bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vulnerability, health, and illness
Authors: Bluhm Robyn
Published: March 2017

Although it is intuitively obvious that having health problems makes people vulnerable, neither bioethics nor the philosophy of medicine has paid much attention to the relationship between vulnerability and health or illness. In this paper, I draw on work by Erinn Gilson on the nature of vulnerability in order to address this lack, showing that attending to vulnerability illuminates the relationship between health and illness.
My imaginary illness: A journey into uncertainty and prejudice in medical diagnosis, by Chloë G. K. Atkins
Authors: Batzer Frances R.
Published: March 2017

Chloë G. K. Atkins, My Imaginary Illness: A Journey into Uncertainty and Prejudice in Medical Diagnosis, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2010, reviewed by Frances R. Batzer
Aspirational solidarity as bioethical norm: The case of reproductive justice
Authors: Shotwell Alexis
Published: March 2017

In this paper, I attend to a current strand in bioethics that forwards solidarity as a promising direction for bioethics theory and health-promoting practices. Drawing on resources from social and political philosophy, I argue that we can gain useful insight in bioethics if we understand solidarity as a political relation grounded not on shared social (political, economic) location but rather on shared visions for the sorts of worlds in which collective health and dignity proliferate. I consider what traction this conception of solidarity might give for thinking about social justice issues in the context of political movements for “reproductive justice.”
Seeing the forest through the trees: What the radical feminist critique of prostitution can teach us about the sale of kidneys by living suppliers
Authors: Stramondo Joseph A.
Published: March 2017

Recent scholarship suggests that the practices of selling sex and selling kidneys can be understood as examples of serious harms that are sometimes chosen by autonomous individuals who find themselves in difficult straits. This analogy between kidney sales by live suppliers and prostitution deserves careful, rigorous consideration. Ideas about autonomy, paternalism, systemic oppression, commodification, and the human body are at the core of each controversy. This paper seeks to use the well-developed, radical feminist literature opposing prostitution and critiquing the liberal tradition’s account of autonomy to explain why the sale of kidneys by live suppliers should continue to be prohibited in the United States.
Comparing policies on conscientious refusals: A feminist perspective
Authors: Clipsham Patrick
Published: March 2017

Many professional associations have policies explaining when it is or is not acceptable for health-care professionals to refuse to participate in the administration of certain interventions on grounds of conscience. In both Canada and the United States, nursing associations tend to have much more detailed, permissive policies than medical associations. There are reasons to think that this distinction is not justifiable, and I argue that some specific North American medical associations should endorse policies regarding conscientious refusals that are modeled on those endorsed by nursing associations and the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council.
Feminist disability studies, edited by Kim Q. Hall
Authors: Scully Jackie Leach
Published: March 2017

Kim Q. Hall, Feminist disability studies, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2011, reviewed by Jackie Leach Scully
Fritz Jahr and the foundations of global bioethics: The future of integrative bioethics, edited by Amir Muzur and Hans Martin-Sass
Authors: La Barbera Christopher P.
Published: March 2017

Amir Muzur and Hans Martin-Sass, Fritz Jahr and the foundations of global bioethics: The future of integrative bioethics, Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2012, reviewed by Christopher P. La Barbera
Transhumanist dreams and dystopian nightmares: The promise and peril of genetic engineering, by Maxwell J. Mehlman
Authors: de Lacey Sheryl
Published: March 2017

Maxwell J. Mehlman, Transhumanist dreams and dystopian nightmares: The promise and peril of genetic engineering, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012, reviewed by Sheryl de Lacey
The persistence of agency through social institutions and caring for future generations
Authors: Victor Elizabeth , Guidry-Grimes Laura
Published: March 2017

We argue that we have obligations to future people that are similar in kind to obligations we have to current people. Modifying Michael Bratman’s account, we argue that as planning agents we must plan for the future to act practically in the present. Because our autonomy and selfhood are relational by nature, those plans will involve building affiliative bonds and caring for others. We conclude by grounding responsibility to future others by the way we plan through our social institutions. Our account fills out the story of responsibility to future generations by referring only to ourselves, our practical identities, and practical reason.
Intergenerational justice and health care: A case for interdependence
Authors: Gotlib Anna
Published: March 2017

Among the myriad longstanding political, socioeconomic, and moral debates focused on the fair distribution of health-care resources within the United States, those addressing intergenerational justice tend to produce the most heat and, often, the least amount of light. The familiar narratives tend to be binary ones of opposing generational stakeholders. While a great number of proposed solutions focus on reconfiguring rationing priorities, this paper will instead shift the discourse to intergenerational interdependence, suggesting that these conflict-born moral dilemmas are in important ways false. The alternative view of intergenerational relations defended here is grounded in an interdependent, rather an oppositional, model of human relationships. I argue that this interdependence can best be realized through a deliberate movement toward intergenerational narrative understandings, as well as through physical proximities. I conclude by considering several ongoing intergenerational projects directed at just such a goal.
Empowering canaries: Sustainability, vulnerability, and the ethics of epistemology
Authors: Scheman Naomi
Published: March 2017

