bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Surface Mediated Supramolecular Chiral Phenomenon for Recognition of l- and d-Cysteine
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Shuai-Shuai , Xu Xu , Fei Kai-Xuan , Peng Yin-Xian
Published: December 2018

Chiral recognition is of fundamental importance in chemistry and life sciences and the principle of chiral recognition is instructive in chiral separation and enantioselective catalysis. Non-chiral Ag nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated with chiral cysteine (Cys) molecules demonstrate strong circular dichroism (CD) responses in the UV range. The optical activities of the l-/d-Cys capped Ag NPs are associated with the formation of order arrangements of chiral molecules on the surface of Ag NPs, which are promoted by the electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding interaction. The intensity of the chiroptical response is related to the total surface area of Ag NPs in the colloidal solution. The anisotropy factor on the order of 10−2 is acquired for Ag NPs with the size varying from ~2.4 to ~4.5 nm. We demonstrate a simple and effective method for the fabrication of a quantitative chiral sensing platform, in which mesoporous silica coated Ag nanoparticles (Ag@mSiO2) were used as chiral probes for recognition and quantification of Cys enantiomers.
Intakes of Zinc, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium of Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and the Relationship with Glycemic Control
Authors: Brandão-Lima Paula , Carvalho Gabrielli , Santos Ramara , Santos Beatriz , Dias-Vasconcelos Natalia , Rocha Vivianne , Barbosa Kiriaque , Pires Liliane
Published: December 2018

The role of the concomitant intake of zinc, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the glycemic control of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has not been extensively discussed. We evaluated the relationship between the dietary intake of these micronutrients and glycemic markers in 95 individuals with T2DM (mean age 48.6 ± 8.4 years). Hierarchical grouping analysis was used to divide the individuals into two clusters according to their micronutrient intake, and differences between clusters were statistically assessed. Effects of individual and combination intake of micronutrients on glycated hemoglobin percentage (%HbA1c) were assessed using multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression analysis. We observed a high likelihood of inadequate intake of the four micronutrients. The group with lower micronutrient intake (cluster 1) displayed higher %HbA1c (p = 0.006) and triglyceride (p = 0.010) levels. High %HbA1c showed an association with cluster 1 (odds ratio (OR) = 3.041, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.131; 8.175) and time of T2DM diagnosis (OR = 1.155, 95% CI = 1.043; 1.278). Potassium (β = −0.001, p = 0.017) and magnesium (β = −0.007, p = 0.015) intakes were inversely associated with %HbA1c. Reduced concomitant intake of the four micronutrients studied proved to be associated with risk of increased %HbA1c in individuals with T2DM, which was particularly predicted by magnesium and potassium intakes.
Influence of Chemical Enhancers and Iontophoresis on the In Vitro Transdermal Permeation of Propranolol: Evaluation by Dermatopharmacokinetics
Authors: Calatayud-Pascual María Aracely , Sebastian-Morelló María , Balaguer-Fernández Cristina , Delgado-Charro M. Begoña , López-Castellano Alicia , Merino Virginia
Published: December 2018

The aims of this study were to assess, in vitro, the possibility of administering propranolol transdermally and to evaluate the usefulness of the dermatopharmacokinetic (DPK) method in assessing the transport of drugs through stratum corneum, using propranolol as a model compound. Four chemical enhancers (decenoic and oleic acid, laurocapram, and R-(+)-limonene) and iontophoresis at two current densities, 0.25 and 0.5 mA/cm2 were tested. R-(+)-limonene, and iontophoresis at 0.5 mA/cm2 were proven to be the most efficient in increasing propranolol transdermal flux, both doubled the original propranolol transdermal flux. Iontophoresis was demonstrated to be superior than the chemical enhancer because it allowed faster delivery of the drug. The DPK method was sufficiently sensitive to detect subtle vehicle-induced effects on the skin permeation of propranolol. The shorter duration of these experiments and their ability to provide mechanistic information about partition between vehicle and skin and diffusivity through skin place them as practical and potentially insightful approach to quantify and, ultimately, optimize topical bioavailability.
Experimental Study on Compression Deformation and Permeability Characteristics of Grading Broken Gangue under Stress
Authors: Zhang Yu , Zhou Wei , Li Ming , Chen Zhanqing
Published: December 2018

As the important raw material for backfill mining, broken gangue’s deformation and permeability characteristics directly affect the deformation of the overlying strata above the filling space. In this paper, through lateral compression and pressed seepage tests, the deformation and permeability characteristics of broken gangue as a function of the stress level and grading features were studied. This research indicates that the stress of broken gangue increases exponentially with an increase in strain, and the compression modulus and compression rate present a positive correlation. The samples with discontinuous grading are more difficult to compress than the continuous grading samples, and the discontinuous grading samples are tighter in accordance with the increase in compression rate. At the same time, the change range of the seepage velocity and permeability of the broken gangue decreases. Positive correction between the grading index of the broken gangue and the effect of reducing the permeability of samples is more obvious under axial compression, and less axial stress is needed to achieve the same permeability level for discontinuous grading. This paper can provide an important test basis for the design of grading parameters and the prediction of filling effects of broken gangue on backfill mining.
From Synapse to Function: A Perspective on the Role of Neuroproteomics in Elucidating Mechanisms of Drug Addiction
Authors: Natividad Luis A. , Buczynski Matthew W. , McClatchy Daniel B. , Yates John R.
Published: December 2018

