bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards a Comprehensive and Robust Micromanipulation System with Force-Sensing and VR Capabilities
Authors: Adam Georges , Chidambaram Subramanian , Reddy Sai Swarup , Ramani Karthik , Cappelleri David J.
Published: July 2021

In this modern world, with the increase of complexity of many technologies, especially in the micro and nanoscale, the field of robotic manipulation has tremendously grown. Microrobots and other complex microscale systems are often to laborious to fabricate using standard microfabrication techniques, therefore there is a trend towards fabricating them in parts then assembling them together, mainly using micromanipulation tools. Here, a comprehensive and robust micromanipulation platform is presented, in which four micromanipulators can be used simultaneously to perform complex tasks, providing the user with an intuitive environment. The system utilizes a vision-based force sensor to aid with manipulation tasks and it provides a safe environment for biomanipulation. Lastly, virtual reality (VR) was incorporated into the system, allowing the user to control the probes from a more intuitive standpoint and providing an immersive platform for the future of micromanipulation.
Optimized Aluminum Reflector for Enhancement of UVC Cathodoluminescence Based-AlGaN Materials with Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters
Authors: Mohan Manoj Kumar Chandra , Shim Sang Kyun , Lee June Key , Jang Nakwon , Lee Naesung , Tawfik Wael Z.
Published: July 2021

The far ultraviolet C (UVC) light sources based on carbon nanotube (CNT) field emitters as excitation sources have become promising light sources for sterilization, disinfection, and water purification. However, the low light extraction efficiency of UVC–CNT light sources still hinders the practical application of these structures. Herein, we report an optimized aluminum (Al) reflector to enhance the light extraction efficiency of UVC–CNT light sources. Optical analysis of UVC-CNT light sources covered by the Al reflectors with various thicknesses ranging from 30 to 150 nm was performed to realize the optimized reflector. The UVC-CNT light sources exhibit the highest light extraction efficiency when the Al reflector layer has an optimized thickness of 100 nm. For comparison, the cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra were recorded for UVC–CNT light sources with and without the optimized Al reflector. The measured light output power and the estimated power efficiency of the UVC–CNT light-source-tube with Al reflector were enhanced by about 27 times over the reference. This enhancement is mainly attributed to the outstanding reflection effect of the Al reflector.
The Role of Organic Small Molecules in Pain Management
Authors: Cuesta Sebastián A. , Meneses Lorena
Published: July 2021

In this review, a timeline starting at the willow bark and ending in the latest discoveries of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs will be discussed. Furthermore, the chemical features of the different small organic molecules that have been used in pain management will be studied. Then, the mechanism of different types of pain will be assessed, including neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain, and the relationship found between oxidative stress and pain. This will include obtaining insights into the cyclooxygenase action mechanism of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as ibuprofen and etoricoxib and the structural difference between the two cyclooxygenase isoforms leading to a selective inhibition, the action mechanism of pregabalin and its use in chronic neuropathic pain, new theories and studies on the analgesic action mechanism of paracetamol and how changes in its structure can lead to better characteristics of this drug, and cannabinoid action mechanism in managing pain through a cannabinoid receptor mechanism. Finally, an overview of the different approaches science is taking to develop more efficient molecules for pain treatment will be presented.
Acridino-Diaza-20-Crown-6 Ethers: New Macrocyclic Hosts for Optochemical Metal Ion Sensing
Authors: Golcs Ádám , Kovács Korinna , Vezse Panna , Tóth Tünde , Huszthy Péter
Published: July 2021

Acridino-diaza-20-crown-6 ether derivatives as new turn-on type fluorescent chemosensors with an excellent functionality and photophysical properties have been designed and synthesized for metal ion-selective optochemical sensing applications. Spectroscopic studies revealed that in an acetonitrile-based semi-aqueous medium, the sensor molecules exhibited a remarkable fluorescence enhancement with high sensitivity only toward Zn2+, Al3+ and Bi3+, among 23 different metal ions. Studies on complexation showed a great coordinating ability of logK > 4.7 with a 1:1 complex stoichiometry in each case. The detection limits were found to be from 59 nM to micromoles. The new ionophores enabled an optical response without being affected either by the pH in the range of 5.5–7.5, or the presence of various anions or competing metal ions. Varying the N-substituents of the new host-backbone provides diverse opportunities in both immobilization and practical applications without influencing the molecular recognition abilities.
Comparison of Micronutrient Intervention Strategies in Ghana and Benin to Cover Micronutrient Needs: Simulation of Bene-Fits and Risks in Women of Reproductive Age
Authors: Dass Mamta , Nyako Jolene , Tortoe Charles , Fanou-Fogny Nadia , Nago Eunice , Hounhouigan Joseph , Berger Jacques , Wieringa Frank , Greffeuille Valerie
Published: July 2021

