bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feeding the Future with the Past: Incorporating Local Ecological Knowledge in River Restoration
Authors: Szałkiewicz Ewelina , Sucholas Joanna , Grygoruk Mateusz
Published: April 2020

Despite many years of experience in the river restoration field, which has become one of the most promising areas of water resources management, significant challenges and problems remain. These include the scope and scale of restoration measures, developing the reference model, assessment of restoration success, and the engagement of local stakeholders. Progress in addressing these challenges to river restoration could be achieved by changes in current approaches through the appreciation and integration of local communities and their local ecological knowledge (LEK). The results of discussion on ecological restoration indicate that ecological knowledge, which combines the interests of local communities and the environment, could be used in restoration projects. However, in the case of river restoration, this type of knowledge is systematically overlooked. In our paper, we discuss common river restoration problems and supportive elements that may be found in LEK. We conclude that the local stakeholders’ involvement and strong establishment of their position in the river restoration processes should be reconsidered. We believe that the application of LEK has large potential for improving water resources management and restoration of aquatic ecosystems and remains a key factor in a successful future of river restoration.
Geolocation, Calibration and Surface Resolution of CYGNSS GNSS-R Land Observations
Authors: Gleason Scott , O’Brien Andrew , Russel Anthony , Al-Khaldi Mohammad M. , Johnson Joel T.
Published: April 2020

This paper presents the processing algorithms for geolocating and calibration of the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) level 1 land data products, as well as analysis of the spatial resolution of Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) coherent reflections. Accurate and robust geolocation and calibration of GNSS-R land observations are necessary first steps that enable subsequent geophysical parameter retrievals. The geolocation algorithm starts with an initial specular point location on the Earth’s surface, predicted by modeling the Earth as a smooth ellipsoid (the WGS84 representation) and using the known transmitting and receiving satellite locations. Information on terrain topography is then compiled from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) generated Digital Elevation Map (DEM) to generate a grid of local surface points surrounding the initial specular point location. The delay and Doppler values for each point in the local grid are computed with respect to the empirically observed location of the Delay Doppler Map (DDM) signal peak. This is combined with local incident and reflection angles across the surface using SRTM estimated terrain heights. The final geolocation confidence is estimated by assessing the agreement of the three geolocation criteria at the estimated surface specular point on the local grid, including: the delay and Doppler values are in agreement with the CYGNSS observed signal peak and the incident and reflection angles are suitable for specular reflection. The resulting geolocation algorithm is first demonstrated using an example GNSS-R reflection track that passes over a variety of terrain conditions. It is then analyzed using a larger set of CYGNSS data to obtain an assessment of geolocation confidence over a wide range of land surface conditions. Following, an algorithm for calibrating land reflected signals is presented that considers the possibility of both coherent and incoherent scattering from land surfaces. Methods for computing both the bistatic radar cross section (BRCS, for incoherent returns) and the surface reflectivity (for coherent returns) are presented. a flag for classifying returns as coherent or incoherent developed in a related paper is recommended for use in selecting whether the BRCS or reflectivity should be used in further analyses for a specific DDM. Finally, a study of the achievable surface feature detection resolution when coherent reflections occur is performed by examining a series of CYGNSS coherent reflections across an example river. Ancillary information on river widths is compared to the observed CYGNSS coherent observations to evaluate the achievable surface feature detection resolution as a function of the DDM non-coherent integration interval.
Forest Height Estimation Based on P-Band Pol-InSAR Modeling and Multi-Baseline Inversion
Authors: Sun Xiaofan , Wang Bingnan , Xiang Maosheng , Zhou Liangjiang , Jiang Shuai
Published: April 2020

The Gaussian vertical backscatter (GVB) model has a pivotal role in describing the forest vertical structure more accurately, which is reflected by P-band polarimetric interferometric synthetic aperture radar (Pol-InSAR) with strong penetrability. The model uses a three-dimensional parameter space (forest height, Gaussian mean representing the strongest backscattered power elevation, and the corresponding standard deviation) to interpret the forest vertical structure. This paper establishes a two-dimensional GVB model by simplifying the three-dimensional one. Specifically, the two-dimensional GVB model includes the following three cases: the Gaussian mean is located at the bottom of the canopy, the Gaussian mean is located at the top of the canopy, as well as a constant volume profile. In the first two cases, only the forest height and the Gaussian standard deviation are variable. The above approximation operation generates a two-dimensional volume only coherence solution space on the complex plane. Based on the established two-dimensional GVB model, the three-baseline inversion is achieved without the null ground-to-volume ratio assumption. The proposed method improves the performance by 18.62% compared to the three-baseline Random Volume over Ground (RVoG) model inversion. In particular, in the area where the radar incidence angle is less than 0.6 rad, the proposed method improves the inversion accuracy by 34.71%. It suggests that the two-dimensional GVB model reduces the GVB model complexity while maintaining a strong description ability.
Unraveling Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneities of Very Slow Rock-Slope Deformations with Targeted DInSAR Analyses
Authors: Crippa Chiara , Franzosi Federico , Zonca Mattia , Manconi Andrea , Crosta Giovanni B. , Dei Cas Luca , Agliardi Federico
Published: April 2020

