bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping Forest Disturbances between 1987–2016 Using All Available Time Series Landsat TM/ETM+ Imagery: Developing a Reliable Methodology for Georgia, United States
Authors: Obata Shingo , Bettinger Pete , Cieszewski Chris J. , Lowe III Roger C.
Published: March 2020

Forest resources have a high economic value in the State of Georgia (USA) and the landscape is frequently disturbed as a part of forest management activities, such as plantation forest management activities. Thus, tracking the stand-clearing disturbance history in a spatially referenced manner might be pivotal in discussions of forest resource sustainability within the State. The two major objectives of this research are (i) to develop and test a reliable methodology for statewide tracking of forest disturbances in Georgia, (ii) to consider and discuss the use and implications of the information derived from the forest disturbance map. Two primary disturbance detection methods, a threshold algorithm and a statistical boundary method, were combined to develop a robust estimation of recent forest disturbance history. The developed model was used to create a forest disturbance record for the years 1987–2016, through the use of all available Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)/Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data. The final product was a raster database, where each pixel was assigned a value corresponding to the last disturbance year. The overall accuracy of the forest disturbance map was 87%, and it indicated that 4,503,253 ha, equivalent to 29.2% of the total land area in Georgia, experienced disturbances between 1987 and 2016. The estimated disturbed area in each year was highly variable and ranged between 84,651 ha (±36,354 ha) to 211,780 ha (±49,504 ha). By combining the use of the disturbance map along with the 2016 database from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), we also analyzed the regional variation in the disturbance history. This analysis indicated that disturbed forests in urban areas were more likely to be converted to other land-uses. The forest disturbance record created in this research provides the necessary spatial data and address forest resource sustainability in Georgia. Additionally, the methodology used has application in the analysis of other resources, such as the estimation of the aboveground forest biomass.
Potential of Birch (Betula pendula Roth and B. pubescens Ehrh.) for Forestry and Forest-Based Industry Sector within the Changing Climatic and Socio-Economic Context of Western Europe
Authors: Dubois Héloïse , Verkasalo Erkki , Claessens Hugues
Published: March 2020

Five commercial tree species comprise nearly 80% of the forest standing stock volume in Western Europe. Nowadays, there is a strong need to consider a wider diversity of tree species, as evidenced by the impact of climate change and the forest health crises over the past decades. In this context, this study focuses on the potential of birch (Betula pendula Roth and Betula pubescens Ehrh.), a neglected indigenous species, for forestry and the forest-based industry sector. We have therefore compiled, analyzed, and discussed literature regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the species and the opportunities and threats of its use for this purpose. Among the strengths, birch tolerates various climates and sites, and high genetic variability promotes its adaptability. Birch improves forest resilience by colonizing forest gaps and quickly increasing soil functioning and biodiversity. Birch is also remarkably resistant to game overpopulation-associated damage. Large-sized logs are produced within relatively short periods with proper silvicultural treatment, and the wood characteristics allow versatile and valuable uses, as shown in Northern Europe. However, its weaknesses include high sensitivity to crown competition and to wood rot as challenges for silviculture. Among the opportunities, birch is well-suited to the global changes with its adaptability to climate change and its possible integration in diverse productive mixed tree stands. In the context of societal evolutions and customer perceptions, birch wood could play an increasing role in the building and furniture sectors, and among non-wood forest products. In Western Europe, the main obstacle to birch development is the lack of information on the wood uses and, consequently, the lack of interest among forest managers and wood processing professionals, which have led to a poor quality of the resource and to insufficient demand for its wood. Moreover, its fast height growth can affect the vitality of other species in mixed stands. Our analysis highlighted the potential of birch in the Western European forestry considering societal, ecological, and economic purposes in a changing climatic and socio-economic context and the need to (i) develop opportunities for industrial uses of birch wood, (ii) inform forest owners, managers, and industrial professionals about the potential value of birch, and (iii) define silvicultural guidelines.
Academic Emotion Classification and Recognition Method for Large-scale Online Learning Environment—Based on A-CNN and LSTM-ATT Deep Learning Pipeline Method
Authors: Feng Xiang , Wei Yaojia , Pan Xianglin , Qiu Longhui , Ma Yongmei
Published: March 2020

Subjective well-being is a comprehensive psychological indicator for measuring quality of life. Studies have found that emotional measurement methods and measurement accuracy are important for well-being-related research. Academic emotion is an emotion description in the field of education. The subjective well-being of learners in an online learning environment can be studied by analyzing academic emotions. However, in a large-scale online learning environment, it is extremely challenging to classify learners’ academic emotions quickly and accurately for specific comment aspects. This study used literature analysis and data pre-analysis to build a dimensional classification system of academic emotion aspects for students’ comments in an online learning environment, as well as to develop an aspect-oriented academic emotion automatic recognition method, including an aspect-oriented convolutional neural network (A-CNN) and an academic emotion classification algorithm based on the long short-term memory with attention mechanism (LSTM-ATT) and the attention mechanism. The experiments showed that this model can provide quick and effective identification. The A-CNN model accuracy on the test set was 89%, and the LSTM-ATT model accuracy on the test set was 71%. This research provides a new method for the measurement of large-scale online academic emotions, as well as support for research related to students’ well-being in online learning environments.
Optimization of Culture Conditions for Amoxicillin Degrading Bacteria Screened from Pig Manure
Authors: Yang Xuanjiang , Guo Panpan , Li Miao , Li Hualong , Hu Zelin , Liu Xianwang , Zhang Qiang
Published: March 2020

