bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hot Deformation Behavior of a 2024 Aluminum Alloy Sheet and its Modeling by Fields-Backofen Model Considering Strain Rate Evolution
Authors: He Zhubin , Wang Zhibiao , Lin Yanli , Fan Xiaobo
Published: February 2019

The deformation behavior of a 2024 aluminum alloy sheet at elevated temperatures was studied by uniaxial hot tensile tests over the nominal initial strain rate range of 0.001–0.1 s−1 and temperature range of 375–450 °C. In order to analyze the deformation behavior with higher accuracy, a digital image correlation (DIC) system was applied to determine the strain distribution during hot tensile tests. Local stress-strain curves for different local points on the specimens were calculated. The strain rate evolution of each point during the tensile tests was investigated under different deformation conditions. Then, an improved Fields–Backofen (FB) model, taking into account the local strain rate evolution instead of the fixed strain rate, was proposed to describe the constitutive behaviors. It has been found that obvious non-uniform strain distribution occurred when the true strain was larger than 0.3 during hot tensile tests. The strain rate distribution during deformation was also non-uniform. It showed increasing, steady, and decreasing variation tendencies for different points with the increasing of strain, which led to the local flow stress being different at different local points. The flow stresses predicted by the improved FB model showed good agreement with experimental results when the strain rate evolutions of local points during tensile tests were considered. The prediction accuracy was higher than that of traditional FB models.
Transfer Printing and its Applications in Flexible Electronic Devices
Authors: Zhou Honglei , Qin Weiyang , Yu Qingmin , Cheng Huanyu , Yu Xudong , Wu Huaping
Published: February 2019

Flexible electronic systems have received increasing attention in the past few decades because of their wide-ranging applications that include the flexible display, eyelike digital camera, skin electronics, and intelligent surgical gloves, among many other health monitoring devices. As one of the most widely used technologies to integrate rigid functional devices with elastomeric substrates for the manufacturing of flexible electronic devices, transfer printing technology has been extensively studied. Though primarily relying on reversible interfacial adhesion, a variety of advanced transfer printing methods have been proposed and demonstrated. In this review, we first summarize the characteristics of a few representative methods of transfer printing. Next, we will introduce successful demonstrations of each method in flexible electronic devices. Moreover, the potential challenges and future development opportunities for transfer printing will then be briefly discussed.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D Measurement in Human Hair: Results from a Proof-of-Concept study
Authors: Zgaga Lina , Laird Eamon , Healy Martin
Published: February 2019

Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in numerous human diseases leading to an increased interest in assessing vitamin D status. Consequentially, the number of requests for vitamin D measurement keeps dramatically increasing year-on-year. Currently, the recognised best marker of vitamin D status is the concentration of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D3) in the blood circulation. While providing an accurate estimate of vitamin D status at the point in time of sampling, it cannot account for the high variability of 25(OH)D3 concentration. In this proof of concept study we set out to provide evidence that 25(OH)D3 can be extracted from hair samples in a similar fashion to steroid hormones. Two of the authors (L.Z. and M.H.) provided hair samples harvested from the crown area of the scalp and the third author (E.L.) provided beard samples. These samples, cut into 1 cm lengths, were weighed, washed and dried. 25(OH)D was extracted using a previously published steroid hormones extraction procedure. Blood samples were taken from the subjects at the same time all tissue samples were analysed using liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry. Hair samples showed presence of quantifiable 25(OH)D3 with concentrations ranging from 11.9–911 pg/mg. The beard sample had a concentration of 231 pg/mg. Serum levels of 25(OH)D3 ranged from 72–78 nmol/L. The results presented here confirm the feasibility of measuring 25(OH)D3 in hair samples. The findings warrant further validation and development and have the potential to yield valuable information relating to temporal trends in vitamin D physiology.
Brain Aging and Gut–Brain Axis
Authors: Mohajeri M. Hasan
Published: February 2019

In the last decade, the microbiome in general and the gut microbiome in particular have been associated not only to brain development and function, but also to the pathophysiology of brain aging and to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), depression, or multiple sclerosis (MS) [...]
Triple Adaptation of the Mediterranean Diet: Design of A Meal Plan for Older People with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Based on Home Cooking
Authors: Costa Alicia , Carrión Silvia , Puig-Pey Marc , Juárez Fabiola , Clavé Pere
Published: February 2019

