bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fracture Parameters of Cement Mortar with Different Structural Dimensions Under the Direct Tension Test
Authors: Rhee Inkyu , Lee Jun Seok , Roh Young-Sook
Published: June 2019

In this paper, we measured the fracture properties of cement mortar—which is composed of sand and has a nearly constant diameter—using a direct tension test. Four double-notched mortar bar specimens with different structural dimensions were assessed. The failure load, load-crack mouth opening displacement, and elongation of the gauge length were measured under direct displacement control. The fractured surfaces were scanned and measured so that we could calculate the tensile strength accurately and determine the fracture energy and characteristic length. The average ratio of total fracture energy (GF) to specific fracture energy (Gf) was 1.94; this was lower than the typical value for concrete, of 2.5. The direct tension test showed that the double-notched mortar specimens had a smaller fracture processing zone after the initiation of tensile cracks, so the tail portion of the softening branch was small. This decreased the GF/Gf ratio. We verified this result based on a nonlinear fracture mechanics simulation and found that it agreed well with our experimental results. We also investigated the size effects of four different scaled specimens while holding the ratio of structural dimension, d, and notch length, a is constant, so that there was no shape effect. The traditional linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) prediction and Bažant’s size effect law yield a gradient closer to 1/2 in the case of relatively large specimens. In the case of our cement mortar specimens, this prediction was not supported, where the value of the slope was 1/0.727. This was unexpected because LEFM predicts strong size effects. One possible explanation for this result is that the size effects of concrete are most often evaluated using a bending test; also, concrete has a larger maximum aggregate size than mortar. Due to the random heterogeneities in aggregate distribution, higher tail energies may be seen for concrete, leading to differences in the GF/Gf ratio. At the same time, the peak tensile stress could be affected by the relationship between structural dimensions and aggregate size.
Tortuosity Index Based on Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Polyimide Foam for Aerospace Applications
Authors: Flores-Bonano Sugeily , Vargas-Martinez Juan , Suárez Oscar Marcelo , Silva-Araya Walter
Published: June 2019

The determination of a reliable tortuosity index is lacking in the aerospace industry. Therefore, a methodology is formulated via direct and indirect characterization methods of a fluid-filled porous media. Chemical, thermal, and mechanical characterization was performed to the PolyuMACTM polyimide foam. Tortuosity was measured considering a pressure difference as the resistivity variable, rather than electrical resistivity or molecular diffusivity, as proposed on previous models. This is an empirical establishment of the tortuosity index considering the correlation among hydraulic and structural dimensionless parameters obtained through the Buckingham’s Pi theorem. The behavior of the polyimide was studied for samples of different lengths compressed at 30%, 60%, and 90% of its original length on the foaming direction. Results show that, porosity, sample length, and fluid viscosity are relevant for the insulation performance of the material. Regression analysis produced a significant statistical model fit to the data correlated from the dimensionless parameters for each dynamic compression series.
Scalable Synthesis of Mesoporous TiO2 for Environmental Photocatalytic Applications
Authors: Petronella Francesca , Truppi Alessandra , Dell’Edera Massimo , Agostiano Angela , Curri M. Lucia , Comparelli Roberto
Published: June 2019

Increasing environmental concern, related to pollution and clean energy demand, have urged the development of new smart solutions profiting from nanotechnology, including the renowned nanomaterial-assisted photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. In this framework, increasing efforts are devoted to the development of TiO2-based nanomaterials with improved photocatalytic activity. A plethora of synthesis routes to obtain high quality TiO2-based nanomaterials is currently available. Nonetheless, large-scale production and the application of nanosized TiO2 is still hampered by technological issues and the high cost related to the capability to obtain TiO2 nanoparticles with high reaction yield and adequate morphological and structural control. The present review aims at providing a selection of synthetic approaches suitable for large-scale production of mesoporous TiO2-based photocatalysts due to its unique features including high specific surface area, improved ultraviolet (UV) radiation absorption, high density of surface hydroxyl groups, and significant ability for further surface functionalization The overviewed synthetic strategies have been selected and classified according to the following criteria (i) high reaction yield, (ii) reliable synthesis scale-up and (iii) adequate control over morphological, structural and textural features. Potential environmental applications of such nanostructures including water remediation and air purification are also discussed.
LFP-Based Gravure Printed Cathodes for Lithium-Ion Printed Batteries
Authors: Montanino Maria , Sico Giuliano , De Girolamo Del Mauro Anna , Moreno Margherita
Published: June 2019

Printed batteries have undergone increased investigation in recent years because of the growing daily use of small electronic devices. With this in mind, industrial gravure printing has emerged as a suitable production technology due to its high speed and quality, and its capability to produce any shape of image. The technique is one of the most appealing for the production of functional layers for many different purposes, but it has not been highly investigated. In this study, we propose a LiFePO4 (LFP)-based gravure printed cathode for lithium-ion rechargeable printed batteries and investigate the possibility of employing this printing technique in battery manufacture.
A Lumped Mass Model for Circular Micro-Resonators in Coriolis Vibratory Gyroscopes
Authors: Ding Xukai , JIA Jia , Qin Zhengcheng , Ruan Zhihu , Zhao Liye , Li Hongsheng
Published: June 2019