(1) Objective: The objective of this study was to screen amoxicillin (AMX)-degrading bacterial strains in pig manure and optimize the fermentation conditions for these strains to achieve high fermentation rate, which can provide an effective way for the practical application of bacterial strains as antibiotic-degrading bacterial in treating livestock waste for antibiotic residues. (2) Methods: Antibiotic susceptibility tests and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) were employed to screen AMX-degrading bacterial strains in pig manure. The culture conditions were optimized for AMX-degrading bacterial strains using Plackeet–Burman design (PBD), the steepest ascent design, and the response surface methods, coupled with the Box–Behnken design (BBD). The effects of culture time, temperature, rotator (mixing) speed, inoculum level, and initial pH value on the growth of AMX-degrading strains were investigated. Experimental data obtained from BBD were utilized to generate a second-order polynomial regression model for evaluating the effects of the tested variables on the optical density at 600 nm (OD600) of culture solutions as the growth indicator for the screened AMX-degrading strains. (3) Results: The initial pH, culture time, and the inoculum level had significant effects on the OD600 value (growth) of the screened AMX-degrading strains. The initial pH value was found to be the most critical factor influencing the growth of bacteria. The optimized culture condition for the bacterial growth determined by the response surface methodology was: the initial pH of 6.9, culture time of 52 h, and inoculum level of 2%. The average OD value of 12 different fermentation conditions in the initial fermentation tests in this study was 1.72 and the optimization resulted in an OD value of 3.00. The verification experiment resulted in an OD value of 2.94, which confirmed the adequacy of the optimization model for the determining the optimal culture condition. (4) Conclusions: The growth of the screened strain of AMX-degrading bacteria could be optimized by changing the fermentation conditions. The optimization could be achieved by using the Box–Behnken response surface method and Plackett–Burman experimental design.
Analysis of Plant and Soil Restoration Process and Degree of Refuse Dumps in Open-Pit Coal Mining Areas
Authors: Li Xinhui , Lei Shaogang , Liu Feng , Wang Weizhong
Published: March 2020

Vegetation and soil restoration are the key to ecological reconstruction in the damaged areas of open-pit coal mining areas. Ecological stability is an important indicator of the degree of ecological restoration. In this study, the ecological stability and the process of plant and soil restoration were investigated at different refuse dumps in three coal mines, namely, the Wulanhada (WLHD) coal mine, the Liulingou (LLG) coal mine, and the Jinzhengtai (JZT) coal mine, in Jungar Banner. Results show that organic matter, total N, available N, and available K increased with the increase in restoration age at the two coal mines of WLHD and LLG. In the JZT coal mine, organic matter, total N, and available K firstly increased, and then slightly decreased with the increase in restoration age. The redundancy analysis indicates that most reclaimed mine soil properties (including soil moisture content, organic matter, total N, and available K) are positively correlated with plant species diversity in the three coal mines, while soil pH and soil bulk density showed a negative correlation with plant species diversity. Plant parameters increased with the years since revegetation, except the Pielou index for the WLHD coal mine, and the Pielou and Margalef indexes for the JZT coal mine. The Euclidean distance between the restoration areas and the natural reference areas decreased with the increase in restoration age. Our findings suggest that, in the three coal mines, the change law of ecological stability conformed to the logistic succession model. The same degree of ecological stability in different refuse dumps may correspond to different degrees of vegetation and soil development. This study emphasizes that ecological restoration in mining areas could benefit the structure of the plant community and the recovery of soil properties, which would eventually improve the ecological stability of coal mining areas.
Overexpression of Barley Transcription Factor HvERF2.11 in Arabidopsis Enhances Plant Waterlogging Tolerance
Authors: Luan Haiye , Guo Baojian , Shen Huiquan , Pan Yuhan , Hong Yi , Lv Chao , Xu Rugen
Published: March 2020