Overlapping micronutrient interventions might increase the risk of excessive micronutrient intake, with potentially adverse health effects. To evaluate how strategies currently implemented in Benin and Ghana contribute to micronutrient intake in women of reproductive age (WRA), and to assess the risk for excess intakes, scenarios of basic rural and urban diets were built, and different on-going interventions were added. We estimated micronutrient intakes for all different scenarios. Four types of intervention were included in the scenarios: fortification, biofortification, supplementation and use of locally available nutrient-rich foods. Basic diets contributed poorly to daily micronutrient intake in WRA. Fortification of oil and salt were essential to reach daily requirements for vitamin A and iodine, while fortified flour contributed less. Biofortified products could make an important contribution to the coverage of vitamin A needs, while they were not sufficient to cover the needs of WRA. Iron and folic acid supplementation was a major contributor in the intake of iron and folate, but only in pregnant and lactating women. Risk of excess were found for three micronutrients (vitamin A, folic acid and niacin) in specific contexts, with excess only coming from voluntary fortified food, supplementation and the simultaneous overlap of several interventions. Better regulation and control of fortification and targeting of supplementation could avoid excess intakes.
Correlation between Levels of Vitamins D3 and E in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Authors: Razip Nurliyana Najwa Md , Gopalsamy Banulata , Abdul Mutalib Mohd Sokhini , Chang Sui Kiat , Abdullah Muhammad Mikhail Joseph Anthony , Azlan Azrina , Rejali Zulida , Khaza’ai Huzwah
Published: July 2021

An overview of vitamins D3 and E suggests micronutrient deficiency contributes to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A case-control study was conducted to determine the status of plasma vitamins D3 and E isomers amongst diabetic Malaysians. Two groups were recruited for participation, one comprising fifty diabetic subjects (DM) and one comprising fifty non-diabetic (non-DM) subjects, in order to assess their plasma vitamin D3, calcium and vitamin E status. Glycaemic status (haemoglobin A1c, HbA1c; fasting blood glucose, FBG; C-Peptide) and lipid profiles (total cholesterol, TC; triglycerides, TG; low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, LDL-C; high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, HDL-C) were assessed, followed by anthropometric measurements. The Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were used to elucidate the association between levels of plasma vitamins D3 and E and T2DM. The vitamin D3 deficiency group (<20 ng/mL) showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with glycaemic status (HbA1c and FBG) and lipid profiles (HDL-C, LDL and TC). Spearman’s correlation demonstrated that vitamin D3 status is strongly correlated with HDL levels (p < 0.05). Similarly, plasma total vitamin E levels >4.9 μg/mL revealed significantly different FBG, HbA1c, C-Peptide, LDL, HDL and TC levels across both groups. Moreover, family history, smoking, waist circumference and HbA1c levels demonstrated a significant association (p < 0.05) with levels of vitamins D and E but not FBG and lipid profiles. This could be because the pre-diabetic status among the non-DM group influenced the outcomes of this study.
Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits
Authors: Thoene Melissa , Anderson-Berry Ann
Published: July 2021

Enteral feeding is the preferred method of nutrient provision for preterm infants. Though parenteral nutrition remains an alternative to provide critical nutrition after preterm delivery, the literature suggests that enteral feeding still confers significant nutritional and non-nutritional benefits. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to summarize health and clinical benefits of early enteral feeding within the first month of life in preterm infants. Likewise, this review also proposes methods to improve enteral delivery in clinical care, including a proposal for decision-making of initiation and advancement of enteral feeding. An extensive literature review assessed enteral studies in preterm infants with subsequent outcomes. The findings support the early initiation and advancement of enteral feeding impact preterm infant health by enhancing micronutrient delivery, promoting intestinal development and maturation, stimulating microbiome development, reducing inflammation, and enhancing brain growth and neurodevelopment. Clinicians must consider these short- and long-term implications when caring for preterm infants.
Cardiovascular Diseases of Developmental Origins: Preventive Aspects of Gut Microbiota-Targeted Therapy
Authors: Hsu Chien-Ning , Hou Chih-Yao , Hsu Wei-Hsuan , Tain You-Lin
Published: July 2021

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) can originate from early life. Accumulating evidence suggests that gut microbiota in early life is linked to CVDs in later life. Gut microbiota-targeted therapy has gained significant importance in recent decades for its health-promoting role in the prevention (rather than just treatment) of CVDs. Thus far, available gut microbiota-based treatment modalities used as reprogramming interventions include probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics. The purpose of this review is, first, to highlight current studies that link dysbiotic gut microbiota to the developmental origins of CVD. This is followed by a summary of the connections between the gut microbiota and CVD behind cardiovascular programming, such as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and their receptors, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), uremic toxins, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). This review also presents an overview of how gut microbiota-targeted reprogramming interventions can prevent the developmental origins of CVD from animal studies. Overall, this review reveals that recent advances in gut microbiota-targeted therapy might provide the answers to reduce the global burden of CVDs. Still, additional studies will be needed to put research findings into practice.
Small Molecule Drugs in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Authors: Ben Ghezala Inès , Charkaoui Maëva , Michiels Christophe , Bardou Marc , Luu Maxime
Published: July 2021

