bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Influence of Reaction Conditions and the Properties of Ceria for the Valorisation of Glycerol
Authors: Smith Paul J. , Smith Louise , Dummer Nicholas F. , Douthwaite Mark , Willock David J. , Howard Mark , Knight David W. , Taylor Stuart H. , Hutchings Graham J.
Published: April 2019

The reaction of aqueous glycerol over a series of ceria catalysts is investigated, to produce bio-renewable methanol. Product distributions were greatly influenced by the reaction temperature and catalyst contact time. Glycerol conversion of 21% was achieved for a 50 wt.% glycerol solution, over CeO2 (8 m2 g−1) at 320 °C. The carbon mass balance was >99 % and the main product was hydroxyacetone. In contrast, at 440 °C the conversion and carbon mass balance were >99.9 % and 76 % respectively. Acetaldehyde and methanol were the major products at this higher temperature, as both can be formed from hydroxyacetone. The space-time yield (STY) of methanol at 320 °C and 440 °C was 15.2 and 145 gMeOH kgcat−1 h−1 respectively. Fresh CeO2 was prepared and calcined at different temperatures, the textural properties were determined and their influence on the product distribution at iso-conversion and constant bed surface area was investigated. No obvious differences to the glycerol conversion or product selectivity were noted. Hence, we conclude that the surface area of the CeO2 does not appear to influence the reaction selectivity to methanol and other products formed from the conversion of glycerol.
New Insights into Long Terminal Repeat Retrotransposons in Mulberry Species
Authors: Ma Bi , Kuang Lulu , Xin Youchao , He Ningjia
Published: April 2019

The evolutionary dynamics of long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons in tree genomes has remained largely unknown. The availability of the complete genome sequences of the mulberry tree (Morus notabilis) has offered an unprecedented opportunity for us to characterize these retrotransposon elements. We investigated 202 and 114 families of Copia and Gypsy superfamilies, respectively, comprising 2916 intact elements in the mulberry genome. The tRNAMet was the most frequently used type of tRNA in both superfamilies. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that Copia and Gypsy from mulberry can be grouped into eight and six lineages, respectively. All previously characterized families of such elements could also be found in the mulberry genome. About 95% of the identified Copia and Gypsy full elements were estimated to have been inserted into the mulberry genome within the past 2–3 million years. Meanwhile, the estimated insertion times of members of the three most abundant families of the Copia superfamily (908 members from the three most abundant families) and Gypsy superfamily (783 members from the three most abundant families) revealed divergent life histories. Compared with the situation in Gypsy elements, three families of Copia elements are under positive selection pressure, which suggested that Copia elements may have a dominant influence in the evolution of mulberry genes. Analysis of insertion and deletion dynamics suggested that Copia and Gypsy elements exhibited a very long half-life in the mulberry genome. The present work provides new insights into the insertion and deletion dynamics of LTR retrotransposons, and it will greatly improve our understanding of the important roles transposable elements play in the architecture of the mulberry genome.
The Influence of Ionic and Nonionic Surfactants on the Colloidal Stability and Removal of CuO Nanoparticles from Water by Chemical Coagulation
Authors: Khan Rizwan , Inam Muhammad Ali , Khan Sarfaraz , Jiménez Andrea Navarro , Park Du Ri , Yeom Ick Tae
Published: April 2019

The widespread use of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) and surfactants in various consumer products makes it likely that they coexist in aqueous environments, making it important to study the effects of surfactants on the fate and transport behavior of CuO NPs. The present study aims to investigate the influence of anionic sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and nonionic nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPEO, Tergitol NP-9), on CuO NPs adsorption, aggregation, and removal from water by the coagulation process. The result of the sorption study indicates that both surfactants could be adsorbed on the surface of CuO NPs, and that SLS remarkably decreases the ζ potential as well as the hydrodynamic diameter (HDD) of CuO as compared to NP-9. The kinetic aggregation study showed that both SLS and NP-9 reduced the HDD of CuO NPs and retarded the settling rates at surfactant concentrations above 0.015% (w:v) over a 24 h-period. Moreover, enhanced aggregation of CuO NPs was observed in two environmental waters as compared to pure water, which could be related to their high ionic strength. The addition of surfactants in natural waters has been shown to reduce the aggregation and sedimentation of CuO; however, the reductive effect of SLS was more pronounced than that of NP-9. Finally, the coagulation results showed that the removal efficiencies of CuO, Cu2+, and the surfactant in all tested waters at optimum ferric chloride dosage reached around 98, 95, and 85%, respectively. Furthermore, the coagulation mechanism revealed that the combination of charge neutralization and adsorptive micellar flocculation (AMF) might be involved in the removal of both pollutants. The results of the present study provide new insight into the environmental behavior of coexisting NPs and surfactants in wastewater treatment processes.
Using Social Media to Mine and Analyze Public Sentiment during a Disaster: A Case Study of the 2018 Shouguang City Flood in China
Authors: Han Xuehua , Wang Juanle
Published: April 2019