Waterlogging stress significantly affects the growth, development, and productivity of crop plants. However, manipulation of gene expression to enhance waterlogging tolerance is very limited. In this study, we identified an ethylene-responsive factor from barley, which was strongly induced by waterlogging stress. This transcription factor named HvERF2.11 was 1158 bp in length and encoded 385 amino acids, and mainly expressed in the adventitious root and seminal root. Overexpression of HvERF2.11 in Arabidopsis led to enhanced tolerance to waterlogging stress. Further analysis of the transgenic plants showed that the expression of AtSOD1, AtPOD1 and AtACO1 increased rapidly, while the same genes did not do so in non-transgenic plants, under waterlogging stress. Activities of antioxidant enzymes and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) were also significantly higher in the transgenic plants than in the non-transgenic plants under waterlogging stress. Therefore, these results indicate that HvERF2.11 plays a positive regulatory role in plant waterlogging tolerance through regulation of waterlogging-related genes, improving antioxidant and ADH enzymes activities.
TMT-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals the Crucial Biological Pathways Involved in Self-Incompatibility Responses in Camellia oleifera
Authors: He Yifan , Song Qianqian , Wu Yuefeng , Ye Shutao , Chen Shipin , Chen Hui
Published: March 2020

Camellia oleifera is a valuable woody oil plant belonging to the Theaceae, Camellia oil extracted from the seed is an excellent edible oil source. Self-incompatibility (SI) in C. oleifera results in low fruit set, and our knowledge about the mechanism remains limited. In the present study, the Tandem mass tag (TMT) based quantitative proteomics was employed to analyze the dynamic change of proteins response to self- and cross-pollinated in C. oleifera. A total of 6,616 quantified proteins were detected, and differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) analysis identified a large number of proteins. Combined analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and DAPs of self- and cross-pollinated pistils based on transcriptome and proteome data revealed that several candidate genes or proteins involved in SI of C. oleifera, including polygalacturonase inhibitor, UDP-glycosyltransferase 92A1-like, beta-D-galactosidase, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase, ABC transporter G family member 36-like, and flavonol synthase. Venn diagram analysis identified 11 proteins that may participate in pollen tube growth in C. oleifera. Our data also revealed that the abundance of proteins related to peroxisome was altered in responses to SI in C. oleifera. Moreover, the pathway of lipid metabolism-related, flavonoid biosynthesis and splicesome were reduced in self-pollinated pistils by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. In summary, the results of the present study lay the foundation for learning the regulatory mechanism underlying SI responses as well as provides valuable protein resources for the construction of self-compatibility C. oleifera through genetic engineering in the future.
Mechanosensitive Aspects of Cell Biology in Manual Scar Therapy for Deep Dermal Defects
Authors: Koller Thomas
Published: March 2020

Deep dermal defects can result from burns, necrotizing fasciitis and severe soft tissue trauma. Physiological scar restriction during wound healing becomes increasingly relevant in proportion to the affected area. This massively restricts the general mobility of patients. External mechanical influences (activity or immobilization in everyday life) can lead to the formation of marked scar strands and adhesions. Overloading results in a renewed inflammatory reaction and thus in further restriction. Appropriate mechanical stimuli can have a positive influence on the scar tissue. “Use determines function,” and even minimal external forces are sufficient to cause functional alignment (mechanotransduction). The first and second remarkable increases in connective tissue resistance (R1 and R2) seem to be relevant clinical indications of adequate dosage in the proliferation and remodulation phase, making it possible to counteract potential overdosage in deep dermal defects. The current state of research does not allow a direct transfer to the clinical treatment of large scars. However, the continuous clinical implementation of study results with regard to the mechanosensitivity of isolated fibroblasts, and the constant adaptation of manual techniques, has nevertheless created an evidence-base for manual scar therapy. The manual dosages are adapted to tissue physiology and to respective wound healing phases. Clinical observations show improved mobility of the affected regions and fewer relapses into the inflammatory phase due to mechanical overload.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insights into the Seed Germination in Cotton in Response to Chilling Stress
Authors: Shen Qian , Zhang Siping , Liu Shaodong , Chen Jing , Ma Huijuan , Cui Ziqian , Zhang Xiaomeng , Ge Changwei , Liu Ruihua , Li Yang , Zhao Xinhua , Yang Guozheng , Song Meizhen , Pang Chaoyou
Published: March 2020

Gossypium hirsutum L., is a widely cultivated cotton species around the world, but its production is seriously threatened by its susceptibility to chilling stress. Low temperature affects its germination, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are rarely known, particularly from a transcriptional perspective. In this study, transcriptomic profiles were analyzed and compared between two cotton varieties, the cold-tolerant variety KN27-3 and susceptible variety XLZ38. A total of 7535 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Among them, the transcripts involved in energy metabolism were significantly enriched during germination based on analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle), and glyoxylate cycle (GAC). Results from further GO enrichment analysis show the earlier appearance of DNA integration, meristem growth, cotyledon morphogenesis, and other biological processes in KN27-3 compared with XLZ38 under chilling conditions. The synthesis of asparagine, GDP-mannose, and trehalose and the catabolic process of raffinose were activated. DEGs encoding antioxidants (spermidine) and antioxidase (CAT1, GPX4, DHAR2, and APX1) were much more up-regulated in embryos of KN27-3. The content of auxin (IAA), cis-zeatin riboside (cZR), and trans-zeatin riboside (tZR) in KN27-3 are higher than that in XLZ38 at five stages (from 12 h to 54 h). GA3 was expressed at a higher level in KN27-3 from 18 h to 54 h post imbibition compared to that in XLZ38. And abscisic acid (ABA) content of KN27-3 is lower than that in XLZ38 at five stages. Results from hormone content measurements and the related gene expression analysis indicated that IAA, CTK, and GA3 may promote germination of the cold-tolerant variety, while ABA inhibits it. These results expand the understanding of cottonseed germination and physiological regulations under chilling conditions by multiple pathways.
Circular Economy for Clothes Using Web and Mobile Technologies—A Systematic Review and a Taxonomy Proposal
Authors: Faria Rui , Lopes Inês , Pires Ivan Miguel , Marques Gonçalo , Fernandes Solange , Garcia Nuno M. , Lucas José , Jevremović Aleksandar , Zdravevski Eftim , Trajkovik Vladimir
Published: March 2020

