bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bundle Adjustment Using Space-Based Triangulation Method for Improving the Landsat Global Ground Reference
Authors: Storey James C. , Rengarajan Rajagopalan , Choate Michael J.
Published: July 2019

There is an ever-increasing interest and need for accurate georegistration of remotely sensed data products to a common global geometric reference. Although georegistration has improved substantially in the last decade, the lack of an accurate global ground reference dataset poses serious issues for data providers seeking to make geometrically stackable analysis-ready data. The existing Global Land Survey 2000 (GLS2000) dataset derived from Landsat 7 images provides global coverage and can be used as a reference dataset, but its accuracy is much lower than what can be attained using the agile and precise pointing capability of the new spacecrafts. The improved position and pointing knowledge of the new spacecrafts such as Landsat 8 can be used to improve the accuracy of the existing global ground control points using a space-based triangulation method. This paper discusses the theoretical basis, formulation, and application of the space-based triangulation method at a continental scale to improve the accuracy of the GLS-derived ground control points. Our triangulation method involves adjusting the spacecraft position, velocity, attitude, attitude rate, and ground control point locations, iteratively, by linearizing the non-linear viewing geometry, such that the residual errors in the measured image points are minimized. The complexity of the numerical inversion and processing is dealt with in our approach by processing and eliminating the ground points one at a time. This helps to reduce the size of the normal matrix significantly, thereby making the triangulation of a continent-wide scale block feasible and efficient. One of the unique characteristics of our method is the use of a correlation model linking the attitude corrections between images of the same pass, which promotes consistency in the attitude corrections. We evaluated the performance of our triangulation method over the Australian continent using the Australian Geographic Reference Image (AGRI) dataset as a reference. Both a free adjustment, using only the pointing information of the Landsat 8 spacecraft, and a constrained adjustment using the AGRI as external control were performed and the results compared. The Australian block’s horizontal accuracy improved from 15.4 m to 3.6 m with the use of AGRI controls and from 15.4 m to 8.8 m without the use of AGRI controls.
Flood Distance Algorithms and Fault Hidden Danger Recognition for Transmission Line Towers Based on SAR Images
Authors: Liu Lianguang , Du Rujun , Liu Wenlin
Published: July 2019

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has been extensively used in the monitoring of natural hazards such as floods and landslides. Predicting whether natural hazards will cause serious harm to important facilities on the ground is an important subject of study. In this study, the distance between the water body and the tower and the flood ratio in the search area and the elevation are defined as the evaluation indicators of the flood hazard of the tower, indicating whether flooding will threaten the safety of the transmission line tower. Herein, transmission tower flood identification algorithms based on the center distance of the tower and the grid distance of the tower are proposed. SAR satellite image data of the flood with a resolution of 10 m are selected to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed fault identification algorithm. The simulation results show that the SAR satellite image data with a resolution of 10 m can identify the distance accuracy of the transmission tower flood hazard by up to 7 m, which can be used to identify the flood fault of the transmission line tower.
On the Sensitivity of TanDEM-X-Observations to Boreal Forest Structure
Authors: Askne Jan I. H. , Persson Henrik J. , Ulander Lars M. H.
Published: July 2019

The structure of forests is important to observe for understanding coupling to global dynamics of ecosystems, biodiversity, and management aspects. In this paper, the sensitivity of X-band to boreal forest stem volume and to vertical and horizontal structure in the form of forest height and horizontal vegetation density is studied using TanDEM-X satellite observations from two study sites in Sweden: Remningstorp and Krycklan. The forest was analyzed with the Interferometric Water Cloud Model (IWCM), without the use of local data for model training, and compared with measurements by Airborne Lidar Scanning (ALS). On one hand, a large number of stands were studied, and in addition, plots with different types of changes between 2010 and 2014 were also studied. It is shown that the TanDEM-X phase height is, under certain conditions, equal to the product of the ALS quantities for height and density. Therefore, the sensitivity of phase height to relative changes in height and density is the same. For stands with a phase height >5 m we obtained an root-mean-square error, RMSE, of 8% and 10% for tree height in Remningstorp and Krycklan, respectively, and for vegetation density an RMSE of 13% for both. Furthermore, we obtained an RMSE of 17% for estimation of above ground biomass at stand level in Remningstorp and in Krycklan. The forest changes estimated with TanDEM-X/IWCM and ALS are small for all plots except clear cuts but show similar trends. Plots without forest management changes show a mean estimated height growth of 2.7% with TanDEM-X/IWCM versus 2.1% with ALS and a biomass growth of 4.3% versus 4.2% per year. The agreement between the estimates from TanDEM-X/IWCM and ALS is in general good, except for stands with low phase height.
China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project Empowers Sustainable Water Resources System in the North
Authors: Kattel Giri R. , Shang Wenxiu , Wang Zhongjing , Langford John
Published: July 2019

