bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Framework-Based Wind Forecasting to Assess Wind Potential with Improved Grey Wolf Optimization and Support Vector Regression
Authors: Hameed Siddik Shakul , Ramadoss Ramesh , Raju Kannadasan , Shafiullah GM
Published: April 2022

Wind energy is one of the most promising alternates of fossil fuels because of its abundant availability, low cost, and pollution-free attributes. Wind potential estimation, wind forecasting, and effective wind-energy management are the critical factors in planning and managing wind farms connected to wind-pooling substations. Hence, this study proposes a hybrid framework-based approach for wind-resource estimation and forecasting, namely IGWO-SVR (improved grey wolf optimization method (IGWO)-support vector regression (SVR)) for a real-time power pooling substation. The wind resource assessment and behavioral wind analysis has been carried out with the proposed IGWO-SVR optimization method for hourly, daily, monthly, and annual cases using 40 years of ERA (European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast reanalysis) data along with the impact of the El Niño effect. First, wind reassessment is carried out considering the impact of El Niño, wind speed, power, pressure, and temperature of the selected site Radhapuram substation in Tamilnadu, India and reported extensively. In addition, statistical analysis and wind distribution fitting are performed to demonstrate the seasonal effect. Then the proposed model is adopted for wind speed forecasting based on the dataset. From the results, the proposed model offered the best assessment report and predicted the wind behavior with greater accuracy using evaluation metrics, namely root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean squared error (MSE). For short-term wind speed, power, and El Niño forecasting, IGWO-SVR optimization effectively outperforms other existing models. This method can be adapted effectively in any potential locations for wind resource assessment and forecasting needs for better renewable energy management by power utilities.
Effects of Silicic Acid on Leaching Behavior of Arsenic from Spent Magnesium-Based Adsorbents Containing Arsenite
Authors: Sugita Hajime , Oguma Terumi , Hara Junko , Zhang Ming , Kawabe Yoshishige
Published: April 2022

The spent adsorbents left after treating arsenic-contaminated water contain large amounts of arsenic. These spent adsorbents may come into contact with silicic acid leached from soil or cementitious solidification materials in the disposal environment. Thus, it is important to evaluate the effects of silicic acid on spent adsorbents containing arsenic. In this study, the effects of silicic acid on spent Mg-based adsorbents (magnesium oxide (MgO) and magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2)) containing arsenite were investigated. The arsenic leaching ratios of both spent adsorbents decreased slightly with an increase in the initial silicic acid concentration of the eluent. The arsenic leaching ratio decreased from 1.24% to 0.69% for MgO and from 5.97% to 4.71% for Mg(OH)2 at an initial Si-normalized concentration of 100 mg/L. The primary mechanism behind the inhibition of arsenic leaching by silicic acid was determined to be the difficulty of arsenic desorption due to the coating effect following the adsorption of silicic acid species. The results indicate that the arsenic leaching related to the ion exchange reaction with silicic acid hardly occurred for the spent Mg-based adsorbents. Compared with various spent Mg-based and Ca-based adsorbents, the spent MgO adsorbent exhibited the highest environmental stability and best performance.
Beach Access, Property Rights, and Social-Distributive Questions: A Cross-National Legal Perspective of Fifteen Countries
Authors: Alterman Rachelle , Pellach Cygal
Published: April 2022

The right to access and enjoy the coastal zone, and especially the beach, is a centuries-old legal tenet in many countries and a key part of Integrated Coastal Zone Management. However, the legal right for coastal access takes on different forms and degrees in different countries (or states). In this paper we argue that accessibility to coastal zones should be seen as a multi-faceted concept, and we distinguish among four different categories of accessibly. The first two—horizontal and vertical access—are the usual notions. We add two more: access to sea views, and access for people with disabilities. Regarding all four categories, in addition to the legal survey, we also attempt to point out some potential social justice issues. The comparative analysis focuses on national-level law and policy in fifteen advanced-economy countries. Most are also signatories to one or two international legal or policy rules about coastal management. The factual information on each country is based on country reports by top national scholars recently published in a book initiated and edited by this paper’s authors. In this paper, the authors develop further systematic comparative analysis within a new theoretical framing. The findings show that to date, the international rules have had only limited on-the-ground influence. Many gaps remain, mirroring cross-national inequalities in the rights to beach access. The comparative findings point to some emerging trends—both progressive and regressive. The conclusions call for upgrading the issue of coastal access rights through further research on aspects of implementation and through cross-national exchange.
An Integrated Landscape–Seascape Approach in the Making: Facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Partnership for Socio-Ecological Revitalisation in Eastern Coastal Taiwan (2016–2021)
Authors: Karimova Paulina G. , Lee Kuang-Chung
Published: April 2022