Nowadays, it is possible to buy clothing using online platforms, either by accessing online brand stores, general online stores or circular economy platforms. This paper presents a study on mobile applications that support online commerce for clothing, focusing on the review of the mobile applications with features that are characteristic of the circular economy paradigm. Findings include the fact that almost all the mobile applications analysed have pictures illustrative of the clothes and accessories that are available for trading as well as their brief description. Furthermore, this paper presents a study of various scientific articles about the circular economy of clothes and how it can be beneficial to the future of the environment. It is a junction with a Web platform for its growth and its disclosure. The paper builds conclusions upon the assumption that the circular economy is a growing business that is part of a sustainable development where the main goal is to reduce the environmental impact. The paper proposes the analysis of an innovative taxonomy of mobile applications about the circular economy.
Optimization of Polydopamine Coatings onto Poly–ε–Caprolactone Electrospun Fibers for the Fabrication of Bio-Electroconductive Interfaces
Authors: Zuppolini Simona , Cruz-Maya Iriczalli , Guarino Vincenzo , Borriello Anna
Published: March 2020

In recent years, mussel adhesive proteins have attracted much attention because they can form strong adhesive interface interactions with various substrates in a wet environment. Inspired by their catechol- and amine-based molecular structure, polydopamine (PDA), a dopamine derived synthetic eumelanin polymer, was recognized as a suitable bio-interface coating. PDA was successfully used to improve adhesion due to the availability of copious functional groups for covalently immobilizing biomolecules and anchoring reactive species and ions. Recently, it has been demonstrated that PDA and its derivatives can be successfully used for the surface modification of implants interfaces to modulate in vitro cellular responses in order to enhance the in vivo functionality of biomedical implants (i.e., prosthesis). Herein, we propose the development of multifunctional scaffolds based on polyε–caprolactone (PCL) electrospun fibers coated with PDA via electro fluid dynamic methods, by optimizing polymerization/oxidation reactions capable of driving PDA self–assembly, and, ultimately, investigating the effects on cell response. Morphological analyses have confirmed the possibility to obtain different surface topographies as a function of the coating process while in vitro studies proved the ability of PDA coating to interact with cells no compromising in vitro viability. In perspective, in vitro conductive properties of fibers will be further investigated in order to validate their promising use as bioconductive interfaces for tissue engineering applications.
Pullulan for Advanced Sustainable Body- and Skin-Contact Applications
Authors: Coltelli Maria-Beatrice , Danti Serena , De Clerck Karen , Lazzeri Andrea , Morganti Pierfrancesco
Published: March 2020

The present review had the aim of describing the methodologies of synthesis and properties of biobased pullulan, a microbial polysaccharide investigated in the last decade because of its interesting potentialities in several applications. After describing the implications of pullulan in nano-technology, biodegradation, compatibility with body and skin, and sustainability, the current applications of pullulan are described, with the aim of assessing the potentialities of this biopolymer in the biomedical, personal care, and cosmetic sector, especially in applications in contact with skin.
Food Intake Actions Detection: An Improved Algorithm Toward Real-Time Analysis
Authors: Gambi Ennio , Ricciuti Manola , De Santis Adelmo
Published: March 2020

With the increase in life expectancy, one of the most important topic for scientific research, especially for the elderly, is good nutrition. In particular, with an advanced age and health issues because disorders such as Alzheimer and dementia, monitoring the subjects’ dietary habits to avoid excessive or poor nutrition is a critical role. Starting from an application aiming to monitor the food intake actions of people during a meal, already shown in a previously published paper, the present work describes some improvements that are able to make the application work in real time. The considered solution exploits the Kinect v1 device that can be installed on the ceiling, in a top-down view in an effort to preserve privacy of the subjects. The food intake actions are estimated from the analysis of depth frames. The innovations introduced in this document are related to the automatic identification of the initial and final frame for the detection of food intake actions, and to the strong revision of the procedure to identify food intake actions with respect to the original work, in order to optimize the performance of the algorithm. Evaluation of the computational effort and system performance compared to the previous version of the application has demonstrated a possible real-time applicability of the solution presented in this document.
Wave Energy Assessment in the South Aquitaine Nearshore Zone from a 44-Year Hindcast
Authors: Lastiri Ximun , Abadie Stéphane , Maron Philippe , Delpey Matthias , Liria Pedro , Mader Julien , Roeber Volker
Published: March 2020