Coriolis vibratory gyroscopes (CVGs) with circular micro-resonators, such as hemispherical, ring, and disk resonators, exhibit excellent performances and have extraordinary potential. This paper discusses a generalized lumped mass model for both 3D and planar circular micro-resonators, establishing the relationship between the modal effective mass, the modal equivalent force, and the point displacement of the resonator. The point displacement description of a continuous circular resonator’s motion is defined from the view of capacitance measurement. The modal effective mass is, consequently, determined by the kinetic and the potential energy of the structure and is computed with numerical simulations. Moreover, the modal equivalent force, which can be theoretically calculated for any configuration of discrete electrodes, is deduced by using the concept of force density and the force distribution function. By utilizing the lumped mass model in this paper, the stiffness softening, the mode tuning, and the quadrature correction of the micro-resonators are investigated in detail. The theoretical model is verified by both the finite element method (FEM) and the experiments.
Conducting Polymeric Nanocomposites with a Three-Dimensional Co-flow Microfluidics Platform
Authors: Ma Xiaodong , Zhang Yuezhou , Weisensee Korbinian
Published: June 2019

The nanoprecipitation of polymers is of great interest in biological and medicinal applications. Many approaches are available, but few generalized methods can fabricate structurally different biocompatible polymers into nanosized particles with a narrow distribution in a high-throughput manner. We simply integrate a glass slide, capillary, and metal needle into a simple microfluidics device. Herein, a detailed protocol is provided for using the glass capillary and slides to fabricate the microfluidics devices used in this work. To demonstrate the generality of our nanoprecipitation approach and platform, four (semi)natural polymers—acetalated dextran (Ac-DEX), spermine acetalated dextran (Sp-Ac-DEX), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), and chitosan—were tested and benchmarked by the polymeric particle size and polydispersity. More importantly, the principal objective was to explore the influence of some key parameters on nanoparticle size due to its importance for a variety of applications. The polymer concentration, the solvent/non-solvent volume rate/ratio, and opening of the inner capillary were varied so as to obtain polymeric nanoparticles (NPs). Dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and optical microscopy are the main techniques used to evaluate the nanoprecipitation output. It turns out that the concentration of polymer most strongly determines the particle size and distribution, followed by the solvent/non-solvent volume rate/ratio, whereas the opening of the inner capillary shows a minor effect. The obtained NPs were smooth spheres with adjustable particle diameters and polymer-dependent surface potentials, both negative and positive.
Exceptional Multi Stage Mineralization of Secondary Minerals in Cavities of Flood Basalts from the Deccan Volcanic Province, India
Authors: Ottens Berthold , Götze Jens , Schuster Ralf , Krenn Kurt , Hauzenberger Christoph , Zsolt Benkó , Vennemann Torsten
Published: June 2019

Flood basalts of the Deccan Volcanic Province erupted between about 67.5 to 60.5 Ma ago and reached a thickness of up to 3500 m. The main part consists of compound and simple lava flows with a tholeiitic composition erupted within 500,000 years at about 65 Ma. Within the compound lava flows, vesicles and cavities are frequent. They are filled by secondary minerals partly of well development and large size. This study presents data on the secondary mineralization including detailed field descriptions, optical, cathodoluminescence and SEM microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, fluid inclusions, C and O isotope analyses, and Rb-Sr and K-Ar geochronology. The investigations indicate a multistage precipitation sequence with three main stages. During stage I clay minerals and subsurface filamentous fabrics (SFFs), of probably biogenic origin, formed after the lava flows cooled down near to the Earth’s surface. In stage II, first an assemblage of calcite (I) and zeolite (I) (including mordenite, heulandite, and stilbite) as well as plagioclase was overgrown by chalcedony, and finally a second calcite (II) and zeolite (II) generation developed by burial metamorphism by subsequent lava flows. Stage III is characterized by precipitation of a third calcite (III) generation together with powellite and apophyllite from late hydrothermal fluids. Rb-Sr and K-Ar ages of apophyllite indicate a large time span for stage III. Apophyllite formed within different time intervals from the Paleogene to the early Miocene even within individual lava flows at certain localities. From the Savda/Jalgaon quarry complex, ages cluster at 44–48 Ma and 25–28 Ma, whereas those from the Nashik area are 55–58 Ma and 21–23 Ma, respectively.
Composite Membranes Derived from Cellulose and Lignin Sulfonate for Selective Separations and Antifouling Aspects
Authors: Colburn Andrew , Vogler Ronald J. , Patel Aum , Bezold Mariah , Craven John , Liu Chunqing , Bhattacharyya Dibakar
Published: June 2019

