bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ocean Surface Cross Section for Bistatic HF Radar Incorporating a Six DOF Oscillation Motion Model
Authors: Yao Guowei , Xie Junhao , Huang Weimin
Published: November 2019

To investigate the characteristics of sea clutter, based on ocean surface electromagnetic scattering theory, the first- and second-order ocean surface scattering cross sections for bistatic high-frequency (HF) radar incorporating a multi-frequency six degree-of-freedom (DOF) oscillation motion model are mathematically derived. The derived radar cross sections (RCSs) can be reduced to the floating platform based monostatic case or onshore bistatic case for corresponding geometry setting. Simulation results show that the six DOF oscillation motion will result in more additional peaks in the radar Doppler spectra and the amplitudes and frequencies of these motion-induced peaks are decided by the amplitudes and frequencies of the oscillation motion. The effect of the platform motion on the first-order radar spectrum is greater than that of the second-order, and the motion-induced peaks in the first-order spectrum may overlap with the second-order spectrum. Furthermore, yaw is the dominant factor affecting the radar spectra, especially the second-order. Moreover, the effect of platform motion on radar spectra and the amplitudes of the second-order spectrum decreases as the bistatic angle increases. In addition, it should be noted that the amplitudes of the Bragg peaks may be lower than those of the motion-induced peaks due to the low frequency (LF) oscillation motion of the floating platform, which is an important finding for the applications of the floating platform based bistatic HF radar in moving target detection and ocean surface dynamics parameter estimation.
Soft Magnetic Amorphous Microwires for Stress and Temperature Sensory Applications
Authors: Panina Larissa , Dzhumazoda Abdukarim , Nematov Makhsudsho , Alam Junaid , Trukhanov Alex , Yudanov Nikolay , Morchenko Alexander , Rodionova Valeria , Zhukov Arcady
Published: November 2019

Amorphous ferromagnetic materials in the form of microwires are of interest for the development of various sensors. This paper analyzes and argues for the use of microwires of two basic compositions of Co71Fe5B11Si10Cr3 and Fe3.9(4.9)Co64.82B10.2Si12Cr9(8)Mo0.08 as stress/strain and temperature sensors, respectively. The following properties make them suitable for innovative applications: miniature dimensions, small coercivity, low anisotropy and magnetostriction, tunable magnetic structure, magnetic anisotropy, and Curie temperature by annealing. For example, these sensors can be used for testing the internal stress/strain condition of polymer composite materials and controlling the temperature of hypothermia treatments. The sensing operation is based on the two fundamental effects: the generation of higher frequency harmonics of the voltage pulse induced during remagnetization in wires demonstrating magnetic bistability, and magnetoimpedance.
A Quantized CNN-Based Microfluidic Lensless-Sensing Mobile Blood-Acquisition and Analysis System
Authors: Liao Yumin , Yu Ningmei , Tian Dian , Li Shuaijun , Li Zhengpeng
Published: November 2019

This paper proposes a microfluidic lensless-sensing mobile blood-acquisition and analysis system. For a better tradeoff between accuracy and hardware cost, an integer-only quantization algorithm is proposed. Compared with floating-point inference, the proposed quantization algorithm makes a tradeoff that enables miniaturization while maintaining high accuracy. The quantization algorithm allows the convolutional neural network (CNN) inference to be carried out using integer arithmetic and facilitates hardware implementation with area and power savings. A dual configuration register group structure is also proposed to reduce the interval idle time between every neural network layer in order to improve the CNN processing efficiency. We designed a CNN accelerator architecture for the integer-only quantization algorithm and the dual configuration register group and implemented them in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA). A microfluidic chip and mobile lensless sensing cell image acquisition device were also developed, then combined with the CNN accelerator to build the mobile lensless microfluidic blood image-acquisition and analysis prototype system. We applied the cell segmentation and cell classification CNN in the system and the classification accuracy reached 98.44%. Compared with the floating-point method, the accuracy dropped by only 0.56%, but the area decreased by 45%. When the system is implemented with the maximum frequency of 100 MHz in the FPGA, a classification speed of 17.9 frames per second (fps) can be obtained. The results show that the quantized CNN microfluidic lensless-sensing blood-acquisition and analysis system fully meets the needs of current portable medical devices, and is conducive to promoting the transformation of artificial intelligence (AI)-based blood cell acquisition and analysis work from large servers to portable cell analysis devices, facilitating rapid early analysis of diseases.
Youth and Caregiver Agreement of Youth Symptoms in Language Concordant and Discordant Dyads: Is Something Lost in Translation?
Authors: Bridges Ana J. , Guzman Linda E. , Melkonian Alex
Published: November 2019

