bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implications on Livelihoods and the Environment of Uptake of Gasifier Cook Stoves among Kenya’s Rural Households
Authors: Gitau James K. , Mutune Jane , Sundberg Cecilia , Mendum Ruth , Njenga Mary
Published: March 2019

A majority of people in developing countries use biomass energy for cooking and heating due to its affordability, accessibility and convenience. However, unsustainable biomass use leads to forest degradation and climate change. Therefore, this study was carried out in Kwale County, Kenya, on the use of a biochar-producing gasifier cook stove and implications of its uptake on livelihoods and the environment. Fifty households were trained and issued with a gasifier for free. After 2–3 months of gasifier use, a survey was conducted to investigate the implications of its uptake. The direct impacts included reduced fuel consumption by 38%, reduced time spent in firewood collection, reduced expenditure on cooking fuel, diversification of cooking fuels, improved kitchen conditions and reduced time spent on cooking. The potential benefits included income generation, increased food production, reduced impacts on environment and climate change and reduced health problems. Improved biomass cook stoves can alleviate problems with current cooking methods, which include inefficient fuel use, health issues caused by smoke, and environmental problems. These benefits could contribute to development through alleviating poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality, enhancing good health and sustainable ecosystems and mitigating climate change. The study recommends the promotion of cleaner cooking stoves, particularly gasifiers, among households in rural areas while paying attention to user needs and preferences.
Recent Updates on the Use of Agro-Food Waste for Biogas Production
Authors: Caruso Marisa Carmela , Braghieri Ada , Capece Angela , Napolitano Fabio , Romano Patrizia , Galgano Fernanda , Altieri Giuseppe , Genovese Francesco
Published: March 2019

The production of biogas from anaerobic digestion (AD) of residual agro-food biomasses represents an opportunity for alternative production of energy from renewable sources, according to the European Union legislation on renewable energy. This review provides an overview of the various aspects involved in this process with a focus on the best process conditions to be used for AD-based biogas production from residual agro-food biomasses. After a schematic description of the AD phases, the biogas plants with advanced technologies were described, pointing out the strengths and the weaknesses of the different digester technologies and indicating the main parameters and operating conditions to be monitored. Subsequently, a brief analysis of the factors affecting methane yield from manure AD was conducted and the AD of fruit and vegetables waste was examined. Particular attention was given to studies on co-digestion and pre-treatments as strategies to improve biogas yield. Finally, the selection of specific microorganisms and the genetic manipulation of anaerobic bacteria to speed up the AD process was illustrated. The open challenges concern the achievement of the highest renewable energy yields reusing agro-food waste with the lowest environmental impact and an increment of competitiveness of the agricultural sector in the perspective of a circular economy.
Dynamics of Double-Beam System with Various Symmetric Boundary Conditions Traversed by a Moving Force: Analytical Analyses
Authors: Yang Jing , He Xuhui , Jing Haiquan , Wang Hanfeng , Tinmitonde Sévérin
Published: March 2019

Dynamics of the double-beam system under moving loads have been paid much attention due to its wide applications in reality from the analytical point of view but the previous studies are limited to the simply supported boundary condition. In this study, to understand the vibration mechanism of the system with various boundary conditions, the double-beam system consisted of two general beams with a variety of symmetric boundary conditions (fixed-fixed, pinned-pinned, fixed-pinned, pinned-fixed and fixed-free) under the action of a moving force is studied analytically. The closed-form frequencies and mode shapes of the system with various symmetric boundary conditions are presented by the Bernoulli-Fourier method and validated with Finite Element results. The analytical explicit solutions are derived by the Modal Superposition method, which are verified with numerical results and previous results in the literature. As found, each wavenumber of the double-beam system is corresponding to two sub-modes of the system and the two sub-modes associated with the first wavenumber of the system both contribute significantly to the vibration of the system under a moving force. The analytical solutions indicate that the mass ratio, the bending stiffness ratio, the stiffness ratio of contact springs and the speed ratio of the moving force are the factors influencing the vibrations of the system under a moving force. The relationships between these dimensionless parameters and the displacement ratio of the system are investigated and presented in the form of plots, which could be referred in the design of the double-beam system.
Exploring the Optimal Safety Person–job Matching Method of Major Equipment Based on Human Reliability
Authors: Zhang Lili , Li Zhengfeng , Wu Kuo-Jui , Yang Wenwen
Published: March 2019

Under the background of intelligent manufacturing, this paper aims to develop a model for person–job safe matching that optimizes safety with consideration of major equipment operator competency and task complexity. Safe matching cost is minimized in the developed model and is measured by the equipment downtime, production defect rate, and operator labor costs oriented by human factors. Human reliability is calculated with the goal of best value individual competency and best admit task complexity with a hierarchical structure. The 0-1 integer programming person–job matching model minimizes the human factor safety and wage costs and satisfies the requirements of the production order, budget and operator quantity requirement. An improved genetic algorithm is designed to solve the model. The computational results of the proposed model based on a case study for a large iron and steel company evidently demonstrated its effectiveness. A new integrated model provides more realistic matches for person–job assignment.
Development of an Electrostatic Beat Module for Various Tactile Sensations in Touch Screen Devices
Authors: Joo Young-Bok , Shin Eun-Jae , Heo Yong Hae , Park Won-Hyeong , Yang Tae-Heon , Kim Sang-Youn
Published: March 2019

