bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Application of the Spatial Autocorrelation Method on the Change of Real Estate Prices in Taitung City
Authors: Wang Wen-Ching , Chang Yu-Ju , Wang Hsueh-Ching
Published: May 2019

The main purpose of this paper is to use regression models to explore the factors affecting housing prices as well as apply spatial aggregation to explore the changes of urban space prices. This study collected data in Taitung City from the year 2013 to 2017, including 3533 real estate transaction price records. The hedonic price method, spatial lag model and spatial error model were used to conduct global spatial self-correlation tests to explore the performance of house price variables and space price aggregation. We compare the three models by R² and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to determine the spatial self-correlation ability performance, and explore the spatial distribution of prices and the changes of price regions from the regional local indicators of spatial association spatial distribution map. Actual analysis results show an improvement in the ability to interpret real estate prices through the feature price mode from the R² value assessment, the spatial delay model and the spatial error model. Performance from the AIC values show that the difference of the spatial delay model is smaller than that of the feature price model and the spatial model, demonstrating a better performance from the space delay model and the spatial error model compared to the feature price model; improving upon the estimation bias caused by spatial self-correlation. For variables affecting house pricing, research results show that Moran’s I is more than 0 in real estate price analysis over the years, all of which show spatial positive correlation. From the LISA analysis of the spatial aggregation phenomenon, we see real estate prices rise in spaces surrounded by high-priced real estate contrast with the scope of space surrounded by low-cost real estate shifting in boundary over the years due to changes in the location and attributes of real estate trading transactions. Through the analysis of space price aggregation characteristics, we are able to observe the trajectory of urban development.
Yeast Sup35 Prion Structure: Two Types, Four Parts, Many Variants
Authors: Dergalev Alexander , Alexandrov Alexander , Ivannikov Roman , Ter-Avanesyan Michael , Kushnirov Vitaly
Published: May 2019

The yeast [PSI+] prion, formed by the Sup35 (eRF3) protein, has multiple structural variants differing in the strength of nonsense suppressor phenotype. Structure of [PSI+] and its variation are characterized poorly. Here, we mapped Sup35 amyloid cores of 26 [PSI+] ex vivo prions of different origin using proteinase K digestion and mass spectrometric identification of resistant peptides. In all [PSI+] variants the Sup35 amino acid residues 2–32 were fully resistant and the region up to residue 72 was partially resistant. Proteinase K-resistant structures were also found within regions 73–124, 125–153, and 154–221, but their presence differed between [PSI+] isolates. Two distinct digestion patterns were observed for region 2–72, which always correlated with the “strong” and “weak” [PSI+] nonsense suppressor phenotypes. Also, all [PSI+] with a weak pattern were eliminated by multicopy HSP104 gene and were not toxic when combined with multicopy SUP35. [PSI+] with a strong pattern showed opposite properties, being resistant to multicopy HSP104 and lethal with multicopy SUP35. Thus, Sup35 prion cores can be composed of up to four elements. [PSI+] variants can be divided into two classes reliably distinguishable basing on structure of the first element and the described assays.
Dual Epigenetic Regulation of ERα36 Expression in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Thiebaut Charlène , Chesnel Amand , Merlin Jean-Louis , Chesnel Maelle , Leroux Agnès , Harlé Alexandre , Dumond Hélène
Published: May 2019

Breast cancer remains the major cause of cancer-induced morbidity and mortality in women. Among the different molecular subtypes, luminal tumors yet considered of good prognosis often develop acquired resistance to endocrine therapy. Recently, misregulation of ERα36 was reported to play a crucial role in this process. High expression of this ERα isoform was associated to preneoplastic phenotype in mammary epithelial cells, disease progression, and enhanced resistance to therapeutic agents in breast tumors. In this study, we identified two mechanisms that could together contribute to ERα36 expression regulation. We first focused on hsa-miR-136-5p, an ERα36 3’UTR-targeting microRNA, the expression of which inversely correlated to the ERα36 one in breast cancer cells. Transfection of hsa-miR136-5p mimic in MCF-7 cells resulted in downregulation of ERα36. Moreover, the demethylating agent decitabine was able to stimulate hsa-miR-136-5p endogenous expression, thus indirectly decreasing ERα36 expression and counteracting tamoxifen-dependent stimulation. The methylation status of ERα36 promoter also directly modulated its expression level, as demonstrated after decitabine treatment of breast cancer cell and confirmed in a set of tumor samples. Taken together, these results open the way to a direct and an indirect ERα36 epigenetic modulation by decitabine as a promising clinical strategy to counteract acquired resistance to treatment and prevent relapse.
Transcriptome Analysis of Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) O. Kuntze and Identification of Genes Involved in Triterpenoid Saponin Biosynthesis
Authors: Shi Yuanyuan , Zhang Shengxiang , Peng Daiyin , Wang Chenkai , Zhao Derui , Ma Kelong , Wu Jiawen , Huang Luqi
Published: May 2019

Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) O. Kuntze (C. chinense) is an important herb in traditional Chinese medicine. Triterpenoid saponins are a major class of active compounds in C. chinense with broad pharmacological activities and hemostatic, antitumor, and anti-hyperglycemic effects. To identify genes involved in triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis, transcriptomic analyses of leaves, stems, and roots from C. chinense were performed. A total of 135,968 unigenes were obtained by assembling the leaf, stem, and root transcripts, of which 102,154 were annotated in public databases. Differentially expressed genes were determined based on expression profile analysis and analyzed for differential expression of unique genes related to triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis. Multiple unigenes encoding crucial enzymes or transcription factors involved in triterpenoid saponin synthesis were identified and analyzed. The expression levels of unigenes encoding enzymes were experimentally validated using quantitative real-time PCR. This study greatly broadens the public transcriptome database for this species and provides a valuable resource for identifying candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of triterpenoid saponins and other secondary metabolites.
Effect of Rotation and Hole Arrangement in Cold Bridge-Type Impingement Cooling Systems
Authors: Cocchi Lorenzo , Picchi Alessio , Facchini Bruno
Published: May 2019

Experimental activity has been performed to study different impingement cooling schemes in static and rotating conditions. Geometry replicates a leading-edge cold bridge system, including a radial supply channel and five rows of film-cooling and showerhead holes. Two impingement geometries have been studied, with different numbers of holes and diameters but with equal overall passage area. Reynolds numbers up to 13,800 and rotation numbers up to 0.002 have been investigated (based on an equivalent slot width). Tests have been performed using a novel implementation of transient heat transfer technique, which allows correct replication of the sign of buoyancy forces by flowing ambient temperature air into a preheated test article. Results show that complex interactions occur between the different features of the system, with a particularly strong effect of jet supply condition. Rotation further interacts with these phenomena, generally leading to a slight decrease in heat transfer.
Effect of Additives on Stability of Alumina—Waste Alumina Suspension for Slip Casting: Optimization Using Box-Behnken Design
Authors: Vukšić Milan , Žmak Irena , Ćurković Lidija , Ćorić Danko
Published: May 2019

The green machining of alumina (Al2O3) green bodies generates a certain amount of waste alumina powder. Waste alumina ceramic powder should be disposed of as non-hazardous waste in a legally compliant manner. The influence of additives on the stability of 70 wt.% (≈40 vol.%) alumina—waste alumina water-based suspension was investigated in the presented research. A Box-Behnken three-factor response surface design was used for the preparation of stable highly-concentrated suspensions with the addition of three additives. The optimal amount of each additive was selected according to the obtained results of minimal apparent viscosity: 0.05 wt.% Tiron as dispersant, 0.1 wt.% poly (vinyl alcohol) as binder and 0.2 wt.% magnesium aluminate spinel as abnormal grain growth inhibitor. The analysis of variance was used to identify the contribution of each additive. The zeta potential and sedimentations tests were performed to confirm the suspension stability measurements at different pH values. Alumina particles were optimally dispersed at pH values between 8 and 11. According to the results, the investigated composition of 20 wt.% waste alumina powder (weight content, dry alumina powder), with the addition of optimal amounts of additives, shows a possible application in the production of ceramics by slip casting.
Metal-Free Organic Chromophores Featuring an Ethynyl-Thienothiophene Linker with an n-Hexyl Chain for Translucent Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Lim Dong-Suk , Park Kwang-Won , Wiles Alan A. , Hong Jongin
Published: May 2019

We report the simple synthesis of two organic chromophores featuring an ethynyl-thienothiophene linker with an n-hexyl chain (CSD-03 and CSD-04), their optical and electrochemical properties, and their use as photosensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Our theoretical and experimental studies show that adding the second thienothiophene allows for narrowing the bandgap of the molecule and thus ensuring more light harvesting in the visible region. The efficiencies of both CSD-03 (5.46 ± 0.03%) and CSD-04 (5.20 ± 0.03%) are comparable to that of N719 (5.92 ± 0.01%) in translucent DSSCs fabricated with 5 μm-thick TiO2 photoanodes.
Oxidation Behavior of Fe–Al, Fe–Si and Fe–Al–Si Intermetallics
Authors: Novák Pavel , Nová Kateřina
Published: May 2019

Iron aluminides are still deeply investigated materials for their use in power plants, automotive and chemical industry, and other sectors. This paper shows that it is possible to strongly improve their oxidation behavior by the addition of silicon. The description of the synergic effect of aluminum and silicon on the oxidation behavior of Fe–Al–Si alloys at 800 °C in air is presented. The oxidation rate, microstructure, phase, and chemical composition of these ternary alloys are compared with the binary Fe–Al and Fe–Si alloys. Results showed that the oxidation of Fe–Al–Si ternary alloys provides an oxide layer based on aluminum oxide with a low concentration of iron and silicon. Below this oxide layer, there is a layer of silicides formed as a result of depletion by aluminum, which forms a secondary oxidation protection.
How Does a Radio Frequency Identification Optimize the Profit in an Unreliable Supply Chain Management?
Authors: Guchhait Rekha , Pareek Sarla , Sarkar Biswajit
Published: May 2019