Global freshwaters are severely depleted. Provision of improved water infrastructure technologies and innovation can address challenges posed by water shortages to environmental sustainability. China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project has generated extensive debates over sustainability of water resources system in the northern drier region, which faces severe water scarcity hindering ecosystems, agriculture, industries and livelihoods. Some arguments extend the views that large infrastructure projects can have negative implications for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem goods and services. However, this study strengthens the opposite view, as such projects would resolve increasing environmental challenges northern China has been facing over many decades due to severe water shortages. The project empowers connectivity among individuals, community, and organizations that the sustainability of goods and services such as energy, irrigation and water supply are perceived, and livelihoods and the standard of peoples’ living is improved. A resilient, robust and adaptive water infrastructure framework can overcome the challenges of water shortages by meeting a long term social, economic and environmental goals for water resources systems in northern China. Such framework can also identify the thresholds of change and the threats associated with environmental sustainability.
Extensive Orchards in the Agricultural Landscape: Effective Protection against Fraying Damage Caused by Roe Deer
Authors: Marada Petr , Cukor Jan , Linda Rostislav , Vacek Zdeněk , Vacek Stanislav , Havránek František
Published: July 2019

The objective of this research was to determine the efficiency of different types of protective barriers and how they protect against fraying damage in extensive fruit tree orchards. Orchards in open agricultural land are the target of fraying damage caused by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.). We assessed the effectiveness of four protective barriers: a rabbit-proof fence, a standard plastic tube commonly used in forestry, and an innovative plastic tube—variants with and without an additional rendering fat application. The study was situated in three extensive orchards in the southeastern part of Moravia in the Czech Republic. We analyzed the ratio of damaged trees, stem circumference damage, the length and height of damage on tree stems, the time periods with the most observed damage, and finally, the economic efficiency of each studied barrier. Most of the damage was observed in April and July. The most effective protective barrier was the innovative tube with rendering fat application (up to 100%) followed closely by the innovative tube without rendering fat application (95%). The standard plastic tube had an effectiveness of 49%, while the rabbit-proof fence was the least effective at 25%. In terms of the mean damage-lengths on tree stems, we found no significant differences between the rabbit-proof fence and the standard plastic tubes (21–22 cm). The usage of the innovative plastic tube without rendering fat reduced the average damage-length by half (10 cm) as compared to standard types (rabbit-proof fence, standard tube) of protection. The damage-heights on tree stems showed no significant differences among all variants (53–58 cm from the ground). Our analysis of economic parameters showed that rabbit-proof fencing had the worst cost efficiency, while the innovative tubes without rendering fat, had the best cost efficiency. We recommend starting the installation of protective barriers on trees in March, since we recorded relatively high activity of male roe deer in the following months.
Analysis of Motivational Climate, Emotional Intelligence, and Healthy Habits in Physical Education Teachers of the Future Using Structural Equations
Authors: González-Valero Gabriel , Zurita-Ortega Félix , Chacón-Cuberos Ramón , Puertas-Molero Pilar
Published: July 2019

This study developed a Structural Equation Model (SEM) in order to identify the associations between motivational climate, emotional intelligence, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD), Physical Activity (PA), and some health indicators in a sample of future teachers. A non-experimental and cross-sectional study was carried in 775 university students (22.22 ± 3.76), using as main scales the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2), Emotional Intelligence Inventory adapted for the sport context, Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED), 20 meter Shuttle Run Test (20mSRT), and percentage of lean and fat mass as calculated by the Tanita TBF300®® (Tanita-Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) electronic scale. The results showed a positive association between emotional intelligence and task climate, whereas the relationship with an ego climate was low. Ego-oriented climate was positively related to MD and high levels of PA. Emotional intelligence was directly related to higher levels of PA and the level of adherence to MD. PA was negatively associated with fat mass and positively with lean mass and VO2MAX. Task-oriented motivational climate showed a positive relation with the emotional intelligence of young people. Ego-oriented motivational climates were related to higher rates of physical-sport engagement and better diet quality.
Basic Psychological Needs and Self-Determined Motivation as Drivers of Voluntary Simplistic Clothing Consumption Practices in South Africa
Authors: Taljaard Hanri , Sonnenberg Nadine
Published: July 2019

