bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stomatal Behavior of Cowpea Genotypes Grown Under Varying Moisture Levels
Authors: Munjonji Lawrence , Ayisi Kingsley , Boeckx Pascal , Haesaert Geert
Published: December 2017

Drought is a major limitation to crop productivity worldwide. Plants lose most of their water through stomata, thus making stomata an important organ in the control of transpiration and photosynthesis. This study assessed the stomatal behavior of four cowpea genotypes grown under four moisture levels under hot semi-arid conditions. Stomatal conductance (gs) was measured at 47, 54, 70 and 77 days after planting (DAP). Biomass and carbon isotope composition (δ13C) were also determined at flowering. Genotype and moisture level significantly influenced gs. Genotypes varied in gs at vegetative stages (47 and 54 DAP) only. TVu4607 had higher gs under severe drought conditions at both 47 and 54 DAP. On the other hand, moisture level influenced gs at 54 and 70 DAP only. Stomatal conductance was severely restricted in cowpea under both moderate and severe drought conditions as gs was mostly below the threshold 0.10 mol m−2 s−1. Relationships between: biomass and gs, and δ13C and gs were positive under severe drought only. The findings revealed that cowpea genotypes vary in gs under dry conditions and that the variation is more prominent at vegetative stage, suggesting that cowpea productivity in dry areas could be improved through selection of genotypes that maintain higher gs under dry conditions.
Exploring Farmers’ Pro-Ecological Intentions after Ecological Rehabilitation in a Fragile Environment Area: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Authors: Deng Jian , Hao Wenhui , Zhang Wei , Han Xinhui , Li Kaiyuan , Feng Yongzhong , Yang Gaihe
Published: December 2017

Farmers’ pro-ecological intentions (PEI) after ecological rehabilitation are crucial to the sustainability of ecological conservation achievements and attract attention from policy-makers and managers. However, studies regarding multiple factors and their mechanism of influence on farmer's PEI are limited in fragile environmental areas. We conducted a household survey that measures the perceptions and attitudes, and the individual, demographic, and economic properties of 2025 farmers in the Loess Plateau of China. Results showed that only 28.74% of the respondents intended to apply the pro-ecological behavior after ecological restoration. The structural equation model reported a high explanatory power of 77.6% for farmers’ PEI. Farmers’ intentions to apply pro-ecological behaviors are jointly affected by various factors, with their perceptions and attitudes found to be the most influential factor and a vital link to other factors. Farmers’ individual, demographic, and economic factors also showed significant effects. Younger male farmers with higher education degrees, and better self-assessment of their abilities and perception of environmental improvement tend to state a greater intention to apply pro-ecological behaviors after the ecological rehabilitation. Results suggest that policy-makers and managers wanting to encourage farmers taking pro-ecological actions after ecological programs should value both enhancing farmers’ abilities to conserve ecological achievements and their perceptions of ecological benefits.
Evaluation of Future Water Use for Electricity Generation under Different Energy Development Scenarios in China
Authors: Lin Lu , Chen Yongqin
Published: December 2017

Water scarcity and uneven water demand in regional electricity generation pose substantial challenges to the sustainable development of water resources and electricity production in China. Based on the latest official policy of China’s electricity development, i.e., the 13th Five-Year Plan of electricity development, this study quantified annual water withdrawal and consumption for future electricity generation in China from 2015 to 2030. This study simulated a three-prong approach to impacting water use for electricity development, i.e., updating the cooling technology mix, increasing non-thermal power generation and relocating thermal power plants to the west. The results showed that solutions to relieve water stress caused by electricity production entail major trade-offs. Annual water withdrawal and consumption were projected to exceed 63.75 and 8.30 billion m3 by 2030, up approximately 14% and 21% of those in 2015, respectively, if China does not implement any new water and energy policies. Replacing once-through cooling systems with closed-loop cooling systems would decrease national water withdrawal remarkably but increase water consumption. The west-centered spatial distribution of thermoelectric power generation would reduce water use at the national level; however, it will largely increase water stress in northern and northwestern China. Thus, relieving the stress of growing electricity demand on water resources in China requires comprehensive measures and quantitative estimates.
Early Forecasting of Rice Blast Disease Using Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Kim Yangseon , Roh Jae-Hwan , Kim Ha Young
Published: December 2017

Among all diseases affecting rice production, rice blast disease has the greatest impact. Thus, monitoring and precise prediction of the occurrence of this disease are important; early prediction of the disease would be especially helpful for prevention. Here, we propose an artificial-intelligence-based model for rice blast disease prediction. Historical data on rice blast occurrence in representative areas of rice production in South Korea and historical climatic data are used to develop a region-specific model for three different regions: Cheolwon, Icheon and Milyang. A rice blast incidence is then predicted a year in advance using long-term memory networks (LSTMs). The predictive performance of the proposed LSTM model is evaluated by varying the input variables (i.e., rice blast disease scores, air temperature, relative humidity and sunshine hours). The most widely cultivated rice varieties are also selected and the prediction results for those varieties are analyzed. Application of the LSTM model to the accumulated rice-blast disease score data confirms successful prediction of rice blast incidence. In all regions, the predictions are most accurate when all four input variables are combined. Rice blast fungus prediction using the proposed LSTM model is variety-based; therefore, this model will be more helpful for rice breeders and rice blast researchers than conventional rice blast prediction models.
Valuing Urban Landscape Using Subjective Well-Being Data: Empirical Evidence from Dalian, China
Authors: Wang Erda , Kang Nannan , Yu Yang
Published: December 2017