Over the past decade, integrated landscape (–seascape) approaches—IL(S)As—have been gaining prominence as holistic, collaborative, and tangible solutions to biodiversity conservation and sustainability challenges. On-the-ground implementation of IL(S)As, however, is a complex task. The Xinshe “Forest–River–Village–Ocean” Eco-Agriculture Initiative (the Xinshe Initiative), established in October 2016 and facilitated by the authors, is an ILSA aimed at the socio-ecological revitalisation of the Xinshe ridge-to-reef landscape–seascape in eastern coastal Taiwan. The objective of this paper is to summarise and demonstrate our experiences with facilitating the Xinshe Initiative over the five-year period (2016–2021). This is a case study participatory action research based on mixed qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Research findings reveal the importance of: (1) locally sensitive boundary setting and checking by the means of inclusive and participatory processes; (2) various facilitation tools and engagement strategies for the continuity of multi-stakeholder interest and engagement; (3) five socio-ecological perspectives of the Satoyama Initiative for determining environmental and socio-economic objectives; (4) regular, consistent, and locally sensitive monitoring and evaluation tools for the effectiveness of adaptive co-management; and (5) enabling conditions (relational, knowledge, and political resources) for promoting the Xinshe ILSA-related experiences “from -scape to scale”.
Making the “Unthinkable” Thinkable: Fostering Sustainable Development for Youth in Ethiopia’s Lowlands
Authors: Presler-Marshall Elizabeth , Yadete Workneh , Jones Nicola A. , Gebreyehu Yitagesu
Published: April 2022

Ethiopia’s economic, social, and environmental risks are not distributed equally. Its lowland areas lag behind its upland plateau on myriad development indicators, and they are at much greater risk of climate change impacts. Attending to this imbalance is critical if Ethiopia is to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and takes on heightened import given the size of its youth population. This paper draws on qualitative, longitudinal data collected between 2017 and 2022 to explore the diverse and interwoven risks facing adolescents (and their families) living in the lowland areas of the Oromia and Afar regions. While risks—including drought, invasive species, population growth, and restrictive gender norms—are similar across research locations, differences in traditional livelihoods and government investments mean that outcomes are highly varied. In agriculturalist Oromia, improved access to transportation infrastructure in particular has resulted in such improved livelihoods that it is not uncommon for households to prioritise earning over learning. This is especially true for girls. In pastoralist Afar, where many communities have extremely limited access to potable water and education, current and future lives and livelihoods remain truncated. The paper concludes that sustainable development requires that the government of Ethiopia and its partners invest in a twin-track approach that supports households to meet current needs and to invest in the education that positions young people to thrive in the future.
Self-Rated Health and Socioeconomic Status in Old Age: The Role of Gender and the Moderating Effect of Time and Welfare Regime in Europe
Authors: Tur-Sinai Aviad , Paz Amira , Doron Israel
Published: April 2022

Research has shown that health status and self-rated health (SRH) are correlated not only with age and gender but also with socioeconomic determinants, such as income, education, and employment status, in the course of life and in late life. Much less investigated, however, are gender differences in the association between socioeconomic factors and SRH and how the connection differs among the European welfare state regimes. This study examines the association between SRH and socioeconomic status in later life and in relation to gender and welfare state regime characteristics. Using SHARE data, it builds an analytical sample of respondents aged 60–70 (1275 men, 1544 women) who participated in Wave 1 and, ten years later, in Wave 6. The analysis regresses SRH by gender on socioeconomic status, controlling for various sociodemographic, health, and socioeconomic variables, as well as welfare regime indicators, at two points in time. Past health variables are also controlled for in order to evaluate their effect on SRH at the time of the investigation. A significant gender gap in SRH is found from childhood to late life. The association of socioeconomic status with poorer SRH is significant over time and within welfare state regimes. Consequently, the relationship between gender and SRH, and the extent to which it varies by socioeconomic position, does appear to differ across welfare state regimes. In all regimes and all points in time, including retrospective childhood SRH, women report poorer health than men. The analysis underscores the association between SRH and socioeconomic status in relation to gender in late life and finds that it correlates differently for men and women. The odds of women experiencing poorer SRH are higher, although they become more moderate over time. Even under the most egalitarian welfare regimes, gender differences in the nexus of SRH and socioeconomic status do not favor women.
Impact of Climate Change on Productivity and Technical Efficiency in Canadian Crop Production
Authors: Galushko Viktoriya , Gamtessa Samuel
Published: April 2022

