bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Sulfur Copolymers (SDIB)/Polybenzoxazines (PBz) Polymer Blend for Electrospinning of Nanofibers
Authors: Parreño Ronaldo P. , Liu Ying-Ling , Beltran Arnel B.
Published: October 2019

This study demonstrated the processability of sulfur copolymers (SDIB) into polymer blend with polybenzoxazines (PBz) and their compatibility with the electrospinning process. Synthesis of SDIB was conducted via inverse vulcanization using elemental sulfur (S8). Polymer blends produced by simply mixing with varying concentration of SDIB (5 and 10 wt%) and fixed concentration of PBz (10 wt%) exhibited homogeneity and a single-phase structure capable of forming nanofibers. Nanofiber mats were characterized to determine the blending effect on the microstructure and final properties. Fiber diameter increased and exhibited non-uniform, broader fiber diameter distribution with increased SDIB. Microstructures of mats based on SEM images showed the occurrence of partial aggregation and conglutination with each fiber. Incorporation of SDIB were confirmed from EDX which was in agreement with the amount of SDIB relative to the sulfur peak in the spectra. Spectroscopy further confirmed that SDIB did not affect the chemistry of PBz but the presence of special interaction benefited miscibility. Two distinct glass transition temperatures of 97 °C and 280 °C indicated that new material was produced from the blend while the water contact angle of the fibers was reduced from 130° to 82° which became quite hydrophilic. Blending of SDIB with component polymer proved that its processability can be further explored for optimal spinnability of nanofibers for desired applications.
Thermal Stability Evaluation of Polystyrene-Mg/Zn/Al LDH Nanocomposites
Authors: De la Rosa-Guzmán Miguel Ángel , Guzmán-Vargas Ariel , Cayetano-Castro Nicolás , Del Río José Manuel , Corea Mónica , Martínez-Ortiz María de Jesús
Published: October 2019

A series of samples of Mg/Zn/Al LDHs (layered double hydroxides) materials was prepared by the co-precipitation and urea hydrolysis methods. They were modified with organic surfactants (acrylate and oleate anions) and characterized by X-ray diffraction, which corroborated the intercalation of anionic species into the interlayer space. The hydrophobized materials were incorporated at low contents (10 and 15 wt.%) to polystyrene, which was synthesized by emulsion polymerization techniques. The polymeric composites were analyzed by thermogravimetry to determine the decomposition temperature. The results demonstrated that the materials with Zn presented the greatest increment in the degradation temperature (7 °C < T < 54 °C). Moreover, the Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, and Coats–Redfern models were compared to obtain the kinetic parameters of degradation process. The obtained order of decomposition of the Coats–Redfern model showed that the decomposition process occurs in at least two stages. Finally, the addition of environmentally friendly modified Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) nanomaterials to the polystyrene (PS) matrix allowed for obtaining polymeric composites with higher thermal stability, retarding the decomposition process of PS.
The Association between Sleep Duration and Metabolic Syndrome: The NHANES 2013/2014
Authors: Smiley Abbas , King David , Bidulescu Aurelian
Published: October 2019

Background: We aimed to assess the association of sleep with metabolic syndrome in the 2013/2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: Sample size included 2737 out of 2013 and 2014 NHANES surveys. Cross-sectional study of metabolic syndrome and sleep duration was conducted. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to NCEP ATPIII (National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III) criteria. Metabolic syndrome severity score was calculated based on actual measurement of each component, adjusted for sex and race. The generalized additive model (GAM) was built to assess the smooth relationship between metabolic syndrome/metabolic syndrome severity score and sleep duration. Adjustment of models were done for age, sex, race, and sitting time. The value of effective degree of freedom (EDF) formed by the GAM model shows the degree of curvature of the relationship. A value of 1 for EDF is translated as the linear shape of relationship. Values larger than one denote a more complex relationship between the response variable and the predicting one. Results: There was a U-shaped association between sleep duration and metabolic syndrome in univariable GAM (EDF = 2.43, p = 0.06) and multivariable GAM (EDF = 2.03, p = 0.20). The lowest risk of metabolic syndrome was observed in people sleeping 7 hours/night. There was a significant U-shaped association between sleep duration and metabolic syndrome severity score in multivariable GAM (EDF = 2.94, p = 0.0004). Similarly, the lowest mean metabolic syndrome severity score was observed in people sleeping 7 hours/night. There was an effect modification of sex and sleep duration indicating strong U-shaped relationship of metabolic syndrome severity score and sleep duration in women (EDF = 3.43, p = 0.00002) and semi-linear association in men (EDF = 1.76, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Short and long sleep duration was associated with higher risk of metabolic syndrome and higher scores of metabolic syndrome severity score in women. Short sleep duration was associated with higher risk of metabolic syndrome and higher scores of metabolic syndrome severity score in men.
The Association of Disease Activity, BMI and Phase Angle with Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients with IBD
Authors: Mentella Maria Chiara , Scaldaferri Franco , Pizzoferrato Marco , Gasbarrini Antonio , Miggiano Giacinto Abele Donato
Published: October 2019

