bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-Polymerization Heat Effect in the Production of Polyamide 6 by Bulk Quasiliving Anionic Ring-Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactam with Industrial Components: A Green Processing Technique
Authors: Osváth Zsófia , Szőke Anita , Pásztor Szabolcs , Szarka Györgyi , Závoczki László Balázs , Iván Béla
Published: July 2020

Bulk, solventless anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) of ε-caprolactam (CPL) with high yields, without side products and with short reaction times, initiated by caprolactamate-carbamoylcaprolactam initiating systems belong to green polymerization processes, leading to poly(ε-caprolactam) (Polyamide 6, PA6, Nylon 6). However, the effect of post-polymerization heat (i.e., slow, technically feasible cooling) on the fundamental characteristics of the resulting polymers such as yield and molecular weight distributions (MWDs) have not been revealed thus far. Significant post-polymerization effect was found by us in terms of both monomer conversions and MWDs by carrying out CPL polymerization with industrial components under conditions mimicking thermoplastic reaction transfer molding (T-RTM). Remarkably, higher monomer conversions and molecular weights (MWs) were obtained for Polyamide 6 samples prepared without quenching than that for the quenched polymers at the same reaction times. Independent of quenching or non-quenching, Mn of the resulting polymers as a function of conversion fell in the theoretical line of quasiliving AROP of CPL. At high monomer conversions, significant increase of the MW and broadening of the MWDs occurred, indicating pronounced chain–chain coupling. These findings have fundamental importance for designing processing conditions for in situ polymerization processes of ε-caprolactam by various techniques such as T-RTM, reaction injection molding (RIM), and other processing methods of Polyamide 6.
Larvae Mediated Valorization of Industrial, Agriculture and Food Wastes: Biorefinery Concept through Bioconversion, Processes, Procedures, and Products
Authors: Ravi Harish Karthikeyan , Degrou Antoine , Costil Jérôme , Trespeuch Christophe , Chemat Farid , Vian Maryline Abert
Published: July 2020

Each year, the food supply chain produces more than 1.3 billion tons of food and agricultural waste, which poses serious environmental problems. The loss of the massive quantity of secondary and primary metabolites retrievable from this resource is a significant concern. What if there is a global solution that caters to the numerous problems arising due to the humongous volume of waste biomass generated in every part of the world? Insects, the tiny creatures that thrive in decaying organic matter, which can concentrate the nutrients present in dilute quantities in a variety of by-products, are an economically viable option. The bioconversion and nutritional upcycling of waste biomass with insects yield high-value products such as protein, lipids, chitin and frass. Insect-derived proteins can replace conventional protein sources in feed formulations. Notably, the ability of the black soldier fly (BSF) or Hermetia illucens to grow on diverse substrates such as agri-food industry side streams and other organic waste proves advantageous. However, the data on industrial-scale extraction, fractionation techniques and biorefinery schemes for screening the nutritional potential of BSF are scarce. This review attempts to break down every facet of insect processing and analyze the processing methods of BSF, and the functional properties of nutrients obtained thereof.
Structural and Thermal Characterization of Novel Organosolv Lignins from Wood and Herbaceous Sources
Authors: Trubetskaya Anna , Lange Heiko , Wittgens Bernd , Brunsvik Anders , Crestini Claudia , Rova Ulrika , Christakopoulos Paul , Leahy J. J. , Matsakas Leonidas
Published: July 2020

This study demonstrates the effects of structural variations of lignins isolated via an organosolv process from different woody and herbaceous feedstocks on their thermal stability profiles. The organosolv lignins were first analysed for impurities, and structural features were determined using the default set of gel permeation chromatography, FT-IR spectroscopy, quantitative 31 P NMR spectroscopy and semi-quantitative 1 H- 13 C HSQC analysis. Pyrolysis-, O 2 - and CO 2 -reactivity of the organosolv lignins were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and volatile formation in various heating cycles was mapped by head-space GC-MS analysis. Revealed reactivities were correlated to the presence of identified impurities and structural features typical for the organosolv lignins. Data suggest that thermogravimetric analysis can eventually be used to delineate a lignin character when basic information regarding its isolation method is available.
Influence of Humidity on Performance of Single Chamber Air-Cathode Microbial Fuel Cells with Different Separators
Authors: Lee Mungyu , Kondaveeti Sanath , Jeon Taeyeon , Kim Inhae , Min Booki
Published: July 2020