There is a wide consensus that throughout the 20th century climate has changed globally, with many parts of the world facing increases in average temperatures as well as an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. While the existing climate models can predict future changes in climate with a high degree of confidence, the potential impacts of climate change on agricultural production and food security are still not well understood. In this work, we investigate the link between climate change, output, and inefficiency in Canadian crop production using provincial data for the period of 1972–2016. This study has built a unique climate dataset from station-level weather data and uses a panel stochastic frontier model to explore the effect of climatic conditions on crop production and inefficiency. The results reveal that climatic variables are significant predictors of both the maximum potential output (frontier) and technical inefficiency. The combined effect of higher temperatures and lower precipitation, as reflected in a lower Oury index, is a downward shift of the crop production frontier. While greater variability of daily temperatures during the growing season is found to have no statistically significant effect in the frontier equation, greater variation in rainfall results in a downward frontier shift. The results also show that weather shocks measured as a deviation from historical weather normals are significant predictors of technical inefficiency.
Sustainable Management Practices for Urban Green Spaces to Support Green Infrastructure: An Italian Case Study
Authors: Pantaloni Monica , Marinelli Giovanni , Santilocchi Rodolfo , Minelli Alberto , Neri Davide
Published: April 2022

Traditional land-use planning models have proven inadequate to address contemporary issues in sustainable development and protection governance. In recent years, new ‘performance based’ approaches that integrate ecosystem services (ES) provided via green infrastructure (GI) into traditional spatial planning models have been proven to reach a higher level of environmental performance, necessary to improve quality of life for all people. In Italy, there are no mandatory planning instruments to design and manage GI, which still remains a component of the traditional land-use plan. Here, the development of urban green spaces (UGS) based on ‘quantitative assessment’ is not suitable for guaranteeing the supply of ES. In addition, the scarcity of financial resources to develop ‘green standards’, as prescribed in the land-use plan to strategically design the GI, is an issue for most Italian public administrations. The paper provides the results of a test case conducted in a public green area of the city of Ancona, where the experimentation of a diversified maintenance strategy of an urban lawn significantly reduced the management cost and improved the environmental performance of green spaces. The identification of a unified management strategy to be applied to all the public UGS can help to achieve better results in support of sustainability, to redesign the continuity of GI and to develop strategies for future urban green master plans.
Designing a Framework for Materials Flow by Integrating Circular Economy Principles with End-of-Life Management Strategies
Authors: Huang Yuan , Shafiee Mahmood , Charnley Fiona , Encinas-Oropesa Adriana
Published: April 2022

Circular economy is an upward trending notion that has drawn worldwide attention of policymakers, industry administrators, environmentalist as well as academic researchers. Though there are several tools developed for monitoring the material recovery, a very few number of research have been conducted to integrate circular economy principles with end-of-life (EOL) management strategies. This paper proposes an EOL-driven circular economy framework for the management of materials flow so as to extend the lifetime of materials through improved durability as well as to provide more social, economic and environmental benefits through less material waste. A case study from the agricultural waste industry is presented in order to test the model and validate its performance. The results show that the proposed framework has a good potential for small and medium enterprises (SME) advances.
Analysis of the Relationship between the Characteristics of the Areas of Influence of Bus Stops and the Decrease in Ridership during COVID-19 Lockdowns
Authors: Montero-Lamas Yaiza , Orro Alfonso , Novales Margarita , Varela-García Francisco-Alberto
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the characteristics of the areas of influence of bus stops and the decrease in ridership during COVID-19 lockdowns and subsequent initial reopening processes. A novel GIS methodology was developed to determine these characteristics from a large amount of data with high spatial detail and accurately assign them to individual bus stops. After processing the data, several multiple linear regression models were developed to determine the variables related to different activities and changes in mobility during lockdown that may explain the variation in demand owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The characteristics related to population and land use were also studied. The proposed methodology can be used to improve transit planning during exceptional situations, by strengthening public transport in areas with a predictably higher transit demand, instead of uniformly decreasing the availability of public transport services, promoting sustainable mobility. The efficiency of the proposed methodology was shown by performing a case study that analysed the variation in bus demand in A Coruña, Spain. The areas with the highest sustained demand were those with low inhabitant incomes, a high population density, and significant proportions of land use dedicated to hospitals, offices, or supermarkets.
Wind Energy Assessments in the Northern Romanian Coastal Environment Based on 20 Years of Data Coming from Different Sources
Authors: Yildirir Victoria , Rusu Eugen , Onea Florin
Published: April 2022

Based on the fact that the wind speed tends to increase as we go from onshore to offshore, the aim of this work is to perform an analysis of a Romanian coastal sector located near the Danube Delta. Over the course of 20 years (2001–2020), in situ observations and reanalysis data (ERA5 and MERRA-2) of the local wind conditions were evaluated from a meteorological and renewable point of view. This evaluation includes two onshore sites (Galati and Tulcea), one site located near the shoreline (Sulina) and also two offshore sites defined at 64 and 126 km from the coastline. From the comparison with in situ measurements, it was found that ERA5 shows a better agreement with the onshore sites, while for the Sulina site the MERRA-2 is more accurate. Additionally, it was highlighted that by using only four values per day of reanalysis data (00:06:12:18 UTC), the average wind speed is similar with the one from the hourly data. As for a wind turbine performance (hub height of 100 m), in the case of the onshore sites the downtime period is much higher during the night (up to 63%) compared to only 23% indicated by the offshore ones during the entire day.
An Analysis of the Effect of Non-Parking Facilities in Parking-Only Buildings on the Traffic Inducement Rate
Authors: Jeong Jae-Young , Cho Mi-Jeong , Lee Myeong-Hun
Published: April 2022

