bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hyperoxic Exposure Caused Lung Lipid Compositional Changes in Neonatal Mice
Authors: Peterson Abigail L. , Carr Jennifer F. , Ji Xiangming , Dennery Phyllis A. , Yao Hongwei
Published: August 2020

Treatments with supplemental oxygen in premature infants can impair lung development, leading to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Although a stage-specific alteration of lung lipidome occurs during postnatal lung development, whether neonatal hyperoxia, a known mediator of BPD in rodent models, changes lipid profiles in mouse lungs is still to be elucidated. To answer this question, newborn mice were exposed to hyperoxia for 3 days and allowed to recover in normoxia until postnatal day (pnd) 7 and pnd14, time-points spanning the peak stage of alveologenesis. A total of 2263 lung lipid species were detected by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, covering 5 lipid categories and 18 lipid subclasses. The most commonly identified lipid species were glycerophospholipids, followed by sphingolipids and glycerolipids. In normoxic conditions, certain glycerophospholipid and glycerolipid species augmented at pnd14 compared to pnd7. At pnd7, hyperoxia generally increased glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, and glycerolipid species. Hyperoxia increased NADPH, acetyl CoA, and citrate acid but reduced carnitine and acyl carnitine. Hyperoxia increased oxidized glutathione but reduced catalase. These changes were not apparent at pnd14. Hyperoxia reduced docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid at pnd14 but not at pnd7. Altogether, the lung lipidome changes throughout alveolarization. Neonatal hyperoxia alters the lung lipidome, which may contribute to alveolar simplification and dysregulated vascular development.
Processing Wastewaters from Spanish-Style cv. Chalkidiki Green Olives: A Potential Source of Enterococcus casseliflavus and Hydroxytyrosol
Authors: Papadaki Eugenia , Botsaris George , Athanasiadi Eleftheria , Mantzouridou Fani Th.
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this study was to examine the isolation of indigenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with functional properties from Spanish-style cv. Chalkidiki green olive processing wastewaters (GOW). Predominant indigenous LAB could serve as bioaugmentation agents/starter culture for table olives production and protected designation of origin specification. Spontaneous fermentation of fresh GOW over different temperatures (15 °C to 50 °C) and pH values (3.5 to 11.5) for 30 d enabled the isolation/molecular identification of the lactic acid bacterium Enterococcus casseliflavus and the plant-associated bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum. E. casseliflavus was found to reduce chemical oxygen demand by 72%. Its resistance to extreme pH values, salinity, and temperature was successfully modeled and the minimum inhibitory concentration of oleuropein against the bacterial growth was determined (0.9 g/L). Furthermore, hydroxytyrosol content was doubled (up to 553 mg/L) after GOW spontaneous fermentation under acidic conditions at 15 °C to 30 °C for 120 d, creating an additional source of input. These results highlight the significance and potential of E. casseliflavus in Spanish-style cv. Chalkidiki green olive processing.
Impact of Surfactant Protein-A Variants on Survival in Aged Mice in Response to Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection and Ozone: Serendipity in Action
Authors: Thorenoor Nithyananda , S. Phelps David , Kala Padma , Ravi Radhika , Floros Phelps Andreas , M. Umstead Todd , Zhang Xuesheng , Floros Joanna
Published: August 2020

Innate immune molecules, SP-A1 (6A2, 6A4) and SP-A2 (1A0, 1A3), differentially affect young mouse survival after infection. Here, we investigated the impact of SP-A variants on the survival of aged mice. hTG mice carried a different SP-A1 or SP-A2 variant and SP-A-KO were either infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae or exposed to filtered air (FA) or ozone (O3) prior to infection, and their survival monitored over 14 days. In response to infection alone, no gene- or sex-specific (except for 6A2) differences were observed; variant-specific survival was observed (1A0 > 6A4). In response to O3, gene-, sex-, and variant-specific survival was observed with SP-A2 variants showing better survival in males than females, and 1A0 females > 1A3 females. A serendipitous, and perhaps clinically important observation was made; mice exposed to FA prior to infection exhibited significantly better survival than infected alone mice. 1A0 provided an overall better survival in males and/or females indicating a differential role for SP-A genetics. Improved ventilation, as provided by FA, resulted in a survival of significant magnitude in aged mice and perhaps to a lesser extent in young mice. This may have clinical application especially within the context of the current pandemic.
Synthesis, Structure and Supramolecular Properties of a Novel C3 Cryptand with Pyridine Units in the Bridges
Authors: Crişan Cosmin Vasile , Soran Albert , Bende Attila , Hӑdade Niculina Daniela , Terec Anamaria , Grosu Ion
Published: August 2020

The high-yield synthesis and the structural investigation of a new cryptand with C3 symmetry, exhibiting 2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine central units and pyridine-based bridges, are reported. The structure of the compound was investigated by single crystal X-ray diffractometry, NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), HRMS (high resolution mass spectrometry) measurements, and theoretical calculations. The study of supramolecular behavior in solid state revealed the association of cryptand molecules by C-H---π and π---π contacts. Moreover, theoretical calculations indicated the high binding affinity of the cryptand for various organic molecules as guests.
Optimization and a Kinetic Study on the Acidic Hydrolysis of Dialkyl α-Hydroxybenzylphosphonates
Authors: Harsági Nikoletta , Rádai Zita , Szigetvári Áron , Kóti János , Keglevich György
Published: August 2020