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), mainly represented by Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC), are chronic disorders with an unclear pathogenesis. This incurable and iterative intestinal mucosal inflammation requires the life-long use of anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent flares or relapses, which are the major providers of complications, such as small bowel strictures and intestinal perforations. The introduction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors and other compounds, such as anti-IL12/23 and anti-alpha4/beta7 integrin monoclonal antibodies, has considerably improved the clinical management of IBDs. They are now the standard of care, being the first-line therapy in patients with aggressive disease and in patients with moderate to severe disease with an inadequate response to conventional therapy. However, for approximately one third of all patients, their efficacy remains insufficient by a lack or loss of response due to the formation of anti-drug antibodies or compliance difficulties with parenteral formulations. To address these issues, orally administered Small Molecules Drugs (SMDs) that use a broad range of novel pharmacological pathways, such as JAK inhibitors, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators, and phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors, have been developed for CD and UC. This article provides an updated and complete review of the most recently authorized SMDs and SMDs in phase II/III development.
Novel Purine Chemotypes with Activity against Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma cruzi
Authors: Martinez-Peinado Nieves , Lorente-Macías Álvaro , García-Salguero Alejandro , Cortes-Serra Nuria , Fenollar-Collado Ángel , Ros-Lucas Albert , Gascon Joaquim , Pinazo Maria-Jesus , Molina Ignacio J. , Unciti-Broceta Asier , Díaz-Mochón Juan J. , Pineda de las Infantas y Villatoro María J. , Izquierdo Luis , Alonso-Padilla Julio
Published: July 2021

Malaria and Chagas disease, caused by Plasmodium spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi parasites, remain important global health problems. Available treatments for those diseases present several limitations, such as lack of efficacy, toxic side effects, and drug resistance. Thus, new drugs are urgently needed. The discovery of new drugs may be benefited by considering the significant biological differences between hosts and parasites. One of the most striking differences is found in the purine metabolism, because most of the parasites are incapable of de novo purine biosynthesis. Herein, we have analyzed the in vitro anti-P. falciparum and anti-T. cruzi activity of a collection of 81 purine derivatives and pyrimidine analogs. We firstly used a primary screening at three fixed concentrations (100, 10, and 1 µM) and progressed those compounds that kept the growth of the parasites < 30% at 100 µM to dose–response assays. Then, we performed two different cytotoxicity assays on Vero cells and human HepG2 cells. Finally, compounds specifically active against T. cruzi were tested against intracellular amastigote forms. Purines 33 (IC50 = 19.19 µM) and 76 (IC50 = 18.27 µM) were the most potent against P. falciparum. On the other hand, 6D (IC50 = 3.78 µM) and 34 (IC50 = 4.24 µM) were identified as hit purines against T. cruzi amastigotes. Moreover, an in silico docking study revealed that P. falciparum and T. cruzi hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase enzymes could be the potential targets of those compounds. Our study identified two novel, purine-based chemotypes that could be further optimized to generate potent and diversified anti-parasitic drugs against both parasites.
Anticancer Drugs for Intra-Arterial Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases: In-Vitro Screening after Short Exposure Time
Authors: Fohlen Audrey , Bordji Karim , Assenat Eric , Gongora Céline , Bazille Céline , Boulonnais Jérémy , Naveau Mikaël , Breuil Cécile , Pérès Elodie A. , Bernaudin Myriam , Guiu Boris
Published: July 2021

To treat colorectal liver metastases, intra-arterial chemotherapies may complete therapeutic arsenal. Drugs using intra-arterially are very heterogeneous. The aim of this study was to select the most efficient drug on a panel of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines (Caco-2, HCT 116, HT 29, SW 48, SW 480, SW 620) exposed for 30 min to 12 cytotoxic agents (doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, 5-FU, raltitrexed, gemcitabine, cisplatin, oxaliplatin, mitomycin C, irinotecan, streptozocin, paclitaxel) at different concentrations. The effect on cell viability was measured using the WST-1 cell viability assay. For each drug and cell line, the IC50 and IC90 were calculated, which respectively correspond to the drug concentration (mg/mL) required to obtain 50% and 90% of cell death. We also quantified the cytotoxic index (CyI90 = C Max/IC90) to compare drug efficacy. The main findings of this study are that idarubicin emerged as the most cytotoxic agent to most of the tested CRC cell lines (Caco-2, HT29, HCT116, SW620 and SW480). Gemcitabine seemed to be the most efficient chemotherapy for SW48. Interestingly, the most commonly used cytotoxic agents in the systemic and intra-arterial treatment of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) (oxaliplatin, 5-FU, irinotecan) showed very limited cytotoxicity to all the cell lines.
Macrophage-Laden Gold Nanoflowers Embedded with Ultrasmall Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Enhanced Dual-Mode CT/MR Imaging of Tumors
Authors: Peng Yucheng , Wang Xiaomeng , Wang Yue , Gao Yue , Guo Rui , Shi Xiangyang , Cao Xueyan
Published: July 2021