Social media has been applied to all natural disaster risk-reduction phases, including pre-warning, response, and recovery. However, using it to accurately acquire and reveal public sentiment during a disaster still presents a significant challenge. To explore public sentiment in depth during a disaster, this study analyzed Sina-Weibo (Weibo) texts in terms of space, time, and content related to the 2018 Shouguang flood, which caused casualties and economic losses, arousing widespread public concern in China. The temporal changes within six-hour intervals and spatial distribution on sub-district and city levels of flood-related Weibo were analyzed. Based on the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model and the Random Forest (RF) algorithm, a topic extraction and classification model was built to hierarchically identify six flood-relevant topics and nine types of public sentiment responses in Weibo texts. The majority of Weibo texts about the Shouguang flood were related to “public sentiment”, among which “questioning the government and media” was the most commonly expressed. The Weibo text numbers varied over time for different topics and sentiments that corresponded to the different developmental stages of the flood. On a sub-district level, the spatial distribution of flood-relevant Weibo was mainly concentrated in high population areas in the south-central and eastern parts of Shouguang, near the river and the downtown area. At the city level, the Weibo texts were mainly distributed in Beijing and cities in the Shandong Province, centering in Weifang City. The results indicated that the classification model developed in this study was accurate and viable for analyzing social media texts during a disaster. The findings can be used to help researchers, public servants, and officials to better understand public sentiments towards disaster events, to accelerate disaster responses, and to support post-disaster management.
BvcZR3 and BvHs1pro-1 Genes Pyramiding Enhanced Beet Cyst Nematode (Heterodera schachtii Schm.) Resistance in Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Zhong Xuanbo , Zhou Qizheng , Cui Nan , Cai Daguang , Tang Guixiang
Published: April 2019

Beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii Schm.) is one of the most damaging pests in sugar beet growing areas around the world. The Hs1pro-1 and cZR3 genes confer resistance to the beet cyst nematode, and both were cloned from sugar beet translocation line (A906001). The translocation line carried the locus from B. procumbens chromosome 1 including Hs1pro-1 gene and resistance gene analogs (RGA), which confer resistance to Heterodera schachtii. In this research, BvHs1pro-1 and BvcZR3 genes were transferred into oilseed rape to obtain different transgenic lines by A. tumefaciens mediated transformation method. The cZR3Hs1pro-1 gene was pyramided into the same plants by crossing homozygous cZR3 and Hs1pro-1 plants to identify the function and interaction of cZR3 and Hs1pro-1 genes. In vitro and in vivo cyst nematode resistance tests showed that cZR3 and Hs1pro-1 plants could be infested by beet cyst nematode (BCN) juveniles, however a large fraction of penetrated nematode juveniles was not able to develop normally and stagnated in roots of transgenic plants, consequently resulting in a significant reduction in the number of developed nematode females. A higher efficiency in inhibition of nematode females was observed in plants expressing pyramiding genes than in those only expressing a single gene. Molecular analysis demonstrated that BvHs1pro-1 and BvcZR3 gene expressions in oilseed rape constitutively activated transcription of plant-defense related genes such as NPR1 (non-expresser of PR1), SGT1b (enhanced disease resistance 1) and RAR1 (suppressor of the G2 allele of skp1). Transcript of NPR1 gene in transgenic cZR3 and Hs1pro-1 plants were slightly up-regulated, while its expression was considerably enhanced in cZR3Hs1pro-1 gene pyramiding plants. The expression of EDS1 gene did not change significantly among transgenic cZR3, Hs1pro-1 and cZR3Hs1pro-1 gene pyramiding plants and wild type. The expression of SGT1b gene was slightly up-regulated in transgenic cZR3 and Hs1pro-1 plants compared with the wild type, however, its expression was not changed in cZR3Hs1pro-1 gene pyramiding plant and had no interaction effect. RAR1 gene expression was significantly up-regulated in transgenic cZR3 and cZR3Hs1pro-1 genes pyramiding plants, but almost no expression was found in Hs1pro-1 transgenic plants. These results show that nematode resistance genes from sugar beet were functional in oilseed rape and conferred BCN resistance by activation of a CC-NBS-LRR R gene mediated resistance response. The gene pyramiding had enhanced resistance, thus offering a novel approach for the BCN control by preventing the propagation of BCN in oilseed rape. The transgenic oilseed rape could be used as a trap crop to offer an alternative method for beet cyst nematode control.
Sustained Human Hair Follicle Growth Ex Vivo in a Glycosaminoglycan Hydrogel Matrix
Authors: Fernández-Martos Sandra , Calvo-Sánchez María , García-Alonso Karla , Castro Begoña , Hashtroody Bita , Espada Jesús
Published: April 2019