Background: Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) and malnutrition are highly prevalent in older patients that are discharged from general hospitals (47% and 30%, respectively). Aims: To develop a nutritional plan for these patients involving a triple adaptation of their traditional diet: (a) rheological adaptation (texture and viscosity) for safe deglutition, (b) nutritional adaptation (water, calories, and proteins), and (c) organoleptic adaptation to improve compliance. Methods: Two fluid viscosities (250 and 800 mPa·s) were selected according to previous studies on optimal viscosities in older patients. The British Dietetic Association food texture classification based on common clinical practice selected two food textures (thick purée and fork-mashable. Two levels of calorie protein enrichment were selected according to previous studies using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®). Results: The daily caloric-protein and hydric needs were established at 1750 kcal, 70 g protein, and 1750 mL water in patients with MNA® ≥ 17; and, 2037 kcal, 90 g protein, and 2000 mL water/day in malnourished patients. Sixteen weekly menus (296 recipes) were developed while using two textures, two levels of viscosity, two nutritional phenotypes (normal/at-risk vs. malnourished), and two seasons of the year (spring/summer-autumn/winter) based on Mediterranean cuisine. Conclusion: This concept paper demonstrates that traditional Mediterranean cooking can be adapted to meet the rheological, nutritional, and hydration needs of older patients with OD. The recipes that we have developed meet the needs of patients with varying degrees of OD and malnutrition are reproducible in patient’s homes and they could have a major impact on the clinical outcomes of these patients.
Chitosan-Coated Nanoparticles: Effect of Chitosan Molecular Weight on Nasal Transmucosal Delivery
Authors: Bruinsmann Franciele Aline , Pigana Stefania , Aguirre Tanira , Dadalt Souto Gabriele , Garrastazu Pereira Gabriela , Bianchera Annalisa , Tiozzo Fasiolo Laura , Colombo Gaia , Marques Magno , Raffin Pohlmann Adriana , Stanisçuaski Guterres Silvia , Sonvico Fabio
Published: February 2019

Drug delivery to the brain represents a challenge, especially in the therapy of central nervous system malignancies. Simvastatin (SVT), as with other statins, has shown potential anticancer properties that are difficult to exploit in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present work the physico–chemical, mucoadhesive, and permeability-enhancing properties of simvastatin-loaded poly-ε-caprolactone nanocapsules coated with chitosan for nose-to-brain administration were investigated. Lipid-core nanocapsules coated with chitosan (LNCchit) of different molecular weight (MW) were prepared by a novel one-pot technique, and characterized for particle size, surface charge, particle number density, morphology, drug encapsulation efficiency, interaction between surface nanocapsules with mucin, drug release, and permeability across two nasal mucosa models. Results show that all formulations presented adequate particle sizes (below 220 nm), positive surface charge, narrow droplet size distribution (PDI < 0.2), and high encapsulation efficiency. Nanocapsules presented controlled drug release and mucoadhesive properties that are dependent on the MW of the coating chitosan. The results of permeation across the RPMI 2650 human nasal cell line evidenced that LNCchit increased the permeation of SVT. In particular, the amount of SVT that permeated after 4 hr for nanocapsules coated with low-MW chitosan, high-MW chitosan, and control SVT was 13.9 ± 0.8 μg, 9.2 ± 1.2 µg, and 1.4 ± 0.2 µg, respectively. These results were confirmed by SVT ex vivo permeation across rabbit nasal mucosa. This study highlighted the suitability of LNCchit as a promising strategy for the administration of simvastatin for a nose-to-brain approach for the therapy of brain tumors.
Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice; the Active Role of Inpatient Pharmacists in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
Authors: Alhameed Abrar F , Khansa Sara Al , Hasan Hani , Ismail Sherine , Aseeri Mohammed
Published: February 2019

Many hospitals face barriers in the implementation of TDM services, this study aimed to evaluate a pharmacist-led TDM service to optimize patients’ outcomes. Adult patients who were administered vancomycin, gentamicin, or amikacin were included. The pre-phase included a retrospective assessment of patients and the intervention phase consisted of an educational program. The post-phase assessed patients based on TDM services provided by inpatient pharmacists on a 24-h, 7-day basis for 3 months. The primary outcome was to assess the mean difference in proportion of correct initial doses of prescribing orders. Secondary outcomes included assessing the mean differences in proportions of correct dose adjustments and correct drug sampling time. Seventy-five patients in each phase were eligible. Patients who received optimal initial dosing in the post-phase showed a higher statistical significance, mean difference of 0.31, [95% CI (0.181–0.4438), p < 0.0001]. Patients in the post-phase received more optimal dose adjustments, mean difference of 0.1, [95% CI (−0.560–0.260), p = 0.2113]. Drug levels were ordered more correctly in the post-phase, mean difference of 0.03, [95% CI (−0.129–0.189), p = 0.7110]. This study demonstrated the important role of TDM services led by pharmacists in optimizing the initial dosing for these antibiotics.
Xylans of Red and Green Algae: What Is Known about Their Structures and How They Are Synthesised?
Authors: Hsieh Yves S.Y. , Harris Philip J.
Published: February 2019