Cellulose-based membrane materials allow for separations in both aqueous solutions and organic solvents. The addition of nanocomposites into cellulose structure is facilitated through steric interaction and strong hydrogen bonding with the hydroxy groups present within cellulose. An ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, was used as a solvent for microcrystalline cellulose to incorporate graphene oxide quantum dots into cellulose membranes. In this work, other composite materials such as, iron oxide nanoparticles, polyacrylic acid, and lignin sulfonate have all been uniformly incorporated into cellulose membranes utilizing ionic liquid cosolvents. Integration of iron into cellulose membranes resulted in high selectivity (>99%) of neutral red and methylene blue model dyes separation over salts with a high permeability of 17 LMH/bar. With non-aqueous (alcohol) solvent, iron–cellulose composite membranes become less selective and more permeable, suggesting the interaction of iron ions cellulose OH groups plays a major role in pore structure. Polyacrylic acid was integrated into cellulose membranes to add pH responsive behavior and capacity for metal ion capture. Calcium capture of 55 mg Ca2+/g membrane was observed for PAA-cellulose membranes. Lignin sulfonate was also incorporated into cellulose membranes to add strong negative charge and a steric barrier to enhance antifouling behavior. Lignin sulfonate was also functionalized on the commercial DOW NF270 nanofiltration membranes via esterification of hydroxy groups with carboxyl group present on the membrane surface. Antifouling behavior was observed for both lignin-cellulose composite and commercial membranes functionalized with lignin. Up to 90% recovery of water flux after repeated cycles of fouling was observed for both types of lignin functionalized membranes while flux recovery of up to 60% was observed for unmodified membranes.
Effect of the Degree of Polymerization of Fructans on Ex Vivo Fermented Human Gut Microbiome
Authors: Astó Erola , Méndez Iago , Rodríguez-Prado Maria , Cuñé Jordi , Espadaler Jordi , Farran-Codina Andreu
Published: June 2019

Prebiotic supplements are used to promote gastrointestinal health by stimulating beneficial bacteria. The aim of this study was to compare the potential prebiotic effects of fructans with increasing degrees of polymerization, namely fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulins with a low and high polymerization degree (LPDI and HPDI, respectively), using an ex vivo fermentation system to simulate the colonic environment. The system was inoculated with pooled feces from three healthy donors with the same baseline enterotype. Changes in microbiota composition were measured by 16S metagenomic sequencing after 2, 7, and 14 days of fermentation, and acid production was measured throughout the experiment. Alpha-diversity decreased upon inoculation of the ex vivo fermentation under all treatments. Composition changed significantly across both treatments and time (ANOSIM p < 0.005 for both factors). HPDI and LPDI seemed to be similar to each other regarding composition and acidification activity, but different from the control and FOS. FOS differed from the control in terms of composition but not acidification. HDPI restored alpha-diversity on day 14 as compared to the control (Bonferroni p < 0.05). In conclusion, the prebiotic activity of fructans appears to depend on the degree of polymerization, with LPDI and especially HPDI having a greater effect than FOS.
Comparison of the Effect of Native 1,4-Naphthoquinones Plumbagin, Menadione, and Lawsone on Viability, Redox Status, and Mitochondrial Functions of C6 Glioblastoma Cells
Authors: Majiene Daiva , Kuseliauskyte Jolita , Stimbirys Arturas , Jekabsone Aiste
Published: June 2019

Background: 1,4-naphthoquinones, especially juglone, are known for their anticancer activity. However, plumbagin, lawsone, and menadione have been less investigated for these properties. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of plumbagin, lawsone, and menadione on C6 glioblastoma cell viability, ROS production, and mitochondrial function. Methods: Cell viability was assessed spectrophotometrically using metabolic activity method, and by fluorescent Hoechst/propidium iodide nuclear staining. ROS generation was measured fluorometrically using DCFH-DA. Oxygen uptake rates were recorded by the high-resolution respirometer Oxygraph-2k. Results: Plumbagin and menadione displayed highly cytotoxic activity on C6 cells (IC50 is 7.7 ± 0.28 μM and 9.6 ± 0.75 μM, respectively) and caused cell death by necrosis. Additionally, they increased the amount of intracellular ROS in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, even at very small concentrations (1–3 µM), these compounds significantly uncoupled mitochondrial oxidation from phosphorylation impairing energy production in cells. Lawsone had significantly lower viability decreasing and mitochondria-uncoupling effect, and exerted strong antioxidant activity. Conclusions: Plumbagin and menadione exhibit strong prooxidant, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation uncoupling and cytotoxic activity. In contrast, lawsone demonstrates a moderate effect on C6 cell viability and mitochondrial functions, and possesses strong antioxidant properties.
Mediterranean Diet Pyramid: A Proposal for Italian People. A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies to Derive Serving Sizes
Authors: D’Alessandro Annunziata , Lampignano Luisa , De Pergola Giovanni
Published: June 2019

