bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Metabolomics Assessment of Human Dried Blood Spots and Urine Strips
Authors: Drolet Jeremy , Tolstikov Vladimir , Williams Brian , Greenwood Bennett , Hill Collin , Vishnudas Vivek , Sarangarajan Rangaprasad , Narain Niven , Kiebish Michael
Published: July 2017

(1) Background: Interest in the application of metabolomics toward clinical diagnostics development and population health monitoring has grown significantly in recent years. In spite of several advances in analytical and computational tools, obtaining a sufficient number of samples from patients remains an obstacle. The dried blood spot (DBS) and dried urine strip (DUS) methodologies are a minimally invasive sample collection method allowing for the relative simplicity of sample collection and minimal cost. (2) Methods: In the current report, we compared results of targeted metabolomics analyses of four types of human blood sample collection methods (with and without DBS) and two types of urine sample collection (DUS and urine) across several parameters including the metabolite coverage of each matrix and the sample stability for DBS/DUS using commercially available Whatman 903TM paper. The DBS/DUS metabolomics protocols were further applied to examine the temporal metabolite level fluctuations within hours and days of sample collection. (3) Results: Several hundred polar metabolites were monitored using DBS/DUS. Temporal analysis of the polar metabolites at various times of the day and across days identified several species that fluctuate as a function of day and time. In addition, a subset of metabolites were identified to be significantly altered across hours within a day and within successive days of the week. (4) Conclusion: A comprehensive DBS/DUS metabolomics protocol was developed for human blood and urine analyses. The described methodology demonstrates the potential for enabling patients to contribute to the expanding bioanalytical demands of precision medicine and population health studies.
Friction Reduction for a Rotational Gyroscope with Mechanical Support by Fabrication of a Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Surface on a Ball-Disk Shaped Rotor and the Application of a Water Film Bearing
Authors: Chen Dianzhong , Liu Xiaowei , Zhang Haifeng , Li Hai , Weng Rui , Li Ling , Zhang Zhongzhao
Published: July 2017

Friction between contacting surfaces of metal materials restricts the application of mechanical support in the high-precision inertial device of a rotational gyroscope. Instead, a disk- or ring-shaped rotor is electrostatically or magnetically suspended. However, stability of the rotor suspension restricts further improvement of the measurement precision. In the developed rotational gyroscope, a stable mechanical rotor supporting scheme with low friction is achieved by fabrication of a superhydrophobic surface with similar nanostructures of the lotus leaf on the carbon steel ball of the ball-disk-shaped rotor and the addition of a water film between the rotor ball and bronze hemispherical supporting bowl, which forms a water film bearing. The special design of the ball-disk-shaped rotor makes it possible for the application of a low-friction water bearing in the gyroscope, with rotor tilting motion. With a superhydrophobic surface, friction is further decreased and the rated spinning speed increases 12.4%, resulting in approximately the same proportion of increase in the scale factor. Moreover, superhydrophobic surface reduces mechanical damping torque for precessional motion to one order smaller than electrostatic feedback torque. Thus, through close-loop control, stable damping characteristics for precessional motion are obtained. The gyroscope exhibits excellent performance with the parameters of the measurement range, scale factor, nonlinearity, resolution, bias stability, and dynamic setting time tested to be −30°/s to 30°/s, −0.0985 V/(°/s), 0.43%, 0.1°/s, 0.5°/h, 0.1 s, respectively.
Monitoring of Drill System Behavior for Water-Powered In-The-Hole (ITH) Drilling
Authors: Ghosh Rajib , Schunnesson Håkan , Gustafson Anna
Published: July 2017

A detailed understanding of the drilling system and the drilling control is required to correctly interpret rock mass conditions based on monitored drilling data. This paper analyses data from hydraulic in-the-hole (ITH) drills used in LKAB’s Malmberget mine in Sweden. Drill parameters, including penetration rate, percussive pressure, feed pressure, and rotation pressure, are monitored in underground production holes. Calculated parameters, penetration rate variability, rotation pressure variability, and fracturing are included in the analysis to improve the opportunity to predict rock mass conditions. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to address non-linearity and variable interactions. The results show that the data contain pronounced hole length-dependent trends, both linear and step-wise linear, for most parameters. It is also suggested that monitoring can be an efficient way to optimize target values for drill parameters, as demonstrated for feed force. Finally, principal component analysis can be used to transfer a number of drill parameters into single components with a more straightforward geomechanical meaning.
Fluorescence Modulation of Green Fluorescent Protein Using Fluorinated Unnatural Amino Acids
Authors: Villa Jordan K. , Tran Hong-Anh , Vipani Megha , Gianturco Stephanie , Bhasin Konark , Russell Brent L. , Harbron Elizabeth J. , Young Douglas D.
Published: July 2017