Spaceborne radar interferometry is a powerful tool to characterize landslides at local and regional scales. However, its application to very slow rock slope deformations in alpine environments (displacement rates < 5 cm/year) remains challenging, mainly due to low signal to noise ratio, atmospheric disturbances, snow cover effects, and complexities resulting from heterogeneous displacement in space and time. Here we combine SqueeSARTM data, targeted multi-temporal baseline DInSAR, GPS data, and detailed field morpho-structural mapping, to unravel the kinematics, internal segmentation, and style of activity of the Mt. Mater deep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DSGSD) in Valle Spluga (Italy). We retrieve slope kinematics by performing 2D decomposition (2D InSAR) of SqueeSARTM products derived from Sentinel-1 data acquired in ascending and descending orbits. To achieve a spatially-distributed characterization of DSGSD displacement patterns and activity, we process Sentinel-1 A/B images (2016-2019) with increasing temporal baselines (ranging from 24-days to 1-year) and generate several multi-temporal interferograms. Unwrapped displacement maps are validated using ground-based GPS data. Interferograms derived with different temporal baselines reveal a strong kinematic and morpho-structural heterogeneity and outline nested rockslides and active sectors, that arise from the background displacement signal of the main DSGSD. Seasonal interferograms, supported by GPS displacement measurements, reveal non-linear displacement trends suggesting a complex response of different slope sectors to rainfall and snowmelt. Our analyses clearly outline a composite slope instability with different nested sectors possibly undergoing different evolutionary trends towards failure. The results herein outline the potential of a targeted use of DInSAR for the detailed investigation of very slow rock slope deformations in different geological and geomorphological settings.
Application of a Monopole Antenna Probe with an Optimized Flange Diameter for TDR Soil Moisture Measurement
Authors: Majcher Jacek , Kafarski Marcin , Wilczek Andrzej , Woszczyk Aleksandra , Szypłowska Agnieszka , Lewandowski Arkadiusz , Szerement Justyna , Skierucha Wojciech
Published: April 2020

Soil volumetric water content (θ) is a parameter describing one of the most important factors conditioning proper plant growth. Monitoring soil moisture is of particular importance in the rational use of water resources for irrigation, especially during periods of water scarcity. This paper presents a method of measuring soil moisture in the vicinity of the plant root system by means of a probe designed to be mounted on a mobile device used for precise plant irrigation. Due to the specific field conditions of the measurement, the design of the probe was proposed as a monopole antenna. Electromagnetic simulations of the probe were carried out with Ansys HFSS software to optimise its dimensions. Then a prototype of the probe was manufactured to conduct laboratory measurements with the use of a vector network analyser (VNA) working in the 20 kHz to 8 GHz frequency range. The VNA analyser was configured to work in the time-domain reflectometry (TDR) mode. From measurements of the time distance between reflections from the probe’s elements it is possible to calculate the bulk dielectric permittivity of the soil surrounding the probe. Next, based on commonly used soil moisture dielectric calibrations one can determine θ of the soil sample. The paper presents simulation results and laboratory tests of an antenna probe. Due to its tough and durable design, this type of probe gives the possibility of easy application in field conditions, which makes it especially suitable for mechanically demanding measurement systems. As the sensitivity zone is comparatively large, this probe is well-suited to measuring soil moisture in the vicinity of the plant root system.
The Location Monitoring of Fatigue Crack Damage by Using the Spectral Area Extracted from FBG Spectra
Authors: Zhao Yan , Hu DianYin , Zhang Meng , Dai Wei , Zhang Weifang
Published: April 2020

In this paper, a new damage feature, spectral area, was extracted to effectively detect crack location by studying the deformation mechanism of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) reflection spectra. In order to verify the robustness and reliability of spectral area to detect crack location, the following work was carried out: Firstly, the strain information was extracted by extended finite element method (XFEM) with fatigue crack propagation. The transmission matrix method (TMM) was used to simulate FBG reflection spectra using numerical results. Secondly, the fatigue crack growth monitoring experiment based on FBG sensors was carried out, and the digital image correlation (DIC) method was used to measure the strain values at the placement of FBG sensors with crack propagation. The temperature characteristic test of FBG was carried out to investigate the influence of temperature variation on the spectral area. The results presented that the spectral area was insensitive to temperature variation and experimental noise, and was greatly sensitive to the complex non-uniform strain field cause by crack damage. Moreover, compared with the 5 mm FBG sensor, the 10 mm FBG sensor showed a larger critical detection range for crack damage. Therefore, the spectral area can be used as a reliable damage feature to detect the crack location quantitatively based on the simulated and experimental results.
A Novel Reconstruction Method of K-Distributed Sea Clutter with Spatial–Temporal Correlation
Authors: Ding Mingyue , Li Yachao , Quan Yinghui , Guo Liang , Xing Mengdao
Published: April 2020