Caregivers are primarily responsible for seeking care on behalf of youth, so understanding how primary language relates to caregiver–youth agreement of youth symptoms is critical to extending the reach of mental health services. In this study, 145 youth (61% female; ages 12–17 years) and their caregivers, who received behavioral health services at primary care clinics, completed measures of youth symptoms in their primary language. We hypothesized primary language concordant caregiver–youth dyads would show higher agreement when reporting on youth symptoms than language discordant dyads, and youth and their caregivers would show higher agreement when reporting on behavioral (e.g., doing drugs, getting into arguments) rather than on internal (e.g., worrying, feeling worthless) symptoms. Overall, agreement in language concordant dyads ranged from r = 0.551 to 0.615, while in discordant dyads agreement ranged from r = 0.279 to 0.441. Consistent with our hypothesis, language concordant dyads demonstrated significantly greater agreement than discordant dyads for most of the analyses. Contrary to our hypothesis, agreement was similar for internalizing and externalizing symptom clusters. Results suggest primary language differences between youth and caregivers are associated with lower agreement about youth problems; youth generally report higher symptom frequency than their caregivers.
Sustainable Diet Dimensions. Comparing Consumer Preference for Nutrition, Environmental and Social Responsibility Food Labelling: A Systematic Review
Authors: Tobi Rebecca C. A. , Harris Francesca , Rana Ritu , Brown Kerry A. , Quaife Matthew , Green Rosemary
Published: November 2019

Global food systems are currently challenged by unsustainable and unhealthy consumption and production practices. Food labelling provides information on key characteristics of food items, thereby potentially driving more sustainable food choices or demands. This review explores how consumers value three different elements of sustainable diets: Comparing consumer response to nutrition information on food labels against environmental and/or social responsibility information. Six databases were systematically searched for studies examining consumer choice/preference/evaluation of nutrition against environmental and/or social responsibility attributes on food labels. Studies were quality assessed against domain-based criteria and reported using PRISMA guidelines. Thirty articles with 19,040 participants met inclusion criteria. Study quality was mixed, with samples biased towards highly-educated females. Environmental and social responsibility attributes were preferred to nutrition attributes in 17 studies (11 environmental and six social), compared to nine where nutrition attributes were valued more highly. Three studies found a combination of attributes were valued more highly than either attribute in isolation. One study found no significant preference. The most preferred attribute was organic labelling, with a health inference likely. Consumers generally have a positive view of environmental and social responsibility food labelling schemes. Combination labelling has potential, with a mix of sustainable diet attributes appearing well-received.
Urban Regeneration Projects Bound to Water, along and towards the Tagus Estuary (Portugal)
Authors: Anastasia Caterina
Published: November 2019

Water is becoming a support for landscape and urban projects in a densely urbanised area settled along the Tagus Estuary, dubbed the City of the Tagus Estuary (CTE). Analysing two recent projects along and towards the Tagus Estuary hydrographic network, this article highlights how the most evident limit (the water) can function as the strongest binder, natural link, and shared public space of the CTE. Located, respectively, on the north and south banks of the estuary, the analysed projects become a way to think about urban strategies and promotions that use water as a way to build (re-build or reformulate) the image of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Today, open spaces bound to waterlines support an appealing and winning urban regeneration formula. Our goal is to understand what kind of role water is called to play with regard to the CTE. We ask: is the water called to play merely the role of building a new image of the city as a ground for investors? Is water the way to build a green and habitable CTE? This article concludes that the analysed projects contribute (as expected) to the promotion of the surrounding areas and propose appropriate solutions while occasionally overcoming the current local urban planning.
An Optimal Purchase Decision of Reusable Packaging in the Automotive Industry
Authors: Na Byungsoo , Sim Min Kyu , Lee Won Ju
Published: November 2019

Among the many components of material delivery operations, packaging is one of the foundations of secure and cost-efficient on-time delivery. Current environmental concerns have increased the popularity of returnable packaging over disposable packaging. This study considers a supply chain in the automotive industry where a single supplier adopts returnable packages for delivery operations to a single recipient. If a returnable package is not available, then an expendable package will be used as a more expensive alternative. Thus, an investment decision on the number of returnable packages must be made prior to launching a returnable packaging system. Using the actual data from an automotive supply chain, this study conducts simulated experiments, under the uncertainty of future demand and required lead time of reverse logistics, to identify the optimal quantity of returnable packages. Sensitivity analysis is then performed by varying the assumptions on operation duration, demand variability, and lead time variability. In general, the results indicate that a greater initial purchase of returnable packages is desirable for longer operation duration, higher demand variability, and higher lead time variability. However, if operation duration is short and the uncertainty is high, then there may be little benefit in using reusable packages. These results generalize the findings from previous studies. This approach and solution can enhance reliable and efficient supply chain operations in the automotive industry and may be applied to other industries where packaging is important and expensive.
Effect of Fertilization in Selected Phytometric Features and Contents of Bioactive Compounds in Dry Matter of Two Varieties of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)
Authors: Matłok Natalia , Gorzelany Józef , Stępień Agnieszka Ewa , Figiel Adam , Balawejder Maciej
Published: November 2019