Drug addiction is a complex disorder driven by dysregulation in molecular signaling across several different brain regions. Limited therapeutic options currently exist for treating drug addiction and related psychiatric disorders in clinical populations, largely due to our incomplete understanding of the molecular pathways that influence addiction pathology. Recent work provides strong evidence that addiction-related behaviors emerge from the convergence of many subtle changes in molecular signaling networks that include neuropeptides (neuropeptidome), protein-protein interactions (interactome) and post-translational modifications such as protein phosphorylation (phosphoproteome). Advancements in mass spectrometry methodology are well positioned to identify these novel molecular underpinnings of addiction and further translate these findings into druggable targets for therapeutic development. In this review, we provide a general perspective of the utility of novel mass spectrometry-based approaches for addressing critical questions in addiction neuroscience, highlighting recent innovative studies that exemplify how functional assessments of the neuroproteome can provide insight into the mechanisms of drug addiction.
Soil Moisture in the Biebrza Wetlands Retrieved from Sentinel-1 Imagery
Authors: Dabrowska-Zielinska Katarzyna , Musial Jan , Malinska Alicja , Budzynska Maria , Gurdak Radoslaw , Kiryla Wojciech , Bartold Maciej , Grzybowski Patryk
Published: December 2018

The objective of the study was to estimate soil moisture (SM) from Sentinel-1 (S-1) satellite images acquired over wetlands. The study was carried out during the years 2015–2017 in the Biebrza Wetlands, situated in north-eastern Poland. At the Biebrza Wetlands, two Sentinel-1 validation sites were established, covering grassland and marshland biomes, where a network of 18 stations for soil moisture measurement was deployed. The sites were funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), and the collected measurements are available through the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN). The SAR data of the Sentinel-1 satellite with VH (vertical transmit and horizontal receive) and VV (vertical transmit and vertical receive) polarization were applied to SM retrieval for a broad range of vegetation and soil moisture conditions. The methodology is based on research into the effect of vegetation on backscatter (σ°) changes under different soil moisture and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values. The NDVI was derived from the optical imagery of a MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor onboard the Terra satellite. It was found that the state of the vegetation expressed by NDVI can be described by the indices such as the difference between σ° VH and VV, or the ratio of σ° VV/VH, as calculated from the Sentinel-1 images in the logarithmic domain. The most significant correlation coefficient for soil moisture was found for data that was acquired from the ascending tracks of the Sentinel-1 satellite, characterized by the lowest incidence angle, and SM at a depth of 5 cm. The study demonstrated that the use of the inversion approach, which was applied to the newly developed models using Water Cloud Model (WCM) that includes the derived indices based on S-1, allowed the estimation of SM for wetlands with reasonable accuracy (10 vol. %). The developed soil moisture retrieval algorithms based on S-1 data are suited for wetland ecosystems, where soil moisture values are several times higher than in agricultural areas.
Understanding Land Cover Change in a Fragmented Forest Landscape in a Biodiversity Hotspot of Coastal Ecuador
Authors: Haro-Carrión Xavier , Southworth Jane
Published: December 2018

Understanding forest cover changes is especially important in highly threatened and understudied tropical dry forest landscapes. This research uses Landsat images and a Random Forest classifier (RF) to map old-growth, secondary, and plantation forests and to evaluate changes in their coverage in Ecuador. We used 46 Landsat-derived predictors from the dry and wet seasons to map these forest types and to evaluate the importance of having seasonal variables in classifications. Initial RF models grouped old-growth and secondary forest as a single class because of a lack of secondary forest training data. The model accuracy was improved slightly from 92.8% for the wet season and 94.6% for the dry season to 95% overall by including variables from both seasons. Derived land cover maps indicate that the remaining forest in the landscape occurs mostly along the coastline in a matrix of pastureland, with less than 10% of the landscape covered by plantation forests. To obtain secondary forest training data and evaluate changes in forest cover, we conducted a change analysis between the 1990 and 2015 images. The results indicated that half of the forests present in 1990 were cleared during the 25-year study period and highlighted areas of forest regrowth. We used these areas to extract secondary forest training data and then re-classified the landscape with secondary forest as a class. Classification accuracies decreased with more forest classes, but having data from both seasons resulted in higher accuracy (87.9%) compared to having data from only the wet (85.8%) or dry (82.9%) seasons. The produced cover maps classified the majority of previously identified forest areas as secondary, but these areas likely correspond to forest regrowth and to degraded forests that structurally resemble secondary forests. Among the few areas classified as old-growth forests are known reserves. This research provides evidence of the importance of using bi-seasonal Landsat data to classify forest types and contributes to understanding changes in forest cover of tropical dry forests.
Spatiotemporal Evolution of Postseismic Deformation Following the 2001 Mw7.8 Kokoxili, China, Earthquake from 7 Years of Insar Observations
Authors: Zhao Dezheng , Qu Chunyan , Shan Xinjian , Bürgmann Roland , Gong Wenyu , Zhang Guohong
Published: December 2018

