bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Graphene Antenna Properties for 5G Applications
Authors: Sa’don Siti Nor Hafizah , Jamaluddin Mohd Haizal , Kamarudin Muhammad Ramlee , Ahmad Fauzan , Yamada Yoshihide , Kamardin Kamilia , Idris Izni Husna
Published: November 2019

The incoming 5G technology requires antennas with a greater capacity, wider wireless spectrum utilisation, high gain, and steer-ability. This is due to the cramped spectrum utilisation in the previous generation. As a matter of fact, conventional antennas are unable to serve the new frequency due to the limitations in fabrication and installation mainly for smaller sizes. The use of graphene material promises antennas with smaller sizes and thinner dimensions, yet capable of emitting higher frequencies. Hence, graphene antennas were studied at a frequency of 15 GHz in both single and array elements. The high-frequency antenna contributed to a large bandwidth and was excited by coplanar waveguide for easy fabrication on one surface via screen printing. The defected ground structure was applied in an array element to improve the radiation and increase the gain. The results showed that the printed, single element graphene antenna produced an impedance bandwidth, gain, and efficiency of 48.64%, 2.87 dBi, and 67.44%, respectively. Meanwhile, the array element produced slightly better efficiency (72.98%), approximately the same impedance bandwidth as the single element (48.98%), but higher gain (8.41 dBi). Moreover, it provided a beam width of 21.2° with scanning beam capability from 0° up to 39.05°. Thus, it was proved that graphene materials can be applied in 5G.
Normalized Method for Land Surface Temperature Monitoring on Coastal Reclaimed Areas
Authors: Mohamadi Bahaa , Chen Shuisen , Balz Timo , Gulshad Khansa , McClure Stephen C.
Published: November 2019

The temporal analysis of land surface temperature (LST) has generally been studied using data from the same season, as temperature varies greatly over time. However, the cloud cover in thermal remotely sensed images and the coarse resolution of passive sensor system significantly limits data availability of same season for comparative temporal analysis in many parts of the world. To address this problem, we propose a new method for temporal monitoring of surface temperature based on LST normalization (LSTn); deploying the average open water temperature to normalize LST when monitoring temporal change in the surface temperature of newly coastal reclaimed areas. This method was applied in the Lingding Bay area, Guangdong Province, Southern China. Original LST and LSTn values were calculated for years 1987, 1997, 2007, and 2017. In contrast to the original LST, results show that LSTn can reduce seasonal variability when monitoring temporal change in surface temperatures. Additionally, LSTn revealed pronounced differences between the temperature of impervious surfaces and other land cover types. This method offers more robust detection of surface urban heat islands than original LST in newly developed coastal areas.
New Concept of Combined Microwave Delay Lines for Noise Radar-Based Remote Sensors
Authors: Szczepaniak Zenon , Susek Waldemar
Published: November 2019

Delay lines with a tunable length are used in a number of applications in the field of microwave techniques. The digitally-controlled analogue wideband delay line is particularly useful in noise radar applications as a precise detector of movement. In order to perform coherent reception in the noise radar, a delay line with a variable delay value is required. To address this issue, this paper comprises a new concept of a digitally-controlled delay line with a set of fine distance gates. In the paper, a solution for micro-movement detection is proposed, which is based on direct signal processing in the time domain with the use of a microwave analogue correlator. This concept assumes the use of a microwave analogue tapped delay line structure. It was found that the optimal solution for a noise radar with an analogue signal correlator is a combined delay line consisting of switched reference sections, a tapped delay line, and a precision phase shifter. The combined delay line presented in this paper is dedicated to serving as the adjustable reference delay for a noise radar intended for the detection of micro-movement. The paper contains the calculation results and delay line implementation for a given example. The new structure of the analogue tapped delay line with the calculation of optimal parameters is also presented. The precise detector of movement can be successfully used for the remote sensing of human vital signs (especially through-the-wall), e.g., breathing and heart beating, with the simultaneous determination of position.
A Subset-Reduced Method for FDE ARAIM of Tightly-Coupled GNSS/INS
Authors: Pan Weichuan , Zhan Xingqun , Zhang Xin , Wang Shizhuang
Published: November 2019

The advanced receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (advanced RAIM, ARAIM) is the next generation of RAIM which is widely used in civil aviation. However, the current ARAIM needs to evaluate hundreds of subsets, which results in huge computational loads. In this paper, a method using the subset excluding entire constellation to evaluate the single satellite fault subsets and the simultaneous multiple satellites fault subsets is presented. The proposed ARAIM algorithm is based on the tight integration of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and inertial navigation system (INS). The number of subsets that the proposed GNSS/INS ARAIM needs to consider is about 2% of that of the current ARAIM, which reduces the computational load dramatically. The detailed fault detection (FD) process and fault exclusion (FE) process of the proposed GNSS/INS ARAIM are provided. Meanwhile, the method to obtain the FD-only integrity bound and the after-exclusion integrity bound is also presented in this paper. The simulation results show that the proposed GNSS/INS ARAIM is able to find the failing satellite accurately and its integrity performance is able to meet the integrity requirements of CAT-I precision approach.
Advanced Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Attitude Control with