Research ethics has typically been shaped by a conception of science as intrinsically ethics-free. I argue, instead, for a conception of research ethics grounded in an ethics of epistemology, specifically for a norm of epistemic sustainability: research methods and practices that cultivate, rather than undermine, the ground on which especially less privileged others can successfully pursue knowledge, meeting their epistemic needs as they define them. I further argue that objects of knowledge are constituted relationally and are knowable through the relationships in which they are embedded, and that taking vulnerability as an epistemic standpoint can help to ground sustainable inquiry.
Bringing abortion to Ireland? The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2103
Authors: Felzmann Heike
Published: March 2017

In this commentary, the core features of the Irish Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 are outlined. This legislation provides, for the first time in the history of the Irish state, a framework for the provision of lawful abortion in Ireland. The paper will explain the background to the legislation, discuss its main features, and reflect on the likely impact that it will have on the availability of abortion in Ireland.
The bad habit of bearing children
Authors: Theixos H. , Jamil S. B.
Published: March 2017

Procreation—the act of having and raising biological children—is generally not a life choice that is subject to moral scrutiny. In this article, we argue that decisions to procreate are morally evaluable, and that such evaluation reveals that prospective parents have a defeasible obligation to prioritize adoption over procreation. The obligation is defeated by the lack of desire to become a parent, and also in certain cases where legal hurdles are logistically onerous. We conclude that those prospective parents who are unaffected by the defeasibility conditions have a duty to prioritize adoption, regardless of the strength, power, or depth of the desire for biological offspring.
A RELATIONAL VIEW OF CONSCIENCE AND PHYSICIAN CONSCIENTIOUS ACTION
Authors: Baylis Françoise
Published: March 2017

Abstract

The dominant approach to conscience in contemporary bioethics presumes that conscience functions to promote personal moral integrity, and therefore presumes that the relevant values are inherently personal. This approach fails to demonstrate when and why claims of conscience should be taken seriously by others. I draw on Hannah Arendt’s deliberative model of conscience and Cheshire Calhoun’s social model of integrity to develop an alternative relational view of conscience—one that demonstrates that the relevant values are social as well as personal. I show how the goal of improving ethical practice over time constrains which conscience claims should be taken seriously by others.
Vulnerability, Relationality, and Dependency: Feminist Conceptual Resources for Food Justice
Authors: Gilson Erinn Cunniff
Published: March 2017

This article articulates how core concepts in feminist ethical and social theory such as vulnerability, relationality, and dependency are central for understanding both injustices in contemporary food systems and how best to pursue food justice. It argues that denials of dependency, relationality, and vulnerability take the form of normal, but ethically problematic, attitudes and practices, such as reductionism, detachment, and privatization, and thus constitute the underlying shared roots of myriad agricultural and food-related injustices. In particular, this feminist approach helps resolve the tension between critiques of the industrial food system and critiques of the sociocultural politics of food and health.
Implications of Structure versus Agency for Addressing Health and Well-Being in Our Ecologically Constrained World: With a Focus on Prospects for Gender Equity
Authors: Walls Helen L. , Butler Colin D. , Dixon Jane , Samarawickrema Indira
Published: March 2017

The long-standing debate in public health and the wider society concerning the implications of structure and agency for health and well-being generally concludes that structure powerfully influences agency, and does so unequally, exacerbating social and health inequities. In this article, we review this debate in the context of increasing environmental degradation and resource depletion. As the global population rises and environmental resources per person shrink, conflicts over the underlying factors contributing to human health and well-being may intensify. A likely result of nearing limits is a further constraint of agency, for both rich and poor, and greater social and health inequities, including gender inequities.
A Geo-Clustering Approach for the Detection of Areas-of-Interest and Their Underlying Semantics
Authors: Spyrou Evaggelos , Korakakis Michalis , Charalampidis Vasileios , Psallas Apostolos , Mylonas Phivos
Published: March 2017

Living in the “era of social networking”, we are experiencing a data revolution, generating an astonishing amount of digital information every single day. Due to this proliferation of data volume, there has been an explosion of new application domains for information mined from social networks. In this paper, we leverage this “socially-generated knowledge” (i.e., user-generated content derived from social networks) towards the detection of areas-of-interest within an urban region. These large and homogeneous areas contain multiple points-of-interest which are of special interest to particular groups of people (e.g., tourists and/or consumers). In order to identify them, we exploit two types of metadata, namely location-based information included within geo-tagged photos that we collect from Flickr, along with plain simple textual information from user-generated tags. We propose an algorithm that divides a predefined geographical area (i.e., the center of Athens, Greece) into “tile”-shaped sub-regions and based on an iterative merging procedure, it aims to detect larger, cohesive areas. We examine the performance of the algorithm both in a qualitative and quantitative manner. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed geo-clustering algorithm is able to correctly detect regions that contain popular tourist attractions within them with very promising results.
Gait Planning Research for an Electrically Driven Large-Load-Ratio Six-Legged Robot
Authors: Zhuang Hong-Chao , Gao Hai-Bo , Deng Zong-Quan
Published: March 2017