The 2001 Mw7.8 Kokoxili earthquake, which occurred in the north Tibetan Plateau, ruptured ~400 km of the westernmost portion of the Kunlun fault and produced significant time-dependent postseismic deformation over a large area around the rupture zone and nearby regions. To analyze the postseismic deformation features along different sections of the coseismic surface rupture, we describe the total cumulative postseismic deformation near the center of the rupture and produce velocity maps for the whole observation period and six sub-periods, using InSAR observations (ENVISAT/ASAR, 2003–2010) on five descending tracks. The results indicate that the postseismic deformation is asymmetrically distributed across the fault over a very broad area of ~300 km × 500 km. The south side of the fault exhibits larger displacements and a wider area of deformation that is steadily decaying from near-field to far-field, while the north side displays a narrow, rapidly diminishing deformation field. The maximum cumulative displacement in 2003–2010 reaches up to ~45–60 mm and the LOS peak-to-trough average velocity offset in 2003–2010 reaches ~13–16 mm/yr at ~92.5°E. The short-term postseismic velocity estimates in the six sub-periods reflect significant spatial variation and temporal differences on different sections. Motions to the south of the two ends of the rupture zone show more rapid velocity decay compared to near the main central rupture zone. The time- and distance-dependent timeseries of postseismic surface displacement reveal exponential decay in the near-field and a nearly linear trend in the far-field of the fault.
A Spatiotemporal Contextual Model for Forest Fire Detection Using Himawari-8 Satellite Data
Authors: Xie Zixi , Song Weiguo , Ba Rui , Li Xiaolian , Xia Long
Published: December 2018

Two of the main remote sensing data resources for forest fire detection have significant drawbacks: geostationary Earth Observation (EO) satellites have high temporal resolution but low spatial resolution, whereas Polar-orbiting systems have high spatial resolution but low temporal resolution. Therefore, the existing forest fire detection algorithms that are based on a single one of these two systems have only exploited temporal or spatial information independently. There are no approaches yet that have effectively merged spatial and temporal characteristics to detect forest fires. This paper fills this gap by presenting a spatiotemporal contextual model (STCM) that fully exploits geostationary data’s spatial and temporal dimensions based on the data from Himawari-8 Satellite. We used an improved robust fitting algorithm to model each pixel’s diurnal temperature cycles (DTC) in the middle and long infrared bands. For each pixel, a Kalman filter was used to blend the DTC to estimate the true background brightness temperature. Subsequently, we utilized the Otsu method to identify the fire after using an MVC (maximum value month composite of NDVI) threshold to test which areas have enough fuel to support such events. Finally, we used a continuous timeslot test to correct the fire detection results. The proposed algorithm was applied to four fire cases in East Asia and Australia in 2016. A comparison of detection results between MODIS Terra and Aqua active fire products (MOD14 and MYD14) demonstrated that the proposed algorithm from this paper effectively analyzed the spatiotemporal information contained in multi-temporal remotely sensed data. In addition, this new forest fire detection method can lead to higher detection accuracy than the traditional contextual and temporal algorithms. By developing algorithms that are based on AHI measurements to meet the requirement to detect forest fires promptly and accurately, this paper assists both emergency responders and the general public to mitigate the damage of forest fires.
Evaluating MODIS Dust-Detection Indices over the Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Albugami Sarah , Palmer Steven , Meersmans Jeroen , Waine Toby
Published: December 2018

Sand and dust storm events (SDEs), which result from strong surface winds in arid and semi-arid areas, exhibiting loose dry soil surfaces are detrimental to human health, agricultural land, infrastructure, and transport. The accurate detection of near-surface dust is crucial for quantifying the spatial and temporal occurrence of SDEs globally. The Arabian Peninsula is an important source region for global dust due to the presence of extensive deserts. This paper evaluates the suitability of five different MODIS-based methods for detecting airborne dust over the Arabian Peninsula: (a) Normalized Difference Dust Index (NDDI); (b) Brightness Temperature Difference (BTD) (31–32); (c) BTD (20–31); (d) Middle East Dust Index (MEDI) and (e) Reflective Solar Band (RSB). We derive detection thresholds for each index by comparing observed values for ‘dust-present’ versus ‘dust-free’ conditions, taking into account various land cover settings and analyzing associated temporal trends. Our results suggest that the BTD (31–32) method and the RSB index are the most suitable indices for detecting dust storms over different land-cover types across the Arabian Peninsula. The NDDI and BTD (20–31) methods have limitations in identifying dust over multiple land-cover types. Furthermore, the MEDI has been found to be unsuitable for detecting dust in the study area across all land-cover types.
Reconstruction of Three-Dimensional Images Based on Estimation of Spinning Target Parameters in Radar Network
Authors: Liu Xiao-wen , Zhang Qun , Jiang Lei , Liang Jia , Chen Yi-jun
Published: December 2018