The ability to modulate protein function through minimal perturbations to amino acid structure represents an ideal mechanism to engineer optimized proteins. Due to the novel spectroscopic properties of green fluorescent protein, it has found widespread application as a reporter protein throughout the fields of biology and chemistry. Using site-specific amino acid mutagenesis, we have incorporated various fluorotyrosine residues directly into the fluorophore of the protein, altering the fluorescence and shifting the pKa of the phenolic proton associated with the fluorophore. Relative to wild type GFP, the fluorescence spectrum of the protein is altered with each additional fluorine atom, and the mutant GFPs have the potential to be employed as pH sensors due to the altered electronic properties of the fluorine atoms.
Correction: Zielinski, W., et al. Ionic Liquids as Solvents for Rhodium and Platinum Catalysts Used in Hydrosilylation Reaction. Molecules 2016, 21, 1115
Authors: Zielinski Witold , Kukawka Rafal , Maciejewski Hieronim , Smiglak Marcin
Published: July 2017

The authors are sorry to report that the yield of the hydrosilylation reaction in [P44414][NTf2] (1) IL with [RhCl(PPh3)3] was replaced with the yield reported for [P44414][NTf2] (1) IL with K2PtCl4 in their published paper [1]. [...]
Application of Carbon Nanotubes in Chiral and Achiral Separations of Pharmaceuticals, Biologics and Chemicals
Authors: Hemasa Ayman , Naumovski Nenad , Maher William , Ghanem Ashraf
Published: July 2017

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess unique mechanical, physical, electrical and absorbability properties coupled with their nanometer dimensional scale that renders them extremely valuable for applications in many fields including nanotechnology and chromatographic separation. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview about the applications of CNTs in chiral and achiral separations of pharmaceuticals, biologics and chemicals. Chiral single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been directly applied for the enantioseparation of pharmaceuticals and biologicals by using them as stationary or pseudostationary phases in chromatographic separation techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary electrophoresis (CE) and gas chromatography (GC). Achiral MWCNTs have been used for achiral separations as efficient sorbent objects in solid-phase extraction techniques of biochemicals and drugs. Achiral SWCNTs have been applied in achiral separation of biological samples. Achiral SWCNTs and MWCNTs have been also successfully used to separate achiral mixtures of pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Collectively, functionalized CNTs have been indirectly applied in separation science by enhancing the enantioseparation of different chiral selectors whereas non-functionalized CNTs have shown efficient capabilities for chiral separations by using techniques such as encapsulation or immobilization in polymer monolithic columns.
Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) on Fetal Pulmonary Circulation: An Experimental Study in Fetal Lambs
Authors: Sharma Dyuti , Aubry Estelle , Ouk Thavarak , Houeijeh Ali , Houfflin-Debarge Véronique , Besson Rémi , Deruelle Philippe , Storme Laurent
Published: July 2017

Background: Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) causes significant morbidity and mortality in neonates. n-3 Poly-unsaturated fatty acids have vasodilatory properties in the perinatal lung. We studied the circulatory effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in fetal sheep and in fetal pulmonary arterial rings. Methods: At 128 days of gestation, catheters were placed surgically in fetal systemic and pulmonary circulation, and a Doppler probe around the left pulmonary artery (LPA). Pulmonary arterial pressure and LPA flow were measured while infusing EPA or DHA for 120 min to the fetus, to compute pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). The dose effects of EPA or DHA were studied in vascular rings pre-constricted with serotonin. Rings treated with EPA were separated into three groups: E+ (intact endothelium), E− (endothelium stripped) and LNA E+ (pretreatment of E+ rings with l-nitro-arginine). Results: EPA, but not DHA, induced a significant and prolonged 25% drop in PVR (n = 8, p < 0.001). Incubation of vascular rings with EPA (100 µM) caused a maximum relaxation of 60% in the E+ (n = 6), whereas vessel tone did not change in the E− (n = 6, p < 0.001). The vascular effects of EPA were significantly decreased in LNA E+ (n = 6). Incubation with DHA resulted in only a mild relaxation at the highest concentration of DHA (300 µM) compared to E+. Conclusions: EPA induces a sustained pulmonary vasodilatation in fetal lambs. This effect is endothelium- and dose-dependent and involves nitric oxide (NO) production. We speculate that EPA supplementation may improve pulmonary circulation in clinical conditions with PPHN.
Maternal Choline Supplementation Alters Fetal Growth Patterns in a Mouse Model of Placental Insufficiency
Authors: King Julia , Kwan Sze , Yan Jian , Klatt Kevin , Jiang Xinyin , Roberson Mark , Caudill Marie
Published: July 2017