Competition in business is higher in the electronics sector compared to other sectors. In such a situation, the role of a manufacturer is to manage the inventory properly with optimized profit. However, the problem of unreliability within buyers still exists in real world scenarios. The manufacturer adopts the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to manage the inventory, which can control the unreliability, the inventory pooling effect, and the investment on human labor. For detecting RFID tags, a reasonable number of readers are needed. This study investigates the optimum distance between any two readers when using the optimum number of readers. As a vendor managed inventory (VMI) policy is utilized by the manufacturer, a revenue sharing contract is adopted to prevent the loss of buyers. The aim of this study is to maximize the profits of a two-echelon supply chain management under an advanced technology system. As the life of electronic gadgets is random, it may not follow any specific type of distribution function. The distribution-free approach helps to solve this issue when the mean and the standard deviation are known. The Kuhn-Tucker methodology and classical optimization are used to find the global optimum solution. The numerical analysis demonstrates that the manufacturer can earn more profit in coordination case after utilizing revenue sharing and the optimum distance between readers optimizing cost related to the RFID system. Sensitivity analysis is performed to check the sensibility of the parameters.
Investigation of Nondestructive Testing Methods for Friction Stir Welding
Authors: Taheri Hossein , Kilpatrick Margaret , Norvalls Matthew , Harper Warren J. , Koester Lucas W. , Bigelow Timothy , Bond Leonard J.
Published: May 2019

Friction stir welding is a method of materials processing that enables the joining of similar and dissimilar materials. The process, as originally designed by The Welding Institute (TWI), provides a unique approach to manufacturing—where materials can be joined in many designs and still retain mechanical properties that are similar to, or greater than, other forms of welding. This process is not free of defects that can alter, limit, and occasionally render the resulting weld unusable. Most common amongst these defects are kissing bonds, wormholes and cracks that are often hidden from visual inspection. To identify these defects, various nondestructive testing methods are being used. This paper presents background to the process of friction stir welding and identifies major process parameters that affect the weld properties, the origin, and types of defects that can occur, and potential nondestructive methods for ex-situ detection and in-situ identification of these potential defects, which can then allow for corrective action to be taken.
Laser Shock Peening, the Path to Production
Authors: Clauer Allan H.
Published: May 2019

This article describes the path to commercialization for laser shock peening beginning with the discovery of the basic phenomenology of the process through to its implementation as a commercial process. It describes the circumstances leading to its invention, the years spent on exploring and defining characteristics of the process, and the journey to commercialization. Like many budding technologies displaying unique characteristics, but no immediately evident application, i.e., “a solution looking for a problem”, there were several instances where its development may have been delayed or ended except for an unanticipated event that enabled it to move forward. An important contributor to the success of laser peening, is that nearly 15 years after its invention, universities world-wide began extensive research into the process, dramatically broadening the knowledge base and increasing confidence in, and understanding of its potential. Finally, a critical problem in need of a solution, laser peening, appeared, culminating in its first industrial application on aircraft turbine engine fan blades.
The Role of Pseudomonas in Heterotrophic Nitrification: A Case Study on Shrimp Ponds (Litopenaeus vannamei) in Soc Trang Province
Authors: Trung Tran Thanh , Bott Nathan J. , Dai Lam Nhan , Trung Nguyen Nam , Hoang Thi Dang Oanh , Hoang Le Duc , Tung Le Lam , Hoang Chu Ha
Published: May 2019

Based on a total of 6,295,650 sequences from the V3 and V4 regions (16S ribosomal RNA), the composition of the microorganism communities in the water of three Litopenaeus vannamei (Decapoda, Whiteleg shrimp; Soc Trang, Vietnam) ponds were identified. Pseudomonas (10–20.29%), Methylophilus (13.26–24.28%), and Flavobacterium (2.6–19.29%) were the most abundant genera. The total ammonia (TAN) concentration (p = 0.025) and temperature (p = 0.015) were significantly correlated with the relative abundance of Pseudomonas in two bacterial communities (ST1, ST4), whereas the predictive functions of microorganism communities based on 16S rRNA gene data was estimated using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUST), which showed that nitrogen metabolism was significantly negatively correlated (p = 0.049) with TAN concentration. The abundance of Pseudomonas and nitrogen metabolism increased with a decrease in TAN concentration. The correlation between TAN concentration and the abundance of Pseudomonas was followed by the isolation, and heterotrophic nitrifying performance analysis was used to confirm our findings. Six Pseudomonas strains capable of heterotrophic nitrification were isolated from the three water samples and showed a complete reduction of 100 mg/L NH4Cl during a 96-h cultivation. These results indicate the potential of applying Pseudomonas in shrimp ponds for water treatment.
Diverse Structural Features of Potassium Channels Characterized by Scorpion Toxins as Molecular Probes
Authors: Zhao Yonghui , Chen Zongyun , Cao Zhijian , Li Wenxin , Wu Yingliang
Published: May 2019