A high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction method for a spinning target is proposed in this paper and the anisotropy is overcome by fusing different observation information acquired from the radar network. The proposed method will reconstruct the 3D scattering distribution, and the mapping of the reconstructed 3D image onto the imaging plane is identical to the two-dimensional (2D) imaging result. At first, the range compression and inverse radon transform is employed to produce the 2D image of the spinning target. In addition, the process of mapping the spinning target onto the imaging plane is analyzed and the mapping formulas which are to map the point onto the 2D image plane are derived. After the micro-Doppler signature about which every reconstructed point in 2D imaging result is extracted by the Radon transform, the extended Hough transform is adopted to calculate an important parameter about the micro-Doppler signature, and the 3D image reconstruction model for the spinning target is constructed based on the radar network. Finally, the algorithm for solving the reconstruction model is proposed and the 3D image of the spinning target is obtained. Some simulation results are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and results show that the mean square error (MSE) relatively holds a steady trend when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is higher than −10 dB and the MSE of the reconstructed 3D target image is less than 0.15 when SNR is at the level of −10 dB.
Validation of a Dynamic Planning Navigation Strategy Applied to Mobile Terrestrial Robots
Authors: Silva Caroline A. D. , De Oliveira Átila V. F. M. , Fernandes Marcelo A. C.
Published: December 2018

This work describes the performance of a DPNA-GA (Dynamic Planning Navigation Algorithm optimized with Genetic Algorithm) algorithm applied to autonomous navigation in unknown static and dynamic terrestrial environments. The main aim was to validate the functionality and robustness of the DPNA-GA, with variations of genetic parameters including the crossover rate and population size. To this end, simulations were performed of static and dynamic environments, applying the different conditions. The simulation results showed satisfactory efficiency and robustness of the DPNA-GA technique, validating it for real applications involving mobile terrestrial robots.
Development of Highly Sensitive Immunosensor for Clenbuterol Detection by Using Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/Graphene Oxide Modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode
Authors: Talib Nurul Ain A. , Salam Faridah , Sulaiman Yusran
Published: December 2018

Clenbuterol (CLB) is an antibiotic and illegal growth promoter drug that has a long half-life and easily remains as residue and contaminates the animal-based food product that leads to various health problems. In this work, electrochemical immunosensor based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/graphene oxide (PEDOT/GO) modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) for CLB detection was developed for antibiotic monitoring in a food product. The modification of SPCE with PEDOT/GO as a sensor platform was performed through electropolymerization, while the electrochemical assay was accomplished while using direct competitive format in which the free CLB and clenbuterol-horseradish peroxidase (CLB-HRP) in the solution will compete to form binding with the polyclonal anti-clenbuterol antibody (Ab) immobilized onto the modified electrode surface. A linear standard CLB calibration curve with R2 = 0.9619 and low limit of detection (0.196 ng mL−1) was reported. Analysis of milk samples indicated that this immunosensor was able to detect CLB in real samples and the results that were obtained were comparable with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).
Vision-Based Apple Classification for Smart Manufacturing
Authors: Ismail Ahsiah , Idris Mohd Yamani Idna , Ayub Mohamad Nizam , Por Lip Yee
Published: December 2018

Smart manufacturing enables an efficient manufacturing process by optimizing production and product transaction. The optimization is performed through data analytics that requires reliable and informative data as input. Therefore, in this paper, an accurate data capture approach based on a vision sensor is proposed. Three image recognition methods are studied to determine the best vision-based classification technique, namely Bag of Words (BOW), Spatial Pyramid Matching (SPM) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The vision-based classifiers categorize the apple as defective and non-defective that can be used for automatic inspection, sorting and further analytics. A total of 550 apple images are collected to test the classifiers. The images consist of 275 non-defective and 275 defective apples. The defective category includes various types of defect and severity. The vision-based classifiers are trained and evaluated according to the K-fold cross-validation. The performances of the classifiers from 2-fold, 3-fold, 4-fold, 5-fold and 10-fold are compared. From the evaluation, SPM with SVM classifier attained 98.15% classification accuracy for 10-fold and outperformed the others. In terms of computational time, CNN with SVM classifier is the fastest. However, minimal time difference is observed between the computational time of CNN and SPM, which were separated by only 0.05 s.
Modern Instrumental Limits of Identification of Ignitable Liquids in Forensic Fire Debris Analysis
Authors: Abel Robin , Zadora Grzegorz , Sandercock P. , Harynuk James
Published: December 2018