The design of multimodal imaging nanoplatforms with improved tumor accumulation represents a major trend in the current development of precision nanomedicine. To this end, we report herein the preparation of macrophage (MA)-laden gold nanoflowers (NFs) embedded with ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles (USIO NPs) for enhanced dual-mode computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of tumors. In this work, generation 5 poly(amidoamine) (G5 PAMAM) dendrimer-stabilized gold (Au) NPs were conjugated with sodium citrate-stabilized USIO NPs to form hybrid seed particles for the subsequent growth of Au nanoflowers (NFs). Afterwards, the remaining terminal amines of dendrimers were acetylated to form the dendrimer-stabilized Fe3O4/Au NFs (for short, Fe3O4/Au DSNFs). The acquired Fe3O4/Au DSNFs possess an average size around 90 nm, display a high r1 relaxivity (1.22 mM−1 s−1), and exhibit good colloidal stability and cytocompatibility. The created hybrid DSNFs can be loaded within MAs without producing any toxicity to the cells. Through the mediation of MAs with a tumor homing and immune evasion property, the Fe3O4/Au DSNFs can be delivered to tumors more efficiently than those without MAs after intravenous injection, thus significantly improving the MR/CT imaging performance of tumors. The developed MA-mediated delivery system may hold great promise for enhanced tumor delivery of other contrast agents or nanomedicines for precision cancer nanomedicine applications.
Hydroxycinnamic Acids and Derivatives Formulations for Skin Damages and Disorders: A Review
Authors: Contardi Marco , Lenzuni Martina , Fiorentini Fabrizio , Summa Maria , Bertorelli Rosalia , Suarato Giulia , Athanassiou Athanassia
Published: July 2021

Alterations of skin homeostasis are widely diffused in our everyday life both due to accidental injuries, such as wounds and burns, and physiological conditions, such as late-stage diabetes, dermatitis, or psoriasis. These events are locally characterized by an intense inflammatory response, a high generation of harmful free radicals, or an impairment in the immune response regulation, which can profoundly change the skin tissue’ repair process, vulnerability, and functionality. Moreover, diabetes diffusion, antibiotic resistance, and abuse of aggressive soaps and disinfectants following the COVID-19 emergency could be causes for the future spreading of skin disorders. In the last years, hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives have been investigated and applied in several research fields for their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial activities. First, in this study, we give an overview of these natural molecules’ current source and applications. Afterwards, we review their potential role as valid alternatives to the current therapies, supporting the management and rebalancing of skin disorders and diseases at different levels. Also, we will introduce the recent advances in the design of biomaterials loaded with these phenolic compounds, specifically suitable for skin disorders treatments. Lastly, we will suggest future perspectives for introducing hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives in treating skin disorders.
Synoptic Overview of Exotic Acacia, Senegalia and Vachellia (Caesalpinioideae, Mimosoid Clade, Fabaceae) in Egypt
Authors: Hassan Rania A. , Hamdy Rim S.
Published: July 2021

For the first time, an updated checklist of Acacia, Senegalia and Vachellia species in Egypt is provided, focusing on the exotic species. Taking into consideration the retypification of genus Acacia ratified at the Melbourne International Botanical Congress (IBC, 2011), a process of reclassification has taken place worldwide in recent years. The review of Acacia and its segregates in Egypt became necessary in light of the available information cited in classical works during the last century. In Egypt, various taxa formerly placed in Acacia s.l., have been transferred to Acacia s.s., Acaciella, Senegalia, Parasenegalia and Vachellia. The present study is a contribution towards clarifying the nomenclatural status of all recorded species of Acacia and its segregate genera. This study recorded 144 taxa (125 species and 19 infraspecific taxa). Only 14 taxa (four species and 10 infraspecific taxa) are indigenous to Egypt (included now under Senegalia and Vachellia). The other 130 taxa had been introduced to Egypt during the last century. Out of the 130 taxa, 79 taxa have been recorded in literature. The focus of this study is the remaining 51 exotic taxa that have been traced as living species in Egyptian gardens or as herbarium specimens in Egyptian herbaria. The studied exotic taxa are accommodated under Acacia s.s. (24 taxa), Senegalia (14 taxa) and Vachellia (13 taxa). Identification keys for the studied genera, generic groups and species have been provided using different taxonomic criteria. For each taxon, the validated name with the first citation followed by relevant Egyptian citations, typification, synonyms, distinctive features, origin, ecology (when available), utilisation and selected specimens are provided. The study revealed the presence of 22 newly recorded taxa in Egypt. Additionally, a list of excluded, unvalidated and unresolved names is given.
Reviewing the Crop Residual Burning and Aerosol Variations during the COVID-19 Pandemic Hit Year 2020 over North India
Authors: Hari Manoj , Sahu Rajesh Kumar , Tyagi Bhishma , Kaushik Ravikant
Published: July 2021