Scorpion toxins are well-known as the largest potassium channel peptide blocker family. They have been successfully proven to be valuable molecular probes for structural research on diverse potassium channels. The potassium channel pore region, including the turret and filter regions, is the binding interface for scorpion toxins, and structural features from different potassium channels have been identified using different scorpion toxins. According to the spatial orientation of channel turrets with differential sequence lengths and identities, conformational changes and molecular surface properties, the potassium channel turrets can be divided into the following three states: open state with less hindering effects on toxin binding, half-open state or half-closed state with certain effects on toxin binding, and closed state with remarkable effects on toxin binding. In this review, we summarized the diverse structural features of potassium channels explored using scorpion toxin tools and discuss future work in the field of scorpion toxin-potassium channel interactions.
Health Benefits of Green Banana Consumption: A Systematic Review
Authors: Falcomer Ana Luisa , Riquette Roberta Figueiredo Resende , de Lima Bernardo Romão , Ginani Verônica C. , Zandonadi Renata Puppin
Published: May 2019

Despite the growing demand for green banana (GB) products, there is no review study regarding their potential health benefits. We aimed to compare the health benefits among different GB products by a systematic review. We researched six electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) from inception to March 2019. We found 1009 articles in these databases. After duplicate removal, we screened 732 articles’ titles and abstracts, and selected 18 potentially relevant studies for full-text reading. We added five records from the reference list of the fully-read articles and seven suggested by the expert. Twelve articles were excluded. In the end, 18 studies were considered for this systematic review. Ten studies were conducted with green banana flour and eight with the green banana pulp/biomass. Most of the GB health benefits studied were related to the gastrointestinal symptoms/diseases, followed by the glycemic/insulin metabolism, weight control, and renal and liver complications associated to diabetes. Only one study did not confirm the health benefit proposed. It is necessary to standardize the GB dose/effect to different age groups and different health effects considering the GB variety and ripeness level. Further studies are necessary to present better detailing of GB product and their health effects considering all the raw-material characteristics.
Perceptions and Factors Influencing Eating Behaviours and Physical Function in Community-Dwelling Ethnically Diverse Older Adults: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study
Authors: Asamane Evans A. , Greig Carolyn A. , Aunger Justin A. , Thompson Janice L.
Published: May 2019

Ethnic minorities have a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases relating to unhealthy lifestyle practices. Several factors have been identified as influencing unhealthy lifestyle practices among this population; however, there is little evidence about how these factors differ among a heterogeneous sample living in a super-diverse city. This study aimed to: (1) identify and compare factors influencing eating behaviours and physical function among ethnic older minorities living in Birmingham, United Kingdom; and (2) understand how these factors and their association with healthy eating and physical function changed over 8-months. An in-depth interviewing approach was used at baseline (n = 92) and after 8-months (n = 81). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using directed content analysis. Healthy eating was viewed as more important than, and unrelated to, physical function. Personal, social and cultural/environmental factors were identified as the main factors influencing eating behaviours and physical function, which differed by ethnicity, age, and sex. At 8-month interviews, more men than women reported adverse changes. The study provides unique and useful insights regarding perceived eating behaviours and physical function in a relatively large and diverse sample of older adults that can be used to design new, and adapt existing, culturally-tailored community interventions to support healthy ageing.
Diet after Stroke and Its Impact on the Components of Body Mass and Functional Fitness—A 4-Month Observation
Authors: Leszczak Justyna , Czenczek-Lewandowska Ewelina , Przysada Grzegorz , Wyszyńska Justyna , Weres Aneta , Baran Joanna , Kwolek Andrzej , Mazur Artur
Published: May 2019

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of various diets on BMI and selected components of body mass, i.e., fat mass (FAT%), visceral fat (VFAT level), muscle mass (PMM %), body water (TBW %), and functional fitness during a 4-month observation period. Examinations were conducted three times in a group of 100 people after a stroke. The study group was divided into four subgroups according to the type of diet applied. The components of body mass were assessed using the electrical bioimpedance method, and functional fitness using the Barthel scale, the Brunnström scale, and the modified Ashworth scale. Despite the fact that there were no significant differences among the diets applied, it was observed that each of them had a positive effect on the reduction of the mean BMI, FAT%, VFAT level, and the increase in TBW% and PMM%. At the same time, there was a significant improvement in the functional fitness of the hand and upper limb. Weight control and a change in eating habits after a stroke incident is extremely important as it promotes faster recovery and improved functional fitness.
Conserved Cu-MicroRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana Function in Copper Economy under Deficiency
Authors: Shahbaz Muhammad , Pilon Marinus
Published: May 2019