The two-step acidic hydrolysis of α-hydroxybenzylphosphonates and a few related derivatives was monitored in order to determine the kinetics and to map the reactivity of the differently substituted phosphonates in hydrolysis. Electron-withdrawing substituents increased the rate, while electron-releasing ones slowed down the reaction. Both hydrolysis steps were characterized by pseudo-first-order rate constants. The fission of the second P-O-C bond was found to be the rate-determining step.
ZnO Nanoparticle/Graphene Hybrid Photodetectors via Laser Fragmentation in Liquid
Authors: Charipar Kristin , Kim Heungsoo , Piqué Alberto , Charipar Nicholas
Published: August 2020

By combining the enhanced photosensitive properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles and the excellent transport characteristics of graphene, UV-sensitive, solar-blind hybrid optoelectronic devices have been demonstrated. These hybrid devices offer high responsivity and gain, making them well suited for photodetector applications. Here, we report a hybrid ZnO nanoparticle/graphene phototransistor that exhibits a responsivity up to 4 × 104 AW−1 and gain of up to 1.3 × 105 with high UV wavelength selectivity. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by pulsed laser fragmentation in liquid to attain a simple, efficient, ligand-free method for nanoparticle fabrication. By combining simple fabrication processes with a promising device architecture, highly sensitive ZnO nanoparticle/graphene UV photodetectors were successfully demonstrated.
Cyclic Peptide-Gadolinium Nanoparticles for Enhanced Intracellular Delivery
Authors: Shirazi Amir Nasrolahi , Park Shang Eun , Rad Shirin , Baloyan Luiza , Mandal Dindyal , Sajid Muhammad Imran , Hall Ryley , Lohan Sandeep , Zoghebi Khalid , Parang Keykavous , Tiwari Rakesh Kumar
Published: August 2020

A cyclic peptide containing one cysteine and five alternating tryptophan and arginine amino acids [(WR)5C] was synthesized using Fmoc/tBu solid-phase methodology. The ability of the synthesized cyclic peptide to produce gadolinium nanoparticles through an in situ one-pot mixing of an aqueous solution of GdCl3 with [(WR)5C] peptide solution was evaluated. Transmission electron microscopy showed the formed peptide-Gd nanoparticles in star-shape morphology with a size of ~250 nm. Flow cytometry investigation showed that the cellular uptake of a cell-impermeable fluorescence-labeled phosphopeptide (F′-GpYEEI, where F′ = fluorescein) was approximately six times higher in the presence of [(WR)5C]-Gd nanoparticles than those of F′-GpYEEI alone in human leukemia adenocarcinoma (CCRF-CEM) cells after 2 h incubation. The antiproliferative activities of cisplatin and carboplatin (5 µM) were increased in the presence of [(WR)5C]-GdNPs (50 μM) by 41% and 18%, respectively, after 72-h incubation in CCRF-CEM cells. The intracellular release of epirubicin, an anticancer drug, from the complex showed that 15% and 60% of the drug was released intracellularly within 12 and 48 h, respectively. This report provides insight about using a non-toxic MRI agent, gadolinium nanoparticles, for the delivery of various types of molecular cargos.
Post-Forming Mechanical Properties of a Polymer Sheet Processed by Incremental Sheet Forming: Insights into Effects of Plastic Strain, and Orientation and Size of Specimen
Authors: Wei Hongyu , Hussain Ghulam , Heidarshenas Behzad , Alkahtani Mohammed
Published: August 2020

The innovative Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) process affects the post-forming properties of thermoplastic polymers. However, the effects of degree of plastic strain, and the orientation and size of specimen on the mechanical properties are still unknown. In the present study, therefore, the ISF process is performed on a polymer sheet by varying the plastic strain ranging from 6% to 108%. The corresponding effects on the properties and associated polymer structure are quantified by conducting a variety of mechanical and structural tests. The results reveal that the post-ISF tensile properties like yield stress, ultimate stress, drawing stress, elastic modulus and elongation decrease from 26.6 to 10 MPa, 30.5 to 15.4 MPa, 18.9 to 9.9 MPa, 916 to 300 MPa and 1107% to 457%, respectively, as the strain increases in the investigated range. The value of post-ISF relaxation properties, contrary to the tensile properties, increases with increasing strain up to 62%. Particularly, reductions in stress, strain and modulus increase from 41% to 202%, 37% to 51%, and 41% to 202%. As regard the orientation effect, the sheet in the feed direction shows greater strength than the transverse direction (up to 142% in yield stress and 72% in ultimate stress). Moreover, the smaller sample offers greater strength than the larger one (up to 158% in yield stress and 109% in ultimate stress). The analysis of the post-ISF tensile properties and structural results lead us to conclude that the drop in the tensile properties due to increasing strain occurs due to corresponding increase in the voids area fraction (1.25% to 31%) and a reduction in the crystallinity (38% to 31%).
A Semi-Dissolving Microneedle Patch Incorporating TEMPO-Oxidized Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers for Enhanced Transdermal Delivery
Authors: Song Ji Eun , Jun Seung-Hyun , Park Sun-Gyoo , Kang Nae-Gyu
Published: August 2020