The maximum performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is significantly affected by the reduction reactions in the cathode, but their optimum condition is not fully understood yet. The air-cathode MFC operations with different separators (Nafion 117 and polypropylene (PP80) were evaluated at various relative humidity (RH) at the cathode chamber. Air cathode MFCs with a Nafion 117 separator at RH of 90 ± 2% produced the highest cell voltage of 0.35 V (600 Ω) and power density of 116 mW/m2. With a PP80 separator, the maximum power generation of 381 mW/m2 was obtained at a relatively lower RH of 30 ± 2%. The cyclic voltammogram and Tafel analysis indicated that the best performance of cathodic oxygen reduction reactions could be observed at 90% RH for Nafion and 50% RH for the PP80 separator. Additionally, the RH conditions also affected the anodic reactions and oxygen mass transfer rates to the anode chamber through the cathode and separators. This study suggests that the optimum RH condition at the cathode is important in order to obtain a high performance of MFC operations and needs to be controlled at different optimum levels depending on the characteristics of the separators.
A Numerical Investigation on the Optimization of Uneven Flow in a Marine De-SOx Scrubber
Authors: Guo Hao , Zhou Song , Shreka Majed , Feng Yongming
Published: July 2020

According to regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the sulfur content of vessels must not exceed 0.5% outside the Emission Control Areas (ECAs) starting from 2020. The marine exhaust gas desulfurization (De-SOx) system is the most feasible technology to meet the increasing regulations, but there is always a large swirl at the bottom of the scrubber causing uneven flow past the sprays. Solving this problem by adjusting the spray is a feasible method. The exhaust gas at 485 K and injection liquid at 305 K are simulated to optimize the flow field in a De-SOx scrubber. The results indicated that the flue gas was easily concentrated in the left side area of the scrubber and this part of hot gas could escape from the scrubber. By controlling the nozzles distribution and the nozzles angle, it was possible to reduce the droplets to hit the wall and improve the utilization rate of the washing liquid. The nozzles were arranged up and down in different positions, which reduced the escape amount of exhaust gas in the strong offset area. The new arrangement of nozzles made the flow field distribution inside the scrubber more uniform and increased the gas–liquid reaction time Although the pressure drop under outermost nozzles 45° injection was smaller than the vertical injection, the flow field under 45° injection became more complex and the outlet gas velocity became larger.
Bioavailability of Sulfur from Waste Obtained during Biogas Desulfurization and the Effect of Sulfur on Soil Acidity and Biological Activity
Authors: Tabak Monika , Lisowska Aneta , Filipek-Mazur Barbara
Published: July 2020

Sulfur deficiency has been recognized as a limiting factor for crop production in many regions of the world. A 120-day incubation experiment was conducted to assess the effect of the applied waste elemental sulfur on sulfur bioavailability in soil. Four doses of sulfur were applied: 10, 20, 30 and 60 mg S kg−1 dry matter (d.m.) of soil. In order to assess the effect of soil pH adjustment on sulfur oxidation, the research was conducted on two sets of soil samples: one set of soil samples had natural pH, and the second one was limed before sulfur application. Application of waste sulfur slightly affected the soil pH, and increased the content of available sulfur in soil proportionally to sulfur dose. A beneficial effect of waste sulfur application on soil dehydrogenase and catalase activity was found. Liming reduced soil acidity, and significantly increased sulfate content and soil enzymatic activity. Waste elemental sulfur may be an alternative source of sulfur, supplementing the deficiencies of this element in soils. The described way of sulfur waste reuse corresponds with the increasingly common approach to create waste-free technologies in all economy.
Utilization of Industry 4.0 Related Equipment in Assembly Line Balancing Procedure
Authors: Gjeldum Nikola , Salah Bashir , Aljinovic Amanda , Khan Sajjad
Published: July 2020

In recent decades, production in high-volume/low-variety batches is replaced with low-volume/high-variety production type. This type of production demands excessive flows of both material and information. Recent advances in information and communication technologies (ICT), together with the concept of cyber-psychical system (CPS) enable the concept of Industry 4.0 (I4.0). In this paper, the performance of I4.0 related equipment implementation is presented in iterative assembly line balancing (ALB) process of a gearbox assembly line. Largest candidate rule method through spreadsheet simulation was used for tasks reallocations, with the objective to minimize the cycle time when the number of stations is fixed. Utilization of human analysts using snap back method for manual data gathering process still shown advantage over I4.0 equipment utilization in manual ALB. The assembly process is performed in the learning factory environment, and it is considered as very close to real industry process. The major conclusion is that I4.0 is excellent in process data monitoring and product tracking, but activities to be performed to effectively exploit I4.0 is demanding for task reallocations during the balancing procedure. Nevertheless, future enhancements of I4.0 system are listed to bridge this gap and to increase I4.0 system usefulness in the manual assembly line balancing process.
Digital Twin for Extraction Process Design and Operation
Authors: Uhlenbrock Lukas , Jensch Christoph , Tegtmeier Martin , Strube Jochen
Published: July 2020

Traditional extraction processes of natural product are widespread, especially in regulated industries. Possibilities of extraction development and manufacturing optimization in regulated industries is limited. Regulatory approvals are often based on traditional preparations of phyto-pharmaceuticals. The dependence on traditional processes can result in sub-optimal extraction parameters causing unnecessary costs and product variability. Innovative methods like Quality-by-Design (QbD), including process analytical technology (PAT), open opportunities for manufacturers to cope with regulatory demanded, narrow batch-to-batch variability. In addition, such validated process models represent perfect digital twins which could be utilized for advanced process control and life cycle analysis.
Special Issue: Application of Advanced Oxidation Processes
Authors: Bustillo-Lecompte Ciro , Colina-Marquez Jose , Rehmann Lars
Published: July 2020

