bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Implication of Climate Change to Forecast Future Flood Using SWAT and HEC-RAS Model under CMIP5 Climate Projection in Upper Nan Watershed, Thailand
Authors: Satriagasa Muhammad Chrisna , Tongdeenok Piyapong , Kaewjampa Naruemol
Published: March 2023

Climate change will affect Southeast Asian countries, particularly Thailand. There are still insufficient studies on rainfall, streamflow, and future floods in the Upper Nan Watershed, northern Thailand. This study examined how future climate change will affect the rainfall, streamflow, and flooding in the Upper Nan Watershed. SWAT and HEC-RAS models were utilized to assess the future streamflow and flooding in this area. The models used data from 1980–2020, which were taken from seven Upper Nan meteorological stations and two discharge stations. In this study, the impact of future climate change was predicted using three GCMs, under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The historical data analyzed in this study indicated that rainfall in the study area has a positive trend. Climate change will increase further, from 18% to 19%, which will cause more fluctuations and lead to wetter conditions, both in the wet and dry seasons. Climate change delayed the hydrograph peak and the SWAT-modelled streamflow in the N1 and N64 stations by between 0.3% and 5.1%. RCP8.5 inundated all of the stations more than RCP4.5. Our models showed that in the medium future (2041–2060), the inundated area will be similar to that during the 100-year flood probability. Thus, monitoring and preparation are necessary to avoid repeating the considerable 2011 flood losses in Thailand.
Research on the Multiobjective and Efficient Ore-Blending Scheduling of Open-Pit Mines Based on Multiagent Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Feng Zhidong , Liu Ge , Wang Luofeng , Gu Qinghua , Chen Lu
Published: March 2023

In order to solve the problems of a slow solving speed and easily falling into the local optimization of an ore-blending process model (of polymetallic multiobjective open-pit mines), an efficient ore-blending scheduling optimization method based on multiagent deep reinforcement learning is proposed. Firstly, according to the actual production situation of the mine, the optimal control model for ore blending was established with the goal of minimizing deviations in ore grade and lithology. Secondly, the open-pit ore-matching problem was transformed into a partially observable Markov decision process, and the ore supply strategy was continuously optimized according to the feedback of the environmental indicators to obtain the optimal decision-making sequence. Thirdly, a multiagent deep reinforcement learning algorithm was introduced, which was trained continuously and modeled the environment to obtain the optimal strategy. Finally, taking a large open-pit metal mine as an example, the trained multiagent depth reinforcement learning algorithm model was verified via experiments, with the optimal training model displayed on the graphical interface. The experimental results show that the ore-blending optimization model constructed is more in line with the actual production requirements of a mine. When compared with the traditional multiobjective optimization algorithm, the efficiency and accuracy of the solution have been greatly improved, and the calculation results can be obtained in real-time.
Landslide Susceptibility Assessment Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP): A Case Study of a Construction Site for Photovoltaic Power Generation in Yunxian County, Southwest China
Authors: Zhou Jinxuan , Tan Shucheng , Li Jun , Xu Jian , Wang Chao , Ye Hui
Published: March 2023

China is actively promoting the construction of clean energy to reach its objective of achieving carbon neutrality. However, engineering constructions in mountainous regions are susceptible to landslide disasters. Therefore, the assessment of landslide disaster susceptibility is indispensable for disaster prevention and risk management in construction projects. In this context, the present study involved conducting a field survey at 42 landslide points in the selected planned site region. According to the geological and geographical conditions of the study region, the existing regulation, and the influencing factors of landslides, the assessment in the field survey was performed based on 11 impact factors, namely, the slope, slope aspect, curvature, relative relief, NDVI, road, river, fault, lithology, the density of the landslide points, and the land-use type. Next, based on their respective influences, these impact factors were further divided into subfactors according to AHP, and the weights of each factor and subfactor were calculated. The GIS tools were employed for linear combination calculation and interval division, and accordingly, a landslide susceptibility zone map was constructed. The ROC curve was adopted to test the partition evaluation results, and the AUC value was determined to be 0.845, which indicated the high accuracy of the partition evaluation results.
Sustainable Quality Management Based on Metrological Sampling Scheme Design: A Case Study of Food Processor
Authors: Wang Mingquan , Yang Fengping , Zhang Bin , Chen Zhisong
Published: March 2023