Impairments in placental development can adversely affect pregnancy outcomes. The bioactive nutrient choline may mitigate some of these impairments, as suggested by data in humans, animals, and human trophoblasts. Herein, we investigated the effects of maternal choline supplementation (MCS) on parameters of fetal growth in a Dlx3+/− (distal-less homeobox 3) mouse model of placental insufficiency. Dlx3+/− female mice were assigned to 1X (control), 2X, or 4X choline intake levels during gestation. Dams were sacrificed at embryonic days E10.5, 12.5, 15.5, and 18.5. At E10.5, placental weight, embryo weight, and placental efficiency were higher in 4X versus 1X choline. Higher concentrations of hepatic and placental betaine were detected in 4X versus 1X choline, and placental betaine was positively associated with embryo weight. Placental mRNA expression of Igf1 was downregulated by 4X (versus 1X) choline at E10.5. No differences in fetal growth parameters were detected at E12.5 and 15.5, whereas a small but significant reduction in fetal weight was detected at E18.5 in 4X versus 1X choline. MCS improved fetal growth during early pregnancy in the Dlx3+/− mice with the compensatory downregulation of Igf1 to slow growth as gestation progressed. Placental betaine may be responsible for the growth-promoting effects of choline.
Associations between Red Meat Intakes and the Micronutrient Intake and Status of UK Females: A Secondary Analysis of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey
Authors: Derbyshire Emma
Published: July 2017

Blanket health messages to lower red meat intakes are being communicated at present. These could have adverse implications on the micronutrient quality of women’s diets. The current paper evaluates the nutritional impact of lower red meat intakes on British women’s micronutrient intakes and status. A secondary analysis of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey was undertaken using data from years 2008/2009 to 2011/2012. This was comprised of dietary and blood analyte data from 1384 and 641 females aged 11 to 64 years. Females consuming less than 40 g total red meat daily were more likely to have micronutrient intakes below the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI) for zinc, iron, vitamin B12 and potassium and have lower habitual vitamin D intakes than females consuming between 40 and 69 g daily. After adjusting data for energy intake, zinc (% below the LRNI) and vitamin D (μg/day) remained statistically significant (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed for blood biomarkers. Females consuming diets lower in red meat, i.e., <40 g daily, appear to have reduced micronutrient intakes, especially in the case of zinc and vitamin D. This should be considered when giving blanket advice for whole populations to reduce red meat intakes.
Fabrication and Test of an Inflated Circular Diaphragm Dielectric Elastomer Generator Based on PDMS Rubber Composite
Authors: Moretti Giacomo , Righi Michele , Vertechy Rocco , Fontana Marco
Published: July 2017

This paper introduces a fabrication method and the experimental characterization of a soft polymeric energy converter manufactured using a combination of dielectric and conductive polydimethylsiloxane elastomers. The presented system is an inflated circular diaphragm dielectric elastomer generator; i.e., a deformable electrostatic transducer that converts the mechanical work done by a time-varying pressure into electricity. A prototype of the system is realized on the basis of a simple fabrication procedure that makes use of commercially available silicone dielectric elastomer films and custom-prepared deformable conductive electrodes. A test-bench is developed and employed to estimate the energy conversion performance. Remarkable results are obtained, such as an amount of energy converted per cycle of up to 0.3 J, converted power of up to 0.15 W, energy per unit of employed elastomer mass of up to 173 J/kg, and fraction of the input mechanical work converted into electricity of 30%.
Tissue Specific Labeling in Proteomics
Authors: Ramberger Evelyn , Dittmar Gunnar
Published: July 2017

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics is a powerful tool for identifying and quantifying proteins in biological samples. While it is routinely used for the characterization of simple cell line systems, the analysis of the cell specific proteome in multicellular organisms and tissues poses a significant challenge. Isolating a subset of cells from tissues requires mechanical and biochemical separation or sorting, a process which can alter cellular signaling, and thus, the composition of the proteome. Recently, several approaches for cell selective labeling of proteins, that include bioorthogonal amino acids, biotinylating enzymes, and genetic tools, have been developed. These tools facilitate the selective labeling of proteins, their interactome, or of specific cell types within a tissue or an organism, while avoiding the difficult and contamination-prone biochemical separation of cells from the tissue. In this review, we give an overview of existing techniques and their application in cell culture models and whole animals.
Multidimensional Perspectives on the Faith and Giving of Youth and Emerging Adults
Authors: Herzog Patricia
Published: July 2017

This volume includes eight studies of faith and giving for youth and emerging adults.[...]
A Robust Approach to Hedging and Pricing in Imperfect Markets
Authors: Assa Hirbod , Gospodinov Nikolay
Published: July 2017

This paper proposes a model-free approach to hedging and pricing in the presence of market imperfections such as market incompleteness and frictions. The generality of this framework allows us to conduct an in-depth theoretical analysis of hedging strategies with a wide family of risk measures and pricing rules, and study the conditions under which the hedging problem admits a solution and pricing is possible. The practical implications of our proposed theoretical approach are illustrated with an application on hedging economic risk.
Terrestrial Remote Sensing of Snowmelt in a Diverse High-Arctic Tundra Environment Using Time-Lapse Imagery
Authors: Kępski Daniel , Luks Bartłomiej , Migała Krzysztof , Wawrzyniak Tomasz , Westermann Sebastian , Wojtuń Bronisław
Published: July 2017

