bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TiO2 Polyamide Thin Film Nanocomposite Reverses Osmosis Membrane for Water Desalination
Authors: Al Mayyahi Ahmed
Published: August 2018

In this study, TiO2 nanoparticles were inserted into the polyamide layer of traditional thin film composite membrane. The nanoparticles were dispersed in a trimesoyl chloride-hexane solution before interfacial polymerization with m-phenylenediamine-aqueous solution. Membrane characterization was performed via contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and water flux, salt rejection, and fouling resistance evaluation. The results indicate that TiO2 could effectively improve membrane performance. Water flux increased from 40 to 65 L/m² h by increasing NPs concentration from 0 to 0.1 wt. %, while NaCl rejection was above 96%. Moreover, the modified membrane demonstrated better organic fouling resistance and robust antibacterial efficiency.
Effects of Embedded TiO2−x Nanoparticles on Triboelectric Nanogenerator Performance
Authors: Park Hyun-Woo , Huynh Nghia Dinh , Kim Wook , Hwang Hee Jae , Hong Hyunmin , Choi KyuHyeon , Song Aeran , Chung Kwun-Bum , Choi Dukhyun
Published: August 2018

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are used as self-power sources for various types of devices by converting external waves, wind, or other mechanical energies into electric power. However, obtaining a high-output performance is still of major concern for many applications. In this study, to enhance the output performance of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based TENGs, highly dielectric TiO2−x nanoparticles (NPs) were embedded as a function of weight ratio. TiO2−x NPs embedded in PDMS at 5% showed the highest output voltage and current. The improved output performance at 5% is strongly related to the change of oxygen vacancies on the PDMS surface, as well as the increased dielectric constant. Specifically, oxygen vacancies in the oxide nanoparticles are electrically positive charges, which is an important factor that can contribute to the exchange and trapping of electrons when driving a TENG. However, in TiO2−x NPs containing over 5%, the output performance was significantly degraded because of the increased leakage characteristics of the PDMS layer due to TiO2−x NPs aggregation, which formed an electron path.
Antimicrobial Properties of Spent Hops Extracts, Flavonoids Isolated Therefrom, and Their Derivatives
Authors: Bartmańska Agnieszka , Wałecka-Zacharska Ewa , Tronina Tomasz , Popłoński Jarosław , Sordon Sandra , Brzezowska Ewa , Bania Jacek , Huszcza Ewa
Published: August 2018

Hop cones preparations possess a wide range of biological activities including antimicrobial properties. In this work, we evaluated the effect of various organic extracts obtained from spent hops, as well as six hops flavonoids and their twenty natural and synthetic derivatives on human and plant microbial pathogens. Methylene chloride, acetone, ethyl acetate, and methanol were used as extractants. Seven flavonoids, among them two natural (α,β-dihydroxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin) showed significant activity against methicillin sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains with the lowest MIC80 value of 0.5 µg/mL. The crude ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol extracts from the spent hops exhibited antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, F. culmorum, and F. semitectum with the lowest MIC50 of 0.5 mg/mL, while the methylene chloride extract exerted antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea with the MIC50 of 1 mg/mL. The preparation obtained after the removal of xanthohumol from the spent hops crude extracts retained up to 95% of activity. These findings suggest that various spent hops extracts may be effective agents for the control of plant pathogens of economic importance, like Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum, while some compounds from spent hops or their derivatives may become useful for staphylococcal infections.
Turning Stem Cells Bad: Generation of Clinically Relevant Models of Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia through Gene Delivery- or Genome Editing-Based Approaches
Authors: Mesuraca Maria , Amodio Nicola , Chiarella Emanuela , Scicchitano Stefania , Aloisio Annamaria , Codispoti Bruna , Lucchino Valeria , Montalcini Ylenia , Bond Heather M. , Morrone Giovanni
Published: August 2018

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common acute leukemia in the adult, is believed to arise as a consequence of multiple molecular events that confer on primitive hematopoietic progenitors unlimited self-renewal potential and cause defective differentiation. A number of genetic aberrations, among which a variety of gene fusions, have been implicated in the development of a transformed phenotype through the generation of dysfunctional molecules that disrupt key regulatory mechanisms controlling survival, proliferation, and differentiation in normal stem and progenitor cells. Such genetic aberrations can be recreated experimentally to a large extent, to render normal hematopoietic stem cells “bad”, analogous to the leukemic stem cells. Here, we wish to provide a brief outline of the complementary experimental approaches, largely based on gene delivery and more recently on gene editing, employed over the last two decades to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying AML development and progression and on the prospects that their applications offer for the discovery and validation of innovative therapies.
Aromatic Thioacetal-Bridged ROS-Responsive Nanoparticles as Novel Gene Delivery Vehicles
Authors: Lin Guo-Qing , Yi Wen-Jing , Liu Qiang , Yang Xue-Jun , Zhao Zhi-Gang
Published: August 2018