This study investigated the effects of sustainable, organic and standard mineral fertilization in selected phytometric features and contents of bioactive compounds in dry matter of two varieties of Ocimum basilicum L. The herbal material was first examined for its phytometric characterisation and then subjected to the combined convective pre-drying and vacuum-microwave finish drying method (CPD-VMFD). The energy consumption for the drying process of plant material in the case of CPD-VMFD is lower in comparison to the convection method (CD). The obtained dry material was assessed for determination of the colour parameters. Next, the analysis to identify the total content of polyphenols and the antioxidant properties (ABTS) was done. The dried material was subjected to head space–solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) to determine volatile compound content. The herbal material obtained from the basil cultivated with an addition of sustainable, organic fertilizer was found to have a significantly higher content of bioactive compounds than the control, especially of polyphenols and volatile compounds like eucalyptol. Presumably, this is an effect of the elicitation process resulting from the fact that extract from common nettle was applied as an organic fertilizer component.
A Nutritional Evaluation of Insect Meal as a Sustainable Protein Source for Jumbo Quails: Physiological and Meat Quality Responses
Authors: Mbhele Fezile G. T. , Mnisi Caven Mguvane , Mlambo Victor
Published: November 2019

The use of insect meals in place of soybean meal in diets is critical for sustainable intensification of poultry production, but the utility of this alternative dietary protein source is unknown for the Jumbo quail. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of partial substitution of soybean with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal on feed intake, physiological, and meat quality parameters of Jumbo quails. Three hundred and fifteen mixed-gender quails (53.8 ± 5.19 g live-weight) were reared on five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets formulated by replacing soybean products with BSFL meal at 0 (BSFL0), 25 (BSFL25), 50 (BSFL50), 75 (BSFL75), and 100 (BSFL100) g/kg. Feed intake, body weight gain, gain-to-feed ratio (G:F), blood parameters, and carcass and meat quality traits were determined. Quadratic trends were observed for overall feed intake (y = 605 (±17.56) + 2.1 (±0.82)x − 0.02 (±0.008)x2; R2 = 0.20; p = 0.023) and overall body weight gain (y = 155 (±4.70) + 0.57 (±0.22)x − 0.005 (±0.002)x2; R2 = 0.22; p = 0.026) in response to BSFL levels. However, there were neither linear nor quadratic trends for meat quality and blood parameters, except for albumin-to-globulin ratio. Only gizzard size linearly increased (y = 0.05 (±0.004)x + 2.3 (±0.09); R2 = 0.18; p = 0.04) with BSFL levels. We concluded that BSFL meal could replace soybean products in Jumbo quail diets at 54 g/kg without compromising weight gain and meat quality.
Maintenance Cost Estimation in PSCI Girder Bridges Using Updating Probabilistic Deterioration Model
Authors: Lee Jin Hyuk , Choi Yangrok , Ann Hojune , Jin Sung Yeol , Lee Seung-Jung , Kong Jung Sik
Published: November 2019

A deterioration model plays an important role to predict the valid total maintenance cost for sustainable maintenance of bridges. In the current state-of-the-art, the deterioration model has regression parameters as a probabilistic process by an initially determined mean and standard deviation, called an existing model. However, the existing model has difficulty to predict maintenance costs accurately, because it cannot reflect an information based on structural damage at an operational stage. In this research, updating the probabilistic deterioration model is presented for the prediction of pre-stressed concrete I-type (PSCI) girder bridges using a particle filtering technique which is an advanced Bayesian updating method based on big data analysis. The method enables predicting maintenance cost fitted in the current structural status, which includes the recent information by inspection with bridge-monitoring. The method is adapted in the Mokdo Bridge which is currently being used for evaluating the efficiency of maintenance cost by effects on updated probabilistic values with two different scenarios. As the result, it is shown that the proposed method is effective in predicting maintenance costs.
Sustainable Diets and Meat Consumption Reduction in Emerging Economies: Evidence from Colombia
Authors: Blanco-Murcia Laura , Ramos-Mejía Mónica
Published: November 2019

The growing demand for meat and animal products in emerging economies has become a concern given its environmental and health impacts. The sustainable diets approach has emerged to address the multidimensional challenge of reaching a context-based diet that minimizes negative environmental impacts, provides health and nutrition to all segments of the population, and is affordable and coherent with the local culture and traditions. The aim of this study was to explore the prospects for meat consumption reduction and challenges encompassing the environmental, and health spheres. In order to do so, we analyzed: (1) The current carbon and water per capita footprints for two animal-based options and two plant-based options; and (2) the contribution of each food alternative to the local dietary reference intakes based on average per capita daily consumption and significant differences among the nutrient values for each food alternative through a two proportion Z-test. Our results show that the annual per capita carbon and water footprints for beef were higher compared to other alternatives, despite a higher per capita consumption of chicken. Also, our findings reveal that the average consumption of beef and chicken contributes 39% of the maximum recommended daily intake for cholesterol and 61% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein in the country. Finally, relevant promoting forces and barriers related to meat consumption reduction were identified based on the two dimensions evaluated. This study calls for a joint effort to make changes in public policy, food systems, and consumer education.
The Holistic Approach to Urban Mobility Planning with a Modified Focus Group, SWOT, and Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process
Authors: Kramar Uroš , Dragan Dejan , Topolšek Darja
Published: November 2019