The designation parking-only building (POB)was first introduced in the Parking Lot Act on 14 December 1991. According to the law, POBs can be used for purposes other than parking facilities, that is, non-parking facilities (NPFs), up to 70% of the total floor area. In addition, the POB is an infrastructure in accordance with the National Land Planning and Utilization Act. Excessive introduction of NPFs in a POB weakens the public nature of the building and creates additional demand for parking due to NPFs, thus changing the original meaning of a parking lot. However, on the other hand, NPFs in POBs have a positive aspect in that they contribute to the realization of a compressed city through mixed-use development and increased user convenience. This study investigated and analyzed the usage status of NPFs for POBs in 31 cities in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. In addition, the amount of traffic generated by NPFs was defined as the traffic inducement rate (TIR) and policy implications were presented by analyzing the influencing factors. The ratio of NPFs in POBs was 20% on average, but 3% in public parking lots, and 24% in private parking lots. Most of the NPFs used were for-profit facilities such as neighborhood living facilities and sales facilities. As a result of analyzing the factors affecting the TIR, it was analyzed that the larger the total floor area of a POB, the higher the private ownership, the smaller the number of parking spaces; and the larger the entrance road width, the greater the TIR. In order to prevent excessive change in the use of POBs, the ratio limit of NPFs will be gradually lowered in proportion to the total floor area and public parking lots will be expanded. In the planning stage, meticulous district-wide planning is required for the use and ratio of NPFs in POBs according to the access road type. This article will be meaningful if you want to supply a POB that satisfies suppliers, consumers, and users. In particular, it will enable government officials who decide and implement policies related to POBs to recognize that full-scale research is necessary.
Assessment of Future Drought Index Using SSP Scenario in Rep. of Korea
Authors: An Songhee , Park Guetae , Jung Hanna , Jang Dongwoo
Published: April 2022

Drought is a meteorological disaster that has serious economic and environmental impacts. Therefore, for drought assessment, it is important to not only analyze the current state of drought using observed data but also future droughts by considering climate change. Although shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) have been developed, studies regarding their application in drought analysis in Korea are insufficient. In this study, the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and reconnaissance drought index (RDI) for future droughts in Korea were calculated and analyzed using climate data based on SSP scenarios. The precipitation and temperature data from SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios were analyzed. In both scenarios, temperature and precipitation increased toward the long-term future, with the increase being more in the SSP5-8.5 scenario than in the SSP1-2.6 scenario. Using these data, the number of drought occurrences was found to be smaller, and the two drought indices were found to be lower in SSP5-8.5 scenario than in the SSP1-2.6 scenario, implying that more severe droughts may occur in the former than in the latter. In addition, in SSP1-2.6 scenarios, both SPI and RDI increased toward the long-term future, while in SSP5-8.5 scenario, SPI increased, and RDI decreased toward the long-term future.
The Effect of Costs on Durable Benefits and Leisure Identity in Korean Badminton Participants by Level of Serious Leisure
Authors: Kim Mi-Lyang
Published: April 2022

We determined the effects of perseverance and personal effort costs on durable benefits and leisure identity at various levels of serious leisure. The subjects of the study were participants in badminton clubs in Korea. In Korea, badminton has more players than any other club sport. A total of 204 responses were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. The analysis included confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, k-means cluster analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Subjects were categorized according to three levels of participation in serious leisure: Core Devotee, Moderate Devotee, or Participant. Analyzing the effects of perseverance and personal effort on durable benefits and leisure identity for each level of serious leisure indicated that individual effort had a statistically significant effect in the Core Devotee group and perseverance had a significant effect in the Participant group. However, neither factor had a significant effect in the Moderate Devotee group. This study demonstrated that the effects of cost on badminton participants vary by serious leisure level. Our results are meaningful in that they suggest that different leisure-promotion factors are needed for each level of serious leisure. This study provides a foundation for follow-up studies on leisure costs.
Spatial Regulation Instruments of Work at Home: The Case of Slovenia as a Post-Transition Country
Authors: Čok Gregor , Mrak Gašper , Breznik Jana , Foški Mojca , Zavodnik Lamovšek Alma
Published: April 2022

