bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Seamline Detection for Orthoimage Mosaicking Based on DSM and Improved JPS Algorithm
Authors: Chen Gang , Chen Song , Li Xianju , Zhou Ping , Zhou Zhou
Published: May 2018

Based on the digital surface model (DSM) and jump point search (JPS) algorithm, this study proposed a novel approach to detect the optimal seamline for orthoimage mosaicking. By threshold segmentation, DSM was first identified as ground regions and obstacle regions (e.g., buildings, trees, and cars). Then, the mathematical morphology method was used to make the edge of obstacles more prominent. Subsequently, the processed DSM was considered as a uniform-cost grid map, and the JPS algorithm was improved and employed to search for key jump points in the map. Meanwhile, the jump points would be evaluated according to an optimized function, finally generating a minimum cost path as the optimal seamline. Furthermore, the search strategy was modified to avoid search failure when the search map was completely blocked by obstacles in the search direction. Comparison of the proposed method and the Dijkstra’s algorithm was carried out based on two groups of image data with different characteristics. Results showed the following: (1) the proposed method could detect better seamlines near the centerlines of the overlap regions, crossing far fewer ground objects; (2) the efficiency and resource consumption were greatly improved since the improved JPS algorithm skips many image pixels without them being explicitly evaluated. In general, based on DSM, the proposed method combining threshold segmentation, mathematical morphology, and improved JPS algorithms was helpful for detecting the optimal seamline for orthoimage mosaicking.
A New Single-Band Pixel-by-Pixel Atmospheric Correction Method to Improve the Accuracy in Remote Sensing Estimates of LST. Application to Landsat 7-ETM+
Authors: Galve Joan M. , Sánchez Juan M. , Coll César , Villodre Julio
Published: May 2018

Monitoring Land Surface Temperature (LST) from satellite remote sensing requires an accurate correction of the atmospheric effects. Although thermal remote sensing techniques have advanced significantly over the past few decades, to date, single-band pixel-by-pixel atmospheric correction of full thermal images is unsolved. In this work, we introduce a new Single-Band Atmospheric Correction (SBAC) tool that provides pixel-by-pixel atmospheric correction parameters regardless of the pixel size. The SBAC tool uses National Centers of Environmental Prediction (NCEP) profiles as inputs and, as a novelty, it also accounts for pixel elevation through a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Application of SBAC to 19 Landsat 7-ETM+ scenes shows the potential of the proposed pixel-by-pixel atmospheric correction to capture terrain orography or atmospheric variability within the scene. LST estimation yields negligible bias and an RMSE of ±1.6 K for the full dataset. The Landsat Atmospheric Correction Tool (ACT) is also considered for comparison. SBAC-ACT LST deviations are analyzed in terms of distance to the image center, surface elevation, and spatial distribution of the atmospheric water content. Differences within 3 K are observed. These results give us the first insight of the potential of SBAC for the operational pixel-by-pixel atmospheric correction of full thermal images. The SBAC tool is expected to help users of satellite single-channel thermal sensors to improve their LST estimates due to its simplicity and robustness.
The Impact of Hurricane Maria on the Vegetation of Dominica and Puerto Rico Using Multispectral Remote Sensing
Authors: Hu Tangao , Smith Ronald
Published: May 2018

As the worst natural disaster on record in Dominica and Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria in September 2017 had a large impact on the vegetation of these islands. In this paper, multitemporal Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2 data are used to investigate vegetation damage on Dominica and Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria, and related influencing factors are analyzed. Moreover, the changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the year 2017 are compared to reference years (2015 and 2016). The results show that (1) there is a sudden drop in NDVI values after Hurricane Maria’s landfall (decreased about 0.2) which returns to near normal vegetation after 1.5 months; (2) different land cover types have different sensitivities to Hurricane Maria, whereby forest is the most sensitive type, then followed by wetland, built-up, and natural grassland; and (3) for Puerto Rico, the vegetation damage is highly correlated with distance from the storm center and elevation. For Dominica, where the whole island is within Hurricane Maria’s radius of maximum wind, the vegetation damage has no obvious relationship to elevation or distance. The study provides insight into the sensitivity and recovery of vegetation after a major land-falling hurricane, and may lead to improved vegetation protection strategies.
Inter-Comparison of Gauge-Corrected Global Satellite Rainfall Estimates and Their Applicability for Effective Water Resource Management in a Transboundary River Basin: The Case of the Meghna River Basin
Authors: Khairul Islam , Mastrantonas Nikolaos , Rasmy Mohamed , Koike Toshio , Takeuchi Kuniyoshi
Published: May 2018