Consumers’ clothing consumption is the cause of many social and environmental consequences, especially in emerging economies where consumption continues to escalate. It is therefore vital that consumers adopt more voluntary simplistic lifestyles with sustainable clothing practices. This study relies on the self-determination theory to explore the influence of basic psychological needs (i.e., competence, autonomy, and connectedness) and self-determined motivation (i.e., identified- and integrated regulation as well as intrinsic motivation) on female consumers’ voluntary simplistic clothing practices. Data were derived from 469 online questionnaires and structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. Competence was identified as the most influential basic psychological need, followed by the need for connectedness and autonomy. Moreover, intrinsic motivation is the strongest predictor of voluntary simplistic clothing practices, while integrated regulation is deemed insignificant and identified regulation has a negative association with the practices in question. In summary, it would seem that female consumers are keen on adopting voluntary simplistic clothing behaviors. This may be due to their intrinsic motivation and competence rather than their exposure to extrinsic influences. This study provides valuable insight into the motivational determinants of voluntary simplistic clothing consumption in South Africa and may thus serve as a platform for further investigation into other emerging markets.
Big Data for the Sustainability of Healthcare Project Financing
Authors: Moro Visconti Roberto , Morea Donato
Published: July 2019

This study aims to detect if and how big data can improve the quality and timeliness of information in infrastructural healthcare Project Finance (PF) investments, making them more sustainable, and increasing their overall efficiency. Interactions with telemedicine or disease management and prediction are promising but are still underexploited. However, given rising health expenditure and shrinking budgets, data-driven cost-cutting is inevitably required. An interdisciplinary approach combines complementary aspects concerning big data, healthcare information technology, and PF investments. The methodology is based on a business plan of a standard healthcare Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investment, compared with a big data-driven business model that incorporates predictive analytics in different scenarios. When Public and Private Partners interact through networking big data and interoperable databases, they boost value co-creation, improving Value for Money and reducing risk. Big data can also help by shortening supply chain steps, expanding economic marginality and easing the sustainable planning of smart healthcare investments. Flexibility, driven by timely big data feedbacks, contributes to reducing the intrinsic rigidity of long-termed PF healthcare investments. Healthcare is a highly networked and systemic industry, that can benefit from interacting with big data that provide timely feedbacks for continuous business model re-engineering, reducing the distance between forecasts and actual occurrences. Risk shrinks and sustainability is fostered, together with the bankability of the infrastructural investment.
Binder and Mixture Fatigue Performance of Plant-Produced Road Surface Course Asphalt Mixtures with High Contents of Reclaimed Asphalt
Authors: Subhy Ayad , Menegusso Pires Gustavo , Jiménez del Barco Carrión Ana , Lo Presti Davide , Airey Gordon
Published: July 2019

The aged properties of Reclaimed Asphalt (RA) binders are one of the main factors working against their utilisation in high-RA content (>30%) mixes for surface courses. Fatigue cracking is the main distress of surface courses that are manufactured with a high percentage of RA. This investigation presents results of the rheological and fatigue results of different asphalt mixtures and their recovered binders. The binders were recovered from asphalt mixtures that had been manufactured in asphalt plants using different amounts of RA with contents up to 60% with and without rejuvenators. Two different sources of RA were used, representing a moderately aged RA and an extremely aged RA. The Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) was used to assess the fatigue-characteristics of the binders using time sweep tests while the fatigue characteristics of their mixtures were assessed using the Indirect Tensile Fatigue Test (ITFT). The fatigue data was analysed based on the cumulative dissipated energy approach in addition to traditional fatigue analysis. Results have shown that the ageing condition of RA significantly affects the fatigue properties of recovered binders. Binder and asphalt mixture fatigue results showed that RA contents up to 60% can produce comparable fatigue performance compared to lower percentages of RA in road surface course if the aged RA binder is sufficiently rejuvenated.
Assessing the Potential, Performance and Feasibility of Urban Solutions: Methodological Considerations and Learnings from Biogas Solutions
Authors: Lindfors Axel , Feiz Roozbeh , Eklund Mats , Ammenberg Jonas
Published: July 2019

Many cities of the world are faced with multiple sustainability challenges, for example related to food and energy supply, transportation, waste management, clean air, and more. Preferably, these challenges are addressed with broad and interconnected solutions with the ambition of addressing several challenges simultaneously, in this paper referred to as multi-functional urban solutions. Implementation of multi-functional urban solutions requires well informed decisions, supported by knowledge about the potential contributions that the solutions can make to a more sustainable city as well as on issues that may hinder or facilitate their implementation. Thus, in this paper, we suggest a soft multi-criteria decision analysis method that can be used to gather and structure this knowledge. This method acknowledges the importance of incorporating local knowledge, is based on life-cycle thinking, and is flexible and open-ended by design so that it can be tailored to specific needs and conditions. The method contributes to existing practices in sustainability assessment and feasibility studies, linking and integrating potential and performance assessment with issues affecting solutions’ feasibility of implementation. This method offers a way for local authorities, researchers and exporting companies to organize and structure the diverse range of knowledge to be considered for more informed decisions regarding the implementation of multi-functional urban solutions. While the main contributions of the paper are methodological, brief descriptions of two studies that have applied this method to assess biogas solutions are shown as clarifying examples. One of these studies was performed in Chisinau, Moldova and the other in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Additive Manufacturing: Exploring the Social Changes and Impacts
Authors: Matos Florinda , Godina Radu , Jacinto Celeste , Carvalho Helena , Ribeiro Inês , Peças Paulo
Published: July 2019