The optimization of the sampling scheme is particularly important in order to achieve sustainability in quality management. This paper discusses the problem of optimizing the design of metrological sampling scheme when the mean is a random variable. Assuming that the prior distribution of product means is known, a Bayesian posterior probability is calculated by using the likelihood function with decision variables to measure the sampling risk, and the expected cost of the sampling scheme is calculated based on the protection of producer and user risk in combination with the Taguchi quality loss function. The influence of model parameters on the selection of the optimal sampling scheme is investigated through sensitivity analysis. The model constructed in this paper solves the problem of sampling design in the case of food processing enterprises, quantifies the quality loss of products in the sampling process, facilitates sustainable quality management of enterprises, and has important theoretical significance and application value for sustainable business management of food processing enterprises.
AGRI|gen: Analysis and Design of a Parametric Modular System for Vertical Urban Agriculture
Authors: Ghazal Iyad , Mansour Reema , Davidová Marie
Published: March 2023

While many studies were done about green facades’ thermal performance, limited studies were done about green facades for productive farming. Most focused only on one facade or building. According to that, this research questioned what the potentials of farming on facades and roofs in an entire neighbourhood are and what could such a farming system looks like, and what it costs. To address these questions, a literature review about urban farming and possible crops was done. A neighbourhood of 22 multi-floor residential buildings in Nablus\Palestine, was chosen as a case study, and two parametric tools, one for analysis (AGRI|gen\Analysis) and another for design (AGRI|gen\design) were developed and implemented. The study found that in the chosen neighbourhood, existing facades can provide about 28,500 m2 of farming area, but only half of the facades and all of the roofs were suitable for daylight-based farming. Tomatoes and cucumbers can be farmed on 25% and 33% of the facades, respectively, to fulfil about 350% and 237% of tomatoes and cucumbers consumption by the same neighbourhood simultaneously. Roofs were found to be more suitable for high DLI-requiring plants like sweet peppers as they can produce more than 315 times the local consumption. In terms of design, a modular adaptive facade system was designed to fit the neighbourhood to enhance the farming possibilities. The facade system needed about 40,824 modular units of which 73.3%, 10.1%, 8.7%, and 8% of them were LED, PV, Sensor, and fan units respectively, with an average system cost of about $55.2\m2 and a total cost of $1.7M. Finally, a comparison between the system and a proposed vertical farm building in the same region was done, and then related recommendations by the researcher were suggested. This research highlights the potential for productive farming on facades and roofs, which could contribute to sustainable and resilient cities.
Hybrid Combination of Network Restructuring and Optimal Placement of Distributed Generators to Reduce Transmission Loss and Improve Flexibility
Authors: Kaushik Ekata , Prakash Vivek , Ghandour Raymond , Al Barakeh Zaher , Ali Ahmed , Mahela Om Prakash , Álvarez Roberto Marcelo , Khan Baseem
Published: March 2023

A high penetration of renewable energy (RE) in utility grids creates the problems of power system flexibility, high transmission losses, and voltage variations. These problems can be solved using a hybrid combination of transmission network restructuring and optimal placement of distributed energy generator (DEG) units. Hence, this work investigated a technologically and economically feasible solution for improving the flexibility of power networks and reducing losses in a practical transmission utility network by implementing a restructuring of the network and optimal deployment of the distributed energy generators (DEGs). Two solutions for this network restructuring were proposed. Furthermore, a grid-oriented genetic algorithm (GOGA) was designed by combining the conventional genetic algorithm (GA) and mathematical solutions to identify optimal DEG placement. A power system restructuring and GOGA flexibility index (PSRGFI) was formulated for the assessment of network flexibility. A cost–benefit assessment was also performed to estimate the payback period for the investment required for restructuring of the network and DEG placement. The least-square approximation technique was applied for load projection for the year 2031 considering the base year 2021. It was established that minimization of transmission losses, reduction in voltage deviations, and improvement of network flexibility were achieved through hybrid application of network restructuring and DEG placement using GOGA. A network loss saving of 61.19 MW was achieved via optimal restructuring and GOGA. For the projected year 2031, the PSRGFI increased from 30.94 to 132.78 after the placement of DEGs using GOGA and optimal restructuring, indicating that network flexibility increased significantly. The payback period for the investment was very small, equal to 0.985 years. The performance of the designed method was superior to the GA-based method, simulated annealing technique, and bee colony algorithm (BCA) used for placement of DEG units in the test network. The study was completed using MATLAB software, considering data from a practical transmission network owned by Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd. (RVPN), India.
Early Strength-Promoting Mechanism of Inorganic Salts on Limestone-Calcined Clay Cement
Authors: Zhou Weijie , Wu Shuanglei , Chen Huxing
Published: March 2023