One of the most dominant factors in developing tactile modules is the ability to generate abundant vibrotactile sensation. This paper presents a new vibrotactile module which can stimulate two mechanoreceptors at the same time without any mechanical vibration motors. To realize that, we first design an electro-tactile beat module (an ETB module) consisting of a lower part, a connection part and an upper part. The two electrodes were designed in an interdigitated pattern and were applied to the upper part. By applying two voltage inputs with slightly different frequencies to two electrodes in the proposed ETB module, respectively, we can create beat-patterned vibration. Furthermore, we can create normal vibration with the proposed ETB module by applying same frequency to the two electrodes. Experiments were conducted to validate the haptic performance of the proposed prototype. The results show that the proposed ETB module can create not only beat-patterned vibration but also normal vibration. The results also show that it can generate strong enough vibration to stimulate mechanoreceptors in wide frequency ranges.
Day-Ahead Electric Load Forecasting for the Residential Building with a Small-Size Dataset Based on a Self-Organizing Map and a Stacking Ensemble Learning Method
Authors: Lee Jaehyun , Kim Jinho , Ko Woong
Published: March 2019

Electric load forecasting for buildings is important as it assists building managers or system operators to plan energy usage and strategize accordingly. Recent increases in the adoption of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) have made building electrical consumption data available, and this has increased the feasibility of data-driven load forecasting. Self-organizing map (SOM) has been successfully utilized to cluster a dataset into subsets containing similar data points. These subsets are then used to train the forecasting models to improve forecasting accuracy. However, some buildings may have insufficient data since newly installed monitoring devices such as AMI have no choice but to collect a limited amount of data. Using a clustering technique on small datasets could lead to overfitting when using forecasting models following an SOM network to be trained with clusters. This results in a relatively high generalization error. In this study, we propose to address this problem by employing the stacking ensemble learning method (SELM) that is well-known for its generalization ability. An experimental study was conducted using the electricity consumption data of an actual institutional building and meteorological data. Our proposed model outperformed other baseline models, which means it successfully mitigates the effect of overfitting.
Experimental Validation of Aero-Hydro-Servo-Elastic Models of a Scaled Floating Offshore Wind Turbine
Authors: Jessen Kasper , Laugesen Kasper , M. Mortensen Signe , K. Jensen Jesper , N. Soltani Mohsen
Published: March 2019

Floating offshore wind turbines are complex dynamical systems. The use of numerical models is an essential tool for the prediction of the fatigue life, ultimate loads and controller design. The simultaneous wind and wave loading on a non-stationary foundation with a flexible tower makes the development of numerical models difficult, the validation of these numerical models is a challenging task as the floating offshore wind turbine system is expensive and the testing of these may cause loss of the system. The validation of these numerical models is often made on scaled models of the floating offshore wind turbines, which are tested in scaled environmental conditions. In this study, an experimental validation of two numerical models for a floating offshore wind turbines will be conducted. The scaled model is a 1:35 Froude scaled 5 MW offshore wind turbine mounted on a tension-leg platform. The two numerical models are aero-hydro-servo-elastic models. The numerical models are a theoretical model developed in a MATLAB/Simulink environment by the authors, while the other model is developed in the turbine simulation tool FAST. A comparison between the numerical models and the experimental dynamics shows good agreement. Though some effects such as the periodic loading from rotor show a complexity, which is difficult to capture.
The Future of Cyberpunk Criticism: Introduction to Transpacific Cyberpunk
Authors: Tatsumi Takayuki
Published: March 2019

The genesis of cyberpunk criticism could well be dated to March 1987, when Stephen P [...]
Urban Trees and Their Impact on Local Ozone Concentration—A Microclimate Modeling Study
Authors: Simon Helge , Fallmann Joachim , Kropp Tim , Tost Holger , Bruse Michael
Published: March 2019

Climate sensitive urban planning involves the implementation of green infrastructure as one measure to mitigate excessive heat in urban areas. Depending on thermal conditions, certain trees tend to emit more biogenic volatile organic compounds, which act as precursors for ozone formation, thus hampering air quality. Combining a theoretical approach from a box model analysis and microscale modeling from the microclimate model ENVI-met, we analyze this relationship for a selected region in Germany and provide the link to air quality prediction and climate sensitive urban planning. A box model study was conducted, indicating higher ozone levels with higher isoprene concentration, especially in NO-saturated atmospheres. ENVI-met sensitivity studies showed that different urban layouts strongly determine local isoprene emissions of vegetation, with leaf temperature, rather than photosynthetic active radiation, being the dominant factor. The impact of isoprene emission on the ozone in complex urban environments was simulated for an urban area for a hot summer day with and without isoprene. A large isoprene-induced relative ozone increase was found over the whole model area. On selected hot spots we find a clear relationship between urban layout, proximity to NOx emitters, tree-species-dependent isoprene emission capacity, and increases in ozone concentration, rising up to 500% locally.
Analysis of a Severe Pollution Episode in December 2017 in Sichuan Province
Authors: Zeng Shenglan , Zheng Yiyu
Published: March 2019