Snow cover is one of the crucial factors influencing the plant distribution in harsh Arctic regions. In tundra environments, wind redistribution of snow leads to a very heterogeneous spatial distribution which influences growth conditions for plants. Therefore, relationships between snow cover and vegetation should be analyzed spatially. In this study, we correlate spatial data sets on tundra vegetation types with snow cover information obtained from orthorectification and classification of images collected from a time-lapse camera installed on a mountain summit. The spatial analysis was performed over an area of 0.72 km2, representing a coastal tundra environment in southern Svalbard. The three-year monitoring is supplemented by manual measurements of snow depth, which show a statistically significant relationship between snow abundance and the occurrence of some of the analyzed land cover types. The longest snow cover duration was found on “rock debris” type and the shortest on “lichen-herb-heath tundra”, resulting in melt-out time-lag of almost two weeks between this two land cover types. The snow distribution proved to be consistent over the different years with a similar melt-out pattern occurring in every analyzed season, despite changing melt-out dates related to different weather conditions. The data set of 203 high resolution processed images used in this work is available for download in the supplementary materials.
Large-Scale, Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing of Palaeo-River Networks: A Case Study from Northwest India and its Implications for the Indus Civilisation
Authors: Orengo Hector , Petrie Cameron
Published: July 2017

Remote sensing has considerable potential to contribute to the identification and reconstruction of lost hydrological systems and networks. Remote sensing-based reconstructions of palaeo-river networks have commonly employed single or limited time-span imagery, which limits their capacity to identify features in complex and varied landscape contexts. This paper presents a seasonal multi-temporal approach to the detection of palaeo-rivers over large areas based on long-term vegetation dynamics and spectral decomposition techniques. Twenty-eight years of Landsat 5 data, a total of 1711 multi-spectral images, have been bulk processed using Google Earth Engine© Code Editor and cloud computing infrastructure. The use of multi-temporal data has allowed us to overcome seasonal cultivation patterns and long-term visibility issues related to recent crop selection, extensive irrigation and land-use patterns. The application of this approach on the Sutlej-Yamuna interfluve (northwest India), a core area for the Bronze Age Indus Civilisation, has enabled the reconstruction of an unsuspectedly complex palaeo-river network comprising more than 8000 km of palaeo-channels. It has also enabled the definition of the morphology of these relict courses, which provides insights into the environmental conditions in which they operated. These new data will contribute to a better understanding of the settlement distribution and environmental settings in which this, often considered riverine, civilisation operated.
A Burned Area Mapping Algorithm for Chinese FengYun-3 MERSI Satellite Data
Authors: Shan Tianchan , Wang Changlin , Chen Fang , Wu Qinchun , Li Bin , Yu Bo , Shirazi Zeeshan , Lin Zhengyang , Wu Wei
Published: July 2017

Biomass burning is a worldwide phenomenon, which emits large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and strongly influences the environment. Burned area is an important parameter in modeling the impacts of biomass burning on the climate and ecosystem. The Medium Resolution Spectral Imager (MERSI) onboard FengYun-3C (FY-3C) has shown great potential for burned area mapping research, but there is still a lack of relevant studies and applications. This paper describes an automated burned area mapping algorithm that was developed using daily MERSI data. The algorithm employs time-series analysis and multi-temporal 1000-m resolution data to obtain seed pixels. To identify the burned pixels automatically, region growing and Support Vector Machine) methods have been used together with 250-m resolution data. The algorithm was tested by applying it in two experimental areas, and the accuracy of the results was evaluated by comparing them to reference burned area maps, which were interpreted manually using Landsat 8 OLI data and the MODIS MCD64A1 burned area product. The results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm was able to improve the burned area mapping accuracy at the two study sites.
Multi-Temporal X-Band Radar Interferometry Using Corner Reflectors: Application and Validation at the Corvara Landslide (Dolomites, Italy)
Authors: Schlögel Romy , Thiebes Benni , Mulas Marco , Cuozzo Giovanni , Notarnicola Claudia , Schneiderbauer Stefan , Crespi Mattia , Mazzoni Augusto , Mair Volkmar , Corsini Alessandro
Published: July 2017

From the wide range of methods available to landslide researchers and practitioners for monitoring ground displacements, remote sensing techniques have increased in popularity. Radar interferometry methods with their ability to record movements in the order of millimeters have been more frequently applied in recent years. Multi-temporal interferometry can assist in monitoring landslides on the regional and slope scale and thereby assist in assessing related hazards and risks. Our study focuses on the Corvara landslides in the Italian Alps, a complex earthflow with spatially varying displacement patterns. We used radar imagery provided by the COSMO-SkyMed constellation and carried out a validation of the derived time-series data with differential GPS data. Movement rates were assessed using the Permanent Scatterers based Multi-Temporal Interferometry applied to 16 artificial Corner Reflectors installed on the source, track and accumulation zones of the landslide. The overall movement trends were well covered by Permanent Scatterers based Multi-Temporal Interferometry, however, fast acceleration phases and movements along the satellite track could not be assessed with adequate accuracy due to intrinsic limitations of the technique. Overall, despite the intrinsic limitations, Multi-Temporal Interferometry proved to be a promising method to monitor landslides characterized by a linear and relatively slow movement rates.
How Reliable Is Structure from Motion (SfM) over Time and between Observers? A Case Study Using Coral Reef Bommies
Authors: Raoult Vincent , Reid-Anderson Sarah , Ferri Andreas , Williamson Jane
Published: July 2017