This study aims to report the early strength effect and hydration mechanisms of limestone-calcined clay cement (LC3) with sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate and sodium chloride. The experimental results show that it is feasible to add three kinds of insoluble inorganic salts to improve the early strength of LC3 through different promotion methods. In comparison to sodium sulfate, the strengthening effects of sodium carbonate and sodium chloride on early strength of LC3 are more significant. The hydration heat evolution, mercury intrusion porosity and a set of tests for microstructural characterization (XRD, FTIR and SEM) were utilized to better understand the enhancement mechanism of inorganic salts in LC3 system. The mechanism by which sodium carbonate promotes the early strength of LC3 is mainly the strengthening of the aluminate reaction and pozzolanic reaction of metakaolin. The mechanism by which sodium sulfate promotes the early strength of LC3 is mainly the additional ettringite. The mechanism by which sodium chloride promotes the early strength of LC3 is mainly the strengthening of the silicate reaction and the generation of Friedel’s salt by alumina from tricalcium aluminate and metakaolin.
Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Performance Measurement, and Management: A Review
Authors: Kumar Anup , Shrivastav Santosh Kumar , Shrivastava Avinash K. , Panigrahi Rashmi Ranjan , Mardani Abbas , Cavallaro Fausto
Published: March 2023

The research highlights the importance of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), technology adoption (TA), and performance measurement in promoting sustainability and improving supply chain performance. By incorporating sustainable practices and utilizing digital technologies, organizations can create a more sustainable future and improve their overall performances. This study conducted an in-depth review of the literature to investigate the presence of TA in SSCM with a focus on digital-based supply chains. The review used both bibliometric and content analysis methods to analyze relevant research articles, with the goal of providing a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research in the field, identifying any gaps in the literature, and providing direction for future research. The content analysis of the literature showed the absence of concrete frameworks for SSCM and the need for clearer and more applicable sustainability measurement indices. To address this gap, the study proposed a framework for achieving sustainable development goals through SSCM. In addition, a framework for deploying sustainability indicators was presented. The proposed framework can be used by practitioners to develop practical and comprehensive measures for their respective industries.
A Retrospective Approach to Pro-Environmental Behavior from Environmental Education: An Alternative from Sustainable Development
Authors: Zárate Rueda Ruth , Beltrán Villamizar Yolima Ivonne , Becerra Ardila Luis Eduardo
Published: March 2023

This paper is a retrospective over a 20-year period that aims to show the research techniques on pro-environmental behavior and the incidence of Sustainable Development (SD) in Environmental Education (EE). Network bibliometrics was conducted, integrating social media analysis through the implementation of the tools VOSviewer, UCINET and the Biblioshiny application of the R-tool, together with the analysis of content of the documents cited and co-cited in the literature. The findings signal influential authors in citation and co-citation networks; they also point to topics developed emerging in the co-words network. The conclusion shows there is a gap between the acquisition of pro-environmental knowledge and behavior, a fact that shows the need to create pedagogical and participatory alternatives in EE for the resolution of ecological dilemmas. Likewise, with the incorporation of SD in education, it is inferred that higher education is fundamental in guaranteeing sustainability.
Common Space and Behavior at the Border between Slum and Metropolitan Area: The Case of “Catambor” and “Alvalade”
Authors: Oliveira Yannick , Mori Suguru , Nomura Rie
Published: March 2023

Composed of modern city centers and numerous slum patches in deep proximity and coexistence with one another, the Sub-Saharan African urban landscape is often perceived as chaotic or unorganized in nature due to the inconsistencies in the urban layout derived from the spontaneous occupation in said slums, in Angola, known as “Musseque”. This article focuses on the border between the “Musseque” of Catambor and the Alvalade Neighborhood as a point of interaction of both realities, influencing users to either adjust their activities to the streets or adjust the streets to their needs. With the purpose of understanding the streets’ environmental behavior settings and purpose improvements while preserving said environmental behavior, this study uses the behavior mapping method to identify the users’ stationary activities and then groups them by zone and occurrence, followed ultimately by a series of interviews. The results uncovered a degree of self-intervention by the users, ranging from the establishment of “commercial spots” on the street to “the setting of places to sit and gather” to accommodate for the lack of services, defying the intended purposes of the streets and prompting a deep understanding of what guides the decision-making processes and what the users consider valuable to the built space.
Compressed Stabilized Earthen Blocks and Their Use in Low-Cost Social Housing
Authors: Bredenoord Jan , Kulshreshtha Yask
Published: March 2023

