6NH2)O─] monomer units. Oligonucleotides (ODN) were conjugated to the prepared Si–NH2 nanoparticles using the electrostatic interaction between positively charged amino groups of nanoparticles and negatively charged internucleotide phosphate groups in oligonucleotides. The Si–NH2 nanoparticles and Si–NH2·ODN nanocomplexes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and IR and electron spectroscopy. The size and zeta potential values of the prepared nanoparticles and nanocomplexes were evaluated. Oligonucleotides in Si–NH2·ODN complexes retain their ability to form complementary duplexes. The Si–NH2Flu nanoparticles and Si–NH2·ODNFlu nanocomplexes were shown by fluorescence microscopy to penetrate into human cells. The Si–NH2Flu nanoparticles predominantly accumulated in the cytoplasm whereas ODNFlu complexes were predominantly detected in the cellular nuclei. The Si–NH2·ODN nanocomplexes demonstrated a high antisense activity against the influenza A virus in a cell culture at a concentration that was lower than their 50% toxic concentration by three orders of magnitude.
Expression Rate and PAX5 Gene Methylation in the Blood of People Suffering from Gastric Cancer
Authors: Haghverdi Mozhdeh Khajeh , Moslemi Elham
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the most important health issues in the world. Considering the lack of plenty of pre-awarenesses, the survival of gastric cancer is still quite disappointing. Methylation of PAX5 gene promoter is observed in most cancer cells of a human. A study has shown that PAX5 is a new tumoral suppressor in gastric cancer and methylation of the PAX5 promoter is associated with the survival rate of gastric cancer.
AIM: The present research seeks to study the expression rate and methylation of the PAX5 gene in the blood of patients who have gastric cancer to be used as a biomarker in this type of cancer.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Real-time PCR technique was used to assess expression of PAX5 gene, while the methylation status of PAX5 gene promoter in the blood samples of people who have gastric cancer versus blood samples obtained from normal Iranian population was studied using MS PCR technique.
RESULTS: The final results pointed to the fact that expression of PAX5 in blood samples obtained from those who have gastric cancer is much less than what is observed in normal blood samples. A significant correlation was also observed between expression of this gene and age and promoter methylation rate. The results of methylation also indicated that 28% of PAX5 gene promoters among patients were methylated, while all normal samples were non-methylated.
CONCLUSION: Studying the decrease observed in PAX5 gene expression and the rise in promoter methylation can be utilised as a biomarker to enhance pre-awareness of gastric cancer.
Efficacy of Fiber Post Bonding To Root Dentin after Different Obturation Techniques and Cementation Timings: In Vitro Study
Authors: Atia Rami M. , Omar Nada , Nabil Haidy , Aly Yousra
Published: September 2018