Xylans with a variety of structures have been characterised in green algae, including chlorophytes (Chlorophyta) and charophytes (in the Streptophyta), and red algae (Rhodophyta). Substituted 1,4-β-d-xylans, similar to those in land plants (embryophytes), occur in the cell wall matrix of advanced orders of charophyte green algae. Small proportions of 1,4-β-d-xylans have also been found in the cell walls of some chlorophyte green algae and red algae but have not been well characterised. 1,3-β-d-Xylans occur as triple helices in microfibrils in the cell walls of chlorophyte algae in the order Bryopsidales and of red algae in the order Bangiales. 1,3;1,4-β-d-Xylans occur in the cell wall matrix of red algae in the orders Palmariales and Nemaliales. In the angiosperm Arabidopsis thaliana, the gene IRX10 encodes a xylan 1,4-β-d-xylosyltranferase (xylan synthase), and, when heterologously expressed, this protein catalysed the production of the backbone of 1,4-β-d-xylans. An orthologous gene from the charophyte green alga Klebsormidium flaccidum, when heterologously expressed, produced a similar protein that was also able to catalyse the production of the backbone of 1,4-β-d-xylans. Indeed, it is considered that land plant xylans evolved from xylans in ancestral charophyte green algae. However, nothing is known about the biosynthesis of the different xylans found in chlorophyte green algae and red algae. There is, thus, an urgent need to identify the genes and enzymes involved.
The Different Outcomes of Electrochemical Copolymerisation: 3-Hexylthiophene with Indole, Carbazole or Fluorene
Authors: Gebka Karolina , Jarosz Tomasz , Stolarczyk Agnieszka
Published: February 2019

Electrochemical polymerisation is reported to be a method for readily producing copolymers of various conjugated molecules. We employed this method for mixtures of indole, carbazole or fluorene with 3-hexylthiophene (HT), in order to obtain their soluble copolymers. Although polymer films were obtained, infrared (IR) and Raman investigations showed that instead of the expected linear copolymers, polyindole and polycarbazole N-substituted with HT, as well as a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (PHT)/polyfluorene blend were produced instead. Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate was also used in an attempt to promote copolymerisation, but the produced deposits were found to be highly degraded.
Religious Activities, Christian Media Consumption and Marital Quality among Protestants
Authors: Wilmoth Joe D. , Riaz Muhammad
Published: February 2019

Although associations between religiosity and marital quality have been demonstrated in previous research, mechanisms still remain unclear. Three 3-step hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine whether 10 individual, dyadic or family religious activities or uses of 7 forms of Christian media predicted positive relationship quality, negative interaction and intimate partner violence in a sample of North American Protestants. Joint spousal and family religious activities predicted higher levels of relationship quality. Individual activities, such as reading the Bible, and parent-child activities, such as praying with children and discussing Christians values with children, predicted lower levels of relationship quality. Listening to Christian talk radio and viewing Christian websites or blogs predicted lower levels of relationship quality. The authors inferred that individuals in low-quality relationships use activities such as reading the Bible, listening to Christian talk radio, and viewing Christian websites and blogs to seek information to improve relationships or promote healthy adaptation. Similarly, the authors speculated that praying with children and discussing spiritual values with them were seen as interventionary measures to protect children when parents were in low-quality relationships.
Use of McKibben Muscle in a Haptic Interface
Authors: Franco Walter , Maffiodo Daniela , De Benedictis Carlo , Ferraresi Carlo
Published: February 2019

One of the most relevant issues in the development of a haptic interface is the choice of the actuators that are devoted to generating the reflection forces. This work has been particularly focused on the employment of the McKibben muscle to this aim. A prototype of one finger has been realized that is intended to be part of a haptic glove, and is based on an articulated mechanism driven by a McKibben muscle. A dynamic model of the finger has been created and validated; then, it has been used to define the control algorithm of the device. Experimental tests highlighted the static and dynamic effectiveness of the device and proved that a McKibben muscle can be appropriately used in such an application.
Snow Thickness Estimation on First-Year Sea Ice from Late Winter Spaceborne Scatterometer Backscatter Variance
Authors: Yackel John , Geldsetzer Torsten , Mahmud Mallik , Nandan Vishnu , Howell Stephen E. L. , Scharien Randall K. , Lam Hoi Ming
Published: February 2019