L
1

Backstepping Adaptive Control Strategy
Authors: Liu Yuqian , Che Jiaxing , Cao Chengyu
Published: November 2019

This paper presents a novel attitude control design, which combines L 1 adaptive control and backstepping control together, for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) in a highly dynamic and uncertain environment. The Euler angle representation is adopted in this paper to represent the attitude propagation. Kinematics and dynamics of the attitude are in the strict feedback form, which leads the backstepping control strategy serving as the baseline controller. Moreover, by bringing fast and robust adaptation into the backstepping control architecture, our controller is capable of dealing with time-varying uncertainties from modeling and external disturbances in dynamics. This attitude controller is proposed for coupled pitch-yaw channels. For inevitable roll excursions, a Lyapunov function-based optimum linearization method is presented to analyze the stability of the roll angle in the operation region. Theoretical analysis and simulation results are given to demonstrate the feasibility of the developed control strategy.
Indoor Mapping Guidance Algorithm of Rotary-Wing UAV Including Dead-End Situations
Authors: Park Jongho , Yoo Jaehyun
Published: November 2019

A mapping guidance algorithm of a quadrotor for unknown indoor environments is proposed. A sensor with limited sensing range is assumed to be mounted on the quadrotor to obtain object data points. With obtained data, the quadrotor computes velocity vector and yaw commands to move around the object while maintaining a safe distance. The magnitude of the velocity vector is also controlled to prevent a collision. The distance transform method is applied to establish dead-end situation logic as well as exploration completion logic. When a dead-end situation occurs, the guidance algorithm of the quadrotor is switched to a particular maneuver. The proposed maneuver enables the quadrotor not only to escape from the dead-end situation, but also to find undiscovered area to continue mapping. Various numerical simulations are performed to verify the performance of the proposed mapping guidance algorithm.
Multi-Level Features Extraction for Discontinuous Target Tracking in Remote Sensing Image Monitoring
Authors: Zhou Bin , Duan Xuemei , Ye Dongjun , Wei Wei , Woźniak Marcin , Połap Dawid , Damaševičius Robertas
Published: November 2019

Many techniques have been developed for computer vision in the past years. Features extraction and matching are the basis of many high-level applications. In this paper, we propose a multi-level features extraction for discontinuous target tracking in remote sensing image monitoring. The features of the reference image are pre-extracted at different levels. The first-level features are used to roughly check the candidate targets and other levels are used for refined matching. With Gaussian weight function introduced, the support of matching features is accumulated to make a final decision. Adaptive neighborhood and principal component analysis are used to improve the description of the feature. Experimental results verify the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.
BLE Fingerprint Indoor Localization Algorithm Based on Eight-Neighborhood Template Matching
Authors: Li Mingfeng , Zhao Lichen , Tan Ding , Tong Xiaozhe
Published: November 2019

Aiming at the problem of indoor environment, signal non-line-of-sight propagation and other factors affect the accuracy of indoor locating, an algorithm of indoor fingerprint localization based on the eight-neighborhood template is proposed. Based on the analysis of the signal strength of adjacent reference points in the fingerprint database, the methods for the eight-neighborhood template matching and generation were studied. In this study, the indoor environment was divided into four quadrants for each access point and the expected values of the received signal strength indication (RSSI) difference between the center points and their eight-neighborhoods in different quadrants were chosen as the generation parameters. Then different templates were generated for different access points, and the unknown point was located by the Euclidean distance for the correlation of RSSI between each template and its coverage area in the fingerprint database. With the spatial correlation of fingerprint data taken into account, the influence of abnormal fingerprint on locating accuracy is reduced. The experimental results show that the locating error is 1.0 m, which is about 0.2 m less than both K-nearest neighbor (KNN) and weighted K-nearest neighbor (WKNN) algorithms.
Recent Applications and Newly Developed Strategies of Solid-Phase Microextraction in Contaminant Analysis: Through the Environment to Humans
Authors: Naccarato Attilio , Tagarelli Antonio
Published: November 2019