Hypovitaminosis D is frequently present in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a higher incidence in Crohn’s disease (CD) than in Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Given the involvement of the alimentary tract, many factors can contribute to hypovitaminosis D. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of disease activity, body mass index (BMI) and phase angle with vitamin D deficiency in patients with IBD. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a cohort of 206 IBD patients (October 2016–September 2018). Of these patients, 32.6% were affected by hypovitaminosis D (CD: 38.6%; UC: 25.6%; p < 0.01). Negative and significant associations (p < 0.01) were found between BMI and vitamin D serum levels both in CD and UC patients. BMI represented a determinant of hypovitaminosis D (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.12, p < 0.01) only in UC patients; phase angle was associated to hypovitaminosis D in both groups (CD: OR = 0.64, p < 0.05; UC: OR = 0.49, p < 0.01). Results of the present study confirm a higher incidence of hypovitaminosis D in patients with CD than in those with UC, and show that nutritional status plays a crucial role in the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with IBD.
Efficacy and Mechanism of Polymerized Anthocyanin from Grape-Skin Extract on High-Fat-Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Fan Meiqi , Choi Young-Jin , Tang Yujiao , Bae Sung Mun , Yang Hyun Pil , Kim Eun-Kyung
Published: October 2019

We investigated the therapeutic potential of polymerized anthocyanin (PA) on a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model in mice. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks to establish the NAFLD mouse model and randomly divided into four groups: control diet (con), NAFLD mice treated with saline (NAFLD), NAFLD mice treated with PA (PA), and NAFLD mice treated with orlistat (Orlistat) for four weeks. Mice were euthanized at the end of the four weeks. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels were estimated, and pathological changes in the liver, white adipose tissue, and signaling pathways related to lipid metabolism were evaluated. Results revealed that the body, liver, and white fat weight of the NAFLD group was significantly increased compared to that of the con group, while that of the PA group showed significant reduction. NAFLD led to an increase in blood lipids in mice (except for HDL). Conversely, PA effectively reduced TC and LDL-C. Compared to the control group, the degree of steatosis in the mice of PA group was decreased. Moreover, PA also regulated the NAFLD signaling pathway. In agreement with improved lipid deposition, PA supplementation inhibited the activation of inflammatory pathways, depressing oxidative stress through increased antioxidant levels, and increasing β-oxidation to inhibit mitochondrial dysfunction. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PA can improve the liver function of NAFLD mice, regulating blood lipids, reducing liver-fat accumulation, and regulating lipid metabolism.
The Alignment of Dietary Intake and Symptom-Reporting Capture Periods in Studies Assessing Associations between Food and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder Symptoms: A Systematic Review
Authors: Duncanson Kerith , Burrows Tracy , Keely Simon , Potter Michael , Das Gayatri , Walker Marjorie , Talley Nicholas J.
Published: October 2019

Food ingestion is heavily implicated in inducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD), which affect over one-third of adults in developed countries. The primary aim of this paper was to assess the alignment of dietary assessment and symptom-reporting capture periods in diet-related studies on IBS or FD in adults. Secondary aims were to compare the degree of alignment, validity of symptom-reporting tools and reported significant associations between food ingestion and symptoms. A five-database systematic literature search resulted in 40 included studies, from which data were extracted and collated. The food/diet and symptom capture periods matched exactly in 60% (n = 24/40) of studies, overlapped in 30% (n = 12/40) of studies and were not aligned in 10% (n = 4/40) of studies. Only 30% (n = 12/40) of studies that reported a significant association between food and global gastrointestinal symptoms used a validated symptom-reporting tool. Of the thirty (75%) studies that reported at least one significant association between individual gastrointestinal symptoms and dietary intake, only four (13%) used a validated symptom tool. Guidelines to ensure that validated symptom-reporting tools are matched with fit-for-purpose dietary assessment methods are needed to minimise discrepancies in the alignment of food and symptom tools, in order to progress functional gastrointestinal disorder research.
Clinical Characteristics of Inpatients with Childhood vs. Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Jaite Charlotte , Bühren Katharina , Dahmen Brigitte , Dempfle Astrid , Becker Katja , Correll Christoph U. , Egberts Karin M. , Ehrlich Stefan , Fleischhaker Christian , von Gontard Alexander , Hahn Freia , Kolar David , Kaess Michael , Legenbauer Tanja , Renner Tobias J. , Schulze Ulrike , Sinzig Judith , Thomae Ellen , Weber Linda , Wessing Ida , Antony Gisela , Hebebrand Johannes , Föcker Manuel , Herpertz-Dahlmann Beate
Published: October 2019