Although dissolving microneedles have garnered considerable attention as transdermal delivery tools, insufficient drug loading remains a challenge owing to their small dimension. Herein, we report a one-step process of synthesizing semi-dissolving microneedle (SDMN) patches that enable effective transdermal drug delivery without loading drugs themselves by introducing TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose nanofibers (TOBCNs), which are well dispersed, while retaining their unique properties in the aqueous phase. The SDMN patch fabricated by the micro-molding of a TOBCN/hydrophilic biopolymer mixture had a two-layer structure comprising a water-soluble needle layer and a TOBCN-containing insoluble backing layer. Moreover, the SDMN patch, which had a hole in the backing layer where TOBCNs are distributed uniformly, could offer novel advantages for the delivery of large quantities of active ingredients. In vitro permeation analysis confirmed that TOBCNs with high water absorption capacity could serve as drug reservoirs. Upon SDMN insertion and the application of drug aqueous solution through the drug inlet hole, the TOBCNs rapidly absorbed the solution and supplied it to the needle layer. Simultaneously, the needle layer dissolved in body fluids and the drug solution to form micro-channels, which enabled the delivery of larger quantities of drugs to the skin compared to that enabled by solution application alone.
Influence of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles and Surface Plasma Treatment on Bioactivity of Polycaprolactone Nanofibers
Authors: Stastna Eva , Castkova Klara , Rahel Jozef
Published: August 2020

Nanofibers are well known as a beneficial type of structure for tissue engineering. As a result of the high acquisition cost of the natural polymers and their environmentally problematic treatment (toxic dissolution agents), artificial polymers seem to be the better choice for medical use. In the present study, polycaprolactone nano-sized fibrous structures were prepared by the electrospinning method. The impact of material morphology (random or parallelly oriented fibers versus continuous layer) and the presence of a fraction of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on cell proliferation was tested. In addition, the effect of improving the material wettability by a low temperature argon discharge plasma treatment was evaluated, too. We have shown that both hydroxyapatite particles as well as plasma surface treatment are beneficial for the cell proliferation. The significant impact of both influences was evident during the first 48 h of the test: the hydroxyapatite particles in polycaprolactone fibers accelerated the proliferation by 10% compared to the control, and the plasma-treated ones enhanced proliferation by 30%.
Halloysite Nanotubes as an Additive to Ensure Enhanced Characteristics of Cold-Curing Epoxy Resins under Fire Conditions
Authors: Hornak Jaroslav , Kadlec Petr , Polanský Radek
Published: August 2020

At present, the most commonly used electrical insulating materials, including cold-curing epoxy resins, are well designed for normal operating conditions. However, new generations of materials should also be capable of withstanding extreme emergency conditions, e.g., in case of fire. For this reason, this study presents the possibilities of an improved cold-curing epoxy resin using halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) to increase its operational safety. The positive effect of HNT addition is indicated mainly in terms of the suppression of thermo-oxidation processes, which has been demonstrated by the decreases in the maximum heat flow peaks as well as the specific enthalpy values during the thermal decomposition of the epoxy resin. The observed dielectric parameters of the HNT-added materials differ only slightly from those without a filler, whereas their mechanical properties strongly depend on the amount of dispersed HNTs.
Significance of Pretreatment in Enhancing the Performance of Dry Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste: An Insight on Full Scale Implementation Strategy with Theoretical Analogy
Authors: Arelli Vijayalakshmi , Juntupally Sudharshan , Begum Sameena , Anupoju Gangagni
Published: August 2020

The aim of this study was to treat food waste containing 25% total solids (TS) through dry anaerobic digestion (dry AD) process at various pressures (0.5 to 2.5 kg/cm2) and different time duration (20 to 100 min) to understand the impact of pretreatment in enhancing the methane generation potential along with insights on scale up. The findings revealed that vs. reduction and methane yield of 60% and 0.25 L CH4/(g VSadded) can be achieved with pretreated food waste at two kilograms per square centimeter, while pretreatment of food waste at 2 kg/cm2 for 100 min enhanced the vs. reduction from 60% to 85% and methane yield from 0.25 to 0.368 L CH4/(g VSadded). However, the net energy indicated that 40 min of pre -treatment at two kilograms per square centimeter can be a suitable option as methane yield and vs. reduction of 0.272 L CH4/(g VSadded) and 70%, respectively was achieved. The vs. reduction and the methane yield of 45% and 0.14 L CH4/(g VSadded), respectively was obtained from untreated food waste which illustrated that pretreatment had significantly impacted on the enhancement of methane generation and organic matter removal which can make the dry AD process more attractive and feasible at commercial scale.
Process of Creating an Integrated Design and Manufacturing Environment as Part of the Structure of Industry 4.0
Authors: Paszkiewicz Andrzej , Bolanowski Marek , Budzik Grzegorz , Przeszłowski Łukasz , Oleksy Mariusz
Published: August 2020