Earthen techniques have been historically used in construction of housing in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In the past two decades the interest in earthen material has grown considerably, leading to the development of sustainable materials such as compressed earth blocks (CEB), compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEB) and interlocking stabilized soil blocks (ISSB). Scientific publications from various countries and context have examined the physical aspects of these earthen building materials, but so far, the results are not well connected to housing practices for and by low-income households with their self-organizing skills. This research sought to close this gap by documenting the housing projects where earth blocks are applied in participatory social housing. The study provides an overview of relevant practical examples from the three world regions (Africa, Asia and Latin America), with their cultural and climatic differences, and an analysis of similarities and possibilities. Based on the lessons learned from these examples, recommendations are made on further research on sustainable building materials within social housing practices, which can benefit the scientific community. We propose to set up a worldwide database of housing projects where earthen techniques have been applied responsibly. We conclude and recommend that more high-quality pilot projects with CSEB and ISSB are needed to get a broader picture on the potential of these materials for social housing, and the necessary support for local communities wishing to be involved in these sustainable housing practices.
Optimization Study on the Design Parameters of Sand Barriers along the Hami-Lop Nor Railway Line
Authors: Li Fei , Zheng Weiqiang , Zhang Liping , Wang Haifeng , Wang Zehui
Published: March 2023

In order to solve the current problems of the single effect of traditional sand control measures, the high cost of cleaning and maintenance, and the inability to provide long-term sustainable protection, this paper proposes a new type of sand barrier with the dual effect of sand conduction and sand blocking. Through field research of wind and sand disasters along the Hami-Lop Nor Railway, wind tunnel testing and numerical simulation of the new sand barrier, the wind velocity flow field, wind speed variation curve, wind protection effectiveness and sand barrier retention rate of the new sand barrier under different design parameters were studied. The results show that the sand barrier with 10H spacing (H is the height of the sand barrier) has the worst sand guiding and blocking effect. The sand barriers with 6H and 8H spacing have less difference in sand guiding and sand blocking effects. Both of them are better than the sand barrier with 10H spacing. The sand blocking effect of the new sand barrier was proportional to the angle (α). The sand guide effect was the opposite. When the angle is certain, the greater the wind speed and the better the sand guide effect. The results show that the new sand barrier is different from the traditional sand barrier in that it has both sand guiding and sand blocking functions, which provides a new method and scientific basis for sand damage control of Hami-Lop Nor Railway.
Empirical Analysis of Financing Efficiency and Constraints Effects on the Green Innovation of Green Supply Chain Enterprises: A Case Study of China
Authors: Fan Jiarui , Zhou Yuning
Published: March 2023

Along with the deterioration of environmental problems, the green supply chain has become an important strategy for Chinese enterprises to improve their competitiveness in the global market. Most enterprises in green supply chains have promoted their green innovation and thus have improved their green performance by managing upstream and downstream enterprises. However, the green innovation capability might be also related to the financing efficiency and financing constraints of enterprises. To reveal the impact of financing efficiency and financing constraints on corporate green innovation, we conducted an empirical study. We considered a sample of 120 listed companies of the green supply chain from 2018 to 2020. The financing efficiency score was calculated using the input–output analysis method of data envelopment analysis, while the financing constraint score was measured using the financing constraints model. Further, multiple linear regression was used to estimate the regression coefficient and investigate the impacts of financing efficiency and financing constraints on corporate green innovation. The results show that a higher financing efficiency can promote green innovation and the financing constraints can limit the green innovation of green supply chain enterprises. Afterward, we provide a summary of innovation embedded in green supply chains.
Carbon Tax or Low-Carbon Subsidy? Carbon Reduction Policy Options under CCUS Investment
Authors: Zhang Qian , Wang Yunjia , Liu Lu
Published: March 2023

Great expectations are placed in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. Governments adopt carbon tax policies to discourage manufacturing that is not eco-friendly, and subsidies to encourage low-carbon production methods. This research investigates which carbon reduction incentive policy is more viable for the supply chain under CCUS application. The most significant finding is that carbon tax and low-carbon subsidy policies are applicable to high-pollution and low-pollution supply chains with the goal of maximizing social welfare. Both policies play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions. However, it is very important for the government to set reasonable policy parameters. Specifically, carbon tax and low-carbon subsidy values should be set in the intermediate level rather than being too large or too small to achieve higher social welfare. We also find that the higher the value of carbon dioxide (CO2) in CCUS projects, the higher the economic performance and social welfare, but the lower the environmental efficiency. Governments should properly regulate the value of CO2 after weighing economic performance, environmental efficiency and social welfare. The findings yield useful insights into the industry-wise design of carbon emission reduction policies for CCUS and similar projects.
Solution Procedure for Fractional Casson Fluid Model Considered with Heat Generation and Chemical Reaction
Authors: Sene Ndolane
Published: March 2023