It has been well recognized that the urban landscape ecosystem is able to make a great contribution to the quality of life for people who live in the city and beyond, thus it can potentially accrue a significant economic value to the human well-being. However, due to its public good nature, it is difficult to monetizing its values in a systematic manner. In this paper, we attempt to assess the economic value of the urban landscape through people’s life satisfaction approach utilizing a large sample of dataset complied from the general public survey in Dalian City which is one of the well-known tourism cities in China. The results indicate that most of the urban landscape attributes impose significant effects on people’s life satisfaction, thus accruing a considerable amount of value to the local residents. Taking a 10-point ranking scale for the urban landscape quality as an example, the household willingness to pay on average reaches ¥24,579 per annum for one point of ranking level increase. Relative to the low level of household income, those high-income households are much keener to the changes of the landscape quality. If the urban landscape quality is disaggregated into five levels, household’s marginal willingness-to-pay diminishes as the urban landscape’s rank level is improved.
How to Evaluate Smart Cities’ Construction? A Comparison of Chinese Smart City Evaluation Methods Based on PSF
Authors: Shi Hongbo , Tsai Sang-Bing , Lin Xiaowei , Zhang Tianyi
Published: December 2017

With the rapid development of smart cities in the world, research relating to smart city evaluation has become a new research hotspot in academia. However, there are general problems of cognitive deprivation, lack of planning experience, and low level of coordination in smart cities construction. It is necessary for us to develop a set of scientific, reasonable, and effective evaluation index systems and evaluation models to analyze the development degree of urban wisdom. Based on the theory of the urban system, we established a comprehensive evaluation index system for urban intelligent development based on the people-oriented, city-system, and resources-flow (PSF) evaluation model. According to the characteristics of the comprehensive evaluation index system of urban intelligent development, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) combined with the experts’ opinions determine the index weight of this system. We adopted the neural network model to construct the corresponding comprehensive evaluation model to characterize the non-linear characteristics of the comprehensive evaluation indexes system, thus to quantitatively quantify the comprehensive evaluation indexes of urban intelligent development. Finally, we used the AHP, AHP-BP (Back Propagation), and AHP-ELM (Extreme Learning Machine) models to evaluate the intelligent development level of 151 cities in China, and compared them from the perspective of model accuracy and time cost. The final simulation results show that the AHP-ELM model is the best evaluation model.
Assessing Green and Blue Water Footprints in the Supply Chain of Cocoa Production: A Case Study in the Northeast of Colombia
Authors: Naranjo-Merino Carlos , Ortíz-Rodriguez Oscar , Villamizar-G Raquel
Published: December 2017

Cocoa is an important commercial crop in the tropics, and estimating the water footprint to target areas of improvement is a worthwhile effort. The main goal of this paper was to assess the regional green and blue water footprints (WF) of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) production in the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia. Water footprint assessment was based on the Water Footprint Assessment Manual. The results show that the green water footprint was about 13,189 m3/ton, and the blue water footprint was 5687 m3/ton. The WF proposed method can be a good approximation for the uses of water for different crops, but weather conditions and hydrological modeling must be considered in extreme conditions, which would permit a much more detailed analysis for a region. This study allowed us to provide data on the cocoa water footprint, principally concentrating on elevated grain production in the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia. In addition, some of these results may positively contribute to water resource management improvement, especially regarding food security and water scarcity, both at the local and national levels. Therefore, the cocoa production process was analyzed from agronomic practices in settled crops, through the primary processing of the grain, to the procedures of grain selection and packaging. Thus, taking into consideration that most cocoa crops produced in Colombia are not irrigated, it is possible to implement productivity enhancement programs.
Evaluating Grid Size Suitability of Population Distribution Data via Improved ALV Method: A Case Study in Anhui Province, China
Authors: Huang Dong , Yang Xiaohuan , Dong Nan , Cai Hongyan
Published: December 2017

Accurate grid size suitability evaluations are necessary to enhance the spatialization quality of gridded population distributions. This paper proposes an improved average local variance (ALV) method to express discrepancies in population density and was validated in Anhui Province, China. A dataset consisting of 14 spatial scales, from 100 m to 900 m, and 1000 m to 5000 m, was processed by both the proposed and traditional ALV methods. Line graphs of two sets of ALV values and grid sizes were comparatively analyzed to evaluate the grid size suitability. The ALV trends calculated by the proposed method encompassed more accurate and useful features compared to the traditional method. The case study results showed that the 200 m grid size accurately expresses the population distribution characteristics of Anhui Province. The standard deviation (SD) index was adopted to validate these results; the proposed ALV method was proven valuable both in theory and practice for assessing grid size suitability. The method may be further improved by determining the essential laws of ALV values based on grid characteristics, and by enhancing the adaptability to various locations.
A Model to Measure Tourist Preference toward Scenic Spots Based on Social Media Data: A Case of Dapeng in China
Authors: Sun Yao , Ma Hang , Chan Edwin
Published: December 2017

