bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Characterization and the Solvent Effects on Interfacial Phenomena of Jatropha Curcas Oil Based Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane
Authors: Haniffa Mhd. Abd. Cader M. , Ching Yern Chee , Chuah Cheng Hock , Kuan Yong Ching , Liu De-Shin , Liou Nai-Shang
Published: May 2017

Non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) was prepared from Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) and its alkyd resin via curing with different diamines. The isocyanate-free approach is a green chemistry route, wherein carbon dioxide conversion plays a major role in NIPU preparation. Catalytic carbon dioxide fixation can be achieved through carbonation of epoxidized derivatives of JCO. In this study, 1,3-diaminopropane (DM) and isophorone diamine (IPDA) were used as curing agents separately. Cyclic carbonate conversion was catalyzed by tetrabutylammonium bromide. After epoxy conversion, carbonated JCO (CJCO) and carbonated alkyd resin (CC-AR) with carbonate contents of 24.9 and 20.2 wt %, respectively, were obtained. The molecular weight of CJCO and CC-AR were determined by gel permeation chromatography. JCO carbonates were cured with different amine contents. CJCO was blended with different weight ratios of CC-AR to improve its characteristics. The cured NIPU film was characterized by spectroscopic techniques, differential scanning calorimetry, and a universal testing machine. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the morphology of the NIPU film before and after solvent treatment. The solvent effects on the NIPU film interfacial surface were investigated with water, 30% ethanol, methyl ethyl ketone, 10% HCl, 10% NaCl, and 5% NaOH. NIPU based on CCJO and CC-AR (ratio of 1:3) with IPDA crosslink exhibits high glass transition temperature (44 °C), better solvent and chemical resistance, and Young’s modulus (680 MPa) compared with the blend crosslinked with DM. Thus, this study showed that the presence of CC-AR in CJCO-based NIPU can improve the thermomechanical and chemical resistance performance of the NIPU film via a green technology approach.
Authorship of Retraction Notices: “If Names Are Not Rectified, Then Language Will Not Be in Accord with Truth.”
Authors: Hu Guangwei
Published: May 2017

Retraction notices appear regularly in many scholarly journals, especially top-tier journals of science and engineering. One disconcerting feature of this emergent genre is evasion of authorship, that is, the deliberate obscuring of who has authored a particular retraction notice. This communication illustrates and discusses problems of evaded authorship of retraction notices. To address these problems, it proposes that scholarly journals should require explicit authorship of retraction notices and the inclusion of core generic components such as the content to be retracted, the reason(s) for the retraction, the attribution of responsibility, and the expression of mortification.
Evaluation of the Latest MODIS GPP Products across Multiple Biomes Using Global Eddy Covariance Flux Data
Authors: Wang Lunche , Zhu Hongji , Lin Aiwen , Zou Ling , Qin Wenmin , Du Qiyong
Published: May 2017

The latest MODIS GPP (gross primary productivity) product, MOD17A2H, has great advantages over the previous version, MOD17A2, because the resolution increased from 1000 m to 500 m. In this study, MOD17A2H GPP was assessed using the latest eddy covariance (EC) flux data (FLUXNET2015 Dataset) at eighteen sites in six ecosystems across the globe. The sensitivity of MOD17A2H GPP to the meteorology dataset and the fractional photosynthetically- active radiation (FPAR) product was explored by introducing site meteorology observations and improved Global Land Surface Satellite (GLASS) Leaf Area Index (LAI) products. The results showed that MOD17A2H GPP underestimated flux-derived GPP at most sites. Its performance in estimating annual GPP was poor (R2 = 0.62) and even worse over eight days (R2 = 0.52). For the MOD17A2H algorithm, replacing the reanalysis meteorological datasets with the site meteorological measurements failed to improve the estimation accuracies. However, great improvements in estimating the site-based GPP were gained by replacing MODIS FPAR with GLASS FPAR. This indicated that in the existing MOD17A2H product, the errors were originated more from FPAR than the meteorological data. We further examined the potential error contributions from land cover classification and maximum light use efficiency (εmax). It was found that the current land cover classification scheme exhibited frequent misclassification errors. Moreover, the εmax value assigned in MOD17A2H was much smaller than the inferred εmax value. Therefore, the qualities of FPAR and land cover classification datasets should be upgraded, and the εmax value needs to be adjusted to provide more accurate GPP estimates using MOD17A2H for global ecosystems.
Estimating FAPAR of Rice Growth Period Using Radiation Transfer Model Coupled with the WOFOST Model for Analyzing Heavy Metal Stress
Authors: Zhou Gaoxiang , Liu Xiangnan , Zhao Shuang , Liu Ming , Wu Ling
Published: May 2017