This paper presents the process for creating an integrated design and manufacturing environment supporting 3D printing as part of the structure of Industry 4.0. This process is based on a developed framework for the design of modern automated and computerized infrastructure. The task of the described system is to combine all the steps included in the operating range of incremental systems based on an IT platform by integrating data from individual areas, such as IT systems supporting remote 3D printing. The proposed framework for incremental processes is a universal solution that can be defined in detail by a single organizational unit running 3D printing, as well as by a cluster of entities related to 3D printing. In the initial phase, the framework design includes a set of guidelines for IT (Information Technology) systems that facilitate the construction of individual elements and the creation of communication interfaces. In subsequent stages, the framework may already implement elements of the access and communication program interface, as well as guidelines for the industrial components to be included. The proposed framework for additive technologies is based on modern IT tools that enable the creation of geographically and functionally possible prototyping systems that can be integrated into the structure of Industry 4.0. To create optimal processes and economic systems, the principles of the construction and integration of individual services and equipment were developed. This new comprehensive approach is proposed in the present paper as a coherent framework. Moreover, the proposed solution has great potential for use in the design and production processes of various industries, such as chemicals, materials and construction.
Experimental Research on the Optimization and Evaluation of the Polymer/Chromium-Ion Deep Profile Control System for the Fractured Low-Permeability Reservoirs
Authors: Yin Daiyin , Song Shuang , Xu Qi , Liu Kai
Published: August 2020

The matrix/fracture conductivity of a fractured low-permeability reservoir is variable, and its heterogeneity is serious. When carrying out deep profile control measures, it is difficult to inject under the premise of ensuring the plugging effect. According to the characteristics of the fractured low-permeability reservoir in Chaoyanggou Oilfield, the polymer/chromium ion deep profile control system was optimized via a viscosity evaluation experiment, liquidity experiment and oil displacement experiment. The experimental results show that the high molecular weight main agent/low concentration system and low molecular weight main agent/high concentration system can meet the gel strength requirement. The evaluation results of the injection ability and plugging performance of the fractured low-permeability core show that a high molecular weight profile control system is difficult to inject, while a low molecular weight profile control system has a poor plugging performance and high cost after simulated shear. Therefore, the formulation of the profile control system was determined to be a polymer with a molecular weight of 16 million g·mol−1 as the main agent with a concentration of 1000–1500 mg·L−1. As assisting agents, the concentrations of thiourea, NaCl and NaHCO3 were 900 mg·L−1, 800 mg·L−1 and 700 mg·L−1, respectively. The plugging rate of the system was 87.6%, and the resistance coefficient was 19.2. Finally, a fractured low-permeability core model with parallel long cores was designed, and the optimal profile control system was used for the core oil-displacement experiment. Compared with the water-flooding experiment, the plugging rate can be increased by 6.9–8.0%.
Comparison of Home Advantage in European Football Leagues
Authors: Marek Patrice , Vávra František
Published: August 2020

Home advantage in sports is important for coaches, players, fans, and commentators and has a key role in sports prediction models. This paper builds on results of recent research that—instead of points gained—used goals scored and goals conceded to describe home advantage. This offers more detailed look at this phenomenon. Presented description understands a home advantage in leagues as a random variable that can be described by a trinomial distribution. The paper uses this description to offer new ways of home advantage comparison—based on the Jeffrey divergence and the test for homogeneity—in different leagues. Next, a heuristic procedure—based on distances between probability descriptions of home advantage in leagues—is developed for identification of leagues with similar home advantage. Publicly available data are used for demonstration of presented procedures in 19 European football leagues between the 2007/2008 and 2016/2017 seasons, and for individual teams of one league in one season. Overall, the highest home advantage rate was identified in the highest Greek football league, and the lowest was identified in the fourth level English football league.
The Discovery of a Buried Temple in Paestum: The Advantages of the Geophysical Multi-Sensor Application
Authors: Capozzoli Luigi , Catapano Ilaria , De Martino Gregory , Gennarelli Gianluca , Ludeno Giovanni , Rizzo Enzo , Soldovieri Francesco , Uliano Scelza Francesco , Zuchtriegel Gabriel
Published: August 2020

Southern Italy is characterized by important archaeological sites developed during the pre-roman period. Among these, Paestum and Velia Archaeological Park, located in the Campania region, represents one of the most important and well-preserved sites of the Magna Graecia. During the last year, several unexpected archaeological findings have permitted the supposition of the presence of another undiscovered temple at Paestum, in a not yet investigated area of the site, close to the fortification walls (Western City Walls) of the ancient city and a few meters away from the gate of Porta Marina. To support this amazing hypothesis, the Paestum and Velia Archaeological Park and the National Research Council planned an accurate campaign of geophysical surveys, based on the combined use of Geomagnetic and Ground Penetrating Radar methodologies. The results of the geophysical surveys have effectively supported the detection of the temple, providing detailed information about its location and highlighting the geometry of the basement of the structure with high accuracy. The discovery sheds new light on the archaeological and architectonic history of the site and may represent one of the most relevant archaeological discoveries of the XXI century performed in Italy.
An Examination of the Non-Formation of the North Water Polynya Ice Arch
Authors: Vincent Ron F.
Published: August 2020