The Meghna River basin is a transboundary basin that lies in Bangladesh (~40%) and India (~60%). Due to its terrain structure, the Bangladesh portion of the basin experiences frequent floods that cause severe human and economic losses. Bangladesh, as the downstream nation in the basin, faces challenges in receiving hydro-meteorological and water use data from India for effective water resource management. To address such issue, satellite rainfall products are recognized as an alternative. However, they are affected by biases and, thus, must be calibrated and verified using ground observations. This research compares the performance of four widely available gauge-adjusted satellite rainfall products (GSRPs) against ground rainfall observations in the Meghna basin within Bangladesh. Further biases in the GSRPs are then identified. The GSRPs have both similarities and differences in terms of producing biases. To maximize the usage of the GSRPs and to further improve their accuracy, several bias correction and merging techniques are applied to correct them. Correction factors and merging weights are calculated at the local gauge stations and are spatially distributed by adopting an interpolation method to improve the GSRPs, both inside and outside Bangladesh. Of the four bias correction methods, modified linear correction (MLC) has performed better, and partially removed the GSRPs’ systematic biases. In addition, of the three merging techniques, inverse error-variance weighting (IEVW) has provided better results than the individual GSRPs and removed significantly more biases than the MLC correction method for three of the five validation stations, whereas the two other stations that experienced heavy rainfall events, showed better results for the MLC method. Hence, the combined use of IEVW merging and MLC correction is explored. The combined method has provided the best results, thus creating an improved dataset. The applicability of this dataset is then investigated using a hydrological model to simulated streamflows at two critical locations. The results show that the dataset reproduces the hydrological responses of the basin well, as compared with the observed streamflows. Together, these results indicate that the improved dataset can overcome the limitations of poor data availability in the basin and can serve as a reference rainfall dataset for wide range of applications (e.g., flood modelling and forecasting, irrigation planning, damage and risk assessment, and climate change adaptation planning). In addition, the proposed methodology of creating a reference rainfall dataset based on the GSRPs could also be applicable to other poorly-gauged and inaccessible transboundary river basins, thus providing reliable rainfall information and effective water resource management for sustainable development.
Evolution of the Performances of Radar Altimetry Missions from ERS-2 to Sentinel-3A over the Inner Niger Delta
Authors: Normandin Cassandra , Frappart Frédéric , Diepkilé Adama Telly , Marieu Vincent , Mougin Eric , Blarel Fabien , Lubac Bertrand , Braquet Nadine , Ba Abdramane
Published: May 2018

Radar altimetry provides unique information on water stages of inland hydro-systems. In this study, the performance of seven altimetry missions, among the most commonly used in land hydrology (i.e., European Remote-Sensing Satellite-2 (ERS-2), ENVIronment SATellite (ENVISAT), Satellite with Argos and ALtika (SARAL), Jason-1, Jason-2, Jason-3 and Sentinel-3A), are assessed using records from a dense in situ network composed of 19 gauge stations in the Inner Niger Delta (IND) from 1995 to 2017. Results show an overall very good agreement between altimetry-based and in situ water levels with correlation coefficient (R) greater than 0.8 in 80% of the cases and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) lower than 0.4 m in 48% of cases. Better agreement is found for the recently launched missions such as SARAL, Jason-3 and Sentinel-3A than for former missions, indicating the advance of the use of the Ka-band for SARAL and of the Synthetic-aperture Radar (SAR) mode for Sentinel-3A. Cross-correlation analysis performed between water levels from the same altimetry mission leads to time-lags between the upstream and the downstream part of the Inner Niger Delta of around two months that can be related to the time residence of water in the drainage area.
Flourishing, Affect, and Relative Autonomy in Adult Exercisers: A Within-Person Basic Psychological Need Fulfillment Perspective
Authors: Kazak Çetinkalp Zişan , Lochbaum Marc
Published: May 2018

Flourishing is a construct used to understand human growth. Exercise psychology research is scant concerning this valuable construct. Hence, our purpose was to examine different levels of flourishing and related constructs within a large group of self-reported exercisers from a basic psychological need profile perspective. Participants were 389 female and 387 male adults attending fitness centers. Hierarchical cluster analyses revealed the presence of three clusters with significantly different psychological need profiles across the three basic needs. Separate multivariate analyses of variance were used for the analyses for our demographic variables and psychological variables. Follow-up post hoc tests showed that these clusters differed significantly and were low to moderate in meaningfulness regarding exercise min/week and sports experience. The clusters differed significantly, with moderate to large meaningfulness, in flourishing, positive affect, and relative autonomy. Self-reported exercise and sports participation were not the important cluster characteristics. Our results indicated that self-reported levels of flourishing, positive affect, and autonomy differ even within a large group of self-reported exercisers attending fitness centers that on average exceeded the weekly-recommended number of moderate-to-vigorous activity minutes. Thus, our results suggest the importance of fitness centers in meeting their participants’ three basic needs.
Interaction between Industrial Policy and Stock Price Volatility: Evidence from China’s Power Market Reform
Authors: Fan Ye , Zhang Zhicheng , Zhao Xiaoli , Yin Haitao
Published: May 2018

This paper examines how China’s power market reform influences the stock price volatility of listed power companies. We use the Iterative Cumulative Sums of Squares (ICSS) algorithm to identify structural breakpoints in stock prices, then analyze the characteristics of stock price volatility based on the GARCH model and report the impact of power regulation on stock price fluctuations based on the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. Using data on power stock price index followed by industrial policy issued between 2006 and 2012, we find that: (1) three structural breaks in China’s power stock price volatility were related to the promulgation of power market reform policies; (2) industrial policies promote the reduction of power stock price fluctuations and its impact on power stock price volatility is consistent in the long run; and (3) the recent policies related to renewable energy do not have a very significant impact on the power stock market.
Practical Experiences with the Application of Corporate Social Responsibility Principles in a Higher Education Environment
Authors: Madzík Peter , Budaj Pavol , Chocholáková Anna
Published: May 2018