We aimed to compare the clinical data at first presentation to inpatient treatment of children (<14 years) vs. adolescents (≥14 years) with anorexia nervosa (AN), focusing on duration of illness before hospital admission and body mass index (BMI) at admission and discharge, proven predictors of the outcomes of adolescent AN. Clinical data at first admission and at discharge in 289 inpatients with AN (children: n = 72; adolescents: n = 217) from a German multicenter, web-based registry for consecutively enrolled patients with childhood and adolescent AN were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were a maximum age of 18 years, first inpatient treatment due to AN, and a BMI <10th BMI percentile at admission. Compared to adolescents, children with AN had a shorter duration of illness before admission (median: 6.0 months vs. 8.0 months, p = 0.004) and higher BMI percentiles at admission (median: 0.7 vs. 0.2, p = 0.004) as well as at discharge (median: 19.3 vs. 15.1, p = 0.011). Thus, in our study, children with AN exhibited clinical characteristics that have been associated with better outcomes, including higher admission and discharge BMI percentile. Future studies should examine whether these factors are actually associated with positive long-term outcomes in children.
Phytochemical Screening, Antibacterial Activity and Heavy Metal Analysis of Ethnomedicinal Recipes and Their Sources Used Against Infectious Diseases
Authors: Mahmood Nasir , Nazir Ruqia , Khan Muslim , Iqbal Rashid , Adnan Muhammad , Ullah Mohib , Yang Hongyi
Published: October 2019

Plants are a rich source of secondary metabolites that have been found to have medicinal properties. The present study was conducted to evaluate the phytochemical screening, antibacterial activities and heavy metal analysis of seven medicinal plants i.e., Nigella sativa (seeds), Trigonella foenum-graecum (seeds), Brassica campestris (seeds), Pistacia integerrima (galls), Linum usitatissimum (seeds), Hyssopus officinalis (flowers), Ephedra vulgaris (dry branches) and its two recipes which are used by hakims (Practitioners of local herbal medicines), against different diseases particularly respiratory tract infections. The obtained results revealed that alkaloids (30%) and flavonoids (41%) were in maximum quantity in P. integerrima (galls) while saponins (10.9%) were in maximum quantity in Recipe 1. The antibacterial activity was determined by the agar well disc diffusion method using methanol, ethanol, chloroform and deionized water extracts. Each plant extract was tested against one Gram-positive (Streptococcus pneumonia) and two Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia) bacteria. Maximum zones of inhibition in methanol, ethanol, chloroform and aqueous extract were seen in T. foenum-graecum against S. pneumonia (20.06 ± 0.16 mm), B. campestris against S. pneumonia (22.40 ± 0.24 mm), Recipe 2 against K. pneumonia (20.06 ± 0.16 mm) and N. sativa against S. pneumonia (20.23 ± 0.16 mm), respectively. The concentrations of heavy metals were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer and showed the existence of high concentration of Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb) and Chromium (Cr). Thus, it has been found that medicinal plants individually as well as their recipes are potentially active against various diseases particularly respiratory tract infections
Surface Treatment Effects on the Mechanical Properties of Silica Carbon Black Reinforced Natural Rubber/Butadiene Rubber Composites
Authors: Qian Miaomiao , Huang Weimin , Wang Jinfeng , Wang Xiaofeng , Liu Weiping , Zhu Yanchao
Published: October 2019

For the first time, phenolic formaldehyde resin (PF)-treated silica carbon black (SiCB) were prepared with different treatment conditions and their effect as fillers on the mechanical properties of filler filled natural rubber/butadiene rubber (NR/BR) composites were investigated in detail. The PF coating layer on the SiCB derived from rusk husk not only promoted the dispersion of the fillers but also improved the interfacial interactions between fillers and the rubber matrix. As a result, both the cross-link density and mechanical properties of the obtained composites were effectively enhanced. The filler SiCB with 3 wt % PF surface treatment greatly improved the tensile strength of NR/BR composites and reached 7.1 MPa, which increased by 73.7% compared with that of SiCB-filled NR/BR composites. The improved interfacial interactions promoted higher energy dissipation, leading to simultaneously enhancing the glass transition temperature of the obtained composites. Due to the easy processing and low cost of filler as well as the effectively enhanced mechanical properties of composites, the PF-coating methodology has a great potential for practical applications in SiCB reinforced high-performance composites. A commercial filler, carbon black (N774), was also used in this study and evaluated under the same conditions for comparison.
Electrically Controlled Self-Focusing and Self-Localization in the Guided Channels
Authors: Huang Bing-Yau , Wu Yi-Hsiu , Huang Shuan-Yu , Kuo Chie-Tong
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we demonstrate the potential of liquid crystals (LCs) on the applications of small, simple, and tunable optical guided channels. Experimental results show that three operation modes of beam coupling can be achieved, depending on the feature of the electrically controllable refractive index, the incident position, and the specific design of electrodes. The dependence of the beam polarization on self-focusing and coupling effect are also discussed. The electrically controllable self-focusing and beam coupling are highly potential on integrated photonic circuits.
Crosslinking Kinetics of Methylcellulose Aqueous Solution and Its Potential as a Scaffold for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Niemczyk-Soczynska Beata , Gradys Arkadiusz , Kolbuk Dorota , Krzton-Maziopa Anna , Sajkiewicz Pawel
Published: October 2019