In this report, a series of polycations are designed and synthesized by conjugating reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive thioacetal-linkers to low molecular weight (LMW) polyethylenimine (PEI) via ring-opening polymerization. Their structure–activity relationships (SARs) as gene delivery vectors are systematically studied. Although the MWs of the target polymers are only ~9 KDa, they show good DNA binding ability. The formed polyplexes, which are stable toward serum but decomposed under ROS-conditions, have appropriate sizes (180~300 nm) and positive zeta-potentials (+35~50 mV). In vitro experiments reveal that these materials have low cytotoxicity, and higher transfection efficiency (TE) than controls. Furthermore, the title polymers exhibit excellent serum tolerance. With the present of 10% serum, the TE of the polymers even increases up to 10 times higher than 25 KDa PEI and 9 times higher than Lipofectamine 2000. The SAR studies also reveal that electron-withdrawing groups on the aromatic ring in 4a may benefit to balance between the DNA condensation and release for efficient gene transfection.
UPLC-QTOF/MS-Based Metabolomics Applied for the Quality Evaluation of Four Processed Panax ginseng Products
Authors: Lee Jae Won , Ji Seung-Heon , Choi Bo-Ram , Choi Doo Jin , Lee Yeong-Geun , Kim Hyoung-Geun , Kim Geum-Soog , Kim Kyuil , Lee Youn-Hyung , Baek Nam-In , Lee Dae Young
Published: August 2018

In the food industry and herbal markets, it is critical to control the quality of processed Panax ginseng products. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS)-based metabolomics was applied for the quality evaluation of white ginseng (WG), tae-geuk ginseng (TG), red ginseng (RG), and black ginseng (BG). Diverse metabolites including ginsenosides were profiled by UPLC-QTOF/MS, and the datasets of WG, TG, RG, and BG were then subjected to multivariate analyses. In principal component analysis (PCA), four processed ginseng products were well-differentiated, and several ginsenosides were identified as major components of each product. S-plot also characterized the metabolic changes between two processed ginseng products, and the major ginsenosides of each product were found as follows: WG (M-Rb1, M-Rb2, M-Rc, Re, Rg1), TG (Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1), RG (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1), and BG (Rd, Rk1, Rg5, Rg3). Furthermore, the quantitative contents of ginsenosides were evaluated from the four processed ginseng products. Finally, it was indicated that the proposed metabolomics approach was useful for the quality evaluation and control of processed ginseng products.
Two Classes of Pigments, Carotenoids and C-Phycocyanin, in Spirulina Powder and Their Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Park Woo Sung , Kim Hye-Jin , Li Min , Lim Dong Hoon , Kim Jungmin , Kwak Sang-Soo , Kang Chang-Min , Ferruzzi Mario G. , Ahn Mi-Jeong
Published: August 2018

Arthrospira platensis is the widely available source of spirulina that contains distinctive natural pigments, including carotenoids and C-phycocyanin (C-PC). In this study, the major carotenoid and C-PC contents were determined in seven commercially available spirulina powder products and laboratory-prepared A. platensis trichomes (AP-1) by an LC-DAD method and UV-Visible spectrometry, respectively. The correlation of these two pigment content levels with Hunter color coordinates and antioxidant activity was also evaluated. The L* value failed to show a significant correlation with pigment content, but a positive correlation was observed between a* values and the contents of total carotenoid and C-PC. As b* values decreased, the chlorophyll a and C-PC contents increased. AP-1 exhibited the highest content of total carotenoids, chlorophyll a and C-PC, and antioxidant activities among the samples. This observation could be related to degradation of these pigments during the mass production process. The carotenoid profiles suggested that the commercial spirulina powders originated from two different sources, A. platensis and A. maxima. Total carotenoid and C-PC content exhibited positive significant correlations with antioxidant activities measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays. These results provide a strong scientific foundation for the establishment of standards for the commercial distribution of quality spirulina products.
Beneficial Effect of Herbal Formulation KM1608 on Inflammatory Bowl Diseases: A Preliminary Experimental Study
Authors: Shin Myoung-Sook , Kim Sang-Back , Lee Jaemin , Choi Han-Seok , Park Jimin , Park Jun Yeon , Lee Sullim , Hwang Gwi Seo , Koo Bon Am , Kang Ki Sung
Published: August 2018

Aucklandia lappa DC., Terminalia chebula Retz and Zingiber officinale Roscoe have been traditionally used in east Asia to treat chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain. This study aimed to evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of KM1608, which is composed of three natural herbs in a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis. The anti-inflammatory activity and underlying mechanism were assessed in vitro using LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. The in vivo effect of KM1608 on DSS-induced colitis was examined after oral administration in mice. KM1608 significantly inhibited the inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide, interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. The inhibitory effect of KM1608 was attributed to the reduction of Akt phosphorylation in the LPS-treated cells. In the mouse model, oral administration of KM1608 significantly improved DSS-induced colitis symptoms, such as disease activity index (DAI), colon length, and colon weight, as well as suppressed the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the DSS-induced colitis tissues. Taken together, KM1608 improved colitis through the regulation of inflammatory responses, suggesting that KM1608 has potential therapeutic use in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Carbon Nanocones with Curvature Effects Close to the Vertex
Authors: Cox Barry J. , Hill James M.
Published: August 2018