Work at home and work from home are becoming the subject of interdisciplinary research in the current social conditions. Slovenia, as a post-transition country, has specific experience in terms of its regulation, as the former socialist and later transition period were relatively tolerant of various forms of work at home. The article presents the results of research aimed at studying current normative provisions for the organization of work at home, its actual spatial and program scope, and its correlation with building typology and morphology. Using a descriptive research method and by analyzing existing databases in the GIS environment, we found that work at home is a very extensive phenomenon in Slovenia. Despite the effective instruments in the fields of spatial planning, public administration, tax system, and employment legal relationships, its scope is mainly a consequence of historical tolerance, as this form of work has been legally organized and desirable for decades. We found that various urban characteristics did not significantly affect its occurrence in the past. The differences are reflected only in the extent of business activities that can be carried out in residential areas and differ according to the distance from urban centers. In order for the regulation of work at home to become even more efficient in the future, it is necessary to define more detailed criteria, especially in terms of its program regulation and monitoring of the spatial situation.
Exploring Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Marketing Connections
Authors: Deo Kirtika , Prasad Abhnil Amtesh
Published: April 2022

Adaptation and mitigation to the adverse impacts of rising weather and climate extremes require businesses to respond with adequate marketing strategies promoting sustained economic development. Unfortunately, the connections exploring such relationships have not been extensively investigated in the current body of literature. This study investigated the five marketing categories relating to sustainable practices (sustainable marketing, social marketing, green marketing, sustainable consumption and ecological marketing) within core research themes of climate change, global warming and sustainability from a bibliometric approach using the Scopus API. Additional topic modelling was conducted using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) unsupervised approach on downloaded abstracts to distinguish ideas communicated in time through research and publications with co-occurrences of major Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports and Google search queries. The results confirmed marketing strategies aligned with the theme of sustainability with little work from small developing island nations. Additionally, findings demonstrated that research exploring business strategies through green marketing directed to green consumers with sustainable supply chain management had been dominantly increasing in the literature over recent years. Similarly, social marketing associated with green consumers was a common concern for the public and academics, rising over the years with strong influence from the published IPCC Assessment Reports. This study did not explore other published databases, including climate change-related meeting transcripts and published speeches from corporate and world leaders.
Spatiotemporal Variations and Driving Factors of Ecological Land during Urbanization—A Case Study in the Yangtze River’s Lower Reaches
Authors: Yao Guohui , Li Haidong , Wang Nan , Zhao Lijun , Du Hanbei , Zhang Longjiang , Yan Shouguang
Published: April 2022

Ecological land change is an important indicator of eco-environment quality when balancing urbanization and regional ecological safety. Nantong, located in the Yangtze River’s lower reaches, has experienced rapid urbanization since the reform and opening-up policy was implemented in China in 1978. To ensure the regional ecological conservation and restoration of the Yangtze River and the city’s sustainable development, we used remote sensing technology and statistical yearbook data as well as land use dynamic degree (LUDD) and Geodetector methods to determine the spatiotemporal dynamics of ecological land in the Nantong riverine area from 1980 to 2020 and further discussed the potential driving factors. We found that (1) from 1980 to 2020, the major types of ecological land changed from cropland (82.08%), water (17.19%), and grassland (0.69%) to cropland (70.11%), water (26.98%), and forestland (2.25%), and the ecological land area decreased by 4091.36 km2 during the same period with a significantly increased dynamic degree of land use. (2) Spatial heterogeneity existed in the distribution and variation of ecological land. Water was the dominant ecological land use in the Yangtze River levee’s inner area, with transitions to cropland and impervious surfaces as the primary conversion types; cropland was the primary land use in the levee’s external area, with transitions from cropland and water to impervious surface as the primary conversion types. In addition, in cities with an early start and a high level of urbanization, most of the ecological land had been converted to impervious surfaces by urban development, whereas cities without those characteristics had retained more of their ecological land. (3) Ecological land change was influenced by a combination of natural and socio-economic factors, and there were enhanced-bi and enhanced-nonlinear interactions between them. (4) The dominant factors influencing ecological land changes during the three stages of urbanization (1980–2000, 2000–2010, and 2010–2020) were the distance to the Yangtze River, the population, and the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of secondary industry, respectively. The role of environmental policies has gradually increased in recent years, which has played a positive role in ecological land use restoration. The findings of this study can assist policymakers in optimizing land use and restoring ecological space to conserve biodiversity.
Minimum Velocity of Impingement Fluidization for Parachute-Shaped Vegetables
Authors: Góral Dariusz , Guz Tomasz , Pankiewicz Urszula
Published: April 2022