In the last decade, a number of meta-analyses of mostly observational studies evaluated the relation between the intake of food groups and the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In this study, we systematically reviewed dose-response meta-analyses of prospective studies with the aim to derive the quantities of food to consume to attain a protective (Mediterranean food) or a non-adverse (non-Mediterranean food) effect toward selected NCDs such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), colorectal (CRC) and breast cancer. These derived quantities, wherever possible, were suggested for a quantification of food servings of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid proposed for Italian People (MDPPI). This pyramid came from the Modern Mediterranean Diet Pyramid developed in 2009 for Italian people. A weekly menu plan was built on the advice about frequency of intakes and serving sizes of such pyramid and the nutritional composition of this diet was compared with the Reference Italian Mediterranean Diet followed in 1960 in Nicotera. The diet built according the advice of MDPPI was very similar to that of Nicotera in the late 1950s that has been chosen as Italian Reference Mediterranean Diet with the exception of percentage of energy provided by cereals that was lower and of fruits and vegetables that was higher. Saturated fatty acids were only the 6% of daily energy intake. Also the Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI) was very similar to that of the aforementioned diet.
Properties of Polylactic Acid Reinforced by Hydroxyapatite Modified Nanocellulose
Authors: Lu Jianxiao , Sun Chuanyue , Yang Kexin , Wang Kaili , Jiang Yingyi , Tusiime Rogers , Yang Yun , Fan Fan , Sun Zeyu , Liu Yong , Zhang Hui , Han Keqing , Yu Muhuo
Published: June 2019

Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most promising bio-based materials, but its inherent hydrophobicity limits its application. Although nanocellulose (NCC) is a desirable reinforcement for PLA, the poor interface compatibility between the two has been a challenge. In this work, hydroxyapatite (HAP) modified NCC was prepared, and the obtained NCC/HAP reinforcement was used to prepare PLA/NCC-HAP composites. Different ratios of NCC to HAP were studied to explore their effects on the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of the composites. When the ratio of NCC to HAP was 30/70, the tensile strength and tensile modulus of the composite film reached 45.6 MPa and 2.34 GPa, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis results indicate that thermal stability of the composites was significantly improved compared with pure PLA, reaching 346.6 °C. The above revelations show that NCC/HAP significantly improved the interface compatibility with PLA matrix.
Recycling of Commercial E-glass Reinforced Thermoset Composites via Two Temperature Step Pyrolysis to Improve Recovered Fiber Tensile Strength and Failure Strain
Authors: Ginder Ryan S. , Ozcan Soydan
Published: June 2019

Economic and regulatory pressures on the global composites industry have encouraged the research and development of technology for the recycling of fiber reinforced polymer composites. Although significant advancements have been made in the recycling of carbon fiber composites, more progress is needed in the recovery of glass fibers, which make up the overwhelming volume of the composites market. In this study, wind turbine blades and automotive sheet moulding compound (SMC) were subjected to a two temperature step pyrolysis. This multistep process yielded improvements in the recovered E-glass fiber’s tensile strength, by as much as 19%, and strain to failure, by as much as 43%, over a single high temperature step pyrolysis. Despite these gains, pre-pyrolysis fiber measurements indicate that pre-existing damage may inherently limit the quality of glass fiber recoverable from pyrolysis without any post processing.
From “Lama Doctors” to “Mongolian Doctors”: Regulations of Inner Mongolian Buddhist Medicine under Changing Regimes and the Crises of Modernity (1911–1976)
Authors: Duoer Daigengna
Published: June 2019

This paper focuses on how Buddhist medicine in twentieth-century Inner Mongolia was defined, restricted, regulated, and transformed under different ruling political regimes since the fall of the Qing empire in 1911 to the 1980s. The paper argues that the fate of Mongolian medicine was closely linked with the fate of Mongolian Buddhism in twentieth-century Inner Mongolia. As Inner Mongolian Buddhism came to be re-defined, regulated, and coerced by various systems of governance that came to rule the region, Mongolian Buddhist medicine faced crises of modernity in which processes of secularization, exercises of biopower, practices of colonial medicine, and discourses of ethnicity and hygiene challenged the tradition to either reform and adapt to new standardizations imposed by Western biomedicine or lose relevancy in rapidly evolving eras of change.
Estimation of Vegetation Latent Heat Flux over Three Forest Sites in ChinaFLUX using Satellite Microwave Vegetation Water Content Index
Authors: Wang Yipu , Li Rui , Min Qilong , Zhang Leiming , Yu Guirui , Bergeron Yves
Published: June 2019