The reconstruction of sea clutter plays an important role in target detection and recognition in a maritime environment. Reproducing the temporal and spatial correlations of real data simultaneously is always a problem in the reconstruction of sea clutter due to the complex coupling between them. In this paper, the spatial–temporal correlated proportional method (STCPM), based on a compound model, is proposed to reconstruct K-distributed sea clutter with correlation characteristics obtained from the real data. The texture component with spatial–temporal correlation is generated by the proportional method and the speckle component with temporal correlation is generated by matrix transformation. Compared with previous methods, the biggest innovation of the STCPM is that it can more accurately generate K-distributed sea clutter with both temporal and spatial correlations. The comparison of the reconstructed and real data demonstrates that the method can reproduce the characteristics of real sea clutter well.
Highly Sensitive E-Textile Strain Sensors Enhanced by Geometrical Treatment for Human Monitoring
Authors: Vu Chi Cuong , Kim Jooyong
Published: April 2020

Electronic textiles, also known as smart textiles or smart fabrics, are one of the best form factors that enable electronics to be embedded in them, presenting physical flexibility and sizes that cannot be achieved with other existing electronic manufacturing techniques. As part of smart textiles, e-sensors for human movement monitoring have attracted tremendous interest from researchers in recent years. Although there have been outstanding developments, smart e-textile sensors still present significant challenges in sensitivity, accuracy, durability, and manufacturing efficiency. This study proposes a two-step approach (from structure layers and shape) to actively enhance the performance of e-textile strain sensors and improve manufacturing ability for the industry. Indeed, the fabricated strain sensors based on the silver paste/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) layers and buffer cutting lines have fast response time, low hysteresis, and are six times more sensitive than SWCNT sensors alone. The e-textile sensors are integrated on a glove for monitoring the angle of finger motions. Interestingly, by attaching the sensor to the skin of the neck, the pharynx motions when speaking, coughing, and swallowing exhibited obvious and consistent signals. This research highlights the effect of the shapes and structures of e-textile strain sensors in the operation of a wearable e-textile system. This work also is intended as a starting point that will shape the standardization of strain fabric sensors in different applications.
Review of Microwaves Techniques for Breast Cancer Detection
Authors: Aldhaeebi Maged A. , Alzoubi Khawla , Almoneef Thamer S. , Bamatraf Saeed M. , Attia Hussein , Ramahi Omar M.
Published: April 2020

Conventional breast cancer detection techniques including X-ray mammography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound scanning suffer from shortcomings such as excessive cost, harmful radiation, and inconveniences to the patients. These challenges motivated researchers to investigate alternative methods including the use of microwaves. This article focuses on reviewing the background of microwave techniques for breast tumour detection. In particular, this study reviews the recent advancements in active microwave imaging, namely microwave tomography and radar-based techniques. The main objective of this paper is to provide researchers and physicians with an overview of the principles, techniques, and fundamental challenges associated with microwave imaging for breast cancer detection. Furthermore, this study aims to shed light on the fact that until today, there are very few commercially available and cost-effective microwave-based systems for breast cancer imaging or detection. This conclusion is not intended to imply the inefficacy of microwaves for breast cancer detection, but rather to encourage a healthy debate on why a commercially available system has yet to be made available despite almost 30 years of intensive research.
Best Water Vapor Information Layer of Himawari-8-Based Water Vapor Bands over East Asia
Authors: Wu You , Zhang Feng , Wu Kun , Min Min , Li Wenwen , Liu Renqiang
Published: April 2020

The best water vapor information layer (BWIL), based on Himawari-8 water vapor bands over a typical region of East Asia, is investigated with the U.S. standard atmospheric profile and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis-interim (ERA-interim) dataset. The sensitivity tests reveal that the height of the BWIL is connected heavily to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, and to the satellite zenith angle. According to the temporal and spatial distribution analysis of BWIL, there are two basic features of BWIL. First, it lifts from January to July gradually and descends from July to October in the whole region. Second, it is higher over sea than land. These characteristics may stem from the transport of water vapor by monsoon and the concentration of water vapor in different areas. With multiple water vapor absorption IR bands, Himawari-8 can present water vapor information at multiple pressure layers. The water vapor content of ERA-interim in July 2016 is assessed as an example. By comparing the brightness temperatures from satellite observation and simulation under clear sky conditions, the ERA-interim reanalysis dataset may underestimate the amount of water vapor at pressure layers higher than 280 hPa and overestimate the water vapor quantity at pressure layers from 394 to 328 hPa, yet perform well at 320~260 hPa during this month.
Performance Evaluation of UAV-Enabled LoRa Networks for Disaster Management Applications
Authors: Saraereh Omar A. , Alsaraira Amer , Khan Imran , Uthansakul Peerapong
Published: April 2020