Gait planning is an important basis for the walking of a legged robot. To improve the walking stability of multi-legged robots and to reduce the impact force between the foot and the ground, gait planning strategies are presented for an electrically driven large-load-ratio six-legged robot. First, the configuration and walking gait of the electrically driven large-load-ratio six-legged robot are designed. The higher-stable swing sequences of legs and typical walking modes are respectively obtained. Based on the Denavit–Hartenberg (D–H) method, the analyses of the forward and inverse kinematics are implemented. The mathematical models of the articulated rotation angles are respectively established. In view of the buffer device installed at the end of shin to decrease the impact force between the foot and the ground, an initial lift height of the leg is brought into gait planning when the support phase changes into the transfer phase. The mathematical models of foot trajectories are established. Finally, a prototype of the electrically driven large-load-ratio six-legged robot is developed. The experiments of the prototype are carried out regarding the aspects of the walking speed and surmounting obstacle. Then, the reasonableness of gait planning is verified based on the experimental results. The proposed strategies of gait planning lay the foundation for effectively reducing the foot–ground impact force and can provide a reference for other large-load-ratio multi-legged robots.
Effect of Fibers on Mixture Design of Stone Matrix Asphalt
Authors: Sheng Yanping , Li Haibin , Guo Ping , Zhao Guijuan , Chen Huaxin , Xiong Rui
Published: March 2017

Lignin fibers typically influence the mixture performance of stone matrix asphalt (SMA), such as strength, stability, durability, noise level, rutting resistance, fatigue life, and water sensitivity. However, limited studies were conducted to analyze the influence of fibers on the percent voids in mineral aggregate in bituminous mixture (VMA) during the mixture design. This study analyzed the effect of different fibers and fiber contents on the VMA in SMA mixture design. A surface-dry condition method test and Marshall Stability test were applied on the SMA mixture with four different fibers (i.e., flocculent lignin fiber, mineral fiber, polyester fiber, blended fiber). The test results indicated that the bulk specific gravity of SMA mixtures and asphalt saturation decreased with the increasing fiber content, whilst the percent air voids in bituminous mixtures (VV), Marshall Stability and VMA increased. Mineral fiber had the most obvious impact on the bulk specific gravity of bituminous mixtures, while flocculent lignin fiber had a minimal impact. The mixture with mineral fiber and polyester fiber had significant effects on the volumetric properties, and, consequently, exhibited better VMA over the conventional SMA mixture with lignin fiber. Modified fiber content range was also provided, which will widen the utilization of mineral fiber and polyester fiber in the applications of SMA mixtures. The mixture evaluation suggested no statistically significant difference between lignin fiber and polyester fiber on the stability. The mineral fiber required a much larger fiber content to improve the mixture performance than other fibers. Overall, the results can be a reference to guide SMA mixture design.
The Influence of an Increase of the Mediterranean Sea Surface Temperature on Two Nocturnal Offshore Rainbands: A Numerical Experiment
Authors: Mazon Jordi , Pino David
Published: March 2017

Using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) – Advanced Research WRF (ARW) mesoscale model (WRF–ARW), we investigate how two nocturnal offshore rainbands occurring in the Mediterranean basin are modified in a warmer sea surface temperature (SST). After sunset, the thermal difference between land and sea air increases. Driven by drainage winds or land breeze, the inland cold air interacts with the relatively warmer and moister air over the sea. Vertical movement of sea air over the boundary between the two air masses may induce cloud and rain bands offshore. When an increase of SST is prescribed in the WRF simulations, a change in the precipitation pattern is simulated. The numerical experiments show an increase both in the extension and location of the rainbands and in the precipitation rate. These changes, induced by the modified SST, are analyzed by estimating and comparing several parameters such as the location of level of free convection (LFC), Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), or the triggering, deceleration and blockage terms of simplified conceptual models.
Pd/C Catalysis under Microwave Dielectric Heating
Authors: Cini Elena , Petricci Elena , Taddei Maurizio
Published: March 2017

Microwave-assisted organic synthesis (MAOS) provides a novel and efficient means of achieving heat organic reactions. Nevertheless, the potential arcing phenomena via microwave (MW) interaction with solid metal catalysts has limited its use by organic chemists. As arcing phenomena are now better understood, new applications of Pd/C-catalyzed reactions under MW dielectric heating are now possible. In this review, the state of the art, benefits, and challenges of coupling MW heating with heterogeneous Pd/C catalysis are discussed to inform organic chemists about their use with one of the most popular heterogeneous catalysts.
The Recovery of a Magnetically Dead Layer on the Surface of an Anatase (Ti,Co)O2 Thin Film via an Ultrathin TiO2 Capping Layer
Authors: Krasienapibal Thantip , Fukumura Tomoteru , Hasegawa Tetsuya
Published: March 2017