To analyze a pollution process in Sichuan from 12 December 2017 to 2 January 2018, hourly pollutant data from 90 environmental monitors with surface data and sounding data from 21 meteorological stations were used to determine the sources of pollutants and the correlation between pollution levels and meteorological conditions. The results show that the whole process could be divided into two parts: (1) from 20 December 2017 to 30 December 2017, when, driven by a static stable atmosphere, the Sichuan basin experienced a long-lasting haze episode with an air quality index (AQI) that exceeded 150; and (2) after 30 December 2017, when a Mongolian cyclone developed and brought a large amount of cold air to Sichuan that improved the horizontal and vertical turbulence exchange and removed most of the pollutants. However, the northern part of Sichuan, affected by the cold air that carried dust from Shanxi and Qinghai, suffered an abrupt change in the extent of PM10 that led to an aggravation of this pollution process.
Inferring Fine-Mode and Coarse-Mode Aerosol Complex Refractive Indices from AERONET Inversion Products over China
Authors: Chen Qi-Xiang , Shen Wen-Xiang , Yuan Yuan , Xie Ming , Tan He-Ping
Published: March 2019

Detailed knowledge of the complex refractive indices (m) of fine- and coarse-mode aerosols is important for enhancing understanding of the effect of atmospheric aerosol on climate. However, studies on obtaining aerosol modal m values are particularly scarce. This study proposes a method for inferring m values of fine- and coarse-mode aerosol using the inversion products from the AERONET ground-based aerosol robotic network. By identifying the aerosol type, modal m values are constrained and then inferred based on a maximum likelihood method. Numerical tests showed that compared with the reference values, our method slightly overestimates the real parts of the refractive indices (n), but underestimates the imaginary parts (k) by 2.11% ± 11.59% and 8.4% ± 26.42% for fine and coarse modes, respectively. We applied this method to 21 AERONET sites around China, which yielded annual mean m values of (1.45 ± 0.04) + (0.0109 ± 0.0046)i and (1.53 ± 0.01) + (0.0039 ± 0.0011)i for fine- and coarse-mode aerosols, respectively. It is observed that the fine mode n decreased from 1.53 to 1.39 with increasing latitude, while fine mode k values were generally larger than 0.008 over most of China. The coarse-mode n and k ranged from 1.52 to 1.56 and from 0.002 to 0.006, respectively.
New Approaches for the Discovery of Pharmacologically-Active Natural Compounds
Authors: Medina-Franco José L.
Published: March 2019

Natural products continue to be a major source of active compounds [...]
Fluid–Structure Interaction for Biomimetic Design of an Innovative Lightweight Turboexpander
Authors: Gad-el-Hak Ibrahim
Published: March 2019

Inspired by bird feather structures that enable the resistance of powerful aerodynamic forces in addition to their lower weight to provide stable flight, a biomimetic composite turbine blade was proposed for a low-temperature organic Rankine cycle (ORC) turboexpander that is capable of producing lower weight expanders than that of stainless steel expanders, in addition to reduce its manufacturing cost, and hence it may contribute in spreading ORC across nonconventional power systems. For that purpose, the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) was numerically investigated for a composite turbine blade with bird-inspired fiber orientations. The aerodynamic forces were evaluated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using the commercial package ANSYS-CFX (version 16.0) and then these aerodynamic forces were transferred to the solid model of the proposed blade. The structural integrity of the bird-mimetic composite blade was investigated by performing finite element analysis (FEA) of composite materials with different fiber orientations using ANSYS Composite PrepPost (ACP). Furthermore, the obtained mechanical performance of the composite turbine blades was compared with that of the stainless steel turbine blades. The obtained results indicated that fiber orientation has a greater effect on the deformation of the rotor blades and the minimum value can be achieved by the same barb angle inspired from the flight feather. In addition to a significant effect in the weight reduction of 80% was obtained by using composite rotor blades instead of stainless steel rotor blades.
Implementation of Deep Deterministic Policy Gradients for Controlling Dynamic Bipedal Walking
Authors: Liu Chujun , Lonsberry Andrew G. , Nandor Mark J. , Audu Musa L. , Lonsberry Alexander J. , Quinn Roger D.
Published: March 2019