Latent heat flux (LE) and the corresponding water vapor lost from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere, which is called Evapotranspiration (ET), is one of the key processes in the water cycle and energy balance of the global climate system. Satellite remote sensing is the only feasible technique to estimate LE over a large-scale region. While most of the previous satellite LE methods are based on the optical vegetation index (VI), here we propose a microwave-VI (EDVI) based LE algorithm which can work for both day and night time, and under clear or non-raining conditions. This algorithm is totally driven by multiple-sensor satellite products of vegetation water content index, solar radiation, and cloud properties, with some aid from a reanalysis dataset. The satellite inputs and the performance of this algorithm are validated with in situ measurements at three ChinaFLUX forest sites. Our results show that the selected satellite observations can indeed serve as the inputs for the purpose of estimating ET. The instantaneous estimations of LE (LEcal) from this algorithm show strong positive temporal correlations with the in situ measured LE (LEobs) with the correlation coefficients (R) of 0.56–0.88 in the study years. The mean bias is kept within 16.0% (23.0 W/m2) across the three sites. At the monthly scale, the correlations between the retrieval and the in situ measurements are further improved to an R of 0.84–0.95 and the bias is less than 14.3%. The validation results also indicate that EDVI-based LE method can produce stable LEcal under different cloudy skies with good accuracy. Being independent of any in situ measurements as inputs, this algorithm shows great potential for estimating ET under both clear and cloudy skies on a global scale for climate study.
Properties of Arctic Aerosol Based on Sun Photometer Long-Term Measurements in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard
Authors: Graßl Sandra , Ritter Christoph
Published: June 2019

On the basis of sun photometer measurements located at the German-French polar research base AWIPEV in Ny-Ålesund ( 78.923 ° N, 11.928 ° E), Svalbard, long-term changes (2001–2017) of aerosol properties in the European Arctic are analyzed with the main focus on physical aerosol properties like Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and the Ångström exponent during the Arctic haze season in spring compared with summer and autumn months. In order to gain more information from the photometer data and to reduce the error of fitting the data to the Ångström law, a new approach with an Ångström exponent, which depends linearly on wavelength, is presented in this paper. With the Mie program of libRadtran, a calculator for long- and short-wave radiation through the Earth’s atmosphere, artificial aerosol size distributions were created to extend the physical understanding of this modified Ångström law. Monthly means of the measured AOD of the years 1994–2017 are presented to analyze long-term changes of aerosol properties and its load. Because photometer data in general have no height information, a comparison with a Lidar located at the same site is presented. The so-obtained data are then compared with the previous Mie calculus. More homogeneous aerosol properties were found during spring and more heterogeneous in summer. To study possible aerosol sources and sinks, five-day back-trajectories were calculated with the FLEXPART model at three different arriving heights at 11 UTC in the village Ny-Ålesund. Besides the pollution pathway of the aerosol into the European Arctic based on the calculated back-trajectories, the influence of the boundary layer parameterized by the lowermost 100 hPa atmospheric layer is analyzed and compared to the measured aerosol load by the photometer in Ny-Ålesund additionally. During spring, the open ocean acts as a sink for aerosols, whereas sea ice clearly reduces their sinks. Hence, trajectories over sea ice are correlated to higher aerosol loads. Thus, both sources and sinks must be considered to understand aerosol occurrences in the Arctic.
Ski Position during the Flight and Landing Preparation Phases in Ski Jumping Detected with Inertial Sensors
Authors: Bessone Veronica , Petrat Johannes , Schwirtz Ansgar
Published: June 2019

Ski movement plays an important role during landing preparation, as well as in the whole ski jumping performance. Good landing preparation timing and correct ski position increase the jump length and reduce the impact forces. Inertial motion units (IMUs) placed on the skis could constitute a promising technology for analyzing the ski movements during training. During regular summer trainings, 10 elite athletes (17 ± 1 years) performed jumps while wearing IMUs and wireless force insoles. This set-up enabled the analysis of a possible correlation between ski movements and ground reaction force (GRF) during landing impact. The results showed that the pitch during the landing preparation is the most influential movement on the impact kinetic variables since it is related to the angle of attack, which affects the aerodynamics. The ski position at 0.16 s before landing did not influence the kinetics because the athlete was too close to the ground. During the impact, the roll angle did not correlate with GRF. Moreover, each athlete showed a different movement pattern during the flight phase. Concluding, the combination of IMUs and force insoles is a promising set-up to analyze ski jumping performance thanks to the fast placement, low weight, and high reliability.
Fusion of Spectroscopy and Cobalt Electrochemistry Data for Estimating Phosphate Concentration in Hydroponic Solution
Authors: Jung Dae-Hyun , Kim Hak-Jin , Kim Hyoung , Choi Jaeyoung , Kim Jeong , Park Soo
Published: June 2019

Phosphate is a key element affecting plant growth. Therefore, the accurate determination of phosphate concentration in hydroponic nutrient solutions is essential for providing a balanced set of nutrients to plants within a suitable range. This study aimed to develop a data fusion approach for determining phosphate concentrations in a paprika nutrient solution. As a conventional multivariate analysis approach using spectral data, partial least squares regression (PLSR) and principal components regression (PCR) models were developed using 56 samples for calibration and 24 samples for evaluation. The R2 values of estimation models using PCR and PLSR ranged from 0.44 to 0.64. Furthermore, an estimation model using raw electromotive force (EMF) data from cobalt electrodes gave R2 values of 0.58–0.71. To improve the model performance, a data fusion method was developed to estimate phosphate concentration using near infrared (NIR) spectral and cobalt electrochemical data. Raw EMF data from cobalt electrodes and principle component values from the spectral data were combined. Results of calibration and evaluation tests using an artificial neural network estimation model showed that R2 = 0.90 and 0.89 and root mean square error (RMSE) = 96.70 and 119.50 mg/L, respectively. These values are sufficiently high for application to measuring phosphate concentration in hydroponic solutions.
Classification of Human Motions Using Micro-Doppler Radar in the Environments with Micro-Motion Interference
Authors: Ma Xiaolin , Zhao Running , Liu Xinhua , Kuang Hailan , Al-qaness Mohammed A. A.
Published: June 2019