Thermosensitive, physically crosslinked injectable hydrogels are in the area of interests of various scientific fields. One of the representatives of this materials group is an aqueous solution of methylcellulose. At ambient conditions, methylcellulose (MC) is a sol while on heating up to 37 °C, MC undergoes physical crosslinking and transforms into a gel. Injectability at room temperature, and crosslinkability during subsequent heating to physiological temperature raises hopes, especially for tissue engineering applications. This research work aimed at studying crosslinking kinetics, thermal, viscoelastic, and biological properties of MC aqueous solution in a broad range of MC concentrations. It was evidenced by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) that crosslinking of MC is a reversible two-stage process, manifested by the appearance of two endothermic effects, related to the destruction of water cages around methoxy groups, followed by crosslinking via the formation of hydrophobic interactions between methoxy groups in the polymeric chains. The DSC results also allowed the determination of MC crosslinking kinetics. Complementary measurements of MC crosslinking kinetics performed by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) provided information on the final storage modulus, which was important from the perspective of tissue engineering applications. Cytotoxicity tests were performed using mouse fibroblasts and showed that MC at low concentration did not cause cytotoxicity. All these efforts allowed to assess MC hydrogel relevance for tissue engineering applications.
Looking Back at the Evolution of James Cone’s Theological Anthropology: A Brief Commentary
Authors: Maat Sekhmet Ra Em Kht
Published: October 2019

Reverend Dr. James Hal Cone has unquestionably been a key architect in defining Black liberation theology. Trained in the Western theological tradition at Garrett Theological Seminary, Cone became an expert on the theology of Twentieth-century Swiss-German theologian Karl Barth. Cone’s study of Barth led to his 1965 doctoral dissertation, “The Doctrine of Man in the Theology of Karl Barth,” where he critically examined Barth’s Epistle to the Romans and Church Dogmatics. His contemporaries and more recent African American theologians and religious scholars have questioned the extent to which Karl Barth’s ideas shaped Cone’s Black theology. The purpose of this brief commentary is to review the major ideas in “The Doctrine of Man” and Black Theology and Black Power, his first book, to explore which theological concepts Cone borrows from Barth, if any, and how Cone utilizes them within his articulation of a Black theological anthropology and Black liberation theology.
Geoheritage as a Tool for Environmental Management: A Case Study in Northern Malta (Central Mediterranean Sea)
Authors: Selmi Lidia , Coratza Paola , Gauci Ritienne , Soldati Mauro
Published: October 2019

The recognition, selection and quantitative assessment of sites of geological and geomorphological interest are fundamental steps in any environmental management focused on geoconservation and geotourism promotion. The island of Malta, in the central Mediterranean Sea, despite having a steadily increasing growth in population and tourism, still conserves geological and geomorphological features of great relevance and interest, both for their contribution to the understanding of the geological processes acting through time on landscape and for their aesthetic importance. The present work proposes an inventory for northern Malta, through three main stages, with the outcome of a final list of geosites that have the potential to be recognized as both natural heritage and tourist resources with potential economic benefits. In particular, the assessment methodology applied combines scientific value and additional and use-values, showing the links existing between geoheritage and other aspects of nature and culture of the sites. The results provide useful knowledge for the definition of strategies aimed at the development of a sustainable and responsible tourism.
Assessing the Use of Sentinel-2 Time Series Data for Monitoring Cork Oak Decline in Portugal
Authors: Navarro Ana , Catalao Joao , Calvao Joao
Published: October 2019

In Portugal, cork oak (Quercus suber L.) stands cover 737 Mha, being the most predominant species of the montado agroforestry system, contributing to the economic, social and environmental development of the country. Cork oak decline is a known problem since the late years of the 19th century that has recently worsened. The causes of oak decline seem to be a result of slow and cumulative processes, although the role of each environmental factor is not yet established. The availability of Sentinel-2 high spatial and temporal resolution dense time series enables monitoring of gradual processes. These processes can be monitored using spectral vegetation indices (VI) as their temporal dynamics are expected to be related with green biomass and photosynthetic efficiency. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is sensitive to structural canopy changes, however it tends to saturate at moderate-to-dense canopies. Modified VI have been proposed to incorporate the reflectance in the red-edge spectral region, which is highly sensitive to chlorophyll content while largely unaffected by structural properties. In this research, in situ data on the location and vitality status of cork oak trees are used to assess the correlation between chlorophyll indices (CI) and NDVI time series trends and cork oak vitality at the tree level. Preliminary results seem to be promising since differences between healthy and unhealthy (diseased/dead) trees were observed.
Co-Seismic Deformation and Fault Slip Model of the 2017 Mw 7.3 Darbandikhan, Iran–Iraq Earthquake Inferred from D-InSAR Measurements
Authors: Huang Zicheng , Zhang Guohong , Shan Xinjian , Gong Wenyu , Zhang Yingfeng , Li Yanchuan
Published: October 2019