Ku- and C-band spaceborne scatterometer sigma nought (σ°) backscatter data of snow covered landfast first-year sea ice from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are acquired during the winter season with coincident in situ snow-thickness observations. Our objective is to describe a methodological framework for estimating relative snow thickness on first-year sea ice based on the variance in σ° from daily time series ASCAT and QuikSCAT scatterometer measurements during the late winter season prior to melt onset. We first describe our theoretical basis for this approach, including assumptions and conditions under which the method is ideally suited and then present observational evidence from four independent case studies to support our hypothesis. Results suggest that the approach can provide a relative measure of snow thickness prior to σ° detected melt onset at both Ku- and C-band frequencies. We observe that, during the late winter season, a thinner snow cover displays a larger variance in daily σ° compared to a thicker snow cover on first-year sea ice. This is because for a given increase in air temperature, a thinner snow cover manifests a larger increase in basal snow layer brine volume owing to its higher thermal conductivity, a larger increase in the dielectric constant and a larger increase in σ° at both Ku- and C bands. The approach does not apply when snow thickness distributions on first-year sea ice being compared are statistically similar, indicating that similar late winter σ° variances likely indicate regions of similar snow thickness.
How Can Despeckling and Structural Features Benefit to Change Detection on Bitemporal SAR Images?
Authors: Wang Rongfang , Chen Jia-Wei , Jiao Licheng , Wang Mi
Published: February 2019

Change detection on bitemporal synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is a key branch of SAR image interpretation. However, it is challenging due to speckle and unavoidable registration errors within bitemporal SAR images. A key issue is whether and how despeckling and structural features can improve accuracy. In this paper, we investigate how despeckling and structural features can benefit change detection for SAR images. Several change detection methods were performed on both input images and the corresponding despeckled images, where despeckling was achieved by different methods. The comparisons demonstrate that despeckling methods that preserve the structures can suppress noise in difference images and can improve the accuracy of change detection. We also developed a sparse model to exploit structural features from the difference images while reducing the influence of misalignment between bitemporal SAR images. The comparisons were performed on five datasets of bitemporal SAR images, and the experimental results show that our proposed sparse model outperforms other traditional methods, demonstrating the advantages of change detection.
Improvement of Noise Uncertainty and Signal-To-Noise Ratio Wall in Spectrum Sensing Based on Optimal Stochastic Resonance
Authors: He Di , Chen Xin , Pei Ling , Jiang Lingge , Yu Wenxian
Published: February 2019

Noise uncertainty and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) wall are two very serious problems in spectrum sensing of cognitive radio (CR) networks, which restrict the applications of some conventional spectrum sensing methods especially under low SNR circumstances. In this study, an optimal dynamic stochastic resonance (SR) processing method is introduced to improve the SNR of the receiving signal under certain conditions. By using the proposed method, the SNR wall can be enhanced and the sampling complexity can be reduced, accordingly the noise uncertainty of the received signal can also be decreased. Based on the well-studied overdamped bistable SR system, the theoretical analyses and the computer simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. It can extend the application scenes of the conventional energy detection especially under some serious wireless conditions especially low SNR circumstances such as deep wireless signal fading, signal shadowing and multipath fading.
Is the Role of Work Engagement Essential to Employee Performance or ‘Nice to Have’?
Authors: Kim Woocheol , Han Soo Jeoung , Park Jiwon
Published: February 2019

The current study aimed to scrutinize roles of work engagement as a mediator in the relationships between job and personal resources and employees’ outcomes, namely job performance and turnover intention, specifically focusing on testing the essentiality of work engagement. A total of 571 complete responses from full-time employees in Korean organizations were utilized for data analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM). This study analyzed two research models through the competing model approach: One model (Model 1) specified that job and personal resources directly influence job performance and turnover intention and also indirectly influence job performance and turnover intention through work engagement, whereas the other model (Model 2) specified that job and personal resources only indirectly influence turnover intention and job performance through work engagement. The results of the competing models demonstrated that overall, Model 2 adequately fit better than Model 1. The results also showed that the direct effects of job and personal resources on work engagement, as well as the direct effects of work engagement on job performance and turnover intention were statistically significant. In addition, the results of the study revealed statistically significant mediating effects of work engagement, not only on the relationship between job and personal resources and job performance, but also on the relationship between job and personal resources and turnover intention. Based on the results, theoretical and practical implications for human resource management, limitations, and recommendations for further research are discussed.
Decent Work as a Necessary Condition for Sustainable Well-Being. A Tale of Pi(i)gs and Farmers
Authors: Ariza-Montes Antonio , Giorgi Gabriele , Hernández-Perlines Felipe , Fiz-Perez Javier
Published: February 2019

This article analyzes with a holistic and systematic approach the state of working conditions in the European labor market after the crisis, as well as their effects on worker well-being. For this, a distinction will be made between the southern countries most affected, namely Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain (Piigs), and the northern countries that are, a priori, less damaged by the crisis (Farmers). The samples integrate 7867 workers from the five Piigs countries (36.2%) and 13,894 from the 10 Farmers countries (63.8%). The results have broadly confirmed the research purposes and they established that ensuring well-being is the key to sustainability, growth, and success for workers, groups, and organizations.
CSR Practices in Polish and Spanish Stock Listed Companies: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Dawid Garstecki , Magdalena Kowalczyk , Karolina Kwiecińska
Published: February 2019