A control system for bipedal walking in the sagittal plane was developed in simulation. The biped model was built based on anthropometric data for a 1.8 m tall male of average build. At the core of the controller is a deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) neural network that was trained in GAZEBO, a physics simulator, to predict the ideal foot placement to maintain stable walking despite external disturbances. The complexity of the DDPG network was decreased through carefully selected state variables and a distributed control system. Additional controllers for the hip joints during their stance phases and the ankle joint during toe-off phase help to stabilize the biped during walking. The simulated biped can walk at a steady pace of approximately 1 m/s, and during locomotion it can maintain stability with a 30 kg·m/s impulse applied forward on the torso or a 40 kg·m/s impulse applied rearward. It also maintains stable walking with a 10 kg backpack or a 25 kg front pack. The controller was trained on a 1.8 m tall model, but also stabilizes models 1.4–2.3 m tall with no changes.
Not All Bilinguals Are the Same: A Call for More Detailed Assessments and Descriptions of Bilingual Experiences
Authors: de Bruin Angela
Published: March 2019

No two bilinguals are the same. Differences in bilingual experiences can affect language-related processes but have also been proposed to modulate executive functioning. Recently, there has been an increased interest in studying individual differences between bilinguals, for example in terms of their age of acquisition, language proficiency, use, and switching. However, and despite the importance of this individual variation, studies often do not provide detailed assessments of their bilingual participants. This review first discusses several aspects of bilingualism that have been studied in relation to executive functioning. Next, I review different questionnaires and objective measurements that have been proposed to better define bilingual experiences. In order to better understand (effects of) bilingualism within and across studies, it is crucial to carefully examine and describe not only a bilingual’s proficiency and age of acquisition, but also their language use and switching as well as the different interactional contexts in which they use their languages.
Effects of Spatial Pattern of Forest Vegetation on Urban Cooling in a Compact Megacity
Authors: Zhou Wen , Cao Fuliang , Wang Guibin
Published: March 2019

Urban forests can be an effective contributor to mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Understanding the factors that influence the cooling intensity of forest vegetation is essential for creating a more effective urban greenspace network to better counteract the urban warming. The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of spatial patterns of forest vegetation on urban cooling, in the Shanghai metropolitan area of China, using correlation analyses and regression models. Cooling intensity values were calculated based on the land surface temperature (LST) derived from remote sensing imagery and spatial patterns of forest vegetation were quantified by eight landscape metrics, using standard and moving-window approaches. The results suggested that 90 m × 90 m was the optimal spatial scale for studying the cooling effect of forest vegetation in Shanghai’s urban area. It also indicated that woodland performed better than grassland in urban cooling and the size, shape, and spatial distribution of woodland patches had significant impacts on the urban thermal environment. Specifically, the increase of size and the degree of compactness of the patch shape can effectively reduce the LST within the woodland. Areas with a higher percentage of vegetation coverage experienced a greater cooling effect. Moreover, when given a fixed amount of vegetation covers, aggregated distribution provided a stronger cooling effect than fragmented distribution and increasing overall shape complexity of woodlands can enhance the cooling effect on surrounding urban areas. This study provides insights for urban planners and landscape designers to create forest adaptive planning strategies to effectively alleviate the UHI effect.
The Joint Effects of Precipitation Gradient and Afforestation on Soil Moisture across the Loess Plateau of China
Authors: Zhang Qindi , Wei Wei , Chen Liding , Yang Lei
Published: March 2019

Understanding the dependence of soil moisture changes following afforestation on the precipitation gradient and afforested vegetation types is crucial for improving ongoing afforestation projects, and to guide future restoration strategies in water-limited regions. For this study, we characterized afforestation-induced changes in soil moisture at depths of 0–3.0 m across a precipitation gradient in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China. A paired experiment was conducted across 15 sites, where native grasslands served as the baseline hydrology. The results showed that korshinsk peashrub (Caragana korshinskii Kom.), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) afforestation caused an overall strong decline in soil moisture content at depths of below 2.2 m. The degree of soil moisture decline at the regional scale did not vary between different afforested vegetation types but was contingent on precipitation. With decreasing precipitation gradients, afforestation increased the cost of deep soil moisture. Precipitation restrictions began to appear at mean annual precipitation (MAP) = 520 mm, and were intensified at MAP = 380 mm, which could be employed to divide the Loess Plateau into different ecological regions. Because of this, different strategies should be assigned in future restoration practices to these ecological regions to align with localized precipitation conditions. It will likely be prudent to encourage afforestation in areas with MAP of more than 520 mm, while advocating alternative grassland restoration in areas with MAP of less than 380 mm.
The Resistance of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Half-sib Families to Heterobasidion annosum
Authors: Marčiulynas Adas , Sirgedaitė-Šėžienė Vaida , Žemaitis Povilas , Baliuckas Virgilijus
Published: March 2019

