bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parallel Implementation of a PETSc-Based Framework for the General Curvilinear Coastal Ocean Model
Authors: Valera Manuel , Thomas Mary P. , Garcia Mariangel , Castillo Jose E.
Published: June 2019

The General Curvilinear Coastal Ocean Model (GCCOM) is a 3D curvilinear, structured-mesh, non-hydrostatic, large-eddy simulation model that is capable of running oceanic simulations. GCCOM is an inherently computationally expensive model: it uses an elliptic solver for the dynamic pressure; meter-scale simulations requiring memory footprints on the order of 10 12 cells and terabytes of output data. As a solution for parallel optimization, the Fortran-interfaced Portable–Extensible Toolkit for Scientific Computation (PETSc) library was chosen as a framework to help reduce the complexity of managing the 3D geometry, to improve parallel algorithm design, and to provide a parallelized linear system solver and preconditioner. GCCOM discretizations are based on an Arakawa-C staggered grid, and PETSc DMDA (Data Management for Distributed Arrays) objects were used to provide communication and domain ownership management of the resultant multi-dimensional arrays, while the fully curvilinear Laplacian system for pressure is solved by the PETSc linear solver routines. In this paper, the framework design and architecture are described in detail, and results are presented that demonstrate the multiscale capabilities of the model and the parallel framework to 240 cores over domains of order 10 7 total cells per variable, and the correctness and performance of the multiphysics aspects of the model for a baseline experiment stratified seamount.
Environment of Viewpoint Geosites: Evidence from the Western Caucasus
Authors: Mikhailenko Anna V. , Ruban Dmitry A.
Published: June 2019

Viewpoint geological and geomorphological heritage sites (geosites and geomorphosites) offer panoramic views over unique geological features and landscapes dominated by significant features. The environmental context is of crucial importance for these sites. Three components of a viewpoint geosite environment are proposed: standpoint environment, transitional environment, and target environment. Each can be evaluated with a set of criteria such as presence of geological and geoheritage elements, presence and type of vegetation cover, anthropogenic intervention, and degree of fragmentation and contrast. Three examples of viewpoint geosites from the Western Caucasus are analyzed. It is shown that all three demonstrate differences between the noted components of viewpoint geosite environment. Moreover, the differences between these geosites result from their environmental differences and less from differences of their displayed geoheritage. Broad applications and further justifications of the environmental evaluation method of viewpoint geosites are recommended.
Land Deals, Wage Labour, and Everyday Politics
Authors: Gyapong Adwoa Yeboah
Published: June 2019

This article explores the question of political struggles for inclusion on an oil palm land deal in Ghana. It examines the employment dynamics and the everyday politics of rural wage workers on a transnational oil palm plantation which is located in a predominantly migrant and settler society where large-scale agricultural production has only been introduced within the past decade. It shows that, by the nature of labour organization, as well as other structural issues, workers do not benefit equally from their work on plantations. The main form of farmworkers’ political struggles in the studied case has been the ‘everyday forms of resistance’ against exploitation and for better terms of incorporation. Particularly, they express agency through acts such as absenteeism and non-compliance, as well as engaging in other productive activities which enable them to maintain their basic food sovereignty/security. Nonetheless, their multiple and individualized everyday politics are not necessarily changing the structure of social relations associated with capitalist agriculture. Overall, this paper contributes to the land grab literature by providing context specific dynamics of the impacts of, and politics around land deals, and how they are shaped by a multiplicity of factors-beyond class.
Enhanced Molten Salt Resistance by Sidewall Pores Repair during Fs Laser Drilling of a Thermal Barrier-Coated Superalloy
Authors: Fan Zhengjie , Sun Xiaomao , Mei Xuesong , Wang Rujia
Published: June 2019

In this study, a novel laser-modified drilling method was used to manufacture cooling holes through thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Due to the “cooling processing” properties during low-frequency femtosecond (LF-fs) laser drilling, the exposure of the sidewall pores, and the interlayer clearance, the inherent characteristics of plasma-sprayed coatings induced sidewall defects in the drilled holes. After drilling, a high-frequency fs (HF-fs) laser was used to repair the sidewall pores and interlayer clearance of the drilled ceramic holes. Then, the pores and microcracks were healed by local melting using the laser. Moreover, instead of obtaining laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs), refined and homogeneous grains were produced by the HF-fs laser repair treatment at high transient pressure and temperature. The results from a high-temperature corrosion test showed that healing of the open pores and microstructural improvement in the ceramic hole walls prevented the out-diffusion of Y2O3 stabilizers and the penetration of molten salt, resulting in less corrosive products and producing corresponding phase-transformation stress. Thus, reducing the stabilizer consumption can moderate corrosion fatigue and prolong the lifetime of a cooling hole and TBCs under service.
Studies on Pitting Corrosion of Al–Cu–Li Alloys Part III: Passivation Kinetics of AA2098–T851 Based on the Point Defect Model
Authors: Ghanbari Elmira , Saatchi Alireza , Lei Xiaowei , Macdonald Digby D.
Published: June 2019