In this work, the objective is to get the exact analytical solution of a generalized Casson fluid model with heat generation and chemical reaction described by the Caputo fractional operator, using the approach that the Laplace transform method includes the Laplace transform of the Caputo derivative. After the exact solution, it will be studied the impact of the order of the fractional derivative and the most essential parameters included in the modeling like the Prandtl number, the thermal Grashof number, the mass Grashof number, the Schmidt number, the heat generation parameter, and the chemical reaction parameter. The physical points of view of the influence will be discussed and analyzed. The findings of the paper will be illustrated by several graphics. The development in industry and engineering science, it makes important to study the flow behavior of non-Newtonian fluids. The domains of applications of the flow behavior of non-Newtonian fluids are diverse such as geophysics, biorheology, and chemical and petroleum industries.
Evolution and Coordination of Cultivated Land Multifunctionality in Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone
Authors: Wu Baoshu , Liu Meifang , Wan Yufei , Song Zhenjiang
Published: March 2023

This study had three objectives: (1) to consolidate poverty alleviation achievements and connect them with the current rural vitalization strategy; (2) to inaugurate agricultural modernization development in rural areas of the Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone, an important grain production area in China, during the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan in China (2021–2025); and (3) to assess the ecological function area and economic development highland in Jiangxi Province. This study aimed to examine cultivated land multifunctionality (economic, social, and ecological functions) and explore its evolution and coordination in the context of increasingly serious contradiction between man and land in China. This study established an index system based on a mechanical model to evaluate cultivated land multifunctionality, the spatiotemporal pattern of multifunctionally cultivated land, and the coordination among sub-functions in different periods. Its results were as follows: (1) the cultivated land’s multifunctional value generally increased from 2016 to 2020, with spatial characteristics of highland surrounding a lake; (2) the cultivated land functions’ coordination values were generally better in 2020 than in 2016, showing a generally positive development trend; (3) changes in cultivated land function were concentrated in Quadrants Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅵ; and (4) the ecological function had the advantage in the study areas. Study conclusions were as follows: (1) the development of cultivated land multifunctionality has achieved notable successes through the significant benefits of an ecological economy; (2) the coordination of the cultivated land’s economic, social, and ecological functions has increased dramatically; (3) the ecological significance in the Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone, whose ecological economy was flourishing, was outstanding; and (4) most importantly, it supports implementing the rural vitalization strategy in the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan in China.
Empirical Study on Social Media Exposure and Fear as Drivers of Anxiety and Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Gu Xiao , Obrenovic Bojan , Fu Wei
Published: March 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an abundance of news and information dominating media outlets, leading to a widespread atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, potentially having adverse effects on mental health. This study aims to explore whether social media exposure contributes to anxiety and depression. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted using a standardized questionnaire to collect data on social media exposure, fear of COVID-19, depression, and anxiety from 327 employed individuals in the United States. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the relationships between social media exposure, fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and depression. The results suggest that fear of COVID-19 leads to anxiety and depression, and that social media exposure leads to fear, anxiety, and depression. These findings highlight the potential adverse effects of social media exposure and fear on mental health and suggest that reducing social media exposure could help minimize anxiety levels. It also emphasizes the significance of understanding the impact of fear of COVID-19 on anxiety and depression and provides guidance for managing and coping with fear in this pandemic. This study’s relevance lies in gaining critical insights into the pros and cons of using social media for health-related information during a pandemic. The novelty of this study lies in its unique perspective on the impact of adverse information that has distinct psychological and social implications.
CFD Investigation and Optimization on the Aerodynamic Performance of a Savonius Vertical Axis Wind Turbine and Its Installation in a Hybrid Power Supply System: A Case Study in Iran
Authors: Farajyar Shayan , Ghafoorian Farzad , Mehrpooya Mehdi , Asadbeigi Mohammadreza
Published: March 2023

In this study, a 3D-CFD simulation on the effect of various design and operating parameters, namely the number of blades, overlap ratio, spacing size, arc angle, shape factor, presence of curtain, wind velocity, and multi-bucket rotor, on the aerodynamic performance of a Savonius vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is conducted. In order to evaluate the effect of each parameter, the rotor’s power coefficient (Cp) for different tip speed ratio (TSR) values and overall torque as a function of the azimuth angle are investigated. The results show that the generated power of a solid rotor with more buckets is less than that of the two-bladed rotor, and by decreasing the overlap ratio and spacing size, Cp values are enhanced. Moreover, a rotor with a larger bucket arc angle has less Cp value and total torque, in addition to shape factor, which changes the configuration of the rotor by adding arms, thus enhancing the aerodynamic performance of the prototype. Furthermore, it is shown that installing a curtain in the upstream section of the rotor improves Cp value by directing airflow. Moreover, it is observed that by increasing inlet wind velocity and, subsequently, the Reynolds number, generated power is boosted. In addition, it is noted that a suitable multi-bucket rotor configuration can boost generated power. Finally, the optimum design is achieved by using the Kriging method. Based on the optimization results, a 2-bladed Savonius VAWT with an overlap ratio of 0, spacing size of 0 (m), arc angle of 170°, shape factor of 0.5, and inlet wind velocity of 12 (m/s) at TSR = 0.37 introduces the highest efficiency.
Effects of the Salt-Tolerant Gramineous Forage Echinochloa frumentacea on Biological Improvement and Crop Productivity in Saline–Alkali Land on the Hetao Ningxia Plain in China
Authors: Cheng Yunlong , Xie Xiaowei , Wang Xueqin , Zhu Lin , Qiu Quan-Sheng , Xu Xing
Published: March 2023