Research on tourist preference toward different tourism destinations has been a hot topic for decades in the field of tourism development. Tourist preference is mostly measured with small group opinion-based methods through introducing indicator systems in previous studies. In the digital age, e-tourism makes it possible to collect huge volumes of social data produced by tourists from the internet, to establish a new way of measuring tourist preference toward a close group of tourism destinations. This paper introduces a new model using social media data to quantitatively measure the market trend of a group of scenic spots from the angle of tourists’ demand, using three attributes: tourist sentiment orientation, present tourist market shares, and potential tourist awareness. Through data mining, cleaning, and analyzing with the framework of Machine Learning, the relative tourist preference toward 34 scenic spots closely located in the Dapeng Peninsula is calculated. The results not only provide a reliable “A-rating” system to gauge the popularity of different scenic spots, but also contribute an innovative measuring model to support scenic spots planning and policy making in the regional context.
Theoretical Analysis on the Short-Circuit Current of Inverter-Interfaced Renewable Energy Generators with Fault-Ride-Through Capability
Authors: Liu Sumei , Bi Tianshu , Liu Yanlin
Published: December 2017

Renewable energy generators (REGs) usually employ power electronic devices for connecting with the grid, which makes their fault characteristics completely different from those of conventional synchronous generators. In the existing studies, the simulation methods are mainly adopted to analyze fault current contribution from REG. As a result, the explanations on the fault current show diversity and cannot reach a recognized standard. The REGs’ mathematical model in relay-setting calculations is unknown. Thus, this paper theoretically analyses the fault current characteristics of inverter-interfaced REGs (IIREGs) with fault-ride-through (FRT) ability. In order to understand the fault current characteristics, the FRT control strategy for IIREGs is firstly studied. Then the characteristics of high-frequency and fundamental-frequency fault currents from IIREGs are theoretically analyzed after and during the faults. The affecting factors and duration time of different frequency fault currents are, respectively, revealed. Further, the mathematical expression of fundamental fault currents from IIREGs are derived and verified based on the experimental test bench. The results can be used in estimating the IIREGs’ fault contributions and developing the fault calculation model.
Urban Regeneration and the Search for Identity in Historic Cities
Authors: Boussaa Djamel
Published: December 2017

In the face of rapid economic development, population growth, people increasing needs and changing lifestyles, most historic centers in the Gulf have experienced problems in making the necessary adjustment and adaptation to the present needs and changes. This paper examines the role of urban regeneration in revitalizing redundant historic areas and how they can be used to reinforce their cities urban identities. This study is based on the case study approach by focusing on the urban regeneration of Msheireb in old Doha, Qatar. Since the project is not yet completed, this paper will focus on the physical aspects of urban identity rather than its social dimensions. The empirical investigation used a comprehensive fieldwork undertaken through several site visits. This paper argues that one way of rediscovering the urban identity of the city of Doha is to go back to its first roots and try to sustain them in face of the emerging global environments. Through the Msheireb urban regeneration project, this paper explores a new experience in Qatar and the Gulf in creating a new urban identity inspired from the past.
A Review of Methods to Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Agriculture
Authors: Sharma Lakesh , Bali Sukhwinder
Published: December 2017

Management of nitrogen (N) is a challenging task and several methods individually and in combination are in use to manage its efficiency. However, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has not been improved to a level, only 33%, as predicted by the researchers while developing nitrogen management tools and methods. The primary objective of this review article is to evaluate methods and tools available to manage nitrogen. Several methods, soil testing, plant tissue testing, spectral response, fertilizer placement and timing and vegetative indexes (leaf area index, and NDVI) through drones, handheld sensors, and satellite imagery were reviewed on the subject of user-friendly and effectiveness towards NUE. No single method was found sufficient to counter the nitrogen loss. Some methods were found time consuming and unsynchronized with N uptake behavior of particular crop, for example, plant tissue testing. Use of precision agriculture tools, such as GreenSeeker, Holland Crop Circle, drone, and satellite imagery, were found better compared to conventional methods such as soil testing, but these tools can only be used when the crop is up. Therefore, N management is possible only through inseason N application methods. When 70% of the applied nitrogen is used by the crops within 25–30 days after planting, for example, corn and potatoes, it is required to apply major N rates through inseason approach and some N at planting using soil test reports. In conclusion, this article strongly advocates using two or more methods in combination when managing N.
Review of Soil Organic Carbon Measurement Protocols: A US and Brazil Comparison and Recommendation
Authors: Davis Maggie , Alves Bruno , Karlen Douglas , Kline Keith , Galdos Marcelo , Abulebdeh Dana
Published: December 2017