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and associated proteoglycans have important functions in homeostatic maintenance and regenerative processes (e.g., wound repair) of the skin. However, little is known about the role of these molecules in the regulation of the hair follicle cycle. Here we report that growing human hair follicles ex vivo in a defined GAG hydrogel mimicking the dermal matrix strongly promotes sustained cell survival and maintenance of a highly proliferative phenotype in the hair bulb and suprabulbar regions. This significant effect is associated with the activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling targets (CCDN1, AXIN2) and with the expression of stem cell markers (CK15, CD34) and growth factors implicated in the telogen/anagen transition (TGFβ2, FGF10). As a whole, these results point to the dermal GAG matrix as an important component in the regulation of the human hair follicle growth cycle, and to GAG-based hydrogels as potentially relevant modulators of this process both in vitro and in vivo.
The Possible Role of Gut Microbiota and Microbial Translocation Profiling During Chemo-Free Treatment of Lymphoid Malignancies
Authors: Zuccaro Valentina , Lombardi Andrea , Asperges Erika , Sacchi Paolo , Marone Piero , Gazzola Alessandra , Arcaini Luca , Bruno Raffaele
Published: April 2019

The crosstalk between gut microbiota (GM) and the immune system is intense and complex. When dysbiosis occurs, the resulting pro-inflammatory environment can lead to bacterial translocation, systemic immune activation, tissue damage, and cancerogenesis. GM composition seems to impact both the therapeutic activity and the side effects of anticancer treatment; in particular, robust evidence has shown that the GM modulates the response to immunotherapy in patients affected by metastatic melanoma. Despite accumulating knowledge supporting the role of GM composition in lymphomagenesis, unexplored areas still remain. No studies have been designed to investigate GM alteration in patients diagnosed with lymphoproliferative disorders and treated with chemo-free therapies, and the potential association between GM, therapy outcome, and immune-related adverse events has never been analyzed. Additional studies should be considered to create opportunities for a more tailored approach in this set of patients. In this review, we describe the possible role of the GM during chemo-free treatment of lymphoid malignancies.
High Performance Bacteria Anchored by Nanoclay to Boost Straw Degradation
Authors: Li Minghao , Tang Caiguo , Chen Xue , Huang Shengwei , Zhao Weiwei , Cai Dongqing , Wu Zhengyan , Wu Lifang
Published: April 2019

Generally, crop straw degrades slowly in soil, which is unfavorable for tillage and next crop growth. Thus, it is important to develop a promising technology to boost degradation of straw. Herein, a nanobiosystem has been developed by loading bacterial mixture in nanostructured attapulgite (ATP) and using it as a straw returning agent (SRA). Therein, ATP could effectively anchor bacteria to the surface of straw and greatly facilitate the adhesion and growth of bacteria. Consequently, this technology could effectively accelerate the degradation and transformation of straw into nutrients, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and organic matters (OM). Pot and field tests indicated that SRA displayed significant positive effects on the growth of the next crop. Importantly, SRA could effectively decrease greenhouse gas emissions from farmland, which is beneficial for the environment. Therefore, this work provides a facile and promising method to facilitate the degradation of straw, which might have a potential application value.
Use of Statistical Design Strategies to Produce Biodegradable and Eco-Friendly Films from Cashew Gum Polysaccharide and Polyvinyl Alcohol
Authors: Cruz Maurício V. , Pereira-Júnior Marcos A. , Batista Karla A. , Fernandes Kátia F.
Published: April 2019

This work reports the production and characterization of biodegradable and eco-friendly films based on cashew gum polysaccharide (CGP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), using the statistical design strategy. Results show that CGP/PVA films are pH stimuli-responsive, allowing their use in a magnitude of biotechnological applications. The morphological and dimensional characterization evidences a positive influence of polymers in the dimensional properties. In addition, the microstructural analysis shows that films have different morphologies depending on the content of polymers and oxidant agent. On the other hand, the thickness and light transmission values are positively influenced by CGP and PVA and negatively influenced by NaIO4. Results from mechanical properties show that the traction force is positively influenced by NaIO4, while the elongation is only affected by the PVA concentration. In summary, considering the morphological, optical and mechanical properties of the CGP/PVA films it is possible to suggest their utilization in different fields as promising packaging materials or matrices for immobilization and/or encapsulation of biomolecules.
A Simple and Efficient Method for the Partial Synthesis of Pure (3R,3’S)-Astaxanthin from (3R,3’R,6’R)-Lutein and Lutein Esters via (3R,3’S)-Zeaxanthin and Theoretical Study of Their Formation Mechanisms
Authors: Rodríguez-deLeón Eloy , Jiménez-Halla J. Oscar. C. , Báez José E. , Bah M. Moustapha
Published: April 2019