The effect of an ultrathin TiO2 capping layer on an anatase Ti0.95Co0.05O2−δ (001) epitaxial thin film on magnetism at 300 K was investigated. Films with a capping layer showed increased magnetization mainly caused by enhanced out-of-plane magnetization. In addition, the ultrathin capping layer was useful in prolonging the magnetization lifetime by more than two years. The thickness dependence of the magnetic domain structure at room temperature indicated the preservation of magnetic domain structure even for a 13 nm thick film covered with a capping layer. Taking into account nearly unchanged electric conductivity irrespective of the capping layer’s thickness, the main role of the capping layer is to prevent surface oxidation, which reduces electron carriers on the surface.
Online Reliable Peak Charge/Discharge Power Estimation of Series-Connected Lithium-Ion Battery Packs
Authors: Jiang Bo , Dai Haifeng , Wei Xuezhe , Zhu Letao , Sun Zechang
Published: March 2017

The accurate peak power estimation of a battery pack is essential to the power-train control of electric vehicles (EVs). It helps to evaluate the maximum charge and discharge capability of the battery system, and thus to optimally control the power-train system to meet the requirement of acceleration, gradient climbing and regenerative braking while achieving a high energy efficiency. A novel online peak power estimation method for series-connected lithium-ion battery packs is proposed, which considers the influence of cell difference on the peak power of the battery packs. A new parameter identification algorithm based on adaptive ratio vectors is designed to online identify the parameters of each individual cell in a series-connected battery pack. The ratio vectors reflecting cell difference are deduced strictly based on the analysis of battery characteristics. Based on the online parameter identification, the peak power estimation considering cell difference is further developed. Some validation experiments in different battery aging conditions and with different current profiles have been implemented to verify the proposed method. The results indicate that the ratio vector-based identification algorithm can achieve the same accuracy as the repetitive RLS (recursive least squares) based identification while evidently reducing the computation cost, and the proposed peak power estimation method is more effective and reliable for series-connected battery packs due to the consideration of cell difference.
Techno-Economic Evaluation of a Stand-Alone Power System Based on Solar Power/Batteries for Global System for Mobile Communications Base Stations
Authors: Alsharif Mohammed H.
Published: March 2017

Energy consumption in cellular networks is receiving significant attention from academia and the industry due to its significant potential economic and ecological influence. Energy efficiency and renewable energy are the main pillars of sustainability and environmental compatibility. Technological advancements and cost reduction for photovoltaics are making cellular base stations (BSs; a key source of energy consumption in cellular networks) powered by solar energy sources a long-term promising solution for the mobile cellular network industry. This paper addresses issues of deployment and operation of two solar-powered global system for mobile communications (GSM) BSs that are being deployed at present (GSM BS 2/2/2 and GSM BS 4/4/4). The study is based on the characteristics of South Korean solar radiation exposure. The optimum criteria as well as economic and technical feasibility for various BSs are analyzed using a hybrid optimization model for electric renewables. In addition, initial capital, replacement, operations, maintenance, and total net present costs for various solar-powered BSs are discussed. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of the proposed solar system is compared with conventional energy sources in urban and remote areas.
Wind Turbine Power Curve Design for Optimal Power Generation in Wind Farms Considering Wake Effect
Authors: Tian Jie , Zhou Dao , Su Chi , Soltani Mohsen , Chen Zhe , Blaabjerg Frede
Published: March 2017

In modern wind farms, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is widely implemented. Using the MPPT method, each individual wind turbine is controlled by its pitch angle and tip speed ratio to generate the maximum active power. In a wind farm, the upstream wind turbine may cause power loss to its downstream wind turbines due to the wake effect. According to the wake model, downstream power loss is also determined by the pitch angle and tip speed ratio of the upstream wind turbine. By optimizing the pitch angle and tip speed ratio of each wind turbine, the total active power of the wind farm can be increased. In this paper, the optimal pitch angle and tip speed ratio are selected for each wind turbine by the exhausted search. Considering the estimation error of the wake model, a solution to implement the optimized pitch angle and tip speed ratio is proposed, which is to generate the optimal control curves for each individual wind turbine off-line. In typical wind farms with regular layout, based on the detailed analysis of the influence of pitch angle and tip speed ratio on the total active power of the wind farm by the exhausted search, the optimization is simplified with the reduced computation complexity. By using the optimized control curves, the annual energy production (AEP) is increased by 1.03% compared to using the MPPT method in a case-study of a typical eighty-turbine wind farm.
Roles of CDK and DDK in Genome Duplication and Maintenance: Meiotic Singularities
Authors: Gómez-Escoda Blanca , Wu Pei-Yun
Published: March 2017