The urban mobility system is an important factor in social development and must, therefore, be tackled in a way that enables balanced, sustainable development. The purpose of the present work was to introduce a new holistic approach to urban mobility system (UMS) planning, which involves a strategic decision-making process with a broad involvement of various stakeholders. For this purpose, an innovative model was created by synthesizing the focus group (FG) method with the nominal group technique (NGT), SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, and the fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) method. The fuzzy approach was chosen for its ability to incorporate imprecise and vague information and make a decision-making UMS process more realistic. Accordingly, the objective of the paper was to propose a newly developed model that will (considering the integration of various urban mobility subsystems) enable the detection, identification, and ranking of key priorities required for a more holistic approach to UMS planning. The results revealed that the developed integrated model enables acquired areas to be ranked according to priorities, which further allows the development of scenarios. Moreover, the model allows a better understanding of how to search for compromises when one is faced with multi-criteria decision-making and coordination of frequently contradictory goals. A new integrated urban mobility model, as proposed herein, was also successfully tested in a real-life application, which proves its potential for use in sustainable urban mobility planning in a holistic way.
Towards a Reflexive Framework for Fostering Co—Learning and Improvement of Transdisciplinary Collaboration
Authors: Knickel Marina , Knickel Karlheinz , Galli Francesca , Maye Damian , Wiskerke Johannes S. C.
Published: November 2019

Scholars in sustainability science as well as research funders increasingly recognize that a shift from disciplinary and interdisciplinary science to transdisciplinary (TD) research is required to address ever more complex sustainability challenges. Evidence shows that addressing real-world societal problems can be best achieved through collaborative research where diverse actors contribute different kinds of knowledge. While the potential benefits of TD research are widely recognized, its implementation remains a challenge. In this article, we develop a framework that supports reflection and co-learning. Our approach fosters monitoring of the collaboration processes, helps to assess the progress made and encourages continuous reflection and improvement of the research processes. The TD co-learning framework has four dimensions and 44 criteria. It is based on a substantial literature review and was tested in a Horizon 2020-funded research project ROBUST, which is applying experimental governance techniques to improve rural-urban relations in eleven European regions. The results demonstrate that the framework covers the key facets of TD collaboration and that all four broad dimensions matter. Each research-practice team reflected on how their collaboration is going and what needs to be improved. Indeed, the coordination team was able to see how well TD collaboration is functioning at a project level. We believe the framework will be valuable for actors involved in the planning and implementation of any type of multi-actor, interactive, innovation, transformation and action-oriented research project.
Penyagolosa Trails: From Ancestral Roads to Sustainable Ultra-Trail Race, between Spirituality, Nature, and Sports. A Case of Study
Authors: Botella-Carrubi Dolores , Currás Móstoles Rosa , Escrivá-Beltrán Maria
Published: November 2019

The organization of an open-air sporting event involves a series of challenges. People are drawn by the desire to do sport, preferably in close contact with nature, so as to complement healthy lifestyles, and in search of air purity. Sporting organizations are increasingly searching for new locations that do not only attract athletes, but spectators and companions too. Races in natural parks provide the additional benefit of doing sport in a unique space, usually a transmitter of simplicity, pure air, and tranquillity. Organizing a mountain race in a natural park implies some issues. These are areas of great environmental richness that must be protected. Natural parks are places of individual recreational activity. Within the running phenomenon, a new type of mountain race has appeared: the hiking-oriented pilgrimage, in which athletes travel ancestral paths, pilgrimage routes thus combining sport practice with spirituality. This paper aims to analyse all the actions and policies that were carried out for the peaceful integration and coexistence of two totally different events that coincide physically and temporally: the Penyagolosa Trails race, and the Peregrins de les Useres, an ancestral pilgrimage that is carried out by each and every one of the towns belonging to the Penyagolosa Natural Park. The objective is to demonstrate the sustainability of the project thanks to the collective effort and the goodwill of the interested parties, in a way that produces a mutual benefit.
Sustainable Synergies between the Cultural and Tourism Industries: An Efficiency Evaluation Perspective
Authors: Su Zhen , Aaron Joshua R. , McDowell William C. , Lu Dan Dan
Published: November 2019

Cultural tourism has received widespread attention for its role in promoting cultural heritage and economic growth. However, there is insufficient research regarding how to verify the synergy between culture and tourism and how to ensure its sustainability in the integration of the cultural and tourism industries (CTI). This study establishes an interdisciplinary composite analytical framework from the perspective of efficiency evaluation. China, a country that has advocated the integration of CTI since 2009, is the research setting. The findings indicate that the technical efficiency of the tourism industry has increased significantly since the involvement of the cultural industry. Meanwhile, economically underdeveloped regions have opportunities to catch up with developed regions in terms of technical efficiency, and they perform better in terms of sustainable productivity growth. Importantly, U-shaped and inverted U-shaped curves were found in the coordinate systems composed of groups comprising the coupling coordination degree and the efficiency-related index, respectively. This finding reveals the existence of a running-in effect in the integration process of CTI, thereby contributing to both theory and policy-making.
A Corporate Case Study: The Application of Rokeach’s Value System to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Authors: Farcane Nicoleta , Deliu Delia , Bureană Eusebiu
Published: November 2019