The North Water (NOW), situated between Ellesmere Island and Greenland in northern Baffin Bay, is the largest recurring polynya in the Canadian Arctic. Historically, the northern border of the NOW is defined by an ice arch that forms annually in Kane Basin, which is part of the Nares Strait system. In 2007 the NOW ice arch failed to consolidate for the first time since observations began in the 1950s. The non-formation of the NOW ice arch occurred again in 2009, 2010, 2017 and 2019. Satellite Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometry data shows that large floes broke off from the normally stable landfast ice in Kane Basin for each of these years, impeding ice arch formation. A closer analysis of a 2019 event, in which 2500 km2 of ice sheared away from Kane Basin, indicates that significant tidal forces played a role. The evidence suggests that thinning ice from a warming climate combined with large amplitude tides is a key factor in the changing ice dynamics of the NOW region. The non-formation of the NOW ice arch results in an increased loss of multiyear ice through Nares Strait.
A High-Speed Low-Cost VLSI System Capable of On-Chip Online Learning for Dynamic Vision Sensor Data Classification
Authors: He Wei , Huang Jinguo , Wang Tengxiao , Lin Yingcheng , He Junxian , Zhou Xichuan , Li Ping , Wang Ying , Wu Nanjian , Shi Cong
Published: August 2020

This paper proposes a high-speed low-cost VLSI system capable of on-chip online learning for classifying address-event representation (AER) streams from dynamic vision sensor (DVS) retina chips. The proposed system executes a lightweight statistic algorithm based on simple binary features extracted from AER streams and a Random Ferns classifier to classify these features. The proposed system’s characteristics of multi-level pipelines and parallel processing circuits achieves a high throughput up to 1 spike event per clock cycle for AER data processing. Thanks to the nature of the lightweight algorithm, our hardware system is realized in a low-cost memory-centric paradigm. In addition, the system is capable of on-chip online learning to flexibly adapt to different in-situ application scenarios. The extra overheads for on-chip learning in terms of time and resource consumption are quite low, as the training procedure of the Random Ferns is quite simple, requiring few auxiliary learning circuits. An FPGA prototype of the proposed VLSI system was implemented with 9.5~96.7% memory consumption and <11% computational and logic resources on a Xilinx Zynq-7045 chip platform. It was running at a clock frequency of 100 MHz and achieved a peak processing throughput up to 100 Meps (Mega events per second), with an estimated power consumption of 690 mW leading to a high energy efficiency of 145 Meps/W or 145 event/μJ. We tested the prototype system on MNIST-DVS, Poker-DVS, and Posture-DVS datasets, and obtained classification accuracies of 77.9%, 99.4% and 99.3%, respectively. Compared to prior works, our VLSI system achieves higher processing speeds, higher computing efficiency, comparable accuracy, and lower resource costs.
On Outage Probability and Ergodic Rate of Downlink Multi-User Relay Systems with Combination of NOMA, SWIPT, and Beamforming
Authors: Chi Hieu Ta , Le Cuong Nguyen , Manh Hoang Tran , Thanh Quan Do , Thanh Hiep Pham
Published: August 2020

A downlink of multi-user non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) relay systems is considered. To improve system performance, relay nodes are used to forward signals from the base station (BS) to the end users, and they are wirelessly powered by energy harvesting from the radio frequency transmitted from the BS. Moreover, beamforming is applied at the BS based on multiple antennas and relay nodes consist of one transmit antenna but several receive ones. The system performance is demonstrated through closed-form expressions of outage probability (OP) and ergodic rate (ER) over Rayleigh fading channels. The proposed system is investigated in two cases of perfect and imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC), and the imperfect channel state information condition is also taken into consideration. The OP and ER are calculated in many scenarios and the optimal time fraction of energy harvesting corresponding to the minimum OP is discussed. The exact and approximate theoretical results are compared with the simulation result to confirm the proposed theoretical analysis method.
Promoting Sustainable Data-Based Decision-Making in the Korean Educational Information Disclosure System
Authors: Joo Young Hyeo
Published: August 2020

This study investigates the Korean Educational Information Disclosure System (KEIDS) and suggests sustainable development policies for KEIDS to improve school-level data-based decision-making (DBDM) from the educational administration’s perspective. It also raises the following questions: What are the barriers impeding effective data use by the KEIDS? How do school teachers, who are directly involved in using data, effectively prepare for DBDM using the KEIDS? How can the KEIDS be improved for DBDM concerning quality data, school context, and institutional support? To answer these questions, the study reviewed KEIDS-related documents and interviewed 24 school teachers through an interpretive case study approach while using a research framework of data quality, school contexts, and institutional support. Its results highlight important issues with the KEIDS and sustainable DBDM, in other words, teachers and administrators are not always conscious of the need for using data; the lack of data use understanding creates issues among principal leadership and teachers’ involvement and cooperation; the quality of the student data in the Schoolinfo system is questionable; and the central education authority focuses on simply disclosing student data rather than pursuing the goal of the KEIDS. The study suggests facilitating DBDM through the KEIDS in terms of data quality, school context, and institutional support.
Is There a Promising Market for the A2 Milk? Analysis of Italian Consumer Preferences
Authors: Bentivoglio Deborah , Finco Adele , Bucci Giorgia , Staffolani Giacomo
Published: August 2020