Wave resource assessment is the first step toward the installation of a wave energy converter (WEC). To support initiatives for wave energy development in the southwest of France, a coastal wave database is built from a 44-year hindcast simulation with the spectral wave model SWAN (Simulating WAve Nearshore) run on a high-resolution unstructured grid. The simulation includes shallow-water processes such as refraction, shoaling, and breaking. The model is validated against a five-year coastal wave buoy recording. The study shows that most of the resource is provided by sea states with wave heights ranging from 2 to 5 m, with wave periods from 10 and 15 s, and coming from a very narrow angular sector. The long hindcast duration and the refined unstructured grid used for the simulation allow assessment of the spatiotemporal distribution of wave energy across the coastal area. On the one hand, large longshore variations of the resource caused by steep bathymetric gradients such as the Capbreton submarine canyon are underlined. On the other hand, the study highlights that no specific long-term trend can be extracted regarding the coastal wave energy resource evolution. The provided downscaled local wave resource information may be used to optimize the location and design of a future WEC that could be deployed in the region.
Towards Marine Dual Fuel Engines Digital Twins—Integrated Modelling of Thermodynamic Processes and Control System Functions
Authors: Stoumpos Sokratis , Theotokatos Gerasimos , Mavrelos Christoforos , Boulougouris Evangelos
Published: March 2020

This study aims at developing an integrated model that combines detailed engine thermodynamic modelling and the control system functional modelling paving the way towards the development of high-fidelity digital twins. To sufficiently represent the combustion process, a multi-Wiebe function approach was employed, whereas a database for storing the combustion model parameters was developed. The developed model was employed for the systematic investigation of a marine four-stroke dual fuel engine response during demanding transient operation with mode switching and load changes. The derived results were analysed to identify the critical engine components and their effect on the engine operational limitations. The results demonstrate that the developed model can sufficiently represent the engine and its subsystems/components behaviour and effectively capture the engine control system’s functionality. The appropriate turbocharger matching along with the sufficient design of the exhaust gas waste gate valve and fuel control systems are crucial for ensuring the smooth engine operation of dual fuel engines.
Wave and Hydrodynamic Processes in the Vicinity of a Rubble-Mound, Permeable, Zero-Freeboard Breakwater
Authors: Koutrouveli Theofano I. , Dimas Athanassios A.
Published: March 2020

A numerical study for the effect of crest width, breaking parameter, and trunk permeability on hydrodynamics and flow behavior in the vicinity of rubble-mound, permeable, zero-freeboard breakwaters (ZFBs) is presented. The modified two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase flows in porous media with a Smagorinsky model for the subgrid scale stresses were solved numerically. An immersed-boundary/level-set method was used. The numerical model was validated for the cases of wave propagation over a submerged impermeable trapezoidal bar and a low-crested permeable breakwater. Five cases of breakwaters were examined, and the main results are: (a) The size of the crest width, B, does not notably affect the wave reflection, vorticity, and currents in the seaward region of ZFBs, while wave transmission, currents in the leeward side, and mean overtopping discharge all decrease with increasing B. A non-monotonic behavior of the wave setup is also observed. (b) As the breaking parameter decreases, wave reflection, transmission, currents, mean overtopping discharge, and wave setup decrease. This observation is also verified by relevant empirical formulas. (c) As the ZFB trunk permeability decreases, an increase of the wave reflection, currents, wave setup, and a decrease of wave transmission and mean overtopping discharge is observed.
A Time-Extended (24 h) Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) for Monitoring Pelagic and Nocturnal Marine Species
Authors: Torres Agusti , Abril Ana-Maria , Clua Eric E. G.
Published: March 2020

Baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVs) are efficient devices for remotely characterising the assemblage and relative density of fishes and other marine organisms. However, technological constraints (e.g., battery life and limited storage memory) typically limit deployment times to <2 h making it very difficult to capture the presence of marine species, including rare and elusive ones. We developed an extended duration (24 h) BRUV to enable fisheries-independent surveying of a pelagic shark population in the western Mediterranean. Video data revealed seven visits (three nocturnal, four diurnal) by blue sharks (Prionace glauca) over a period of 1355 h. In the future, this cost-effective device could be fitted with a wireless video transmitter to provide real-time observations of marine animals for scientific or ecotourism purposes.
Land Registration, Adjustment Experience, and Agricultural Machinery Adoption: Empirical Analysis from Rural China
Authors: Deng Xin , Yan Zhongcheng , Xu Dingde , Qi Yanbin
Published: March 2020