This study observed the genotypic variation among Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) half-sib families’ susceptibility to Heterobasidion annosum. Scots pine susceptibility was tested in 12 half-sib families by inoculating them with four different H. annosum strains. At two, six, and ten months after the inoculations, the susceptibility indicators (incidence rate, pathogen spread, and mortality rate) were compared and the total phenolic compounds (TPC) in the inoculated and control groups determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Among half-sib families, significant differences were found for seedling mortality (range: 1.3%–21.2%); however, the differences in incidence rate (range: 54%–77%) and pathogen spread (range: 24–53 mm) were not significant. The incidence rate among half-sib families correlated positively and significantly (r = 0.72, p < 0.05) with the mortality rate, while the pathogen spread correlated negatively with mortality, although the correlation was not significant (r = −0.29, p > 0.05). The TPC comparison with susceptibility indicators showed that the half-sib families with lower susceptibility were characterized by the ability to increase TPC after inoculation compared to the control group. This tendency was most apparent in stems and roots six and two months after inoculation, respectively. Correlation analyses revealed that higher TPC in stems six months after inoculation determined a lower incidence rate (r = −0.32, p < 0.05), while higher Change in concentration of total phenolic compounds (TPCΔ) indicated a lower pathogen spread (r = −0.60, p < 0.05). The lowest incidence of the pathogen was determined in half-sib families with the highest TPCΔ in the roots two months after inoculation. The lower susceptibility of Scots pine half-sib families is based on a combination of enhanced constitutive and inducible phenolic defense mechanisms. The data may facilitate the selection of Scots pine half-sib families with low susceptibility for breeding programs and forest management strategies.
Twenty-Five Years of Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Accumulation Following Extreme Wind Damage in an Old-Growth Forest
Authors: Peterson Chris J.
Published: March 2019

Modeling of carbon dynamics at the landscape, regional, and continental scales is currently limited by few empirical studies of biomass and carbon accumulation after some types of disturbances. For temperate forests of North America, only three previous studies described biomass and carbon accumulation after wind disturbances, and those were limited by either coarse temporal resolution of the first several decades, or limited time span. Here, 25 years of aboveground biomass and carbon accumulation following severe wind disturbance of an old-growth hemlock-northern hardwoods forest of northwestern Pennsylvania are documented to characterize the temporal trends with fine temporal resolution and extend into the third decade post-disturbance. Mature undisturbed forest at the site supported roughly 296 Mg ha−1 live aboveground biomass and 148 Mg ha−1 of carbon. The disturbance reduced the aboveground woody biomass to ~7 Mg ha−1, and carbon to ~3.5 Mg ha−1. During regrowth, biomass and carbon accumulated slowly at first (e.g., 2–4 Mg ha−1 year−1 for biomass and 1–2 Mg ha−1 year−1 for carbon), but at increasing rates up through approximately 17 years post-disturbance, after which accumulation slowed somewhat to roughly 3.4 Mg ha−1 year−1 of biomass and 1.7 Mg ha−1 year−1 of carbon. It appears that the rates reported here are similar to rates observed after wind disturbance of other temperate forests, but slower than accumulation in some tropical systems. Notably, in tropical forests, post-windthrow accumulation is often very rapid in the first decade followed by decreases, while in the results reported here, there was slow accumulation in the first several years that increased in the second decade and then subsequently slowed.
Optimization of Uruset Apple Vinegar Production Using Response Surface Methodology for the Enhanced Extraction of Bioactive Substances
Authors: Yıkmış Seydi
Published: March 2019

In this study, the aim is to produce non-thermal vinegar by using red Uruset apples, which have high bioavailability among apple varieties. For this purpose, Uruset apple vinegar was produced and ultrasound at different times (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min) and different amplitudes (40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80%); in addition, a 26 kHz frequency was applied to the samples. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total antioxidant capacity (1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC)), and color values were evaluated for the optimization of process conditions. At the same time, the differences between commercial apple vinegar (CV), pasteurized Uruset apple vinegar (PV), and a control (C) of untreated apple vinegar were investigated. Ultrasound treatment of Uruset apple vinegar was more successful for the enrichment of bioactive substances than the other samples. At the end of the study, the maximal optimization values for Uruset apple vinegar were 7.4 min and 62.2 amplitude. At the end of optimization, CUPRAC (0.69 mg TEAC/mL), DPPH (0.49 mg TEAC/mL), total flavonoid content (46.95 mg CE/L), and total phenolic content (124.25 mg GAE/L) were determined. As a result, ultrasound technology was successfully used for Uruset apple vinegar production.
Multilayer Bixin Microcapsules: The Impact of Native Carbohydrates on the Microencapsulation Efficiency and Dispersion Stability
Authors: Curi-Borda Cecilia K. , Linares-Pastén Javier A. , Tat Tuba , Tarqui-Dueñas Rosmery , Chino-Flores Ninoska , Alvarado Juan-Antonio , Bergenstahl Bjorn
Published: March 2019