Milk consumption has been on the decline for decades. Part of the cause for this is due to changes in consumer behavior and interest in healthy eating. The aim of this study was to estimate the premium price that consumers are willing to pay for A2 milk. A2 milk is a newcomer type of product containing only A2 beta-casein that is spreading in many countries of the world as a functional food. In addition, it is produced by traditional breeds of cattle that are adapted to the marginal areas and could be a virtuous model of the sustainable management system to which the consumer lately seems to turn in an increasingly conscious way. To accomplish this aim, contingent valuation has been used, which permits using a survey and a direct estimation of the premium price that consumers are willing to pay (WTP). The question format used is a dichotomous choice valuation based on a double-bound model. Statistical analysis was carried out using descriptive statistical analysis. The empirical results reveal that consumers are willing to pay a premium for A2 milk. In addition, individuals interested in product quality and already buying functional products are attracted to this type of product.
Educational Tourism and Local Development: The Role of Universities
Authors: Tomasi Sabrina , Paviotti Gigliola , Cavicchi Alessio
Published: August 2020

On the basis of a scoping review of the literature about educational tourism—a type of tourism in which the traveller’s primary or secondary objective is learning—this study summarizes views on how Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can foster local development through educational tourism. The results show that international students can be considered as educational tourists, and their stay can benefit them and the destination. In this context, the university can actively facilitate relationships between tourists and local stakeholders to foster learning at the destination and improve the sustainability of the local economy; some reports about specific cases are described. We argue that the tourism component should be considered by any institution organising or managing educational programmes, in order to exploit the opportunities offered by the destination for the achievement of learning goals. More specifically, the paper focuses on educational tourism related to HEI students in international mobility programs, who are educational tourists inasmuch as their overall experience at the destination includes leisure and tourism activities. Further research is needed to formulate models of intervention.
The Role of Intermediaries in Supporting Collaboration for Sustainability: A Model of Commissioning Intervention in the Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Sustainable Territorial Development
Authors: Dragomir Camelia-Cristina , Foriş Diana , Ţîţu Aurel Mihail , Foriş Tiberiu
Published: August 2020

The intervention of intermediaries in supporting collaboration for sustainability is considered an effective way to address the challenges faced by all parties involved in this type of commitment. Our paper includes several less frequently approached perspectives in this field of research and refers to the intervention of commissioning in supporting collaborative relationships with multiple stakeholders for sustainable territorial development. This paper proposes a model of structural and systemic development of commissioning at the national level, by specific geographical regions and development domains, and analyzes how commissioning structures intermediate the connection between multiple stakeholders, public authorities, and other relevant actors from different sectors of society, which mobilize resources to solve sustainability issues. The results show that the intervention of commissioning adds value to sustainability collaboration by providing stakeholders with an accessible and updated database specialized in development domains, where demands and offers for development resources can be managed safely, and the identification of the appropriate offer is carried out operatively through fast and secure computer systems able to create efficient and prompt connections. We believe that the model presented in the paper can be extended internationally to support global collaboration for sustainability, and we suggest further research in this direction.
A Promotional Construction Approach for an Urban Three-Dimensional Compactness Model—Law-of-Gravitation-Based
Authors: Hu Xinyue , Yan Han , Wang Deng , Zhao Zhuoqun , Zhang Guoqin , Lin Tao , Ye Hong
Published: August 2020

Urban sprawl has led to various economic, social, and environmental problems. Therefore, it is very significant to improve the efficiency of resource usage and promote the development of compact urban form. It is a common topic that measuring urban compactness is done with certain ways and methods as well. Presently, most urban compactness measurement methods are based on two-dimensional (2D) formats, but methods based on three-dimensional (3D) formats that can precisely describe the actual urban spatial conditions are still lacking. To measure the compactness of the 3D urban spatial form accurately, a 3D Compactness Index (VCI) was established based on the Law of Gravitation and the quantitative measurement model. In this model, larger 3D Compactness Index values indicate a more 3D-compact city. However, different urban scales may influence the discrepancy scale of different cities. Thus, the 3D Compactness Index model was normalized as the Normalized 3D Compactness Index (NVCI) to eliminate such discrepancies. In the Normalized 3D Compactness Index model, a sphere with the same volume of real urban buildings in the city was assumed as the most compact 3D urban form, and which was also calculated by 3D Compactness Index processing. The compactness value of the normalized 3D urban form is obtained by comparing the 3D Compactness Index with the most compact 3D urban form. In this study, 1149 typical communities in Xiamen, China, were selected as the experimental fields to verify the index. Some of communities have a quite different Normalized 3D Compactness Index, although they have a similar Normalized 2D Compactness Index (NCI), respectively. Moreover, comparing with the 2D Compactness Index (CI) and Normalized 2D Compactness Index (NCI), the 3D Compactness Index and Normalized 3D Compactness Index can describe and explain reality more precisely. The constructed 3D urban compactness model is expected to contribute to scientific study on urban compactness.
A Comparative Study of Supercapacitor-Based STATCOM in a Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System for Regulating Power Quality Issues
Authors: Afzal Muhammad Moin , Khan Muhammad Adil , Hassan Muhammad Arshad Shehzad , Wadood Abdul , Uddin Waqar , Hussain S. , Rhee Sang Bong
Published: August 2020