Despite the myriad of possibilities and applications of additive manufacturing (AM) technology, knowledge about the social impacts of this technology is very scarce and very limited in some areas. This paper explores how factors generated by the development of AM technology may create social impacts, affecting the health and social well-being of people, quality of life, working conditions, and the creation of wealth. This paper presents the results of an exploratory multiple case study conducted among four Portuguese organizations that use AM technology, aiming to determine their perceptions regarding the social impacts of AM, its effects, and causes. The results confirm that AM technology is mainly seen to create positive impacts on health and safety (regarding physical hazards), on expectations for the future, on leisure and recreation, on low disruption with the local economy, on economic prosperity, on the professional status, and on innovative employment types. Nevertheless, a negative impact was also found on health and safety (concerning hazardous substances), as well as several mixed and null impacts. The main limitations of the research arise from the use of a case study methodology, since the results can be influenced by contextual factors, such as the size of the organizations in the sample, and/or social, cultural, technological, political, economic, and ecological factors. This study gives an up-to-date contribution to the topic of AM social impacts and social changes, an area which is still little-explored in the literature.
Green Gilded Oil: How Faux Sustainability by US Oil Companies is Undermining Neo-Sustainability
Authors: Parafiniuk Adrah , Smith Zachary A.
Published: July 2019

Greenwashing has been a common practice among companies since the 1980s. There are some companies that take that practice to an extraordinary level. These companies create a sustainability report, dedicate pages on their website touting their environmental stewardship, spend money on projects that make them appear “green” and at the same time spend millions of dollars lobbying the government to decrease environmental regulations and stop any plan to curtail carbon emissions. We will call these companies green gilded as they are coated in a thin layer of environmentalism as a means to deceive the public. This paper analyzes some of the largest US oil producers with an in-depth analysis of ExxonMobil and Chevron Corp. It examines the money they spend on lobbying efforts to undermine actual sustainable policy. It looks into their sustainability reports, money spent to limit their carbon footprint, and money spent on environmental stewardship. It also compares the carbon footprint of each company. It analyzes the dangers of green gilding and bilking the public. It defines and describes what a neo-sustainable approach in the oil business would look like.
R&D, Advertising and Firms’ Financial Performance in South Korea: Does Firm Size Matter?
Authors: Xu Jian , Liu Feng , Chen You-hua
Published: July 2019

Advertising and research and development (R&D) are two engines for firms to obtain competitiveness and improve profits. This study develops a system of equations to investigate the overall relationships among R&D, advertising and financial performance across firm sizes. Data from Korean listed firms have been used during 2012–2016. First, our results show that R&D and advertising are complementary in South Korea. Second, for large firms, advertising is positively and significantly associated with financial performance, and the R&D expenditure has no significant influence. Finally, R&D and advertising expenditures have a negative impact on the financial performance of small firms. An additional analysis is conducted to examine the duration of R&D and advertising. Our results from Korean listed firms contain important implications for academia as well as practitioners.
Diagnosing Climate Adaptation Constraints in Rural Subsistence Farming Systems in Cameroon: Gender and Institutional Perspectives
Authors: Nchu Innocent Ngiehnu , Kimengsi Jude Ndzifon , Kapp Gerald
Published: July 2019

Climate adaptation efforts are recurrent in the science and policy spheres, especially in the context of the adaptation of community-driven, small-scale farming systems. One such is subsistence farming, which constitutes the backbone of most rural sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies, including Cameroon. Significant research and policy efforts have been directed towards overcoming barriers to climate adaptation. Such efforts have tackled a range of socio-economic and exogenous institutional constraints. However, knowledge gaps exist in the climate adaptation literature, particularly with regards to the extent to which endogenous cultural institutions (customary rules) in SSA shape gender (in)equality in access to productive resources like land. Based on a representative survey of 87 female-headed households in rural Cameroon, we contribute to bridge this gap by determining endogenous cultural institutional constraints to rural women’s climate adaptation, specifically with regards to their access to land for subsistence farming. Results were obtained with logistic regression analysis and a chi-square test of independence, showing that: (i) an inverse relationship exists between discriminatory cultural practices and women farmers’ capacity to adapt to climate change, and that (ii) tenure insecurity and inequality amplifies farmer’s vulnerability to long- and short-term climatic change. While this paper contributes to existing theoretical frameworks on climate adaptation from an institutional perspective, it equally makes a succinct request for further studies to be undertaken to ground this theoretical assertion.
Agglomeration Economies in Small Cities and Business: The Impact of the Great Recession in Aragón (Spain)
Authors: González-Val Rafael , Marcén Miriam
Published: July 2019