In hostile and remote environments, such as mountains, forests or suburban areas, traditional communications may not be available, especially after a disaster, such as a flood, a forest fire or an earthquake. In these situations, the wireless networks may become congested or completely disrupted and may not be adequate to support the traffic generated by rescuers. It is also considered as the key tool in Corona Virus (COVID-19) battle. Moreover, the conventional approaches with fixed gateways may not work either, and this might lead to decoding errors due to the large distance between mobile nodes and the gateway. To avoid the decoding errors and improve the reliability of the messages, we propose to use intermediate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to transfer messages from ground-based Long Range (LoRa) nodes to the remote base station (BS). Specifically, this UAV-enabled LoRa architecture is based on the ad hoc WiFi network, wherein, UAVs act as relays for the traffic generated between LoRa nodes and BS. To make the architecture more efficient, a distributed topology control algorithm is also proposed for UAVs. The algorithm is based on virtual spring forces and movement prediction technique that periodically updates the UAV topology to adapt to the movement of the ground-based LoRa nodes that move on the surface. The simulation results show the feasibility of the proposed approach for packet reception rate and average delay quality of service (QoS) metrics. It is observed that the mechanisms implemented in a UAV-enabled LoRa network effectively help to improve the packet reception rate with nominal buffer delays.
Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Physical Isolation and ANN Digital Compensation Methodologies at Eliminating the Stress Wave Effect Error on Piezoelectric Pressure Sensor
Authors: Feng Lei , Ma Tiehua
Published: April 2020

Stress wave, accompanied by explosion shock wave overpressure measurement and dynamic pressure calibration on shock tube, could cause error signals in the piezoelectric pressure sensor (PPS) used for measuring and calibrating. We may call this error the stress wave effect (SWE). In this paper, the SWE and its isolation from PPS were studied by using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). In the experimental study of SWE, when increasing the input stress, the corresponding output signal of the PPS was analyzed, and the existence of SWE was verified using the result of the spectrum analysis of the output signal. The stress wave isolation pedestal used in the stress wave isolation experiment was made of nylon and plexiglass polymer materials. The effects of the isolation pedestal’s materials and length on the stress wave isolation were analyzed using the study results. Finally, an artificial neural network (ANN) was trained with the data of the SWE study and was further applied to compensate the SWE error of the PPS output signal. The compensating results were compared with the isolating results, and the advantages and disadvantages of the digital compensation and physical isolation methods were analyzed.
The Design of a Frame-Like ZnO FBAR Sensor for Achieving Uniform Mass Sensitivity Distributions
Authors: Zhao Xueli , Zhao Zinan , Wang Bin , Qian Zhenghua , Ma Tingfeng
Published: April 2020

In this paper, an infinite circular ZnO thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) with a frame-like electrode operating at the thickness-extensional (TE) mode is studied. Two-dimensional scalar differential equations established for the problem in the Cartesian coordinate system are successfully solved by transforming them into normal Bessel equations and modified Bessel equations in the cylindrical coordinate system. Resonant frequencies and vibration distributions are obtained for this frame-like FBAR sensor. A nearly uniform mass sensitivity distribution in the active area is achieved by designing proper electrode size and mass ratio of the driving electrode to the ZnO film. Numerical results show that compared with the reported ring electrode FBAR sensor, the novel frame-like electrode FBAR can achieve a maximum optimization ratio (up to 97.90%) on the uniformity of the mass sensitivity distribution in the active area under the same structural parameters, which is also higher than the optimization ratio 77.63% obtained by the reported double-ring electrode design. Moreover, the mechanism to achieve a very uniform mass sensitivity distribution in the active area by the frame-like electrode is explained in detail according to dispersion curves. Namely, when the resonant frequency of the FBAR sensor is close to the cut-off frequency of the active region in the dispersion curve, the mass sensitivity distribution is nearly uniform. These conclusions provide a theoretical guidance for the design and optimization of ZnO FBAR mass sensors with high performance.
The Use of Natural Minerals in a Pilot-Scale MBR for Membrane Fouling Mitigation
Authors: Gkotsis Petros , Peleka Efrosini , Zouboulis Anastasios
Published: April 2020