The conventional rolled-up model for carbon nanocones assumes that the cone is constructed from a rolled-up graphene sheet joined seamlessly, which predicts five distinct vertex angles. This model completely ignores any effects due to the changing curvature, and all bond lengths and bond angles are assumed to be those for the planar graphene sheet. Clearly, curvature effects will become more important closest to the cone vertex, and especially so for the cones with the smaller apex angles. Here, we construct carbon nanocones which, in the assembled cone, are assumed to comprise bond lengths and bond angles that are, as far as possible, equal throughout the structure at the same distance from the conical apex. The predicted bond angles and bond lengths are shown to agree well with those obtained by relaxing the conventional rolled-up model using Lammps software (version: 11 September 2008). The major objective here is not simply to model physically realisable carbon nanocones for which numerical procedures are far superior, but rather, to produce an improved model that takes curvature effects close to the vertex into account, and from which we may determine an analytical formula which represents an improvement on the conventional rolled-up model.
Socio-Ecological Barriers to Dry Grain Pulse Consumption among Low-Income Women: A Mixed Methods Approach
Authors: Palmer Shelly M. , Winham Donna M. , Oberhauser Ann M. , Litchfield Ruth E.
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this study was to determine the socio-ecological influences on dry grain pulse consumption (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas) among low-socioeconomic women in Iowa. Seven focus groups were conducted, with 36 women who qualified for income-based federal assistance. Data were collected from October 2017 to January 2018. Participants completed a survey that gathered individual demographics, assessed perceptions of dry grain pulses, and level of food security. Fifty-eight percent of the women were non-Hispanic white, and 39% were African American, all with an average age of 34.7 years. Thirty-three percent of the women consumed pulses less than once per week. Over 80% agreed that beans were healthful and satiating. Some health benefits of beans were unknown by more than 33% of the population, e.g., lower cancer risk, lower LDL, maintain blood glucose. Only 30% of the women were food secure. Focus group audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed by two researchers, using the grounded theory approach. At the policy level, participants knew pulses were included in USA federal nutrition assistance programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Pulses were widely available in grocery stores in communities. Interpersonally, women felt that male partners preferred meats, and children needed animal-source proteins. Individually, women perceived uncooked dry pulses were challenging to prepare. Conclusively, more detailed instruction on pulse preparation, different pulse varieties, and offering canned pulses through WIC may increase consumption.
Low Serum Carotenoids Are Associated with Self-Reported Cognitive Dysfunction and Inflammatory Markers in Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Zuniga Krystle E. , Moran Nancy E.
Published: August 2018

Background: Dietary carotenoids may exert anti-inflammatory activities to reduce inflammation-driven cognitive impairments during cancer and cancer treatment. Our objective was to explore if cognitive function in breast cancer survivors (BCS) differs by serum carotenoid concentrations, and if blood carotenoids concentrations are associated with reduced systemic inflammation. Methods: Objective cognitive function and perceived cognitive impairment of 29 BCS and 38 controls were assessed cross-sectionally with the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery and The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function Questionnaire, respectively. Serum carotenoid and inflammatory marker (sTNF-RII, IL-6, IL-1ra, CRP) concentrations were measured. Results: Low-carotenoid BCS had more cognitive complaints compared to the low-carotenoid controls (Mdiff = −43.0, p < 0.001) and high-carotenoid controls (Mdiff = −44.5, p < 0.001). However, the cognitive complaints of high-carotenoid BCS were intermediate to and not different than the low-carotenoid BCS, or low- or high-carotenoid controls. BCS performed similarly to controls on all objective cognitive measures. Multiple linear regression, controlling for age and body mass index (BMI), demonstrated an inverse association between serum carotenoid concentrations and pro-inflammatory sTNFR-II (β = 0.404, p = 0.005) and IL-6 concentrations (β = −0.35, p = 0.001), but not IL-1ra or CRP. Conclusions: Higher serum carotenoid concentrations may convey cognitive and anti-inflammatory benefits in BCS. Future research should identify dietary components and patterns that support cognitive health in cancer survivors.
Interesterified Palm Olein (IEPalm) and Interesterified Stearic Acid-Rich Fat Blend (IEStear) Have No Adverse Effects on Insulin Resistance: A Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Ng Yen Teng , Voon Phooi Tee , Ng Tony Kock Wai , Lee Verna Kar Mun , Mat Sahri Miskandar , Mohd Esa Norhaizan , Ong Seng Huat , Ong Augustine Soon Hock
Published: August 2018