In this paper, we analyze the effects of productive specialization and productive diversity on employment growth at the local level during the Great Recession in Aragon, a NUTS II region in Spain. This region is characterized by (i) a high population density in the capital city (around half of the total population), giving rise to a very uneven population distribution and therefore a lot of small cities and municipalities, and (ii) a large proportion of small businesses (95% of the firms in this region have fewer than ten employees). We use annual data from 2000 to 2015 and panel data models, and grouped local business activities into three main categories: industry, construction and services. Our results show that, during this period, local specialization in any of these activities hurt local employment growth, whereas diversity had a non-significant effect on employment growth. Only in the case of services did we obtain a positive effect of diversity on local employment growth, which was restricted to the most populated cities (i.e., cities with more than 3000 inhabitants). Therefore, only diversity in services activities located in large cities contributed to employment growth during the Great Recession.
Sustainable Social Enterprise Model: Relationships and Consequences
Authors: Ketprapakorn Nuttasorn , Kantabutra Sooksan
Published: July 2019

The present study develops a sustainable social enterprise model and examines relationships between corporate sustainability practices and sustainability performance outputs in a social healthcare enterprise in Thailand. Findings reveal four predictors of corporate sustainability, including Leadership, Stakeholder Focus, Resilience Development, and Sharing practices. All of them have direct and/or indirect positive effects on corporate sustainability performance outputs as measured by brand equity, socioeconomic performance and environmental performance. The study also proposes a coherent theory of Sufficiency Economy in business, build upon key theories from relevant fields. Lastly, the present study provides future research directions and managerial implications based upon the model.
Inorganic Waste Management in Greenhouse Agriculture in Almeria (SE Spain): Towards a Circular System in Intensive Horticultural Production
Authors: Sayadi-Gmada Samir , Rodríguez-Pleguezuelo Carmen Rocío , Rojas-Serrano Fátima , Parra-López Carlos , Parra-Gómez Salvador , García-García Maria del Carmen , García-Collado Rosana , Lorbach-Kelle Mariana Beatriz , Manrique-Gordillo Trinidad
Published: July 2019

The concept of circular economy, whose model is based on three main pillars: (i) design out waste and pollution; (ii) keep products and materials in use; and (iii) regenerate natural systems, has recently been applied to different sectors. This concept is directly related to bioeconomy. Spain implemented its own strategy in bioeconomy in 2016, affecting all economic activities, agriculture included. In line with this, one of the most important agricultural sectors is the greenhouse horticulture of Almería (SE Spain). This region has experienced deep changes in the last 40 years, and has become one of the most efficient agro-industrial complexes in the world. This rapid growth has brought sustainability problems such as pollution, water overuse, or inadequate waste management. Several studies have undertaken organic waste reuse or minimization, but an important lack of knowledge exists regarding the inorganic fraction. One of the goals of the REINWASTE project is to find solutions for this problem. Therefore, an extensive legal framework has been consulted and an in-depth study of the steps in greenhouse production with the associated residues has been carried out. Additionally, information from experts and stakeholders has been registered, resulting a list of Best Available Technologies (BATs) to prevent and minimize inorganic waste generation. This article highlights the intensive greenhouse horticulture from Almería efforts to reach circularity by closing the loop with inorganic waste.
Surface Passivation of Boron Emitters on n-Type Silicon Solar Cells
Authors: Hyun Ji Yeon , Bae Soohyun , Nam Yoon Chung , Kang Dongkyun , Lee Sang-Won , Kim Donghwan , Park Jooyoung , Kang Yoonmook , Lee Hae-Seok
Published: July 2019

Al2O3/SiNx stack passivation layers are among the most popular layers used for commercial silicon solar cells. In particular, aluminum oxide has a high negative charge, while the SiNx film is known to supply hydrogen as well as impart antireflective properties. Although there are many experimental results that show that the passivation characteristics are lowered by using the stack passivation layer, the cause of the passivation is not yet understood. In this study, we investigated the passivation characteristics of Al2O3/SiNx stack layers. To identify the hydrogenation effect, we analyzed the hydrogen migration with atom probe tomography by comparing the pre-annealing and post-annealing treatments. For chemical passivation, capacitance-voltage measurements were used to confirm the negative fixed charge density due to heat treatment. Moreover, the field-effect passivation was understood by confirming changes in the Al2O3 structure using electron energy-loss spectroscopy.
Determinants of Banks’ Net Interest Margin: Evidence from the Euro Area during the Crisis and Post-Crisis Period
Authors: Angori Gabriele , Aristei David , Gallo Manuela
Published: July 2019