Copper (Cu) is a micronutrient for plants. Three small RNAs, which are up-regulated by Cu deficiency and target transcripts for Cu proteins, are among the most conserved microRNAs in plants. It was hypothesized that these Cu-microRNAs help save Cu for the most essential Cu-proteins under deficiency. Testing this hypothesis has been a challenge due to the redundancy of the Cu microRNAs and the properties of the regulatory circuits that control Cu homeostasis. In order to investigate the role of Cu-microRNAs in Cu homeostasis during vegetative growth, we used a tandem target mimicry strategy to simultaneously inhibit the function of three conserved Cu-microRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana. When compared to wild-type, transgenic lines that express the tandem target mimicry construct showed reduced Cu-microRNA accumulation and increased accumulation of transcripts that encode Cu proteins. As a result, these mimicry lines showed impaired photosynthesis and growth compared to wild type on low Cu, which could be ascribed to a defect in accumulation of plastocyanin, a Cu-containing photosynthetic electron carrier, which is itself not a Cu-microRNA target. These data provide experimental support for a Cu economy model where the Cu-microRNAs together function to allow maturation of essential Cu proteins under impending deficiency.
Biobased Engineering Thermoplastics: Poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) Blends
Authors: Poulopoulou Niki , Kantoutsis George , Bikiaris Dimitrios N. , Achilias Dimitris S. , Kapnisti Maria , Papageorgiou George Z.
Published: May 2019

Poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PBF) constitutes a new engineering polyester produced from renewable resources, as it is synthesized from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (2,5-FDCA) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD), both formed from sugars coming from biomass. In this research, initially high-molecular-weight PBF was synthesized by applying the melt polycondensation method and using the dimethylester of FDCA as the monomer. Furthermore, five different series of PBF blends were prepared, namely poly(l-lactic acid)–poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PLA–PBF), poly(ethylene terephthalate)–poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PET–PBF), poly(propylene terephthalate)–poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PPT–PBF), poly(butylene 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate)-poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PBN–PBF), and polycarbonate–poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PC–PBF), by dissolving the polyesters in a trifluoroacetic acid/chloroform mixture (1/4 v/v) followed by coprecipitation as a result of adding the solutions into excess of cold methanol. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns of the as-prepared blends showed that mixtures of crystals of the blend components were formed, except for PC which did not crystallize. In general, a lower degree of crystallinity was observed at intermediate compositions. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating scans for the melt-quenched samples proved homogeneity in the case of PET–PBF blends. In the remaining cases, the blend components showed distinct Tgs. In PPT–PBF blends, there was a shift of the Tgs to intermediate values, showing some partial miscibility. Reactive blending proved to improve compatibility of the PBN–PBF blends.
Photocatalytic Treatment of Paracetamol Using TiO2 Nanotubes: Effect of pH
Authors: Lozano-Morales S. , Morales Graciela , López Zavala Miguel , Arce-Sarria Augusto , Machuca-Martínez Fiderman
Published: May 2019

Pharmaceuticals are considered among the group of emerging contaminants. Paracetamol is a moderate painkiller, which has been detected in ground and surface water. Photodegradation of paracetamol at a wavelength of radiation of 254 nm with TiO2 nanotubes was studied by UV-spectroscopy, HPLC and measurement of the potential zeta in dependence of the solution pH. The efficiency of the photodegradation of paracetamol (20 mg L−1) was 99% after 100 min exposure. Application of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation allowed the evaluation of the rate constant. Non-organic by-products were detected under the conditions of the chromatographic analysis. The photoreaction was faster at pH 6.5, a value at which adsorption was favored, leading to higher efficiency.
OpenBiodiv: A Knowledge Graph for Literature-Extracted Linked Open Data in Biodiversity Science
Authors: Penev Lyubomir , Dimitrova Mariya , Senderov Viktor , Zhelezov Georgi , Georgiev Teodor , Stoev Pavel , Simov Kiril
Published: May 2019

Hundreds of years of biodiversity research have resulted in the accumulation of a substantial pool of communal knowledge; however, most of it is stored in silos isolated from each other, such as published articles or monographs. The need for a system to store and manage collective biodiversity knowledge in a community-agreed and interoperable open format has evolved into the concept of the Open Biodiversity Knowledge Management System (OBKMS). This paper presents OpenBiodiv: An OBKMS that utilizes semantic publishing workflows, text and data mining, common standards, ontology modelling and graph database technologies to establish a robust infrastructure for managing biodiversity knowledge. It is presented as a Linked Open Dataset generated from scientific literature. OpenBiodiv encompasses data extracted from more than 5000 scholarly articles published by Pensoft and many more taxonomic treatments extracted by Plazi from journals of other publishers. The data from both sources are converted to Resource Description Framework (RDF) and integrated in a graph database using the OpenBiodiv-O ontology and an RDF version of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) taxonomic backbone. Through the application of semantic technologies, the project showcases the value of open publishing of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) data towards the establishment of open science practices in the biodiversity domain.
The Damned Neighbors Problem: Rousseau’s Civil Religion Revisited
Authors: Watson Micah
Published: May 2019