Carotenoids are natural compounds that have important roles in promoting and maintaining human health. Synthetic astaxanthin is a highly requested product by the aquaculture industry, but natural astaxanthin is not. Various strategies have been developed to synthesize this carotenoid. Nonetheless, these approaches have not only provided limited global yields, but its main commercial source also carries several health risks for humans. In this contribution, the one-pot base-catalyzed reaction of (3R,3’R,6’R)-lutein (1) esters has resulted in a successful isomerization process to easily obtain up to 95% meso-zeaxanthin (2), which in turn is oxidized to (3R,3’S)-astaxanthin (3) with a global yield of 68%. The same oxidation performed with UV irradiation (365 nm) for 5 min provided the highest global yield (76%). These chemical transformations have also been achieved with a significant reduction of the health risks associated with its potential human consumption. Furthermore, this is the first time only one of the configurational isomers has been obtained semisynthetically. The poorly understood formation mechanisms of these two compounds were also investigated using Density-Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. These theoretical studies revealed that the isomerization involves a base-catalyzed deprotonation at C-6’, followed by C-4’ protonation, while the oxidation occurs via free radical mechanisms.
Effects of Interface Induced Natural Strains on Magnetic Properties of FeRh
Authors: Hong Jeongmin , Yang Tiannan , N’Diaye Alpha T. , Bokor Jeffrey , You Long
Published: April 2019

FeRh is a unique alloy which shows temperature dependent phase transition magnetic properties. The lattice parameter (a) of this CsCl-type (B2) structure is 4.1712 Å. It undergoes a first order transition from antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferromagnetic (FM) order at around 370K and hysteretic behavior while cooling and heating. This meta-magnetic transition of FeRh is accompanied by an isotropic expansion in the unit cell volume, which indicates strong coupling between magnetic and structural properties of FeRh. Consequently, the magnetic and transport properties, such as magnetoresistance (MR), are changed during the transition. Due to its unique thermo-magnetic behaviors, FeRh is very important for future spintronic devices. The structure could be applicable for MR devices such as memory, sensors, and many other applications. It is critical to understand how to systematically influence phase transition of FeRh from naturally applied strains. Here, we investigate magnetic properties of FeRh in different strain environments induced by the substrates with different lattice parameters. The study was performed using synchrotron radiation, temperature dependent magnetometry, and magnetic scanning probe microscopy in addition to Landau theory calculations. We found that the naturally induced strains could modulate the magnetic phase locally and globally. The presence of the segments from the nucleation of the ferromagnetic domains, with a very thin layer in the antiferromagnetic matrix and the domain growth, were observed gradually. Using the systematic phenomena, it could be used for immediate applications in the future generation of phase change random access memory (PC-RAM) devices.
Thermoplastic Elastomer Biocomposites Filled with Cereal Straw Fibers Obtained with Different Processing Methods—Preparation and Properties
Authors: Miedzianowska Justyna , Masłowski Marcin , Strzelec Krzysztof
Published: April 2019

This work is focused on thermoplastic elastomers composites (TPEs) reinforced with straw. Crop waste with different particle size was used as a filler of ethylene-octene rubber (EOR). Application of cheap and renewable natural fiber like straw into a TPE medium is not fully recognized and explored. The effect of fiber orientation induced by two processing techniques on the different mechanical properties of composites was investigated. Microscopic images were used to present the tested straw fractions and observe the arrangement and dispersion of fibers in the polymer matrix. It was found that the usage of an injection molding process allowed for the forming of a more homogenous dispersion of short fiber particles in the elastomer matrix. An oriented straw filler and polymer chains resulted in the improved mechanical strength of the whole system as evidenced by the obtained values of tensile strength almost two times higher for injected composites. In addition, all composites showed very good resistance to thermo-oxidative aging, where the aging factor oscillated within the limits of one, regardless of the processing method and the amount of bioadditive used. On the other hand, vulcanized composites were characterized by greater tear resistance, for which Fmit values increased by up to 600% compared to the reference sample.
Analysis of Four Years of Global XCO2 Anomalies as Seen by Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2
Authors: Hakkarainen Janne , Ialongo Iolanda , Maksyutov Shamil , Crisp David
Published: April 2019

NASA’s carbon dioxide mission, Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, began operating in September 2014. In this paper, we analyze four years (2015–2018) of global (60°S–60°N) XCO2 anomalies and their annual variations and seasonal patterns. We show that the anomaly patterns in the column-averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction, XCO2, are robust and consistent from year-to-year. We evaluate the method by comparing the anomalies to fluxes from anthropogenic, biospheric, and biomass burning and to model-simulated local concentration enhancements. We find that, despite the simplicity of the method, the anomalies describe the spatio-temporal variability of XCO2 (including anthropogenic emissions and seasonal variability related to vegetation and biomass burning) consistently with more complex model-based approaches. We see, for example, that positive anomalies correspond to fossil fuel combustion over the major industrial areas (e.g., China, eastern USA, central Europe, India, and the Highveld region in South Africa), shown as large positive XCO2 enhancements in the model simulations. We also find corresponding positive anomalies and fluxes over biomass burning areas during different fire seasons. On the other hand, the largest negative anomalies correspond to the growing season in the northern middle latitudes, characterized by negative XCO2 enhancements from simulations and high solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) values (indicating the occurrence of photosynthesis). The largest discrepancies between the anomaly patterns and the model-based results are observed in the tropical regions, where OCO-2 shows persistent positive anomalies over every season of every year included in this study. Finally, we demonstrate how XCO2 anomalies enable the detection of anthropogenic signatures for several local scale case studies, both in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. In particular, we analyze the XCO2 anomalies collocated with the recent TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument NO2 observations (used as indicator of anthropogenic fossil fuel combustion) over the Highveld region in South Africa. The results highlight the capability of satellite-based observations to monitor natural and man-made CO2 signatures on global scale.
Intercomparisons of Long-Term Atmospheric Temperature and Humidity Profile Retrievals
Authors: Matthews Jessica L. , Shi Lei
Published: April 2019