Biological improvement is a sustainable approach for saline–alkali land amelioration and utilization. Echinochloa frumentacea (Roxb.) link is a salt-tolerant gramineous forage, which plays an important role in improving saline–alkali land. The Hetao Ningxia Plain is located in the upper–middle reaches of the Yellow River with a large area of saline–alkali soil, where E. frumentacea has potential applications for improving saline–alkali land. Three experiments were conducted on saline–alkali land in Pingluo County, Ningxia, including soil-leaching experiments in pots as well as monoculture or intercropping experiments involving E. frumentacea in fields. The results showed that: (1) E. frumentacea had a strong leaching ability of Na+ and SO42− in saline–alkali soil. (2) The planting of E. frumentacea decreased soil pH and total salt; enhanced the available N, P and K; and increased plant height, stem thickness and yields compared with the control. (3) The diversity of soil bacteria and land use efficiency could be improved by the intercropping of E. frumentacea with legume forages. Overall, E. frumentacea is an important pioneer species of biological improvement for the sustainable utilization of secondary saline–alkali land produced by irrigation around the world.
Importance of Atmospheric Sciences in Stone Heritage Conservation Study in Italy and Mexico
Authors: Urbina Leonor Luis Miguel , Sosa Echeverría Rodolfo , Perez Nora A. , Vega Elizabeth , Kahl Jonathan D. W. , Solano Murillo Mónica , Soto Ayala Rogelio
Published: March 2023

The preservation of heritage is crucial to successfully accomplish the Sustaining Development Goals (SDGs) because it leads to social unity; therefore, evaluating the decay mechanisms of stone-built heritage sites is critical to understanding the role of atmospheric conditions towards their conservation and to developing effective policies in the preservation of heritage and hence, community strength. In this paper, the differences of material decay between Italy’s and Mexico’s atmospheres and the perspectives to implement a more active role of the atmospheric sciences in the conservation of built heritage are presented. The risk assessment methodology proposed by the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) is used to present the reviewed published research because it is one of the few methodologies suggested for amply analyzing cultural property. Currently, in Europe, most research is aimed either to estimate the future decay of built property or to assess the main threats to a single site, on sites for which building materials have been studied previously and on sites for which forecast models have been developed, and the results are useful towards a preventive conservation approach, although the damage functions were developed considering a single climate and might not perform well under different conditions. Built property, however, is present worldwide and the conditions of those studies are not met in most developing countries, as the variation in materials and atmospheric conditions has not been researched yet. This article intends to reduce this gap by comparing both approaches, acknowledging possible common courses of action, and highlighting the role of built heritage in SDGs.
The Role of Digital Agriculture in Mitigating Climate Change and Ensuring Food Security: An Overview
Authors: Balasundram Siva K. , Shamshiri Redmond R. , Sridhara Shankarappa , Rizan Nastaran
Published: March 2023

Digital agriculture involving different tools and management practices has advanced considerably in recent years, intending to overcome climate risk and reduce food insecurity. Climate change and its impacts on agricultural production and food security are significant sources of public concern worldwide. The objective of this study was to provide an overview of the potential impact of digital agriculture technologies and practices that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance productivity while ensuring food security. Based on a comprehensive survey of the previously published works, it was found that due to global warming, altered precipitation patterns, and an increase in the frequency of extreme events, climate change has negatively impacted food security by reducing agricultural yields, slowing animal growth rates, and decreasing livestock productivity. The reviewed works also suggest that using digital technology in agriculture is necessary to mitigate the effect of climate change and food insecurity. In addition, issues regarding creating sustainable agricultural food systems, minimizing environmental pollution, increasing yields, providing fair and equitable food distribution, and reducing malnutrition leading to food security were discussed in detail. It was shown that while digital agriculture has a crucial role in mitigating climate change and ensuring food security, it requires a concerted effort from policymakers, researchers, and farmers to ensure that the benefits of digitalization are realized in a sustainable and equitable manner.
Smart Methods to Deal with COVID-19 at University-Level Institutions Using Social Network Analysis Techniques
Authors: Malick Rauf Ahmed Shams , Hasan Syed Kashir , Samad Fahad , Khan Nadeem Kafi , Syed Hassan Jamil
Published: March 2023