Human motion classification based on micro-Doppler effect has been widely used in various fields. However, the motion classification performance would be greatly degraded if the wireless environment has non-target micro-motion interference. In this case, the interference signal aliases with the signal of target human motions and then generates cross-terms, making the signals hard to be used to identify target human motions. Existing methods do not consider this non-target micro-motion interference and have poor resistance to such interference. In this paper, we propose a target human motion classification system that can work in the scenarios with non-target micro-motion interference. Specifically, we build a continuous wave radar transceiver working in a low-frequency radar band using the software defined radio equipment Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) N210 to collect signals. Moreover, we use Empirical Mode Decomposition and S-transform successively to remove non-target micro-motion interference and improve the time-frequency resolution of the raw signal. Then, an Energy Aggregation method based on S-method is proposed, which can suppress cross-terms and background noise. Furthermore, we extract a set of features and classify four human motions by adopting Bagged Trees. Extensive experiments using the test-bed show that under the scenarios with non-target micro-motion interference, 97.3% classification accuracy can be achieved.
Grading and Sorting of Grape Berries Using Visible-Near Infrared Spectroscopy on the Basis of Multiple Inner Quality Parameters
Authors: Xiao Hui , Feng Li , Song Dajie , Tu Kang , Peng Jing , Pan Leiqing
Published: June 2019

The potential of visible-near infrared (vis/NIR) spectroscopy (400 nm to 1100 nm) for classification of grape berries on the basis of multi inner quality parameters was investigated. Stored Vitis vinifera L. cv. Manicure Finger and Vitis vinifera L. cv. Ugni Blanc grape berries were separated into three classes based on the distribution of total soluble solid content (SSC) and total phenolic compounds (TP). Partial least squares regression (PLS) was applied to predict the quality parameters, including color space CIELAB, SSC, and TP. The prediction results showed that the vis/NIR spectrum correlated with the SSC and TP present in the intact grape berries with determination coefficient of prediction (RP2) in the range of 0.735 to 0.823. Next, the vis/NIR spectrum was used to distinguish between berries with different SSC and TP concentrations using partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) with >77% accuracy. This study provides a method to identify stored grape quality classes based on the spectroscopy and distributions of multiple inner quality parameters.
Green Infrastructure in the Urban Environment: A Systematic Quantitative Review
Authors: Parker Jackie , Zingoni de Baro Maria Elena
Published: June 2019

Increased levels of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, a legacy of the industrial revolution, population growth pressures, and consumerist lifestyle choices, are the main contributors to human-induced climate change. Climate change is commensurate of warming temperatures, reductions in rainfall, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and contributions toward declining public health trends. Green Infrastructure (GI) presents diverse opportunities to mediate adverse effects, while simultaneously delivering human health, well-being, environmental, economic, and social benefits to contemporary urban dwellers. To identify the current state of GI knowledge, a systematic quantitative literature review of peer-reviewed articles (n = 171) was undertaken using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method. Temporal publication trends, geographical and geological information of research efforts, as well as research focus areas were recorded and reported against each article. The findings of this review confirm the research area to be in a state of development in most parts of the world, with the vast majority of the research emerging from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Cooler climates produced the majority of research, which were found largely to be of a traditional research article format. The GI research area is firmly dominated by foci comprising planning and policy, environmental and ecological, and social content, although modest attempts have also appeared in health and wellbeing, economic, and quality/performance of green infrastructure areas. Knowledge gaps identified by this review as requiring attention for research growth were identified as: (i) the ambiguity of terminology and the limited broad understanding of GI, and (ii) the absence of research produced in the continents of Asia and South America, as well as in regions with warmer climates, which are arguably equally valuable research locations as cooler climate bands.
A Sustainable Tourism Policy Research Review
Authors: Guo Yi , Jiang Jinbo , Li Shengchao
Published: June 2019

After nearly three decades of development, sustainable tourism has been widely recognized in tourism policy practice and tourism research. In recent years, scholars have paid more and more attention to the topic of sustainable tourism policy research. The purpose of this paper is to analyze its development process and extract its research subject framework for reference in future research. This paper uses the systematic review method and the literature co-citation network analysis to classify the theme of sustainable tourism policy research into six categories, including: Sustainable tourism policy stakeholders, sustainable tourism policy implementation, sustainable tourism and climate policy, sustainable tourism indicators and planning, sustainable concepts in tourism policy, and the role of sustainable tourism policy. The development and implementation of sustainable tourism policies are an effective response to global environmental and sustainable development challenges. However, the current sustainable tourism policy is often economic-growth oriented, which has theoretical differences with sustainable development. At the same time, the research focus of scholars is on the impact of policies on the sustainable development of tourism, while the research on the formation process of policies and governance behaviors in the sustainable development of tourism is not enough.
An Approach to Determine Risk Indices for Drinking Water–Study Investigation
Authors: Rak Janusz R. , Pietrucha-Urbanik Katarzyna
Published: June 2019