The 12 November 2017 Darbandikhan earthquake (Mw 7.3) occurred along the converence zone. Despite the extensive research on this earthquake, none of this work explained whether this earthquake rupture was limited to the thick sedimentary cover or it extends to the underlying crystalline basement rock (or both). Besides, whether this region will generate devastating earthquakes again and whether there is a one-to-one correlation between these anticlines and blind-reverse faults need further investigation. In this study, we derived the co-seismic interferograms from the Sentinel-1A/B data and successfully described the surface deformation of the main seismic zone. The fringe patterns of both the ascending and descending interferograms show that the co-seismic deformation is dominated by horizontal movements. Then, using the along- and across-track deformation fields of different orbits, we retrieved the three-dimensional deformation field, which suggests that the Darbandikhan earthquake may be a blind thrust fault close to the north–south direction. Finally, we inverted the geometrical parameters of the seismogenic fault and the slip distribution of the fault plane. The results show that the source fault has an average strike of 355.5° and a northeast dip angle of −17.5°. In addition, the Darbandikhan earthquake has an average rake of 135.5°, with the maximum slip of 4.5 m at 14.5 km depth. On the basis of the derived depth and the aftershock information provided by the Iranian Seismological Center, we inferred that this event primarily ruptured within the crystalline basement and the seismogenic fault is the Zagros Mountain Front Fault (MFF). The seismogenic region has both relatively low historical seismicity and convergent strain rate, which suggests that the vicinity of the epicenter may have absorbed the majority of the energy released by the convergence between the Arabian and the Eurasian plates and may generate Mw > 7 earthquakes again. Moreover, the Zagros front fold between the Lurestan Arc and the Kirkuk Embayment may be generated by the long-distance slippage of the uppermost sedimentary cover in response to the sudden shortening of the MFF basement. We thus conclude that the master blind thrust may control the generation of the Zagros front folding.
A Review of Progress and Applications of Pulsed Doppler Wind LiDARs
Authors: Liu Zhengliang , Barlow Janet F. , Chan Pak-Wai , Fung Jimmy Chi Hung , Li Yuguo , Ren Chao , Mak Hugo Wai Leung , Ng Edward
Published: October 2019

Doppler wind LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) makes use of the principle of optical Doppler shift between the reference and backscattered radiations to measure radial velocities at distances up to several kilometers above the ground. Such instruments promise some advantages, including its large scan volume, movability and provision of 3-dimensional wind measurements, as well as its relatively higher temporal and spatial resolution comparing with other measurement devices. In recent decades, Doppler LiDARs developed by scientific institutes and commercial companies have been well adopted in several real-life applications. Doppler LiDARs are installed in about a dozen airports to study aircraft-induced vortices and detect wind shears. In the wind energy industry, the Doppler LiDAR technique provides a promising alternative to in-situ techniques in wind energy assessment, turbine wake analysis and turbine control. Doppler LiDARs have also been applied in meteorological studies, such as observing boundary layers and tracking tropical cyclones. These applications demonstrate the capability of Doppler LiDARs for measuring backscatter coefficients and wind profiles. In addition, Doppler LiDAR measurements show considerable potential for validating and improving numerical models. It is expected that future development of the Doppler LiDAR technique and data processing algorithms will provide accurate measurements with high spatial and temporal resolutions under different environmental conditions.
Detecting and Monitoring Hate Speech in Twitter
Authors: Pereira-Kohatsu Juan Carlos , Quijano-Sánchez Lara , Liberatore Federico , Camacho-Collados Miguel
Published: October 2019

Social Media are sensors in the real world that can be used to measure the pulse of societies. However, the massive and unfiltered feed of messages posted in social media is a phenomenon that nowadays raises social alarms, especially when these messages contain hate speech targeted to a specific individual or group. In this context, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are concerned about the possible negative impact that these messages can have on individuals or on the society. In this paper, we present HaterNet, an intelligent system currently being used by the Spanish National Office Against Hate Crimes of the Spanish State Secretariat for Security that identifies and monitors the evolution of hate speech in Twitter. The contributions of this research are many-fold: (1) It introduces the first intelligent system that monitors and visualizes, using social network analysis techniques, hate speech in Social Media. (2) It introduces a novel public dataset on hate speech in Spanish consisting of 6000 expert-labeled tweets. (3) It compares several classification approaches based on different document representation strategies and text classification models. (4) The best approach consists of a combination of a LTSM+MLP neural network that takes as input the tweet’s word, emoji, and expression tokens’ embeddings enriched by the tf-idf, and obtains an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.828 on our dataset, outperforming previous methods presented in the literature.
Design of a 900 MHz Dual-Mode SWIPT for Low-Power IoT Devices
Authors: Abbasizadeh Hamed , Kim Sang Yun , Samadpoor Rikan Behnam , Hejazi Arash , Khan Danial , Pu Young Gun , Hwang Keum Cheol , Yang Youngoo , Kim Dong In , Lee Kang-Yoon
Published: October 2019