Near the conclusion of The Social Contract, Jean-Jacques Rousseau starkly proclaims that no state has been founded without a religious basis, and thus if he is right, every political community must grapple with the tension between the conflicting claims of the divine and the mundane. Because Christianity cannot solve this tension, Rousseau calls for a new religion, a civil religion. Whereas most of the academic treatment of civil religion follows various paths beginning with Robert Bellah’s original 1967 article, this essay explores more deeply the contours of Rousseau’s original articulation of the problem to which civil religion is his proposed solution. The essay concludes by suggesting that we can find important elements of Rousseau’s approach still alive and well in American politics and culture today.
Developing an Algorithm for Buildings Extraction and Determining Changes from Airborne LiDAR, and Comparing with R-CNN Method from Drone Images
Authors: Pirasteh Saied , Rashidi Pejman , Rastiveis Heidar , Huang Shengzhi , Zhu Qing , Liu Guoxiang , Li Yun , Li Jonathan , Seydipour Erfan
Published: May 2019

The world has experienced urban changes rapidly, and this phenomenon encourages authors to contribute to the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) 2030 and geospatial information. This study presents a proposed algorithm of change detection and extracting the borders of buildings. This proposed algorithm provides a set of instructions to describe the method of solving the problem of how extracting the boundary of buildings from the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) input data incorporating with the firefly and ant colony algorithms. The method has used two different epochs to compare buildings and to identify the type of changes in selected buildings. These changes are based on the newly built or demolished buildings. We also used drone images and mask the region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN) method to compare the results of roof extraction of buildings vs. the proposed algorithm. This study shows that the proposed algorithm identifies the changes of all buildings with higher accuracy of extracting border of buildings than the existing methods, successfully. This study also determines that the amount of root mean square error (RMSE) is 2.40 m2 when we use LiDAR. This proposed algorithm contributes to identifying rapidly changed buildings, and it is helpful for global geospatial information of urban management that can add best practice and solution toward the UN SDGs connectivity dilemma of urban settlement, resilience, and sustainability.
A Multi-Perspective 3D Reconstruction Method with Single Perspective Instantaneous Target Attitude Estimation
Authors: Xu Dan , Xing Mengdao , Xia Xiang-Gen , Sun Guang-Cai , Fu Jixiang , Su Tao
Published: May 2019

Due to the limited information of two-dimensional (2D) radar images, the study of three-dimensional (3D) radar image reconstruction has received significant attention. However, the target attitude obtained by the existing 3D reconstruction methods is unknown. In addition, using a single perspective, one can only get 3D reconstruction result of a simple target. For a complex target, due to occlusion and scattering characteristics, 3D reconstruction information obtained from a single perspective is limited. To tackle the above two problems, this paper proposes a new method for multi-perspective 3D reconstruction and single perspective instantaneous target attitude estimation. This method consists of three steps. First, the result of 3D reconstruction with unknown attitude is obtained by the traditional matrix factorization method. Then, in order to obtain the attitude of a target 3D reconstruction, additional constraints are added to the projection vectors which are computed from the matrix factorization method. Finally, the information from different perspectives are merged into a single layer information according to certain rules. After the information fusion, a multi-perspective 3D reconstruction structure with better visibility and more information is obtained. Simulation results have proved the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.
Probability Index of Low Stratus and Fog at Dawn using Dual Geostationary Satellite Observations from COMS and FY-2D near the Korean Peninsula
Authors: Yang Jung-Hyun , Yoo Jung-Moon , Choi Yong-Sang , Wu Dong , Jeong Jin-Hee
Published: May 2019

We developed a new remote sensing method for detecting low stratus and fog (LSF) at dawn in terms of probability index (PI) of LSF from simultaneous stereo observations of two geostationary-orbit satellites; the Korean Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS; 128.2°E); and the Chinese FengYun satellite (FY-2D; 86.5°E). The algorithm was validated near the Korean Peninsula between the months of April and August from April 2012 to June 2015, by using surface observations at 45 meteorological stations in South Korea. The optical features of LSF were estimated by using satellite retrievals and simulated data from the radiative transfer model. The PI was calculated using the combination of three satellite-observed variables: 1) the reflectance at 0.67 μm (R0.67) from COMS, and 2) the FY-2D R0.67 minus the COMS R0.67 (△R0.67) and 3) the FY-2D-COMS difference in the brightness temperature difference between 3.7 and 11.0 μm (ΔBTD3.7-11). The three variables, adopted from the top three probability of detection (POD) scores for their fog detection thresholds: △R0.67 (0.82) > ΔBTD3.7-11 (0.73) > R0.67 (0.70) > BTD3.7-11 (0.51). The LSF PI for this algorithm was significantly better in the two case studies compared to that using COMS only (i.e., R0.67 or BTD3.7-11), so that this improvement was due to △R0.67 and ΔBTD3.7-11. Overall, PI in the LSF spatial distribution has the merits of a high detection rate, a specific probability display, and a low rate of seasonality and variability in detection accuracy. Therefore, PI would be useful for monitoring LSF in near-real-time, and to further its forecast ability, using next-generation satellites.
‘You Scratch My Back and I’ll Scratch Yours’? Support to Academics Who Are Carers in Higher Education
Authors: Moreau Marie-Pierre , Robertson Murray
Published: May 2019