This study builds upon a framework to develop a climate data record of temperature and humidity profiles from high-resolution infrared radiation sounder (HIRS) clear-sky measurements. The resultant time series is a unique, long-term dataset (1978–2017). To validate this long-term dataset, evaluation of the stability of the intersatellite time series is coupled with intercomparisons with independent observation platforms as available in more recent years. Eleven pairs of satellites carrying the HIRS instrument with time periods that overlap are examined. Correlation coefficients were calculated for the retrieval of each atmospheric pressure level and for each satellite pair. More than 90% of the cases examining both temperature and humidity have correlation coefficients greater than 0.7. Very high correlation is demonstrated at the surface and two meter levels for both temperature (>0.99) and specific humidity (>0.93). For the period of 2006–2017, intercomparisons are performed with four independent observations platforms: radiosonde (RS92), constellation observing system for meteorology ionosphere and climate (COSMIC), global climate observing system (GCOS) reference upper-air network (GRUAN), and infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer (IASI). Very close matching of surface and two meter temperatures over a wide domain of values is depicted in all presented intercomparisons: intersatellite matches of HIRS retrievals, HIRS vs. GRUAN, and HIRS vs. IASI.
Mini Inside-Out Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Sensor Design for Soil Moisture Measurements
Authors: Wu Jiamin , Guo Pan , Shen Sheng , He Yucheng , Huang Xin , Xu Zheng
Published: April 2019

The improvement of water management in agriculture by exactly detecting moisture parameters of soil is crucial. To investigate this problem, a mini inside-out nuclear magnetic resonance sensor (NMR) was proposed to measure moisture parameters of model soils. This sensor combines three cylindrical magnets that are magnetized in the axial direction and three arc spiral coils of the same size in series. We calculated and optimized the magnet structure by equivalent magnetization to current density. By adjusting the radius and height between the cylinders, a circumferential symmetric constant gradient field (2.28 T/m) was obtained. The NMR sensor was set at 2.424 MHz to measure the water content of sandy soil with small particle diameter and silica sand with large particle diameter. The complete decaying, an NMR signal was analyzed through inverse Laplace transformation and averaged on a T2 space. According to the results, moisture content of the sample is positively correlated with the integral area of T2 spectrum peak (Apeak); T2 of the water in small pores is shorter than that in large pores, because the movement of water molecules are limited by the inner wall of the pores. In the same volume, water in large pore sample is more than that in small pore sample, so Apeak of silica sand is larger than Apeak of sandy soil. Therefore, the sensor is capable of detecting moisture both content and pore size of the sample. This mini sensor (4.0 cm in diameter and 10 cm in length) is portable, and the lowest measurable humidity is 0.38%. Thus, this sensor will allow easy soil moisture measurements on-field in the future.
A Novel Rotation Scheme for MEMS IMU Error Mitigation Based on a Missile-Borne Rotation Semi-Strapdown Inertial Navigation System
Authors: Jing Zhengyao , Li Jie , Zhang Xi , Feng Kaiqiang , Zheng Tao
Published: April 2019

In previous research, a semi-strapdown inertial navigation system (SSINS), based on micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, was able to realize over-range measurement of the attitude information of high-rotation missiles by constructing a single axis “spin reduction” platform. However, the MEMS sensors in SSINS were corrupted by significant sensor errors. In order to further improve SSINS measurement accuracy, a rotational modulation technique has been introduced to compensate for sensor errors. The ideal modulation angular velocity is changed sharply to achieve a constant speed, while in practical applications, the angular rate of the rotating mechanism’s output needs to go through an acceleration-deceleration process. Furthermore, the stability of the modulation angular rate is difficult to achieve in a high-speed rotation environment. In this paper, a novel rotation scheme is proposed which can effectively suppress the residual error in the navigation coordinate system caused by the modulation angular rate error, including the acceleration-deceleration process and instability of angular rate. The experiment results show that the position and attitude accuracy of the new rotation scheme was increased by more than 56%. In addition, the proposed scheme is applicable to navigation accuracy improvement under various dynamic conditions.
Corporate Social Responsibility Practices in the U.S.: Using Reverse Supply Chain Network Design and Optimization Considering Carbon Cost
Authors: Alkhayyal Bandar
Published: April 2019