This paper analyses the determinants of net interest margin during the period 2008–2014 in the Euro Area. The starting point of the analysis is the premise that this variable is a gauge of financial institutions’ health and stability. In particular, since the outbreak of the global financial crisis, difficulties in achieving sustainable levels of profitability, mainly due to the vulnerable margins from the banks’ traditional activity, have significantly increased the fragility of the European banking system. Besides considering the main bank-level drivers affecting the net interest margin such as market power, capitalization, interest risk and the level of efficiency, we explicitly account for the effects of regulatory and institutional settings. The results show a persistence in the vulnerability of the banks’ sustainable profitability, even though this negative trend has been partly mitigated by the European Central Bank (ECB)’s recent monetary policies. The increase in non-traditional activities as well as the heterogeneous efficiency levels characterizing banking systems across the Euro Area, where operating costs remain generally high, have significantly contributed to the slowdown in bank margins from traditional activity. Finally, the regulatory environment is an important driver of the net interest margin, which remained lower in countries with higher capital requirements and greater supervisory power.
Methodology of Determination of the Range of Restrictions Related to the Existence of Transmission Devices on Private Land—Case Study of Poland
Authors: Sajnóg Natalia , Sobolewska-Mikulska Katarzyna , Wójcik-Leń Justyna
Published: July 2019

Transmission devices constitute a fundamental need. Moreover, the facilities introduce numerous restrictions on land, beginning with their actual permanent physical existence, through bans on construction and planting trees, to the possibility that the land is used by transmission companies (easement). In Poland, no legal provisions or coherent and uniform rules at the national level currently exist that would determine the range of execution of the easement right. This is confirmed by research performed by the authors. The first analysis covered legal acts as well as norms and technical guidelines for particular types of transmission infrastructure. The second study analysed was a survey conducted on a group of transmission companies representing different industries. The third study (supplementing the previous ones) concerned the analysis of two case studies in the scope of the discussed issue. The objective of this article was to develop a methodology for the determination of the scope of the easement right resulting from the existence of transmission devices on private land in Poland. The developed concept showed that the range should depend in particular on the type of land use in question. The model procedure proposed by the authors was developed in reference to environmental, social, and economic aspects, in accordance with the assumptions of sustainable land management.
Contribution of Public Playgrounds to Motor, Social, and Creative Development and Obesity Reduction in Children
Authors: Gil-Madrona Pedro , Martínez-López María , Prieto-Ayuso Alejandro , Saraiva Linda , Vecina-Cifuentes Javier , Vicente-Ballesteros Tomás , Moratilla-López Rafael , López-Sánchez Guillermo F.
Published: July 2019

The objective of this work was to examine the perceptions of adults responsible for the care of children in their leisure time about the contribution of public playgrounds to motor, social, and creative development and obesity reduction in children, analyzing these perceptions according to sex, age, educational level, and level of involvement in the child’s education of the participants. The sample consisted of 1019 adults responsible for the care of children in their leisure time in Albacete (Spain). A validated questionnaire was the instrument used to assess perceptions of participants on the influence of the public playgrounds in motor, social, and creative development and obesity reduction of children. The instrument was validated on a first sample of convenience and had good reliability (α = 0.997) and construct validity (CFI = 0.997). The results showed that most participants agreed with the positive contribution of public playgrounds to social skills (78.8%), motor skills (53.7%), creativity (52.2%), and obesity reduction (48.8%) in children. Women, those between 30 and 49 years, those with a higher educational level and those with a higher level of involvement in the child’s education had more positive perceptions regarding the impact of public playgrounds to motor, social, and creative development and obesity reduction in children. These results should be taken in consideration to foster the use of public playgrounds in all sectors of population.
Cultural Heritage Digitization in Serbia: Standards, Policies, and Case Studies
Authors: Ognjanović Zoran , Marinković Bojan , Šegan-Radonjić Marija , Masliković Dejan
Published: July 2019

The paper identifies necessary steps to create a national information system for management and preservation of cultural heritage documentation. The Republic of Serbia, where the digitization of cultural heritage is recognized as a segment of cultural development and officially accepted as one of the methods for preservation and presentation of heritage documentation, is taken as a case study. The paper describes the evolutionary path of the digitization process in Serbia and analyzes the importance of the adoption of a legal framework and establishment of national standards in the process of achieving the uniqueness in cultural heritage long-term sustainable documentation management and preservation across cultural institutions.
Common Fixed Point Results of Set Valued Maps for Aφ-Contraction and Generalized ϕ-Type Weak Contraction
Authors: Neog Murchana , Jaradat Mohammed M. M. , Debnath Pradip
Published: July 2019