Bixin is a hydrophobic carotenoid present in the integument of the seeds of Bixa orellana. Microencapsulation was applied to obtain water dispersible formulations and protect the colorant against degradation. Microencapsulated systems were obtained by spray-drying a mild alkaline bixin dispersion with different encapsulating materials. The encapsulation trials were performed with and without native carbohydrates of the integument in addition to the main encapsulant. It was possible to dry dispersions with up to 10% bixin counted on total solids. All the studied systems were characterized by colorimetry, UV-vis spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, light microscopy, turbidometric sedimentation analyses and laser light diffraction analyses. All the systems showed aqueous dispersibility but displayed differences in their transparency, UV-vis spectra and physical stability at pH 3. The results show that the native carbohydrates enhance the encapsulation efficiency of other encapsulating materials. The chemical composition of this native carbohydrate fraction shows the presence of polysaccharides containing arabinose, galactose and glucose as monomers. Starch was identified enzymatically. The native carbohydrates allowed the encapsulation of bixin in its native microcrystalline form, resulting in a multilayer structure after spray-drying. In addition, the colorant particles displayed dispersibility under acidic aqueous conditions suggesting that they are stabilized by the native carbohydrates after the microcapsules are dissolved.
Some New Fractional Trapezium-Type Inequalities for Preinvex Functions
Authors: Kashuri Artion , Set Erhan , Liko Rozana
Published: March 2019

In this paper, authors the present the discovery of an interesting identity regarding trapezium-type integral inequalities. By using the lemma as an auxiliary result, some new estimates with respect to trapezium-type integral inequalities via general fractional integrals are obtained. It is pointed out that some new special cases can be deduced from the main results. Some applications regarding special means for different real numbers are provided as well. The ideas and techniques described in this paper may stimulate further research.
Estimating Residential Property Values on the Basis of Clustering and Geostatistics
Authors: Calka Beata
Published: March 2019

The article presents a two-stage model for estimating the value of residential property. The research is based on the application of a sequence of known methods in the process of developing property value maps. The market is divided into local submarkets using data mining, and, in particular, data clustering. This process takes into account only a property’s non-spatial (structural) attributes. This is the first stage of the model, which isolates local property markets where properties have similar structural attributes. To estimate the impact of the spatial factor (location) on property value, the second stage involves performing an interpolation for each cluster separately using ordinary kriging. In this stage, the model is based on Tobler’s first law of geography. The model results in property value maps, drawn up separately for each of the clusters. Experimental research carried out using the example of Siedlce, a city in eastern Poland, proves that the estimation error for a property’s value using the proposed method, evaluated using the mean absolute percentage error, does not exceed 10%. The model that has been developed is universal and can be used to estimate the value of land, property, and buildings.
Social Determinants of Association among Diabetes Mellitus, Visual Impairment and Hearing Loss in a Middle-Aged or Old Population: Artificial-Neural-Network Analysis of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2014–2016)
Authors: Lee Kwang-Sig , Park Kun Woo
Published: March 2019

Background: This study introduces a new framework based on an artificial neural network (ANN) for testing whether social determinants are major determinants of association among diabetes mellitus, visual impairment and hearing loss in a middle-aged or old population. Methods: The data came from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2014–2016), with 6120 participants aged 45 years or more. The association was divided into eight categories: one category for having no disease, three categories for having one, three categories for having two and one category for having three. Variable importance, the effect of a variable on model performance, was used to evaluate the hypothesis based on whether family support, socioeconomic status and social activity in Y2014 are among the top 10 determinants of the association in the year 2016 (Y2016). Results: Based on variable importance from the ANN, brothers/sisters cohabiting (0.0167), voluntary activity (0.0148), income (0.0125), family activity (0.0125), parents alive (0.0121), leisure activity (0.0095) and meeting with friends (0.0092) in Y2014 are the top-10 determinants of comorbidity in Y2016. Conclusion: The findings of this study support the hypothesis, highlighting the importance of social determinants for the effective management of the comorbidities of the three diseases.
Impacts of Salinity Intrusion in Community Health: A Review of Experiences on Drinking Water Sodium from Coastal Areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Shammi Mashura , Rahman Md. Mostafizur , Bondad Serene Ezra , Bodrud-Doza Md.
Published: March 2019

Increasing salt intake has substantial negative impacts on human health and well-being. This article focused on the construction of Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework for drinking water sodium (DWS) followed by a review on the published studies regarding salinity intrusion, DWS, and their effects on health perspectives in Bangladesh. Saline water is an important factor for hypertension or high blood pressure in the coastal areas. DWS can also lead women, especially pregnant women, to an increased risk of (pre)eclampsia, hypertension, as well as infant mortality. Several interventions, such as rainwater harvesting, pond sand filter (PSF) system, managed aquifer recharge (MAR), and pilot scale solar-powered desalination plants, such as reverse osmosis (RO), were reviewed on the context of their effectiveness in controlling drinking water sodium. Although rainwater consumption has the positive impact of low or no sodium intake, it still possesses negative impacts from not having vital minerals. A steady increment in sodium concentration through the span of the dry season was observed in MAR. It is, subsequently, important to increase awareness on DWS intake by providing and adopting correct technological interventions and training communities on the maintenance of the adaptive measures.
A Two-Stage Decision Framework for Resolving Brownfield Conflicts
Authors: Han Qingye , Zhu Yuming , Ke Ginger Y. , Lin Hongli
Published: March 2019