Chemically-interesterified (CIE) fats are trans-fat free and are increasingly being used as an alternative to hydrogenated oils for food manufacturing industries to optimize their products’ characteristics and nutrient compositions. The metabolic effects of CIE fats on insulin activity, lipids, and adiposity in humans are not well established. We investigated the effects of CIE fats rich in palmitic (C16:0, IEPalm) and stearic (C18:0, IEStear) acids on insulin resistance, serum lipids, apolipoprotein concentrations, and adiposity, using C16:0-rich natural palm olein (NatPO) as the control. We designed a parallel, double-blind clinical trial. Three test fats were used to prepare daily snacks for consumption with a standard background diet over a period of 8 weeks by three groups of a total of 85 healthy, overweight adult volunteers. We measured the outcome variables at weeks 0, 6, and at the endpoint of 8. After 8 weeks, there was no significant difference in surrogate biomarkers of insulin resistance in any of the IE fat diets (IEPalm and IEStear) compared to the NatPO diet. The change in serum triacylglycerol concentrations was significantly lower with the IEStear diet, and the changes in serum leptin and body fat percentages were significantly lower in the NatPO-diet compared to the IEPalm diet. We conclude that diets containing C16:0 and C18:0-rich CIE fats do not affect markers of insulin resistance compared to a natural C16:0-rich fat (NatPO) diet. Higher amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and longer chain SFAs situated at the sn-1,3 position of the triacylglycerol (TAG) backbones resulted in less weight gain and lower changes in body fat percentage and leptin concentration to those observed in NatPO and IEStear.
Semi-Transparent Energy-Harvesting Solar Concentrator Windows Employing Infrared Transmission-Enhanced Glass and Large-Area Microstructured Diffractive Elements
Authors: Vasiliev Mikhail , Alameh Kamal , Badshah Mohsin Ali , Kim Seok-Min , Nur-E-Alam Mohammad
Published: August 2018

We report on the study of energy-harvesting performance in medium-size (400 cm2) glass-based semitransparent solar concentrators employing edge-mounted photovoltaic modules. Systems using several different types of glazing system architecture and containing embedded diffractive structures are prepared and characterized. The technological approaches to the rapid manufacture of large-area diffractive elements suitable for use in solar window-type concentrators are described. These elements enable the internal deflection and partial trapping of light inside glass-based concentrator windows. We focus on uncovering the potential of pattern-transfer polymer-based soft lithography for enabling both the improved photon collection probability at solar cell surfaces, and the up-scaling of semitransparent solar window dimensions. Results of photovoltaic characterization of several solar concentrators employing different internal glazing-system structure and diffractive elements produced using different technologies are reported and discussed.
Extrusion 3D Printing of Polybutyrate-Adipate-Terephthalate-Polymer Composites in the Pellet Form
Authors: Singamneni Sarat , Smith Dawn , LeGuen Marie-Joo , Truong Derryn
Published: August 2018

Fused deposition modelling is a common 3D printing technique used for the freeform fabrication of complex shapes based on polymers. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is the common material option, though polylactide (PLA) has also proved to be a successful candidate. There is an ever increasing demand to harness new materials as possible candidates for fused deposition. The current research is focused on evaluating polybutyrate-adipate-terephthalate–polymer (PBAT) for fused deposition modelling. Both neat and composite PBAT filled with varying wood flour fillers were experimentally analyzed for 3D printing by extrusion from the pellet forms. The results are positive and the addition of small quantities of the wood flour filler material was found to improve the thixotropic nature of the polymer composite and consequently the inter-strand and inter-layer coalescence.
Design and Implementation of an Optimal Travel Route Recommender System on Big Data for Tourists in Jeju
Authors: Hang Lei , Kang Sang-Hun , Jin Wenquan , Kim Do-Hyeun
Published: August 2018

A recommender system is currently applied in many different domains, seeking to provide users with recommendation services according to their personalized preferences to relieve rising online information congestion. As the number of mobile phone users is large and growing, mobile tourist guides have attracted considerable research interest in recent years. In this paper, we propose an optimal travel route recommender system by analyzing the data history of previous users. The open dataset used covers the travel data from thousands of mobile tourists who visited Jeju in a full year. Our approach is not only personalized to users’ preferences but also able to recommend a travel route rather than individual POIs (Points of Interest). An association rule mining-based approach, which takes into account contextual information (date, season and places already visited by previous users), is used to produce travel routes from the large dataset. Furthermore, to ensure the reasonability of the recommendation, a genetic algorithm optimization approach is proposed to find the optimal route among them. Finally, a mobile tourist case study is implemented in order to verify the feasibility and applicability of the proposed system. This application embeds a graphic map for plotting the travel route and provides detailed information of each travel spot as well. The results of this work indicate that the proposed system has great potential for travel planning preparation for mobile users.
Continuous Monitoring of Respiratory Rate in Emergency Admissions: Evaluation of the RespiraSense™ Sensor in Acute Care Compared to the Industry Standard and Gold Standard
Authors: Subbe Christian Peter , Kinsella Sean
Published: August 2018