Renewable energy resources (RERs) play a vital role in reducing greenhouse gases, as well as balancing the power generation demand in daily life. Due to the high penetration of RERs and non-linear loads into utility power systems, various power quality issues arise, i.e., voltage drop, harmonic distortion, reactive power demand, etc. In order to handle these power quality issues, there is a need for smart flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices. In this paper, a super capacitor energy storage system (SCESS)-based static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) is designed in order for the grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system to overcome the abovementioned power quality issues. A voltage controller and a d-q axis controller are used for the efficient performance of the STATCOM. In order to show the superiority of the supercapacitor, a detailed comparison is made between a battery energy storage system (BESS)-based STATCOM and a SCESS-based STATCOM. Four scenarios are studied to evaluate the performance of the proposed STATCOM design. The proposed SCESS-based STATCOM not only boosts the voltage but also stabilizes it from 368 V to 385 V (Ph-Phrms). The simulated results have confirmed that the proposed design is not only superior to a BESS-based STATCOM but also has the capability to overcome the power quality issues as well.
While We Are Here: Resisting Hegemony and Fostering Inclusion through Rhizomatic Growth via Student–Faculty Pedagogical Partnership
Authors: Cook-Sather Alison , Becker Jamie W. , Giron Alexis
Published: August 2020

Postsecondary educational institutions often struggle to enact their espoused commitments to inclusion. Faculty on temporary appointments and students traditionally underrepresented in and underserved by colleges and universities, in particular, can feel excluded. In this article, we argue that student–faculty pedagogical partnership can help postsecondary institutions better enact their espoused commitments to inclusion by nurturing rhizomatic development for human sustainability. We describe how a student–faculty pedagogical partnership program provides a brave space within which rhizomatic growth can unfold by offering an autoethnographic case study of one faculty–student pair who worked in a semester-long pedagogical partnership through this program. Their work aimed to affirm and extend inclusive practices in the faculty member’s STEM course, and the unexpected intertwining of their paths also served to foster a sense of inclusion for both partners. After an introductory discussion of the partnership program, definition of rhizomatic growth as we use it, and an explanation of our method, the faculty and student partners present their autoethnographic case study by alternating their voices. We focus our discussion and recommendations on how partnership supports rhizomatic growth, inclusion, resistance to hegemony, and human sustainability. Finally, we propose possible directions for future research in each of these areas.
Optimal Body Composition and Anthropometric Profile of World-Class Beach Handball Players by Playing Positions
Authors: Pueo Basilio , Espina-Agullo Jose Julio , Selles-Perez Sergio , Penichet-Tomas Alfonso
Published: August 2020

Profiling of beach handball players is required to optimize sports performance, talent identification, and injury prevention. The study aimed to describe the anthropometric characteristics, somatotype, and body composition of elite male and female beach handball players classified by playing positions. Thirty elite beach handball players (15 male, 15 female) of the Spanish National Beach Handball Team, which ranked fifth and first in the VII World Championships, respectively, were categorized as front (wings/specialists), back (pivots/defenders) players and goalkeepers. Independent from position, male players showed larger values of anthropometric characteristics, girths, breadths, and absolute components of body composition than female players. Contrastingly, skinfolds, and body fat mass percentage were higher in female players. All these results were statistically significant (p < 0.05) with large to extremely large effect sizes (d = 1.4–5.4). The position-related differences indicated that male back players were taller (p = 0.008; ηp2 = 0.56), heavier (p = 0.016; ηp2 = 0.50) and showed larger arm span (p = 0.036; ηp2 = 0.42) than front players. In contrast, female goalkeepers showed larger body mass (p = 0.007; ηp2 = 0.57) and BMI (p = 0.035; ηp2 = 0.43), whereas back players showed higher muscular mass than goalkeepers (p = 0.022; ηp2 = 0.47). The present study provides anthropometric reference values of elite beach handball players, and indicates differences between playing positions, providing normative data for talent identification of male and female players.
Sustainable Sport Development: The Influence of Competitive-Grouping and Relative Age on the Performance of Young Triathletes
Authors: Ferriz-Valero Alberto , García Martínez Salvador , Olaya-Cuartero Javier , García-Jaén Miguel
Published: August 2020