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the effect of obturation technique and cementation timings on the bonding of fibre-reinforced posts to the root canal walls.
METHODS: Twenty extracted teeth were randomly allocated to two groups according to the obturation technique and cementation timing. Central incisors with single canals were used after being decoronated. Every extracted tooth of the {vertical compaction group} (VC) group (n = 10) had been obturated using the {E & Q plus obturation system} with posts cemented in the same day; The other (CO) conventional group (n = 10) teeth were obturated using the conventional lateral compaction technique and posts cemented after one week. “SF“ Fiber posts were used after bonding and cementation using Rely X ARC resin cement with all the endodontically treated teeth. The push-out test was performed in a universal testing machine. Data were analysed by 2 way analysis of variance with Statistical significance was set to 0.05.
RESULTS: Heat softened gutta percha group showed more push out the bond strength of the bonded posts than the conventional obturation group (p < 0.05). In the middle region, there was no statistical significance between the two groups while there was significance in the coronal and apical thirds.
CONCLUSION: The vertical compaction technique and early cementation improved the bond strength of the resin posts in comparison to the conventional obturation technique with late cementation.
Acupuncture Treatment for Fertility
Authors: Zhu Jihe , Arsovska Blagica , Kozovska Kristina
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND: Infertility is considered an inability to conceive in a sexually active couple who are trying to get pregnant for one year. About 8-12% of the couples in the world are facing problems with infertility, and in this modern times the per cent is getting bigger, and 20% of the cases are due to both male and female factor. By the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) infertility occurs due to disrupted vital balance and blockages in the Qi energy and Blood circulation flow.
CASE REPORT: We present a case of a young couple, 28 years old man and woman who were unable to conceive after trying for a year. Both were treated with acupuncture treatment in a clinic for TCM and acupuncture in Skopje, Macedonia. Treatments were with duration of 35-40 minutes on both sides of the body. Treatments were done indoors, at room temperature, once a week in three months. The man has done 4 treatments to improve the sperm quality. The woman had ovarian cysts which were gone after 7 treatments and succeeded to get pregnant. Acupoints that were used in the treatment in both patients are: HN1 (SiShenCong), LI4 (HeGu), ST36 (ZuSanLi), GB34 (YangLingQuan), SP9 (YinLingQuan), SP6 (SanYinJiao), LR3 (TaiChong), RN13 (ZhongWan), RN7 (QiHai), RN4 (GuanYuan), RN2 (QuGu), ST29 (GuiLai), ST25 (TianShu), GB20 (FengChi), DU14 (DaZhui), BL18 (GanShu), BL19 (DanShu), BL20 (PiShu), BL21 (WeiShu), BL25 DaChangShu) and BL32 (CiLiao).
CONCLUSION: Acupuncture as a treatment for infertility shows great results both in man and women. Acupuncture can be considered as successful treatment in restoring fertility in the patients, by improving the sperm quality and ovaries function and balancing the endocrine system and hormones.
Contested conjugality? Sinhalese marriage practices in eighteenth-century Dutch colonial Sri Lanka
Authors: Bulten Luc , Kok Jan , Lyna Dries , Rupesinghe Nadeera
Published: September 2018

Le Sri Lanka, sous contrôle hollandais au xviii e siècle, nous offre la possibilité d’étudier l’influence du contrôle administratif sur le quotidien de la vie familiale en contexte colonial. Cet article concentre son attention sur les modalités d’enregistrement par les documents administratifs néerlandais des pratiques matrimoniales cinghalaises. Nous savons, grâce à différentes sources, que ces dernières étaient jugées tout à fait indécentes par les calvinistes hollandais, car elles impliquaient souvent de la cohabitation prénuptiale, un divorce facile et même de la polyandrie. Pour saisir les différences entre les attitudes néerlandaises, d’un côté, et cinghalaises, de l’autre, vis-à-vis de la définition de l’union matrimoniale – mais aussi de la contestation de son contenu – cet article analyse en premier lieu pour environ 200 villages des documents administratifs appelés thombos, qui se présentent comme une combinaison complexe de recensement, de cadastre et de reconstruction généalogique. Ces documents offrent un éclairage unique sur les Cinghalais et leur vie familiale. Nous nous sommes demandé quelles catégories furent utilisées par les recenseurs locaux pour déterminer les différentes formes d’état civil, et dans quelle mesure les Cinghalais pouvaient influencer ou résister à leur catégorisation, compte tenu de la situation politique de leur famille, de leur caste et de la hiérarchie féodale. Dans un second temps, deux conflits d’héritage au sein de familles cinghalaises, portés devant les tribunaux de droit colonial néerlandais, ont été examinés afin de déterminer si et de quelle manière les définitions juridiques néerlandaises du mariage jouaient un rôle dans la vie quotidienne coloniale. Bien que la morale calviniste ait explicitement contesté certaines interprétations du mariage cinghalais, le bon sens pratique devait triompher de la morale religieuse si les administrateurs coloniaux voulaient gérer la colonie aussi efficacement que possible. Le profit l’emportait sur les principes, car les Néerlandais dépendaient largement de l’organisation traditionnelle de la main-d’œuvre, qui était rattachée à la terre. En pratique, par conséquent, ils semblent avoir accepté de nombreux arrangements familiaux traditionnels cinghalais. Les affaires judiciaires indiquent cependant que certains Cinghalais étaient habilement disposés à adopter l’interprétation néerlandaise de l’union matrimoniale, et utilisaient l’administration néerlandaise pour améliorer leur situation individuelle, y compris au détriment de leur propre famille ou parenté. Les traditions conjugales du Sri Lanka au xviii e siècle furent ainsi contestées à la fois par les Hollandais et les Cinghalais.
Genre et violences sexuelles commises contre des enfants dans les registres judiciaires de Bologne au xv e siècle
Authors: Lett Didier
Published: September 2018