In this paper, the passivation kinetics of AA2098–T851 was investigated by a fundamental theoretical interpretation of experimental results based on the mixed potential model (MPM). The steady state passive layer formed on the AA2098–T851 in NaHCO3 solution in a CO2 atmosphere upon potentiostatic stepping in the anodic direction followed by stepping in the opposite direction was explored. Potentials were selected in a way that both anodic passive dissolution of the metal and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) occur, thereby requiring the MPM for interpretation. Optimization of the MPM on the experimental electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data measured after each potentiostatic step revealed the important role of the migration of Al interstitials in determining the kinetics of passive layer formation and dissolution. More importantly, it is shown that the inequalities of the kinetics of formation and dissolution of the passive layer as observed in opposite potential stepping directions lead to the irreversibility of the passivation process. Finally, by considering the Butler–Volmer (B–V) equation for the cathodic reaction (HER) in the MPM, and assuming the quantum mechanical tunneling of the charge carriers across the barrier layer of the passive film, it was shown that the HER was primarily controlled by the slow electrochemical discharge of protons at the barrier layer/solution (outer layer) interface.
On the Semilocal Convergence of the Multi–Point Variant of Jarratt Method: Unbounded Third Derivative Case
Authors: Yong Zhang , Gupta Neha , Jaiswal J. P. , Madhu Kalyanasundaram
Published: June 2019

In this paper, we study the semilocal convergence of the multi-point variant of Jarratt method under two different mild situations. The first one is the assumption that just a second-order Fréchet derivative is bounded instead of third-order. In addition, in the next one, the bound of the norm of the third order Fréchet derivative is assumed at initial iterate rather than supposing it on the domain of the nonlinear operator and it also satisfies the local ω -continuity condition in order to prove the convergence, existence-uniqueness followed by a priori error bound. During the study, it is noted that some norms and functions have to recalculate and its significance can be also seen in the numerical section.
A Note on Estimation of Multi-Sigmoidal Gompertz Functions with Random Noise
Authors: Román-Román Patricia , Serrano-Pérez Juan José , Torres-Ruiz Francisco
Published: June 2019

The behaviour of many dynamic real phenomena shows different phases, with each one following a sigmoidal type pattern. This requires studying sigmoidal curves with more than one inflection point. In this work, a diffusion process is introduced whose mean function is a curve of this type, concretely a transformation of the well-known Gompertz model after introducing in its expression a polynomial term. The maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters of the model is studied, and various criteria are provided for the selection of the degree of the polynomial when real situations are addressed. Finally, some simulated examples are presented.
Effect of V Addition on Microstructure and Properties of Cu-1.6Ni-1.2Co-0.65Si Alloys
Authors: Zou Jinfeng , Cheng Jianyi , Feng Guangbo , Xie Jian , Yu Fangxin
Published: June 2019

To obtain high strength and high electrical conductivity at the same time, the microstructure and properties of 0.2 wt.% V-added, 0.1 wt.% V-added and V-free Cu-1.6Ni-1.2Co-0.65Si(-V) alloys were investigated. We examined with electrical conductivity and hardness measurements, tensile test, optical microscope and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results show that Cu-1.6Ni-1.2Co-0.65Si-0.1V alloy obtains excellent combination properties: electrical conductivity is 46.12% IACS, hardness is 293.88 Hv, and tensile strength is 782 MPa, which are produced by 65% cold rolling + aging at 500 °C for 480 min. The addition of vanadium (V) can accelerate the precipitation of solute atoms from the copper matrix, improve the hardness and electrical conductivity of Cu-1.6Ni-1.2Co-0.65Si alloys, and greatly accelerated the aging response. δ-(Co,Ni)2Si and β-Ni3Si phases are detected in Cu-1.6Ni-1.2Co-0.65Si-0.1V alloy. The Orowan mechanism and grain boundary strengthening play a major role in the yield strength strengthening due to δ-(Co,Ni)2Si phase.
Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of W-6Ni-4Co Alloy by a Two-Step Sintering Process
Authors: Dong Hongfeng , Li Peiyou , Ai Taotao , Li Wenhu
Published: June 2019

The mechanical properties and microstructure of W-6Ni-4Co alloy through solid phase sintering and two-step sintering process were investigated. The results demonstrated that the particle sizes of W-6Ni-4Co alloy milled powders increased firstly and decreased later during a mechanical alloying process. The shape of alloy milled powders affected that of grains in alloy by solid phase sintering. The shape of W-rich particles in the alloys changed from stripes to network, to polygonal and to subsphaeroidal finally during two-step sintering process. The mechanical properties could be attributed to the densification and microstructure of alloys, and increased during two-step sintering with short dwelling time.
A Review on Comprehensive Utilization of Red Mud and Prospect Analysis
Authors: Wang Li , Sun Ning , Tang Honghu , Sun Wei
Published: June 2019