Cells reproduce using two types of divisions: mitosis, which generates two daughter cells each with the same genomic content as the mother cell, and meiosis, which reduces the number of chromosomes of the parent cell by half and gives rise to four gametes. The mechanisms that promote the proper progression of the mitotic and meiotic cycles are highly conserved and controlled. They require the activities of two types of serine-threonine kinases, the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and the Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK). CDK and DDK are essential for genome duplication and maintenance in both mitotic and meiotic divisions. In this review, we aim to highlight how these kinases cooperate to orchestrate diverse processes during cellular reproduction, focusing on meiosis-specific adaptions of their regulation and functions in DNA metabolism.
Implementation of Algorithm for Satellite-Derived Bathymetry using Open Source GIS and Evaluation for Tsunami Simulation
Authors: Poliyapram Vinayaraj , Raghavan Venkatesh , Metz Markus , Delucchi Luca , Masumoto Shinji
Published: March 2017

Accurate and high resolution bathymetric data is a necessity for a wide range of coastal oceanographic research topics. Active sensing methods, such as ship-based soundings and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), are expensive and time consuming solutions. Therefore, the significance of Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) has increased in the last ten years due to the availability of multi-constellation, multi-temporal, and multi-resolution remote sensing data as Open Data. Effective SDB algorithms have been proposed by many authors, but there is no ready-to-use software module available in the Geographical Information System (GIS) environment as yet. Hence, this study implements a Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) based SDB workflow as a Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) GIS module (i.image.bathymetry). Several case studies were carried out to examine the performance of the module in multi-constellation and multi-resolution satellite imageries for different study areas. The results indicate a strong correlation between SDB and reference depth. For instance, case study 1 (Puerto Rico, Northeastern Caribbean Sea) has shown an coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.98 and an Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.61 m, case study 2 (Iwate, Japan) has shown an R2 of 0.94 and an RMSE of 1.50 m, and case study 3 (Miyagi, Japan) has shown an R2 of 0.93 and an RMSE of 1.65 m. The reference depths were acquired by using LiDAR for case study 1 and an echo-sounder for case studies 2 and 3. Further, the estimated SDB has been used as one of the inputs for the Australian National University and Geoscience Australia (ANUGA) tsunami simulation model. The tsunami simulation results also show close agreement with post-tsunami survey data. The i.mage.bathymetry module developed as a part of this study is made available as an extension for the Open Source GRASS GIS to facilitate wide use and future improvements.
Comparison of the Pharmacokinetic Properties of Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers
Authors: Taguchi Kazuaki , Yamasaki Keishi , Maruyama Toru , Otagiri Masaki
Published: March 2017

Hemoglobin (Hb) is an ideal material for use in the development of an oxygen carrier in view of its innate biological properties. However, the vascular retention of free Hb is too short to permit a full therapeutic effect because Hb is rapidly cleared from the kidney via glomerular filtration or from the liver via the haptogloblin-CD 163 pathway when free Hb is administered in the blood circulation. Attempts have been made to develop alternate acellular and cellular types of Hb based oxygen carriers (HBOCs), in which Hb is processed via various routes in order to regulate its pharmacokinetic properties. These HBOCs have been demonstrated to have superior pharmacokinetic properties including a longer half-life than the Hb molecule in preclinical and clinical trials. The present review summarizes and compares the pharmacokinetic properties of acellular and cellular type HBOCs that have been developed through different approaches, such as polymerization, PEGylation, cross-linking, and encapsulation.
Effect of CaF2/CaO Composite Additive on Roasting of Vanadium-Bearing Stone Coal and Acid Leaching Kinetics
Authors: Wang Bo , Liu Tao , Zhang Yimin , Huang Jing
Published: March 2017

In this paper, the composite additive of CaF2/CaO was used to extract vanadium from stone coal, and the effect of roasting and leaching kinetics were studied. The purpose of this manuscript is to realize and improve the vanadium recovery from stone coal using the composite additive. The experimental results indicated that the roasted clinker can be obtained under the conditions of CaF2/CaO at a mass ratio of 2:3 and a total additive amount of 10 wt %, a roasting temperature 850 °C, and a roasting time of 90 min. The leaching rate of vanadium can reach 86.74%, which increased by 16.4% compared with that of blank roasting under the conditions including a leaching temperature of 950 °C, a sulfuric acid concentration of 15% (v/v), a leaching time of 2 h, and a ratio of liquid to solid of 3 mL/g. The phase transformation analysis indicated that the muscovite structure was effectively destroyed during the roasting process comparing with no additives, which provided the basis for vanadium dissociation. Roasting can promote the formation of calcium vanadate, which is beneficial to the leaching of vanadium. The vanadium leaching kinetic analysis indicated that the activation energy of the acid leaching reaction decreased from 42.50 KJ/mol in the blank roasting to 22.56 KJ/mol in the calcified roasting, and the reaction order, with respect to the sulfuric acid concentration, decreased from 1.15 to 0.85. Calcified roasting has a better mineral activation than blank roasting, which can accelerate the leaching of vanadium and reduce the dependence on high-temperature and high acid levels in the leaching process.
Synthesis of Substituted α-Trifluoromethyl Piperidinic Derivatives
Authors: Rioton Sarah , Pardo Domingo , Cossy Janine
Published: March 2017