The present review aims to describe the recent and most impactful applications in pollutant analysis using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technology in environmental, food, and bio-clinical analysis. The covered papers were published in the last 5 years (2014–2019) thus providing the reader with information about the current state-of-the-art and the future potential directions of the research in pollutant monitoring using SPME. To this end, we revised the studies focused on the investigation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, and emerging pollutants (EPs) including personal care products (PPCPs), in different environmental, food, and bio-clinical matrices. We especially emphasized the role that SPME is having in contaminant surveys following the path that goes from the environment to humans passing through the food web. Besides, this review covers the last technological developments encompassing the use of novel extraction coatings (e.g., metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, PDMS-overcoated fiber), geometries (e.g., Arrow-SPME, multiple monolithic fiber-SPME), approaches (e.g., vacuum and cold fiber SPME), and on-site devices. The applications of SPME hyphenated with ambient mass spectrometry have also been described.
Customizing Methodological Approaches in Qualitative Research on Vulnerable Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Rasmussen Pernille Skovbo , Pagsberg Anne Katrine
Published: November 2019

Children with autism spectrum disorders often suffer from poor school inclusion, loneliness, and poor quality of life. Suitable support options for overcoming these risks are lacking, partly because children’s perspectives concerning their support needs are unknown. We need to improve the involvement of children in social research. However, involving children with autism in research is not always simple, and there is scant literature on qualitative methods for addressing challenges related to involving children with unique characteristics such as autism. Children with autism may lack mimetic expressions to reflect their feelings, and they may answer questions very briefly despite having a nuanced perspective on the issue addressed, thus leaving the researcher with few indicators to act upon. Consequently, it can be difficult for the researcher to “read” the child, assess ethical important moments, and adapt the methodology to the individual child. Based on a qualitative study of 22 children with autism in the capital region of Denmark, this article offers reflections on methodological and practical challenges in involving children with autism in research. Matching expectations between researcher and child, staying open to communication forms, and posing precise questions are shown to be important to have insight into the children’s perspectives.
Reliability and Criterion Validity of the Assess2Perform Bar Sensei
Authors: Beckham George K. , Layne Danielle K. , Kim Steven B. , Martin Eric A. , Perez Benjamin G. , Adams Kent J.
Published: November 2019

The Assess2Perform Bar Sensei is a device used to measure barbell velocity for velocity-based training that has not yet been validated. The purpose of this study was to determine criterion validity and reliability of the Assess2Perform Bar Sensei in barbell back squats by comparing it against the GymAware PowerTool, a previously validated instrument. Sixteen injury-free, resistance-trained subjects (eleven males and five females) were recruited. Subjects were tested for their back squat one repetition maximum (1RM). Then, on two separate days, subjects performed two sets of three repetitions at loads of 45%, 60% and 75% 1RM. The GymAware PowerTool and Bar Sensei were attached to the barbell in similar locations for concurrent collection of mean concentric velocity (MCV) and peak concentric velocity (PCV). The Bar Sensei and PowerTool showed generally fair to poor agreement for MCV and PCV when subjects lifted 45% of 1RM (intraclass correlation;ICC 0.4–0.59), and they showed poor agreement when subjects lifted 60% and 75% of 1RM (ICC 0.3–0.4). Inter-repetition/within-set reliability for the Bar Sensei ranged between ICC = 0.273–0.451 for MCV and PCV compared to the far more reliable PowerTool (ICC = 0.651–0.793). Currently, the Bar Sensei is not a reliable or valid tool for measuring barbell velocity in back squats.
A Pilot Study to Examine the Impact of Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Anaerobic Exercise Performance in Collegiate Rugby Athletes
Authors: Smith Charles R. , Harty Patrick S. , Stecker Richard A. , Kerksick Chad M.
Published: November 2019

Beta-alanine (BA) is a precursor to carnosine which functions as a buffer assisting in the maintenance of intracellular pH during high-intensity efforts. Rugby is a sport characterized by multiple intermittent periods of maximal or near maximal efforts with short periods of rest/active recovery. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of six weeks of beta-alanine supplementation on anaerobic performance measures in collegiate rugby players. Twenty-one male, collegiate rugby players were recruited, while fifteen completed post-testing (Mean ± SD; Age: 21.0 ± 1.8 years, Height: 179 ± 6.3 cm, Body Mass: 91.8 ± 13.3 kg, % Body Fat: 21.3 ± 4.4). Supplementation was randomized in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner between 6.4 g/d of beta-alanine and 6.4 g/d of maltodextrin placebo. Body composition, upper and lower-body maximal strength and muscular endurance, intermittent sprint performance, and post-exercise lactate, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion were assessed before and after supplementation. Data were analyzed using a 2 × 2 (group × time) mixed factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures on time. No significant interaction effects were noted for body mass, fat mass, fat-free mass, and percent bodyfat (p > 0.05). No performance effects resulting from beta-alanine supplementation were detected. Results from this initial pilot investigation suggest that BA exerts little to no impact on body composition parameters, muscular strength, muscular endurance, or intermittent sprinting performance. With the limited research exploring the impact of BA in this sporting context, these initial findings offer little support for BA use, but more research is needed to fully understand the potential impact of BA on various aspects of resistance exercise performance.
Valorizing Waste Lignocellulose-Based Furniture Boards by Phosphoric Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide (Php) Pretreatment for Bioethanol Production and High-Value Lignin Recovery
Authors: Zhao Jingwen , Tian Dong , Shen Fei , Hu Jinguang , Zeng Yongmei , Huang Churui
Published: November 2019