Land property security and advanced factor inputs play critical roles in agricultural modernization in developing countries. However, there are unclear relationships between land property security and advanced factor inputs. This study aims to clarify these relationships from the perspective of the differentiation of the realization process of land property security. From the perspective of property rights theory and endowment effects, data from 2934 farming households in rural China are used to determine the quantitative impacts of land registration and adjustment experience on the adoption of agricultural machinery. The results are as follows: (i) Land registration does not affect the adoption of agricultural machinery. (ii) Adjustment experience has a negative impact on the adoption of agricultural machinery. (iii) The interaction of land registration and adjustment experience has a positive impact on the adoption of agricultural machinery. This study provides some policy references with which developing countries can achieve agricultural modernization and revitalize the countryside by improving property rights security.
On Some New Multivalued Results in the Metric Spaces of Perov’s Type
Authors: Guran Liliana , Bota Monica-Felicia , Naseem Asim , Mitrović Zoran D. , Sen Manuel de la , Radenović Stojan
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this paper is to present some new fixed point results in the generalized metric spaces of Perov’s sense under a contractive condition of Hardy–Rogers type. The data dependence of the fixed point set, the well-posedness of the fixed point problem and the Ulam–Hyers stability are also studied.
Janowski Type q-Convex and q-Close-to-Convex Functions Associated with q-Conic Domain
Authors: Naeem Muhammad , Hussain Saqib , Khan Shahid , Mahmood Tahir , Darus Maslina , Shareef Zahid
Published: March 2020

Certain new classes of q-convex and q-close to convex functions that involve the q-Janowski type functions have been defined by using the concepts of quantum (or q-) calculus as well as q-conic domain

Ω

k
,
q

[
λ
,
α
]

. This study explores some important geometric properties such as coefficient estimates, sufficiency criteria and convolution properties of these classes. A distinction of new findings with those obtained in earlier investigations is also provided, where appropriate.
Long-Range Correlations and Characterization of Financial and Volcanic Time Series
Authors: Mariani Maria C. , Asante Peter K. , Bhuiyan Md Al Masum , Beccar-Varela Maria P. , Jaroszewicz Sebastian , Tweneboah Osei K.
Published: March 2020

In this study, we use the Diffusion Entropy Analysis (DEA) to analyze and detect the scaling properties of time series from both emerging and well established markets as well as volcanic eruptions recorded by a seismic station, both financial and volcanic time series data have high frequencies. The objective is to determine whether they follow a Gaussian or Lévy distribution, as well as establish the existence of long-range correlations in these time series. The results obtained from the DEA technique are compared with the Hurst R/S analysis and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) methodologies. We conclude that these methodologies are effective in classifying the high frequency financial indices and volcanic eruption data—the financial time series can be characterized by a Lévy walk while the volcanic time series is characterized by a Lévy flight.
Quorum-Sensing Regulation of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria
Authors: Zhao Xihong , Yu Zixuan , Ding Tian
Published: March 2020

Quorum sensing is a cell-to-cell communication system that exists widely in the microbiome and is related to cell density. The high-density colony population can generate a sufficient number of small molecule signals, activate a variety of downstream cellular processes including virulence and drug resistance mechanisms, tolerate antibiotics, and harm the host. This article gives a general introduction to the current research status of microbial quorum-sensing systems, focuses on the role of quorum-sensing systems in regulating microbial resistance mechanisms, such as drug efflux pump and microbial biofilm formation regulation, and discusses a new strategy for the treatment of drug-resistant bacteria proposed by using quorum quenching to prevent microbial resistance.
Interaction between Amorphous Zirconia Nanoparticles and Graphite: Electrochemical Applications for Gallic Acid Sensing Using Carbon Paste Electrodes in Wine
Authors: Chikere Chrys. O. , Faisal Nadimul Haque , Kong-Thoo-Lin Paul , Fernandez Carlos
Published: March 2020

Amorphous zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO2) have been used for the first time, to modify carbon paste electrode (CPE) and used as a sensor for the electrochemical determination of gallic acid (GA). The voltammetric results of the ZrO2 nanoparticles-modified CPE showed efficient electrochemical oxidation of gallic acid, with a significantly enhanced peak current from 261 µA ± 3 to about 451 µA ± 1. The modified surface of the electrode and the synthesised zirconia nanoparticles were characterised by scanning electrode microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXA), X-ray powdered diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Meanwhile, the electrochemical behaviour of GA on the surface of the modified electrode was studied using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), showing a sensitivity of the electrode for GA determination, within a concentration range of 1 × 10−6 mol L−1 to 1 × 10−3 mol L−1 with a correlation coefficient of R2 of 0.9945 and a limit of detection of 1.24 × 10−7 mol L−1 (S/N = 3). The proposed ZrO2 nanoparticles modified CPE was successfully used for the determination of GA in red and white wine, with concentrations of 0.103 mmol L−1 and 0.049 mmol L−1 respectively.
Review of Polymer Composites with Diverse Nanofillers for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding
Authors: Wanasinghe Dimuthu , Aslani Farhad , Ma Guowei , Habibi Daryoush
Published: March 2020