Starting from the research assumption that corporate social responsibility (CSR) values cannot be communicated efficiently, if they do not belong naturally to a company’s identity, this paper debates the prospect of applying Rokeach’s Value System (1973) to Continental corporation’s CSR values. Rokeach’s Value System (1973) is used to compare Continental data provided online and establish whether the ideal corporate values presented by the company are similar to the real values, with respect to the CSR values. We base our assessment of the level of integration of CSR into corporate identity on Maon et al.’s integrated model of CSR development (2010). Our analysis reveals that although the Continental corporation works with the CSR concept in a strategic and systematic manner, the set CSR values do not correspond to the real corporate values.
Spatiotemporal Variations in Agricultural Flooding in Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River from 1970 to 2018
Authors: Wu Shuqi , Cao Shisong , Wang Zhiheng , Qu Xinyuan , Li Shanfei , Zhao Wenji
Published: November 2019

Agricultural floods in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, known as the “land of fish and rice” in China, have increased both in areal coverage and frequency over the past 50 years, presenting a grave challenge to sustainable development and food security in the region. Studying the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of agricultural floods in this region is thus important for providing a scientific basis for regional flood control and disaster mitigation. We used variation trend analyses, Mann–Kendall tests, wavelet analyses, and center of gravity modeling to study spatiotemporal changes in agricultural floods in the study area, based on agricultural flood indicators. Changes in agricultural flood frequency showed an overall increasing trend. The frequency of floods changed abruptly in 1990, with the average frequency of floods per station increasing by 0.2086/year from 1991 through 2018, characterized by multiple time-scale changes. The time scale of 17 years had three low–high cycles, that of eight years had six, and that of four years had 13. Agricultural floods in the study area were concentrated in the southern Yangtze River and mainly occurred in northeastern Jiangxi Province and the southeastern Zhejiang Province. The area with high agricultural flood indices increased. Agricultural floods were closely related to the Yangtze River and the direction of the gravity center of agricultural floods was similar to that of the river. Affected by precipitation intensity and frequency, the gravity center fluctuated greatly and generally alternated from southwest to northeast.
Green Supplier Evaluation and Selection with an Extended MABAC Method Under the Heterogeneous Information Environment
Authors: Xu Xue-Guo , Shi Hua , Zhang Li-Jun , Liu Hu-Chen
Published: November 2019

With the increasing awareness of global environmental protection, green production has become a significant part for enterprises to remain in a competitive position. For a manufacturing company, selecting the most suitable green supplier plays an important role in enhancing its green production performance. In this paper, we develop a new green supplier evaluation and selection model through the combination of heterogeneous criteria information and an extended multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) method. Considering the complexity of decision context, heterogeneous information, including real numbers, interval numbers, trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, and linguistic hesitant fuzzy sets, is utilized to evaluate alternative suppliers with respect to the selected criteria. A maximizing consensus approach is constructed to determine the weight of each decision-maker based on incomplete weighting information. Then, the classical MABAC method is modified for ranking candidate green suppliers under the heterogeneous information environment. Finally, the developed green supplier selection model is applied in a case study from the automobile industry to illustrate its practicability and efficiency.
Tables of Toxicity of Botulinum and Tetanus Neurotoxins
Authors: Rossetto Ornella , Montecucco Cesare
Published: November 2019

Tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins are the most poisonous substances known, so much so as to be considered for a possible terrorist use. At the same time, botulinum neurotoxin type A1 is successfully used to treat a variety of human syndromes characterized by hyperactive cholinergic nerve terminals. The extreme toxicity of these neurotoxins is due to their neurospecificity and to their metalloprotease activity, which results in the deadly paralysis of tetanus and botulism. Recently, many novel botulinum neurotoxins and some botulinum-like toxins have been discovered. This large number of toxins differs in terms of toxicity and biological activity, providing a potential goldmine for novel therapeutics and for new molecular tools to dissect vesicular trafficking, fusion, and exocytosis. The scattered data on toxicity present in the literature require a systematic organization to be usable by scientists and clinicians. We have assembled here the data available in the literature on the toxicity of these toxins in different animal species. The internal comparison of these data provides insights on the biological activity of these toxins.
Promises and Pitfalls of In Vivo Evolution to Improve Phage Therapy
Authors: Bull James J. , Levin Bruce R. , Molineux Ian J.
Published: November 2019