Three typical waste furniture boards (fiberboard, chipboard, and blockboard) were pretreated with phosphoric acid and hydrogen peroxide (PHP). The fractionation process of these feedstocks was attempted in order to harvest the cellulose-rich fraction for enzymatic hydrolysis and bioethanol conversion; further, lignin recovery was also considered in this process. The results indicated that 78.9–91.2% of the cellulose was recovered in the cellulose-rich fraction. The decreased crystallinity, which promoted the water retention capacity and enzyme accessibility, contributed greatly to the excellent hydrolysis performance of the cellulose-rich fraction. Therefore, rather high cellulose–glucose conversions of 83.3–98.0% were achieved by hydrolyzing the pretreated furniture boards, which allowed for harvesting 208–241 g of glucose from 1.0 kg of feedstocks. Correspondingly, 8.1–10.4 g/L of ethanol were obtained after 120 h of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. The harvested lignin exhibited abundant carboxyl –OH groups (0.61–0.67 mmol g−1). In addition, approximately 15–26 g of harvested oligosaccharides were integrated during PHP pretreatment. It was shown that PHP pretreatment is feasible for these highly recalcitrant biomass board materials, which can diversify the bioproducts used in the integrated biorefinery concept.
Vulnerability of the Maritime Network to Tropical Cyclones in the Northwest Pacific and the Northern Indian Ocean
Authors: Shen Zhicheng , Xu Xinliang , Li Jiahao , Wang Shikuan
Published: November 2019

Maritime networks are one of the most important types of transportation networks in international logistics and it accounts for 90% of the global trade volume. However, the structure of maritime networks is severely impacted by tropical cyclones, especially the maritime network in the Northwest Pacific and the northern Indian Ocean. This paper investigates the vulnerability of the maritime network in the Northwest Pacific and the northern Indian Ocean to the influence of tropical cyclones through removing ports at high or very high tropical cyclones hazard levels and analyzing how the network structure characteristics change from a complex network point of view. From the results, we find that this maritime network is a small-world network and the degree distribution of ports follows a power law distribution. The ports in East Asia are impacted more severely by the tropical cyclones. Moreover, this maritime network exhibits some vulnerability to tropical cyclones. However, the interconnection of the survived ports is not severely impacted, when the network is attacked by tropical cyclones. The port system in the Philippines is most vulnerable to the influence of tropical cyclones, followed by the ports systems in Japan and China. The paper also shows that it is important for studies of maritime network vulnerability to identify the ports that are both important to the regional and cross-regional logistics and severely impacted by natural hazards. The findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the port layout and improving the ability of the network to resist damage caused by tropical cyclones.
Agent-Based Modelling of a Coupled Water Demand and Supply System at the Catchment Scale
Authors: Huber Lisa , Bahro Nico , Leitinger Georg , Tappeiner Ulrike , Strasser Ulrich
Published: November 2019

Water is of uttermost importance for human well-being and a central resource in sustainable development. Many simulation models for sustainable water management, however, lack explanatory and predictive power because the two-way dynamic feedbacks between human and water systems are neglected. With Agent-based Modelling of Resources (Aqua.MORE; here, of the resource water), we present a platform that can support understanding, interpretation and scenario development of resource flows in coupled human–water systems at the catchment scale. Aqua.MORE simulates the water resources in a demand and supply system, whereby water fluxes and socioeconomic actors are represented by individual agents that mutually interact and cause complex feedback loops. First, we describe the key steps for developing an agent-based model (ABM) of water demand and supply, using the platform Aqua.MORE. Second, we illustrate the modelling process by application in an idealized Alpine valley, characterized by touristic and agricultural water demand sectors. Here, the implementation and analysis of scenarios highlights the possibilities of Aqua.MORE (1) to easily deploy case study-specific agents and characterize them, (2) to evaluate feedbacks between water demand and supply and (3) to compare the effects of different agent behavior or water use strategies. Thereby, we corroborate the potential of Aqua.MORE as a decision-support tool for sustainable watershed management.
Using RPL Model to Probe Trade-Offs among Negative Externalities of Controlling Invasive Species
Authors: Liu Tzu-Ming
Published: November 2019