Red mud (RM) is a by-product of extracting of alumina from bauxite. Red mud contains high quantities of alkali-generating minerals and metal ions, which can cause significant environmental damage. Many valuable components such as rare-earth elements, Al, and Fe, in RM are difficult to be utilized owing to their particle size and alkalinity. Thus, developing an economical and efficient technology to consume a large amount of RM can efficiently solve RM disposal issues. This paper systematically reviews the comprehensive utilization methods for reducing RM environmental pollution and divides the comprehensive utilization of RM into three aspects: the effective extraction of valuable components, resource transformation, and environmental application. Based on resource, economic, and environmental benefits, the development of new technologies and new processes with market competitiveness, environmental protection, and ecological balance should be the prerequisite for the low-energy, low-pollution, low-cost, and high-efficiency comprehensive utilization of RM. The direction of future research to solve RM disposal issues is also suggested.
Efficacy and Usability of eHealth Technologies in Stroke Survivors for Prevention of a New Stroke and Improvement of Self-Management: Phase III Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Ortiz-Fernández Leire , Sagastagoya Zabala Joana , Gutiérrez-Ruiz Agustín , Imaz-Ayo Natale , Alava-Menica Ander , Arana-Arri Eunate
Published: June 2019

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of severe and long-term disability in developed countries. Around 15 million people suffer a stroke each year, being most of them ischemic due to modifiable risk factors. Adequate self-management abilities may help to manage the consequences of stroke, but it is unknown which specific intervention could be effective to booster these self-management abilities. Objective: To evaluate the improvement of self-management in chronic stroke survivors using decision support and self-management system (STARR). Methods: A randomized, prospective, parallel group, open, and the unicentric pilot trial will be performed. Stroke survivors and their caregivers will be randomly allocated to STARR management or standard of care. Main inclusion criteria are mild to moderate disabled first stroke adult survivor, living at home, able to cope and follow the guidelines and devices, without socio-familial exclusion. All will get a conventional treatment in the acute and subacute phase; however, in the chronic period, cases will use the developed STARR App and Decision Support System. Measurements will be performed at baseline, at 3 months, and at 6 months. Outcome measures are patient-report outcome measure of self-management competency, physical function, risk factor reduction, healthcare resource utilization, knowledge of the condition, mood, and social isolation. Discussion: If effective, the results of this study will enable stroke patients and their caregivers to deal better with the everyday life obstacles of stroke, improve the adherence of the treatment, improve the control of cardiovascular risk, and, in consequence, reduce the recurrence of secondary strokes, the number of complications, the number of consultations, and readmissions; to ultimately reduce the health systems costs. Taking into consideration that the number of stroke survivors is increasing around the world, a large number of individuals could profit from this intervention.
A Single Dose of Beetroot Juice Does Not Change Blood Pressure Response Mediated by Acute Aerobic Exercise in Hypertensive Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Amaral Ana Luiza , Mariano Igor M. , Carrijo Victor Hugo V. , de Souza Tállita Cristina F. , Batista Jaqueline P. , Mendonça Anne M. , de Souza Adriele V. , Caixeta Douglas C. , Teixeira Renata R. , Espindola Foued S. , de Oliveira Erick P. , Puga Guilherme M.
Published: June 2019

Objective: To verify if acute intake of beetroot juice potentiates post-exercise hypotension (PEH) in hypertensive postmenopausal women. Methods: Thirteen hypertensive postmenopausal women (58.1 ± 4.62 years and 27.4 ± 4.25 kg/m²) were recruited to participate in three experimental sessions, taking three different beverages: Beetroot juice (BJ), placebo nitrate-depleted BJ (PLA), and orange flavored non-caloric drink (OFD). The participants performed moderate aerobic exercise training on a treadmill, at 65–70% of heart rate reserve (HRR), for 40 min. After an overnight fast, the protocol started at 07h when the first resting blood pressure (BP) was measured. The beverage was ingested at 07h30 and BP was monitored until the exercise training started, at 09h30. After the end of the exercise session, BP was measured every 15 min over a 90-min period. Saliva samples were collected at rest, immediately before and after exercise, and 90 min after exercise for nitrite (NO2−) analysis. Results: There was an increase in salivary NO2− with BJ intake when compared to OFD and PLA. A slight increase in salivary NO2− was observed with PLA when compared to OFD (p < 0.05), however, PLA resulted in lower salivary NO2− when compared to BJ (p < 0.001). There were no changes in salivary NO2− with the OFD. Systolic and diastolic BP decreased (p < 0.001) on all post exercise time points after all interventions, with no difference between the three beverages. Conclusion: Acute BJ intake does not change PEH responses in hypertensive postmenopausal women, even though there is an increase in salivary NO2−.
Assessment of Primary Cell Wall Nanomechanical Properties in Internal Cells of Non-Fixed Maize Roots
Authors: Kozlova Liudmila , Petrova Anna , Ananchenko Boris , Gorshkova Tatyana
Published: June 2019