Phage therapy is the use of bacterial viruses (phages) to treat bacterial infections, a medical intervention long abandoned in the West but now experiencing a revival. Currently, therapeutic phages are often chosen based on limited criteria, sometimes merely an ability to plate on the pathogenic bacterium. Better treatment might result from an informed choice of phages. Here we consider whether phages used to treat the bacterial infection in a patient may specifically evolve to improve treatment on that patient or benefit subsequent patients. With mathematical and computational models, we explore in vivo evolution for four phage properties expected to influence therapeutic success: generalized phage growth, phage decay rate, excreted enzymes to degrade protective bacterial layers, and growth on resistant bacteria. Within-host phage evolution is strongly aligned with treatment success for phage decay rate but only partially aligned for phage growth rate and growth on resistant bacteria. Excreted enzymes are mostly not selected for treatment success. Even when evolution and treatment success are aligned, evolution may not be rapid enough to keep pace with bacterial evolution for maximum benefit. An informed use of phages is invariably superior to naive reliance on within-host evolution.
Evolution of BACON Domain Tandem Repeats in crAssphage and Novel Gut Bacteriophage Lineages
Authors: de Jonge Patrick A. , von Meijenfeldt F. A. Bastiaan , van Rooijen Laura E. , Brouns Stan J. J. , Dutilh Bas E.
Published: November 2019

The human gut contains an expanse of largely unstudied bacteriophages. Among the most common are crAss-like phages, which were predicted to infect Bacteriodetes hosts. CrAssphage, the first crAss-like phage to be discovered, contains a protein encoding a Bacteroides-associated carbohydrate-binding often N-terminal (BACON) domain tandem repeat. Because protein domain tandem repeats are often hotspots of evolution, BACON domains may provide insight into the evolution of crAss-like phages. Here, we studied the biodiversity and evolution of BACON domains in bacteriophages by analysing over 2 million viral contigs. We found a high biodiversity of BACON in seven gut phage lineages, including five known crAss-like phage lineages and two novel gut phage lineages that are distantly related to crAss-like phages. In three BACON-containing phage lineages, we found that BACON domain tandem repeats were associated with phage tail proteins, suggestive of a possible role of these repeats in host binding. In contrast, individual BACON domains that did not occur in tandem were not found in the proximity of tail proteins. In two lineages, tail-associated BACON domain tandem repeats evolved largely through horizontal transfer of separate domains. In the third lineage that includes the prototypical crAssphage, the tandem repeats arose from several sequential domain duplications, resulting in a characteristic tandem array that is distinct from bacterial BACON domains. We conclude that phage tail-associated BACON domain tandem repeats have evolved in at least two independent cases in gut bacteriophages, including in the widespread gut phage crAssphage.
Codon Usage in the Iflaviridae Family Is Not Diverse Though the Family Members Are Isolated from Diverse Host Taxa
Authors: Shi Sheng-Lin , Xia Run-Xi
Published: November 2019

All iflavirus members belong to the unique genus, Iflavirus, of the family, Iflaviridae. The host taxa and sequence identities of these viruses are diverse. A codon usage bias, maintained by a balance between selection, mutation, and genetic drift, exists in a wide variety of organisms. We characterized the codon usage patterns of 44 iflavirus genomes that were isolated from the classes, Insecta, Arachnida, Mammalia, and Malacostraca. Iflaviruses lack a strong codon usage bias when they are evaluated using an effective number of codons. The odds ratios of the majority of dinucleotides are within the normal range. However, the dinucleotides at the 1st–2nd codon positions are more biased than those at the 2nd–3rd codon positions. Plots of effective numbers of codons, relative neutrality analysis, and PR2 bias analysis all indicate that selection pressure dominates mutations in shaping codon usage patterns in the family, Iflaviridae. When these viruses were grouped into their host taxa, we found that the indices, including the nucleotide composition, effective number of codons, relative synonymous codon usage, and the influencing factors behind the codon usage patterns, all show that there are non-significant differences between the six host-taxa-groups. Our results disagree with our assumption that diverse viruses should possess diverse codon usage patterns, suggesting that the nucleotide composition and codon usage in the family, Iflaviridae, are not host taxa-specific signatures.
Assessment of Retrofitted Ramped Weirs to Improve Passage of Potamodromous Fish
Authors: Amaral Susana D. , Quaresma Ana L. , Branco Paulo , Romão Filipe , Katopodis Christos , Ferreira Maria T. , Pinheiro António N. , Santos José M.
Published: November 2019