This empirical study uses the choice experiment method to analyze the preferences of national park (NP) visitors regarding the negative externalities of NP measures to prevent and control invasive alien species (IAS). In addition, it estimates the visitor responses to the trade-offs between various negative externalities and the prices visitors are willing to pay. Based on these trade-offs and the willing-to-pay prices, NPs can plan IAS prevention that has the least impact on visitors. Adopting visitors to Taiwan’s Shei-Pa National Park as the survey respondents, this paper uses a stratified random sampling method to select the survey time and applies systematic sampling to select respondents during the survey period. A total of 602 questionnaires and 2998 observations were obtained. The results reveal that visitors believe that the negative externalities of IAS have a significant impact on them. However, their preference for prevention and control outweighs their preference for no prevention and control measures. In terms of the negative externalities associated with IAS prevention and control, visitors award priority to avoidance of ecological disturbance and harm to visitor health, and are more likely to accept the reduction of recreational area.
Numerical Simulation and Spatial Distribution of Transportation Accessibility in the Regions Involved in the Belt and Road Initiative
Authors: Shi Hui , You Zhen , Feng Zhiming , Yang Yanzhao
Published: November 2019

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a Chinese strategy, proposed to strengthen the connectivity and cooperation among BRI countries. Under this circumstance, many transportation projects are planned to be carried out, which means the transportation accessibility evaluation is of significance in providing valuable suggestions for transportation construction. This research established a global transportation accessibility index (GTAI) model in the BRI region using raster data. Based on its gridded outputs, we conducted classification evaluation, autocorrelation analysis, and a geographical weighted regression model to explore the spatial characteristics of the GTAI distribution and its correlation with population density. The results show that: (1) most countries in Europe and the Middle East, western Russia, and eastern China enjoy high accessibility, while central regions (e.g., Central Asia and western China) have poor access to destinations; (2) the GTAI values are distributed as a spindle, where about 60% areas belong to the middle transportation accessibility region, mapped as a non-significant type; and (3) there is a positive relationship between transportation accessibility and population distribution, but their connection tends to be weaker as socioeconomic development increases. Finally, several policy implementations are provided: (1) give a priority to road or railway construction between China and Central Asian countries; (2) establish an innovative transportation system and introduce advanced technologies to enhance the exchange and cooperation among the BRI countries; (3) improve public transport management in well-developed regions, and introduce talents and strengthen transportation infrastructure construction in developing regions.
Tourism Investment Gaps in Poland
Authors: Zarębski Patrycjusz , Kwiatkowski Grzegorz , Malchrowicz-Mośko Ewa , Oklevik Ove
Published: November 2019

Against a rapid and frequently unsustainable development of tourism in Poland, this article aims to recognize the investment attractiveness for tourism in Poland and its spatial diversity in the context of relieving the effects of overtourism. In the first stage, a multi-dimensional indicator model was developed, and then it was used to assess the attractiveness level of cities and rural, urban and urban-rural municipalities in Poland. The results of the study were the basis of the analysis of the attractiveness of cities in relation to their size, location in the tourist region and various forms of tourism. From a theoretical standpoint, the study shows that there is a clear-cut need to redirect tourism investments from the centres to more distinct locations in order to achieve more sustainable development of tourism. Furthermore, it was found, that the main factors that determine the tourism attractiveness of cities are market potential, cultural values, social infrastructure, and in some cases, natural values. The tourist potential of cities and rural areas allows for spatial dispersion of investments and counteracting the concentration of phenomena related to overtourism. The analysis was carried out for 2478 municipalities in Poland. The sums of zero unitarization method was used to assess the level of investment attractiveness.
Factors and Minimal Subsidy Associated with Tea Farmers’ Willingness to Adopt Ecological Pest Management
Authors: Zheng Rongrong , Zhan Jiasui , Liu Luxing , Ma Yanli , Wang Zishuai , Xie Lianhui , He Dunchun
Published: November 2019

Scientific assessment related to the externalities of the tea ecological pest management (TEPM) system that can affect socio-economic development and ecological benefits is important to the sustainable development of the tea industry. This paper used the contingent valuation method to evaluate the externalities associated with TEPM and the factors affecting its adoption by farmers through survey data collected from Anxi county, Fujian province, China. The results showed that the positive externalities, which were not internalized (embodied in price), affected the willingness of tea farmers to adopt TEPM. The willingness to accept a subsidy for adopting the TEPM system was significantly affected by the individual tea farmer’s age, education level, income, size of plantation, knowledge of human health and risk preference. The compensation threshold of externalities for TEPM was 5668.80 yuan per hectare per year. It is suggested that the government should adopt this threshold as a minimum subsidy to mitigate information asymmetry in two markets, namely ecological management technology and trading between suppliers and buyers of tea products. Finally, production stability and improved price for high quality tea resulting from healthy ecology in TEPM could enhance positive externalities. This coupled with other benefits, such as a reduction in the amount of resources spent on pesticides, could result in governmental subsidies for TEPM being gradually reduced over time.
Performance Evaluation of Unconcentrated Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric Generator Hybrid System under Tropical Climate
Authors: Mohd Shatar Nursyahirah , Abdul Rahman Mohd Azizi , Muhtazaruddin Mohd Nabil , Shaikh Salim Sheikh Ahmad Zaki , Singh Baljit , Muhammad-Sukki Firdaus , Bani Nurul Aini , Mohd Saudi Ahmad Shakir , Ardila-Rey Jorge Alfredo
Published: November 2019