Raising awareness related to sustainable development can take different forms. One of them is represented by recommended documents, including the International Standard ISO 26000 Guidance on Social Responsibility. Although it concerns the approach of integrating sustainable development and social responsibility, the results of its practical application are very rarely found in the literature. The aim of this paper is to present a method of applying ISO 26000 within a university environment. It offers an illustrative methodological apparatus allowing quantification of social responsibility principles and influences of an organisation focused on a detailed analysis of its performance in the area of social responsibility. The results are presented in the form of a case study and their role is to provide a verifiable manual for the structural process of an analysis and practical application related to the topic of social responsibility and sustainable development. The results also showed that if an organisation applies this procedure it obtains valuable information necessary to support decision-making processes.
Feasibility Assessment of the Use of Recycled Aggregates for Asphalt Mixtures
Authors: Martinho F. C. G. , Picado-Santos L. G. , Capitão S. D.
Published: May 2018

The use of recycled aggregates, manufactured from several by-products, to replace virgin aggregates in the production of pavement asphalt mixtures needs to be encouraged. Nevertheless, there are some concerns and uncertainties about the actual environmental, economic and mechanical performance resulting from the incorporation of recycled aggregates in asphalt mixtures. Therefore, this paper has the goal of discussing important features to help decision makers to select recycled aggregates as raw materials for asphalt mixtures. Based on the literature review carried out and the own previous experience of the authors, the article’s main findings reveal that incorporating some of the most common recycled aggregates into asphalt mixtures is feasible, even in a life-cycle analysis perspective. Although some specific technical operations are sometimes necessary when using recycled aggregates in asphalt mixtures, some benefits in terms of environmental impacts, energy use and costs are likely to be achieved, as well as in what concerns the mechanical performance of the asphalt mixtures.
Green Human Resource Management as a Tool for the Sustainable Development of Enterprises: Polish Young Company Experience
Authors: Bombiak Edyta , Marciniuk-Kluska Anna
Published: May 2018

The growing role of sustainable development and, above all, its ecological aspect, in the development of modern company competitive edge leads to the popularization of the question of incorporating environmental practices into the area of human resource policy, referred to as Green HRM. The objective of the research was to identify pro-environmental HR practices embraced by young Polish enterprises and to prioritize them in accordance with their effect on company sustainable development. To attain these goals, a survey was conducted among a random, representative population of 150 young enterprises. The study revealed that the Green HRM concept in the Polish reality is relatively. However, there is a strong positive correlation between the evaluation of the impact of individual activities within Green HRM on sustainable company development and their practical implementation. Research demonstrated that the higher the evaluation of the impact of a given activity, the more frequent its implementation in the studied companies. This allowed the formulation of the following conclusion: in order to increase the scope of the implementation of the Green HRM concept in Polish young enterprises, it is necessary to raise awareness and disseminate knowledge concerning the impact Green HRM can have on sustainable development in organizations.
Do People Place More Value on Natural Gas Than Coal for Power Generation to Abate Particulate Matter Emissions? Evidence from South Korea
Authors: Kim Hyo-Jin , Kim Ju-Hee , Yoo Seung-Hoon
Published: May 2018

As of 2017, coal is responsible for about half of all power generation in South Korea, while natural gas (NG) is responsible for about 20%. This increases particulate matter (PM) emissions, as coal emits 6 to 55 times more PM than NG in the course of power generation. Increased PM concentration causes visibility impairment and acute respiratory diseases. Thus, the South Korean government is seeking to shift from coal to NG power generation for the purpose of abating PM emissions. The government also considers NG as a bridge energy to facilitate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. This article attempts to answer the question, “Do people place significant value on shifting from coal to NG power generation in order to abate PM?” To this end, additional willingness to pay (WTP) for NG over coal for electricity for the purpose of PM emissions abatement was assessed from 1000 South Koreans’ contingent valuations (CV). More specifically, each of these randomly chosen interviewees was asked about her/his WTP for the switch from coal to NG for 1 kWh of electricity use. The average additional WTP estimate was KRW 31.27 (USD 0.028) per kWh, which is equivalent to 28.8% of the average price of electricity in 2017. Moreover, this estimate is statistically significant. The generation cost of NG is about KRW 100.13 per kWh, which is higher than that of coal (KRW 78.5 per kWh). The gap is KRW 22.08 per kWh, which is less than the additional WTP. Thus, it is obvious that the governmental policy of shifting from coal to NG for power generation in order to abate PM emissions is supported by the public and, hence, the shift should be made gradually.
A Synthetic Fusion Rule for Salient Region Detection under the Framework of DS-Evidence Theory
Authors: Ayoub Naeem , Gao Zhenguo , Chen Bingcai , Jian Muwei
Published: May 2018