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are nowadays not only considered as a complementary treatment option but as an attractive alternative to conventional methods [...]
Unsteady Flow Characteristics of Rotating Stall and Surging in a Backward Centrifugal Fan at Low Flow-Rate Conditions
Authors: Zhou Biao , He Ximing , Yang Hui , Zhu Zuchao , Wei Yikun , Zhang Yan
Published: July 2020

The steady and unsteady flow characteristics of internal flow in a backward centrifugal fan of double inlet at low flow-rate condition are investigated by computational fluid dynamics in this paper. The investigation aims to reveal insights into generation mechanisms and our physical understanding of the rotating stall and surge. The numerical results mainly demonstrate that, with decreasing flow rate, a large number of vortex flows almost increasingly occupy the internal flow of the impeller. The reverse flow and separation vortices increasingly appear near the outlet of volute, and the internal flow of the impeller is completely blocked by the separated vortex flow at low flow-rate conditions. Results indicate that, due to a synchronization of the impeller rotation and separation vortex, these separated vortices act intensely on the pressure surface of the blade with time evolution, and the interaction between the separated vortices and surface of blade increasingly yields small-scale eddies. It is further found that the amplitude of pressure and velocity fluctuations gradually increase with the decrease of flow rate in a certain range. The unsteady characteristics acting on the volute tongue gradually increase in a range of Qd to 0.3 Qd (Qd is the design volume flow rate) with the decrease of flow rate, and the unsteady characteristics acting on the volute tongue are weakened at the working condition of 0.15 Qd. These insights clearly explain the unsteady nature of the rotating stall and surge phenomenon in the double inlet backward centrifugal fan.
Extraction of Phosphorous from a Phosphorous-Containing Vanadium Titano-Magnetite Tailings by Direct Flotation
Authors: Xiao Junhui , Chen Chao , Ding Wei , Peng Yang , Chen Tao , Zou Kai
Published: July 2020

In this study, there is 1.42% P2O5 in the P-containing V-Ti magnetite tailings in Miyi Region of China, with the valuable minerals mainly including apatite, and aluminosilicate minerals as the main gangue components. The direction flotation process was used to recover phosphorous from the low-grade phosphorous-bearing V-Ti magnetite tailings. The results showed that an optimized phosphorous concentrate with a P2O5 grade of 31.35% and P2O5 recovery of 88.02% was obtained by flotation process of one roughing, three scavengings, and three cleanings under roughing conditions, which employed pulp pH of 9, grinding fineness of <0.039 mm occupying 90%, flotation concentration of 25%, and dosages of carboxymethylcellulose, oxidized paraffin wax soap, and pine oil of 400 g/t, 300 g/t, and 20 g/t, respectively. Optimized one scavenging, two scavenging, and three scavenging conditions used a pulp pH of 9, and dosages of carboxymethylcellulose, oxidized paraffin wax soap, and pine oil of 200 g/t, 150 g/t, 10 g/t; 100 g/t, 75 g/t, and 5 g/t; and 100 g/t, 75 g/t, and 5 g/t, respectively. Optimized one cleaning, two cleaning, and three cleaning condition dosages of carboxymethylcellulose of 100 g/t, 50 g/t, and 25 g/t, respectively. Study of analysis and characterization of phosphorous concentrate by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) show that most gangue minerals enter the flotation tailings, the main minerals in phosphorous concentrate are apatite, olivine, and feldspar.
Experimental Study on Pressure Distribution and Flow Coefficient of Globe Valve
Authors: Nguyen Quang Khai , Jung Kwang Hyo , Lee Gang Nam , Suh Sung Bu , To Peter
Published: July 2020

In this study, the pressure distribution and flow coefficient of a globe valve are investigated with a series of experiments conducted in a flow test loop. The experiments are performed on a three-inch model test valve from an eight-inch ANSI (American National Standards Institute) B16.11—Class 2500# prototype globe valve with various pump speeds and full range of valve openings. Both inherent and installed flow characteristics are measured, and the results show that the flow coefficient depends not only on the valve geometry and valve opening but also on the Reynolds number. When the Reynolds number exceeds a certain value, the flow coefficients are stable. In addition, the pressures at different positions in the upstream and the downstream of the valve are measured and compared with recommendation per ANSI/ISA-75.01 standard. The results show that, in single-phase flow, the discrepancies in pressure between different measurement locations within close range of 10 nominal diameter from the valve are inconsiderable.
Effect of Cambered and Oval-Grooved Roll on the Strain Distribution During the Flat Rolling Process of a Wire
Authors: Hwang Joong-Ki
Published: July 2020