The north Indian states of Haryana and Punjab are believed to be the key sources of air pollution in the National Capital Region due to massive agricultural waste burning in crop harvesting seasons. However, with the pandemic COVID-19 hitting the country, the usual practices were disrupted. COVID-19 preventive lockdown led to restricted vehicular and industrial emissions and caused the labours to leave the agricultural business in Haryana and Punjab. With the changed scenario of 2020, the present study investigates the variations in air quality over the Haryana and Punjab, and their relative impact on the air quality of Delhi. The work attempts to understand the change in agricultural waste burning during 2020 and its implication on the local air quality over both the states and the transported pollution on the national capital Delhi. The study utilises in-situ data for the year 2019–2020 with satellite observations of MODIS aqua/terra for fire counts, aerosol optical depth (AOD) and back-trajectories run by the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory model (HYSPLIT).
High-Power LED Units Currently Available for Dental Resin-Based Materials—A Review
Authors: Almeida Rita , Manarte-Monteiro Patricia , Domingues Joana , Falcão Carlos , Herrero-Climent Mariano , Ríos-Carrasco Blanca , Lemos Bernardo Ferreira
Published: July 2021

The pursuit of less time-consuming procedures led to the development of high-power light-curing-units (LCU) to light-cure dental-resin-based-materials. This review aims to describe high-power light-emitting-diode (LED)-LCUs, by a bibliometric systematization of in vitro and in vivo studies. The research-question, by PICO model, aimed to assess the current knowledge on dentistry-based high-power LED-LCUs by analyzing to what extent their use can promote adverse events on materials and patients’ oral condition when compared to low-power LED-LCUs, on daily dental practice. PubMed and B-on database search focused on high-power (≥2000 mW/cm2) LED-LCUs outputs. Studies assessing performance of high-power LED-LCUs for light-curing dental-resin-based-materials were included. From 1822 screened articles, 21 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Thirty-two marketed units with high levels of radiant emittance (≥2000 mW/cm2 up to 6000 mW/cm2) were identified. Most output values vary on 2000–3000 mW/cm2. The highest output found was 6000 mW/cm2, in FlashMax™P3. Reports suggest that light-curing protocols with lower emittance irradiance and longer exposure outperforms all other combination, however in some clinical procedures high-power LED-LCUs are advocated when compared to low-power LED-LCUs. Moreover, long time exposures and over-curing can be dangerous to the biological vital pulp, and other oral tissues. Evidence showing that high-power LCUs are the best clinical option is still very scarce.
A Distributed Fusion Framework of Multispectral and Panchromatic Images Based on Residual Network
Authors: Wu Yuanyuan , Huang Mengxing , Li Yuchun , Feng Siling , Wu Di
Published: July 2021

Remote sensing images have been widely applied in various industries; nevertheless, the resolution of such images is relatively low. Panchromatic sharpening (pan-sharpening) is a research focus in the image fusion domain of remote sensing. Pan-sharpening is used to generate high-resolution multispectral (HRMS) images making full use of low-resolution multispectral (LRMS) images and panchromatic (PAN) images. Traditional pan-sharpening has the problems of spectral distortion, ringing effect, and low resolution. The convolutional neural network (CNN) is gradually applied to pan-sharpening. Aiming at the aforementioned problems, we propose a distributed fusion framework based on residual CNN (RCNN), namely, RDFNet, which realizes the data fusion of three channels. It can make the most of the spectral information and spatial information of LRMS and PAN images. The proposed fusion network employs a distributed fusion architecture to make the best of the fusion outcome of the previous step in the fusion channel, so that the subsequent fusion acquires much more spectral and spatial information. Moreover, two feature extraction channels are used to extract the features of MS and PAN images respectively, using the residual module, and features of different scales are used for the fusion channel. In this way, spectral distortion and spatial information loss are reduced. Employing data from four different satellites to compare the proposed RDFNet, the results of the experiment show that the proposed RDFNet has superior performance in improving spatial resolution and preserving spectral information, and has good robustness and generalization in improving the fusion quality.
TMF: A GNSS Tropospheric Mapping Function for the Asymmetrical Neutral Atmosphere
Authors: Zhang Di , Guo Jiming , Fang Tianye , Wei Na , Mei Wensheng , Zhou Lv , Yang Fei , Zhao Yinzhi
Published: July 2021

Tropospheric mapping function plays a vital role in the high precision Global Navigation Satellites Systems (GNSS) data processing for positioning. However, most mapping functions are derived under the assumption that atmospheric refractivity is spherically symmetric. In this paper, the pressure, temperature, and humidity fields of ERA5 data with the highest spatio-temporal resolution available from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) were utilized to compute ray-traced delays by the software WHURT. Results reveal the universal asymmetry of the hydrostatic and wet tropospheric delays. To accurately represent these highly variable delays, a new mapping function that depends on elevation and azimuth angles—Tilting Mapping Function (TMF)—was applied. The basic idea is to assume an angle between the tropospheric zenith direction and the geometric zenith direction. Ray-traced delays served as the reference values. TMF coefficients were fitted by Levenberg–Marquardt nonlinear least-squares method. Comparisons demonstrate that the TMF can improve the MF-derived slant delay’s accuracy by 73%, 54% and 29% at the 5° elevation angle, against mapping functions based on the VMF3 concept, without, with a total and separate estimation of gradients, respectively. If all coefficients of a symmetric mapping function are determined together with gradients by a least-square fit at sufficient elevation angles, the accuracy is only 6% lower than TMF. By adopting the b and c coefficients of VMF3, TMF can keep its high accuracy with less computational cost, which could be meaningful for large-scale computing.
Integrating Aerial LiDAR and Very-High-Resolution Images for Urban Functional Zone Mapping
Authors: Sanlang Siji , Cao Shisong , Du Mingyi , Mo You , Chen Qiang , He Wen
Published: July 2021