Soil organic carbon (SOC) change influences the life-cycle assessment (LCA) calculations for globally traded bio-based products. Broad agreement on the importance of SOC measurement stands in contrast with inconsistent measurement methods. This paper focuses on published SOC research on lands managed for maize (Zea mays L.) in the U.S. and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Brazil. A literature review found that reported SOC measurement protocols reflect different sampling strategies, measurement techniques, and laboratory analysis methods. Variability in sampling techniques (pits versus core samples), depths, increments for analysis, and analytical procedures (wet oxidation versus dry combustion) can influence reported SOC values. To improve consistency and comparability in future SOC studies, the authors recommend that: (a) the methods applied for each step in SOC studies be documented; (b) a defined protocol for soil pits or coring be applied; (c) samples be analyzed at 10 cm intervals for the full rooting depth and at 20 cm intervals below rooting until reaching 100 cm; (d) stratified sampling schemes be applied where possible to reflect variability across study sites; (e) standard laboratory techniques be used to differentiate among labile and stable SOC fractions; and (f) more long-term, diachronic approaches be used to assess SOC change. We conclude with suggestions for future research to further improve the comparability of SOC measurements across sites and nations.
Deep Learning for Detection of Object-Based Forgery in Advanced Video
Authors: Yao Ye , Shi Yunqing , Weng Shaowei , Guan Bo
Published: December 2017

Passive video forensics has drawn much attention in recent years. However, research on detection of object-based forgery, especially for forged video encoded with advanced codec frameworks, is still a great challenge. In this paper, we propose a deep learning-based approach to detect object-based forgery in the advanced video. The presented deep learning approach utilizes a convolutional neural network (CNN) to automatically extract high-dimension features from the input image patches. Different from the traditional CNN models used in computer vision domain, we let video frames go through three preprocessing layers before being fed into our CNN model. They include a frame absolute difference layer to cut down temporal redundancy between video frames, a max pooling layer to reduce computational complexity of image convolution, and a high-pass filter layer to enhance the residual signal left by video forgery. In addition, an asymmetric data augmentation strategy has been established to get a similar number of positive and negative image patches before the training. The experiments have demonstrated that the proposed CNN-based model with the preprocessing layers has achieved excellent results.
Real-Time Video Stitching Using Camera Path Estimation and Homography Refinement
Authors: Yoon Jaeyoung , Lee Daeho
Published: December 2017

We propose a novel real-time video stitching method using camera path estimation and homography refinement. The method can stably stitch multiple frames acquired from moving cameras in real time. In the proposed method, one initial between-camera (BC) homography and each camera path (CP) homography are used to estimate the BC homography at every frame. The BC homography is refined by using block matching to adjust the errors of estimated CPs (homography refinement). For fast processing, we extract features using the difference of intensities and use the optical flow to estimate camera motion (CM) homographies, which are multiplied with the previous CMs to calculate CPs (camera path estimations). In experiments, we demonstrated the performance of the CP estimation and homography refinement approach by comparing it with other methods. The experimental results show that the proposed method can stably stitch two image sequences at a rate exceeding 13 fps (frames per second).
Cellular Entry of Binary and Pore-Forming Bacterial Toxins
Authors: Ladokhin Alexey
Published: December 2017

n/a
HIV-1 Subtypes and 5’LTR-Leader Sequence Variants Correlate with Seroconversion Status in Pumwani Sex Worker Cohort
Authors: Sampathkumar Raghavan , Scott-Herridge Joel , Liang Binhua , Kimani Joshua , Plummer Francis , Luo Ma
Published: December 2017

Within the Pumwani sex worker cohort, a subgroup remains seronegative, despite frequent exposure to HIV-1; some of them seroconverted several years later. This study attempts to identify viral variations in 5’LTR-leader sequences (5’LTR-LS) that might contribute to the late seroconversion. The 5’LTR-LS contains sites essential for replication and genome packaging, viz, primer binding site (PBS), major splice donor (SD), and major packaging signal (PS). The 5’LTR-LS of 20 late seroconverters (LSC) and 122 early seroconverters (EC) were amplified, cloned, and sequenced. HelixTree 6.4.3 was employed to classify HIV subtypes and sequence variants based on seroconversion status. We find that HIV-1 subtypes A1.UG and D.UG were overrepresented in the viruses infecting the LSC (P < 0.0001). Specific variants of PBS (Pc < 0.0001), SD1 (Pc < 0.0001), and PS (Pc < 0.0001) were present only in the viral population from EC or LSC. Combinations of PBS [PBS-2 (Pc < 0.0001) and PBS-3 (Pc < 0.0001)] variants with specific SD sequences were only seen in LSC or EC. Combinations of A1.KE or D with specific PBS and SD variants were only present in LSC or EC (Pc < 0.0001). Furthermore, PBS variants only present in LSC co-clustered with PBS references utilizing tRNAArg; whereas, the PBS variants identified only in EC co-clustered with PBS references using tRNALys3 and its variants. This is the first report that specific PBS, SD1, and PS sequence variants within 5’LTR-LS are associated with HIV-1 seroconversion, and it could aid designing effective anti-HIV strategies.
The 96th Amino Acid of the Coat Protein of Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus Affects Virus Infectivity
Authors: Zhang Zhenwei , Liu Liming , Wu Huijie , Liu Lifeng , Kang Baoshan , Peng Bin , Gu Qinsheng
Published: December 2017