In recent years, many studies have been carried out on corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting by enterprises. However, none of the previous surveys have covered CSR reporting in countries in Western Europe (Spain) and Central Europe (Poland). In our research, we looked for answers to two research questions. The first was aimed at answering whether the industry represented by a given company influenced the number of disclosures in CSR reporting. The second question was to answer whether there were differences between Poland and Spain in the amount of disclosure in CSR reporting. We carried out a statistical analysis of the collected research material, under which we performed non-parametric tests as all of the variables for the distribution were not normal (Shapiro–Wilk test). We performed both the U Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests, which allowed us to answer our questions. The obtained results indicated that enterprises from the fuel and energy sectors as well as the financial industry provided more CSR disclosure than the other industries. There was a significant difference in the number of CSR disclosures between Poland and Spain, where more disclosures in CSR reporting were recorded in Spain.
Circular Economy Practices on Wood Panels: A Bibliographic Analysis
Authors: de Carvalho Araújo Cristiane Karyn , Salvador Rodrigo , Moro Piekarski Cassiano , Sokulski Carla Cristiane , de Francisco Antonio Carlos , de Carvalho Araújo Camargo Sâmique Kyene
Published: February 2019

The scarcity of natural resources and the generation of waste without adequate disposal are a worldwide concern related to the linear production model.These characteristics are present in the wood panel production. Faced with this problem, the present study aimed to identify in the literature, circular economy (CE) practices in the waste management of wood panel production processes and the possibilities for implementing new practices that incorporate circularity concepts. A systematic search was conducted to select the most relevant work on the theme. A search was done using the ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases by combining the following keywords: “Circular Economy” (and its possible variations), “Wood-based Panel”, and “Wood Waste”. The results evidenced circular economy practices on waste management already being used by the wood panel industry, besides potential practices to increase circularity. The changes go towards sustainable manufacturing and responsible consumption, which aims to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”. Opportunities range from the extraction of raw materials to the disposal of wood panel waste at the end-of-life. The circular economy model is still recent and the process of transitioning is in its initial phase, as well as scientific research on the theme, mainly regarding the wood panel industry. Studies addressing the circular economy and wood panels are not yet widespread, pointing to a gap yet to be explored. The bibliographic review allowed identifying the existence of potential applications of circular economy in the wood panel industry; yet, this piece of research points to a broad field of exploration.
Mutation Breeding of a N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-Induced Rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. Indica) Population for the Yield Attributing Traits
Authors: Xuan Tran Dang , Anh Truong Thi Tu , Tran Hoang-Dung , Khanh Tran Dang , Dat Tran Dang
Published: February 2019

Difficulties in breeding new rice cultivars that have a high yield, are acceptable quality, and are tolerant to environmental stresses have been the major constraint of rice production in many developing countries, as these traits are determined by multiple genes associated with complicated and uncontrollable gene segregations.Furthermore, the gene/QTL (quantitative trait locus) introduced to the cultivar is unstable due to the interaction among the active genes, which determine the phenotypic performance, not yet been well understood or controllable. In this study, the N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced mutation was applied to the heterozygote of the F1 generation from the cross between TBR1 (female) and KD18 (male parent). The phenotype and genotype of the M2 and M3 generations were evaluated and showed that the mutant population phenotypes, including the plant height, semi-dwarfism, amylose content, protein content, gel consistency, grain yield, and spikelet fertility, varied. Interestingly, no segregation among the genotypes in the M2 and M3 generations was observed, while the genotypes of the control population were either paternally inherited or indeterminable when using 28 polymorphism simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that were identified on parental lines from 200 markers. The MNU-induced mutation caused maternal inheritance in the segregating populations, as primarily important agronomic traits were maternally succeeded from the female line TBR1. The findings of this study indicated that, through the use of MNU, the breeding of rice cultivars with close genetic backgrounds (similarity coefficient = 0.52) could be shortened by the maternal control of important qualities, such as pest and disease resistance and high yield, thus contributing to sustainable rice production for rice farmers. Further examination of rice cultivars with a greater difference in the genetic background should be subsequently conducted.
ERP Perspective Analysis of PSS Component and Decision-Making
Authors: Zhao Meina , Wang Jing , Zhang Heng , Zhao Gang
Published: February 2019