The mechanical properties of cell walls play a vital role in plant development. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) is widely used for characterization of these properties. However, only surface or isolated plant cells have been used for such investigations, at least as non-embedded samples. Theories that claim a restrictive role of a particular tissue in plant growth cannot be confirmed without direct measurement of the mechanical properties of internal tissue cell walls. Here we report an approach of assessing the nanomechanical properties of primary cell walls in the inner tissues of growing plant organs. The procedure does not include fixation, resin-embedding or drying of plant material. Vibratome-derived longitudinal and transverse sections of maize root were investigated by AFM in a liquid cell to track the changes of cell wall stiffness and elasticity accompanying elongation growth. Apparent Young’s modulus values and stiffness of stele periclinal cell walls in the elongation zone of maize root were lower than in the meristem, i.e., cell walls became more elastic and less resistant to an applied force during their elongation. The trend was confirmed using either a sharp or spherical probe. The availability of such a method may promote our understanding of individual tissue roles in the plant growth processes.
Credit Risk Assessment Model for Small and Micro-Enterprises: The Case of Lithuania
Authors: Kanapickiene Rasa , Spicas Renatas
Published: June 2019

In this research, trade credit is analysed form a seller (supplier) perspective. Trade credit allows the supplier to increase sales and profits but creates the risk that the customer will not pay, and at the same time increases the risk of the supplier’s insolvency. If the supplier is a small or micro-enterprise (SMiE), it is usually an issue of human and technical resources. Therefore, when dealing with these issues, the supplier needs a high accuracy but simple and highly interpretable trade credit risk assessment model that allows for assessing the risk of insolvency of buyers (who are usually SMiE). The aim of the research is to create a statistical enterprise trade credit risk assessment (ETCRA) model for Lithuanian small and micro-enterprises (SMiE). In the empirical analysis, the financial and non-financial data of 734 small and micro-sized enterprises in the period of 2010–2012 were chosen as the samples. Based on the logistic regression, the ETCRA model was developed using financial and non-financial variables. In the ETCRA model, the enterprise’s financial performance is assessed from different perspectives: profitability, liquidity, solvency, and activity. Varied model variants have been created using (i) only financial ratios and (ii) financial ratios and non-financial variables. Moreover, the inclusion of non-financial variables in the model does not substantially improve the characteristics of the model. This means that the models that use only financial ratios can be used in practice, and the models that include non-financial variables can also be used. The designed models can be used by suppliers when making decisions of granting a trade credit for small or micro-enterprises.
Spatial Filtering in DCT Domain-Based Frameworks for Hyperspectral Imagery Classification
Authors: Bazine Razika , Wu Huayi , Boukhechba Kamel
Published: June 2019

In this article, we propose two effective frameworks for hyperspectral imagery classification based on spatial filtering in Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) domain. In the proposed approaches, spectral DCT is performed on the hyperspectral image to obtain a spectral profile representation, where the most significant information in the transform domain is concentrated in a few low-frequency components. The high-frequency components that generally represent noisy data are further processed using a spatial filter to extract the remaining useful information. For the spatial filtering step, both two-dimensional DCT (2D-DCT) and two-dimensional adaptive Wiener filter (2D-AWF) are explored. After performing the spatial filter, an inverse spectral DCT is applied on all transformed bands including the filtered bands to obtain the final preprocessed hyperspectral data, which is subsequently fed into a linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. Experimental results using three hyperspectral datasets show that the proposed framework Cascade Spectral DCT Spatial Wiener Filter (CDCT-WF_SVM) outperforms several state-of-the-art methods in terms of classification accuracy, the sensitivity regarding different sizes of the training samples, and computational time.
A New Method of Distribution of Measurement Points on Curvilinear Surfaces of Products
Authors: Magdziak Marek
Published: June 2019