This study examines the effect of bentonite and zeolite concentration (0.25–5 g/L) on the membrane fouling of a fully automated, pilot-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating high-strength synthetic municipal wastewater. Reversible fouling was estimated by sludge filterability measurements and irreversible fouling was estimated by the reduction of the carbohydrate fraction of soluble microbial products (SMPc), which are considered to be significant MBR foulants. Both minerals were added to biomass samples (during batch-mode experiments) which were obtained from the system’s aeration tank. Results showed that the optimal bentonite and zeolite concentrations were 3.5–4 g/L and 2.5–3.5 g/L, respectively. Interestingly, above these values, the addition of both minerals increased the examined fouling indices, i.e., the measured filterability times and the SMPc concentration, implying that they might act as foulants at high concentrations. Optical microscopy images of the biomass samples showed that the addition of minerals at the optimal concentrations did not affect significantly filamentous microorganisms, since filament index (FI) was practically unaffected (~2). Finally, regarding the system’s treating performance, it was found that the pilot-scale MBR can operate successfully with high-strength synthetic municipal wastewater, since remarkable behaviour was exhibited in terms of organics (BOD5, COD) and ammonium (NH4+-N) removal (>98%).
Novel Composite Materials for Lake Restoration: A New Approach Impacting on Ecology and Circular Economy
Authors: Zamparas Miltiadis , Kyriakopoulos Grigorios L. , Drosos Marios , Kapsalis Vasilis C. , Kalavrouziotis Ioannis K.
Published: April 2020

The purpose of this study is to promote a new way of application composite materials to restore eutrophic waters. A new sustainable way of application is based on the “teabag” method, in which materials were placed in water-permeable bags and immersed in the water column in order to sorb phosphate—one of the main contributory element for the eutrophication problem. Particularly, the two composites materials of Phoslock™ (lanthanum-modified bentonite, LMB) and Bephos™ (Fe-modified bentonite, f-MB) were tested and bench-scale batch experiments were employed to investigate their sorption efficiency in the forms of slurry and teabag. The adsorption kinetics and the relevant adsorption isotherms were deployed, while the effect of the materials on turbidity and their aging were also investigated. Experimental results showed that Phoslock™ and Bephos™ (as teabag), being applied at initial concentration range: 0.05–5 mg/L, they sustained a maximum adsorption capacity of 7.80 mg/g and 25.1 mg/g, respectively, which are considered sufficient rates for P concentrations reported at natural aquatic ecosystems. At the same time this new method did not cause turbidity in the water column, since the material was not released into the water, thus, preventing potential harmful consequences for the living organisms. Moreover, the “teabag” method prevents the material to cover the lake bottom, avoiding the phenomenon of smothering of benthos. Βy teabag method, the materials can be collected for further applicability as soil improver or crops fertilizer. Finally, it was argued that the possibility to recycle LMB and f-MB materials for agricultural use is of paramount importance, sustaining also positive impacts on sustainable ecology and on the routes of circular economy (CE).
The Role of E-Skills in Developing Sustainable Organizations and E-Activities in the New Digitized Business World
Authors: Duică Mircea Constantin , Florea Nicoleta Valentina , Duică Anișoara , Tănăsescu Irina Antoaneta
Published: April 2020

Today’s business environment is governed by changes and challenges, such as the Internet which is also changing our personal and professional lives, our way of thinking, of acting, as well as our daily activities. By using new technologies and the Internet, any company can do business in any corner of the world, and with the help of e-skills any person can relate with anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Moreover, the world is at our fingertips, opening new opportunities and visions. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the e-skills and e-activities. Furthermore, the differences between e-skill and e-activity values recorded for Romania, at the EU28 level, and the values for the best-in-class group are analyzed. Through the use of benchmarking, we show that this gap exists, and thus some improvement measures are proposed. Thus, the correlation among three proposed zones (Romania, the average for EU28, and the best-in-class group) is analyzed with the help of simulation and mathematical modeling. The Excel data analysis shows that the correlation and future trends that could take place at the European level, helps the specialists improve skills, overcome risks, make better decisions, reduce costs, and increase performance.
Observational Study on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development in Deserts on Local Air Temperature and Humidity
Authors: Wu Wei , Yue Shengjuan , Zhou Xiaode , Guo Mengjing , Wang Jiawei , Ren Lei , Yuan Bo
Published: April 2020

As an important form of clean energy, photovoltaic (PV) power generation is entering a rapid development phase. Qinghai, China is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It has sufficient sunlight and rich heat and light resources, includes a large area of the Gobi Desert, and has become China’s largest base for PV power generation. However, large-scale PV development in deserts changes the local surface energy distribution and impacts local microclimates. This study considered the Gonghe PV Power Plant in Qinghai as an example. Three monitoring stations were set up in the PV power plant, transition, and reference areas, and the influence of large-scale PV developments on the local air temperature and humidity was studied based on long-term, multi-point field observation data. The results showed that the overall daytime air temperature in the PV power plant had changed slightly (increased and decreased), while the night-time temperature dropped significantly. Specifically, in spring and summer, the daytime temperature increased slightly, with a maximum increase of 0.34 °C; in autumn and winter, the daytime temperature decreased slightly, with a maximum decrease of 0.26 °C; in all seasons, the night-time temperature decreased, with a maximum decrease of 1.82 °C during the winter night. The relative humidity in the PV power plant generally increased; except for a slight decrease in summer, the daytime and night-time relative humidity in spring, autumn, and winter always increased. The humidification in winter was the most significant, with increases of 5.00% and 4.76% for the transition and reference areas, respectively. The diurnal air temperature and relative humidity ranges in the PV power plant were greater than those outside the PV power plant. The results obtained in this field observation study could serve as a basis for quantitative evaluation of the microclimate effects of large-scale PV development in deserts and provide technical support for guiding the future planning and development of the PV industry.
Linking Leaders’ Voluntary Workplace Green Behavior and Team Green Innovation: The Mediation Role of Team Green Efficacy
Authors: Cai Wenjing , Yang Chun , Bossink Bart A. G. , Fu Jingtao
Published: April 2020