Saliency detection is one of the most valuable research topics in computer vision. It focuses on the detection of the most significant objects/regions in images and reduces the computational time cost of getting the desired information from salient regions. Local saliency detection or common pattern discovery schemes were actively used by the researchers to overcome the saliency detection problems. In this paper, we propose a bottom-up saliency fusion method by taking into consideration the importance of the DS-Evidence (Dempster–Shafer (DS)) theory. Firstly, we calculate saliency maps from different algorithms based on the pixels-level, patches-level and region-level methods. Secondly, we fuse the pixels based on the foreground and background information under the framework of DS-Evidence theory (evidence theory allows one to combine evidence from different sources and arrive at a degree of belief that takes into account all the available evidence). The development inclination of image saliency detection through DS-Evidence theory gives us better results for saliency prediction. Experiments are conducted on the publicly available four different datasets (MSRA, ECSSD, DUT-OMRON and PASCAL-S). Our saliency detection method performs well and shows prominent results as compared to the state-of-the-art algorithms.
Effect of Biliary Drainage on the Toxicity and Toxicokinetics of Amanita exitialis in Beagles
Authors: Sun Jian , Zhang Yu-Tao , Niu Yu-Min , Li Hai-Jiao , Yin Yu , Zhang Yi-Zhe , Ma Pei-Bin , Zhou Jing , Lu Jun-Jia , Zhang Hong-Shun , Sun Cheng-Ye
Published: May 2018

Amatoxin poisoning induces delayed-onset acute liver failure, which are responsible for more than 90% of deaths in mushroom poisoning. It has been postulated from animal and human studies that biliary drainage interrupting enterohepatic amatoxin circulation may affect amatoxin poisoning. Dogs were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each. In 20 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg with biliary drainage groups, after accepting bile drainage operation, beagles were fed Amanita exitialis powder (20 or 60 mg/kg) in starch capsules. In control and bile drainage groups, the beagle dogs were fed with empty capsules. They were assessed for toxicity signs, biochemical and pathological changes, and peptide toxins in plasma, urine and bile. The data were directly compared with those from our published studies on Amanita exitialis-exposed beagles without biliary drainage. Amatoxins were rapidly absorbed and eliminated from plasma after Amanita exitialis ingestion. Amatoxins in 0–1-day urine accounted for more than 90% of the total urine excretion, and amatoxins in bile accounted for less than 20% of the total urine and bile excretion. The dogs with biliary drainage showed less severe toxicity signs and biochemical and pathological changes and much lower internal exposure than dogs without biliary drainage. Biliary drainage caused a more than 70% reduction in intestinal amatoxin absorption and could reduce amatoxin absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.
Towards a Unified Quark-Hadron-Matter Equation of State for Applications in Astrophysics and Heavy-Ion Collisions
Authors: Bastian Niels-Uwe F. , Blaschke David , Fischer Tobias , Röpke Gerd
Published: May 2018

We outline an approach to a unified equation of state for quark-hadron matter on the basis of a Φ − derivable approach to the generalized Beth-Uhlenbeck equation of state for a cluster decomposition of thermodynamic quantities like the density. To this end we summarize the cluster virial expansion for nuclear matter and demonstrate the equivalence of the Green’s function approach and the Φ − derivable formulation. As an example, the formation and dissociation of deuterons in nuclear matter is discussed. We formulate the cluster Φ − derivable approach to quark-hadron matter which allows to take into account the specifics of chiral symmetry restoration and deconfinement in triggering the Mott-dissociation of hadrons. This approach unifies the description of a strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma with that of a medium-modified hadron resonance gas description which are contained as limiting cases. The developed formalism shall replace the common two-phase approach to the description of the deconfinement and chiral phase transition that requires a phase transition construction between separately developed equations of state for hadronic and quark matter phases. Applications to the phenomenology of heavy-ion collisions and astrophysics are outlined.
K15 Protein of Kaposi’s Sarcoma Herpesviruses Increases Endothelial Cell Proliferation and Migration through Store-Operated Calcium Entry
Authors: Chen Wei , Xu Changqing , Wang Liuqing , Shen Bing , Wang Linding
Published: May 2018

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a tumor of the vascular endothelium that is caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). K15 of KSHV is a specific gene encoding a transmembrane protein. Two highly different forms of K15, the predominant (K15P) and minor (K15M) have been identified in different KSHV strains. In genomic locations and protein topology, two K15 alleles resemble the latent membrane protein (LMP) 1 and LMP2A of Epstein–Barr virus. Both K15 proteins have motifs similar to those found in LMP1 and LMP2A. K15 therefore seems to be a hybrid of a distant evolutionary relative of LMP1 and LMP2A. Ca2+ is a second messenger and participates in numerous activities in cells, like proliferation, migration and metastasis. It has been found previously that LMP1 increased Ca2+ influx through store-operated calcium channels and blockade of LMP1 reduced store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). LMP2A has similar activity. So we sought to determine whether K15 had similar activity. We showed that K15P induced Ca2+ influx and enhanced expression of Orail1, which is a vital protein in SOCE, and overexpression of K15P improved cell motility. Mutant K15P did not show these activities in HEK-293T and EA.hy 926 cells. Our results showed that K15P increased cell proliferation and migration though SOCE and established a novel mechanism for the development of KS and KSHV-associated diseases.
Hepatitis E in High-Income Countries: What Do We Know? And What Are the Knowledge Gaps?
Authors: Capai Lisandru , Charrel Rémi , Falchi Alessandra
Published: May 2018