This paper has developed a neuromarketing framework measuring the relationship between products and services in product–service systems (PSSs), particularly regarding its impact on PSS decision making. We divided the PSSs into different levels of product and service combinations in order to identify the impact of the various elements in PSS on decision making, particularly the key factor that induces significant variation in the purchase rate. The experiments showed the neural mechanisms behind the value perception of PSSs; this has been indicated by the appearance of N170, which is related to the cognition processing of familiarity and similarity. It is concluded that the perceived value of the product-oriented PSS is mainly determined by the product attribute, as the promotional effect of service has been clarified. The results explain the psychological and neurological activities that take place when consumers are browsing product–service bundles, which may help corporations better understand the relationships among the components in product–service bundles, providing insight for PSS innovation and service design.
Built Environment Features and Pedestrian Accidents: An Italian Retrospective Study
Authors: Congiu Tanja , Sotgiu Giovanni , Castiglia Paolo , Azara Antonio , Piana Andrea , Saderi Laura , Dettori Marco
Published: February 2019

Daily walking is a recommended physical activity. It can be an all-age suitable, environment-friendly transport option. However, traffic crashes are a widely recognized risk factor, associated with drivers’ errors or a combination of several environmental factors, including physical characteristics of the road space. The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics of built environments on pedestrian safety. Data on road accidents that had occurred between 2005 and 2015, in Alghero, Italy, were retrieved and matched with spatial and functional street qualities. On-street parking was found to increase the risk of pedestrian accidents by about two times, whereas, narrow travel lanes and intersections reduced the incidence of crashes and their public relevance. These field results could inform urban health and spatial planning policies with the final goal of improving health and providing more sustainable models of urban organization.
Research on Coupling Coordination Development for Photovoltaic Agriculture System in China
Authors: Chen Jian , Liu Yiping , Wang Lingjun
Published: February 2019

To explore the law of coupling coordination development of China’s photovoltaic (PV) agriculture system, this study measured the comprehensive development level of the agriculture and PV industries from 2007 to 2016 using China’s agricultural and photovoltaic industry statistics. Once this was achieved, the coupling coordination degree of the PV agricultural system was measured and a development mode of this system was determined. Finally, we explored the development trend of the coupled and coordinated evolution of the system. The main research results show that: (1) Although the development level of the agriculture and PV industries are both in an upward trend, the rising rate of development by the PV industry far exceeds the agriculture industry. (2) As agricultural and PV industries expand, they both show stock resource-led characteristics, but the incremental resources of the PV industry are gradually taking the lead. (3) The coupling coordination degree of the agriculture and PV industries fluctuates as it rises, but the coupling is low. It has not yet evolved to a higher level of coupling, and the speed of upgrading and evolution is slow. (4) In the next 10 years, the evolution speed of the two industries will be significantly improved, and the coupling between them will enter the coordination stage. PV agriculture will further develop in a sustainable direction.
Linking Sustainable Human Resource Management in Hospitality: An Empirical Investigation of the Integrated Mediated Moderation Model
Authors: Wang Chung-Jen
Published: February 2019

This research proposed and investigated a mediated moderation research framework that links employee job satisfaction, knowledge sharing, innovation capability, and job performance for sustainable human resource management in hospitality. Data from 395 Taiwanese hospitality companies with structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses, and the results showed that job satisfaction had significantly positive influences on knowledge sharing, both job satisfaction and knowledge sharing were significantly and positively related to innovation capability, while innovation capability had significantly positive influences on job performance. Support was also found for the significant and positive mediating effects of knowledge sharing between job satisfaction and innovation capability, and different organizational forms have moderating effects on the relationship between job satisfaction, knowledge sharing and innovation capability. The implications of these findings for sustainable human resource management in hospitality are also discussed.
Social Innovation as a Driver for New Educational Practices: Modernising, Repairing and Transforming the Education System
Authors: Schröder Antonius , Krüger Daniel
Published: February 2019

Based on the results of the EU funded Social Innovation – Driving Force of Social Change (SI-DRIVE) project the major challenges and needs of education and lifelong learning worldwide are revealed, focusing on solutions via new educational practices delivered by social innovations and embedding civil society. Against this background, a more learner-oriented approach instead of institutional improvements is presented. Based on the results of SI-DRIVE’s global mapping of more than 200 innovative education initiatives and 18 in-depth case studies, the article spotlights the relevant settings and success factors of social innovations in education, leading to a system related typology of social innovation. New ways of repairing, modernising and transforming education as well as separated approaches are illustrated showing the underdeveloped, unexploited and unrecognised potential of this kind of innovation. For setting up a more innovation friendly environment, it is particularly important to realise a paradigm shift towards a learner perspective and rationality. More leeway and new governance structures for integrating and fostering social innovations and unfolding the potential of all societal sectors for enhancing education are necessary. This especially includes a more active and new role of universities in enabling, exchanging, moderating and researching social innovation.
Tenant-Oriented Monitoring for Customized Security Services in the Cloud
Authors: Zhou Huaizhe , Ba Haihe , Wang Yongjun , Wang Zhiying , Ma Jun , Li Yunshi , Qiao Huidong
Published: February 2019