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) is one of the most devastating viruses infecting members of the family Cucurbitaceae. The assembly initiation site of CGMMV is located in the coding region of the coat protein, which is not only involved in virion assembly but is also a key factor determining the long-distance movement of the virus. To understand the effect of assembly initiation site and the adjacent region on CGMMV infectivity, we created a GTT deletion mutation in the GAGGTTG assembly initiation site of the infectious clone of CGMMV, which we termed V97 (deletion mutation at residue 97 of coat protein), followed by the construction of the V94A and T104A mutants. We observed that these three mutations caused mosaic after Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in Nicotiana benthamiana, albeit with a significant delay compared to the wild type clone. The mutants also had a common spontaneous E96K mutation in the coat protein. These results indicated that the initial assembly site and the sequence of the adjacent region affected the infectivity of the virus and that E96 might play an essential role in this process. We constructed two single point mutants—E96A and E96K—and three double mutants—V94A-E96K, V97-E96K and T104A-E96K—to further understand the role of E96 in CGMMV pathogenesis. After inoculation in N. benthamiana, E96A showed delayed systemic symptoms, but the E96K and three double mutants exhibited typical symptoms of mosaic at seven days post-infection. Then, sap from CGMMV-infected N. benthamiana leaves was mechanically inoculated on watermelon plants. We confirmed that E96 affected CGMMV infection using double antibody sandwich-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and sequencing, which further confirmed the successful infection of the related mutants, and that E96K can compensate the effect of the V94, V97, and T104 mutations on virus infectivity. In addition, Northern blotting showed that the accumulation of viral RNA corroborated the severity of the symptoms.
Structural and Immunological Characterization of Novel Recombinant MOMP-Based Chlamydial Antigens
Authors: Madico Guillermo , Gursky Olga , Fairman Jeff , Massari Paola
Published: December 2017

Chlamydia is the most common cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide. While infections resolve with antibiotic treatment, this is often neglected in women due to frequent asymptomatic infections, leading to disease progression and severe sequelae (pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility). Development of a vaccine against Chlamydia is crucial. Whole organism-based vaccines have short-lived activity, serovar/subgroup-specific immunity and can cause adverse reactions in vaccinated subjects. The Chlamydia major outer membrane protein (MOMP) is a prime candidate for a subunit vaccine. MOMP contains four regions of sequence variability (variable domains, VDs) with B-cell and T-cell epitopes that elicit protective immunity. However, barriers for developing a MOMP-based vaccine include solubility, yield and refolding. We have engineered novel recombinant antigens in which the VDs are expressed into a carrier protein structurally similar to MOMP and suitable for recombinant expression at a high yield in a correctly folded and detergent-free form. Using a carrier such as the PorB porin from the human commensal organism N. lactamica, we show that PorB/VD chimeric proteins are immunogenic, antigenic and cross-reactive with MOMP. VDs are unique for each serovar but if combined in a single vaccine, a broad coverage against the major Chlamydia serovars can be ensured.
Design and Season Influence Nitrogen Dynamics in Two Surface Flow Constructed Wetlands Treating Nursery Irrigation Runoff
Authors: White Sarah
Published: December 2017

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are used to remediate runoff from a variety of agricultural, industrial, and urban sources. CW remediation performance is often evaluated at the laboratory scale over durations less than one year. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of CW design (cell depth) and residence time on nitrogen (N) speciation and fate across season and years in two free water surface wetlands receiving runoff from irrigated plant production areas at an ornamental plant nursery. Water quality (mg·L−1 of nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium, dissolved oxygen and oxidation reduction potential) was monitored at five sites within each of two CWs each month over four years. Nitrate-N was the dominant form of ionic N present in both CWs. Within CW1, a deep cell to shallow cell design, nitrate comprised 86% of ionic N in effluent. Within CW2, designed with three sequential deep cells, nitrate comprised only 66% of total N and ammonium comprised 27% of total N in CW2 effluent. Differences in ionic N removal efficacies and shifts in N speciation in CW1 and CW2 were controlled by constructed wetland design (depth and hydraulic retention time), the concentration of nutrients entering the CW, and plant species richness.
Assessing Impacts of Land Use Changes on the Hydrology of a Lowland Rainforest Catchment in Ghana, West Africa
Authors: Aduah Michael , Jewitt Graham , Toucher Michele
Published: December 2017

Impact assessments of actual and potential land use (LU) changes on hydrology are vital in land use planning, which is a prerequisite for effective water resources management. In this study, impacts of actual, as well as potential, LU changes on the hydrology of the Bonsa catchment (1482 km2), Ghana, West Africa, were assessed using the Agricultural Catchments Research Unit (ACRU) hydrological model. Baseline, current and potential future LU maps for three scenarios, namely, business-as-usual (BAU), economic growth (EG) and economic growth and reforestation (EGR), driven by observed climate between 1990 and 2009, were used for the study. The results indicate that peak and dry season streamflows between 1991 and 2011 have increased by 21% and 37%, respectively, under the current land use in comparison to the baseline due to a decrease in evergreen and secondary forests by 18% and 39%, respectively, and an increase in settlements, mining areas and shrubs/farms by 81%, 310% and 343%, respectively. The potential future LU scenarios suggest that there may be further increases in streamflows, but the historical land use changes between 1991 and 2011 were so substantial that they will continue to impact streamflow changes in any of the future land use scenarios. The study also showed that variability of streamflow changes at the catchment scale was lower than at the subcatchment scale. For the scenarios of potential future LU changes, the BAU shows the highest increases in streamflows, while the EGR shows the least. Policy interventions for effective management of the catchment are recommended.
A Novel Flood Forecasting Method Based on Initial State Variable Correction
Authors: Li Kuang , Kan Guangyuan , Ding Liuqian , Dong Qianjin , Liu Kexin , Liang Lili
Published: December 2017