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a positive-strand RNA virus transmitted by the fecal–oral route. HEV genotypes 1 and 2 infect only humans and cause mainly waterborne outbreaks. HEV genotypes 3 and 4 are widely represented in the animal kingdom, and are mainly transmitted as a zoonosis. For the past 20 years, HEV infection has been considered an imported disease in developed countries, but now there is evidence that HEV is an underrecognized pathogen in high-income countries, and that the incidence of confirmed cases has been steadily increasing over the last decade. In this review, we describe current knowledge about the molecular biology of HEV, its clinical features, its main routes of transmission, and possible therapeutic strategies in developed countries.
Enhanced Anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis Immunity over Time with Combined Drug and Immunotherapy Treatment
Authors: Larsen Sasha E. , Baldwin Susan L. , Orr Mark T. , Reese Valerie A. , Pecor Tiffany , Granger Brian , Dubois Cauwelaert Natasha , Podell Brendan K. , Coler Rhea N.
Published: May 2018

It is estimated that one third of the world’s population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). This astounding statistic, in combination with costly and lengthy treatment regimens make the development of therapeutic vaccines paramount for controlling the global burden of tuberculosis. Unlike prophylactic vaccination, therapeutic immunization relies on the natural pulmonary infection with Mtb as the mucosal prime that directs boost responses back to the lung. The purpose of this work was to determine the protection and safety profile over time following therapeutic administration of our lead Mtb vaccine candidate, ID93 with a synthetic TLR4 agonist (glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant in a stable emulsion (GLA-SE)), in combination with rifampicin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide (RHZ) drug treatment. We assessed the host inflammatory immune responses and lung pathology 7–22 weeks post infection, and determined the therapeutic efficacy of combined treatment by enumeration of the bacterial load and survival in the SWR/J mouse model. We show that drug treatment alone, or with immunotherapy, tempered the inflammatory responses measured in brochoalveolar lavage fluid and plasma compared to untreated cohorts. RHZ combined with therapeutic immunizations significantly enhanced TH1-type cytokine responses in the lung over time, corresponding to decreased pulmonary pathology evidenced by a significant decrease in the percentage of lung lesions and destructive lung inflammation. These data suggest that bacterial burden assessment alone may miss important correlates of lung architecture that directly contribute to therapeutic vaccine efficacy in the preclinical mouse model. We also confirmed our previous finding that in combination with antibiotics therapeutic immunizations provide an additive survival advantage. Moreover, therapeutic immunizations with ID93/GLA-SE induced differential T cell immune responses over the course of infection that correlated with periods of enhanced bacterial control over that of drug treatment alone. Here we advance the immunotherapy model and investigate reliable correlates of protection and Mtb control.
Assessing Urban Water Management Sustainability of a Megacity: Case Study of Seoul, South Korea
Authors: Kim Hyowon , Son Jaewoo , Lee Seockheon , Koop Stef , Van Leeuwen Kees , Choi Young June , Park Jeryang
Published: May 2018

Many cities are facing various water-related challenges caused by rapid urbanization and climate change. Moreover, a megacity may pose a greater risk due to its scale and complexity for coping with impending challenges. Infrastructure and governance also differ by the level of development of a city which indicates that the analysis of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and water governance are site-specific. We examined the status of IWRM of Seoul by using the City Blueprint® Approach which consists of three different frameworks: (1) Trends and Pressures Framework (TPF), (2) City Blueprint Framework (CBF) and (3) the water Governance Capacity Framework (GCF). The TPF summarizes the main social, environmental and financial pressures that may impede water management. The CBF assesses IWRM of the urban water cycle. Finally, the GCF identifies key barriers and opportunities to develop governance capacity. The results indicate that nutrient recovery from wastewater, stormwater separation, and operation cost recovery of water and sanitation services are priority areas for Seoul. Furthermore, the local sense of urgency, behavioral internalization, consumer willingness to pay, and financial continuation are identified as barriers limiting Seoul’s governance capacity. We also examined and compared the results with other mega-cities, to learn from their experiences and plans to cope with the challenges in large cities.
River Discharge and Saltwater Intrusion Level Study of Yangtze River Estuary, China
Authors: Xu Zhi , Ma Jing , Wang Hao , Hu Yajie , Yang Guiyu , Deng Wei
Published: May 2018

The Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) is the largest estuary in China, with three-order bifurcations and four outlets into the sea. In recent years, issues of saltwater intrusions have received increased attention due to the increased levels and frequencies of the intrusions. The saltwater intrusions into the YRE resulting from river discharges were investigated in this study based on river discharge levels at the Datong station. A hydrodynamic and salinity transport model (MIKE21) was used to quantify the influences of the river discharges on the saltwater intrusions in the YRE. The model was effectively validated through observational data of the tidal and salinity levels. The 25%, 50% and 70% frequencies of the river discharges during the dry seasons were determined to be 18,112, 16,331 and 14,832 m3/s, respectively. A multi-year averaged river discharge of 27,856 m3/s was used to simulate the salinity level changes resulting from the different river discharges. The results revealed the following: (1) the salinity of the South Branch (SB) was distributed as “high–low–high”; and the changes in the salinity levels were greatly affected by the river discharges. A strong correlation was found between the salinity and flow in the North Branch (NB) and SB of between 0.917 and 1; (2) the changes in the river discharges had major impacts on the changes in the salinity levels in the SB. When the runoff was 27,856 m3/s, the salinity excessive area rate (the ratio between salinity excessive area (>0.45‰) and the SB area) less than 10%. However, when the river discharges were reduced to 16,331 m3/s, the salinity excessive area rate is more than 50%; (3) As the river discharges decreased, the amplification line (0.2‰) also rapidly decreased, and the amplification lines (0.45‰, 2‰) increased. At points far from the river’s entrance, the effects of the runoff were observed to be weakened, such as the amplification lines gradually becoming reduced; (4) the changes in the river discharges were observed to have significant impacts on the freshwater reservoir water withdrawal. When the river discharges were maintained at 27,856 m3/s, the salinity of the Baogang, Chenhang, and Qingcaosha Reservoirs remained below 0.45‰. The salinity levels of the four reservoir locations examined in this study were found to exceed the Chinese drinking water standard (0.45‰) for more than 23 days in the 14,832 m3/s river discharge scenario, which negatively affected the drinking water of the population living near the YRE.
Coastal Aquifer Contamination and Geochemical Processes Evaluation in Tugela Catchment, South Africa—Geochemical and Statistical Approaches
Authors: Ntanganedzeni Badana , Elumalai Vetrimurugan , Rajmohan Natarajan
Published: May 2018

Assessment of groundwater quality, contamination sources and geochemical processes in the coastal aquifer of Tugela Catchment, South Africa were carried out by the geochemical and statistical approach using major ion chemistry of 36 groundwater samples. Results suggest that the spatial distribution pattern of EC, TDS, Na, Mg, Cl and SO4 are homogenous and elevated concentrations are observed in the wells in the coastal region and few wells near the Tugela River. Wells located far from the coast are enriched by Ca, HCO3 and CO3. Durov diagrams, Gibbs plots, ionic ratios, chloro alkaline indices (CAI1 and CAI2) and correlation analysis imply that groundwater chemistry in the coastal aquifer of Tugela Catchment is regulated by the ion exchange, mineral dissolution, saline sources, and wastewater infiltration from domestic sewage; septic tank leakage and irrigation return flow. Principle component analysis also ensured the role of saline and anthropogenic sources and carbonates dissolution on water chemistry. Spatial distributions of factor score also justify the above predictions. Groundwater suitability assessment indicates that around 80% and 90% of wells exceeded the drinking water standards recommended by the WHO and South African drinking water standards (SAWQG), respectively. Based on SAR, RSC, PI, and MH classifications, most of the wells are suitable for irrigation in the study region. USSL classification suggests that groundwater is suitable for coarse-textured soils and salt-tolerant crops. The study recommends that a proper management plan is required to protect this coastal aquifer efficiently.
The Testing of Standard and Recyclable Filter Media to Eliminate Hydrogen Sulphide from Sewerage Systems
Authors: Hluštík Petr , Novotný Jiří
Published: May 2018

This article focuses on the subject of odours forming in sewage transfer chambers with displacement inlets, as well as the odours in their vicinity. It further covers the locations of odour formation, factors influencing the formation of hydrogen sulphide in wastewater, methods of removing hydrogen sulphide from wastewater, and laboratory testing of filtration media efficacy at various concentration levels of H2S. The laboratory testing of filtration media efficacy is performed for products normally used by sewerage system operators guaranteeing the elimination of hydrogen sulphide (activated carbon, natural minerals and gels), recyclable materials (paper) and secondary raw materials in the field of waste management (biochar—the final product of microwave pyrolysis). Odour generated by sewerage systems is a secondary issue faced by all sewerage system operators, who sustain considerable expense in corrective measures to address this problem. The most economical and widespread measure used by those operators is hydrogen sulphide removal by filtration (filtration materials). Filtration media are installed in special cartridges under sewage covers in locations where the irritating odour is formed. These filtration cartridges, designed solely to eliminate odour from the surroundings, show various degrees of efficacy in removing H2S.
Investigations of alkynylbenziodoxole derivatives for radical alkynylations in photoredox catalysis
Authors: Pan Yue , Jia Kunfang , Chen Yali , Chen Yiyun
Published: May 2018

The alkynylbenziodoxole derivatives are recently developed alkynylation reagents in organic synthesis, which demonstrate excellent radical alkynylation reactivity in photoredox catalysis reactions. Herein we report the synthesis of alkynylbenziodoxole derivatives with difluoro, monofluoro, monomethoxy, and dimethoxy substitution on the benziodoxole moiety, and investigated their radical alkynylation reactivity for the first time. A series of mechanistic experiments were conducted to study the radical acceptor and oxidative quencher reactivity of alkynylbenziodoxoles, in which unsubstituted alkynylbenziodoxoles played balancing roles in both processes, while electron-rich benziodoxole derivatives demonstrate synthetic advantages in some cases.
Synthesis of pyrazolopyrimidinones using a “one-pot” approach under microwave irradiation
Authors: Kelada Mark , Walsh John M D , Devine Robert W , McArdle Patrick , Stephens John C
Published: May 2018