Respiratory Rate (RR) is the best marker to indicate deterioration but measurement are often inaccurate. The RespiraSense™ is a non-invasive, wireless, body worn, motion-tolerant and continuous respiratory rate monitor. We aimed to determine whether the performance of RespiraSense™ was equivalent to that of a gold standard measurement technique of capnography and the industry standard of manual counts. RespiraSense™ measures respiratory rate and transmit signals wirelessly to a tablet device. We measured respiratory rate in 24 emergency admissions to an Acute Medical Unit in the UK. Patients were observed for two hours. Manual counts were undertaken every 15 min and compared to measurements with capnography and RespiraSense™. Data from 17 patients admitted as medical emergencies was evaluated. For measurements obtained at rest a mean RR of 19.3 (SD 4.89) for manual measurements compared to mean RR of 20.2 (SD 4.54) for measurements obtained with capnography and mean RR of 19.8 (SD 4.52) with RespiraSense™. At rest, RespiraSense™ has a bias of 0.38 and limits of agreement of 1.0 to 1.8 bpm, when compared to the capnography derived RR. Measurements were within pre-defined limits of error at rest. Continuous measurement of RR with RespiraSense™ in patients admitted as acute emergencies is both feasible and reliable.
Opportunistic and Location-Based Collaboration Architecture among Mobile Assets and Fixed Manufacturing Processes
Authors: Wi Dae Han , Kwon Hyo Jun , Park Jung Kwang , Kang Soon Ju , Lee Jae Duck
Published: August 2018

Research into integrating the concept of the internet of things (IoT) into smart factories has accelerated, leading to the emergence of various smart factory solutions. Most ideas, however, focus on the automation and integration of processes in factory, rather than organic cooperation among mobile assets (e.g., the workers and manufactured products) and fixed manufacturing equipment (e.g., press molds, computer numerical controls, painting). Additionally, it is difficult to apply smart factory and IoT designs to analog factories, because such a factory would require the integration of mobile assets and smart manufacturing processes. Thus, existing analog factories remain intact and smart factories are newly constructed. To overcome this disparity and to make analog factories compatible with smart technologies and IoT, we propose the opportunistic and location-based collaboration architecture (OLCA) platform, which allows for smart devices to be attached to workers, products, and facilities to enable the collaboration of location and event information in devices. Using this system, we can monitor workers’ positions and production processes in real-time to help prevent dangerous situations and better understand product movement. We evaluate the proposed OLCA platform’s performance while using a simple smart factory scenario, thus confirming its suitability.
Examining the Role of Online Reviews in Chinese Online Group Buying Context: The Moderating Effect of Promotional Marketing
Authors: Liu Wenlong , Ji Rongrong
Published: August 2018

Given the rapid growth of online group buying (OGB) market in China, this study was designed to examine the influencing mechanism of online reviews on Chinese consumers’ purchase intention in OGB context. A comprehensive model was developed based on technology acceptance model (TAM) and information adoption model (IAM). The construct named overall reviews was included in the research framework along with the variables from TAM and IAM. Promotional marketing (PM) was expected to play a moderating role between online reviews and consumers’ purchase intention. A quantitative study was conducted, and data were collected using a survey. To test the conceptual model’s hypotheses, Amos 18.0 was applied to estimate the structural equation model (SEM). The results indicate that review quality and reviewer characteristics have significant relationships with consumers’ perceived credibility and usefulness of an online review, which in turn to influence their purchase intention. Overall reviews proposed in this study also have significant effects on purchase intention. Furthermore, low-interest promotional marketing group act more rational purchase behavior than high group. Specific practical and theoretical implications and study limitations are discussed based on the results.
A Multi-Data Approach for Spatial Risk Assessment of Topsoil Compaction on Arable Sites
Authors: Ledermüller Sandra , Lorenz Marco , Brunotte Joachim , Fröba Norbert
Published: August 2018

Soil compaction is a human-induced threat which negatively affects soil functions and is highly dependent on site-specific soil conditions and land use patterns. Proper management techniques are indispensable for sustainable soil protection to ensure its function in the long term. A number of concepts exist to develop risk maps on the basis of soil inherent susceptibility to compaction at a given soil moisture level (mostly field capacity). However, the real soil conditions, e.g., current soil moisture content at the time of field work and the real machinery load, are not taken into account. To bridge this gap, we present a multi-data approach for qualitative risk assessment, which combines spatially and temporally explicit data on soil, soil moisture, and land use information. The contributing components integrate daily probability distribution, including inter- and intra-annual variations in land use and weather. We combined soil susceptibility to compaction and field work for the federal state of Lower Saxony per half-months and identified three clusters with more or less compaction risk for Lower Saxony. In spring, mainly manure spreading to maize and in autumn harvesting of maize and sugar beets are contributing to the yearly probability of compaction risk in top soils. With the presented approach risk areas can be identified. For the evaluation of the current compaction risks, farm specifications on machinery and timing of field work must also be taken into account.
Every City a Food Growing City? What Food Growing Schools London Reveals about City Strategies for Food System Sustainability
Authors: Pitt Hannah , Jones Mat , Weitkamp Emma
Published: August 2018

Cities have emerged as leaders in food system innovation and transformation, but their potential can be limited by the absence of supportive governance arrangements. This study examined the value of Food Growing Schools London (FGSL) as a programme seeking city-wide change through focusing on one dimension of the food system. Mixed methods case study research sought to identify high-level success factors and challenges. Findings demonstrate FGSL’s success in promoting food growing by connecting and amplifying formerly isolated activities. Schools valued the programme’s expertise and networking opportunities, whilst strategic engagement facilitated new partnerships linking food growing to other policy priorities. Challenges included food growing’s marginality amongst priorities that direct school and borough activity. Progress depended on support from individual local actors so varied across the city. London-wide progress was limited by the absence of policy levers at the city level. Experience from FGSL highlights how city food strategies remain constrained by national policy contexts, but suggests they may gain traction through focusing on well-delineated, straightforward activities that hold public appeal. Sustainability outcomes might then be extended through a staged approach using this as a platform from which to address other food issues.
Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for New Storage Technologies for Maize in Northern and Central Benin
Authors: Gbénou-Sissinto Evelyne , Adegbola Ygué P. , Biaou Gauthier , Zossou Roch C.
Published: August 2018