Recent efforts to monitor the health of coral reefs have highlighted the benefits of using structure from motion-based assessments, and despite increasing use of this technique in ecology and geomorphology, no study has attempted to quantify the precision of this technique over time and across different observers. This study determined whether 3D models of an ecologically relevant reef structure, the coral bommie, could be constructed using structure from motion and be reliably used to measure bommie volume and surface area between different observers and over time. We also determined whether the number of images used to construct a model had an impact on the final measurements. Three dimensional models were constructed of over twenty coral bommies from Heron Island, a coral cay at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. This study did not detect any significant observer effect, and there were no significant differences in measurements over four sampling days. The mean measurement error across all bommies and between observers was 15 ± 2% for volume measurements and 12 ± 1% for surface area measurements. There was no relationship between the number of pictures taken for a reconstruction and the measurements from that model, however, more photographs were necessary to be able to reconstruct complete coral bommies larger than 1 m3. These results suggest that structure from motion is a viable tool for ongoing monitoring of ecologically-significant coral reefs, especially to establish effects of disturbances, provided the measurement error is considered.
High Precision DEM Generation Algorithm Based on InSAR Multi-Look Iteration
Authors: Gao Xiaoming , Liu Yaolin , Li Tao , Wu Danqin
Published: July 2017

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is one of the most sufficient technologies to provide global digital elevation modeling (DEM). It unwraps the interferometric phase to provide observations for phase-to-height conversion. However, the phase gradient has great influence on the phase unwrapping quality, thereby affecting the topographic mapping accuracy. Multi-look processing can improve the reliability of phase unwrapping by reducing the noise phase gradient. Nevertheless, it reduces the spatial resolution while increasing the height phase gradient, thus lowering the reliability of height values. In this paper, we propose a multi-look iteration algorithm to suppress the noise and maintain the reliability of height values. First, we use a large number of looks (NL) to suppress the noise phase gradient and obtain a coarse DEM. Then taking this coarse DEM as a reference, we remove the topographic phase from the interferogram with a small NL, which will reduce height phase gradient and ensure the accuracy of phase unwrapping. Finally, we obtain DEM products with high precision and fine resolution. We validate the proposed algorithm using both simulated and real data, and obtain DEM products in a greatly undulated region using TanDEM-X data. Results show that the proposed method is capable of providing DEM with resolution of 4 m and accuracy of 1.73 m.
Non-Convex Sparse and Low-Rank Based Robust Subspace Segmentation for Data Mining
Authors: Cheng Wenlong , Zhao Mingbo , Xiong Naixue , Chui Kwok Tai
Published: July 2017

Parsimony, including sparsity and low-rank, has shown great importance for data mining in social networks, particularly in tasks such as segmentation and recognition. Traditionally, such modeling approaches rely on an iterative algorithm that minimizes an objective function with convex l1-norm or nuclear norm constraints. However, the obtained results by convex optimization are usually suboptimal to solutions of original sparse or low-rank problems. In this paper, a novel robust subspace segmentation algorithm has been proposed by integrating lp-norm and Schatten p-norm constraints. Our so-obtained affinity graph can better capture local geometrical structure and the global information of the data. As a consequence, our algorithm is more generative, discriminative and robust. An efficient linearized alternating direction method is derived to realize our model. Extensive segmentation experiments are conducted on public datasets. The proposed algorithm is revealed to be more effective and robust compared to five existing algorithms.
Electrochemical Flow-ELISA for Rapid and Sensitive Determination of Microcystin-LR Using Automated Sequential Injection System
Authors: Lebogang Lesedi , Jantra Jongjit , Hedström Martin , Mattiasson Bo
Published: July 2017

An amperometric immunoanalysis system based on monoclonal antibodies immobilized on Sepharose beads and packed into a micro-immunocolumn was developed for the quantification of microcystin-LR. Microcystin-LR (MCLR) was used as a reference microcystin variant. Inside the immunocolumn, free microcystins and microcystin-horseradish peroxidase (tracer) were sequentially captured by the immobilized antibodies, and the detection was performed electrochemically using Super AquaBlue ELISA substrate 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). The ABTS●+ generated by enzymatic oxidation of ABTS was electrochemically determined at a carbon working electrode by applying a reduction potential set at 0.4 V versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The peak current intensity was inversely proportional to the amount of analyte bound to the immunocolumn. The amperometric flow-ELISA system, which was automatically controlled through the CapSenzeTM (Lund, Sweden) computer software, enabled determination of MCLR as low as 0.01 µg/L. The assay time was very short (20 min for one assay cycle). In addition, the electrochemical signals were not significantly affected by possible interferences which could be present in the real samples. Along with the simplicity of automation, this makes the developed method a promising tool for use in water quality assessment.
Is Social Media to Blame for the Sharp Rise in STDs?
Authors: Enomoto Carl , Noor Sajid , Widner Benjamin
Published: July 2017