The influence of initial state variables on flood forecasting accuracy by using conceptual hydrological models is analyzed in this paper and a novel flood forecasting method based on correction of initial state variables is proposed. The new method is abbreviated as ISVC (Initial State Variable Correction). The ISVC takes the residual between the measured and forecasted flows during the initial period of the flood event as the objective function, and it uses a particle swarm optimization algorithm to correct the initial state variables, which are then used to drive the flood forecasting model. The historical flood events of 11 watersheds in south China are forecasted and verified, and important issues concerning the ISVC application are then discussed. The study results show that the ISVC is effective and applicable in flood forecasting tasks. It can significantly improve the flood forecasting accuracy in most cases.
Variability and Trend Detection in the Sediment Load of the Upper Indus River
Authors: Ateeq-Ur-Rehman Sardar , Bui Minh , Rutschmann Peter
Published: December 2017

Water reservoirs planned or constructed to meet the burgeoning energy and irrigation demands in Pakistan face a significant loss of storage capacity due to heavy sediment load from the upper Indus basin (UIB). Given their importance and the huge investment, assessments of current UIB sediment load and possible future changes are crucial for informed decisions on planning of optimal dams’ operation and ensuring their prolonged lifespan. In this regard, the daily suspended sediment loads (SSLs) and their changes are analyzed for the meltwater-dominated zone up to the Partab Bridge and the whole UIB up to Besham Qila, which is additionally influenced by monsoonal rainfall. The gaps between intermittent suspended sediment concentration (SSC) samples are filled by wavelet neural networks (WA-ANNs) using discharges for each site. The temporal dynamics of SSLs and discharges are analyzed using a suite of three non-parametric trend tests while the slope is identified using Sen’s slope estimator. We found disproportional spatio-temporal trends between SSLs and discharges caused primarily by intra-annual shifts in flows, which can lead to increased trap efficiency in planned reservoirs, especially upstream of Besham Qila. Moreover, a discernible increase in SSLs recorded at Partab Bridge during summer is being deposited downstream in the river channel. This is due to a decrease in river transport capacity in the monsoonal zone. These findings will not only help to identify these morphological problems, but also accurately anticipate the spatio-temporal changes in the sediment budget of the upper Indus River. Our results will help improve reservoir operational rules and sediment management strategies for existing and 30,000-MW planned dams in the UIB.
Non-Point Source Nitrogen and Phosphorus Assessment and Management Plan with an Improved Method in Data-Poor Regions
Authors: Chen Xuekai , Liu Xiaobo , Peng Wenqi , Dong Fei , Huang Zhihua , Wang Ruonan
Published: December 2017

To enhance the quantitative simulation and integrated assessment of non-point source (NPS) pollution in plateau lakes in data-poor regions, a simple and practical NPS assessment method is developed by combining the improved export coefficient model (ECM) and the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). This method is evaluated via application to the Chenghai Lake watershed (Yunnan Province, China), which contains a typical plateau lake. The estimated results reflect the actual situation within the watershed. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads in the study area in 2014 were 360.35 t/a (44.30% dissolved nitrogen (DN) and 55.70% adsorbed nitrogen (AN)) and 86.15 t/a (71.40% adsorbed phosphorus (AP)), respectively. The southern and eastern portions of the watershed are key regions for controlling dissolved and adsorbed pollutants, respectively. Soil erosion and livestock are the main TN and TP pollution sources in the study area and should be controlled first. Additionally, reasonable and practical suggestions are proposed to minimize water pollution according to a scenario analysis. The method in this study provides a foundation for scientific theories that can be used in water resources protection planning and the method can be applied to the NPS assessment of similar regions with scarce data.
Un outil de télégestion simplifiant la gestion d'aide à domicile
Authors: Grégoire Julie
Published: December 2017

Le secteur de l’aide à domicile aux personnes âgées est marqué depuis de longues années par une gestion associative dont le savoir-être est largement reconnu par les experts. Avec le vieillissement démographique et l’explosion de la demande que la nouvelle prestation d’aide à l’autonomie (allocation personnalisée d’autonomie) a ouvert, le secteur doit cependant se développer sur des bases plus cohérentes et plus professionnelles. Par ailleurs parallèlement à cette aspiration de modernisation des services l’exigence d’évaluation et de contrôle de l’aide apportée s’est trouvé renforcée par la loi. Tout conduit donc à rechercher des techniques fiables pour faciliter la vie des services et de leurs partenaires financiers, au premier chef, le conseil général. Dans ce but, Accor Services a créé l’outil Domiphone, technique de télégestion adaptée aux attentes et au contexte de l’aide à domicile.
Service vigilance solution de veille préventive à distance pour l'accompagnement à domicile de personnes en perte d'autonomie
Authors: Karout Patrick
Published: December 2017