Forensic fire debris analysis is an important part of fire investigation, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is the accepted standard for detection of ignitable liquids in fire debris. While GC-MS is the dominant technique, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS) is gaining popularity. Despite the broad use of these techniques, their sensitivities are poorly characterized for petroleum-based ignitable liquids. Accordingly, we explored the limit of identification (LOI) using the protocols currently applied in accredited forensic labs for two 75% evaporated gasolines and a 25% evaporated diesel as both neat samples and in the presence of interfering pyrolysate typical of fire debris. GC-MSD (mass selective detector (MS)), GC-TOF (time-of-flight (MS)), and GC×GC-TOF were evaluated under matched conditions to determine the volume of ignitable liquid required on-column for correct identification by three experienced forensic examiners performing chromatographic interpretation in accordance with ASTM E1618-14. GC-MSD provided LOIs of ~0.6 pL on-column for both neat gasolines, and ~12.5 pL on-column for neat diesel. In the presence of pyrolysate, the gasoline LOIs increased to ~6.2 pL on-column, while diesel could not be correctly identified at the concentrations tested. For the neat dilutions, GC-TOF generally provided 2× better sensitivity over GC-MSD, while GC×GC-TOF generally resulted in 10× better sensitivity over GC-MSD. In the presence of pyrolysate, GC-TOF was generally equivalent to GC-MSD, while GC×GC-TOF continued to show 10× greater sensitivity relative to GC-MSD. Our findings demonstrate the superior sensitivity of GC×GC-TOF and provide an important approach for interlaboratory benchmarking of modern instrumental performance in fire debris analysis.
Islamophobia, Representation and the Muslim Political Subject. A Swedish Case Study
Authors: Jakku Nina
Published: December 2018

Applying media analysis, this article addresses how the exclusion of Muslim women from fields of common public interest in Sweden, such as partaking as an active citizen, is materialized. Focusing on a specific event—the cancellation of a screening of Burka Songs 2.0—and the media coverage and representation of the cancellation, it discusses the role of discourses of gender equality, secularity and democracy in circumscribing space for Muslim political subjects. It casts light on Islamophobic stereotyping, questionable democracy and secularity, as well as the over-simplified approaches to gender equality connected to dealings with Muslim women in Sweden. Besides obstacles connected to Muslim political subjects, the study provides insights into media representation of Muslim women in general, specially connected to veils and the role of lawmaking connected to certain kind of veiling, in Sweden and Europe.
Integrated Public Value Creation through Community Initiatives—Evidence from Dutch Water Management
Authors: Duijn Michael , Van Popering-Verkerk Jitske
Published: December 2018

Governments are increasingly challenged by self-organizing community initiatives that seek to contribute to or even take the lead in public value creation. The reason for citizen-led instead of government-led public value creation is part of two larger governance trends. The first is the increased specialized, mission-oriented approach to large social challenges by government agencies. The second trend is the increased emphasis on accountability, productivity, and efficiency, following the New Public Management philosophy. As a response to these trends, community initiatives challenge the usual mechanisms, principles, and practices of government agencies. These initiatives are characterized by more integrated and inclusive approaches for dealing with societal problems. In turn, government agencies struggle with the way they can organize productive responses to the initiatives communities take in creating public value. In this study, we explore the rationales behind processes of public value creation in which communities take the lead. We explored these processes in Dutch water management. In this highly functionally specialized domain, we compared two cases in which communities take on leadership for integrated initiatives, including other societal functions and tasks adjacent to water management.
Surfing the Waves of the CMJ; Are There between-Sport Differences in the Waveform Data?
Authors: Parker James , Lundgren Lina E.
Published: December 2018

The ability to analyse countermovement jump (CMJ) waveform data using statistical methods, like principal component analysis, can provide additional information regarding the different phases of the CMJ, compared to jump height or peak power alone. The aim of this study was to investigate the between-sport force-time curve differences in the CMJ. Eighteen high level golfers (male = 10, female = 8) and eighteen high level surfers (male = 10, female = 8) performed three separate countermovement jumps on a force platform. Time series of data from the force platform was normalized to body weight and each repetition was then normalized to 0–100 percent. Principal component analyses (PCA) were performed on force waveforms and the first six PCs explained 35% of the variance in force parameters. The main features of the movement cycles were characterized by magnitude (PC1 and PC5), waveform (PC2 and PC4), and phase shift features (PC3). Surf athletes differ in their CMJ technique and show a greater negative centre of mass displacement when compared to golfers (PC1), although these differences are not necessarily associated with greater jump height. Principal component 5 demonstrated the largest correlation with jump height (R2 = 0.52). Further studies are recommended in this area, to reveal which features of the CMJ that relate to jumping performance, and sport specific adaptations.
Determining Soil Nutrients Reference Condition in Alpine Region Grassland, China: A Case Study of Hulun Buir Grassland
Authors: Li Jiaxun , Cao Feifei , Wu Di , Fu Xiao , Tian Ye , Wu Gang
Published: December 2018