A comprehensive survey of pathways leading to the generation of α-trifluoromethyl monocyclic piperidinic derivatives is provided (65 references). These compounds have been synthesized either from 6-membered rings e.g., pipecolic acid or lactam derivatives by introduction a trifluoromethyl group, from pyridine or pyridinone derivatives by reduction, and from 5-membered rings e.g., prolinol derivatives by ring expansion, from linear amines by cyclization or from dienes/dienophiles by [4 + 2]-cycloaddition.
Ginsenoside PPD’s Antitumor Effect via Down-Regulation of mTOR Revealed by Super-Resolution Imaging
Authors: Teng Bo , Jiang Junguang , Zhao Lijing , Gao Jing , Chen Junyu , Liu Zhe , Wang Hongda , Lu Binfeng
Published: March 2017

Derived from Panax ginseng, the natural product 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) has been reported for its cytotoxicity against several cancer cell lines. The molecular mechanism is, however, not well understood. Here we show that PPD significantly inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and causes G2/M cell cycle arrest in human laryngeal carcinoma cells (Hep-2 cells). PPD also decreases the levels of proteins related to cell proliferation. Moreover, PPD-induced apoptosis is characterized by a dose-dependent down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression and up-regulation of Bax, and is accompanied by the activation of Caspase-3 as well. Further molecular mechanism is revealed by direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM)—a novel high-precision localization microscopy which enables effective resolution down to the order of 10 nm. It shows the expression and spatial arrangement of mTOR and its downstream effectors, demonstrating that this ginsenoside exerts its excellent anticancer effects via down-regulation of mTOR signaling pathway in Hep-2 cells. Taken together, our findings elucidate that the antitumor effect of PPD is associated with its regulation of mTOR expression and distribution, which encourages further studies of PPD as a promising therapeutic agent against laryngeal carcinoma.
Reproducibility and Practical Adoption of GEOBIA with Open-Source Software in Docker Containers
Authors: Knoth Christian , Nüst Daniel
Published: March 2017

Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) mostly uses proprietary software,but the interest in Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) for GEOBIA is growing. This interest stems not only from cost savings, but also from benefits concerning reproducibility and collaboration. Technical challenges hamper practical reproducibility, especially when multiple software packages are required to conduct an analysis. In this study, we use containerization to package a GEOBIA workflow in a well-defined FOSS environment. We explore the approach using two software stacks to perform an exemplary analysis detecting destruction of buildings in bi-temporal images of a conflict area. The analysis combines feature extraction techniques with segmentation and object-based analysis to detect changes using automatically-defined local reference values and to distinguish disappeared buildings from non-target structures. The resulting workflow is published as FOSS comprising both the model and data in a ready to use Docker image and a user interface for interaction with the containerized workflow. The presented solution advances GEOBIA in the following aspects: higher transparency of methodology; easier reuse and adaption of workflows; better transferability between operating systems; complete description of the software environment; and easy application of workflows by image analysis experts and non-experts. As a result, it promotes not only the reproducibility of GEOBIA, but also its practical adoption.
Implicit Regularization for Reconstructing 3D Building Rooftop Models Using Airborne LiDAR Data
Authors: Jung Jaewook , Jwa Yoonseok , Sohn Gunho
Published: March 2017

With rapid urbanization, highly accurate and semantically rich virtualization of building assets in 3D become more critical for supporting various applications, including urban planning, emergency response and location-based services. Many research efforts have been conducted to automatically reconstruct building models at city-scale from remotely sensed data. However, developing a fully-automated photogrammetric computer vision system enabling the massive generation of highly accurate building models still remains a challenging task. One the most challenging task for 3D building model reconstruction is to regularize the noises introduced in the boundary of building object retrieved from a raw data with lack of knowledge on its true shape. This paper proposes a data-driven modeling approach to reconstruct 3D rooftop models at city-scale from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The focus of the proposed method is to implicitly derive the shape regularity of 3D building rooftops from given noisy information of building boundary in a progressive manner. This study covers a full chain of 3D building modeling from low level processing to realistic 3D building rooftop modeling. In the element clustering step, building-labeled point clouds are clustered into homogeneous groups by applying height similarity and plane similarity. Based on segmented clusters, linear modeling cues including outer boundaries, intersection lines, and step lines are extracted. Topology elements among the modeling cues are recovered by the Binary Space Partitioning (BSP) technique. The regularity of the building rooftop model is achieved by an implicit regularization process in the framework of Minimum Description Length (MDL) combined with Hypothesize and Test (HAT). The parameters governing the MDL optimization are automatically estimated based on Min-Max optimization and Entropy-based weighting method. The performance of the proposed method is tested over the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) benchmark datasets. The results show that the proposed method can robustly produce accurate regularized 3D building rooftop models.
Electromagnetic Vortex-Based Radar Imaging Using a Single Receiving Antenna: Theory and Experimental Results
Authors: Yuan Tiezhu , Wang Hongqiang , Cheng Yongqiang , Qin Yuliang
Published: March 2017