Indoor farming is among the approaches which can be adapted to improve agricultural sustainability and ensure the food security of countries. However, adopting indoor farming requires a high amount of energy to sustain the system. Incorporating a renewable energy system for supplying power to agricultural activities will allow the system to be more sustainable in the long run. An unconcentrated photovoltaic-thermoelectric generator (PV-TEG) hybrid system is designed based on the load requirement of an indoor farm. The hybrid system performance under Malaysia’s weather conditions was investigated and analyzed over three months. The designed system has shown its ability to provide sufficient power to the load, as well as supporting an additional load. Besides that, the TEGs power output was found to be dependent on the temperature as well as the types of connections used, where a higher temperature difference and series connection exhibited a better power output. Overall, the combination of the system showed that the addition of a TEG affects the efficiency and power output as compared to a standalone PV. Therefore, this implies that the hybrid system is able to exhibit a more positive outcome in certain weather conditions than a PV standalone system.
Sustainable Rural Governance: How Rural Elections in China Lead to Long-Term Social Stability?
Authors: Xi Jinrui , Wen Feng
Published: November 2019

Government inspections are a typical approach that the Chinese government adopts in executing its policy agenda and propagating its ideological ideals. However, top-down administrative imperatives as such tend to be consuming in resources and less effective in actual governance. They are not necessarily the most sustainable means to ensure efficient governance in the long term. Bottom-up self-governance in rural China, on the other hand, provides the essential mechanism for sustainable governance. In this paper we study one of these bottom-up self-governance approaches in China—rural elections. We propose that, via three distinctive mechanisms, rural elections in China serve as a stabilizer for the entire state and fill the loopholes that top-down government inspections potentially allow. Specifically, we argue that individuals with electoral experiences are less likely to engage in protests, or other forms of collective actions, than those without. This effect holds in that, first, elections improve public goods provision in rural China; second, voters’ personal experience in elections changes their perception of the Chinese regime from being authoritarian to being benevolent and caring; third, elections expose the Chinese regime to emerging social dissent in a timely fashion that allows for self-correction. This theoretical prescription receives strong empirical, statistical analysis using the latest Asian Barometer Survey (ABS 2014) dataset.
The Effect of University Students’ Individual Innovation and Lifelong Learning Trends on Entrepreneurship Orientation
Authors: Aykan Ebru , Karakuş Gül , Karakoç Hande
Published: November 2019

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects that personality characteristics (PC) of university students, as potential entrepreneurs, have on their entrepreneurship intentions (which are an important indicator of whether or not they will start new initiatives), and to determine the mediating role of lifelong learning tendencies. The study’s population consisted of approximately 4000 students at Erciyes University who had relatively high chances of becoming entrepreneurs in total, 924 students were reached. In the research, it was found that the participants’ personality characteristics and sub-dimensions had a significant but positive relationship with their entrepreneurial intentions. In the final findings of this study, it was found that lifelong learning tendencies have a partial mediating role in the relationship between the students’ personality characteristics and entrepreneurship tendencies. At this point, it was observed that the personality characteristics of individuals affect their entrepreneurship intentions; with the introduction of lifelong learning tendencies to the model, the effect of personality characteristics on entrepreneurial intentions decreased but remained significant.
A Review of Information Fusion Methods for Gas Turbine Diagnostics
Authors: Zaccaria Valentina , Rahman Moksadur , Aslanidou Ioanna , Kyprianidis Konstantinos
Published: November 2019

The correct and early detection of incipient faults or severe degradation phenomena in gas turbine systems is essential for safe and cost-effective operations. A multitude of monitoring and diagnostic systems were developed and tested in the last few decades. The current computational capability of modern digital systems was exploited for both accurate physics-based methods and artificial intelligence or machine learning methods. However, progress is rather limited and none of the methods explored so far seem to be superior to others. One solution to enhance diagnostic systems exploiting the advantages of various techniques is to fuse the information coming from different tools, for example, through statistical methods. Information fusion techniques such as Bayesian networks, fuzzy logic, or probabilistic neural networks can be used to implement a decision support system. This paper presents a comprehensive review of information and decision fusion methods applied to gas turbine diagnostics and the use of probabilistic reasoning to enhance diagnostic accuracy. The different solutions presented in the literature are compared, and major challenges for practical implementation on an industrial gas turbine are discussed. Detecting and isolating faults in a system is a complex problem with many uncertainties, including the integrity of available information. The capability of different information fusion techniques to deal with uncertainty are also compared and discussed. Based on the lessons learned, new perspectives for diagnostics and a decision support system are proposed.
Elevated Risk of Ecological Land and Underlying Factors Associated with Rapid Urbanization and Overprotected Agriculture in Northeast China
Authors: Liu Shuhan , Wang Dongyan , Lei Guoping , Li Hong , Li Wenbo
Published: November 2019