Grasslands represent a source of nutrient cycling, ecosystem stabilization, and services for human use. Grassland soil quality is commonly used as an indicator of ecosystem health and sustainability due to its strong correlation with overall grassland quality and ecosystem health. Although direct and indirect effects of human activities or disturbances on soil can be taken into account, a benchmark (i.e., the reference condition (RC)) should be used and is needed to describe the baseline of an area without significant anthropogenic disturbance. Therefore, determination of the soil reference condition and suitable selection methods have become a key focal point in grassland protection and ecological assessments. In this study, several methods were selected to determine soil nutrient concentrations of Hulun Buir Grassland in northern China based on the proposed criteria. The concentrations of total organic matter, N, P, and K; 112 samples were analyzed using the population distribution method, trisection method, and regression model method. The reference concentrations of total organic matter, N, P, and K in soil were recommended to be 52.12 g/kg, 2.94 g/kg, 2.08 mg/kg, and 305.76 mg/kg, respectively. In the alpine region grassland, the major factors that impact nutrient concentration were agricultural activity and vegetation coverage. Sampling methods should be used preferentially in determining grassland soil reference condition and historical data; experts’ judgment could be used in substitution.
User Willingness toward Knowledge Sharing in Social Networks
Authors: Zhao Jie , Zhu Chanjuan , Peng Zhixiang , Xu Xin , Liu Yan
Published: December 2018

Social networks introduce new potential for people to share knowledge with others. However, it is not clear what factors influence user willingness toward knowledge sharing in social networks. Aiming to answer these questions, in this paper we analyze the major factors influencing user willingness toward knowledge sharing in social networks and propose a new research model that is inspired by the technology acceptance model (TAM). In particular, we introduce a new independent variable called perceived value which is described by four aspects: social value, entertainment value, emotion value, and information value. In addition, we introduce a new mediating variable, trust, to reflect the intermediating relationship between perceived value and knowledge-sharing willingness. We conduct an empirical analysis on questionnaire data and present comprehensive results on reliability and validity, factor analysis, correlation analysis, and mediating effects analysis. The results show that perceived value has a significant impact on knowledge-sharing willingness, and trust plays a partial intermediate role between perceived value and knowledge-sharing willingness. Further, we present some research implications for knowledge sharing and learning innovation in social networks, as well as some suggestions for organizations to advance knowledge sharing and learning innovation in the social-network age.
Addressing Misconceptions to the Concept of Resilience in Environmental Education
Authors: Kharrazi Ali , Kudo Shogo , Allasiw Doreen
Published: December 2018

Environmental education is shaped in response to societal and environmental realities and it reflects new interests and demands that enable sustainable transformations. In recent years, the concept of resilience has taken an increasingly significant role among practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and especially within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite its growing importance, the literature surrounding the concept of resilience has struggled to find a consensus on definitions and measurements and therefore may be easily misconceived. In this avenue, a consensus among varying perspectives of resilience may be better achieved by understanding the interaction between students’ prior knowledge (pre-conception) of resilience and the knowledge provided by educators. Based on the case study of five courses that teach the concept of this paper firstly identifies and discusses three common misconceptions among students, focusing on the concept of socio-ecological resilience. These include misconceptions to the value judgment, adaptability, and the costs that are relevant to the concept of resilience. Secondly, this paper discusses educational tools derived from scenario planning and theoretical foundations underlying empirical approaches to the concept of resilience, which may benefit educators in enabling critical thinking to address such common misconceptions. This paper may contribute to ongoing discussions in the environmental education literature, specifically to both pedagogy and curriculum focusing on the concept of resilience.
Mediating Influences of Attitude on Internal and External Factors Influencing Consumers’ Intention to Purchase Organic Foods in China
Authors: Chu Kuo Ming
Published: December 2018

As with environment and sustainable development, there has been a rapid rise in the worldwide consumption of organic foods over the last years, as well as the quickly growing potential of organic markets in China, and their direct influence on consumer health awareness and social opinion. This study provides insights into Chinese consumers’ attitudes toward organic foods and evaluates purchase intention’s impact as a mediator in the relationship between external and internal factors on purchase intention. This empirical study is based on an online questionnaire using a sample of 1421 Chinese consumers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used as the main practical approach for data analysis, and six hypotheses were examined. The results show that a more positive attitude on the part of consumers toward organic foods will further reinforce their purchasing intentions, whereas, there was no significant impact of marketing price and communication on consumers’ attitudes toward organic foods. Furthermore, the results show that intention was a full or a whole mediator among the three exogenous constructs of environment awareness, health consciousness, and subjective norms. Based on the findings, marketing communication strategies should concentrate on offering more value to consumers regarding the features of nutritional value. Long-term environment friendliness, health benefits, and social status symbols should be assumed to enhance consumers’ purchase intention in the organic foods industry.
Financially Qualified Members in an Upper Echelon and Their Relationship with Corporate Sustainability: Evidence from an Emerging Economy
Authors: Banbhan Ashfaque , Cheng Xinsheng , Ud Din Nizam
Published: December 2018