This paper presents a duty cycle-based, dual-mode simultaneous wireless information and power transceiver (SWIPT) for Internet of Things (IoT) devices in which a sensor node monitors the received power and adaptively controls the single-tone or multitone communication mode. An adaptive power-splitting (PS) ratio control scheme distributes the received radio frequency (RF) energy between the energy harvesting (EH) path and the information decoding (ID) path. The proposed SWIPT enables the self-powering of an ID transceiver above 20 dBm input power, leading to a battery-free network. The optimized PS ratio of 0.44 enables it to provide sufficient harvested energy for self-powering and energy-neutral operation of the ID transceiver. The ID transceiver can demodulate the amplitude-shift keying (ASK) and the binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) signals. Moreover, for low-input power level, a peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) scheme based on multitone is also proposed for demodulation of the information-carrying RF signals. Due to the limited power, information is transmitted in uplink by backscatter modulation instead of RF signaling. To validate our proposed SWIPT architecture, a SWIPT printed circuit board (PCB) was designed with a multitone SWIPT board at 900 MHz. The demodulation of multitone by PAPR was verified separately on the PCB. Results showed the measured sensitivity of the SWIPT to be −7 dBm, and the measured peak power efficiency of the RF energy harvester was 69% at 20 dBm input power level. The power consumption of the injection-locked oscillator (ILO)-based phase detection path was 13.6 mW, and it could be supplied from the EH path when the input power level was high. The ID path could demodulate 4-ASK- and BPSK-modulated signals at the same time, thus receiving 3 bits from the demodulation process. Maximum data rate of 4 Mbps was achieved in the measurement.
A SAFT Method for the Detection of Void Defect inside a Ballastless Track Structure Using Ultrasonic Array Sensors
Authors: Zhu Wen-Fa , Chen Xing-Jie , Li Zai-Wei , Meng Xiang-Zhen , Fan Guo-Peng , Shao Wei , Zhang Hai-Yan
Published: October 2019

High-precision ultrasound imaging of void defects is critical for the performance and safety assessment of ballastless track structures. The sound propagation velocity of each layer in the ballastless track structure is quite different. However, the traditional concrete Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) ultrasound imaging method is based on the assumption that the concrete has a single constant shear wave velocity. Thus, it is not a suitable method for the ultrasonic imaging of multilayer structures. In this paper, a Multilayer SAFT high-precision ultrasound imaging method is proposed. It is based on the ray-tracing technique and uses the Fermat principle to find the refraction point that minimizes the delay of the acoustic wave propagation path at the interface of the discrete layers. Then, the acoustic wave propagation path is segmented by the position of the refraction point, and the propagation delay of the ultrasonic wave is obtained segment by segment. Thus, the propagation delay of the ultrasonic wave is obtained one by one, so that the propagation delay of the ultrasonic wave in the multilayer structure can be accurately obtained. Finally, the focused image is obtained according to the SAFT imaging algorithm. The finite element simulation and experimental results show that the Multilayer SAFT imaging method can accurately track the propagation path of the ultrasonic wave in ballastless track structures, as well as accurately calculate the propagation delay of the ultrasonic wave and the lengths of void defects. The high accuracy of the Multilayer SAFT imaging represents a significant improvement compared to traditional SAFT imaging.
Identifying, Examining, and Planning Areas Protected from Light Pollution. The Case Study of Planning the First National Dark Sky Park in Greece
Authors: Papalambrou Andreas , Doulos Lambros T.
Published: October 2019

Light pollution is a type of pollution that climaxes in cities and occurs increasingly away from them, due to the increase of artificial lighting and inappropriate lighting design (selection of luminaires, aiming, illuminance/luminance levels, and spectral characteristics). Increasingly, light pollution also affects the countryside due to local lighting but also distant lighting propagating from urban areas. This has a significant impact on ecosystems and astronomical observing sites. This work analyzes the main facts about light pollution (causes, impact, and solutions) and studies the methods, parameters, and special requirements for planning of light pollution protected areas. This dark sky park planning methodology is implemented as a case study in mount Parnon which has been selected due to its significance as a Natura 2000 protected area and because it is Greece’s most popular astronomical observing site. Mount Parnon is located close to two major cities as well as significant highways, however the site itself remains dark due to its sparse population. Planning a dark sky park involves a complete study of facts regarding the specific site. Existing lighting installations are surveyed in detail by recording types of luminaires and lamps and recording their positions in a map. Lighting illuminance levels are measured by photometers and spectra are analyzed using a spectrometer. Sky brightness levels measurements are performed using specialized photometers and light pollution origins are traced using wide-field photography. Finally, a proposal is made for a dark sky park scheme suited to the specific case of the site.
Role of Urban Public Space and the Surrounding Environment in Promoting Sustainable Development from the Lens of Social Media
Authors: Nguyen Thuy , Han Haoying , Sahito Noman
Published: October 2019

The development of mobile social network has shown the power to change the ways people gather and communicate in urban public spaces (UPSs). In this study, we utilized a check-in database collected from Instagram in 2016 and 2017 in two central districts of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to analyze the city dynamics and activities over the course of the day. By quantifying the popularity of contemporary UPSs, a comprehensive study was conducted on many attraction features spreading over the two central districts. Pearson’s correlation was used to explore the proximity and attractiveness associated with the surrounding environment of three types of UPSs. The results show that the lifetime of UPSs is very stable during weekdays and weekends. Within that, commercial UPSs are proved to play a dominant role in urban dynamics. This paper’s finding is at odds with the urban planning stereotype that public facilities often help people to get around. In the case of HCMC, it has proved the opposite: people are attracted to urban public spaces even though there are not many cultural and social specialties there. The results will contribute to enhancing the predictability of each UPS on socio-economic performance and to understanding of the role of urban facilities in urban sustainability.
Impact of Educational Stage in the Application of Flipped Learning: A Contrasting Analysis with Traditional Teaching
Authors: Pozo Sánchez Santiago , López Belmonte Jesús , Moreno Guerrero Antonio José , López Núñez Juan Antonio
Published: October 2019