The aim of this study is to identify the attributes of storage structures sought by maize producers based on a choice experiment. The experimental processes took place in the maize production areas of northern and central Benin. The sample consisted of 365 maize farmers (80.55% male and 19.45% female) randomly selected from 40 villages. Data were collected and analyzed using a latent class logit model to study the heterogeneous preferences of the key attributes of storage structures. The results show that men and women are eager to change their current practices and to adopt new storage technologies. The study identifies four potential producer segments, including three large-farmer segments that have access to credit and are particularly attracted to structures related to metal silos. Of those three segments, two are also attracted to improved traditional silos. Another segment of poor farmers, who do not have access to credit, prefer to have a very efficient structure (loss rate of less than 5%) that is designed with local materials. This study suggests that knowledge of the heterogeneity of preferences, as well as the preferred attributes, is important for the development and dissemination of better technologies by agribusiness firms, institutions and policymakers.
Advanced Oxidation Processes and Nanofiltration to Reduce the Color and Chemical Oxygen Demand of Waste Soy Sauce
Authors: Jang Hyun-Hee , Seo Gyu-Tae , Jeong Dae-Woon
Published: August 2018

Currently, the ozone (O3) oxidation efficiency in the treatment of waste soy sauce provides 34.2% color removal and a 27.4% reduction in its chemical oxygen demand (COD). To improve the O3 oxidation efficiency, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used to cause a H2O2/O3 process. In H2O2/O3 process experiments, a previously optimized pH of 11 and applied O3 dose of 50 mg L−1 were used and the H2O2/O3 ratio was varied between 0.1 and 0.9 in intervals of 0.2. The results show that an H2O2/O3 ratio of 0.3 results in the highest efficiencies in terms of color removal (51.6%) and COD reduction (33.8%). Nanofiltration (NF) was used to pretreat the waste soy sauce to improve color removal and COD reduction. The results showed that NF with an NE-70 membrane results in 80.8% color removal and 79.6% COD reduction. Finally, the combination of NF and H2O2/O3 process resulted in the best treatment efficiency: 98.1% color removal and 98.2% COD reduction. Thus, NF & H2O2/O3 process can be considered as one of the best treatment methods for waste soy sauce, which requires high intrinsic color removal and COD reduction efficiencies.
Translating Agroecology into Policy: The Case of France and the United Kingdom
Authors: Ajates Gonzalez Raquel , Thomas Jessica , Chang Marina
Published: August 2018

The popularity of agroecology has grown over the last few years as an alternative paradigm for food systems. This public attention has meant agroecology is increasingly becoming institutionalised and integrated into food policy frameworks. While there is a significant body of literature discussing the origins and worldviews intrinsic to agroecology, hardly any academic publications focusing on analysing policies claiming to have an agroecological focus exist. This first policy study of its kind contributes to the scarce agroecological policy literature by interrogating what we argue is a ‘translation’ process, which starts with the vision of agroecology and analyses how the concept changes once it has been operationalised into a policy document or law. Evidence from two European agricultural policy contexts, namely France and the United Kingdom, is presented. The methodology followed focused on the analysis of the context, problem construction, conceptualisation of agroecology, operational principles, and policy instruments included in the policy documents. Three main themes emerged from the case studies: differences in framing agroecology in the public policy arena; common dependencies to existing configurations influencing translations of agroecology in public policies; and the need for democratic discussion on the hybridisation of agroecology itself, as well as on implied, but often veiled, political choices. This paper concludes that a selective and relational hybridisation of agroecology is emerging during its ‘translation’ into public policies.
Neutrosophic Duplets of {Zpn,×} and {Zpq,×} and Their Properties
Authors: Kandasamy W.B. Vasantha , Kandasamy Ilanthenral , Smarandache Florentin
Published: August 2018

The notions of neutrosophy, neutrosophic algebraic structures, neutrosophic duplet and neutrosophic triplet were introduced by Florentin Smarandache. In this paper, the neutrosophic duplets of Z p n , Z p q and Z p 1 p 2 … p n are studied. In the case of Z p n and Z p q , the complete characterization of neutrosophic duplets are given. In the case of Z p 1 … p n , only the neutrosophic duplets associated with p i s are provided; i = 1 , 2 , … , n . Some open problems related to neutrosophic duplets are proposed.
Recent Advances on Detection and Characterization of Fruit Tree Viruses Using High-Throughput Sequencing Technologies
Authors: Maliogka Varvara I. , Minafra Angelantonio , Saldarelli Pasquale , Ruiz-García Ana B. , Glasa Miroslav , Katis Nikolaos , Olmos Antonio
Published: August 2018