In accordance with the water quality standard, the safe functioning of the water treatment system operation is considered. This paper alludes to extreme situations, which arise where there is periodic deterioration of the quality of raw water, for which the technological process of water treatment is not prepared. A conception method is presented by which to assess indices of risk vis-à-vis drinking water, on the basis of a probability estimation methodology. The categorisation of water pipes in line with quality-reliability as regards the physical and chemical composition of drinking water or water intended for business purposes is proposed. An example of the method being put to use is also offered, and it is recognised how the approach being proposed could be the basis for further analysis that takes different conditions of functioning of water-supply systems into account.
Climate Impacts on Capital Accumulation in the Small Island State of Barbados
Authors: Kemp-Benedict Eric , Lamontagne Jonathan , Laing Timothy , Drakes Crystal
Published: June 2019

This paper constructs a model of climate-related damage for small island developing states (SIDS). We focus on the loss of private productive capital stocks through extreme climate events. In contrast to most economic analyses of climate impacts, which assume temperature-dependent damage functions, we draw on the engineering literature to allow for a greater or lesser degree of anticipation of climate change when designing capital stocks and balancing current adaptation expenditure against future loss and damage. We apply the model to tropical storm damage in the small island developing state of Barbados and show how anticipatory behavior changes the damage to infrastructure for the same degree of climate change. Thus, in the model, damage depends on behavior as well as climate variables.
An Efficient Waste-To-Energy Model in Isolated Environments. Case Study: La Gomera (Canary Islands)
Authors: Uche-Soria Manuel , Rodríguez-Monroy Carlos
Published: June 2019

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a controversial aspect of isolated environments, not only because the production of waste grows exponentially, but also because in these isolated regions the difficulties are accentuated in comparison with the mainland territories. The limitation of space, the technology of scale and the peaks of generation due to existing tourism, are clear examples of the barriers that must be overcome. This research studies the potential of MSW recovery on the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands) as an alternative to landfill deposition, being an additional energy source for heat and electricity. Likewise, the possibility of carrying out the landfill mining located in the El Revolcadero environmental complex is explored. The methodology followed consists, first of all, on estimating the annual amount of MSW and waste deposited in the landfill. Second, the characterization of representative samples of each municipality is carried out. Third, according to these characteristics, the thermal treatment is chosen and, finally, the energy generated is evaluated. The results are encouraging, and many advantages are derived from this model. The annual recycling figure increases by about 5000 tons per year, the percentage of renewable energy from waste reaches 35.5% (most installed capacity is diesel), and greenhouse gases (GHG) are reduced by more than half. To overcome the challenges in the integral management of MSW, it is necessary to move from a linear economy to a circular economy that takes into account the priorities established by the European Union to solve the problem of these isolated environments in terms of energy.
General Relativity Measurements in the Field of Earth with Laser-Ranged Satellites: State of the Art and Perspectives
Authors: Lucchesi David , Anselmo Luciano , Bassan Massimo , Magnafico Carmelo , Pardini Carmen , Peron Roberto , Pucacco Giuseppe , Visco Massimo
Published: June 2019

Recent results of the LARASE research program in terms of model improvements and relativistic measurements are presented. In particular, the results regarding the development of new models for the non-gravitational perturbations that affect the orbit of the LAGEOS and LARES satellites are described and discussed. These are subtle and complex effects that need a deep knowledge of the structure and the physical characteristics of the satellites in order to be correctly accounted for. In the field of gravitational measurements, we present a new measurement of the relativistic Lense-Thirring precession with a 0.5 % precision. In this measurement, together with the relativistic effect we also estimated two even zonal harmonics coefficients. The uncertainties of the even zonal harmonics of the gravitational field of the Earth have been responsible, until now, of the larger systematic uncertainty in the error budget of this kind of measurements. For this reason, the role of the errors related to the model used for the gravitational field of the Earth in these measurements is discussed. In particular, emphasis is given to GRACE temporal models, that strongly help to reduce this kind of systematic errors.
An Ancient Lineage of Highly Divergent Parvoviruses Infects both Vertebrate and Invertebrate Hosts
Authors: Pénzes Judit J. , de Souza William Marciel , Agbandje-McKenna Mavis , Gifford Robert J.
Published: June 2019