This study presents a new approach for Urban Functional Zone (UFZ) mapping by integrating two-dimensional (2D) Urban Structure Parameters (USPs), three-dimensional (3D) USPs, and the spatial patterns of land covers, which can be divided into two steps. Firstly, we extracted various features, i.e., spectral, textural, geometrical features, and 3D USPs from very-high-resolution (VHR) images and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) point clouds. In addition, the multi-classifiers (MLCs), i.e., Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Linear Discriminant Analysis classifiers were used to perform the land cover mapping by using the optimized features. Secondly, based on the land cover classification results, we extracted 2D and 3D USPs for different land covers and used MLCs to classify UFZs. Results for the northern part of Brooklyn, New York, USA, show that the approach yielded an excellent accuracy of UFZ mapping with an overall accuracy of 91.9%. Moreover, we have demonstrated that 3D USPs could considerably improve the classification accuracies of UFZs and land covers by 6.4% and 3.0%, respectively.
Quantitative Assessment of Vertical and Horizontal Deformations Derived by 3D and 2D Decompositions of InSAR Line-of-Sight Measurements to Supplement Industry Surveillance Programs in the Tengiz Oilfield (Kazakhstan)
Authors: Bayramov Emil , Buchroithner Manfred , Kada Martin , Zhuniskenov Yermukhan
Published: July 2021

This research focused on the quantitative assessment of the surface deformation velocities and rates and their natural and man-made controlling factors at Tengiz Oilfield in Kazakhstan using the Small Baseline Subset remote sensing technique followed by 3D and 2D decompositions and cosine corrections to derive vertical and horizontal movements from line-of-sight (LOS) measurements. In the present research we applied time-series of Sentinel-1 satellite images acquired during 2018–2020. All ground deformation derivatives showed the continuous subsidence at the Tengiz oilfield with increasing velocity. 3D and 2D decompositions of LOS measurements to vertical movement showed that the Tengiz Oil Field 2018–2020 continuously subsided with the maximum annual vertical deformation velocity around 70 mm. Based on the LOS measurements, the maximum annual subsiding velocity was observed to be 60 mm. Cosine corrections of LOS measurements to vertical movement, however, revealed a maximum annual vertical deformation velocity of 77 mm. The vertical deformation confirmed typical patterns of subsidence caused by oil extraction. Detected east-west and north-south horizontal movements at the Tengiz field clearly indicated that the study area crossed by seismic faults is affected by natural tectonic processes. The overall RMSE of 3D decomposed vertical deformation in relationship to LOS measurements and cosine corrections were in the range of 10–13 mm and 6–8 mm, correspondingly. The results of the present research will support operators of oil and gas fields and also other types of infrastructure to evaluate the actual differences of InSAR ground deformation measurements against the required standards and the precision of measurements depending on the operational needs, timeframes and availability of radar imagery.
Protonated Forms of Layered Perovskite-Like Titanate NaNdTiO4: Neutron and X-ray Diffraction Structural Analysis
Authors: Silyukov Oleg I. , Kurnosenko Sergey A. , Minich Iana A. , Rodionov Ivan A. , Zvereva Irina A.
Published: July 2021

Structures of partially and completely protonated Ruddlesden–Popper phases, H0.7Na0.3NdTiO4·0.3H2O and HNdTiO4, have been established by means of neutron and X-ray diffraction analysis and compared among themselves as well as with that of the initial titanate NaNdTiO4. It was shown that while interlayer sodium cations in the partially protonated form are coordinated by nine oxygen atoms, including one related to intercalated water, in the fully protonated compound the ninth oxygen proves to be an axial anion belonging to the opposite slab of titanium-oxygen octahedra. Moreover, the partially protonated titanate was found to significantly differ from the other two in the octahedron distortion pattern. It is characterized by a weakly pronounced elongation of the octahedra towards the Nd-containing interlayer space making Ti4+ cations practically equidistant from both axial oxygen atoms, which is accompanied by a low-frequency shift of the bands relating to the asymmetric stretching mode of axial Ti–O bonds observed in the Raman spectra.
Agriculture Adaptation Options for Flood Impacts under Climate Change—A Simulation Analysis in the Dajia River Basin
Authors: Li Hsin-Chi , Hsiao Yi-Hua , Chang Chia-Wei , Chen Yung-Ming , Lin Lee-Yaw
Published: July 2021