Accurate calculation of the minimum fluidization velocity makes it possible to reduce raw material losses due to the use of excessively high or excessively low air velocities. This is particularly true for impingement fluidization, which is little studied, especially when treating parachute-shaped raw material. This paper focused on determining the drag coefficient for cauliflower florets, mushrooms, and broccoli. Analysis of the critical particle lift velocity showed that the lowest value of the drag coefficient was found for mushrooms (0.9). The parachute-shaped vegetables analyzed had a large scatter of drag coefficient values associated with their specific shape (standard deviation: mushrooms 0.10 broccoli 0.14, and for cauliflower 0.15). The measured mean values of the minimum fluidization velocity of the tested vegetables in the impingement fluidization method ranged from 6.9 m∙s−1 to 10.97 m∙s−1. Application of the procedure recommended by Shilton and Narajan for calculating the minimum fluidization velocity on the basis of the shape coefficient ε resulted in large discrepancies between the calculated and experimental values (from 2.4 m∙s−1 to 3.8 m∙s−1).
Experimental Survey of the Sound Absorption Performance of Natural Fibres in Comparison with Conventional Insulating Materials
Authors: Gumanová Veronika , Sobotová Lýdia , Dzuro Tibor , Badida Miroslav , Moravec Marek
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this research is to investigate the acoustic properties of natural fibres and compare them with the values achieved by common insulation materials used in the construction of buildings. Three materials based on biomass were used for testing, namely cork, hemp and fibreboard. From the group of conventional materials, mineral wool, propylat and polyurethane foam were selected. For the purpose of determining the values of the sound absorption coefficient (α), the absorber specimens were tested using the impedance tube and two microphones method, according to standard ISO 10534-2. The measurement was performed for thicknesses of 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mm. The highest sound absorption of all materials was measured with a hemp sample at a frequency of 2000 Hz (α = 0.99) and a thickness of 20 mm. The lowest performance was achieved by cork at the same thickness and frequency of 100 Hz (α = 0.02). Among biomass materials, hemp dominated in the entire frequency range and at all thicknesses. The lowest values were for cork, from 160 to 500 Hz with a tendency to exceed the values of the fibreboard sample. Among conventional materials, mineral wool achieved the best results, while the lowest values were recorded for propylat with the occasional exception of the highest frequencies from 1600 to 2500 Hz.
A Case Study on the Fracturing Radius and Time Effects of CO2 Phase Transition Fracturing in Coal Seams
Authors: Yin Hong , Deng Yuan , Liu Chao , Chen Yafei , Chen Ziqiang , Qin Chao , He Donglin
Published: April 2022

CO2 phase transition fracturing (CPTF) is considered to be a promising way to improve the recovery efficiency of coalbed methane in deep, tight coal seams. In addition, it is significant to the CO2-ECBM and CO2 storage in coal. To better understand the fracturing radius and time effects of CPTF, a field experimentation was conducted on the Ji-15 coal seam of Pingmei 8th Coal Mine. The results indicate that the fracturing radius and time effects are significantly related; with the increase in fracturing radius, the time for extraction rate to reach the peak value is shorter. The calculated value of effective fracturing radius is 7.56 m via the fitting relationship. According to the CO2 content in different extraction boreholes after fracturing, it can be concluded that the crack zone is 5 m. In addition, the extraction rate of methane firstly increases slowly for a while, and then reaches the peak. This work could provide theoretical directions for the arrangement of fracturing and extraction boreholes in CO2 fracturing works related to CO2-ECBM and gas pre-extraction in coal mining.
Impact of the Design Industry on Carbon Emissions in the Manufacturing Industry in China: A Case Study of Zhejiang Province
Authors: Xu Bing , Qu Haoxiang
Published: April 2022

Reducing carbon emissions during the manufacturing process is a top priority for realizing the strategic “carbon neutral” target. Currently, there is a great deal of research about carbon production in the middle and later stages of production. However, studies on upstream processes are relatively scarce. Studies concerning the design stages are particularly uncommon, although this phase has a profound effect on carbon emissions during manufacturing. Therefore, it is vital to study this and related fields in depth. In this paper, we take Zhejiang Province, China, as the research object, and study the relationship between the design industry and carbon emissions in the manufacturing industry. Through analysis, we developed a first-level evaluation index for the influence of design on carbon emissions in the production stage. Then, we subdivided the first-level indexes into several second-level indexes using the entropy method. Subsequently, we calculated their weights and comprehensively evaluated the influence of these design factors on carbon emissions in the manufacturing industry using the ridge regression model test. Results from our research reveal that at the design end of the production chain, the expansion of resource scale of each design phase has a significant inhibitory effect on the carbon emissions of the manufacturing stage. Conversely, improvements to the industrial economic benefit index have a significant positive effect on the carbon emissions in the manufacturing industry, while government support and the innovation composite index have little influence. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: To reduce carbon emissions in the manufacturing industry, the scale of the inhibitory effect of the design process should be fully evaluated, while the scale construction and related resource input of the design phase should be emphasized. Furthermore, guidance regarding the social responsibility of design enterprises should be strengthened to further promote the concept of “green design” and reverse the purely market-oriented focus of the industry. Also, to promote a greener design industry, the provision of high-quality green design talents should be fortified. In the future, an appropriate green design evaluation index system should be devised to ensure the stable economic development of the design industry and challenge the current situation where a focus on economic indexes results in increased carbon emissions.
Utilization of Different Grain Size of Municipal Solid Waste Bottom Ash in High-Performance Mortars
Authors: Li Xiongwei , Guo Yanwei , Sharma Rahul , Singh Amardeep , Zhang Hao , Zhang Jiarui , Fu Yu
Published: April 2022