The article presents the method of selecting scanning lines along which coordinate measurements, performed by using, e.g., a coordinate measuring machine working in the single point probing mode, of free-form surfaces of measured workpieces may be conducted. Additionally, the proposed method supports the user of a coordinate measuring system during defining the number of measurement points distributed along selected scanning lines, thus deciding on the final distribution of measurement points on a measured surface of a product. The proposed method enables distributing measurement points in the parts of a measured product characterized by the worst quality of manufacturing. Moreover, the new method is very automated, therefore it affects the increase in the efficiency of coordinate measurements. The effect of using the new method is the non-uniform distribution of measurement points located on free-form surfaces. The presented algorithm takes into account the lengths of selected cross-sections of a measured curvilinear surface of an object, its geometrical complexity and the accuracy of the probe radius correction process. The decision regarding the number of measurement points is made on the basis of the accuracy analysis of the calculations of the corrected measurement points obtained during the probe radius correction process and the accuracy of the substitute model representing a measured curvilinear surface. Two methods of the correction process were used. The accuracy of the applied methods of the probe radius compensation process was estimated on the basis of the deviations calculated between corrected measurement points and scanning lines. The selection of scanning lines and the number of measurement points was realized by using the expert system based on the fuzzy logic. The paper presents the results of both simulation and experimental investigations. The numerical calculations were performed for two selected free-form surfaces. The verification of the developed algorithm was carried out during experimental investigations based on a measurement of a selected free-form surface. The conducted research was aimed at verifying the correctness of the distribution of measurement points generated using the proposed method. In the case of real measurements, measurement points should be located in the places of surfaces of products characterized by the largest deviations of manufacturing. The results of the conducted investigations confirm the usefulness of the developed algorithm for defining the distribution of measurement points on curvilinear surfaces in the coordinate measuring technique. Moreover, the way of implementation of the developed method of the distribution of measurement points in selected commercial measurement software is presented, thus enabling the use of the new method in the industry.
A Phenotype-Based Approach for the Substrate Water Status Forecast of Greenhouse Netted Muskmelon
Authors: Chang Liying , Yin Yilu , Xiang Jialin , Liu Qian , Li Daren , Huang Danfeng
Published: June 2019

Cultivation substrate water status is of great importance to the production of netted muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus Naud.). A prediction model for the substrate water status would be beneficial in irrigation schedule guidance. In this study, the machine learning random forest model was used to forecast plant substrate water status given the phenotypic traits throughout the muskmelon growing season. Here, two varieties of netted muskmelon, “Wanglu” and “Arus”, were planted in a greenhouse under four substrate water treatments and their phenotypic traits were measured by taking the images within the visible and near-infrared spectrums, respectively. Results showed that a simplified model outperformed the original model in forecasting speed, while it only uses the top five most significant contribution traits. The forecast accuracy reached up to 77.60%, 94.37%, and 90.01% for seedling, vine elongation, and fruit growth stages, respectively. Combining the imaging phenotypic traits and machine learning technique would provide a robust forecast of water status around the plant root zones.
Efficient Energy Supply Using Mobile Charger for Solar-Powered Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Yi Jun Min , Yoon Ikjune
Published: June 2019

An energy-harvesting wireless sensor network mitigates the energy shortage problems of existing battery-based wireless sensors; however, its hotspot area sensor nodes still experience 3 blackouts, thereby reducing network connectivity. Techniques that transfer energy directly to sensor nodes using wireless power transfer (WPT) have been studied in recent years to address this issue. In this paper, we propose a technique that uses a drone (quadcopter), which is a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), as a mobile sink. The drone selects and manages anchor nodes that aggregate data temporarily, collects data by visiting the anchor nodes to mitigate the hotspot issue, and then prevents blackouts by supplying energy to low-energy nodes, thereby improving network connectivity. The anchor nodes are carefully selected after considering the energy capacity of the drone, the size of the network, the amount of collected data, and the energy consumed by the nodes to increase the network’s energy efficiency. Furthermore, energy is transferred from the drone to the anchor nodes to support their energy consumption. In our study, this method reduced the blackouts of sensor nodes, including anchor nodes, in hotspot regions, and increased network connectivity, thereby improving the amount of data gathered by the mobile sink.
Uncertainty-Based Vibration/Gyro Composite Planetary Terrain Mapping
Authors: Bai Chengchao , Guo Jifeng
Published: June 2019

Accurate perception of the detected terrain is a precondition for the planetary rover to perform its own mission. However, terrain measurement based on vision and LIDAR is subject to environmental changes such as strong illumination and dust storms. In this paper, considering the influence of uncertainty in the detection process, a vibration/gyro coupled terrain estimation method based on multipoint ranging information is proposed. The terrain update model is derived by analyzing the measurement uncertainty and motion uncertainty. Combined with Clearpath Jackal unmanned vehicle—the terrain mapping accuracy test based on ROS (Robot Operating System) simulation environment—indoor Optitrack auxiliary environment and outdoor soil environment was completed. The results show that the proposed algorithm has high reconstruction ability for a given scale terrain. The reconstruction accuracy in the above test environments is within 1 cm, 2 cm, and 6 cm, respectively.
Critical Approaches to Ageing Body Politics in the Works of Erica Jong
Authors: Stončikaitė Ieva
Published: June 2019