Radar imaging based on electromagnetic vortex can achieve azimuth resolution without relative motion. The present paper investigates this imaging technique with the use of a single receiving antenna through theoretical analysis and experimental results. Compared with the use of multiple receiving antennas, the echoes from a single receiver cannot be used directly for image reconstruction using Fourier method. The reason is revealed by using the point spread function. An additional phase is compensated for each mode before imaging process based on the array parameters and the elevation of the targets. A proof-of-concept imaging system based on a circular phased array is created, and imaging experiments of corner-reflector targets are performed in an anechoic chamber. The azimuthal image is reconstructed by the use of Fourier transform and spectral estimation methods. The azimuth resolution of the two methods is analyzed and compared through experimental data. The experimental results verify the principle of azimuth resolution and the proposed phase compensation method.
Enhanced On-Site Waste Management of Plasterboard in Construction Works: A Case Study in Spain
Authors: Jiménez-Rivero Ana , De Guzmán-Báez Ana , García-Navarro Justo
Published: March 2017

On-site management of construction waste commonly determines its destination. In the case of plasterboard (PB), on-site segregation becomes crucial for closed-loop recycling. However, PB is commonly mixed with other wastes in Spain. In this context, the involvement of stakeholders that can contribute to reversing this current situation is needed. This paper analyzes on-site waste management of PB in Spain through a pilot study of a construction site, with the main objective of identifying best practices to increase waste prevention, waste minimization, and the recyclability of the waste. On-site visits and structured interviews were conducted. The results show five management stages: PB distribution (I); PB installation (II); Construction waste storage at the installation area (III); PB waste segregation at the installation area (IV) and PB waste transfer to the PB container and storage (V). The proposed practices refer to each stage and include the merging of Stages III and IV. This measure would avoid the mixing of waste fractions in Stage III, maximizing the recyclability of PB. In addition, two requisites for achieving enhanced management are analyzed: ‘Training and commitment’ and ‘fulfilling the requirements established by the current regulation’. The results show that foremen adopted a more pessimistic attitude than installers towards a joint commitment for waste management. Moreover, not all supervisors valued the importance of a site waste management plan, regulated by the Royal Decree 105/2008 in Spain.
Analysis of Low-Carbon Economy Efficiency of Chinese Industrial Sectors Based on a RAM Model with Undesirable Outputs
Authors: Meng Ming , Fu Yanan , Wang Tianyu , Jing Kaiqiang
Published: March 2017

Industrial energy and environment efficiency evaluation become especially crucial as industrial sectors play a key role in CO2 emission reduction and energy consumption. This study adopts the additive range-adjusted measure data envelope analysis (RAM-DEA) model to estimate the low-carbon economy efficiency of Chinese industrial sectors in 2001–2013. In addition, the CO2 emission intensity mitigation target for each industrial sector is assigned. Results show that, first, most sectors are not completely efficient, but they have experienced and have improved greatly during the period. These sectors can be divided into four categories, namely, mining, light, heavy, and electricity, gas, and water supply industries. The efficiency is diverse among the four industrial categories. The average efficiency of the light industry is the highest among the industries, followed by those of the mining and the electricity, gas, and water supply industries, and that of the heavy industry is the lowest. Second, the electricity, gas, and water supply industry shows the biggest potential for CO2 emission reduction, thus containing most of the sectors with large CO2 emission intensity mitigation targets (more than 45%), followed by the mining and the light industries. Therefore, the Chinese government should formulate diverse and flexible policy implementations according to the actual situation of the different sectors. Specifically, the sectors with low efficiency should be provided with additional policy support (such as technology and finance aids) to improve their industrial efficiency, whereas the electricity, gas, and water supply industry should maximize CO2 emission reduction.
Sustainable Pavement Management System in Urban Areas Considering the Vehicle Operating Costs
Authors: Loprencipe Giuseppe , Pantuso Antonio , Di Mascio Paola
Published: March 2017

Urban roads constitute most of the existing roads and they are directly managed by small administrations. Normally, these small administrations do not have sufficient funds or sufficient qualified personnel to carry out this task. This paper deals with an easy-implementation Pavement Management System (PMS) to develop strategies to maintain, preserve and rehabilitate urban roads. The proposed method includes the creation of the road network inventory, the visual surveys of the pavement and the evaluation of its condition by the Pavement Condition Index (PCI). The method intends to give a valid tool to road managers to compare alternative maintenance strategies and perform the priority analysis on the network. With this aim, the procedure assesses the Vehicle Operating Costs (VOC) by a written regression between PCI and International Roughness Index (IRI). The proposed method has several advantages because it can be easily adapted to various situations and it does not require a large amount of time and money for its implementation.
Management of Animal Carcass Disposal Sites Using a Biochar Permeable Reactive Barrier and Fast Growth Tree (Populus euramericana): A Field Study in Korea
Authors: Yoon Jung-Hwan , Kim Young-Nam , Shin Dong-Chun , Kim Kwon-Rae , Kim Kye-Hoon
Published: March 2017