Chapparvoviruses (ChPVs) comprise a divergent, recently identified group of parvoviruses (family Parvoviridae), associated with nephropathy in immunocompromised laboratory mice and with prevalence in deep sequencing results of livestock showing diarrhea. Here, we investigate the biological and evolutionary characteristics of ChPVs via comparative in silico analyses, incorporating sequences derived from endogenous parvoviral elements (EPVs) as well as exogenous parvoviruses. We show that ChPVs are an ancient lineage within the Parvoviridae, clustering separately from members of both currently established subfamilies. Consistent with this, they exhibit a number of characteristic features, including several putative auxiliary protein-encoding genes, and capsid proteins with no sequence-level homology to those of other parvoviruses. Homology modeling indicates the absence of a β-A strand, normally part of the luminal side of the parvoviral capsid protein core. Our findings demonstrate that the ChPV lineage infects an exceptionally broad range of host species, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. Furthermore, we observe that ChPVs found in fish are more closely related to those from invertebrates than they are to those of amniote vertebrates. This suggests that transmission between distantly related host species may have occurred in the past and that the Parvoviridae family can no longer be divided based on host affiliation.
Distinguishing Hemodynamics from Function in the Human LGN Using a Temporal Response Model
Authors: DeSimone Kevin , Schneider Keith A.
Published: June 2019

We developed a temporal population receptive field model to differentiate the neural and hemodynamic response functions (HRF) in the human lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). The HRF in the human LGN is dominated by the richly vascularized hilum, a structure that serves as a point of entry for blood vessels entering the LGN and supplying the substrates of central vision. The location of the hilum along the ventral surface of the LGN and the resulting gradient in the amplitude of the HRF across the extent of the LGN have made it difficult to segment the human LGN into its more interesting magnocellular and parvocellular regions that represent two distinct visual processing streams. Here, we show that an intrinsic clustering of the LGN responses to a variety of visual inputs reveals the hilum, and further, that this clustering is dominated by the amplitude of the HRF. We introduced a temporal population receptive field model that includes separate sustained and transient temporal impulse response functions that vary on a much short timescale than the HRF. When we account for the HRF amplitude, we demonstrate that this temporal response model is able to functionally segregate the residual responses according to their temporal properties.
Attribution Analysis of Dry Season Runoff in the Lhasa River Using an Extended Hydrological Sensitivity Method and a Hydrological Model
Authors: Wu Zhenhui , Mei Yadong , Chen Junhong , Hu Tiesong , Xiao Weihua
Published: June 2019

In this study, a coupled water–energy balance equation at an arbitrary time scale was proposed as an extension of the Budyko hypothesis. The second mixed partial derivative was selected to represent the magnitude of the interaction. The extended hydrological sensitivity method was used to quantitatively evaluate the impacts of climate change, anthropogenic activities, and their interaction on dry season runoff in the Lhasa River. In addition, an ABCD model, which is a monthly hydrological model included a snowmelt module, was used to calculate the change in soil water and groundwater storage. The Mann–Kendall test, Spearman’s test, dynamic linear model (DLM), and Yamamoto’s method were used to identify trends and change points in hydro-climatic variables from 1956–2016. The results found that dry season runoff increased non-significantly over the last 61 years. Climate change, which caused an increase in dry season runoff, was the dominant factor, followed by anthropogenic activities and their interaction, which led to varying degrees of decrease. This study concluded that the methods tested here performed well in quantifying the relative impacts of climate change, anthropogenic activities, and their interaction on dry season runoff change.
Effects of Asian Dust and Phosphorus Input on Abundance and Trophic Structure of Protists in the Southern Yellow Sea
Authors: Chen Xi , Liu Guang-Xing , Huang Xiao , Chen Hong-Ju , Zhang Chao , Zhao Yang-Guo
Published: June 2019

To reveal the effects of Asian dust and phosphorus (P) input on the structure and function of micro-food web in the Yellow Sea, an experiment was conducted onboard the southern Yellow Sea where P was deficient. The response of the abundance and trophic structure of planktonic protists to different concentrations of dust and P were studied. The results showed that the sand-dust deposition presented variable effects on different sizes of protists during incubation periods. At the initial stage of incubation with dust, the amount of all sizes of autotrophic protists, especially 10–20 µm, were improved; on the contrary, the heterotrophic and mixotrophic protists were inhibited. At the late period, the increase of autotrophic protists was restricted, while the 2–5 µm heterotrophic and mixotrophic protists obviously increased. Similarly, adding P demonstrated the obviously positive effect on the 10–20 µm autotrophic protists at the initial period, and then the growth was restricted at the late period. These results were consistent with that of sand-dust deposition. Hence, it could be presumed that the positive effect of sand-dust deposition on autotrophic protists in the southern Yellow Sea was achieved by the release of P from dust. P in the early stage of sand-dust deposition promotes the growth of large-size autotrophic protists, which may accelerate red tides in eutrophic ocean. The stimulation of small-size heterotrophic protists at the late period of sand-dust deposition contributed to the material cycle and food transmission in the ocean. Therefore, the effects of sand-dust deposition on the abundance and trophic structure of different sizes of planktonic protists could change the structure of micro-food web in the southern Yellow Sea and further affected the ecological function of planktonic protists.