Globalization is bringing increased industrialization and municipal solid waste (MSW). This is a major concern in heavily populated areas. In order to reduce MSW generation, incineration is commonly used, resulting in two types of ashes: bottom and fly ash. Bottom ash is gathered at the incineration bed and is larger in mass than fly ash. To test the qualities of high-performance mortar, MSW-BA in three sizes (fine, medium, and coarse) was replaced with sand at three replacement levels of 10%, 20%, and 30%. The high-performance mortar integrating MSW-BA was tested for hardened density, mechanical properties such as compressive and flexural strength, resistance to NaOH solution, and heavy metal leaching. The substitution level of MSW-BA increased the hardened density of the mortar mixes. The volume change and residual strength of the mortar mixes were measured following exposure to the NaOH solution. Fine-particle mortar mixes shrank whereas medium- and coarse-particle mortar mixes expanded. The largest loss in flexural and compressive strength was recorded when 20% of sand was replaced with a fine fraction of MSW-BA. Heavy metals including cadmium and copper were not leached from MSW-BA combinations of any size. The minuscule amounts of lead and zinc discovered were well below acceptable limits. The present study illustrates the MSW-BA can be utilized as a substitute for sand in the development of high-performance mortar.
Exploring Factors Promoting Recycling Behavior in Student Housing
Authors: Söderberg Inga-Lill , Wester Misse , Jonsson Agnieszka Zalejska
Published: April 2022

As climate-related issues are important and concern all aspects of the built environment, there is a need to better understand the motives underlying household recycling behavior. The purpose of the present study is twofold: to investigate factors important for explaining the recycling behavior of young people and to explore respondents’ own ideas regarding barriers to recycling. This paper reports on a survey conducted from 2020 to 2021 among residents of student housing in Stockholm, Sweden. Eight hypotheses were formulated based on earlier research and a model was constructed. Answers from 1202 respondents were first analyzed by logistic regression to test factors affecting respondents’ self-reported recycling of paper, plastic, glass, and metal. Results show that the full model containing all predictors was statistically significant. The results showed that only four of the hypotheses were confirmed. Positive attitude toward recycling, personal norms, perceived behavioral control, and perceived convenience of recycling are positively affecting recycling behavior. In addition, 673 open answers were analyzed to provide information on unforeseen factors of importance for recycling behavior. This study adds to research by testing factors affecting recycling behaviors in a national context and by identifying new possible factors of importance. The results are also of benefit to business practitioners within the construction sector or within facility management in identifying activities that would add to sustainable development.
Sustainability-Oriented Transition in Clusters: A Multilevel Framework from Induction
Authors: Zen Aurora Carneiro , Bittencourt Bruno Anicet , Hervas-Oliver Jose-Luis , Rojas-Alvarado Ronald
Published: April 2022

The aim of this paper is based on understanding how sustainability-oriented transition occurs in clusters. This study focuses on both drivers and actors of that transition. Empirical results based on induction, using mixed-methods on the Serra Gaucha wine cluster in the South of Brazil, suggest that, at the micro-level, the mobility and adoption of knowledge about sustainability and individual awareness will support sustainability-oriented strategies as a new source of competitive advantage. Then, at the meso-level, collective actors’ efforts towards sustainability in the cluster legitimize, disseminate and facilitate the adoption of new sustainable-oriented practices, creating a new cluster sub-identity (sustainability) compatible with the existing one. These actors utilize leading local firms in order to disseminate new practices and signal change in the territory. Lastly, macro-level governmental regulations, market pressures, and other environmental changes facilitate that clusters develop a collective-minded strategy towards sustainability.
On the Mechanism Controlling the Relative Orientation of Graphene Bi-Layers
Authors: Hernandez-Robles Andrei , Romeu David , Ponce Arturo
Published: April 2022

We have measured the relative orientation of rotated graphene bi-layers (RGBs) deposited by chemical vapor deposition and found that there are spontaneously occurring preferred orientations. Measurements were performed using selected area electron diffraction patterns on various regions of the RGBs. These orientations minimize the complexity of the lattice defined by the set of all possible Burgers vectors. By using a precise definition of singularity, we have been able to show that all non-singular preferred orientations are special in the sense that their angular distance Δθ to the closest singular orientation also complies with the definition of singularity. Our results show that these special interfaces, named secondary singular interfaces, have simpler displacement fields compared to other non-singular RGBs, implying that interfacial dislocations have fewer Burgers vectors to choose from. Since all observed orientations were found to be either singular or secondary singular, we found evidence that RGBs starting out with rotation angles far from singular orientations re-orient themselves into a nearby secondary singular state in order to simplify their strain fields. Secondary singular orientations also account for the spontaneous formation of high Σ interfaces, although the lack of a precise definition of singularity caused them to remain unnoticed.
One for All, All for One: The Peculiar Dynamics of TNF-Receptor-Associated Factor (TRAF2) Subunits
Authors: Minicozzi Velia , Di Venere Almerinda , Caccuri Anna Maria , Mei Giampiero , Di Paola Luisa
Published: April 2022

TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2 (TRAF2) is a homo-trimer belonging to the TNF-receptor-associated factor family (TRAFs). The TRAF2 oligomeric state is crucial for receptor binding, the interaction with other proteins (involved in the TNFR signaling), and the interaction with biological membranes. In this study, we present a computational analysis of the Molecular Dynamics of TRAF2-C (a truncated and soluble TRAF2 form) to identify patterns in the interactions between the three chains. We have performed a canonical analysis of the motion applied to molecular dynamics starting from the available crystal structure to identify correlated motions in TRAF2 dynamics. We have computed the displacement matrix, providing a frame-by-frame displacement for each residue in the dynamic. We provide the results in terms of the correlation matrix, which represents a detailed map of the correlated motions of residues. Eventually, we computed the so-called dynamical clusters, based on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the motion (displacement) and the k means application on the first two principal components space. The results clearly indicate that, most of the time, two chains move in a strongly correlated motion, while the third chain follows a freer motion. A detailed analysis of the correlation matrix also shows that a few specific interface residues characterize the interaction of the more independent subunit with the other two. These findings suggest that the equilibrium between the trimer and the dissociated species (dimers and monomers) might be finely tuned by controlling a few critical residues in the protein quaternary structure, probably facilitating the regulation of oligomerization and dissociation in vivo.
New Generalized Class of Convex Functions and Some Related Integral Inequalities
Authors: Kashuri Artion , Agarwal Ravi P. , Mohammed Pshtiwan Othman , Nonlaopon Kamsing , Abualnaja Khadijah M. , Hamed Yasser S.
Published: April 2022

There is a strong correlation between convexity and symmetry concepts. In this study, we investigated the new generic class of functions called the (n,m)–generalized convex and studied its basic algebraic properties. The Hermite–Hadamard inequality for the (n,m)–generalized convex function, for the products of two functions and of this type, were proven. Moreover, this class of functions was applied to several known identities; midpoint-type inequalities of Ostrowski and Simpson were derived. Our results are extensions of many previous contributions related to integral inequalities via different convexities.
Analysis of Lower Facial Third and Dental Proportions to Predict Maxillary Anterior Teeth Width in the Pakistani Population
Authors: Ahmed Naseer , Halim Mohamad Syahrizal , Das Gotam , Ab-Ghani Zuryati , Safdar Jawad , Lal Abhishek , Saquib Shahabe , Ghaffar Khan Abdul Ahad , Alam Mohammad Khursheed
Published: April 2022

Obtaining the size of the maxillary anterior teeth when performing an esthetic smile rehabilitation can be a difficult task. Metrics based on dental proportions to assist in the process are required. This study aimed to evaluate the lower facial third proportions i.e., the interalar, interphiltral, and intercommisural distance with dental proportions in predicting maxillary anterior teeth width in Pakistani citizens. This analytical study was conducted on 230 participants. Front face and retracted smile photographs were captured for all the participants, followed by maxillary impression making. The cast was then converted to 3D models for analysis. The data were entered into SPSS-25. Descriptive statistics were carried out for frequency, mean, standard deviation, and percentage calculation of gender, teeth widths, horizontal mid facial proportions, and age of the participants. Independent t-test was applied for analysis of gender and arch side disparity. Regression analyses were performed to analyze the relationship between independent variables (gender, age, weight, and height) and dependent variables (horizontal facial proportion, dental proportion). A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. The interphiltral distance (IPLD) modified with Preston proportion (PRP) showed no significant difference with combined central incisor width, whereas a significant difference was found with golden proportion (GP), 70% recurrent esthetic dental (RED) proportion, and golden percentage (GM) modification. However, the interalar (IAD) and intercommisural distance (ICoD) modified with dental proportions showed a significant difference with maxillary anterior teeth width. The width of maxillary anterior teeth determined by plaster dental cast and 3D dental cast showed no significant difference. The ICoD, IAD, and IPLD could not be used to determine combined central incisor and intercanine width directly. The interphiltral distance modified with Preston proportion is a reliable method to predict combined central incisor width in the population studied. There was a significant difference in gender disparity when ICD, IAD, and IPLD were modified with dental proportions, except in the case of IPLD by the Preston proportion group. The golden proportion, 70% RED proportion, and golden percentage by lower facial third facial proportions are not reliable methods to predict maxillary anterior teeth width.