Vivre son grand âge à domicile est un enjeu de notre société moderne. 98% des plus de 75 ans souhaiteraient pouvoir continuer à vivre chez eux le plus longtemps possible même lorsqu’ils sont seuls. Face à cette situation, l’entreprise Vicineo (www.vicineo.com) a travaillé avec plusieurs équipes de professionnels de l’accompagnement à domicile pour envisager grâce aux «technologies Internet» un nouveau service de veille à distance complémentaire des interventions à domicile et plus riche que la traditionnelle télé-alarme. La solution mise au point après plusieurs mois d’expérimentation a été baptisée : «Service Vigilance». Au-delà du fort intérêt rencontré auprès des bénéficiaires et des professionnels de l’aide à domicile, Vigilance est également conçu pour les aidants qui souhaitent prendre part au suivi quotidien de leur parent.
Les technologies dans le soutien à domicile des personnes âgées d'une expérience de télésurveillance vers un programme de télésoins à domicile
Authors: Talbot Lise R. , Vincent C.
Published: December 2017

Cet article présente les résultats d’une étude ayant pour but d’évaluer les effets de l’utilisation d’une nouvelle technologie de surveillance sur les habitudes et qualité de vie des personnes âgées et de leurs proches aidants. Ils montrent que l’utilisation de cette technologie n’a pas d’effet sur la qualité de vie et sur l’autonomie des personnes âgées mais qu’elle réduit la fréquence des hospitalisations et l’anxiété des proches. Les auteurs décrivent ensuite les avantages attendus d’un nouveau programme de télésoins à domicile.
Quo vadis
Authors: Gabus✝ Jean-Claude
Published: December 2017

Quo Vadis II est un élément essentiel à la prise en charge gérontopsychiatrique moderne en milieu hospitalier spécialisé. Elle s’adresse à des adultes âgés souffrant d’affections neuropsychiatriques avec une diminution du fonctionnement cognitif associé à une déambulation et une désorientation dans l’espace. Quo Vadis II est un complément idéal de l’encadrement offert par le personnel institutionnel en réglementant l’accès aux chambres et vers l’extérieur de l’unité. C’est donc un outil pratique offrant une liberté relative de déplacement: il respecte l’intimité des autres et permet l’entrée à sa propre chambre à tout moment. La qualité de vie des bénéficiaires et de leur entourage est ainsi améliorée.
Le bracelet anti-disparition columba pour personnes avec déficits cognitifs et le système d'alarme cardiaque portable vps, des percées dans le domaine de la télésécurité médicale personnelle
Authors: Bergeron Stéphane
Published: December 2017

Les percées technologiques dans le domaine de la miniaturisation permettent l’arrivée d’une nouvelle vague en télémédecine: la télésécurité médicale personnelle. Ce nouveau domaine en émergence est fondé sur l’utilisation d’appareils médicaux portables de monitoring pour utilisation à domicile, comportant des logiciels intelligents d’analyse, et permettant la transmission automatisée d’alertes à des centrales d’assistance médicalisées lors de la reconnaissance d’anomalies sérieuses, sans intervention de la part du patient. Les premiers domaines visés par les entreprises qui œuvrent dans ce secteur touchent principalement les personnes âgées, et les premiers appareils de la compagnie Medical Intelligence, le VPS – un système d’alarme cardiaque portable à ECG 12 dérivations, et le Columba – un bracelet anti-disparition pour personne présentant des déficits cognitifs, devraient être disponibles dans les prochains mois en France.
Système séréo'z développé par la société aphycare technologies
Authors: Cosquer Philippe , Guézou Thomas
Published: December 2017

La gamme Séréo’z à été spécialement développé par Aphycare Technologies pour répondre aux besoins liés à la sécurisation des personnes en institution et à domicile. Le bracelet assure une surveillance automatique 24h/24. Il détecte des anomalies: chutes ou chocs violents; paramètres vitaux (pouls et température cutanée). Le système est disponible aussi bien à domicile que pour les institutions.
Les soins de demain s'inventent aujourd'hui la vision d'un industriel : ibm division santé et sciences du vivant
Authors: Manrique Gérard
Published: December 2017

Avec les avancées de la génétique, comme le décryptage du génome humain et le recours intensif à l’informatique, IBM investit massivement et créa en 2000 au niveau mondial, une Division Santé et Sciences du vivant. Les retombées de ces avancées sont considérables non seulement pour la recherche fondamentale en médecine, mais aussi pour la mise au point de traitements ciblés par l’industrie pharmaceutique et la mise en œuvre de nouvelles procédures de soins grâce à la télémédecine et la télématique de santé. Les nouvelles possibilités des NTIC (nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication) permettent à distance, un meilleur suivi de la santé des populations jusqu’aux âges avancés de la vie, pas seulement à visée curative mais également à visée préventive. Les solutions techniques aujourd’hui existent. Mais cela ouvre en gérontologie des perspectives importantes qui exigent de la part des industriels comme des institutions, d’oser des partenariats publicprivé ambitieux pour tester et valider de nouveaux modèles socio-économiques de prise en charge.
Ailisa plateformes d'évaluations pour des technologies de télésurveillance médicale et d'assistance en gérontologie
Authors: Noury Norbert , (au nom de l’équipe du projet ailis al.
Published: December 2017