The effect of the roll design on the strain distribution of the flat surface, lateral spreading, and the strain inhomogeneity of a flat-rolled wire were investigated during the flat rolling process. Oval-grooved and cambered rolls with various radii were applied to the flat rolling process based on a numerical simulation. The effective strain on the flat surface of the wire increased when using a cambered roll due to the highly intensified contact pressure on the flat surface, while the effective strain on the flat surface of the wire decreased when using an oval-grooved roll. Lateral spreading decreased when using an oval-grooved roll because the spread in the free surface area of the wire was highly restricted by the oval-grooved roll shape. In contrast, the spread in the surface area increased when using a cambered roll due to the less-restricted metal flow at the free surface. Accordingly, a cambered roll with a small radius is highly recommended in order to improve the surface quality of flat-rolled wires. This is beneficial for industrial plants because the cambered roll can be easily applied in flat rolling plants.
CFD and Experimental Characterization of a Bioreactor: Analysis via Power Curve, Flow Patterns and

k
L

a
Authors: Ramírez Luis A. , Pérez Edwar L. , García Díaz Cesar , Camacho Luengas Dumar Andrés , Ratkovich Nicolas , Reyes Luis H.
Published: July 2020

Mixing operations in biological processes is of utmost importance due to its effect on scaling-up and heat and mass transfer. This paper presents the characterization of a bench-top bioreactor with different impeller configurations, agitation and oxygen transfer rates, using CFD simulations and experimental procedures. Here, it is demonstrated that factors such as the type of impeller and the flow regime can drastically vary the operation as in the preparation of cultures. It was observed that the bioreactor equipped with a Rushton generates a k L a of 0.0056 s−1 for an agitation velocity and airflow rate of 250 RPM and 5 L/min, respectively. It is suitable result for the dissolved oxygen (DO) but requires a considerable amount of power consumption. It is here where the importance of the agitator’s diameter can be observed, since, in the case of the two propeller types studied, lower energy consumption can be achieved with a smaller diameter, as well as a much smaller shear cup 2.376 against 0.723 s−1 by decreasing by 4 cm the standard diameter of an agitated tank (10 cm). Finally, the k L a values obtained for the different configurations are compared with the maximum shear rate values of different cell cultures to highlight the impact of this study and its applicability to different industries that use agitation processes for cell growth.
A Process-Based Modeling Method for Describing Production Processes of Ship Block Assembly Planning
Authors: Jeong Dongsu , Kim Dohyun , Choi Taihun , Seo Yoonho
Published: July 2020

Ship block assembly planning is very complex due to the various activities and characteristics of ship production. Therefore, competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry depends on how well a company operates its ship block assembly plan. Many shipbuilders are implementing various studies to improve their competitiveness in ship block assembly planning, specifically regarding technology usage, such as modeling and simulation (M&S) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). Although these technologies are successfully applied in some production planning systems, it is difficult to tailor ship production planning systems with flexibility due to unexpected situations. Providing a flexible plan for these production planning systems requires a way to describe and review the organic relationships of ship production processes. In this research, a process-based modeling (PBM) method proposes a novel approach to describing the production process of ship block assembly planning by redefining production information based on changing instructions. The proposed method consists of four modeling steps. The first creates a unit model, which includes the products, processes, and resource information for the block. The second designs an integrated network process for linking unit models according to the bill of materials (BOM). The third creates a process-based model that describes the production processes by combining unit models. The fourth generates a simulation model by applying a Petri-net to the process-based model, which analyzes the productivity of the ship’s block assembly processes. PBM identifies the assembly process’ interrelationship and shows that productivity can be reviewed to uncover ship production problems.
A Finite Element Model for Trigger Finger
Authors: Relf Helena I. , Barberio Carla G. , Espino Daniel M.
Published: July 2020

The aim of this study was to develop a finite element model to investigate the forces on tendons which ensue due to trigger finger. The model was used to simulate both flexor and extensor tendons within the index finger; two test cases were defined, simulating a “mildly” and “severely” affected tendon by applying constraints. The finger was simulated in three different directions: extension, abduction and hyper-extension. There was increased tension during hyper-extension, with tension in the mildly affected tendon increasing from 1.54 to 2.67 N. Furthermore, there was a consistent relationship between force and displacement, with a substantial change in the gradient of the force when the constraints of the condition were applied for all movements. The intention of this study is that the simulation framework is used to enable the in silico development of novel prosthetic devices to aid with treatment of trigger finger, given that, currently, the non-surgical first line of treatment is a splint.
“We Stand for Black Livity!”: Trodding the Path of Rastafari in Ghana
Authors: Alhassan Shamara Wyllie
Published: July 2020