The effectiveness of flipped learning depends largely on student typology. This study analyzes the applicability of this approach, according to the characteristics inherent to students based on their educational stage. The objective of the research is to verify the effectiveness of flipped learning compared to a traditional methodology during the stages of preschool, primary, and secondary education. For this study, a descriptive and correlational experimental research design was followed, based on a quantitative methodology. Two types of analysis groups (control and experimental) were established in each of the mentioned educational stages. As a data collection instrument, a validated ad hoc questionnaire was applied to a sample of 168 students from the Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain). The results show that the applicability of flipped learning is more positive in primary and secondary education when compared to a traditional teaching method. However, the results found in preschool education reflect the difficulties in adapting the model to the needs of the students of that stage, due to the difficulties in the autonomous management of digital teaching platforms and the requirement of a minimum level of abstraction to apply this approach.
What Enables a High-Risk Project to Yield High Return from a Construction Contractor’s Perspective?
Authors: Won Jin Woo , Jung Wooyong , Han Seung Heon , Yun Sungmin , Koo Bonsang
Published: October 2019

“High risk high return” is a general rule in the overall industry; however, high-risk projects in the construction industry frequently fail to yield a high return. In order to achieve a sustainable business in the international construction market, contractors require an average to high return yield under high-risk conditions. This study aims to reveal what risk factors and risk management performance enables high-risk projects to yield high returns. The study investigated 124 international construction projects by Korean contractors and classified them into four groups: high-risk high-return (HH), high-risk low-return (HL), low-risk high-return (LH), and low-risk low-return (LL). The study found that risk assessment accuracy was the most important trigger in discriminating between high return projects (HH, LH) and low return projects (HL, LL), whereas risk mitigation performance showed little difference between high return and low return projects. In addition, the contingency amount did not significantly affect project return in HL, LH, and LL projects, but HH projects showed a positive relation between contingency and predicted risk amount. This article contributes to recognizing the differences between high return and low return projects and provides insights for practitioners into the relation between risk management performance and high returns in different risk conditions.
Exploring the Related Factors in Students’ Academic Achievement for the Sustainable Education of Rural Areas
Authors: Cheng Ching-Hsue , Wang Yun-Chun , Liu Wei-Xiang
Published: October 2019

To improve and continue educational sustainability development, we expect to understand the learning problems of disadvantaged students for sustainability in rural areas. This study collected an integrated dataset, including 16 features with 883 records, from an elementary school in a rural area in Taiwan. Then, this paper proposes an integrated features selection method to integrate four different feature selection methods for finding the key features of academic achievement, and utilizes a statistical test to explore the differences in various student backgrounds in the nine key features and the graduated score. The statistical test shows that between the ordinary students and disadvantaged students, there were differences in the key features and the graduated score, and this paper also found that the five groups of disadvantaged students exhibit differences in academic achievements. To determine these differences, this study carried out interviews on six different students’ identity backgrounds, and the majority consensus of six groups of students was summarized as personal, family, and school aspects. The results show that there were many learning problems in this rural elementary school: (1) the education levels of most of the parents (72.3%) were below the college level; (2) 73% of parents were staff members and workers; (3) 26.4% of students in the school were disadvantaged; and (4) the age range of student’s parents was from 30 to 64 years. For the sustainable education of rural areas, this study suggests that the educational management must invest greater resources and make more effective policies a priority for teachers in rural areas and that teachers must pay more attention to aboriginal students in terms of learning motivation and must actively interact with their parents.
Carbon Footprints and Consumer Lifestyles: An Analysis of Lifestyle Factors and Gap Analysis by Consumer Segment in Japan
Authors: Koide Ryu , Lettenmeier Michael , Kojima Satoshi , Toivio Viivi , Amellina Aryanie , Akenji Lewis
Published: October 2019

Addressing the prevailing mode of high-carbon lifestyles is crucial for the transition towards a net-zero carbon society. Existing studies fail to fully investigate the underlining factors of unsustainable lifestyles beyond individual determinants nor consider the gaps between current footprints and reduction targets. This study examines latent lifestyle factors related to carbon footprints and analyzes gaps between decarbonization targets and current lifestyles of major consumer segments through exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis. As a case study on Japanese households, it estimates carbon footprints of over 47,000 households using expenditure survey microdata, and identifies high-carbon lifestyle factors and consumer segments by multivariate regression analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. Income, savings, family composition, house size and type, ownership of durables and automobiles, and work style were confirmed as determinants of high-footprint Japanese households, with eight lifestyles factors, including long-distance leisure, materialistic consumption, and meat-rich diets, identified as the main contributory factors. The study revealed a five-fold difference between lowest and highest footprint segments, with all segments overshooting the 2030 and 2050 decarbonization targets. The findings imply the urgent need for policies tailored to diverse consumer segments and to address the underlying causes of high-carbon lifestyles especially of high-carbon segments.
The Relationship between Teachers’ Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction and Whistleblowing
Authors: Önder Mehmet Emin , Akçıl Umut , Cemaloğlu Necati
Published: October 2019