The current global health crisis is a consequence of the pandemic caused by COVID-19. It has impacted the lives of people from all factions of society. The re-emergence of new variants is threatening the world, which urges the development of new methods to prevent rapid spread. Places with more extensive social dealings, such as offices, organizations, and educational institutes, have a greater tendency to escalate the viral spread. This research focuses on developing a strategy to find out the key transmitters of the virus, particularly at educational institutes. The reason for considering educational institutions is the severity of the educational needs and the high risk of rapid spread. Educational institutions offer an environment where students come from different regions and communicate with each other at close distances. To slow down the virus’s spread rate, a method is proposed in this paper that differs from vaccinating the entire population or complete lockdown. In the present research, we identified a few key spreaders, which can be isolated and can slow down the transmission rate of the contagion. The present study creates a student communication network, and virus transmission is modeled over the predicted network. Using student-to-student communication data, three distinct networks are generated to analyze the roles of nodes responsible for the spread of this contagion. Intra-class and inter-class networks are generated, and the contagion spread was observed on them. Using social network strategies, we can decrease the maximum number of infections from 200 to 70 individuals, with contagion lasting in the network for 60 days.
Influencing Motivations Linked to the Adoption of Improved Flame-Based Cookstoves among Indigent South African Households: A Behaviour-Centred Design Approach
Authors: Maré Marcel , M’Rithaa Mugendi K. , Chisin Alettia
Published: March 2023

The adoption of energy-efficient, clean, and safe cookstoves can improve the health of poor sub-Saharan households and reduce mortality and poverty, as identified in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite multiple interventions to increase the adoption of improved stoves and clean fuels, few interventions have borne fruit on a significant scale. The lack of adoption is shared in South Africa. (1) Background: The deleterious health hazards associated with flame-based cooking mainly affect women and children due to using portable and cheap paraffin (kerosene) cookstoves or self-constructed metal barrel wood stoves. A shift to improved cookstoves requires significant changes in users’ behaviour. Understanding and addressing the motivations for cookstove adoption and long-term use is critical for successfully implementing behavioural change campaigns. (2) Methods: A case study methodology is employed to evaluate the effectiveness of a behaviour-centred design (BCD) approach aimed at influencing cookstove-related motivations among low-income households in Dunoon, South Africa; the study gathers data via structured observations, co-creative workshops, and card-based choice questionnaires before and after a pilot intervention. (3) Results: The survey conducted before and after the abridged BCD intervention implementation in Dunoon indicates that the majority of touchpoints achieved significant success in influencing the selected cookstove-related motivations of the sampled households, further corroborated by an observed shift in household cookstove ownership patterns targeted by the intervention. (4) Conclusions: A BCD approach suggests possible methods for understanding and influencing the complex motivations determining cookstove use in a context similar to South Africa. The results suggest that linking pertinent motivations to a selected set of touchpoints as part of a cookstove-related campaign can influence cookstove-related motivations linked to the adoption of improved flame-based cookstoves in a localised South African low-income context.
Study on the Spatial Differences, Dynamic Evolution and Convergence of Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Authors: Huang Lipeng , Geng Xiangyan , Liu Jianxu
Published: March 2023

Reducing carbon emissions is essential for global sustainable development and has become a key concern around the world. In this study, we analyzed the spatial differences, dynamic evolution and convergence characteristics of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 92 countries from 1990 to 2021. The Dagum Gini coefficient, Kernel density analysis, Markov chain analysis and fixed effect model were used in this study. The results showed that, from the perspective of overall differences, the overall differences in global CO2 emissions during the study period showed a gradually increasing trend, and the inequality trend became more and more obvious. Based on the perspective of distribution dynamics, there is an obvious spatial disequilibrium of global CO2 emissions. In terms of the evolution law, its distribution dynamic law is relatively stable, the relative position of CO2 emissions is relatively stable, and different groups transfer to themselves with a greater probability. There is no obvious σ convergence in global CO2 emissions, but there is absolute β convergence. This study innovatively analyzed the differential characteristics of carbon dioxide emissions from a global perspective. The research results can provide a reference for clarifying countries’ carbon emission reduction responsibilities and promoting the green transformation of the global economy.
Spatial Evolution of Traditional Village Dwellings in Heilongjiang Province
Authors: Wang Qiao , Liu Wenwen , Mao Liang
Published: March 2023