The ways we read our bodies and bodily transformations are deeply inscribed in cultural meanings that vary across different historical times and societies. Even if the desire to achieve culturally imposed beauty standards and ideals is relevant to all age groups, anxieties about bodily decline become more pronounced as we approach the final stages of our lives. Physical changes are never just manifestations of cellular and organic loss, but can also be a source of troubled identifies and fragmented personalities caused by the mismatch between our external appearance and the inner perception of the self. This paper offers the longitudinal analysis of female processes of ageing from age-studies and feminist perspectives, as depicted in the works of Erica Jong, a contemporary American writer. It uncovers significant aspects of the pressures older women are subjected to in order to look more appealing in youth-oriented cultures, and demonstrates that the human body is often regarded as a conflicting site of perpetual ambiguities and troubled feelings caused by physical decay.
The Effect of Wearing a Lower Body Compression Garment on Anaerobic Exercise Performance in Division I NCAA Basketball Players
Authors: Ballmann Christopher , Hotchkiss Hunter , Marshall Mallory , Rogers Rebecca
Published: June 2019

Lower body compression (LBC) has been shown as an effective recovery tool from basketball but it is unknown how it affects performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of wearing a LBC garment on anaerobic exercise performance in collegiate basketball players. Healthy Division I collegiate basketball players (n = 12) were recruited for this study. In a crossover, counterbalanced study design, subjects volunteered to participate in two separate visits each with a different condition: wearing a LBC garment or non-compressive control (CON) garment. During each visit, subjects completed 2 × 30 second Wingate Anaerobic Tests (WAnTs) separated by a 5-min active recovery period. Each visit was separated by a 72 h washout period. Results revealed that over the 2 × 30 second WAnTs, mean power output (p = 0.028; d= 0.35), anaerobic capacity (p = 0.018; d = 0.45), and total work (p = 0.027; d = 0.36) were higher when wearing the LBC versus CON garment. However, peak power output (p = 0.319; d = 0.09), anaerobic power (p = 0.263; d = 0.23), and fatigue index (p = 0.749; d = 0.05) were not statistically different. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was significantly lower (p = 0.032; d = 0.72) with LBC compared to CON. Results indicate that LBC may increase anaerobic exercise performance in collegiate basketball players.
The Drivers of China’s Regional Carbon Emission Change—A Structural Decomposition Analysis from 1997 to 2007
Authors: Yang Ling , Lahr Michael L.
Published: June 2019

Using three official multiregional input–output tables and carbon emission data, we decompose the change in carbon emission for eight regions of China between 1997 and 2007. We do so according to the following seven partial effects: (i) Changes in energy end-use structure, (ii) effect of energy intensity, (iii) the added value’s share of gross output, (iv) changes in sub-industry structure, (v) changes in the substitution of import for intermediate inputs, and changes in (vi) structure and (vii) level of final demand. We find energy intensity contributes most to CO2 abatement throughout China, while other factors vary widely across the different regions. We suggest that governments consider regional disparity and CO2 flows when formulating policies; structural change with an eye toward energy-savings and general efficiency improvements, like better insulated buildings, are among measures we deem effective.
Sustainability of Leverage Levels in Response to Shocks in Equity Prices: Islamic Finance as a Socially Responsible Investment
Authors: Hussain Hafezali Iqbal , Grabara Janusz , Razimi Mohd Shahril Ahmad , Sharif Saeed Pahlevan
Published: June 2019

This study looks at how firms react to shocks in equity prices based on a classification which arises from social pressures rather than the financial objective of maximizing shareholders’ wealth. In order to meet the objective of the study, a sample of Malaysian firms from the period of 2003 to 2018 was utilized to evaluate the relationship between market and book debt ratios based on a social distinction. The study is based on the theoretical expectation that managers are inclined to adjust book debt ratios to converge with market debt values which arise from changes in equity values over time. We introduce a unique institutional setting into the relationship which is readily observable in the Malaysian capital market given the existence of Shari’ah and non-Shari’ah compliant company classifications on the stock exchange (Bursa Malaysia), as screened by the Securities Commission. The classification forms the basis for distinguishing Socially Responsible Investment options for investors. The findings reveal the existence of asymmetries in how both categories of firms adjust towards shocks in equity prices. The findings document that both compliant and non-compliant firms decrease book debt ratios in line with increases in firms’ equity values. Compliant firms, on the other hand, are more likely to increase book debt ratios during periods of decreases in equity values. Non-compliant firms do not significantly alter book debt ratios during periods of declining equity prices. The findings indicate that whilst firms tend to decrease debt levels in the presence of future growth potential, the response is asymmetric during periods of suppression of share prices. Thus, the screening of compliant versus non-compliant firms allows investors to distinguish sustainable firms in the long run, which further allows diversification when holding socially responsible investment portfolios. Our conclusions have wide reaching implications on a global scale for the development of sustainable capital markets.
Early Fire Detection on Video Using LBP and Spread Ascending of Smoke
Authors: Olivares-Mercado Jesus , Toscano-Medina Karina , Sánchez-Perez Gabriel , Hernandez-Suarez Aldo , Perez-Meana Hector , Sandoval Orozco Ana Lucila , García Villalba Luis Javier
Published: June 2019