In recent years, it has become common for individuals to juggle employment and unpaid care work. This is just as true for the England-based academic workforce, our focus in this article. We discuss how, in the context of English Higher Education, support for carers is enacted and negotiated through policies and practices of care. Our focus on academics with a diverse range of caring responsibilities is unusual insofar as the literature on care in academia is overwhelmingly concerned with parents, usually mothers. This article is informed primarily by critical and post-structuralist feminist perspectives. We draw on a corpus of 47 interviews conducted with academics representing a broad range of caring responsibilities, subjects, and positions. A thematic analysis reveals how carers’ relationship with the provision and policies of care support at an institutional level is characterised by ambivalence. On the one hand, participants approve of societal and institutional policy support for carers. On the other hand, they are often reluctant to position themselves as the beneficiary of such policies, expressing instead a general preference for support from outside the workplace or for workplace-based inter-individual and informal care arrangements. This resistance is particularly noticeable in the case of participants with caring responsibilities other than the parenting of healthy, able-bodied children and of those whose gender, class, racial, or sexual identity do not conform with the figure of the ‘ideal academic’, contributing to their othering in the academic realm. These findings have significant implications for policies supporting carers, pointing to the need for greater visibility and recognition of caring responsibilities in academia, especially in terms of their diverse identities.
Assessing the Most Irreplaceable Protected Areas for the Conservation of Mammals in the Atlantic Forest: Lessons for the Governance of Mosaics
Authors: Macedo Leandro , Monjeau Adrian , Neves Aline
Published: May 2019

We have gathered 21,353 records of 40 different medium- and large-sized species of mammals existing in the Atlantic Forest conservation units of Brazil, including full protection and sustainable use types of management. We have classified the conservation units by their irreplaceability in terms of their role in the protection of mammalian species. Most irreplaceable conservation units are concentrated in the southern and southeastern regions of Brazil, mainly in the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Paraná. Our data show that over and above the area of the conservation unit or its type of use, protection of its surroundings appears to be of most consequence. Therefore, it is essential to develop effective mosaic governance mechanisms that include protected areas and different types of land use. However, it is also necessary to establish common ground that allows the coexistence of human economic demands and wildlife preservation.
Analysis of the Accommodation Density in Coastal Tourism Areas of Insular Destinations from the Perspective of Overtourism
Authors: Simancas Cruz Moisés , Peñarrubia Zaragoza María Pilar
Published: May 2019

Accommodation saturation is transcendental in island destinations; especially when we include it in the sustainability paradigm. A coastal tourism area is considered saturated when tourists feel the area is overbuilt. This can lead to unpleasant experiences that decrease tourist satisfaction—diminishing the competitiveness of the destination. This issue is especially relevant in insular areas. However, estimating optimal levels of accommodation density is complex, with many conceptual, methodological and operational controversies. Moreover, there is a lack of measurement data and assessment standards at the micro-local scale. The main objective of this paper is to analyse tourist accommodation density because it is commonly used to measure the level of saturation in urban coastal tourism areas. The intention is to identify from the perspective of overtourism, the weaknesses of using tourist accommodation density as a parameter to assess the urban saturation of coastal tourism areas located in the destination, the Canary Islands, Spain. A systematic method of observation and interpretation is employed to examine the use of density indicators and assess their efficiency. The main conclusion is to determine the optimal accommodation density. In order to achieve this, we must consider more than just the pressure and condition indicators; we also have to examine other related responses to the behaviour of the demand and, more specifically, the level of satisfaction of the tourists. The objective of this work is to evaluate the weaknesses of using tourist bed places as an indicator of the level of saturation in a coastal tourism area.
The Influence of Islamic Religiosity on the Perceived Socio-Cultural Impact of Sustainable Tourism Development in Pakistan: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Authors: Aman Jaffar , Abbas Jaffar , Mahmood Shahid , Nurunnabi Mohammad , Bano Shaher
Published: May 2019

Typically, residents play a role in developing strategies and innovations in tourism. However, few studies have sought to understand the role of Islamic religiosity on the perceived socio-cultural impacts of sustainable tourism development in Pakistan. Previous studies focusing on socio-cultural impacts as perceived by local communities have applied various techniques to explain the relationships between selected variables. Circumstantially, the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique has gained little attention for measuring the religiosity factors affecting the perceived socio-cultural impacts of sustainable tourism. This investigation aims to address such limitations in this area of scientific knowledge by applying Smart PLS-SEM, developing an empirical approach, and implementing Smart-PLS software V-3.2.8. The proposed tourism model predicts the effects of the religiosity level on the perceived socio-cultural impacts of sustainable tourism development. In this study, we examine the relationships among religious commitments, religious practice, and religious belief and the socio-cultural effects of sustainable tourism. Our research identifies influential factors through an extensive literature review on communities’ religiosity and the socio-cultural impacts of developing sustainable tourism. We examine and analyze data based on 508 residents’ responses. The findings reveal an R² value of 0.841, suggesting three exogenous latent constructs, which collectively elucidate 84.10% of the variance in the perceived socio-cultural impact of sustainable tourism. The findings reveal that religious respondents with a higher religiosity level have a positive attitude towards developing sustainable tourism. These findings are helpful to understand the dynamics of communities’ perceptions, behaviors, quality of life, cultural aspects, and religiosity factors affecting sustainable tourism in Pakistan. This study is novel in the context of Pakistani cultural and social norms, and this study’s implications may provide further direction for researching and developing sustainable tourism in the northern regions of Pakistan.
Analysis of Forest Deforestation and its Driving Factors in Myanmar from 1988 to 2017
Authors: Yang Rongfeng , Luo Yi , Yang Kun , Hong Liang , Zhou Xiaolu
Published: May 2019