A simple one-pot method for the microwave-assisted synthesis of substituted pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidinones, a core scaffold in many bioactive and pharmaceutically relevant compounds, has been established. A variety of substituents was tolerated at the 2 and 5 positions, including functionalized aryls, heterocycles, and alkyl groups.
Catalogue of Life Plus: innovating the CoL systems as a foundation for a clearinghouse for names and taxonomy
Authors: Bánki Olaf , Döring Markus , Holleman Ayco , Addink Wouter
Published: May 2018

In 2015, the global biodiversity information initiatives Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), Barcode of Life Data systems (BoLD), Catalogue of Life (CoL), Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) took the first step to work on the idea for building a single shared authoritative nomenclature and taxonomic foundation that could be used as a backbone to order and connect biodiversity data across various domains. At present, the Catalogue of Life is being used by BHL, BoLD, EOL, and GBIF, but each extend the CoL with additional data to meet the specific backbone services required.

The goal of the CoL+ project is to innovate the CoL systems by developing a new information technology infrastructure that includes both the current Catalogue of Life and a provisional Catalogue of Life (replacing the current GBIF backbone taxonomy), separates scientific names and taxonomic concepts with associated unique identifiers, and provides some (infrastructural) support for taxonomic and nomenclatural content authorities to finish their work. The project’s specific objectives are to

establish a clearinghouse covering scientific names across all life; provide a single taxonomic view grounded in the consensus classification of the Catalogue of Life along with candidate taxonomic sources, show differences between sources, and provide an avenue for feedback to content authorities while allowing the broader community to contribute, and

establish a partnership and governance, allowing a continuing commitment after the project’s end for a clearinghouse infrastructure and its associated components, including a roadmap for future developments of the infrastructure.

establish a clearinghouse covering scientific names across all life; provide a single taxonomic view grounded in the consensus classification of the Catalogue of Life along with candidate taxonomic sources, show differences between sources, and provide an avenue for feedback to content authorities while allowing the broader community to contribute, and

establish a partnership and governance, allowing a continuing commitment after the project’s end for a clearinghouse infrastructure and its associated components, including a roadmap for future developments of the infrastructure.

As result of the project we expect to have a shared information space for names and taxonomy between the Catalogue of Life, nomenclator content authorities (e.g. IPNI, ZooBank) and several global biodiversity information initiatives.
A new Sky Island species of Vaejovis C. L. Koch, 1836 from Sonora, Mexico (Scorpiones, Vaejovidae)
Authors: Barrales-Alcalá Diego A. , Francke Oscar F. , Van Devender Tom R. , Contreras-Félix Gerardo A.
Published: May 2018

Vaejovisislaserranosp. n.is described from the Sierras Elenita and La Mariquita, Municipio de Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. This species belongs to the “vorhiesi” group of the genusVaejovisand inhabits pine-oak forests in northern Mexico. This species is compared to its most similar species. This new species presents an interesting morphological difference from the rest of the species in the species-group: the absence of a subaculear tubercle or spine.
Two new species of the millipede family Cambalopsidae from Myanmar (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida)
Authors: Likhitrakarn Natdanai , Golovatch Sergei I. , Srisonchai Ruttapon , Brehier Franck , Lin Aung , Sutcharit Chirasak , Panha Somsak
Published: May 2018

Two new species of cave-dwelling millipedes are described from Myanmar, one each in the generaPlusioglyphiulusSilvestri, 1923 andTrachyjulusPeters, 1864.Plusioglyphiulusdigitiformissp. n.joins the small peculiar group of congeners from Thailand which is characterized by such plesiomorphies as the tergal crests on the collum and following metaterga being transversely divided into two, not three parts, as in species of the genusGlyphiulusGervais, 1847. However, this new species differs by the 3-segmented telopodites of ♂ legs 1, the anterior gonopodal coxosternum showing higher and nearly straight apicomesal processes and very evident apicolateral teeth, as well as the higher and acuminate paramedian coxal processes of the posterior gonopods, the latter’s telopodites demonstrating an apical fovea bearing a group of microsetae at the bottom.Trachyjulusbifidussp. n.is primarily distinguished by the telopodites of their anterior gonopods being strikingly and deeply bifid. A key to the five species of Cambalopsidae currently known to occur in Myanmar is presented, and a map showing their distributions given.
A stable phylogenomic classification of Travunioidea (Arachnida, Opiliones, Laniatores) based on sequence capture of ultraconserved elements
Authors: Derkarabetian Shahan , Starrett James , Tsurusaki Nobuo , Ubick Darrell , Castillo Stephanie , Hedin Marshal
Published: May 2018