Among many disposal options of animal carcasses due to animal diseases including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and avian influenza (AI), on-farm burial has been the most frequently used one in Korea. Animal carcasses generate contaminants such as ammonium-N and chloride. This study aimed at testing biochar (BC) as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) material in combination with fast growing tree species (Populus euramericana) to mitigate groundwater pollution from animal burial sites. For this, a PRB filled with BC was installed and 400 poplar tree (P. euramericana) seedlings were planted. Tested BC was obtained from rice husk and its efficiency to mitigate contaminant migration from a burial site of pig carcasses was tested using ammonium-N, chloride, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH as monitoring parameters. Monitoring wells downstream from the burial site were used. Leachates from a monitoring well, three wells inside the burial site close to PRB and three wells outside the burial site close to PRB were sampled and analyzed for ammonium-N, Cl−, EC, and pH for four years from PRB installation. The pH, EC, and ammonium-N of leachate fluctuated during the test period depending on precipitation. pH, EC, and ammonium-N of the leachate samples collected from outside of the burial site close to PRB decreased compared to those from inside of the burial site close to PRB. The concentrations of ammonium-N in the leachate from the monitoring well kept under the threshold value of 10 mg·L−1 for two years from PRB construction. In addition, the growth of poplar plants appeared to be increased via uptaking available N and P released from the burial sites. Achieved results suggest that BC PRBs can be used to in situ mitigate contaminant release from buried animal carcasses.
A Carbon Emission Evaluation for an Integrated Logistics System—A Case Study of the Port of Shenzhen
Authors: Yang Lei , Cai Yiji , Zhong Xiaozhe , Shi Yongqiang , Zhang Zhiyong
Published: March 2017

The port is an important node in logistics, and its energy consumption constitutes a considerable proportion of the transportation industry. In port logistics, not only does the energy consumption generate carbon emissions, but other business activities do as well. This paper firstly characterizes the sources of carbon emissions and the basic elements in the port system, and proposes the concept of a port-integrated logistics system. Secondly, a case study of The Port of Shenzhen is conducted and a method is provided to measure the carbon emissions in the port-integrated logistics system. This paper then suggests two approaches to reducing carbon emissions, and their economic and environmental benefits are compared. Finally, some policies are put forward to reduce carbon emissions, such as improving the efficiency of loading and unloading, and replacing the heavy fuel oil by low sulfur fuel oil and shore power. The proposed method of carbon emission reduction for port-integrated logistics systems can be generalized for the analysis of various types of ports.
Porcine Rotaviruses: Epidemiology, Immune Responses and Control Strategies
Authors: Vlasova Anastasia , Amimo Joshua , Saif Linda
Published: March 2017

Rotaviruses (RVs) are a major cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in young animals and children worldwide. Immunocompetent adults of different species become resistant to clinical disease due to post-infection immunity, immune system maturation and gut physiological changes. Of the 9 RV genogroups (A–I), RV A, B, and C (RVA, RVB, and RVC, respectively) are associated with diarrhea in piglets. Although discovered decades ago, porcine genogroup E RVs (RVE) are uncommon and their pathogenesis is not studied well. The presence of porcine RV H (RVH), a newly defined distinct genogroup, was recently confirmed in diarrheic pigs in Japan, Brazil, and the US. The complex epidemiology, pathogenicity and high genetic diversity of porcine RVAs are widely recognized and well-studied. More recent data show a significant genetic diversity based on the VP7 gene analysis of RVB and C strains in pigs. In this review, we will summarize previous and recent research to provide insights on historic and current prevalence and genetic diversity of porcine RVs in different geographic regions and production systems. We will also provide a brief overview of immune responses to porcine RVs, available control strategies and zoonotic potential of different RV genotypes. An improved understanding of the above parameters may lead to the development of more optimal strategies to manage RV diarrheal disease in swine and humans.
Achieving Resilience through Water Recycling in Peri-Urban Agriculture
Authors: Attwater Roger , Derry Chris
Published: March 2017

Pressures on urban, peri-urban and rural water and agricultural systems are increasingly complex with multiple interacting stresses and impacts. As a way of addressing these issues there has been increasing consideration as to how to build and manage resilience in these complex social-ecological systems. This paper presents a case study of the role of water recycling for agricultural use within the context of the peri-urban water cycle in Western Sydney, Australia. Building upon a description of the water cycle associated with water reclaimed from urban wastewater and stormwater harvesting; aspects which enhance resilience are identified and discussed. These include water resource security, avoidance of wastewater discharges to receiving waters, enhanced processes of landscape ecology, provision of ecosystem services, environmental risk management, local agricultural products and services, social values, livelihood opportunity, and the industrial ecology of recycled organics.