Rhode Island, New Zealand, and southern California recently reported sharp increases in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Health department officials stated that these increases appeared to be due to the more widespread use of social media like Tinder, Grindr, and Facebook, which allow users to readily connect with and meet others. The purpose of this study was to see if U.S. states that have more users of social networking sites, dating sites, and dating apps like Match.com, Ashley Madison, Our Time, Down Dating, Bumble, Zoosk, Hinge, Score, At First Sight, Plenty of Fish, Eharmony, Adult Friend Finder, Tinder, Grindr, and Facebook have more cases of STDs after controlling for population, race, age, income, education, and population density. It was found that states with more users of Match.com, OKCupid, and Down Dating had a larger number of cases of STDs, while states with more users of Our Time, Ashley Madison, Facebook, How About We, Hinge, Adult Friend Finder, Grindr, Bumble, Score, Tinder, and At First Sight had fewer cases of STDs. While social networking sites make it easier for individuals to be exposed to an STD since in-network individuals may share an STD, many sites either attract individuals who are not interested in a short-term sexual relationship or who take precautions to avoid contracting an STD.
Methods for Converting Monthly Total Irradiance Data into Hourly Data to Estimate Electric Power Production from Photovoltaic Systems: A Comparative Study
Authors: Suh Jangwon , Choi Yosoon
Published: July 2017

Hourly irradiance values are essential data to reasonably estimate the electric power production (EPP) from a photovoltaic (PV) system. Worldwide monthly irradiance data are available from meteorological observation satellites; however, adequate hourly data are not widely available in developing countries or rural areas where PV systems are needed most. Aiming to supply such data, this study compared three different methods (i.e., sunshine hours mean, the SOLPOS algorithm, and the Duffie and Beckman algorithm) to convert the monthly accumulated irradiance data into hourly irradiance data. The monthly accumulated irradiance data at 11 sites in the United States and Korea, acquired from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, were converted into hourly irradiance data by employing the three methods. The converted hourly data were entered into the System Advisor Model to estimate the monthly total EPP values (henceforth, EPPs) from the PV systems. Each estimated EPP value was compared with those analyzed from the measured hourly data (regarded as the reference values in this study). After considering the errors between the EPPs estimated from the converted hourly irradiance data and measured using the hourly irradiance data, the simulation results with identical PV capacities indicated that the SOLPOS algorithm was the most appropriate conversion method.
A Review of Low-Carbon Transformation and Energy Innovation Issues in China
Authors: Yang Liexun , Zhou Peng , Zhang Ning
Published: July 2017

Scale-oriented economic development in China has given rise to problems associated with high energy consumption and severe environmental pollution. Thus, the 7th China Annual Conference of Energy Economics and Management provides a platform for presenting ongoing research activities in order to exchange research ideas in the area of low-carbon economics and sustainable development for China. We thank Sustainability for providing this timely special issue. This editorial highlights the contents and methodologies of this conference special issue, presenting several important issues in energy economics and management.
Dynamic Technological Diversification and Its Impact on Firms’ Performance: An Empirical Analysis of Korean IT Firms
Authors: Kook Sang , Kim Ki , Lee Chulung
Published: July 2017

This paper aims to analyze the influence of the technological diversification on a firm’s innovation capabilities and investigates the effect of various strategies on the firm’s financial performance in a technology-oriented environment. We employ the entropy measurement to calculate technological diversification with 2095 patents, which are applied from years 2009 to 2011 by 507 firms that have participated in Korean government Information Technology (IT) Research and Development (R&D) supporting programs. In our framework, a firm should not diversify among the related technology fields, but should concentrate on a specific technology to reinforce the competitive advantage. However, in the case of the firms with sufficient resources, increasing technological diversification among the unrelated technology fields plays a key role on the firms’ performance. Furthermore, the degree of the technological diversification should be adjusted dynamically in compliance with the change of a firm’s innovation capabilities. Therefore, these results suggest that a firm should develop differentiated competitiveness through specialization by prioritizing its capabilities, and then exploit unrelated technological diversification to search for new opportunities.
The Effect of Carbon Tax in Aviation Industry on the Multilateral Simulation Game
Authors: Zheng Jiali , Qiao Han , Wang Shouyang
Published: July 2017