This paper proposes a methodology for early fire detection based on visual smoke characteristics such as movement, color, gray tones and dynamic texture, i.e., diverse but representative and discriminant characteristics, as well as its ascending expansion, which is sequentially processed to find the candidate smoke regions. Thus, once a region with movement is detected, the pixels inside it that are smoke color are estimated to obtain a more detailed description of the smoke candidate region. Next, to increase the system efficiency and reduce false alarms, each region is characterized using the local binary pattern, which analyzes its texture and classifies it by means of a multi-layer perceptron. Finally, the ascending expansion of the candidate region is analyzed and those smoke regions that maintain or increase their ascending growth over a time span are considered as a smoke regions, and an alarm is triggered. Evaluations were performed using two different classifiers, namely multi-Layer perceptron and the support vector machine, with a standard database smoke video. Evaluation results show that the proposed system provides fire detection accuracy of between 97.85% and 99.83%.
Assessing Socio-Economic Impacts of Agricultural Subsidies: A Case Study from Bhutan
Authors: Wang Sonam Wangyel , Manjur Belay , Kim Jeong-Gyu , Lee Woo-Kyun
Published: June 2019

As an agrarian nation, Bhutan’s agricultural policies prioritize agricultural subsidies to boost agricultural production, rural incomes, improve food security, and reduce income poverty, especially among the rural poor. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of such policy interventions remains unknown. Based on semi-structured interviews with heads of households from six blocks representing two districts, expert consultation with agricultural policymakers and extension agents, we attempted to evaluate the socio-economic impacts of agricultural subsidy programs including co-payments. The study found that while over 90% of the households received at least one form of subsidy, except for agricultural machineries and piglets, the non-poor population has greater access to the subsidies compared to the poor. For instance, only 35% of the poor received seed and sapling subsidies compared to 52% seeds and 39% sapling subsidies received by the non-poor population. Furthermore, none of the poor received Jersey cow or biogas subsidies due to their inability to co-pay. Additionally, the agriculture machinery subsidy was found to be counterproductive to the lower income groups (<US$153.85) and beneficial to the higher income groups. However, 14.5% of the households who received a poultry subsidy experienced 3 times more income (at a mean income change of 634.31 US$) compared to those who did not, indicating that this subsidy has larger potential to improve income for the poor. To efficiently achieve the objectives of increasing rural income and reducing poverty, we recommend agricultural subsidy programs and projects be provided as a package to poor small holders, where inputs are given based on existing capacity, availability of technical support, and market accessibility.
Common and Contradictory Motivations in Buying Intentions for Green and Luxury Automobiles
Authors: Aliyev Farhad , Wagner Ralf , Seuring Stefan
Published: June 2019

Luxury is often blamed for creating social inequality and hampering sustainability, especially in the social and environmental realms. For instance, luxury goods entice people to conspicuous consumption that may result in showing off. However, study results show that luxury and environmental sustainability have common features. Notably, previous research mainly examined motivations for green purchases in general without relating to the specific product categories such as durables. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between these two—green and luxury automobile buying intentions—by analyzing the survey results of 1601 respondents relating to more than 60 nationalities. In contrast to a substantial effect on luxury buying intentions, perceived conspicuousness has no significant positive effect on green auto purchase intentions, and that price value has a limited influence compared with the effect on luxury automobile purchase intentions. Furthermore, hedonism has a less positive impact on green auto purchase intentions compared to its impact on luxury automobile buying intentions. The ‘extended self’ and the perception of high quality have been found to be drivers of luxury and green automobile purchase intentions, while unique value appears to have no impact on purchase intentions for green and conventional luxury automobiles. The present study contributes to the extant research by investigating common and contradictory motivations for luxury and green buying intentions of automobiles. Furthermore, it suggests a reconsideration of the traditional view that luxury and environmental consumption are inconsistent and contradictory concepts. The complementary managerial implications of this study guide practitioners in positioning the situatable variants of their automobiles as ethical luxury.
Improvement of the Korean Design Criteria on Wall-To-Wall Junctions to Prevent Condensation in Apartment Houses
Authors: Hwang In Tae , Kim Gil Tae , Yoo Jung Hyun , Lee Jong Sung
Published: June 2019