Rastafari is a Pan-African socio-spiritual movement and way of life that was created by indigent Black people in the grip of British colonialism in 1930s Jamaica. Although Rastafari is often studied as a Jamaican phenomenon, I center the ways the movement has articulated itself in the Ghanaian polity. Ghana has become the epicenter of the movement on the continent through its representatives’ leadership in the Rastafari Continental Council. Based on fourteen years of ethnography with Rastafari in Ghana and with special emphasis on an interview with one Ghanaian Rastafari woman, this paper analyzes some of the reasons Ghanaians choose to “trod the path” of Rastafari and the long-term consequences of their choices. While some scholars use the term “conversion” to refer to the ways people become Rastafari, I choose to use “trodding the path” to center the ways Rastafari theorize their own understanding of becoming. In the context of this essay, trodding the path of Rastafari denotes the orientations and world-sensorial life ways that Rastafari provides for communal and self-making practices. I argue that Ghanaians trod the path of Rastafari to affirm their African identity and participate in Pan-African anti-colonial politics despite adverse social consequences.
The Spiritual Dimension of Yage Shamanism in Colombia
Authors: Gómez Rincón Carlos Miguel
Published: July 2020

This article offers an intercultural interpretation of the sense of the sacred in the practice of yage shamanism in Colombia. This practice is based on the ritual use of a plant medicine which for centuries has been the basis of the medical, spiritual and cultural systems of indigenous peoples of the Amazon piedmont in Colombia, Ecuador and Perú. Since the 1990s, this practice has expanded to urban areas of Colombia and other countries. After a short introduction, I develop my interpretation of yage shamanism in three stages: first, I explore some narratives of the origin of yage, showing how it is lived and understood as a source of knowledge and the foundational element of indigenous cultures. Second, I attempt a phenomenological analysis of yage shamanic experience, presenting it as a form of spiritual experience. Finally, I briefly address the issue of whether or not this form of experience is valid.
A Non-Doxastic Fear of Hell: On the Impact of Negative Factors for an Agnostic Religious Commitment
Authors: Palmqvist Carl-Johan
Published: July 2020

On the standard view, an agnostic might commit non-doxastically to religion because she wants to receive some goods, which might be either natural or supernatural in kind. I broaden the picture by showing how the agnostic must also take negative factors into account. Negative mundane factors should be avoided as far as possible by the agnostic, and in extreme cases, even at the price of giving up supernatural goods. Negative supernatural factors, like eternal torment, work differently. An agnostic who considers an eternity of suffering in hell a live possibility might rationally make a religious commitment in order to avoid it. Non-doxastic religion is commonly conceived as requiring a pro-attitude. If fear can have the impact I suggest, we must broaden the picture to allow for a negatively based commitment as well. To make explicit the kind of attitude relevant here, I offer an analysis of fear as a rational, non-doxastic attitude.
Decidual Vasculopathy and Spiral Artery Remodeling Revisited III: Hypoxia and Re-oxygenation Sequence with Vascular Regeneration
Authors: Zhang Peilin
Published: July 2020

Aim: Spiral artery remodeling at early pregnancy is characterized by two distinct mechanisms with two morphologic features, namely, trophoblastic-dependent vascular invasion with “plugging”, and trophoblastic-independent mural muscular hypertrophy/hyperplasia, both of which lead to the blocking or narrowing of the arterial lumen with the consequence of reduced maternal blood flow to the developing embryo. Methods: Review of historic literature in light of the new discovery of CD56 (NCAM) expression on endovascular trophoblasts at late gestation, in relation to placental lateral growth with vascular regeneration. Results: Reduced maternal blood flow to the embryo results in a hypoxic condition critical for trophectoderm differentiation and proliferation. Hypoxia is also important for the development of hemangioblasts of vasculogenesis, and hematopoiesis of the placental villi. Up to 13 weeks, both uteroplacental and fetoplacental circulations are established and hypoxic condition relieved for normal fetal/placenta development by ultrasonography. The persistence of trophoblastic plugging and/or mural muscular hypertrophy/hyperplasia leads to persistent reduced maternal blood flow to the placenta, resulting in persistent hypoxia and increased angiogenesis, with a constellation of pathologic features of maternal vascular malperfusion atlate gestation. Wilm’s tumor gene (WT1) expression appears to be central to steroid and peptide hormonal actions in early pregnancy, and vascular regeneration/restoration after pregnancy. Conclusions: Spiral artery remodeling at early pregnancy leads to hypoxia with vascular transformation, and the establishment of uteroplacental circulation results in relief of hypoxia. The hypoxia–re-oxygenation sequence may provide insights into the mechanism of normal fetal/placental development and associated pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia.
End-of-Life Options for Bio-Based Plastics in a Circular Economy—Status Quo and Potential from a Life Cycle Assessment Perspective
Authors: Spierling Sebastian , Venkatachalam Venkateshwaran , Mudersbach Marina , Becker Nico , Herrmann Christoph , Endres Hans-Josef
Published: July 2020