Competitive-grouping by chronological age is a common organizational strategy in competition which may unintentionally promote relative age effects, for the benefit of older individuals within the same competitive-group, especially in young athletes. This work presents the aim of analyzing differences in young triathletes on their performance within each competitive group. A total of 1243 entries of both sexes, both children—13–14 years old—and cadets—15–17 years old—participated. Firstly, we identified the year in the competitive group and relative-age semester for all the triathletes who competed in a total of six seasons from 2013 to 2018. Secondly, the performance indicator was calculated in all the segments in a triathlon competition for all triathletes. The Kruskal-Wallis Test and U Mann Whitney Test was applied. It was observed that all cadet triathletes born in the first semester of the year (S1, born in January–June) were faster; for both boys and girls. Likewise, it was observed that older triathletes who competed within the same category were faster, but only in males and for both competitive groups: children (p < 0.0083), and cadet (p < 0.0033). In conclusion, families, coaches and sports political agencies need a greater knowledge and understanding of the effects of relative age and competitive grouping to understand the important role of age in the development of sports talent demonstrated in this study.
Is Honesty the Best Policy? Examining the Role of Price and Production Transparency in Fashion Marketing
Authors: Kim Naeun L. , Kim Gwia , Rothenberg Lori
Published: August 2020

Transparency is one of the most prominent demands of consumers today. Numerous fashion brands are responding to this demand for transparency by sharing information on the cost-breakdown of products and manufacturing processes. Research shows that transparency can become a vital tool for product, process, and business model innovation. Nonetheless, little is known about the role of transparency and how it affects consumers’ perceptions of a brand in a fashion context. By applying the signaling theory, the purpose of this study is to investigate how consumers react to fashion brands that provide price or production transparency. The study further examines whether the extent of information disclosure and perceived fairness of the information also play a role. An experiment of nine scenarios using a fictitious fashion brand was developed, and data were collected from 349 American consumers through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). The findings suggest that both price transparency and production transparency positively affect the overall brand equity and consumers’ purchase intentions as long as the information is perceived to be fair regardless of the extent. This study extends our current understanding of the role of transparency as an extrinsic signal and also suggests that brand transparency may be another key dimension of brand equity.
Improvement of an Urban Growth Model for Railway-Induced Urban Expansion
Authors: Varquez Alvin Christopher G. , Dong Sifan , Hanaoka Shinya , Kanda Manabu
Published: August 2020

Increasing population in urban areas drives urban cover expansion and spatial growth. Developing urban growth models enables better understanding and planning of sustainable urban areas. The SLEUTH model is an urban growth simulation model which uses the concept of cellular automata to predict land cover change using six spatial inputs of historical data (slope, land use, exclusion, urban, transportation, and hill-shade). This study investigates the potential of SLEUTH to capture railway-induced urban growth by testing methods that can consider railways as input to the model, namely (1) combining the exclusion layer with a station map; (2) creating a new input layer representing stations in addition to the default six inputs. Districts in Tsukuba, Japan and Gurugram, India which historically showed evidence of urban growth by railway construction are investigated. Results reveal that both proposed methods can capture railway impact on urban growth, while the former algorithm under the right settings may perform better than the latter at finer resolutions. Coarser resolution representation (300-m grid-spacing) eventually reduces the differences in accuracy among the default SLEUTH model and the proposed algorithms.
An Assessment Method of Urban Traffic Crash Severity Considering Traveling Delay and Non-Essential Fuel Consumption of Third Parties
Authors: Cao Yi , Li Shiwen , Fu Chuanyun
Published: August 2020

Urban traffic crashes may lead to only a few casualties, but may generate severe negative impacts on the surrounding traffic, such as evidently increasing traveling delay and non-essential fuel consumption of third parties (i.e., vehicles not involved in the crash). Such detrimental consequences of urban traffic crashes are usually ignored by the traditional crash severity evaluation approaches. Therefore, this study attempts to classify urban traffic crash severity by considering the traveling delay and non-essential fuel consumption of third parties in addition to casualties and property damages. Based on the losses of traveling delay and non-essential fuel consumption of third parties, the losses of crash casualties, and property damages, a comprehensive index of urban traffic crash severity was developed. Moreover, the thresholds of the proposed comprehensive index for urban crash severity classification were determined based on the crash data from 2013 to 2014 collected from Harbin, China. The developed comprehensive index was applied to a case study, which also compared the crash severity classification outcomes from the developed method and the current approach. The results indicate that the developed method of urban traffic crash severity classification is more reasonable than the existing approach. Such superiority of the proposed urban crash severity classification method is due to considering the traveling delay and non-essential fuel consumption of third parties caused by a crash.
Chiral Oscillations and Spontaneous Mirror Symmetry Breaking in a Simple Polymerization Model
Authors: Bock William , Peacock-López Enrique
Published: August 2020

The origin of biological homochirality—defined as the preference of biological systems for only one enantiomer—has widespread implications in the study of chemical evolution and the origin of life. The activation—polymerization—epimerization—depolymerization (APED) model is a theoretical model originally proposed to describe chiral symmetry breaking in a simple dimerization system. It is known that the model produces chiral and chemical oscillations for certain system parameters, in particular, the preferential formation of heterochiral polymers. In order to investigate the effect of higher oligomers, our model adds trimers, tetramers, and pentamers. We report sustained oscillations of all chemical species and the enantiomeric excess for a wide range of parameter sets as well as the periodic chiral amplification of a small initial enantiomeric excess to a nearly homochiral state.