Maintaining a proper temperature and humidity in a living space is very important for the health and comfort of apartment residents. Poor residential thermal conditions are recognized as a potential risk to the overall physical health. Thus, building development criteria that maintain an indoor environment separate from the outside environment have been continuously strengthened. However, this has not been the case in Korea, with regards to design criteria for the prevention of indoor condensation. In Korea, condensation occurs indoors frequently, during the winter season. When the outside temperature is low during the winter, a high indoor temperature and humidity would affect the indoor building materials and cause condensation. This study investigated and analyzed the indoor temperature and humidity during winter—when there is a significant difference in the outdoor and indoor temperatures—and conducted a survey on the residents’ lifestyles. Construction design criteria were found to be different from those of the past, and possible causes of changes in temperature and humidity were examined. We intended to establish enhanced design criteria that would prevent indoor condensation, by comparing our results to that of a study conducted in 2003.
Semantic Relation Classification via Bidirectional LSTM Networks with Entity-Aware Attention Using Latent Entity Typing
Authors: Lee Joohong , Seo Sangwoo , Choi Yong Suk
Published: June 2019

Classifying semantic relations between entity pairs in sentences is an important task in natural language processing (NLP). Most previous models applied to relation classification rely on high-level lexical and syntactic features obtained by NLP tools such as WordNet, the dependency parser, part-of-speech (POS) tagger, and named entity recognizers (NER). In addition, state-of-the-art neural models based on attention mechanisms do not fully utilize information related to the entity, which may be the most crucial feature for relation classification. To address these issues, we propose a novel end-to-end recurrent neural model that incorporates an entity-aware attention mechanism with a latent entity typing (LET) method. Our model not only effectively utilizes entities and their latent types as features, but also builds word representations by applying self-attention based on symmetrical similarity of a sentence itself. Moreover, the model is interpretable by visualizing applied attention mechanisms. Experimental results obtained with the SemEval-2010 Task 8 dataset, which is one of the most popular relation classification tasks, demonstrate that our model outperforms existing state-of-the-art models without any high-level features.
On Maximal Elements with Applications to Abstract Economies, Fixed Point Theory and Eigenvector Problems
Authors: Chu Liang-Ju , Du Wei–Shih
Published: June 2019

Two existence theorems of maximal elements in H-spaces are obtained without compactness. More accurately, we deal with the correspondence to be of L -majorized mappings in the setting of noncompact strategy sets but merely requiring a milder coercive condition. As applications, we obtain an equilibrium existence theorem for general abstract economies, a new fixed point theorem, and give a sufficient condition for the existence of solutions of the eigenvector problem (EIVP).
Recommendations with a Nudge
Authors: Karlsen Randi , Andersen Anders
Published: June 2019

In areas such as health, environment, and energy consumption, there is a need to do better. A common goal in society is to get people to behave in ways that are sustainable for the environment or support a healthier lifestyle. Nudging is a term known from economics and political theory, for influencing decisions and behavior using suggestions, positive reinforcement, and other non-coercive means. With the extensive use of digital devices, nudging within a digital environment (known as digital nudging) has great potential. We introduce smart nudging, where the guidance of user behavior is presented through digital nudges tailored to be relevant to the current situation of each individual user. The ethics of smart nudging and the transparency of nudging is also discussed. We see a smart nudge as a recommendation to the user, followed by information that both motivates and helps the user choose the suggested behavior. This paper describes such nudgy recommendations, the design of a smart nudge, and an architecture for a smart nudging system. We compare smart nudging to traditional models for recommender systems, and we describe and discuss tools (or approaches) for nudge design. We discuss the challenges of designing personalized smart nudges that evolve and adapt according to the user’s reactions to the previous nudging and possible behavioral change of the user.
CogBeacon: A Multi-Modal Dataset and Data-Collection Platform for Modeling Cognitive Fatigue
Authors: Papakostas Michalis , Rajavenkatanarayanan Akilesh , Makedon Fillia
Published: June 2019

In this work, we present CogBeacon, a multi-modal dataset designed to target the effects of cognitive fatigue in human performance. The dataset consists of 76 sessions collected from 19 male and female users performing different versions of a cognitive task inspired by the principles of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), a popular cognitive test in experimental and clinical psychology designed to assess cognitive flexibility, reasoning, and specific aspects of cognitive functioning. During each session, we record and fully annotate user EEG functionality, facial keypoints, real-time self-reports on cognitive fatigue, as well as detailed information of the performance metrics achieved during the cognitive task (success rate, response time, number of errors, etc.). Along with the dataset we provide free access to the CogBeacon data-collection software to provide a standardized mechanism to the community for collecting and annotating physiological and behavioral data for cognitive fatigue analysis. Our goal is to provide other researchers with the tools to expand or modify the functionalities of the CogBeacon data-collection framework in a hardware-independent way. As a proof of concept we show some preliminary machine learning-based experiments on cognitive fatigue detection using the EEG information and the subjective user reports as ground truth. Our experiments highlight the meaningfulness of the current dataset, and encourage our efforts towards expanding the CogBeacon platform. To our knowledge, this is the first multi-modal dataset specifically designed to assess cognitive fatigue and the only free software available to allow experiment reproducibility for multi-modal cognitive fatigue analysis.