A research model using the market price for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions illustrates how the policies, and economic and environment implications of the carbon price can be formulated using a deterministic equilibrium model. However, with increasing carbon costs, the optimal reverse supply chain (RSC) system is being required to adapt and has undergone many distinct shifts in character as it seeks out new configurations through which costs may be effectively managed and minimized. The model was studied comprehensively in terms of quantitative performance using orthogonal arrays. The results were compared to top-down estimates produced through economic input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) models, providing a basis to contrast remanufacturing GHG emission quantities with those realized through original equipment manufacturing operations. Introducing a carbon cost of $40/t CO2e increased modeled remanufacturing costs by 2.7%, but also increased original equipment costs by 2.3%. The research presented in this study puts forward the theoretical modeling of optimal RSC systems and provides an empirical case study concerning remanufactured appliances, an area of current industrial literature in which there is a dearth of study.
Network Position Advantage and Technological Innovation of China’s New Energy Vehicle Based on the Perspective of Network Theory
Authors: SHI Xiu , JING Rui , HOU Guang-ming , WANG Jun-peng
Published: April 2019

This paper attempts to explore the role of innovation networks in the new energy vehicle industry from the perspective of evolution, by integrating of the overall network and the entities’ microscopic features and designing relative variables. Based on market orientation theory social network analysis, the relationship between network location and technological niche and the role of the network relationship strength was examined through empirical data of China’s 2009–2017 patents for new energy vehicles. The results show that: (1) There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the central position and the technological niche “state” and “potential”; (2) There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the brokerage position and the entities’ technological niche “state”, and the inverted U-shaped relationship with the technological niche “potential” is not significant; (3) The overall relationship strength of the network modulates the inverted U relationship between the central location and the technological niche. This paper opens up new ideas for the research of the role of innovation networks. The research conclusions have important implications for the management practice of new energy vehicle industries in China through collaborative networks to achieve technological innovation.
A Smart 3D RT Method: Indoor Radio Wave Propagation Modelling at 28 GHz
Authors: Hossain Ferdous , Geok Tan Kim , Rahman Tharek Abd , Hindia Mohammad Nour , Dimyati Kaharudin , Tso Chih P. , Kamaruddin Mohd Nazeri
Published: April 2019

This paper describes a smart ray-tracing method based on the ray concept. From the literature review, we observed that there is still a research gap on conventional ray-tracing methods that is worthy of further investigation. The herein proposed smart 3D ray-tracing method offers an efficient and fast way to predict indoor radio propagation for supporting future generation networks. The simulation data was verified by measurements. This method is advantageous for developing new ray-tracing algorithms and simulators to improve propagation prediction accuracy and computational speed.
All the Same? The Secret Life of Prion Strains within Their Target Cells
Authors: Vorberg Ina M.
Published: April 2019

Prions are infectious β-sheet-rich protein aggregates composed of misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) that do not possess coding nucleic acid. Prions replicate by recruiting and converting normal cellular PrPC into infectious isoforms. In the same host species, prion strains target distinct brain regions and cause different disease phenotypes. Prion strains are associated with biophysically distinct PrPSc conformers, suggesting that strain properties are enciphered within alternative PrPSc quaternary structures. So far it is unknown how prion strains target specific cells and initiate productive infections. Deeper mechanistic insight into the prion life cycle came from cell lines permissive to a range of different prion strains. Still, it is unknown why certain cell lines are refractory to infection by one strain but permissive to another. While pharmacologic and genetic manipulations revealed subcellular compartments involved in prion replication, little is known about strain-specific requirements for endocytic trafficking pathways. This review summarizes our knowledge on how prions replicate within their target cells and on strain-specific differences in prion cell biology.
Teachers' perception of the differences in the reading profiles of students with dyslexia and the role of dyslexia assessment for an appropriate choice of teaching strategy
Authors: Troeva Blagovesta
Published: April 2019

The paper discusses how literacy teachers approach the differences in the reading profiles of their students with dyslexia, and the value of an available diagnosis of dyslexia in their choosing the most appropriate teaching methods. The research was carried out in the Greater London area in 2014. It involved interviews with six practitioners directly involved in teaching reading skills to pupils with dyslexia in various capacities. All of the participants demonstrated awareness of the wide range of difficulties on the dyslexia spectrum. This underlay their commitment to personalized teaching based on a detailed assessment of the pupils' weaknesses and strengths. Provided that such an assessment and special educational expert's recommendations for teaching were available to inform their approach, five out of the six interviewees, who were working only at a school level, did not find the availability of a diagnosis of dyslexia necessary. However, the participant with the most extensive expertise, occupying a leadership role in a borough's literacy support centre, strongly defended and insisted on the existence and the instructional necessity of the dyslexia category. The overall conclusion is that applying the most appropriate teaching strategies would depend on the availability of a detailed assessment, which poses the question how teachers who have no access to such information will be able to adjust their instruction to the needs of the particular student.
ON ONE EFFECTIVE DIFFERENCE SCHEME FOR THE CONVECTION‐DIFFUSION PROBLEM
Authors: Gromyko G.
Published: April 2019