Given the increasing significance of green innovation, scholars have identified environment-oriented leader behavior as a key antecedent of green innovation in firms. However, despite the fact that previous studies highlight all kinds of benefits of environment-oriented leaders’ voluntary workplace green behavior (VWGB) in and for firms, little is known about how these leaders’ VWGB could affect a firm team’s green product innovation as well as their process innovation. To narrow this research gap, this study theorizes and tests the effect of leaders’ VWGB on their team’s green innovation, as well as the mediation effect of team green efficacy belief on this relationship. Using a time-lagged research design, we collected data from 497 employees and 80 leaders in Chinese manufacturing firms. The results show that leaders’ VWGB directly affects both their team’s green product and process innovation, and facilitates the development of team green efficacy, which in turn stimulates team green innovation. This present study extends the multilevel phenomena by reinforcing the importance of leaders’ VWGB and team green efficacy on team-level green innovation, and provides practical implications on developing leadership for environmentally sustainable innovation.
A Survey on Integration of Optimization and Project Management Tools for Sustainable Construction Scheduling
Authors: Dasović Borna , Galić Mario , Klanšek Uroš
Published: April 2020

Construction scheduling, in practice, commonly relies on the usage of commercial project management tools (PMT) without specific optimization features. To obtain optimal schedules, planners often need to develop separate optimization models with special tools, which, however, demand further processing and editing of optimization results by PMT into forms expected for project management. In this regard, separation of optimization and PMT also requires considerable additional work for complete and harmonized updating of schedules during construction execution. Mentioned drawbacks and lack of available time may take to deficient construction scheduling during the implementation phase resulting in poor or even insufficient realization of project goals. Therefore, this paper presents an achievements survey on the integration of optimization and PMT that allow sustainable construction scheduling, particularly in terms of continuous optimal time and resource allocation throughout the project life cycle. Such work has not yet been comprehensively done up to now and the present contribution intends to fill a literature gap in the aforesaid area. Following a brief introduction, the optimization platform for construction scheduling is given in the article. Focusing on construction scheduling, an in-depth achievements survey on the integration of heuristics methods, mathematical programming and special solving methods with conventional PMT as well as optimization-based building information modeling (BIM) tools is then performed and findings are reported. The paper ends with conclusions and recommendations for further research.
What Are the Implications of Globalization on Sustainability?—A Comprehensive Study
Authors: Tang Sai , Wang Zhuolin , Yang Gengqi , Tang Wenwen
Published: April 2020

It is becoming more and more certain that globalization is not just purely an economical phenomenon; it is exhibiting itself on a worldwide level. Amid globalization’s observable appearances, the most obvious are the larger international mobility of goods and services, flows of finance capital, data and information and most importantly people. On top of that, there are technological progresses and more international cultural interactions, which are facilitated by the enhancement of free trade of large quantities of more differentiated goods and also through immigration and tourism. The political changes and ecological concerns play an important part in this regard. In the current study, sustainability Indices are linked with the KOF Globalization Index to understand if more globalized countries are performing better in terms of sustainable development and its dimensions, especially environmental sustainability. Sustainability indices such as Human Development Index (HDI) and Environmental Performance Index (EPI) showed a stronger relation with different levels of globalization while others (Red List Index (RLI), Environment Sustainability Index (ESI)) did not. The results reveal that globalization has a positive implication on sustainability in the overall perspective.
Analysis of Production and Sales of Organic Products in Ukrainian Agricultural Enterprises
Authors: Ostapenko Roman , Herasymenko Yuliia , Nitsenko Vitalii , Koliadenko Svitlana , Balezentis Tomas , Streimikiene Dalia
Published: April 2020