Based on the Graph Model of Conflict Resolution (GMCR), a two-stage decision framework is developed to reveal the essence of brownfield incidents and facilitate the resolution of brownfield conflicts caused by the incidents. More particularly, the forward GMCR is utilized in Stage I, the negotiation stage, to simulate the evolution of a Brownfield Conflict (BC) and predict its potential resolution via stability analysis. If no acceptable equilibrium can be obtained, the BC progresses into Stage II, the third-party-intervention stage, where the inverse GMCR is used to assist a third party in intervening the conflict to achieve a desirable outcome. To illustrate the practicality of this framework, a recent BC that occurred in Changzhou, China, is taken as a case study. Invaluable insights are provided through the computation and investigation of the corresponding preference relationships.
Protective Effects of Nargenicin A1 against Tacrolimus-Induced Oxidative Stress in Hirame Natural Embryo Cells
Authors: Park Cheol , Kwon Da Hye , Hwang Su Jung , Han Min Ho , Jeong Jin-Woo , Hong Sang Hoon , Cha Hee-Jae , Hong Su-Hyun , Kim Gi-Young , Lee Hyo-Jong , Kim Suhkmann , Kim Heui-Soo , Choi Yung Hyun
Published: March 2019

Tacrolimus is widely used as an immunosuppressant to reduce the risk of rejection after organ transplantation, but its cytotoxicity is problematic. Nargenicin A1 is an antibiotic extracted from Nocardia argentinensis and is known to have antioxidant activity, though its mode of action is unknown. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effects of nargenicin A1 on DNA damage and apoptosis induced by tacrolimus in hirame natural embryo (HINAE) cells. We found that reduced HINAE cell survival by tacrolimus was due to the induction of DNA damage and apoptosis, both of which were prevented by co-treating nargenicin A1 or N-acetyl-l-cysteine, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, with tacrolimus. In addition, apoptosis induction by tacrolimus was accompanied by increases in ROS generation and decreases in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, and these changes were significantly attenuated in the presence of nargenicin A1, which further indicated tacrolimus-induced apoptosis involved an oxidative stress-associated mechanism. Furthermore, nargenicin A1 suppressed tacrolimus-induced B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) down-regulation, Bax up-regulation, and caspase-3 activation. Collectively, these results demonstrate that nargenicin A1 protects HINAE cells against tacrolimus-induced DNA damage and apoptosis, at least in part, by scavenging ROS and thus suppressing the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway.
The Effect of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Training on Mental Health of Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: van der Zwan Judith Esi , Huizink Anja C. , Lehrer Paul M. , Koot Hans M. , de Vente Wieke
Published: March 2019

In this study, we examined the efficacy of heart rate variability (HRV)-biofeedback on stress and stress-related mental health problems in women. Furthermore, we examined whether the efficacy differed between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Fifty women (20 pregnant, 30 non-pregnant; mean age 31.6, SD = 5.9) were randomized into an intervention (n = 29) or a waitlist condition (n = 21). All participants completed questionnaires on stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep, and psychological well-being on three occasions with 6-week intervals. Women in the intervention condition received HRV-biofeedback training between assessment 1 and 2, and women in the waitlist condition received the intervention between assessment 2 and 3. The intervention consisted of a 5-week HRV-biofeedback training program with weekly 60–90 min. sessions and daily exercises at home. Results indicated a statistically significant beneficial effect of HRV-biofeedback on psychological well-being for all women, and an additional statistically significant beneficial effect on anxiety complaints for pregnant women. No significant effect was found for the other stress-related complaints. These findings support the use of HRV-biofeedback as a stress-reducing technique among women reporting stress and related complaints in clinical practice to improve their well-being. Furthermore, it supports the use of this technique for reducing anxiety during pregnancy.
Staple Food Item Availability among Small Retailers in Providence, RI
Authors: Huang Yuyao , Tovar Alison , Taylor John , Vadiveloo Maya
Published: March 2019