The given paper is devoted to build‐up of the special economic difference schemes for non‐stationary one and two‐dimensional problems of a convection ‐ diffusion permitting to take into account convective and diffusion terms from the uniform point of view. On the basis of a multicomponent schemes build‐up procedure, bound up with region decomposition of the cells of mesh, the economic multicomponent iterative algorithm is constructed. A series of numerical calculations on some test problems solution including Burgers problem is reduced, and the comparison with known, most spread schemes is proceeded.
SIMPLE ALGORITHMS FOR CALCULATION OF THE AXIAL‐SYMMETRIC HEAT TRANSPORT PROBLEM IN A CYLINDER
Authors: Kalis H. , Lasis A.
Published: April 2019

The approximation of axial‐symmetric heat transport problem in a cylinder is based on the finite volume method. In the classical formulation of the finite volume method it is assumed that the flux terms in the control volume are approximated with the finite difference expressions. Then in the 1‐D case the corresponding finite difference scheme for the given source function is not exact. There we propose the exact difference scheme. In 2‐D case the corresponding integrals are approximated using different quadrature formulae. This procedure allows one to reduce the heat transport problem described by a partial differential equation to an initial‐value problem for a system of two ordinary differential equations of the order depending on the quadrature formulae used. Numerical solutions of the corresponding algorithms are obtained using MAPLE routines for stiff system of ordinary differential equations.
THE GOURSAT PROBLEM FOR HYPERBOLIC LINEAR THIRD ORDER EQUATIONS
Authors: Korzyuk V. I.
Published: April 2019

The third order hyperbolic linear differential equation is considered in the non‐cylindrical domain of multidimensional Euclidean space. The equation operator is a composition of a differentiation operator of the first order and second order operator, which is hyperbolic with respect to the prescribed vector field. Apart from the equation, Goursat and Cauchy conditions are defined for an unknown function. Thus the boundary of the domain, where this hyperbolic equation is defined, consists of characteristic hypersurfaces, the hypersur‐faces, where Cauchy conditions are prescribed, and hypersurfaces with no conditions. For the mentioned problem the existence and uniqueness of the strong solution are proved using mollifying operators with a variable step and functional analysis methods on the base of the previously proved energy inequality.
THE MAXIMUM PRINCIPLE AND ITS APPLICATION FOR THE ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENCE SCHEMES
Authors: Matus A. P. , Matus P. P.
Published: April 2019

The subject of this paper is the maximum principle and its application for the analysis difference schemes. To some extent, it is a survey on construction and investigation of some new classes of monotone difference schemes. The established maximum principle for derivatives has a principal meaning. The coefficient stability of difference schemes in Banach spaces is proved on the base of this principle. New results on unconditional stability of difference schemes with weights, conservative explicit‐implicit schemes (staggered schemes) are given.
Influence of power asymmetry, commitment and trust on sme retailers’ performance
Authors: Setyawan Anton , Susila Ihwan , Anindita Sekar
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of power asymmetry, commitment and trust to business performance. In a business relation, the role of power asymmetry, commitment and trust are importance to maintain the quality of a relationship. Business performance is an important factor to decide whether a business relation should be continued or terminated. We conducted a survey with traditional SME retailers in Indonesia as the respondents, which were obtained through purposive sampling methods. This study involved 245 SME retailers who have business relation with modern companies as their supplier. We adopted Morgan and Hunt’s (1994) model of relationship marketing for business to business in order to analyze the relationship among companies in business network. The result shows that power asymmetry, commitment and trust have significant, positive effects on business performance. The implication of this study is: power asymmetry between modern companies and SME potentially accelerates their performance, while commitment and trust will provide firm foundation for the companies involved in the business relation. In overall, power asymmetry has impact for firm with lack of bargaining position in business relation, thus instead of being exploited, SME retailers can increase their business performance due to partner’s pressure and demand to their performance.
A Mean-field Approach to Simulating the Merging of Collisionless Stellar Systems Using a Particle-based Method
Authors: Hozumi Shunsuke , Iwasawa Masaki , Nitadori Keigo
Published: April 2019

We present a mean-field approach to simulating merging processes of two spherical collisionless stellar systems. This approach is realized with a self-consistent field (SCF) method in which the full spatial dependence of the density and potential of a system is expanded in a set of basis functions for solving Poisson’s equation. To apply this SCF method to a merging situation where two systems are moving in space, we assign the expansion center to the center of mass of each system, the position of which is followed by a massless particle placed at that position initially. Merging simulations over a wide range of impact parameters are performed using both an SCF code developed here and a tree code. The results of each simulation produced by the two codes show excellent agreement in the evolving morphology of the merging systems and in the density and velocity dispersion profiles of the merged systems. However, comparing the results generated by the tree code with those obtained with the softening-free SCF code, we found that in large impact parameter cases, a softening length of the Plummer type introduced in the tree code has an effect of advancing the orbital phase of the two systems in the merging process at late times. We demonstrate that the faster orbital phase originates from the larger convergence length to the pure Newtonian force. Other application problems suitable to the current SCF code are also discussed.
Differential patterns of ophiostomatoid fungal communities associated with three sympatric Tomicus species infesting pines in south-western China, with a description of four new species
Authors: HuiMin Wang , Wang Zheng , Liu Fu , Wu Cheng Xu , Zhang Su Fang , Kong Xiang Bo , Decock Cony , Lu Quan , Zhang Zhen
Published: April 2019