Molecular phylogenetics has transitioned into the phylogenomic era, with data derived from next-generation sequencing technologies allowing unprecedented phylogenetic resolution in all animal groups, including understudied invertebrate taxa. Within the most diverse harvestmen suborder, Laniatores, most relationships at all taxonomic levels have yet to be explored from a phylogenomics perspective. Travunioidea is an early-diverging lineage of laniatorean harvestmen with a Laurasian distribution, with species distributed in eastern Asia, eastern and western North America, and south-central Europe. This clade has had a challenging taxonomic history, but the current classification consists of ~77 species in three families, the Travuniidae, Paranonychidae, and Nippononychidae. Travunioidea classification has traditionally been based on structure of the tarsal claws of the hind legs. However, it is now clear that tarsal claw structure is a poor taxonomic character due to homoplasy at all taxonomic levels. Here, we utilize DNA sequences derived from capture of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to reconstruct travunioid relationships. Data matrices consisting of 317–677 loci were used in maximum likelihood, Bayesian, and species tree analyses. Resulting phylogenies recover four consistent and highly supported clades; the phylogenetic position and taxonomic status of the enigmatic genusYuriais less certain. Based on the resulting phylogenies, a revision of Travunioidea is proposed, now consisting of the Travuniidae, Cladonychiidae, Paranonychidae (Nippononychidae is synonymized), and the new family Cryptomastridae Derkarabetian & Hedin,fam. n., diagnosed here. The phylogenetic utility and diagnostic features of the intestinal complex and male genitalia are discussed in light of phylogenomic results, and the inappropriateness of the tarsal claw in diagnosing higher-level taxa is further corroborated.
El proceso de admisión de maestres de navíos en la Casa de la Contratación: expedientes y procedimiento
Authors: Fernández-López Francisco
Published: May 2018

Los maestres fueron personajes clave en la Carrera de Indias. Por ello, la Casa de la Contratación los consideró responsables de cualquier infracción de las ordenanzas que se produjera a bordo de los barcos. Así, estaban obligados a presentar fiadores que respondieran por ellos y a cumplir otra serie de requisitos. Estos trámites se tradujeron en la expedición ordenada de una serie de documentos en la Casa de la Contratación, que han llegado a nosotros en forma de expedientes. El análisis de estos expedientes, desde el punto de vista de la Diplomática, es el principal objetivo de este trabajo.
La Hispania del Nuevo Mundo. Historia indiana y dinámicas políticas en el reinado de Felipe III
Authors: Villarreal Brasca Amorina
Published: May 2018

En el reinado de Felipe III el ámbito de representaciones textuales indianas conoció un tiempo de análisis renovados que alimentaron las discusiones y las prácticas políticas de implicaciones americanas. En el presente artículo se analiza cómo la construcción de la historia de América participó activamente en los ámbitos discursivos de comienzos del siglo XVII como arma política.
De zona olvidada a plataforma de expansión. Centroamérica en las representaciones cartográficas y proyectos navales ingleses (1680-1742)
Authors: Pinzón Ríos Guadalupe
Published: May 2018

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar la manera en que los ingleses proyectaron sus intereses sobre Centroamérica y la vislumbraron como una plataforma que les permitiría extender sus actividades navales del Atlántico al Pacífico. Esas intenciones las mostraron en sus diarios de viaje y mapas. Estos materiales se convirtieron en instrumentos de poder a través de los cuales los ingleses intentaron justificar sus avances y trataron de hacerlos permanentes. Vale la pena analizar este proceso pues posteriormente volvieron a usar esos métodos en otras regiones.
Buscando al enemigo inglés. Expediciones de guardacostas españoles al golfo del Darién, 1767-1768
Authors: Gámez Casado Manuel
Published: May 2018

El presente artículo tiene como finalidad analizar las rivalidades existentes entre España e Inglaterra por el control del Darién desde el siglo XVI hasta fines del XVIII. Examinada la realidad de la zona, se pondrá especial atención a las expediciones de guardacostas españoles, aportando un estudio inédito sobre las realizadas en los años 1767 y 1768. En ellas, no solo se intentó localizar los pueblos nativos de la región, sino también posibles asentamientos ingleses que comerciasen con los indios, lo que impedía el dominio español del territorio.
From Engineer to Entrepreneur - Entrepreneurship Education for Engineering Students: The Case of the Entrepreneurial Campus Villach
Authors: Holzmann Patrick , Hartlieb Erich , Roth Michael
Published: May 2018

Entrepreneurship education is quite a novel phenomenon that is gaining increasing importance in academia and practice alike. Entrepreneurship education aims to provide the necessary skills and knowledge that enable students to successfully found a new venture. Hitherto entrepreneurship education has not received much attention in engineering pedagogy. This finding is quite surprising because through proper entrepreneurship education engineers can be enabled to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities that result from technological innovation. Thus, we argue that entrepreneurship education should be a cornerstone in engineering education. The paper introduces the ‘Entrepreneurial Campus Villach’ located at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS). The campus is among the first in Austria that provide an extensive and scientifically sound entrepreneurship program. The campus focusses on the four core areas 1) research, 2) teaching, 3) coaching and support, and 4) infrastructure. The paper provides insights for other university and institutions that aim to set up similar concepts.