As organic farming gains more popularity across the world, it is important to discuss the underlying trends of its development in Ukraine, who is an important agricultural producer. Organic farming may have lower environmental pressures—therefore, we seek to identify the major trends in the production and sales of the organic agricultural products in Ukraine. In this study, data on the production structure, costs, and selling prices from Ukrainian enterprises are analyzed. Conventional and organic enterprises are contrasted in order to identify the possibilities for the development of organic agriculture in Ukraine. Our results suggest that enterprises that use organic farming in Ukraine tend to produce higher output per hectare, as opposed to those engaged in conventional farming. However, labor profitability remains low in labor-intensive organic farming, especially in larger companies, and organic products remain a low percentage of Ukraine’s agricultural exports. This calls for further study into the development of organic production and consumption in the domestic market, as well as the implementation of appropriate certification practices in order to ensure the growth of organic exports.
Use of Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) in Laying Hen’s Nutrition on Performance and Egg Fatty Acid Profile as a Promising Sustainable Organic Agricultural Tool
Authors: Puvača Nikola , Lika Erinda , Cocoli Sonila , Shtylla Kika Tana , Bursić Vojislava , Vuković Gorica , Tomaš Simin Mirela , Petrović Aleksandra , Cara Magdalena
Published: April 2020

The level of production in a variety of organic production systems is often lower than in other traditional production systems. In poultry production, there is also a direct negative effect of the small scale regarding sustainable organic poultry production. Regardless of differences between organic and conventional production systems, this experiment aimed to investigate the usage of tea tree Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden and Betche) Cheel essential oils as a natural alternative to antibiotics in hen nutrition on productive parameters, table egg quality and eggs fatty acid profile as a promising sustainable organic agricultural tool. A total of 360 Lohmann Brown hens, aged 54 weeks, divided into three different treatment diets, were supplemented with 0 (T1), 40 (T2) and 80 mg/kg (T3) of M. alternifolia essential oil, respectively. Experimental treatments were replicated four times within 30 birds each. The experiment lasted for a total of 56 days (55 to 62 weeks of hens age). A 56-day experimental had two timetable periods of 28 days each: period 1 (55 to 58 weeks of hen age) and period 2 (59 to 62 weeks of hen age). For compound feed supplemented with M. alternifolia essential oil, daily egg production and the efficiency of nutrient utilization (FCR) was improved significantly (p < 0.05) until the end of week 58, with a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the thickness of eggshell, as well as egg production (p < 0.05). However, egg mass, feed consumption, FCR and albumen height, Haugh unit, and eggshell strength did not show any significant (p > 0.05) differences influenced by essential oil feed supplementation. Lower concentrations of saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), were recorded with M. alternifolia essential oil supplementation, but without significant (p > 0.05) differences. At the end of the experiment, the obtained results showed that the addition of M. alternifolia essential oil to hen nutrition had a positive effect on production parameters and eggs fatty acid profile, with increased eggshell thickness (p < 0.05).
Removal of Ammonium from Swine Wastewater Using Synthesized Zeolite from Fly Ash
Authors: Tang Hui , Xu Xiaoyi , Wang Bin , Lv Chenpei , Shi Dezhi
Published: April 2020

Synthetic zeolites with pretreated fly ash as a raw material were used to remove ammonium from wastewater using a hydrothermal method in this study. Two pretreatment methods of fly ash were used to compare the ammonium removal of zeolites: water-washing and pickling. In addition, the effects of several factors including the time, temperature, pH, adsorbent dosage, coexisting ions and initial concentration were investigated to gain insight into the adsorption rate, behavior and mechanism of synthetic zeolites for ammonium. N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms showed that the synthetic zeolite was a mesoporous material with a higher specific area (13.05 m2/g) than the values for raw fly ash (0.34 m2/g). The X-ray diffraction result suggested that the synthetic products mainly belonged to zeolite P and Y. The adsorption kinetic data fitted well with a pseudo-second-order model. The maximum ammonium adsorption capacity was 32.16 mg/g. The synthetic zeolites were also applied to adsorb the ammonium from real swine wastewater. The ammonium removal efficiencies in raw swine wastewater and effluent from the biochemical unit were 64.34% and 79.61%, respectively, which indicated that the synthetic zeolites have a good application for real ammonium wastewater.
Novel Cake Washer for Removing Oil-Based Calcium Carbonate Filter Cake in Horizontal Wells
Authors: Siddig Osama , Al-Afnan Saad , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Bahgat Mohamed
Published: April 2020

An impermeable layer “filter cake” usually forms during the overbalanced drilling technique. Even though it helps in protecting the formation from a further invasion of drilling fluids, the removal of this layer is essential for a proper cement job and to avoid any reduction in wellbore deliverability. The design of the removal process is complicated and depends on the filter cake composition and homogeneity. This paper presents an experimental evaluation on the usage of a novel cake washer (NCW) in the removal of a filter cake formed by an invert emulsion oil-based drilling fluid that contains calcium carbonate as a weighting material while drilling a horizontal reservoir. The proposed NCW is a mixture of organic acid, mutual solvent and nonionic surfactant. It is designed to enable restored wellbore permeability for a sustainable production. Since the filter cake mainly consists of the weighting material, the solubility of calcium carbonate in NCW at different ranges of temperature, duration and concentration was investigated. An actual casing joint was used to test the corrosion possibility of the treating solution. High-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) filtration tests on ceramic discs and Berea sandstone core samples were conducted to measure the efficiency of the filter cake removal and the retained permeability. Ethylene glycol mono butyl ether (EGMBE) was used as a mutual solvent and the solubility was higher compared to when the mutual solvent was not used in the washer formulation. A significant increase in calcium carbonate dissolution with time was observed for a duration of 24 h. The solubility was found to be proportional to the concentration of NCW with optimum results of 99% removal at a temperature of around 212 °F. At those conditions, no major corrosion problems were detected. Permeability of the core retained its pristine value after the treatment.
Identifying Dynamic Changes in Ecosystem Services Supply and Demand for Urban Sustainability: Insights from a Rapidly Urbanizing City in Central China
Authors: Ji Zhengxin , Xu Yueqing , Wei Hejie
Published: April 2020