The addition of substrates to small instream obstacles, like low-head ramped weirs, has been considered a useful management solution to retrofit those structures and enhance fish passage. Substrate dimensions and spatial arrangement, together with discharge, and consequently water depths, appear as important factors for the creation of hydrodynamic conditions that may facilitate the successful passage of fish, though related studies are scarce to support decision-making. This study assessed the influence of discharge (Q) and different retrofitting designs (RD) on the upstream passage performance of a potamodromous cyprinid, the Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei). Different substrates (small boulders, large boulders, cobbles) and spatial arrangements (aligned, offset) were tested. Numerical modelling was performed to characterize the hydrodynamics. Results indicate that Q and RD influenced the upstream negotiation of ramped weirs. Cobbles randomly distributed along the ramp (Nature design) was the most successful configuration, recording the highest number of upstream passages. Low velocities along the ramp, and low turbulence downstream, were registered in this configuration, indicating that the use of natural substrate may help to increase the permeability of ramped weirs to fish movements. The outcomes from this work can help engineers and biologists to design more appropriate passage structures for low-head instream obstacles.
The Influence of Rainfall and Land Use/Land Cover Changes on River Discharge Variability in the Mountainous Catchment of the Bagmati River
Authors: Tuladhar Dinesh , Dewan Ashraf , Kuhn Michael , J. Corner Robert
Published: November 2019

Changes in rainfall and land use/land cover (LULC) can influence river discharge from a catchment in many ways. Homogenized river discharge data from three stations and average rainfall records, interpolated from 13 stations, were examined for long-term trends and decadal variations (1970–2017) in the headwater, upper and middle catchments of the Bagmati River. LULC changes over five decades were quantified using multitemporal Landsat images. Mann–Kendall tests on annual time series showed a significant decrease in river discharge (0.61% per year) from the entire Bagmati catchment, although the decrease in rainfall was statistically insignificant. However, declines in river discharge and rainfall were both significant in upper catchment. Decadal departures from long-term means support these trend results. Over tenfold growth in urban area and a decrease in agricultural land were observed in the upper catchment, while forest cover slightly increased in the entire catchment between 1975 and 2015. Correlation analysis showed a strong association between surface runoff, estimated using the curve number method, observed river discharge and rainfall in the upper catchment, while the relationship was weaker in the headwater catchment. These results were also supported by multiple regression analysis, suggesting that human activities together with climate change have contributed to river discharge changes in the Bagmati catchment.
Numerical Study of Remote Sensed Dredging Impacts on the Suspended Sediment Transport in China’s Largest Freshwater Lake
Authors: Lu Jianzhong , Li Haijun , Chen Xiaoling , Liang Dong
Published: November 2019

As the largest freshwater lake in China, Poyang Lake plays an important role in the ecosystem of the Yangtze River watershed. The high suspended sediment concentration (SSC) has been an increasingly significant problem under the influence of extensive sand dredging. In this study, a hydrodynamic model integrated with the two-dimensional sediment transport model was built for Poyang Lake, considering sand dredging activities detected from satellite images. The sediment transport model was set with point sources of sand dredging, and fully calibrated and validated by observed hydrological data and remote sensing results. Simulations under different dredging intensities were implemented to investigate the impacts of the spatiotemporal variation of the SSC. The results indicated that areas significantly affected by sand dredging were located in the north of the lake and along the waterway, with a total affected area of about 730 km2, and this was one of the main factors causing high turbidity in the northern part of the lake. The SSC in the northern area increased, showing a spatial pattern in which the SSC varied from high to low from south to north along the main channel, which indicated close agreement with the results captured by remote sensing. In summary, this study quantified the influence of human induced activities on sediment transport for the lake aquatic ecosystem, which could help us to better understand the water quality and manage water resources.
Agricultural Nitrogen Pollution of Freshwater in Germany. The Governance of Sustaining a Complex Problem
Authors: Kirschke Sabrina , Häger Astrid , Kirschke Dieter , Völker Jeanette
Published: November 2019

The nitrogen pollution of freshwater heavily affects social–ecological systems. To reduce negative effects, research calls for an integrated approach, including a coherent and diverse set of governance instruments. Thus far, however, the effects of (non-)integration have been blurry. Taking Germany as an example, this study sheds light on the actual complexity of the problem along five dimensions of complexity (goals, variables, dynamics, interconnections, and uncertainties). It also sheds light on related governance instruments (rules, information, and economic incentives) and their impacts on problem-solving (implementation of specific measures). Analyses include expert interviews on complexity, European water and agricultural policies, and official data on the planning and implementation of measures to reduce nitrogen concentrations. Results show Germany’s path of sustaining a complex problem by using a non-coherent and low diversity governance approach, avoiding rigorous rules, and barely using economic instruments to deal with nitrogen surpluses. A stronger integration of water and agricultural policies, as well as a better use of economic instruments, are suggested to enhance water quality in the future.
Popol Wuj na contemporânea luta indígena mesoamericana
Authors: Barbosa Lia Pinheiro
Published: November 2019

Escrito no século XVI, o livro sagrado Popol Wuj é parte constitutiva das obras que compõem a historiografia colonial da tradição indígena maia e considerado a obra maestra da literatura indígena mesoamericana. No presente artigo, apresentar-se-á seu fundamento cosmogônico e, sobretudo, o legado histórico, estético e político do Popol Wuj nas lutas indígenas mesoamericanas em nossa contemporaneidade, em particular na Guatemala e México.
IMPLEMENTASI KONSEP AT TAWASUTH AHLUS- SUNNAH WAL JAMA'AH DALAM MEMBANGUN KARAKTER ANAK DI TINGKAT SEKOLAH DASAR (STUDI ANALISIS KHITTAH NAHDLATUL ULAMA)
Authors: Nikmah Fitrotun
Published: November 2019