Polymer matrix composites have generated a great deal of attention in recent decades in various fields due to numerous advantages polymer offer. The advancement of technology has led to stringent requirements in shielding materials as more and more electronic devices are known to cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) in other devices. The drive to fabricate alternative materials is generated by the shortcomings of the existing metallic panels. While polymers are more economical, easy to fabricate, and corrosion resistant, they are known to be inherent electrical insulators. Since high electrical conductivity is a sought after property of EMI shielding materials, polymers with fillers to increase their electrical conductivity are commonly investigated for EMI shielding. Recently, composites with nanofillers also have attracted attention due to the superior properties they provide compared to their micro counterparts. In this review polymer composites with various types of fillers have been analysed to assess the EMI shielding properties generated by each. Apart from the properties, the manufacturing processes and morphological properties of composites have been analysed in this review to find the best polymer matrix composites for EMI shielding.
Taylor State Merging at SSX: Experiment and Simulation
Authors: Brown Michael , Gelber Kaitlin , Mebratu Matiwos
Published: March 2020

We describe experiments and simulations of dynamical merging with two Taylor state plasmas in a Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment (SSX) device. Taylor states are formed by magnetized plasma guns at opposite ends of the device. We performed experiments with Taylor states of both senses of magnetic helicity (right-handed twist or left-handed twist). We present results of both counter-helicity merging (one side left-handed, the other right-handed) and co-helicity merging (both sides left-handed). Experiments show significant ion heating, consistent with magnetic reconnection. We suggest that the merged, warm state could be a suitable target for future magneto-inertial fusion experiments. Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of these experiments reveal the structure of the final relaxed, merged state.
Gerber–Shiu Function in a Class of Delayed and Perturbed Risk Model with Dependence
Authors: Adékambi Franck , Takouda Essodina
Published: March 2020

This paper considers the risk model perturbed by a diffusion process with a time delay in the arrival of the first two claims and takes into account dependence between claim amounts and the claim inter-occurrence times. Assuming that the time arrival of the first claim follows a generalized mixed equilibrium distribution, we derive the integro-differential Equations of the Gerber–Shiu function and its defective renewal equations. For the situation where claim amounts follow exponential distribution, we provide an explicit expression of the Gerber–Shiu function. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the ruin probability.
Recognition of Banana Fusarium Wilt Based on UAV Remote Sensing
Authors: Ye Huichun , Huang Wenjiang , Huang Shanyu , Cui Bei , Dong Yingying , Guo Anting , Ren Yu , Jin Yu
Published: March 2020

Fusarium wilt (Panama disease) of banana currently threatens banana production areas worldwide. Timely monitoring of Fusarium wilt disease is important for the disease treatment and adjustment of banana planting methods. The objective of this study was to establish a method for identifying the banana regions infested or not infested with Fusarium wilt disease using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based multispectral imagery. Two experiments were conducted in this study. In experiment 1, 120 sample plots were surveyed, of which 75% were used as modeling dataset for model fitting and the remaining were used as validation dataset 1 (VD1) for validation. In experiment 2, 35 sample plots were surveyed, which were used as validation dataset 2 (VD2) for model validation. An UAV equipped with a five band multispectral camera was used to capture the multispectral imagery. Eight vegetation indices (VIs) related to pigment absorption and plant growth changes were chosen for determining the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of the plants. The binary logistic regression (BLR) method was used to assess the spatial relationships between the VIs and the plants infested or not infested with Fusarium wilt. The results showed that the banana Fusarium wilt disease can be easily identified using the VIs including the green chlorophyll index (CIgreen), red-edge chlorophyll index (CIRE), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and normalized difference red-edge index (NDRE). The fitting overall accuracies of the models were greater than 80%. Among the investigated VIs, the CIRE exhibited the best performance both for the VD1 (OA = 91.7%, Kappa = 0.83) and VD2 (OA = 80.0%, Kappa = 0.59). For the same type of VI, the VIs including a red-edge band obtained a better performance than that excluding a red-edge band. A simulation of imagery with different spatial resolutions (i.e., 0.5-m, 1-m, 2-m, 5-m, and 10-m resolutions) showed that good identification accuracy of Fusarium wilt was obtained when the resolution was higher than 2 m. As the resolution decreased, the identification accuracy of Fusarium wilt showed a decreasing trend. The findings indicate that UAV-based remote sensing with a red-edge band is suitable for identifying banana Fusarium wilt disease. The results of this study provide guidance for detecting the disease and crop planting adjustment.
A Multi-Level Attention Model for Remote Sensing Image Captions
Authors: Li Yangyang , Fang Shuangkang , Jiao Licheng , Liu Ruijiao , Shang Ronghua
Published: March 2020