Adaptation to climate change has become an important matter of discussion in the world in response to the growing rate of global warming. In recent years, many countries have gradually adopted adaption strategies to climate change, with the aim of reducing the impact of climate variabilities. Taiwan is in a geographical location that is prone to natural disasters and is thus very vulnerable to climate change. To explore an appropriate method for Taiwan to adapt to climate change, this study took Dajia River Basin as the simulation site to explore the potential climate change impact in the area. An impact study was conducted to identify the trend of flooding under climate change scenarios. We used the SOBEK model to simulate downstream inundation caused by the worst typhoon event of the 20th century (1979–2003) and for typhoon events that might occur at the end of the 21st century (2075–2099) in Taiwan, according to the climate change scenario of representative concentration pathways 8.5 (RCP8.5) and dynamical downscaling rainfall data. Agricultural lands were found to be the most affected areas among all land types, and the flooded area was forecast to increase by 1.89 times by the end of 21st century, when compared to the end of 20th century. In this study, upland crops, which are affected the most by flooding, were selected as the adaptation targets for this site and multiple engineering and non-engineering options were presented to reduce the potential climate change impacts. With respect to the results, we found that all adaptation options, even when considering the cost, yield higher benefits than the “do-nothing” option. Among the adaptation options presented for this site, utilizing engineering methods with non-engineering methods show the best result in effectively reducing the impact of climate change, with the benefit-to-cost ratio being around 1.16. This study attempts to explore useful and effective assessment methods for providing sound scientific and economic evidence for the selection of adequate adaption options for flood impacts in agriculture in the planning phase.
Urban Zoning for Sustainable Tourism: A Continuum of Accommodation to Enhance City Resilience
Authors: Yiu Chung-Yim , Cheung Ka-Shing
Published: July 2021

While governments around the world are embarking on the path to recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, sustainable tourism planning is crucial, in particular in the hospitality sector, which enhances the resilience of destinations. However, many destination management models overlook the role of urban zoning. Little is known about the impacts of land-use zoning on the hospitality and property industries, especially with the current disruption of short-term peer-to-peer accommodation like Airbnb. Euclidean zoning, also known as effects-based planning, has long been criticised in destination management for its exclusionary nature and lack of flexibility. With exclusionary zoning, property owners may only be able to use their land sub-optimally, and cities will be less efficient in responding to market changes in short-term and long-term accommodation demands, but planning intentions can be better controlled, and the property supply can be more stable. Taking Hong Kong as a noteworthy case, this study puts forward a conceptual framework that enables comparison of a novel zoning approach with the traditional zoning approach. This novel zoning approach encompasses both the short- and long-term rental sectors as a continuum of accommodation, ranging from hotels and serviced apartments to Airbnb and rental housing units under a unified regulatory and planning regime to enhance the switching options value. This novel zoning system can gear up the tourism sector with the rapid growth of the sharing economy and aligns with sustainable tourism to ensure long-term socioeconomic benefits to related stakeholders. We extract the data of Airbnb listings to construct the first Airbnb ADR Index (ADRI) by Repeat-sales method, and the results support our Switching Option Hypothesis.
Developing a Resource Allocation Approach for Resource-Constrained Construction Operation under Multi-Objective Operation
Authors: He Wei , Li Wenjing , Wang Wei
Published: July 2021

In the construction industry, it is of great importance for project managers (PM) to consider the resource allocation arrangement problem based on different perspectives. In this situation, the management of resources in construction becomes a challenge. Generally speaking, there are many objectives that need to be optimized in construction that are in conflict with each other, including time, cost, and energy consumption (EC). This paper proposed a multi-objective optimization framework based on the quantum genetic algorithm (QGA) to obtain the best trade-off relationship among these goals. The construction resources allocated in each construction activity would eventually determine its execution time, cost, and EC, and a complexed time-cost-energy consumption trade-off framework of the project is finally generated due to correlations between construction activities. QGA was performed to find the best combination among time, cost, and EC and the optimal scheme of resource arrangement under this state. The construction process is simulated in BIM to check the rationality of this resource allocation mode. An industrial plant office building in China is presented as an example to illustrate the implementation of the proposed model. The results show that the presented method could effectively reduce 7% of cost, 17% of time, and 21% of energy consumption. This developed model is expected to help PMs to solve the problem of multi-objective optimization with limited resource allocation.
The Effects of Bike Desks in Formal Education Classroom-Based Physical Activity: A Systematic Review
Authors: Polo-Recuero Beatriz , Rojo-Tirado Miguel Ángel , Ordóñez-Dios Alfonso , Breitkreuz Denise , Lorenzo Alberto
Published: July 2021