Ecological land with considerable ecological value can be regarded as an important indicator in guaranteeing ecosystem function and sustainable development. Generally, the urbanization process has been considered to be the primary factor affecting ecological land use. However, the influence of agricultural development, particularly in a typical farming area, has rarely been studied. In this paper, we present a method to assess the ecological risk of ecological land (ELER) in a black soil area in northeastern China. Furthermore, the underlying factors were detected using the geographically weighted regression model, which took into account conditions of natural elements, the urbanization process, and grain production conditions. The results indicate that ecological land experienced remarkable changes with an evident loss and decline from 1996–2015. The ELER progressively increased in the concentrated farming area and the western agro-pastoral ecotone, and the ecological land in the eastern forest area was always at a high risk level. According to the regression coefficients, the relationships between influence factors and ELER could be better explained by the variables of elevation, slope, proportion of rural residential area, and ratio of cultivated land area to residential area. To summarize, agricultural occupation and urban expansion were verified as the two main causes of ecological land loss, as well as elevated risks. In light of the current situation, measures such as policy adjustment and ecological restoration should be taken to avoid risk and optimize land use.
Decentralized Valorization of Residual Flows as an Alternative to the Traditional Urban Waste Management System: The Case of Peñalolén in Santiago de Chile
Authors: de Kraker Jeltsje , Kujawa-Roeleveld Katarzyna , J. Villena Marcelo , Pabón-Pereira Claudia
Published: November 2019

Urban residual flows contain significant amounts of valuable nutrients, which, if recovered, could serve as input for the own city needs or those of its immediate surroundings. In this study, the possibilities for decentralized recovery of nutrient rich residual flows in Santiago, Chile, are studied by means of a case study considering technical and socio-economic criteria. In particular, we calculate circularity indicators for organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) and cost–benefits of household and community on-site technological alternatives. Kitchen waste (KW) and garden residues (GR) as well as urine were considered as system inputs whereas urban agriculture, municipality green, or peri-urban agriculture were the considered destinations for nutrients recovered. The technologies studied were anaerobic digestion, vermicomposting, and composting, while urine storage and struvite precipitation were considered for nutrient recovery from urine. Material flow analysis was used to visualize the inputs and outputs of the baseline situation (the traditional urban waste management system), and of the different household and municipality resource recovery scenarios (the decentralized valorization systems). Our findings show that decentralized valorization of KW and GR are a clear win–win policy, since they can not only produce important environmental benefits for the city in the long run, but also important cost savings considering the landfill fees and residues transportation of the current centralized waste management system.
Moving to Private-Car-Restricted and Mobility-Served Neighborhoods: The Unspectacular Workings of a Progressive Mobility Plan
Authors: Johansson Fredrik , Henriksson Greger , Envall Pelle
Published: November 2019

Despite ongoing changes in housing construction around parking requirements, few studies have been undertaken on travel practice and vehicle ownership once homes have been built in line with new requirements and occupied. This study focused on the experience and travel practices of residents in two specific cases involving new requirements in Sweden. It was based on interviews and questionnaires with residents before and after they moved into the two new blocks of apartments. A relatively restricted supply of parking was compensated for with subsidized mobility services for the residents, e.g., car and bike (sharing) clubs. The results indicated a decrease in car ownership in both blocks, as well as a decrease in the frequency of car travel in one of them. There were indications that use of public transport had increased. Our analysis illustrates the roles that parking and mobility services played over time in establishing the residents’ travel habits. The process that shaped the new residents’ car ownership and travel patterns was, in part, quite slow and unspectacular compared with the intentions and expectations of the stakeholders involved as regards to how car ownership and travel habits would change. We discuss a spectrum of everyday life conditions, which together with parking requirements and mobility services can stimulate the growth of urban mobility practices other than those based on private car ownership.
Housing Activism Initiatives and Land-Use Conflicts: Pathways for Participatory Planning and Urban Sustainable Development in Bucharest City, Romania
Authors: Nae Mariana , Dumitrache Liliana , Suditu Bogdan , Matei Elena
Published: November 2019