Bark beetles and their associated fungi, which cause forest decline and sometimes high mortality in large areas around the world, are of increasing concern in terms of forest health. ThreeTomicusspp. (T.brevipilosus,T.minorandT.yunnanensis) infect branches and trunks ofPinusyunnanensisandP.kesiyain Yunnan Province, in south-western China.Tomicusspp. are well known as vectors of ophiostomatoid fungi and their co-occurrence could result in serious ecological and economic impact on local forest ecosystems. Nonetheless, knowledge about their diversity, ecology, including pathogenicity and potential economic importance is still quite rudimentary. Therefore, an extensive survey of ophiostomatoid fungi associated with theseTomicusspecies infestingP.yunnanensisandP.kesiyawas carried out in Yunnan. Seven hundred and seventy-two strains of ophiostomatoid fungi were isolated from the adult beetles and their galleries. The strains were identified based on comparisons of multiple DNA sequences, including the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU) region, the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2, together with the intervening 5.8S gene (ITS) and the partial genes of β-tubulin (TUB2), elongation factor 1α (TEF1-α) and calmodulin (CAL). Phylogenetic analyses were performed using maximum parsimony (MP) as well as maximum likelihood (ML). Combinations of culture features, morphological characters and temperature-dependent growth rates were also employed for species identification. Eleven species belonging to five genera were identified. These included six known species,Esteyavermicola,Leptographiumyunnanense,Ophiostomabrevipilosi,O.canum,O.minusandO.tingensand four novel taxa, described asGraphilbumanningense,O.aggregatum,SporothrixpseudoabietinaandS.macroconidia. A residual strain was left unidentified asOphiostomasp. 1. The overall ophiostomatoid community was by far dominated by three species, representing 87.3% of the total isolates; in decreasing order, these wereO.canum,O.brevipilosiandO.minus. Furthermore, the ophiostomatoid community of each beetle, although harbouring a diversity of ophiostomatoid species, was differentially dominated by a single fungal species;Ophiostomacanumwas preferentially associated with and dominated the ophiostomatoid community ofT.minor, whereasO.brevipilosiandO.minuswere exclusively associated with and dominated the ophiostomatoid communities ofT.brevipilosusandT.yunnanensis, respectively. Eight additional species, representing the remaining 12.7% of the total isolates, were marginal or sporadic. These results suggested that sympatricTomicuspopulations are dominated by distinct species showing some level of specificity or even exclusivity.
Farmers’ attitude towards the use of earthworms as a protein feed source for village chickens
Authors: Gunya B. , Idamokoro E.M. , Aliber M.
Published: April 2019

Village chicken production in South Africa is hampered by the cost of providing quality protein in their diets. The low-cost rearing of certain types of earthworms is a possible solution to this challenge; however, it is unclear whether farmers are amenable to such a solution. This study was conducted to evaluate the attitudes of village chicken farmers to the use of earthworms as a protein feed source for their chickens. The data were gathered by administering a total of 150 questionnaires through face-to-face interviews with the chicken farmers in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The results of the study revealed that the idea of rearing earthworms for chickens was favoured by farmers, male farmers more strongly than females, while youth farmers rejected it. Moreover, the use of earthworms as a feed ingredient in chicken feed was accepted by farmers and no significant difference was observed among the type of owners of chickens. The consumption of chickens fed earthworms was significantly influenced by chicken ownership. Nevertheless, rearing of earthworms instead of growing crops for chicken feed was rejected by the farmers. The results show a positive attitude towards possible benefits that can be caused by the use of earthworms in chicken feed. The strongest benefit perceived was that earthworms improve production performance of chickens while the weakest was the use of earthworms for lowering feed price and production. Farmers’ perception of health risks caused by earthworms was high. Nevertheless, the overall conclusion is that earthworms can be used as chicken feed since farmers indicated a positive attitude toward the use of them for chickens.
Rememoración
Authors: Martínez Calzón J.
Published: April 2019

Julio Martínez Calzón (Valencia, 1938) es uno de los ingenieros más destacados en España, tanto por la cantidad como por la calidad y audacia de sus obras. Su trayectoria está íntimamente ligada a la historia del actual Instituto de Ciencias de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja, al que se incorporó en el año 1962, así como a la de la revista Informes de la Construcción, en la que ha publicado varios trabajos. Con motivo del 70 Aniversario de la revista, en este artículo rememora cómo su paso por el Torroja y el espíritu innovador de aquella época, hondamente enraizado en el empirismo y la práctica, fueron decisivos a la hora de sentar las bases de la aportación por la que es más reconocido, el uso de estructuras mixtas de hormigón y acero.