With the end of the grace period (2016) of the aviation carbon tax (ACT) proposed by the EU, the EU is likely to restart the ACT. Hence, it becomes increasingly urgent to propose a feasible and effective scheme to restrict emissions in the aviation industry. We develop a two-stage game model to analyze three possible strategies (non-resistance, refusal of payment and ACT retaliation) in nine scenarios for three groups (the EU, developing countries and non-EU developed countries). The theoretical analyses and numerical simulations reveal that the EU will continue to impose the ACT. Simultaneously, imposing retaliatory ACT constitutes an ideal choice for non-EU developed countries. At present, refusing to pay the ACT is a practical strategy for developing countries; however, after the transitional phase, this group will tend to impose the ACT as developed countries by paying attention to increasing climate change. With optimal strategies for the above three groups, the ACT can be imposed effectively and efficiently by multilateral agreements within the framework of the market-based measure (MBM) scheme. This paper develops a game framework to simulate the ACT effect and to solve emission problems in the aviation industry by a multilateral perspective to achieve sustainability, which is of practical significance for nations and economies.
An Integrative DR Study for Optimal Home Energy Management Based on Approximate Dynamic Programming
Authors: Li Hepeng , Zeng Peng , Zang Chuanzhi , Yu Haibin , Li Shuhui
Published: July 2017

This paper presents an integrative demand response (DR) mechanism for energy management of appliances, an energy storage system and an electric vehicle (EV) within a home. The paper considers vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functions for energy management of EVs and the degradation cost of the EV battery caused by the V2H/V2G operation in developing the proposed DR mechanism. An efficient optimization algorithm is developed based on approximate dynamic programming, which overcomes the challenges of solving high dimensional optimization problems for the integrative home energy system. To investigate how the participation of different home appliances affects the DR efficiency, several DR scenarios are designed. Then, a detailed simulation study is conducted to investigate and compare home energy management efficiency under different scenarios.
Waste Management in Industrial Construction: Investigating Contributions from Industrial Ecology
Authors: Freitas Larissa , Magrini Alessandra
Published: July 2017

The need for effective construction waste management is growing in importance, due to the increasing generation of construction waste and to its adverse impacts on the environment. However, despite the numerous studies on construction waste management, recovery of construction waste through Industrial Symbiosis and the adoption of other inter-firm practices, comprised within Industrial Ecology field of study, have not been fully explored. The present research aims to investigate Industrial Ecology contributions to waste management in industrial construction. The waste management strategies adopted in two industrial construction projects in Brazil are analyzed. The main waste streams generated are identified, recycling and landfilling diversion rates are presented and waste recovery through Industrial Symbiosis is discussed. A SWOT analysis was carried out. Results demonstrate that 9% of the waste produced in one of the projects was recovered through Industrial Symbiosis, while in the other project, waste recovery through Industrial Symbiosis achieved the rate of 30%. These data reveal Industrial Symbiosis’ potential to reduce landfilling of industrial construction wastes, contributing to waste recovery in construction. In addition, results show that industrial construction projects can benefit from the following synergies common in Industrial Ecology place-based approaches: centralized waste management service, shared waste management infrastructure and administrative simplification.
Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support Systems for Future Urban Energy Retrofitting Scenarios
Authors: Lombardi Patrizia , Abastante Francesca , Torabi Moghadam Sara , Toniolo Jacopo
Published: July 2017

Nowadays, there is an increasing concern about sustainable urban energy development taking into account national priorities of each city. Many cities have started to define future strategies and plans to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Urban energy scenarios involve the consideration of a wide range of conflicting criteria, both socio-economic and environmental ones. Moreover, decision-makers (DMs) require proper tools that can support their choices in a context of multiple stakeholders and a long-term perspective. In this context, Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support Systems (MC-SDSS) are often used in order to define and analyze urban scenarios since they support the comparison of different solutions, based on a combination of multiple factors. The main problem, in relation to urban energy retrofitting scenarios, is the lack of appropriate knowledge and evaluation criteria. The latter are crucial for delivering and assessing urban energy scenarios through a MC-SDSS tool. The main goal of this paper is to analyze and test two different methods for the definition and ranking of the evaluation criteria. More specifically, the paper presents an on-going research study related to the development of a MC-SDSS tool able to identify and evaluate alternative energy urban scenarios in a long-term period perspective. This study refers to two Smart City and Communities research projects, namely: DIMMER (District Information Modeling and Management for Energy Reduction) and EEB (Zero Energy Buildings in Smart Urban Districts).
Seismic Vibration Control of 3D Steel Frames with Irregular Plans Using Eccentrically Placed MR Dampers
Authors: Hu Yuwen , Liu Lingfei , Rahimi Saeed
Published: July 2017

There has been a significant increase in attention toward designing smart structures and vibration control of structures in recent decades, and numerous methods and algorithms have been developed and experimentally investigated. However, the majority of these studies used the shear frame models to represent structures. Since the simplified models do not reflect the realistic behavior of those structures with irregularity in plan and elevation, the traditional methods for designing an optimal control that guarantees a desirable performance is impossible. In this study, the behavior of a 10-story irregular steel frame building is investigated with and without controlling systems. Two pairs of eccentrically placed MR dampers on each story are used in order to mitigate the coupled translational–torsional vibration. The controlling forces are determined using active, passive-off, passive-on, and clipped optimal controls based on the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) algorithm. The results demonstrate that using pairs of magneto-rheological (MR) dampers with an appropriate distance on lower story levels significantly reduces the inter-story drifts for the corner columns, as well as the roof displacements and accelerations.
Considerations on Applying the Method for Assessing the Level of Safety at Work
Authors: Bejinariu Costica , Darabont Doru-Costin , Baciu Elena-Raluca , Georgescu Iuliana-Silvia , Bernevig-Sava Mihai-Adrian , Baciu Constantin
Published: July 2017