The task of image captioning involves the generation of a sentence that can describe an image appropriately, which is the intersection of computer vision and natural language. Although the research on remote sensing image captions has just started, it has great significance. The attention mechanism is inspired by the way humans think, which is widely used in remote sensing image caption tasks. However, the attention mechanism currently used in this task is mainly aimed at images, which is too simple to express such a complex task well. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a multi-level attention model, which is a closer imitation of attention mechanisms of human beings. This model contains three attention structures, which represent the attention to different areas of the image, the attention to different words, and the attention to vision and semantics. Experiments show that our model has achieved better results than before, which is currently state-of-the-art. In addition, the existing datasets for remote sensing image captioning contain a large number of errors. Therefore, in this paper, a lot of work has been done to modify the existing datasets in order to promote the research of remote sensing image captioning.
Editorial for the Special Issue “Estimation of Crop Phenotyping Traits using Unmanned Ground Vehicle and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery”
Authors: Jin Xiuliang , Li Zhenhai , Atzberger Clement
Published: March 2020

High-throughput crop phenotyping is harnessing the potential of genomic resources for the genetic improvement of crop production under changing climate conditions. As global food security is not yet assured, crop phenotyping has received increased attention during the past decade. This spectral issue (SI) collects 30 papers reporting research on estimation of crop phenotyping traits using unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery. Such platforms were previously not widely available. The special issue includes papers presenting recent advances in the field, with 22 UAV-based papers and 12 UGV-based articles. The special issue covers 16 RGB sensor papers, 11 papers on multi-spectral imagery, and further 4 papers on hyperspectral and 3D data acquisition systems. A total of 13 plants’ phenotyping traits, including morphological, structural, and biochemical traits are covered. Twenty different data processing and machine learning methods are presented. In this way, the special issue provides a good overview regarding potential applications of the platforms and sensors, to timely provide crop phenotyping traits in a cost-efficient and objective manner. With the fast development of sensors technology and image processing algorithms, we expect that the estimation of crop phenotyping traits supporting crop breeding scientists will gain even more attention in the future.
Retrieval and Validation of Water Turbidity at Metre-Scale Using Pléiades Satellite Data: A Case Study in the Gironde Estuary
Authors: Luo Yafei , Doxaran David , Vanhellemont Quinten
Published: March 2020

This study investigated the use of frequent metre-scale resolution Pléiades satellite imagery to monitor water quality parameters in the highly turbid Gironde Estuary (GE, SW France). Pléiades satellite data were processed and analyzed in two representative test sites of the GE: 1) the maximum turbidity zone and 2) the mouth of the estuary. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) validate the Dark Spectrum Fitting (DSF) atmospheric correction developed by Vanhellemont and Ruddick (2018) applied to Pléiades satellite data recorded over the GE; (ii) highlight the benefits of frequent metre-scale Pléiades observations in highly turbid estuaries by comparing them to previously validated satellite observations made at medium (250/300 m for MODIS, MERIS, OLCI data) and high (20/30 m for SPOT, OLI and MSI data) spatial resolutions. The results show that the DSF allows for an accurate retrieval of water turbidity by inversion of the water reflectance in the near-infrared (NIR) and red wavebands. The difference between Pléiades-derived turbidity and field measurements was proven to be in the order of 10%. To evaluate the spatial variability of water turbidity at metre scale, Pléiades data at 2 m resolution were resampled to 20 m and 250 m to simulate typical coarser resolution sensors. On average, the derived spatial variability in the GE is lower than or equal to 10% and 26%, respectively, in 20-m and 250-m aggregated pixels. Pléiades products not only show, in great detail, the turbidity features in the estuary and river plume, they also allow to map the turbidity inside ports and capture the complex spatial variations of turbidity along the shores of the estuary. Furthermore, the daily acquisition capabilities may provide additional advantages over other satellite constellations when monitoring highly dynamic estuarine systems.
Geodetic Deformation versus Seismic Crustal Moment-Rates: Insights from the Ibero-Maghrebian Region
Authors: Sparacino Federica , Palano Mimmo , Peláez José Antonio , Fernández José
Published: March 2020

Seismic and geodetic moment-rate comparisons can reveal regions with unexpected potential seismic hazards. We performed such a comparison for the Southeastern Iberia—Maghreb region. Located at the western Mediterranean border along the Eurasia–Nubia plate convergence, the region has been subject to a number of large earthquakes (M ≥ 6.5) in the last millennium. To this end, on the basis of available geological, tectonic, and seismological data, we divided the study area into twenty-five seismogenic source zones. Many of these seismogenic source zones, comprising the Western Betics, the Western Rif mountains, and the High, Middle, and Saharan Atlas, are characterized by seismic/geodetic ratio values lower than 23%, evidencing their prevailing aseismic behavior. Intermediate seismic/geodetic ratio values (between 35% and 60%) have been observed for some zones belonging to the Eastern Betics, the central Rif, and the Middle Atlas, indicating how crustal seismicity accounts only for a moderate fraction of the total deformation-rate budget. High seismic/geodetic ratio values (> 95%) have been observed along the Tell Atlas, highlighting a fully seismic deformation.