This paper presents a geographical perspective of the phenomena of housing activism and land-use conflicts per se. It focuses not only on their spatial manifestations, but also on the complexity of the perceived meanings, values, and the power relationships among the involved parties, rooting into activist geographies. The research methodology was based on two complementary methods: frame analysis to observe the emergence, sources of land-use conflicts, and nature of the relationships between the actors involved; and discourse analysis to explore the social interactions and power relations between structures and practices related to housing activism. For a more inclusive perspective on the sources of land-use conflicts and housing activism initiatives in Bucharest, we used a combination and triangulation of various sources and modes of data collection. Compared with other European cities with active civic engagement, this phenomenon is still emerging in Bucharest. Although conflicts are numerous, the civic initiatives are still fragmented and fail to generate a vision and implementable public policy. However, multiple assaults on urban spaces (green areas, historically protected areas) have resulted in more actions and actors (individual or organised) becoming civically engaged. The article contributes to the environmental debates that stress housing activism as a pathway to participatory planning initiatives.
The (Re)Insurance Industry’s Roles in the Integration of Nature-Based Solutions for Prevention in Disaster Risk Reduction—Insights from a European Survey
Authors: Marchal Roxane , Piton Guillaume , Lopez-Gunn Elena , Zorrilla-Miras Pedro , van der Keur Peter , Dartée Kieran W. J. , Pengal Polona , Matthews John H. , Tacnet Jean-Marc , Graveline Nina , Altamirano Monica A. , Joyce John , Nanu Florentina , Groza Ioana , Peña Karina , Cokan Blaz , Burke Sophia , Moncoulon David
Published: November 2019

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly being considered as an option to reduce societies’ vulnerability to natural hazards, creating co-benefits while protecting ecosystem services in a context of changing climate patterns with more frequent and extreme weather events. The reinsurance and insurance industries are increasingly cited as sectors that can play a role to help manage risks, by improving disaster risk reduction (DRR) and loss prevention. This paper investigates how the (re)insurance industry could support the transition from a paradigm focused on ex-post responses to ex-ante risk reduction measures including NBS, in line with the Sendai Framework. This paper presents the results of a series of 61 interviews undertaken with the (re)insurance sector and related actors under the EU H2020 Nature Insurance Value Assessment and Demonstration (NAIAD) project. Methods based on a Grounded Theory approach indicate how this sector can play different roles in loss prevention, including ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (eco-DRR). Results illustrate how the (re)insurance industry, under these roles, is gradually innovating by having a better understanding of hazards and mitigation. The findings of the study contribute to wider discussions such as the possibility of new arrangements like natural insurance schemes and evidence-based assessment of avoided damage costs from green protective measures, in Europe and beyond.
Analyzing Atrium Volume Designs for Hot and Humid Climates
Authors: Aram Reihaneh , Alibaba Halil Zafer
Published: November 2019

The objective of this research was to determine the proper thermal comfort in an atrium design for single-floor, medium-rise, and high-rise buildings based on different proportions, placements, window opening ratios, and internal condition systems. EDSL Tas software was used for the dynamic thermal simulation software models, and all were analyzed based on ASHRAE 55, ISO 7730, and EN 15251 standards to determine which dynamic thermal simulation models had thermal comfort in a hot and humid climate throughout the year. This research found that for naturally conditioned single-floor and medium-rise buildings, when the atrium proportion was 1/2 of the office proportion at the southeast and center atrium location, respectively, had maximum user satisfaction. When the building’s internal spaces were mechanically conditioned with a 1/3 and 1/4 atrium proportion of the office proportion in single-floor and medium-rise buildings, respectively, thermal comfort was acceptable, especially when the atrium was located in the center for single-floor and in the northeast for medium-rise buildings. However, the naturally conditioned high-rise building with a north-east atrium that was 1/4 of the office proportion and a mechanically conditioned high-rise with a center atrium 1/3 of the office proportion had the minimum dissatisfaction throughout the year.
Copper Toxicity and Prediction Models of Copper Content in Leafy Vegetables
Authors: Chiou Wei-Yang , Hsu Fu-Chiun
Published: November 2019

Copper (Cu), a toxic metal pollution found in the soil and water of industrialized areas, causes continuous issues for agriculture product contamination and human health hazards. However, information on copper phytotoxicity and its accumulation in vegetables is largely unknown. To evaluate the related agricultural loss and health risks, it is necessary to assess copper phytotoxicity and develop prediction models for copper concentration in vegetables. Here, we assess the growth performance and copper concentration of four leafy vegetables: Water spinach, amaranth, pakchoi, and garland chrysanthemum in copper-contaminated soil. The plant’s height and fresh weight is dramatically reduced when the soil copper concentration is over ~250 mg·kg−1. This yield reduction and copper accumulation are associated with an increase of soil copper concentration, suggesting high copper phytotoxicity levels in plants and soil. The prediction models of plant copper concentration were developed using multiple regressions based on one-step extractions of the soil copper as independent variables. One prediction model derived for amaranth copper using hydrochloric acid (HCl)-extractable and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-extractable copper from soil is able to describe 78.89% of the variance in the measured copper. As a result, the phytotoxic copper level for four leafy vegetables is revealed. Although the prediction models may not be universal, the predicted and phytotoxic copper levels are useful tools for evaluating vegetable yield and daily copper intake.