The bio-based plastic market is forecast to grow in the next years. With a growing market share and product range, the implementation of circular thinking is becoming more and more important also for bio-based plastics to enable a sound circular economy for these group of plastics. Therefore, it is important to assess the environmental performance for different end-of-life options of bio-based plastics from an early stage on. This review presents a comprehensive overview on the current status quo of different end-of-life options for bio-based plastics from an environmental perspective. Based on the status quo and the corresponding impact assessment results, the global plastic demand as well as the technical substitution potential of bio-based plastics, the environmental saving potential in case of the different end-of-life options was calculated. The review shows that there is a focus on polylactic acid (PLA) regarding end-of-life assessment, with studies covering all end-of-life options. The focus of the impact assessment has been set on global warming potential (GWP). With respect to GWP, the analysis of a future global potential of PLA showed, for mechanical recycling, the highest saving potential with 94.1 Mio. t CO2-eq. per year in comparison to virgin material.
Fiscal Responsibility Legal Framework—New Paradigm for Fiscal Discipline in the EU
Authors: Tofan Mihaela , Onofrei Mihaela , Vatamanu Anca-Florentina
Published: July 2020

This paper aims at studying the legal aspects of the European Union (EU)’s fiscal policy, analyzing the statute of fiscal responsibility legal framework, the different measures undertaken in the last years with respect to European trends in fiscal governance and their implications for challenges in public finance sustainability. The research started from the presupposition that there is a lack of mechanisms capable of enforcing the area of public finance sustainability, and the implication of the events that created the economic conjuncture of recent years reveals that the solidity of public finances has reached an impasse and needs to be enhanced. The analyzed documents from the area of fiscal responsibility show formal respect for the legislative framework aimed at consolidating public finance sustainability and accentuate the need to use fiscal laws, independent institutions and mechanisms that put constraints on policymakers and determine them to spend more efficiently, invest more wisely, and obtain better results regarding public finance sustainability. We conclude that future policymaking processes need to consider the consolidation of independent fiscal institutions founded by Fiscal Responsibility Law framework, completed by fiscal rules and, therefore, need to redesign the fiscal risk management process.
Estimating Near Real-Time Hourly Evapotranspiration Using Numerical Weather Prediction Model Output and GOES Remote Sensing Data in Iowa
Authors: S. Ha Wonsook , R. Diak George , F. Krajewski Witold
Published: July 2020

This study evaluates the applicability of numerical weather prediction output supplemented with remote sensing data for near real-time operational estimation of hourly evapotranspiration (ET). Rapid Refresh (RAP) and High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) systems were selected to provide forcing data for a Penman-Monteith model to calculate the Actual Evapotranspiration (AET) over Iowa. To investigate how the satellite-based remotely sensed net radiation ( R n ) estimates might potentially improve AET estimates, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite derived R n (GOES- R n ) data were incorporated into each dataset for comparison with the RAP and HRRR R n -based AET evaluations. The authors formulated a total of four AET models—RAP, HRRR, RAP-GOES, HRRR-GOES, and validated the respective ET estimates against two eddy covariance tower measurements from central Iowa. The implementation of HRRR-GOES for AET estimates showed the best results among the four models. The HRRR-GOES model improved statistical results, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.8, a root mean square error (mm hr−1) of 0.08, and a mean bias (mm hr−1) of 0.02 while the HRRR only model results were 0.64, 0.09, and 0.04, respectively. Despite limited in situ observational data to fully test a proposed AET estimation, the HRRR-GOES model clearly showed potential utility as a tool to predict AET at a regional scale with high spatio-temporal resolution.
Precipitation Diurnal Cycle Assessment of Satellite-Based Estimates over Brazil
Authors: Afonso João Maria de Sousa , Vila Daniel Alejandro , Gan Manoel Alonso , Quispe David Pareja , Barreto Naurinete de Jesus da Costa , Huamán Chinchay Joao Henry , Palharini Rayana Santos Araujo
Published: July 2020

The main objective of this study is to assess the ability of several high-resolution satellite-based precipitation estimates to represent the Precipitation Diurnal Cycle (PDC) over Brazil during the 2014–2018 period, after the launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite (GPM). The selected algorithms are the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP), The Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) and Climate Prediction Center (CPC) MORPHing technique (CMORPH). Hourly rain gauge data from different national and regional networks were used as the reference dataset after going through rigid quality control tests. All datasets were interpolated to a common 0.1° × 0.1° grid every 3 h for comparison. After a hierarchical cluster analysis, seven regions with different PDC characteristics (amplitude and phase) were selected for this study. The main results of this research could be summarized as follow: (i) Those regions where thermal heating produce deep convective clouds, the PDC is better represented by all algorithms (in term of amplitude and phase) than those regions driven by shallow convection or low-level circulation; (ii) the GSMaP suite (GSMaP-Gauge (G) and GSMaP-Motion Vector Kalman (MVK)), in general terms, outperforms the rest of the algorithms with lower bias and less dispersion. In this case, the gauge-adjusted version improves the satellite-only retrievals of the same algorithm suggesting that daily gauge-analysis is useful to reduce the bias in a sub-daily scale; (iii) IMERG suite (IMERG-Late (L) and IMERG-Final (F)) overestimates rainfall for almost all times and all the regions, while the satellite-only version provide better results than the final version; (iv) CMORPH has the better performance for a transitional regime between a coastal land-sea breeze and a continental amazonian regime. Further research should be performed to understand how shallow clouds processes and convective/stratiform classification is performed in each algorithm to improve the representativity of diurnal cycle.
DeepInSAR—A Deep Learning Framework for SAR Interferometric Phase Restoration and Coherence Estimation
Authors: Sun Xinyao , Zimmer Aaron , Mukherjee Subhayan , Kottayil Navaneeth Kamballur , Ghuman Parwant , Cheng Irene
Published: July 2020