Le projet AILISA a pour objectif de mettre en place des plateformes pérennes pour l’évaluation de technologies de télésurveillance médicale et d’assistance en gérontologie. Il a démarré début 2004 grâce à un financement du RNTS dans le cadre de l’Institut de la Longévité. Les plateformes seront installées dans deux services gériatriques: l’un à l’hôpital Charles Foix (Ivry-sur-Seine) et l’autre au CHU La Grave (Toulouse), et dans deux appartements d’un foyer logement pour personnes âgées (Grenoble). Les sites d’évaluation disposeront de trois technologies mises au point dans les laboratoires de la recherche publique française: l’Habitat Intelligent pour la Santé (TIISSAD), le vêtement de Télé-assistance Médicale Nomade (VTAMN) et le robot déambulateur (MONIMAD). Il s’agit ici d’évaluer ces technologies sur les plans technologique, médical et aussi sur le plan de l’usage et de l’éthique.
Technologie et soins gérontologiques : les implications éthiques et les réflexions pour le futur
Authors: Demongeot Jacques
Published: December 2017

On présente, dans cet article, des réflexions en amont de la technologie, mais qui prennent appui sur des prototypes en cours d’élaboration, et s’interrogent sur leur acceptabilité. Cette dernière passe par une prise en compte des capacités sensori-motrices et du degré d’autonomie cognitive et décisionnelle conservés au grand âge. Par symétrie avec le début de la vie, la société, plaçant au centre de son programme de longévité le sujet aidé, doit également identifier les aidants, en précisant soigneusement leur rôle et en les soutenant financièrement. Les aspects invasifs et intrusifs des nouvelles micro-nano-technologies sont ensuite abordés. Puis on traite le problème de la complexité des données enregistrées sur le sujet âgé dans son environnement. On conclut enfin, en proposant un programme de recherche future cohérent visant à restituer la personne âgée dépendante dans sa globalité biologique et sociologique, en vue d’assurer son intégrité et son bien-être.
Retraite, engagement social et citoyenneté active
Authors: Viriot-Durandal Jean-Philippe , Reguer Daniel
Published: December 2017

À partir d’une série de travaux empiriques réalisés en Seine-Maritime en 2000 et 2007 et à Belfort en 2003, cet article propose une analyse de l’engagement associatif des retraités. Ces travaux mettent en évidence la diversité des configurations (sexe, âge, type d’engagement) et le poids considérable des ressources matérielles et immatérielles (capital social, niveau d’étude, etc.) dans l’accès aux responsabilités associatives. Cette analyse s’inscrit dans une réflexion plus globale sur les processus d’ empowerment et de l’engagement social des retraités entendus comme une recherche de pouvoir sur eux-mêmes et leur environnement.
La formation des adultes vieillissants : un oxymore qui a de l'avenir ?
Authors: Chalmel Loïc , Weisser Marc
Published: December 2017

La formation des adultes vieillissants fait de nos jours l’objet d’une attention accrue du fait de l’allongement de la vie dans les sociétés occidentales. La question peut sembler associer deux termes antagonistes ; mais elle peut aussi déboucher sur la recherche des spécificités propres à ces publics nouveaux. Cet article interrogera tout d’abord la notion de transmission, vue sous ses aspects intergénérationnels. Nous nous attacherons ensuite au processus de reconstruction identitaire qu’elle induit et aux effets escomptés d’une réciprocité éducatrice. Nous nous demanderons alors comment entendre ce que nous disent les adultes âgés et comment le réinterpréter, avant de conclure sur quelques propositions visant à concilier les différents niveaux de contrainte qu’impose toute formation et les spécificités de ce public particulier.
Formation de l'adulte vieillissant : déni de l'âge ou émergence d'une nouvelle anthropologie du bien vieillir ?
Authors: Heslon Christian , Boutinet Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2017

Si la formation tout au long de la vie tend désormais à se déployer depuis quelques décennies aux divers âges de la vie, elle n’en présente pas moins l’inconvénient de se limiter, pour l’essentiel, aux âges de la vie au travail. Or maintes situations actuelles témoignent de la réalité fréquente de situations de formation bien après, et/ou au-delà des âges usuels du travail. Qu’en est-il donc de ces situations d’apprentissage et de formation au sortir de la vie adulte, du triple point de vue de l’apprentissage expérientiel, des fonctions du vieillissement et des actuelles interférences entre ces quatre figures de la vieillesse que constituent l’ancien, l’aîné, l’aïeul et l’ancêtre ?
Apprendre par la biographie narrative : l'effet générationnel dans la formation gérontagogique
Authors: Ruchat Martine
Published: December 2017

En s’appuyant sur un certain nombre de références d’auteur/e/s en sciences humaines et sociales, qui ont depuis les années 1970 promu des démarches de récoltes de récits et/ou de formation dans une perspective d’échanges réciproques et de santé communautaire, l’auteure développe une conception de la « biographie narrative » s’appuyant sur une dynamique relationnelle entre personnes de générations distinctes productrice d’un récit historique, lequel relève de l’apprentissage informel pour les deux parties, et pour l’aîné/e d’une stratégie pour « Bien vieillir ». Fondamentalement cette démarche vise, en plus des apprentissages effectués, de maintenir des liens intergénérationnels et d’enrichir le patrimoine culturel commun par une démarche citoyenne.