Non-observable board diversity is an important organizational strategy for improving the long-term growth and survivability of firms. The involvement of corporate sustainability (CS) in top management teams has led to effective boards. By using agency theory, we stress how financially qualified directors (FQD) in audit committees (ACs) may positively or negatively affect the practice of earnings management (EM). We also use various theories to explain how a powerful chief executive officer (CEO) complicates the effectiveness of AC and reduces their ability to detect EM practices. Using a sample of 1020 firm-year observations representing 204 non-financial listed Pakistani firms during 2013–2017, we find that the presence of FQD on the AC is associated with lower levels of EM. Our analysis shows that this effect is driven by the level of FQDs’ accounting knowledge.
Land Spatial Development Based on Carrying Capacity, Land Development Potential, and Efficiency of Urban Agglomerations in China
Authors: Wang Zhenbo
Published: December 2018

The Chinese government is undergoing a major reform. The current core task of new Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is to establish a national territorial spatial planning system (NTSPS). Urban agglomeration has become a main body in NTSPS. China’s new urbanization strategy identified 19 key development areas of urban agglomerations (UA), but the land development path is not clear. Due to the lack of research on the land development intensity evaluation (LDIE) of urban agglomerations, this study applied a GIS-based, multi-criteria method for LDIE to the Shandong Peninsular urban agglomeration (SPUA). Evaluation indices were determined for three factors (development intensity, supporting capacity, and utilization efficiency) that comprise the discriminant model of the three-dimensional matrix method, which was used to establish the method for this topic and demonstrate the accuracy of the land spatial development intensity. This empirical study on the SPUA indicated that, overall, the average indices for development intensity, supporting capacity, and utilization efficiency in the study area are 0.40, 0.34, and 0.55, respectively. Using the three-dimensional matrix discrimination model, three zones of development intensity were identified: key, stable, and restricted development zones. The threshold values for construction land growth in the eight cities of the SPUA were obtained. The findings provide a theoretical reference and guide for the practical application of LDIE as well as a scientific basis for sustainable land development and utilization.
The Impact of Earthquake on Poverty: Learning from the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake
Authors: Jia Huicong , Chen Fang , Pan Donghua , Zhang Chuanrong
Published: December 2018

How to combine disaster prevention and mitigation, post-disaster reconstruction and poverty alleviation has become a new hot issue. On 12 May 2008, a major earthquake devastated the Wenchuan area in Sichuan Province in the heartland of China. After ten-years have passed, it is a good time to review what we learned from the Great Wenchuan earthquake. The impact of Wenchuan earthquake on poverty-stricken counties, poverty-stricken villages, and poverty-stricken households was analyzed. Suggestions for improving the method of combining disaster prevention, post-disaster reconstruction, and poverty alleviation were proposed. The results from this research could serve as an important reference for formulation of the poverty alleviation and development program after a major earthquake.
A New Representation for Srivastava’s λ-Generalized Hurwitz-Lerch Zeta Functions
Authors: Tassaddiq Asifa
Published: December 2018

Taking inspiration principally from some of the latest research, we develop a new series representation for the λ-generalized Hurwitz-Lerch zeta functions. This representation led to important new results. The Fourier transform played a foundational role in this work. The duality property of the Fourier transform became significant for checking the consistency of the results. Some known data has been verified as special cases of the results obtained in this investigation.
Prospects for Heavy-Ion Physics with the MPD Detector at NICA
Authors: Kolesnikov Vadim
Published: December 2018

The construction of the NICA accelerator facility is underway at Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) (Dubna, Russia). The main goal of the MPD experiment at NICA will be the experimental exploration of the Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) phase structure at high baryon density. In this article, the current status of the NICA/MPD project is presented.
Comparative Analysis of Different Serological and Molecular Tests for the Detection of Small Ruminant Lentiviruses (SRLVs) in Belgian Sheep and Goats
Authors: Michiels Rodolphe , Van Mael Eva , Quinet Christian , Adjadj Nadjah Radia , Cay Ann Brigitte , De Regge Nick
Published: December 2018

Countries rely on good diagnostic tests and appropriate testing schemes to fight against economically important small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infections. We undertook an extensive comparative analysis of seven commercially available serological tests and one in-house real-time PCR (qPCR) detecting genotype A and B strains using a large panel of representative Belgian field samples and samples from experimentally infected sheep and goats. ELISAs generally performed well and detected seroconversion within three weeks post experimental infection. Two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) (Elitest and IDscreen® kits) showed the highest sensitivities (>96%) and specificities (>95%) in both species, and their combined use allowed to correctly identify the infection status of all animals. Individual agar gel immunodiffusion (AGIDs) kits lacked sensitivity, but interestingly, the combined use of both kits had a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. qPCRs detected SRLV infection before seroconversion at two weeks post infection and showed a specificity of 100%. Sensitivity however remained suboptimal at 85%. These results allow to propose a faster and cheaper diagnostic testing strategy for Belgium by combining a first ELISA screening, followed by confirmation of positive samples in AGID and/or a second ELISA. Since genotypes A and B strains are predominant in many countries, these results are interesting for other countries implementing SRLV control programs.
An Evolutionary Insight into Zika Virus Strains Isolated in the Latin American Region
Authors: Simón Diego , Fajardo Alvaro , Moreno Pilar , Moratorio Gonzalo , Cristina Juan
Published: December 2018