Over the past decade, using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) remote sensing technology for ground displacement detection has become very successful. However, during the acquisition stage, microwave signals reflected from the ground and received by the satellite are contaminated, for example, due to undesirable material reflectance and atmospheric factors, and there is no clean ground truth to discriminate these noises, which adversely affect InSAR phase computation. Accurate InSAR phase filtering and coherence estimation are crucial for subsequent processing steps. Current methods require expert supervision and expensive runtime to evaluate the quality of intermediate outputs, limiting the usability and scalability in practical applications, such as wide area ground displacement monitoring and predication. We propose a deep convolutional neural network based model DeepInSAR to intelligently solve both phase filtering and coherence estimation problems. We demonstrate our model’s performance using simulated and real data. A teacher-student framework is introduced to handle the issue of missing clean InSAR ground truth. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations show that our teacher-student approach requires less input but can achieve better results than its stack-based teacher method even on new unseen data. The proposed DeepInSAR also outperforms three other top non-stack based methods in time efficiency without human supervision.
Assessing the Temporal Response of Tropical Dry Forests to Meteorological Drought
Authors: Zou Lidong , Cao Sen , Zhao Anzhou , Sanchez-Azofeifa Arturo
Published: July 2020

Due to excessive human disturbances, as well as predicted changes in precipitation regimes, tropical dry forests (TDFs) are susceptible to meteorological droughts. Here, we explored the response of TDFs to meteorological drought by conducting temporal correlations between the MODIS-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) to a standardized precipitation index (SPI) between March 2000 and March 2017 at the Santa Rosa National Park Environmental Monitoring Super Site (SRNP-EMSS), Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We conducted this study using monthly and seasonal scales. Our results indicate that the NDVI and LST are largely influenced by seasonality, as well as the magnitude, duration, and timing of precipitation. We find that greenness and evapotranspiration are highly sensitive to precipitation when TDFs suffer from long-term water deficiency, and they tend to be slightly resistant to meteorological drought in the wet season. Greenness is more resistant to short-term rainfall deficiency than evapotranspiration, but greenness is more sensitive to precipitation after a period of rainfall deficiency. Precipitation can still strongly influence evapotranspiration on the canopy surface, but greenness is not controlled by the rainfall, but rather phenological characteristics when leaves begin to senesce.
Uncertainty Analysis for Object-Based Change Detection in Very High-Resolution Satellite Images Using Deep Learning Network
Authors: Song Ahram , Kim Yongil , Han Youkyung
Published: July 2020

Object-based image analysis (OBIA) is better than pixel-based image analysis for change detection (CD) in very high-resolution (VHR) remote sensing images. Although the effectiveness of deep learning approaches has recently been proved, few studies have investigated OBIA and deep learning for CD. Previously proposed methods use the object information obtained from the preprocessing and postprocessing phase of deep learning. In general, they use the dominant or most frequently used label information with respect to all the pixels inside an object without considering any quantitative criteria to integrate the deep learning network and object information. In this study, we developed an object-based CD method for VHR satellite images using a deep learning network to denote the uncertainty associated with an object and effectively detect the changes in an area without the ground truth data. The proposed method defines the uncertainty associated with an object and mainly includes two phases. Initially, CD objects were generated by unsupervised CD methods, and the objects were used to train the CD network comprising three-dimensional convolutional layers and convolutional long short-term memory layers. The CD objects were updated according to the uncertainty level after the learning process was completed. Further, the updated CD objects were considered as the training data for the CD network. This process was repeated until the entire area was classified into two classes, i.e., change and no-change, with respect to the object units or defined epoch. The experiments conducted using two different VHR satellite images confirmed that the proposed method achieved the best performance when compared with the performances obtained using the traditional CD approaches. The method was less affected by salt and pepper noise and could effectively extract the region of change in object units without ground truth data. Furthermore, the proposed method can offer advantages associated with unsupervised CD methods and a CD network subjected to postprocessing by effectively utilizing the deep learning technique and object information.
Systematic Orbital Geometry-Dependent Variations in Satellite Solar-Induced Fluorescence (SIF) Retrievals
Authors: Joiner Joanna , Yoshida Yasuko , Köehler Philipp , Campbell Petya , Frankenberg Christian , van der Tol Christiaan , Yang Peiqi , Parazoo Nicholas , Guanter Luis , Sun Ying
Published: July 2020

While solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) shows promise as a remotely-sensed measurement directly related to photosynthesis, interpretation and validation of satellite-based SIF retrievals remains a challenge. SIF is influenced by the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically-active radiation at the canopy level that depends upon illumination geometry as well as the escape of SIF through the canopy that depends upon the viewing geometry. Several approaches to estimate the effects of sun-sensor geometry on satellite-based SIF have been proposed, and some have been implemented, most relying upon satellite reflectance measurements and/or other ancillary data sets. These approaches, designed to ultimately estimate intrinsic or physiological components of SIF related to photosynthesis, have not generally been applied globally to satellite measurements. Here, we examine in detail how SIF and related reflectance-based indices from wide swath polar orbiting satellites in low Earth orbit vary systematically due to the host satellite orbital characteristics. We compare SIF and reflectance-based parameters from the Global Ozone Mapping Experiment 2 (GOME-2) on the MetOp-B platform and from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on the Sentinel 5 Precursor satellite with a focus on high northern latitudes in summer where observations at similar geometries and local times occur. We show that GOME-2 and TROPOMI SIF observations agree nearly to within estimated uncertainties when they are compared at similar observing geometries. We show that the cross-track dependence of SIF normalized by PAR and related reflectance-based indices are highly correlated for dense canopies, but diverge substantially as the vegetation within a field-of-view becomes more sparse. This has implications for approaches that utilize reflectance measurements to help account for SIF geometrical dependences in satellite measurements. To further help interpret the GOME-2 and TROPOMI SIF observations, we simulated cross-track dependences of PAR normalized SIF and reflectance-based indices with the one dimensional Soil-Canopy Observation Photosynthesis and Energy fluxes (SCOPE) canopy radiative transfer model at sun–satellite geometries that occur across the wide swaths of these instruments and examine the geometrical dependencies of the various components (e.g., fraction of absorbed PAR, SIF yield, and escape of SIF from the canopy) of the observed SIF signal. The simulations show that most of the cross-track variations in SIF result from the escape of SIF through the scattering canopy and not the illumination.
Micromachined Accelerometers with Sub-µg/√Hz Noise Floor: A Review
Authors: Wang Chen , Chen Fang , Wang Yuan , Sadeghpour Sina , Wang Chenxi , Baijot Mathieu , Esteves Rui , Zhao Chun , Bai Jian , Liu Huafeng , Kraft Michael
Published: July 2020

This paper reviews the research and development of micromachined accelerometers with a noise floor lower than 1 µg/√Hz. Firstly, the basic working principle of micromachined accelerometers is introduced. Then, different methods of reducing the noise floor of micromachined accelerometers are analyzed. Different types of micromachined accelerometers with a noise floor below 1 µg/√Hz are discussed. Such sensors can mainly be categorized into: (i) micromachined accelerometers with a low spring constant; (ii) with a large proof mass; (iii) with a high quality factor; (iv) with a low noise interface circuit; (v) with sensing schemes leading to a high scale factor. Finally, the characteristics of various micromachined accelerometers and their trends are discussed and investigated.
Toward the Standardization of Limits to Offset and Noise in Electronic Instrument Transformers
Authors: Mingotti Alessandro , Peretto Lorenzo , Tinarelli Roberto
Published: July 2020

The scenario of instrument transformers has radically changed from the introduction of the Low-Power version, both passive and active. The latter type, typically referred to as Electronic Instrument Transformers (EITs), has no dedicated standard within the IEC 61869 series yet. To this purpose, in the authors’ opinion, it is worth understanding how the limits of typical disturbances affecting EITs should be standardized. In particular, after a brief review of the standards, the work presented a mathematical approach to determine the sources of signal disturbances influence, which affect the rms value, on the ratio error. From the results, we discussed that the emergence of disturbances generated within the EIT is a critical aspect to be studied with data of typical off-the-shelf devices. Therefore, to guarantee a correct operation of the devices, a proper standardization of the sources of disturbance should be provided.
Sensors and Systems for Physical Rehabilitation and Health Monitoring—A Review
Authors: Nascimento Lucas Medeiros Souza do , Bonfati Lucas Vacilotto , Freitas Melissa La Banca , Mendes Junior José Jair Alves , Siqueira Hugo Valadares , Stevan Sergio Luiz
Published: July 2020

The use of wearable equipment and sensing devices to monitor physical activities, whether for well-being, sports monitoring, or medical rehabilitation, has expanded rapidly due to the evolution of sensing techniques, cheaper integrated circuits, and the development of connectivity technologies. In this scenario, this paper presents a state-of-the-art review of sensors and systems for rehabilitation and health monitoring. Although we know the increasing importance of data processing techniques, our focus was on analyzing the implementation of sensors and biomedical applications. Although many themes overlap, we organized this review based on three groups: Sensors in Healthcare, Home Medical Assistance, and Continuous Health Monitoring; Systems and Sensors in Physical Rehabilitation; and Assistive Systems.