Heilongjiang Province belongs to the temperate continental monsoon climate. The special climatic conditions have resulted in the creation of unique traditional dwellings, which is a field worth studying. In order to study the spatial form of the traditional village dwellings in Heilongjiang Province, we conducted field research, administered a questionnaire survey, and mapped the traditional village dwellings in the region from the 1950s to the 1990s. Through field visits to the village of Aihui and other villages, conversations with the masses, and field measurements of the local traditional dwellings, we summarized the development and evolution process of the traditional village dwellings in Heilongjiang Province. With the support of materials and data, this paper discusses the evolution process of the traditional village dwellings from the aspects of housing, space, material, heating, and so on. With the development of the economy, the population is gradually outflowing, which has resulted in housing problems, which are particularly prominent. The speed at which traditional villages are disappearing is also striking. According to official statistics, an average of 1.6 traditional villages disappears every day in China. In order to curb this phenomenon, reasonable suggestions are put forward on issues such as heritage protection and cultural industry development to provide a reference for follow-up research on the traditional village dwellings in Heilongjiang Province.
Assessment of RXD Algorithm Capability for Gas Flaring Detection through OLI-SWIR Channels
Authors: Asadi-Fard Elmira , Falahatkar Samereh , Tanha Ziyarati Mahdi , Zhang Xiaodong , Faruolo Mariapia
Published: March 2023

The environment, the climate and human health are largely exposed to gas flaring (GF) effects, releasing significant dangerous gases into the atmosphere. In the last few decades, remote sensing technology has received great attention in gas flaring investigation. The Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ), located in the south of Iran, hosts many natural oil/gas processing plants and petrochemical industries, making this area one of the most air-polluted zones of Iran. The object of this research is to detect GF-related thermal anomalies in the PSEEZ by applying, for the first time, the Reed-Xiaoli Detector (RXD), distinguished as the benchmark algorithm for spectral anomaly detection. The RXD performances in this research field have been tested and verified using the shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands of OLI-Landsat 8 (L8), acquired in 2018 and 2019 on the study area. Preliminary results of this automatic unsupervised learning algorithm demonstrated an exciting potential of RXD for GF anomaly detection on a monthly scale (75% success rate), with peaks in the months of January and February 2018 (86%) and December 2019 (84%). The lowest detection was recorded in October 2019 (48%). Regarding the spatial distribution of GF anomalies, a qualitatively analysis demonstrated the RXD capability in mapping the areas affected by gas flaring, with some limitations (i.e., false positives) due to possible solar radiation contribution. Further analyses will be dedicated to recalibrate the algorithm to increase its reliability, also coupling L8 and Landsat 9, as well as exploring Sentinel 2 SWIR imagery, to overcome some of the observed RXD drawbacks.
Green Spaces over a Roof or on the Ground, Does It Matter? The Perception of Ecosystem Services and Potential Restorative Effects
Authors: Matos Silva Cristina , Bernardo Fátima , Manso Maria , Loupa Ramos Isabel
Published: March 2023

Cities are becoming more vulnerable to climate change and need appropriate adaptation measures. Previous studies demonstrated that urban green spaces provide multiple ecosystem services, improving the health and well-being of urban residents. Yet different urban green spaces provide different services—provisioning, regulating, cultural, or supporting ones. This work aims first to understand if urban green space users perceive the different supplies of provisioning and regulating services offered by different types of urban green spaces. Second, this work seeks to determine if green roof type conditions, as well as vegetation type and access, affect the users’ perceptions of the cultural ecosystem services. This work presents the results of an image-based online survey performed among 376 Portuguese undergraduate students between March and April 2021. The survey is based on nine alternative urban space designs, varying the roof access type and vegetation types. The results show a general preference for urban green spaces with more vegetation, regardless of the type of roof, and a general preference for green spaces with better accessibility. In addition, users’ preference for no-roof conditions appears to be linked to the abundance of vegetation and quality of urban design and not to awareness of an existing roof structure and its influence on the natural processes.
Cultural Mapping Tools and Co-Design Process: A Content Analysis to Layering Perspectives on the Creative Production of Space
Authors: de Abreu Santos Vanessa Ágata , van der Borg Jan
Published: March 2023

This study draws on the lessons learned during a summer school on cultural mapping (CM), which linked these methodologies and the co-design process to the city’s re-application to the UNESCO creative city designation. The event implemented artistic and participatory approaches, such as experimental initiatives that focused on the involvement of artists—the main creative producers of space—to foster participatory governance processes and reflect on the validity of the UNESCO label and its inherent monoculture emphasis. A content analysis of the course was done to provide a conceptual analysis of the theory and practice of cultural mapping that is generally under-theorized. By situating the course’s exercises in the theoretical triad of Lefebvre’s social production of space, the article indicates a possible structure for multi-perspective layering toward the participatory practices on the creative production of space. The results show that there is still no consistent way of presenting CM methodologies and processes, and for that CM remains not fully integrated into the planning and development practices of places. The study suggests further investigation on the links between cultural mapping and design science for co-design process crafting, and cultural mapping tool selection according to the different stages of multi-stakeholder work on articulating people-place meanings.