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging pathogen member of the Flaviviridae family. ZIKV has spread rapidly in the Latin American region, causing hundreds of thousands of cases of ZIKV disease, as well as microcephaly in congenital infections. Detailed studies on the pattern of evolution of ZIKV strains have been extremely important to our understanding of viral survival, fitness, and evasion of the host’s immune system. For these reasons, we performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of ZIKV strains recently isolated in the Americas. The results of these studies revealed evidence of diversification of ZIKV strains circulating in the Latin American region into at least five different genetic clusters. This diversification was also reflected in the different trends in dinucleotide bias and codon usage variation. Amino acid substitutions were found in E and prM proteins of the ZIKV strains isolated in this region, revealing the presence of novel genetic variants circulating in Latin America.
Chaperoning the Mononegavirales: Current Knowledge and Future Directions
Authors: Latorre Victor , Mattenberger Florian , Geller Ron
Published: December 2018

The order Mononegavirales harbors numerous viruses of significant relevance to human health, including both established and emerging infections. Currently, vaccines are only available for a small subset of these viruses, and antiviral therapies remain limited. Being obligate cellular parasites, viruses must utilize the cellular machinery for their replication and spread. Therefore, targeting cellular pathways used by viruses can provide novel therapeutic approaches. One of the key challenges confronted by both hosts and viruses alike is the successful folding and maturation of proteins. In cells, this task is faced by cellular molecular chaperones, a group of conserved and abundant proteins that oversee protein folding and help maintain protein homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of how the Mononegavirales interact with cellular chaperones, highlight key gaps in our knowledge, and discuss the potential of chaperone inhibitors as antivirals.
A Numerical Framework for Evaluating Flood Inundation Hazard under Different Dam Operation Scenarios—A Case Study in Naugatuck River
Authors: Hardesty Sage , Shen Xinyi , Nikolopoulos Efthymios , Anagnostou Emmanouil
Published: December 2018

Worldwide, many river floodplains contain critical infrastructure that is vulnerable to extreme hydrologic events. These structures are designed based on flood frequency analysis aimed at quantifying the magnitude and recurrence of the extreme events. This research topic focuses on estimating flood vulnerability at ungauged locations based on an integrative framework consisting of a distributed rainfall–runoff model forced with long-term (37 years) reanalysis meteorological data and a hydraulic model driven by high-resolution airborne LiDAR-derived terrain elevation data. The framework is applied to a critical power infrastructure located within Connecticut’s Naugatuck River Basin. The hydrologic model reanalysis is used to derive 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year return period flood peaks, which are then used to drive Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) hydraulic simulations to estimate the inundation risk at the infrastructure location under different operation strategies of an upstream reservoir. This study illustrates the framework’s potential for creating flood maps at ungauged locations and demonstrates the effects of different water management scenarios on the flood risk of the downstream infrastructure.
Potential of Deficit and Supplemental Irrigation under Climate Variability in Northern Togo, West Africa
Authors: Gadédjisso-Tossou Agossou , Avellán Tamara , Schütze Niels
Published: December 2018

In the context of a growing population in West Africa and frequent yield losses due to erratic rainfall, it is necessary to improve stability and productivity of agricultural production systems, e.g., by introducing and assessing the potential of alternative irrigation strategies which may be applicable in this region. For this purpose, five irrigation management strategies, ranging from no irrigation (NI) to controlled deficit irrigation (CDI) and full irrigation (FI), were evaluated concerning their impact on the inter-seasonal variability of the expected yields and improvements of the yield potential. The study was conducted on a maize crop (Zea mays L.) at a representative site in northern Togo with a hot semi-arid climate and pronounced dry and wet rainfall seasons. The OCCASION (Optimal Climate Change Adaption Strategies in Irrigation) framework was adapted and applied. It consists of: (i) a weather generator for simulating long climate time series; (ii) the AquaCrop model, which was used to simulate the irrigation system during the growing season and the yield response of maize to the considered irrigation management strategies; and (iii) a problem-specific algorithm for optimal irrigation scheduling with limited water supply. We found high variability in rainfall during the wet season which leads to considerable variability in the expected yield for rainfed conditions (NI). This variability was significantly reduced when supplemental irrigation management strategies (CDI or FI) requiring a reasonably low water demand of about 150 mm were introduced. For the dry season, it was shown that both irrigation management strategies (CDI and FI) would increase yield potential for the local variety TZEE-W up to 4.84 Mg/ha and decrease the variability of the expected yield at the same time. However, even with CDI management, more than 400 mm of water is required if irrigation would be introduced during the dry season in northern Togo. Substantial rainwater harvesting and irrigation infrastructures would be needed to achieve that.