The application of the method for assessing the level of safety at work starts with a document that contains the cover page, the description of the company (name, location, core business, organizational chart etc.), description of the work system, a detailed list of its components, and a brief description of the assessment method. It continues with a Microsoft Excel document, which represents the actual application of the method and, finally, there is another document presenting conclusions, proposals, and prioritizations, which leads to the execution of the Prevention and Protection Plan. The present paper approaches the issue of developing the Microsoft Excel document, an essential part of the method for assessing the level of safety at work. The document is divided into a variable number of worksheets, showing the risk categories of general, specific, and management.
Entropy Analysis of the Coupled Human–Earth System: Implications for Sustainable Development
Authors: Shi Weifang
Published: July 2017

Finding the basic physical foundation contributing to sustainable development is significantly useful in seeking ways to build an enduring human future. This paper introduces the dissipative structure theory to analyze the entropy budgets of the whole coupled human–Earth system and the key processes of the subsystems, and then presents the formulas to calculate these entropy budgets. The results show that the total net negative entropy of the coupled human–Earth system from exchange with space is sufficient, but only about 0.0042% of it is available for sustaining the life activities of the whole coupled system and the quantity of this portion is also not more than sufficient compared with the requirement of human life activities. In addition, the rate of negative entropy consumption by human subsystem from fossil fuels for sustaining modern civilization is too large, nearly a half of the negative entropy rate obtained by photosynthesis on the Earth, which indicates that entirely substituting biomass fuels for fossil fuels may be infeasible. The strategies for sustaining human life activities and modern civilization are proposed in the study, which would provide valuable information for humans to realize sustainable development.
A Novel Rough Set Model in Generalized Single Valued Neutrosophic Approximation Spaces and Its Application
Authors: Guo Zhi-Lian , Liu Yan-Ling , Yang Hai-Long
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we extend the rough set model on two different universes in intuitionistic fuzzy approximation spaces to a single-valued neutrosophic environment. Firstly, based on the ( α , β , γ ) -cut relation R ˜ { ( α , β , γ ) } , we propose a rough set model in generalized single-valued neutrosophic approximation spaces. Then, some properties of the new rough set model are discussed. Furthermore, we obtain two extended models of the new rough set model—the degree rough set model and the variable precision rough set model—and study some of their properties. Finally, we explore an example to illustrate the validity of the new rough set model.
Quantum Correlations under Time Reversal and Incomplete Parity Transformations in the Presence of a Constant Magnetic Field
Authors: Gregorio Paolo , Bonella Sara , Rondoni Lamberto
Published: July 2017

We derive the quantum analogues of some recently discovered symmetry relations for time correlation functions in systems subject to a constant magnetic field. The symmetry relations deal with the effect of time reversal and do not require—as in the formulations of Casimir and Kubo—that the magnetic field be reversed. It has been anticipated that the same symmetry relations hold for quantum systems. Thus, here we explicitly construct the required symmetry transformations, acting upon the relevant quantum operators, which conserve the Hamiltonian of a system of many interacting spinless particles, under time reversal. Differently from the classical case, parity transformations always reverse the sign of both the coordinates and of the momenta, while time reversal only of the latter. By implementing time reversal in conjunction with ad hoc “incomplete” parity transformations (i.e., transformations that act upon only some of the spatial directions), it is nevertheless possible to achieve the construction of the quantum analogues of the classical maps. The proof that the mentioned symmetry relations apply straightforwardly to quantal time correlation functions is outlined.
DC Model Cable under Polarity Inversion and Thermal Gradient: Build-Up of Design-Related Space Charge
Authors: Adi Nugroho , Vu Thi , Teyssèdre Gilbert , Baudoin Fulbert , Sinisuka Ngapuli
Published: July 2017

In the field of energy transport, High-Voltage DC (HVDC) technologies are booming at present due to the more flexible power converter solutions along with needs to bring electrical energy from distributed production areas to consumption sites and to strengthen large-scale energy networks. These developments go with challenges in qualifying insulating materials embedded in those systems and in the design of insulations relying on stress distribution. Our purpose in this communication is to illustrate how far the field distribution in DC insulation systems can be anticipated based on conductivity data gathered as a function of temperature and electric field. Transient currents and conductivity estimates as a function of temperature and field were recorded on miniaturized HVDC power cables with construction of 1.5 mm thick crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation. Outputs of the conductivity model are compared to measured field distributions using space charge measurements techniques. It is shown that some features of the field distribution on model cables put under thermal gradient can be anticipated based on conductivity data. However, space charge build-up can induce substantial electric field strengthening when materials are not well controlled.