Identifying the balance and dynamic changes in supply and demand of ecosystem services (ES) can help maintain the sustainability of the regional ecosystem and improve human well-being. To achieve a sustainable ecological management regime in Zhengzhou City, this study presented a comprehensive framework for identifying dynamic changes of ES supply and demand and managing ES. Using land use data of Zhengzhou City in 1995, 2005, and 2015 and incorporating expert knowledge and the ES evaluation matrix, we evaluated the spatiotemporal changes in the ES supply and demand in Zhengzhou. Gradient analysis was conducted to identify urban–rural patterns in the budgets of ES supply and demand. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was employed to identify the hotspot areas of ES surpluses or deficits. The research results show the following: (1) In the past 20 years, the supply-and-demand relationship of ES in Zhengzhou has gradually evolved in a direction where supply falls short of demand. The average budget index of Zhengzhou’s ES supply and demand decreased from 7.30 in 1995 to −4.89 in 2015. Changes in the supply and demand status of ES in Zhengzhou corresponded to the background of rapid urbanization. (2) Urban–rural gradient differences exist in the budgets of ES supply and demand in Zhengzhou. Core development areas, such as the Zhengzhou urban areas, are in deficit, whereas a balance or surplus can be observed in rural areas far from urban centers. (3) The surplus hotspots of ES budgets were mainly distributed in the western and southern mountainous areas of Zhengzhou, and they were scattered and the scope shrank, with a decrease of 2.73 times in 20 years, whereas the deficit hotspots expanded outward with each urban area as the center, with an increase of 5.77%. Ecological management zoning (ecological conservation area, ecological improvement area, and ecological reconstruction area) with the effective guidance of ecological and economic policies could comprehensively improve ES management and achieve urban sustainability. The framework in this study can easily and quickly assess the supply and demand status of ES and provide scientific support for the ecological management in rapidly urbanizing areas.
The Impact of Emergency Parking Bays on Quasi-Eight-Lane Expressway Traffic Operations
Authors: Yang Zhen , Chen Xiaocan , Sun Dazhi
Published: April 2020

Recently, with the discrepancy between increasing traffic demand and limited land resources, more and more expressways are choosing to use hard shoulders to expand into quasi-six-lane or quasi-eight-lane roads. Therefore, more emergency parking bays are used in place of traditional parking belts. However, there are no standards defining clear and unified specifications for the design of parking bays. This paper aimed to investigate the impact of emergency parking bays on expressway traffic operations with various traffic volumes and setting conditions. Based on the Monte Carlo method, VISSIM (Verkehr in Städten Simulation, a microscopic simulation software) simulation experiments were conducted using measured traffic operation data from one expressway in Zhejiang province. The probability of unsafe deceleration, lane-changing maneuvers and delay times were considered as the safety and efficiency indexes in this simulation study. The simulation results indicated that the emergency parking vehicle had an increasing impact on the following vehicle as the traffic volume increased. However, the impact pattern was found to be insensitive to the changing of the bay taper length. For low traffic volume, compared with the arrival vehicle, the departure vehicle had more impact on the traffic operation of the mainline. However, the impact of the arrival vehicle became more remarkable as the traffic volume increased. After parking, the waiting time for merging into the mainline was reduced as the volume decreased or as the bay taper increased. Furthermore, reductions caused by varying bay tapers were more significant under high volume conditions. Finally, this study suggests that parking bays are inapplicable when the occupancy of the road space exceeds 20% (about 3000 veh/h), because they would cause significant impact on the safety and efficiency of the expressway. The results of this paper are useful for the design and implementation of emergency parking bays.
Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Caeiro Sandra , Azeiteiro Ulisses M.
Published: April 2020

This Special Issue “Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education Institutions” provides peer-reviewed research from several geographies and institutions and covering various topics with the broad objective of achieving an assessment of the effectiveness and impact of different implementation dimensions measuring and evaluating how sustainability is being applied in practice. A set of nine papers, covering sustainability education, interdisciplinary teaching, sustainable assessment, governance strategies, commitments and practices, and social responsibility at Higher Education Institutions, contribute significantly to this area of knowledge.