The solutions for many real life problems may be obtained by interpreting the given problem mathematically in the form f ( x ) = x . One such example is that of the famous Borsuk–Ulam theorem in which, using some fixed point argument, it can be guaranteed that at any given time we can find two diametrically opposite places in a planet with same temperature. Thus, the correlation of symmetry is inherent in the study of fixed point theory. In this article, some new results concerning coincidence and a common fixed point for an A φ -contraction and a generalized ϕ -type weak contraction are established. We prove our results for set valued maps without using continuity of the corresponding maps and completeness of the relevant space. Our results generalize and extend several existing results. Some new examples are given to demonstrate the generality and non-triviality of our results.
Plasma Hepatitis E Virus Kinetics in Solid Organ Transplant Patients Receiving Ribavirin
Authors: Lhomme Sebastien , DebRoy Swati , Kamar Nassim , Abravanel Florence , Metsu David , Marion Olivier , Dimeglio Chloé , Cotler Scott J. , Izopet Jacques , Dahari Harel
Published: July 2019

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes chronic hepatitis in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Antiviral therapy consists of three months of ribavirin, although response rates are not optimal. We characterized plasma HEV kinetic patterns in 41 SOT patients during ribavirin therapy. After a median pharmacological delay of three (range: 0–21) days, plasma HEV declined from a median baseline level of 6.12 (3.53–7.45) log copies/mL in four viral kinetic patterns: (i) monophasic (n = 18), (ii) biphasic (n = 13), (iii) triphasic (n = 8), and (iv) flat-partial response (n = 2). The mean plasma HEV half-life was estimated to be 2.0 ± 0.96 days. Twenty-five patients (61%) had a sustained virological response (SVR) 24 weeks after completion of therapy. Viral kinetic patterns (i)–(iii) were not associated with baseline characteristics or outcome of therapy. A flat-partial response was associated with treatment failure. All patients with a log concentration decrease of plasma HEV at day seven of >15% from baseline achieved SVR. In conclusion, viral kinetic modeling of plasma HEV under ribavirin therapy showed, for the first time, four distinct kinetic profiles, a median pharmacologic delay of three days, and an estimated HEV half-life of two days. Viral kinetic patterns were not associated with response to therapy, with the exception of a flat-partial response.
Potential Viroporin Candidates From Pathogenic Viruses Using Bacteria-Based Bioassays
Authors: Tomar Prabhat Pratap Singh , Oren Rivka , Krugliak Miriam , Arkin Isaiah T.
Published: July 2019

Viroporins are a family of small hydrophobic proteins found in many enveloped viruses that are capable of ion transport. Building upon the ability to inhibit influenza by blocking its archetypical M2 H+ channel, as a family, viroporins may represent a viable target to curb viral infectivity. To this end, using three bacterial assays we analyzed six small hydrophobic proteins from biomedically important viruses as potential viroporin candidates. Our results indicate that Eastern equine encephalitis virus 6k, West Nile virus MgM, Dengue virus 2k, Dengue virus P1, Variola virus gp170, and Variola virus gp151 proteins all exhibit channel activity in the bacterial assays, and as such may be considered viroporin candidates. It is clear that more studies, such as patch clamping, will be needed to characterize the ionic conductivities of these proteins. However, our approach presents a rapid procedure to analyze open reading frames in other viruses, yielding new viroporin candidates for future detailed investigation. Finally, if conductivity is proven vital to their cognate viruses, the bio-assays presented herein afford a simple approach to screen for new channel blockers.
Immune Responses in the Eye-Associated Lymphoid Tissues of Chickens after Ocular Inoculation with Vaccine and Virulent Strains of the Respiratory Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILTV)
Authors: Beltrán Gabriela , Hurley David J. , Gogal Robert M. , Sharif Shayan , Read Leah R. , Williams Susan M. , Jerry Carmen F. , Maekawa Daniel A. , García Maricarmen
Published: July 2019

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an acute respiratory disease of poultry caused by infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV). Control of the disease with live attenuated vaccines administered via eye drop build upon immune responses generated by the eye-associated lymphoid tissues. The aim of this study was to assess cytokine and lymphocyte changes in the conjunctiva-associated lymphoid tissues (CALT) and Harderian gland (HG) stimulated by the ocular inoculation of the ILTV chicken embryo origin (CEO) vaccine strain and virulent strain 63140. This study offers strong evidence to support the roles that the CALT and HG play in the development of protective ILTV immune responses. It supports the premise that ILTV-mediated immunomodulation favors the B cell response over those of T cells. Further, it provides evidence that expansions of CD8α+ cells, with the concomitant expression of the Granzyme A gene, are key to reducing viral genomes in the CALT and halting ILTV cytolytic replication in the conjunctiva. Ultimately, this study revealed that the early upregulation of interleukin (IL)-12p40 and Interferon (IFN)-γ cytokine genes, which shape the antigen-specific cell-mediated immune responses, retarded the decline of virus replication, and enhanced the development of lesions in the conjunctiva epithelium.
Microturbines at Drinking Water Tanks Fed by Gravity Pipelines: A Method and Excel Tool for Maximizing Annual Energy Generation Based on Historical Tank Outflow Data
Authors: Voltz Thomas John , Grischek Thomas
Published: July 2019