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between teachers’ organizational commitment, job satisfaction and whistleblowing behaviors and to evaluate their contribution to sustainability in education. The study consisted of a total of 4108 teachers who worked at primary and secondary schools during the 2018–2019 academic year in the Çankaya district of the Ankara province. The sample comprised of 601 teachers who were selected through a simple random sampling method. The organizational Commitment Scale (OCS), the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS) and the Whistleblowing Scale were used as the data collection tools in the study. For the analysis of the data, SPSS 18.0 and LISREL 8.80 statistical package programs were used. Descriptive statistics on variables were performed on SPSS program and the testing of the model in which the effects of job satisfaction on whistleblowing and organizational commitment on job satisfaction were studied was carried out using path analysis technic in LISREL 8.80 program. According to the results of the study, there was a moderate level of positive and significant relationship between organizational commitment and job satisfaction. There was also a moderate level of positive and significant relationship between organizational commitment and whistleblowing behaviour. A low level of negative significant relationship was found between job satisfaction and whistleblowing. As the teachers’ organizational commitment increased, their job satisfaction and whistleblowing behaviours also increased. However, as their job satisfaction levels increased, their whistleblowing behaviours decreased. In this regard, it can be concluded that sustainability in educational institutions can be ensured by increasing the level of organizational commitment.
A Data-Independent Methodology for the Structural Characterization of Microcystins and Anabaenopeptins Leading to the Identification of Four New Congeners
Authors: Roy-Lachapelle Audrey , Solliec Morgan , Sauvé Sébastien , Gagnon Christian
Published: October 2019

Toxin-producing cyanobacteria are responsible for the presence of hundreds of bioactive compounds in aquatic environments undergoing increasing eutrophication. The identification of cyanotoxins is still emerging, due to the great diversity of potential congeners, yet high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has the potential to deepen this knowledge in aquatic environments. In this study, high-throughput and sensitive on-line solid-phase extraction ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (SPE-UHPLC) coupled to HRMS was applied to a data-independent acquisition (DIA) workflow for the suspect screening of cyanopeptides, including microcystin and anabaenopeptin toxin classes. The unambiguous characterization of 11 uncommon cyanopeptides was possible using a characterization workflow through extensive analysis of fragmentation patterns. This method also allowed the characterization of four unknown cyanotoxins ([Leu1, Ser7] MC-HtyR, [Asp3]MC-RHar, AP731, and AP803). The quantification of 17 common cyanotoxins along with the semi-quantification of the characterized uncommon cyanopeptides resulted with the identification of 23 different cyanotoxins in 12 lakes in Canada, United Kingdom and France. The concentrations of the compounds varied between 39 and 41,000 ng L−1. To our knowledge, this is the first DIA method applied for the suspect screening of two families of cyanopeptides simultaneously. Moreover, this study shows the great diversity of cyanotoxins in lake water cyanobacterial blooms, a growing concern in aquatic systems.
Comparative Virological and Pathogenic Characteristics of Avian Influenza H5N8 Viruses Detected in Wild Birds and Domestic Poultry in Egypt during the Winter of 2016/2017
Authors: Moatasim Yassmin , Kandeil Ahmed , Aboulhoda Basma Emad , El-Shesheny Rabeh , Alkhazindar Maha , AbdElSalam Elsayed Tarek , Kutkat Omnia , Kamel Mina Nabil , El Taweel Ahmed Nageh , Mostafa Ahmed , Hicks Joseph T. , Abd elghaffar Sary Khaleel , Kayali Ghazi , Ali Mohamed Ahmed
Published: October 2019

The surveillance and virological characterization of H5N8 avian influenza viruses are important in order to assess their zoonotic potential. The genetic analyses of the Egyptian H5N8 viruses isolated through active surveillance in wild birds and domestic poultry in the winter of 2016/2017 showed multiple introductions of reassortant viruses. In this study, we investigated and compared the growth kinetics, infectivity, and pathogenicity of the three reassortant forms of H5N8 viruses detected in wild birds and domestic poultry in Egypt during the first introduction wave in the winter of 2016/2017. Three representative H5N8 viruses (abbreviated as 813, 871, and 13666) were selected. The 871/H5N8 virus showed enhanced growth properties in vitro in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and A549 cells. Interestingly, all viruses replicated well in mice without prior adaptation. Infected C57BL/6 mice showed 20% mortality for 813/H5N8 and 60% mortality for 871/H5N8 and 13666/H5N8, which could be attributed to the genetic differences among the viruses. Studies on the pathogenicity in experimentally infected ducks revealed a range of pathogenic effects, with mortality rate ranging from 0% for 813/H5N8 and 13666/H5N8 to 28% for 871/H5N8. No significant differences were observed among the three compared viruses in infected chickens. Overall, different H5N8 viruses had variable biological characteristics, indicating a continuous need for surveillance and virus characterization efforts.