Khittah Nahdlatul Ulama, dijelaskan bahwa jika seseorang mampumenerapkan karakter at-Tawasuth dalam kehidupan nyata sehari-hari,maka akan terwujud beberapa sikap yang mulia. Karakter ini dapatditerapkan diberbagai bidang dalam kehidupan manusia. Penelitian inibertujuan untuk mengetahui; 1). Bagaimana konsep AttawasuthAhlussunnah Wal Jama'ah yang tertera dalam Khittah Nahdlatul Ulama; 2). Bagiamana Implementasi Konsep Attawasuth Ahlussunnah Wal Jama’ahdalam membangun karakter anak. Penelitian ini menggunakan MetodeRiset Perpustakaan (Library research) dengan teknik Analisis DeskriptifKualitatif. Data penelitian yang terkumpul kemudian dianalisis denganmenggunakan pendekatan deduktif dan pendekatan induktif. Hasilpenelitian menunjukkan bahwa Khittah NU merupakan landasan resmi dankuat bagi warga Nahdlatul Ulama dalam bertindak, bersikap dan mengambil keputusan. Dalam tubuh NU terdapat karakteristik khas warga Nahdlatul Ulama yang menbedakannya dengan warga lain. Dalam mengaktualisasikan karakter At-Tawasut aswaja dalam membangunkarakter anak dapat diterapkan melalui beberapa amaliyah-amaliyah NUyang didalamnya mengandung nilai-nilai keagamaan, moral yang mulia.Amaliyah tersebut diantaranya adalah Khotmil Qu’an, Pengajaran, ZiarahKubur dan pengenalan budaya lainnya. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian inidiharapkan akan menjadi bahan informasi dan masukan bagi paramahasiswa, para tenaga pengajar, para peneliti dan dapat dijadikan rujukan untuk melakukan penelitian selanjutnya. The Khittah of Nahdlatul Ulama is explained that if one is able to apply thecharacter of at-Tawasuth in real life everyday, it will manifest some nobleattitudes. This character can be applied in various fields of human life. This study aims to determine ; 1) How the concept of Attawasuth AhlussunnahWal Jama'ah which is listed in Khittah of Nahdlatul Ulama; 2) How toImplement the Concept of Attawasuth Ahlussunnah Wal Jama'ah indeveloping children’s character. This study uses the Library researchmethode with Qualitative Descriptive Analysis techniques. The researchdata which is collected then analyzed by using deductive approach andinductive approach. The results of research show that the Khittah of NU isthe canonic and fundamental for Nahdlatul Ulama's citizens in acting andmaking decisions. The citizens oh NU have typical characteristics ofNahdlatul Ulama who distingish with other citizens. In actualizing thecharacter of At-Tawasut of aswaja to build the children’s character can beapplied through some behavior in which contain religious values, honorablemoral. Those are reciting holy Qu'an, Teaching, visiting the tomb to prayhuman who has passed away and introduction to other cultural. Based onthe results of this study are expected to become information material andsuggest for the students, the teachers, researchers and can be used as areference to conduct further research.
Shadow teacher: agen profesional pembelajaran Bagi siswa dengan disabilitas di SMP Lazuar di Kamila-GIS Surakarta
Authors: Fitriyah Anis
Published: November 2019

Selama ini berbicara mengenai profesionalitas guru masih sering mengundang polemik, tidak jarang guru hanya melaksanakan separuh dari tugas dan tanggungjawabnya sebagai pendidik, bahkan mengabaikan unsur kompetensi yang harus dimiliki. bagaimana jika siswa yang diajarnya adalah siswa dengan disabilitas yang memerlukan jauh lebih tinggi keprofesionalitasan guru untuk meramu akomodasi dan model pembelajarannya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat shadow teacher sebagai agen profesional dalam praktik pembelajaran bagi siswa disabilitas dengan beragam tugasnya. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif, yang dimaksudkan untuk mengetahui kondisi riil di lapangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapatnya shadow teacher di SMP Lazuardi Kamila-GIS Surakarta adalah melalui sistem perekrutan sesuai dengan kebutuhan lembaga pendidikan, yang bertugas sebagai agen profesional dalam pembelajaran bagi siswa dengandisabilitas, adapun kontribusi yang dilakukan shadow teacher terbagi dalam tiga anasir utama pertama: kegiatan awal masuk yang berisi identifikasi, assessment siswa, home visit dan wawancara pada orang tua, kedua: proses pembelajaran, berupa menyusun IEP, melaksanakan kegiatan pembelajaran, dan evalusi pembelajaran sesuai dengan kemampuan siswa, dan yang ketiga: program tambahan, berupa melaksanakan program parenting, merealisasikan home book, dan home programe.