Wherever the flow of water in a gravity pipeline is regulated by a pressure control valve, hydraulic energy in the form of water pressure can instead be converted into useful mechanical and electrical energy via a turbine. Two classes of potential turbine sites exist—those with (class 1, “buffered”) and those without (class 2, “non-buffered”) a storage tank that decouples inflow from outflow, allowing the inflow regime to be modified to better suit turbine operation. A new method and Excel tool (freely downloadable, at no cost) were developed for determining the optimal hydraulic parameters of a turbine at class 1 sites that maximize annual energy generation. The method assumes a single microturbine with a narrow operating range and determines the optimal design flow rate based on the characteristic site curve and a historical time series of outflow data from the tank, simulating tank operation with a numerical model as it creates a new inflow regime. While no direct alternative methods could be found in the scientific literature or on the internet, three hypothetically applicable methods were gleaned from the German guidelines (published by the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW)) and used as a basis of comparison. The tool and alternative methods were tested for nine sites in Germany.
The Role of the Unsaturated Zone for Rainwater Retention and Runoff at a Drained Wetland Site
Authors: Dietrich Ottfried , Fahle Marcus , Steidl Jörg
Published: July 2019

Drained wetland sites with shallow water tables cover large parts of Central and Western European lowlands. Their hydrological behaviour is complex and depends on their specific characteristics. In this paper, we analysed how the water budget components of such areas behaved when undergoing rainfall events with amounts greater than 10 mm. All the water budget components were determined using a weighable groundwater lysimeter that was installed in the Spreewald wetland, Germany. On average, 69% of the rainfall was stored in the wetland, while only 8% was discharged and 23% was dissipated by evapotranspiration during the time of the runoff process during and after the rainfall event. More than half of the water that was stored could be attributed to storage within the unsaturated zone, while only a minor part was due to the water storage change under quasi-equilibrium conditions. Hence, the soil moisture depletion in the unsaturated zone in the period before the rainfall had a big influence on the site’s available water storage capacity. The findings show that models and approaches assuming hydrostatic conditions might strongly underestimate the water storage capacity of shallow water table sites and, consequently, overestimate the runoff. Hence, the hydrostatic assumption does not describe the process dynamics of these sites in an appropriate manner.
Using Internet Surveys to Estimate Visitors’ Willingness to Pay for Coral Reef Conservation in the Kenting National Park, Taiwan
Authors: Maynard Nathaniel , Château Pierre-Alexandre , Ribas-Deulofeu Lauriane , Liou Je-Liang
Published: July 2019

Without appropriate conservation action, coral reefs globally continue to degrade, causing declines in economic value. Therefore, their local conservation and quantifying its benefits become increasingly important. However, accurately measuring these values remains expensive or complicated. Leveraging digital survey tools, an interdisciplinary on-line survey was created to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for coral reef conservation using pictures and ecological data. Using the contingent valuation method we estimate current values as well as changes in value due to restoration or degradation for coral ecosystems in the Kenting National Park (KNP) in Taiwan. Results suggest that conserving degraded coral reef ecosystems leads to larger gains in value than healthier ones. Average WTP estimates a non-market economic value of 680 million US$ per year for the whole KNP marine area. Despite potential self-reporting bias and limits on sample size, these values appear consistent with similar studies and suggest future economic sampling strategies for KNP.
Height–Area–Storage Functional Models for Evaporation-Loss Inclusion in Reservoir-Planning Analysis
Authors: Adeloye Adebayo , Wuni Ibrahim , Dau Quan , Soundharajan B.-S. , Kasiviswanathan K.
Published: July 2019

Reservoir planning without the explicit accommodation of evaporation loss leads to errors in capacity estimates. However, whenever evaporation loss is considered, its quantification uses linear approximations of the intrinsically nonlinear height–area–storage (H–A–S) relationship to estimate the reservoir area, leading to bias in capacity estimates. In this work, biases resulting from using various H–A–S models are evaluated. These models include linear and nonlinear functions, either specifically developed for the case-study sites or available in the Global Reservoir and Dam (GRanD) database. All empirically derived approximations used data for two dams in India: the Bhakra on Sutlej River and the Pong on the Beas River, both tributaries of the Indus River. The results showed that linear H–A–S models underestimate the exposed surface area of the Pong reservoir by up to 11.19%; the bias at Bhakra was much less. The GRanD H–A–S model performed very poorly at both reservoirs, producing overprediction in exposed reservoir area of up to 100% and 415% at the Pong and Bhakra reservoirs, respectively. Analyses also showed that up to 29% increase in reservoir capacity is required to compensate for the effect of net evaporation loss at low demand levels. As demand increases, the required evaporation-correction capacity decreases in proportional terms and is indistinguishable for all H–A–S models. Finally, recommendations are made on using the results for evaporation adjustment at nongauged sites in the region.