The dramatic proliferation of cloud computing makes it an attractive target for malicious attacks. Increasing solutions resort to virtual machine introspection (VMI) to deal with security issues in the cloud environment. However, the existing works are not feasible to support tenants to customize individual security services based on their security requirements flexibly. Additionally, adoption of VMI-based security solutions makes tenants at the risk of exposing sensitive information to attackers. To alleviate the security and privacy anxieties of tenants, we present SECLOUD, a framework for monitoring VMs in the cloud for security analysis in this paper. By extending VMI techniques, SECLOUD provides remote tenants or their authorized security service providers with flexible interfaces for monitoring runtime information of guest virtual machines (VMs) in a non-intrusive manner. The proposed framework enhances effectiveness of monitoring by taking advantages of architectural symmetry of cloud environment. Moreover, we harden our framework with a privacy-preserving capacity for tenants. The flexibility and effectiveness of SECLOUD is demonstrated through a prototype implementation based on Xen hypervisor, which results in acceptable performance overhead.
Land Use and Climate Change Effects on Surface Runoff Variations in the Upper Heihe River Basin
Authors: Shang Xingxing , Jiang Xiaohui , Jia Ruining , Wei Chen
Published: February 2019

The runoff in the upper reaches of the Heihe River has been continuously abundant for more than a decade, and this has not happened previously in history. Quantitative analysis of runoff variation and its influencing factors are of great significance for the ecological protection of the basin. In this paper, the soil and water assessment tool model was used to simulate runoff in the study area, and the method of scenario simulation was used to quantitatively analyze the runoff response with respect to land use and climate change. According to the abruptness of the runoff sequence, the years before 2004 are categorized as belonging to the reference period, and after 2004 is categorized as the interference period. According to the analysis, compared with the reference period, the contribution rate of climate change is 87.15%, while the contribution rate of land use change is only 12.85%. The climate change scenario simulation analysis shows that the change in runoff is positively correlated with the change in precipitation. The relationship with the change in temperature is more complicated, but the influence of precipitation change is stronger than the change in temperature. According to the land use scenario simulation analysis, under the economic development scenario, the runoff decreased, whereas under the historical trend and ecological protection scenario, the runoff increased. Additionally, the runoff increased more under the ecological protection scenario.
Multi-Model Projections of Climate Change in Different RCP Scenarios in an Arid Inland Region, Northwest China
Authors: Wang Ruotong , Cheng Qiuya , Liu Liu , Yan Churui , Huang Guanhua
Published: February 2019

Based on three IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5), observed meteorological data, ERA-40 reanalysis data, and five preferred GCM (general circulation model) outputs selected from 23 GCMs of CMIP5 (Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project), climate change scenarios including daily precipitation, maximum air temperature, and minimum air temperature from 2021 to 2050 in the Heihe River basin, which is the second largest inland river basin in Northwest China, were generated by constructing a statistical downscaling model (SDSM). Results showed that the SDSM had a good prediction capacity for the air temperature in the Heihe River basin. During the calibration and validation periods from 1961 to 1990 and from 1991 to 2000, respectively, the coefficient of determination (R2) and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) were both larger than 0.9, while the root mean square error (RMSE) was within 20%. However, the SDSM showed a relative lower simulation efficiency for precipitation, with R2 and NSE values of most meteorological stations reaching 0.5, except for stations located in the downstream desert areas. Compared with the baseline period (1976–2005), changes in the annual mean precipitation simulated by different GCMs during 2021–2050 showed great difference in the three RCP scenarios, fluctuating from −10 to +10%, which became much more significant at seasonal and monthly time scales, except for the consistent decreasing trend in summer and increasing trend in spring. However, the maximum and minimum air temperature exhibited a similar increasing tendency during 2021–2050 in all RCP scenarios, with a higher increase in maximum air temperature, which increased as the CO2 concentration of the RCP scenarios increased. The results could provide scientific reference for sustainable agricultural production and water resources management in arid inland areas subject to climate change.
Mechanical and thermodynamic properties of Aβ42, Aβ40, and α-synuclein fibrils: a coarse-grained method to complement experimental studies
Authors: Poma Adolfo B , Guzman Horacio V , Li Mai Suan , Theodorakis Panagiotis E
Published: February 2019