Myanmar, abundant in natural resources, is one of the countries with high forest cover in Southeast Asia. Along with its rapid socio-economic development, however, the construction of large-scale infrastructure, expansion of agricultural land, and an increasing demand for timber products have posed serious threats to the forests and significantly affected regional sustainable development. However, the geographical environment in Myanmar is complex, resulting in the lack of long-term sequence of land cover data products. Based on 30 years’ Landsat satellite remote sensing imagery data and the land cover data extracted by a mixed classification method, this paper examined the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of forest cover in Myanmar and investigated driving factors of the spatio-temporal evolution. Results show that the forest cover has decreased by 110,621 km2 in the past 30 years with the annual deforestation rate of 0.87%. Cropland expansion is the main reason for the deforestation throughout the study period. The study can provide basic information of the forest cover data to the Myanmar government for ecological environment protection. At the same time, it can provide important support to the “Belt and Road” initiative to invest in the region’s economy.
Local and Semilocal Convergence of Wang-Zheng’s Method for Simultaneous Finding Polynomial Zeros
Authors: Cholakov Slav I.
Published: May 2019

In 1984, Wang and Zheng (J. Comput. Math. 1984, 1, 70–76) introduced a new fourth order iterative method for the simultaneous computation of all zeros of a polynomial. In this paper, we present new local and semilocal convergence theorems with error estimates for Wang–Zheng’s method. Our results improve the earlier ones due to Wang and Wu (Computing 1987, 38, 75–87) and Petković, Petković, and Rančić (J. Comput. Appl. Math. 2007, 205, 32–52).
Assorted Methods for Decontamination of Aflatoxin M1 in Milk Using Microbial Adsorbents
Authors: Assaf Jean Claude , Nahle Sahar , Chokr Ali , Louka Nicolas , Atoui Ali , El Khoury André
Published: May 2019

Aflatoxins (AF) are carcinogenic metabolites produced by different species of Aspergillus which readily colonize crops. AFM1 is secreted in the milk of lactating mammals through the ingestion of feedstuffs contaminated by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Therefore, its presence in milk, even in small amounts, presents a real concern for dairy industries and consumers of dairy products. Different strategies can lead to the reduction of AFM1 contamination levels in milk. They include adopting good agricultural practices, decreasing the AFB1 contamination of animal feeds, or using diverse types of adsorbent materials. One of the most effective types of adsorbents used for AFM1 decontamination are those of microbial origin. This review discusses current issues about AFM1 decontamination methods. These methods are based on the use of different bio-adsorbent agents such as bacteria and yeasts to complex AFM1 in milk. Moreover, this review answers some of the raised concerns about the binding stability of the formed AFM1-microbial complex. Thus, the efficiency of the decontamination methods was addressed, and plausible experimental variants were discussed.
Human-Derived A/Guangdong/Th005/2017 (H7N9) Exhibits Extremely High Replication in the Lungs of Ferrets and Is Highly Pathogenic in Chickens
Authors: Gong Shuran , Qi Feifei , Li Fengdi , Lv Qi , Wang Guanpeng , Wang Shunyi , Jiang Jing , Wang Lin , Bao Linlin , Qin Chuan
Published: May 2019

After a series of studies on the pathogenicity of several H7N9 strains from 2013 to 2018, we wanted to dynamically track the pathogenicity of A/Guangdong/Th005/2017 in ferrets and poultry. The pathogenicity and transmissibility of Th005, especially the distribution and replication in tissues, were studied in ferrets. We also aimed to assess the level of Th005 pathogenicity in chickens. The results showed that the pathogenicity of Th005 was significantly increased in ferrets and chickens, especially compared with the Anhui strain. The replication of Th005 in the lung tissues of ferrets was 100-fold higher than that of the Anhui strain. Th005 pathogenicity reached an intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) score of 3 in avian models. Continuously high titres of viruses could be detected in the cloacal cavity of chickens infected with Th005. Th005 remained highly pathogenic in mice and chickens after passaging in ferrets. High expression of both the α2,6- and α2,3-sialic acid residues in cells in vitro was beneficial to Th005 replication, which was enhanced compared to the Anhui strain. China needs to strengthen its surveillance of virulent influenza virus strains, such as Th005, which continues to increase in pathogenicity.