Perennial crops, such as fruit trees, are infected by many viruses, which are transmitted through vegetative propagation and grafting of infected plant material. Some of these pathogens cause severe crop losses and often reduce the productive life of the orchards. Detection and characterization of these agents in fruit trees is challenging, however, during the last years, the wide application of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies has significantly facilitated this task. In this review, we present recent advances in the discovery, detection, and characterization of fruit tree viruses and virus-like agents accomplished by HTS approaches. A high number of new viruses have been described in the last 5 years, some of them exhibiting novel genomic features that have led to the proposal of the creation of new genera, and the revision of the current virus taxonomy status. Interestingly, several of the newly identified viruses belong to virus genera previously unknown to infect fruit tree species (e.g., Fabavirus, Luteovirus) a fact that challenges our perspective of plant viruses in general. Finally, applied methodologies, including the use of different molecules as templates, as well as advantages and disadvantages and future directions of HTS in fruit tree virology are discussed.
The Use of a Polymer Inclusion Membrane for Arsenate Determination in Groundwater
Authors: Vera Ruben , Anticó Enriqueta , Fontàs Clàudia
Published: August 2018

A polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) containing the ionic liquid methyltrioctylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) as the carrier has been used satisfactorily for the preconcentration of arsenate present in groundwater samples, allowing its determination by a simple colorimetric method. The optimization of different chemical and physical parameters affecting the membrane performance allowed its applicability to be broadened. The transport of As(V) was not affected by the polymer used to make the PIM (cellulose triacetate (CTA) or poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)) nor the thickness of the membrane. Moreover, the use of a 2 M NaCl solution as a stripping phase was found to allow the effective transport of arsenate despite the presence of other major anions in groundwater. Using the PIM for the analysis of different groundwaters spiked at 100 μg L−1 resulted in recoveries from 79% to 124% after only 5 h of contact time. Finally, the validated PIM-based method was successfully applied to the analysis of waters containing naturally occurring arsenate.
Capacity Recovery Effect in Lithium Sulfur Batteries for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Maurer Christian , Commerell Walter , Hintennach Andreas , Jossen Andreas
Published: August 2018

Lithium sulfur batteries have a promisingly high theoretical specific energy density of about 2600 Wh/kg and an expected practical specific energy density of about 500–600 Wh/kg. Therefore, it is a highly promising future energy storage technology for electric vehicles. Beside these advantages, this technology shows a low cell capacity at high discharge currents. Due to the capacity recovery effect, up to 20 % of the total cell capacity becomes available again with some rest time. This study shows a newly-developed capacity recovery model for lithium sulfur batteries. Due to the long rest periods of electric vehicles, this effect has an important influence on the usable cell capacity and depth of discharge in lithium sulfur batteries.
The Sausage Globular Clusters
Authors: Myeong G. C. , Evans N. W. , Belokurov V. , Sanders J. L. , Koposov S. E.
Published: August 2018

The Gaia Sausage is an elongated structure in velocity space discovered by Belokurov et al. using the kinematics of metal-rich halo stars. They showed that it could be created by a massive dwarf galaxy (∼5 × 1010

) on a strongly radial orbit that merged with the Milky Way at a redshift z ≲ 3. This merger would also have brought in globular clusters (GCs). We seek evidence for the associated Sausage Globular Clusters (GCs) by analyzing the structure of 91 Milky Way GCs in action space using the Gaia Data Release 2 catalog, complemented with Hubble Space Telescope proper motions. There is a characteristic energy

that separates the in situ objects, such as the bulge/disk clusters, from the accreted objects, such as the young halo clusters. There are 15 old halo GCs that have E > 

. Eight of the high-energy, old halo GCs are strongly clumped in azimuthal and vertical action, yet strung out like beads on a chain at extreme radial action. They are very radially anisotropic (β ∼ 0.95) and move on orbits that are all highly eccentric (e ≳ 0.80). They also form a track in the age–metallicity plane compatible with a dwarf galaxy origin. These properties are consistent with GCs associated with the merger event that gave rise to the Gaia Sausage.
Early Chemical Evolution of Zn Driven by Magnetorotational Supernovae and the Pathway to the Solar Zn Composition
Authors: Tsujimoto Takuji , Nishimura Nobuya
Published: August 2018

The site of Zn production remains an elusive and challenging problem in astrophysics. A large enhancement of the [Zn/Fe] ratios of very metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo suggests the death of short-lived massive stars, i.e., core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), as one major site for Zn production. Previous studies have claimed that some specific CCSNe can produce Zn in sufficient quantities. However, it remains unclear which models can withstand the critical test of observations. Using a Zn abundance feature similar to that of r-process elements in faint satellite galaxies, we find evidence that Zn production took place through events that are much rarer than canonical CCSNe. This finding can be unified with the implied decrease in the rate of Zn production with an increasing metallicity for Galactic halo stars, which narrows down the major site of Zn production in the early galaxy to magnetorotational SNe (MR-SNe). On the other hand, in the later phase of galactic evolution, we predict that the major Zn-production site switched from MR-SNe to thermonuclear SNe (SNe Ia). According to this scenario, an accumulation of the contributions from two types of SNe eventually led to the solar isotope composition of Zn, which mainly owes 66,68Zn to MR-SNe and 64Zn to SNe Ia triggered by He-detonation. The requirement of Zn production in SNe Ia sheds a new light on the debate concerning the scenario for SN Ia progenitors, suggesting that a He-detonation model might be one major channel for SNe Ia.
Glossary of ecosystem services mapping and assessment terminology
Authors: Potschin-Young Marion , Burkhard Benjamin , Czúcz Bálint , Santos-Martín Fernando
Published: August 2018

Mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAES) is a key EU initiative to synthesise vital environmental information and facilitate balanced policy decisions. As MAES integrates across many scientific and policy domains, the development of a common language and shared concepts is essential. Here we present a comprehensive MAES Glossary that was compiled in the ESMERALDA project; it is based on the integration of several previous glossaries and a wide-ranging consultation process. While there are several ecosystem services glossaries available from EU supported work such as Oppla, OpenNESS and ecosystem services related handbooks, the new material presented here focuses on mapping and assessment of ecosystem services and therefore more directly supports the MAES process.
Using Camera Traps to Assess Mammal and Bird Assemblages in a Midwestern Forest
Authors: Cloyed Carl S. , Cappelli Laura R. , Tilson David A. , Crawford John A. , Dell Anthony I.
Published: August 2018

Ecologists are increasing the use of remote technologies in their research, as these methods are less labor intensive than traditional methods and oftentimes minimize the number of human errors. Camera traps can be used to remotely measure abundance and community composition and offer the potential to measure some phenotypic traits, such as body size. We designed a camera-trap setup that enabled us to capture images of both large and small animals and used our camera-trap design to investigate the community composition of mammals and birds and to estimate the biomass of mammals along two transects in a conservation reserve in Missouri. One transect ran from the edge of an agricultural field to an upland forest, and the other transect ran from the edge of a wetland to an upland forest. Over the 4.5-wk study, our cameras recorded 2,245 images that comprised 483 individuals of 16 species of mammals and birds. Coyotes Canis latrans and nine-banded armadillos Dasypus novemcinctus were unique to the riparian transect, as were several bird species. Fewer species used the forest immediately adjacent to the agricultural field, but more species used the forest immediately adjacent to the wetland. Biomass estimates from our camera-trap images were similar to those of published accounts. This is the first study to use camera traps to successfully estimate biomass. We showed that the value and utility of camera traps in wildlife studies and monitoring can be expanded by 1) using multiple cameras at different heights from the ground so as to capture different-sized animals and 2) obtaining phenotypic information of the captured animals.
Transient Thermal Hydrodynamic Lubrication Analysis of Textured Piston Ring/Cylinder Liner
Authors: Guo Sheng Gang , Wang Bin , Chang Qiu Ying
Published: August 2018

On the basis of transient thermal hydrodynamic lubrication (TTHL) simulation and isothermal hydrodynamic lubrication (IHL) simulation of textured piston ring/cylinder liner, main factors influencing oil film temperature, distribution of the maximum temperature, and comparison between two models were discussed. The results show that texturing improves hydrodynamic lubrication situations, and velocity of piston ring and applied load are two important factors affecting oil film temperature. Apart from that, sever temperature elevation is located at the export of oil film and textured areas. Although change trends of the maximum of pressure and the minimum of oil film thickness are basically the same, the values of them are different. Temperature is a necessary element for analyzing the lubricant situations of piston ring/cylinder liner.
Optimizing the Pomelo Oils Extraction Process by Microwave-Assisted Hydro-Distillation Using Soft Computing Approaches
Authors: Hien Tran Thien , Nhan Nguyen Phu Thuong , Trinh Nguyen Duy , Ho Van Thi Thanh , Bach Long Giang
Published: August 2018

Pomelo (Citrus grandis .Linn Osbeck) oils is becoming more and more popular for everyone because it has great benefits. However, the efficiency of essential oil extraction process depends on the method and is influenced by a number of factors. Microwave-assisted hydro-distillation and Response Surface Methodology are selected for extracting and optimizing the factors affect the yield of the pomelo oil. The pomelo oil has the optimum yield was 4.5% when extracted with a water and peels ratio of 3,119: 1 (ml/g) for time extraction of 117.336 (minutes) at a microwave power of 403.115 (W) with high reliability (R2= 0.9831)
The Effect of Rolling Temperature on Grain Size and Toughness in Hot Rolled Q345E H-Beam Steel
Authors: Sun Li Ping , Zhu Guo Hui , Xing Jun , Chen Qi Wei
Published: August 2018

The effect of enter rolling temperatures on the grain size and toughness was investigated in Q345E H-beam steels. The experimental results shown that the grain size exhibited a complicated phenomenon with rolling temperature instead of refining as the temperature decreased as expected. It would be interpreted by the behaviors of deformation and recrystallization in austenite during rolling. The toughness is not only depended on the average grain size but also on the distribution of grain size as well as morphology of pearlite. The toughness would be decreased by the mixed grain size.