A systematic review of the research conducted on classroom-based physical activity using bike desks, a school health prevention strategy. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review of bike desks effects on formal education students. Articles from two databases, Web of Science and PubMed, were analyzed according to PRISMA. The quality of each study was analyzed. After the exclusion criteria, eight articles were fully assessed based on six criteria: (1) author and year, (2) setting and sample, (3) duration, (4) outcomes measurements, (5) instruments and (6) main results. The results show how the interventions are mainly in secondary education and university, and most of them are quantitative studies of short-term interventions. Physical activity is the most frequently variable assessed, using logs, questionnaires and objective methods such as accelerometry and heart rate monitoring. Based on all the studies, it is feasible to implement bike desks in the classroom during theoretical lessons. The weaknesses are related to small samples and the use of different instruments to measure. In conclusion, this systematic review compiles the current information about bike desks in order to inform teachers and administrators for the implementation of bike desk in their schools. They should consider bike desks’ strengths and weaknesses.
A Review on Energy and Renewable Energy Policies in Iran
Authors: Solaymani Saeed
Published: July 2021

Iran, endowed with abundant renewable and non-renewable energy resources, particularly non-renewable resources, faces challenges such as air pollution, climate change and energy security. As a leading exporter and consumer of fossil fuels, it is also attempting to use renewable energy as part of its energy mix toward energy security and sustainability. Due to its favorable geographic characteristics, Iran has diverse and accessible renewable sources, which provide appropriate substitutes to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Therefore, this study aims to examine trends in energy demand, policies and development of renewable energies and the causal relationship between renewable and non-renewable energies and economic growth using two methodologies. This study first reviews the current state of energy and energy policies and then employs Granger causality analysis to test the relationships between the variables considered. Results showed that renewable energy technologies currently do not have a significant and adequate role in the energy supply of Iran. To encourage the use of renewable energy, especially in electricity production, fuel diversification policies and development program goals were introduced in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Diversifying energy resources is a key pillar of Iran’s new plan. In addition to solar and hydropower, biomass from the municipal waste from large cities and other agricultural products, including fruits, can be used to generate energy and renewable sources. While present policies indicate the incorporation of sustainable energy sources, further efforts are needed to offset the use of fossil fuels. Moreover, the study predicts that with the production capacity of agricultural products in 2018, approximately 4.8 billion liters of bioethanol can be obtained from crop residues and about 526 thousand tons of biodiesel from oilseeds annually. Granger’s causality analysis also shows that there is a unidirectional causal relationship between economic growth to renewable and non-renewable energy use. Labor force and gross fixed capital formation cause renewable energy consumption, and nonrenewable energy consumption causes renewable energy consumption.
Implications for Tracking SDG Indicator Metrics with Gridded Population Data
Authors: Tuholske Cascade , Gaughan Andrea E. , Sorichetta Alessandro , de Sherbinin Alex , Bucherie Agathe , Hultquist Carolynne , Stevens Forrest , Kruczkiewicz Andrew , Huyck Charles , Yetman Greg
Published: July 2021

Achieving the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires accurate, consistent, and accessible population data. Yet many low- and middle-income countries lack reliable or recent census data at the sufficiently fine spatial scales needed to monitor SDG progress. While the increasing abundance of Earth observation-derived gridded population products provides analysis-ready population estimates, end users lack clear use criteria to track SDGs indicators. In fact, recent comparisons of gridded population products identify wide variation across gridded population products. Here we present three case studies to illuminate how gridded population datasets compare in measuring and monitoring SDGs to advance the “fitness for use” guidance. Our focus is on SDG 11.5, which aims to reduce the number of people impacted by disasters. We use five gridded population datasets to measure and map hazard exposure for three case studies: the 2015 earthquake in Nepal; Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe (MMZ) in 2019; and flash flood susceptibility in Ecuador. First, we map and quantify geographic patterns of agreement/disagreement across gridded population products for Nepal, MMZ, and Ecuador, including delineating urban and rural populations estimates. Second, we quantify the populations exposed to each hazard. Across hazards and geographic contexts, there were marked differences in population estimates across the gridded population datasets. As such, it is key that researchers, practitioners, and end users utilize multiple gridded population datasets—an ensemble approach—to capture uncertainty and/or provide range estimates when using gridded population products to track SDG indicators. To this end, we made available code and globally comprehensive datasets that allows for the intercomparison of gridded population products.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Managerial Compensation: Further Evidence from Spanish Listed Companies
Authors: Blanes Fabián , De Fuentes Cristina , Porcuna Rubén
Published: July 2021

Ongoing regulatory efforts aim to link managerial compensation with a firm’s performance. However, little is known about whether and how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals are considered in the design of the managerial compensation scheme. This paper addresses this research question by analyzing a sample of Spanish listed firms for the period spanning 2013–2018. The outcomes of the regressions suggest that there is a positive relationship between CSR and the managerial compensation, but this relationship is significant only with lower levels of CSR. The study also reveals that CSR is positively associated with the proportion of equity-based compensation and, therefore, negatively associated with the proportion of cash-based compensation. In all, our results suggest that firms with lower levels of CSR, likely following social pressures, seek to improve their investments in CSR; and, in doing so, they design a managerial compensation scheme that incentivizes the manager to meet the firm’s goals related to CSR investments. Hence, since CSR is associated with an increase in the long-term firm’s value, the equity-based component of the managerial scheme is higher than in the remaining firms. However, the high proportion of cash-based compensation is far from the desirable goals promoted by the Governance Codes.