Dans les registres de la justice pénale ( libri maleficiorum ) de Bologne entre 1383 et 1491, ont pu être comptabilisés plus de cent viols d’enfants ou d’adolescents, autant de garçons que de filles. Malgré ce parfait équilibre statistique entre les sexes, on observe de profondes différences entre les violences perpétrées contre les filles et les sévices imposés aux garçons. Les filles, dont on connaît presque toujours le prénom, sont, en moyenne, abusées à un âge plus précoce que les garçons. Pour souligner leur non consentement (car il ne va pas de soi à la fin du Moyen Âge), le notaire insiste sur le fait qu’elles mènent une vie honnête et n’ont pas pu crier au moment du drame. Elles sont souvent frappées avant, pendant et parfois après les violences subies. Elles sont « connues charnellement et de manière violente », comme le sont les femmes adultes. Les peines imposées à leur agresseur sont relativement légères, souvent pécuniaires. En revanche, les garçons, en moyenne un peu plus âgés que les filles et dont il semble très souvent préférable de taire l’identité, sont sodomisés. Cette pénétration anale donne lieu de la part du notaire à un récit plus détaillé du coït et surtout à de très riches et nombreux termes juridiques visant à disqualifier le coupable et l’acte et à proclamer l’abomination du crime qui outrage non seulement les statuts de la cité et la vie de la commune mais aussi les bonnes mœurs et Dieu. Pour ce type de « sodomites », pervers, les peines sont donc beaucoup plus lourdes (souvent la peine capitale par le feu). Cet article cherche aussi à poser la question de l’existence ou non, au cours du xv e siècle à Bologne, d’un crime spécifique pour désigner les violences sexuelles commises contre des enfants qui s’apparenterait à ce que nous nommons aujourd’hui « pédophilie ».
Gestaltwerdung gesteigerten Denkens. Zu Ernst Kreneks Essayistik der Zwischenkriegszeit
Authors: Unterberger Rebecca
Published: September 2018

Ernst Krenek a été sans nul doute un des compositeurs de l’entre-deux-guerres qui ont connu le plus de succès. Que l’on se rappelle par exemple son « opéra jazz » de 1927, Johnny spielt auf . Mais lui-même se considérait comme un écrivain, ce dont témoignent, pour la période 1924-1938, quelque cinq cents textes de sa main : livrets d’opéras, causeries (radiophoniques), plans de discours et, surtout, contributions à des journaux. Le présent article traite des travaux journalistiques, quasiment inconnus, de Krenek publiés dans des journaux et des revues influents des années 1920-1930, qui sont bien davantage que des informations que le compositeur donnerait sur son travail personnel. Critique littéraire ( Frankfurter Zeitung , Wiener Zeitung ), Krenek a pris part notamment aux discussions sur la « Nouvelle Objectivité » et la littérature de l’exil en langue allemande. On retrace, en ouverture, le débat entre Krenek et Theodor W. Adorno publié dans Les Feuilles musicales viennoises L’Âge nouveau . Le sujet en était les notions de « progrès » et de « réaction » en musique. Il y fut question aussi de la théorie surréaliste de l’art et, last but not least , des positions politiques divergentes des deux hommes.
L’ homme de Pierre : la trajectoire immergée de l’apôtre dans l’Évangile de Matthieu
Authors: Rohmer Céline
Published: September 2018

Matthieu a construit son propre Pierre, il en a sculpté les contours. Par son travail rédactionnel et ses ajouts de matériaux propres, il a tracé pour ce disciple un parcours spécifique qu’il propose en retour à son lecteur. En observant les principaux épisodes étroitement liés à la figure du Pierre matthéen, Céline ROHMER propose de mettre au jour ce qui les relie silencieusement. Ainsi de la première à la dernière mention de Pierre, le lecteur pressent un parcours immergé dans les profondeurs du récit, confié à son travail interprétatif. En chemin vers Jérusalem, la métaphore de la pierre s’anime et laisse entrevoir une humanité que le « premier disciple » ne soupçonnait pas.