We perform molecular dynamics simulation on several relevant biological fibrils associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Aβ40, Aβ42, and α-synuclein systems to obtain a molecular understanding and interpretation of nanomechanical characterization experiments. The computational method is versatile and addresses a new subarea within the mechanical characterization of heterogeneous soft materials. We investigate both the elastic and thermodynamic properties of the biological fibrils in order to substantiate experimental nanomechanical characterization techniques that are quickly developing and reaching dynamic imaging with video rate capabilities. The computational method qualitatively reproduces results of experiments with biological fibrils, validating its use in extrapolation to macroscopic material properties. Our computational techniques can be used for the co-design of new experiments aiming to unveil nanomechanical properties of biological fibrils from a point of view of molecular understanding. Our approach allows a comparison of diverse elastic properties based on different deformations , i.e., tensile (YL), shear (S), and indentation (YT) deformation. From our analysis, we find a significant elastic anisotropy between axial and transverse directions (i.e., YT > YL) for all systems. Interestingly, our results indicate a higher mechanostability of Aβ42 fibrils compared to Aβ40, suggesting a significant correlation between mechanical stability and aggregation propensity (rate) in amyloid systems. That is, the higher the mechanical stability the faster the fibril formation. Finally, we find that α-synuclein fibrils are thermally less stable than β-amyloid fibrils. We anticipate that our molecular-level analysis of the mechanical response under different deformation conditions for the range of fibrils considered here will provide significant insights for the experimental observations.
ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOUR OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE PROFILED STEEL SHEETING AND THE CONCRETE
Authors: Valivonis Juozas
Published: February 2019

In designing composite structures it is necessary to verify the following three sections: normal, diagonal and horizontal. The behaviour of composite steel‐concrete structures with external profiled reinforcement is directly dependent on the deformability and contact strength. In contact behaviour between concrete and profiled steel sheeting three stages are distinguished: the first ‐ until chemical bond is effective, the second ‐ after failure of chemical bond, the third ‐ after failure of mechanical bond when composite action is provided by friction and anchors. Deformability and contact strength is substantially influenced by the shape of the profiled sheeting, the pre‐compressing force acting perpendicularly to a contact plane and the horizontal forces restraining transversal strains of concrete. It was established by investigations that a shear strength of contact between concrete and profiled steel sheeting increases and shear strain decreases with an increase of contact between concrete and sheeting pre‐compressing forces and concrete transverse strain restraining forces.
TRAINING NEEDS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT: A SURVEY OF 4 COUNTRIES OF THE EU
Authors: Teixeira José Manuel Cardoso , Minasowicz Andrzej , Zavadskas Edmundas Kazimieras , Ustinovichius Leonas , Migilinskas Darius , Armiñana Eugenio Pellicer , Nowak Pawel Olaf , Grabiec Mieczysław
Published: February 2019

Knowledge on construction project management is a key issue in today's construction industry across Europe. This applies to the whole range of project participants from inception to conclusion of construction undertakings thereby involving professionals focusing in distinct perspectives yet working for a common goal. Several countries in Europe, with special relevance to the UK, have developed substantial knowledge in this topic through academic courses, professional training and experience of practitioners. Other countries have not achieved this stage but the need to prepare professionals to work in the open European market is impelling efforts for convergence in this matter. This article reports a survey on professional training needs in four European countries presently partnering in a Leonardo da Vinci project on management of construction infrastructure projects. The survey was carried by a questionnaire administered to a set of organisations of the construction cluster of the four countries involved. Results were used for defining 6 areas of interest for CPD courses which are presently being developed in the scope of the project.
NEW APPROACHES TO ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF A STATIONARY COVERING ABOVE THE STADIUM TRIBUNES
Authors: Horokhov Yevheny , Mushchanov Vladimir , Kasimov Vadim
Published: February 2019

The stationary covering above tribunes of a stadium is reviewed as a truncated rod shell of positive curvature in the elliptical plan. The system of dimensionless spatially‐rigid parameters is obtained for this structure, and it stipulates features of stressed and deformed state of structure under the influence of assumed loads. The results of numerical and experimental studies, original positions of the suggested engineering procedure of design and calculation, results of experimental designing are adduced.
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF RUTTING IN ASPHALT CONCRETE PAVEMENTS REINFORCED WITH GEOSYNTHETIC MATERIALS
Authors: Laurinavičius Alfredas , Oginskas Rolandas
Published: February 2019

The article sets out to explore reasons for the development of shear strains and rutting in asphalt pavement as well as to suggest and describe the main methods for reducing the deformation. The impact of geosynthetic materials is defined through reological characteristics of asphalt: the modulus of elasticity and the viscosity of asphalt. The research has been conducted on the experimental road section in the city of Vilnius. The measurements have been based on the plate‐bearing test. Sustaining the measurements results is defining the dependency of geosynthetics materials on the depth of rutting and the modulus of elasticity of asphalt concrete. The paper also includes regression equations which show the interdependence of the modulus of elasticity of asphalt concrete and the depth of rutting.