Inventory requirements for authorized Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers have undergone several revisions to increase the availability of healthful foods. A proposed rule of 84 staple food items was not implemented due to concerns that stores would not withstand this expansion, resulting in a final rule requiring 36 items. This study used the Food Access Research Atlas data to characterize food provisions in 30 small retailers in areas with high and low proportions of SNAP and racial minority residents in Providence, Rhode Island (RI). Stores were assessed with an audit instrument to tally variety, perishability, and depth of stock of four staple food categories. Descriptive, analysis of variance, and chi-square analyses were performed. Across stores, 80% were compliant with the final rule, but 66.7% would need to expand their offerings to meet the proposed rule. Mean dairy variety was lowest among all categories (p < 0.05). Most stores met the perishability (92.3%) and depth-of-stock requirements (96.1%) under both rules. No difference was detected between areas with high and low proportions of SNAP and racial minority residents. Future expansion of requirements may increase healthful food availability without imposing undue burdens on retailers in Providence, RI, excluding increased requirements for dairy variety.
Integrating Germline and Somatic Mutation Information for the Discovery of Biomarkers in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Wu Jiande , Mamidi Tarun Karthik Kumar , Zhang Lu , Hicks Chindo
Published: March 2019

Recent advances in high-throughput genotyping and the recent surge of next generation sequencing of the cancer genomes have enabled discovery of germline mutations associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer and acquired somatic mutations driving the disease. Emerging evidence indicates that germline mutations may interact with somatic mutations to drive carcinogenesis. However, the possible oncogenic interactions and cooperation between germline and somatic alterations in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have not been characterized. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible oncogenic interactions and cooperation between genes containing germline and somatic mutations in TNBC. Our working hypothesis was that genes containing germline mutations associated with an increased risk developing breast cancer also harbor somatic mutations acquired during tumorigenesis, and that these genes are functionally related. We further hypothesized that TNBC originates from a complex interplay among and between genes containing germline and somatic mutations, and that these complex array of interacting genetic factors affect entire molecular networks and biological pathways which in turn drive the disease. We tested this hypothesis by integrating germline mutation information from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with somatic mutation information on TNBC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) using gene expression data from 110 patients with TNBC and 113 controls. We discovered a signature of 237 functionally related genes containing both germline and somatic mutations. We discovered molecular networks and biological pathways enriched for germline and somatic mutations. The top pathways included the hereditary breast cancer and role of BRCA1 in DNA damage response signaling pathways. In conclusion, this is the first large-scale and comprehensive analysis delineating possible oncogenic interactions and cooperation among and between genes containing germline and somatic mutations in TNBC. Genetic and somatic mutations, along with the genes discovered in this study, will require experimental functional validation in different ethnic populations. Functionally validated genetic and somatic variants will have important implications for the development of novel precision prevention strategies and discovery of prognostic markers in TNBC.
Do Healthy City Performance Awards Lead to Health in All Policies? A Case of Taiwan
Authors: Huang Nuan-Ching , Kuo Hsien-Wen , Hung Te-Jen , Hu Susan C.
Published: March 2019

The Healthy Cities (HC) Project, which was introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1986, has been recognized as the best setting approach for health promotion. However, very few studies have addressed how to use HC approaches to establish public policies in non-health departments in cities. This paper describes the strategies for the HC Performance Awards used in Taiwan to draw attention from different departments and to sustain intersectoral collaboration for the purpose of establishing Health in All Policies (HiAP). The methods include: (1) setting up the Taiwan Healthy City Alliance; (2) establishing HC Innovation Performance Awards; (3) reviewing the award applications according to seven criteria; and (4) analyzing the topic content of the award applications. We collected 961 HC award applications during 2013–2016 to analyze their content. The results showed that the number of applications increased nearly every year while significantly more non-health departments applied for the awards compared to health departments (73.3% vs. 26.7%). The award rates of non-health departments have also increased twice from 13.9% in 2013 to 25.8% in 2016. By examining the topics of the award winners, we concluded that “HC Innovation Performance Awards” indeed provide a role and opportunity for political involvement, intersectoral collaboration, co-opetition and capacity building that is necessary for establishing health in all policies.
Seasonal Characteristics of the Chemical Composition of Fine Particles in Residences of Nanjing, China
Authors: Cao Guozhi , Bi Jun , Ma Zongwei , Shao Zhijuan , Wang Jinnan
Published: March 2019

Indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its chemical composition is important for human exposure as people spend most of their time indoors. However, few studies have investigated the multiseasonal characteristics of indoor PM2.5 and its chemical composition in China. In this study, the chemical composition of PM2.5 samples in residences was analyzed over four seasons in Nanjing, China. Indoor water-soluble ions exhibited similar seasonal variations (winter > autumn > summer > spring) to those from outdoors (winter > autumn > spring > summer) except in summer. Whereas, indoor metallic elements exhibited a different seasonal pattern from that of outdoors. The highest concentrations of indoor metallic elements were observed in summer when the outdoor concentrations were low. The different seasonal variations of the chemical composition between indoor and outdoor PM2.5 indicated that people should consider both indoor and outdoor sources to reduce their exposure to air pollutants in different seasons. The carcinogenic risks for metallic elements were within the acceptable levels, while manganese (Mn) was found to have potential noncarcinogenic risk to humans. More attention should be paid to the pollution of Mn in the study area in the future. Moreover, the cumulative effect of noncarcinogenic PM2.5-bound elements should not be ignored.