Timely assessment of crop growth conditions under heavy metal pollution is of great significance for agricultural decision-making and estimation of crop productivity. The object of this study is to assess the effects of heavy metal stress on physiological functions of rice through the spatial-temporal analysis of the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR). The calculation of daily FAPAR is conducted based on a coupled model consisting of the leaf-canopy radiative transfer model and World Food Study Model (WOFOST). These two models are connected by leaf area index (LAI) and a fraction of diffused incoming solar radiation (SKYL) in the rice growth period. The input parameters of the coupled model are obtained from measured data and GF-1 images. Meanwhile, in order to improve accuracy of FAPAR, the crop growth model is optimized by data assimilation. The validation result shows that the correlation between the simulated FAPAR and the measured data is strong in the rice growth period, with the correlation coefficients being above 7.5 for two areas. The discrepancy of FAPAR between two areas of different stress levels is visualized by spatial-temporal analysis. FAPAR discrepancy starts to appear in the jointing-booting period and experiences a gradual rise, reaching its maximum in the heading-flowering stage. This study suggests that the coupled model, consisting of the leaf-canopy radiative transfer model and the WOFOST model, is able to accurately simulate daily FAPAR during crop growth period and FAPAR can be used as a potential indicator to reflect the impact of heavy metal stress on crop growth.
Shallow Water Measurements Using a Single Green Laser Corrected by Building a Near Water Surface Penetration Model
Authors: Zhao Jianhu , Zhao Xinglei , Zhang Hongmei , Zhou Fengnian
Published: May 2017

To reduce the size and cost of an integrated infrared (IR) and green airborne LiDAR bathymetry (ALB) system, and improve the accuracy of the green ALB system, this study proposes a method to accurately determine water surface and water bottom heights using a single green laser corrected by the near water surface penetration (NWSP) model. The factors that influence the NWSP of green laser are likewise analyzed. In addition, an NWSP modeling method is proposed to determine the relationship between NWSP and the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) of the surface layer, scanning angle of a laser beam and sensor height. The water surface and water bottom height models are deduced by considering NWSP and using only green laser based on the measurement principle of the IR laser and green laser, as well as employing the relationship between NWSP and the time delay of the surface return of the green laser. Lastly, these methods and models are applied to a practical ALB measurement. Standard deviations of 3.0, 5.3, and 1.3 cm are obtained by the NWSP, water-surface height, and water-bottom height models, respectively. Several beneficial conclusions and recommendations are drawn through the experiments and discussions.
Quantifying Sub-Pixel Surface Water Coverage in Urban Environments Using Low-Albedo Fraction from Landsat Imagery
Authors: Sun Weiwei , Du Bo , Xiong Shaolong
Published: May 2017

The problem of mixed pixels negatively affects the delineation of accurate surface water in Landsat Imagery. Linear spectral unmixing has been demonstrated to be a powerful technique for extracting surface materials at a sub-pixel scale. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an innovative low albedo fraction (LAF) method based on the idea of unconstrained linear spectral unmixing. The LAF stands on the “High Albedo-Low Albedo-Vegetation” model of spectral unmixing analysis in urban environments, and investigates the urban surface water extraction problem with the low albedo fraction map. Three experiments are carefully designed using Landsat TM/ETM+ images on the three metropolises of Wuhan, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in China, and per-pixel and sub-pixel accuracies are estimated. The results are compared against extraction accuracies from three popular water extraction methods including the normalized difference water index (NDWI), modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI), and automated water extraction index (AWEI). Experimental results show that LAF achieves a better accuracy when extracting urban surface water than both MNDWI and AWEI do, especially in boundary mixed pixels. Moreover, the LAF has the smallest threshold variations among the three methods, and the fraction threshold of 1 is a proper choice for LAF to obtain good extraction results. Therefore, the LAF is a promising approach for extracting urban surface water coverage.
A Satellite-Based Sunshine Duration Climate Data Record for Europe and Africa
Authors: Kothe Steffen , Pfeifroth Uwe , Cremer Roswitha , Trentmann Jörg , Hollmann Rainer
Published: May 2017

Besides 2 m - temperature and precipitation, sunshine duration is one of the most important and commonly used parameter in climatology, with measured time series of partly more than 100 years in length. EUMETSAT’s Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) presents a climate data record for daily and monthly sunshine duration (SDU) for Europe and Africa. Basis for the advanced retrieval is a highly resolved satellite product of the direct solar radiation from measurements by Meteosat satellites 2 to 10. The data record covers the time period 1983 to 2015 with a spatial resolution of 0.05° × 0.05°. The comparison against ground-based data shows high agreement but also some regional differences. Sunshine duration is overestimated by the satellite-based data in many regions, compared to surface data. In West and Central Africa, low clouds seem to be the reason for a stronger overestimation of sunshine duration in this region (up to 20% for monthly sums). For most stations, the overestimation is low, with a bias below 7.5 h for monthly sums and below 0.4 h for daily sums. A high correlation of 0.91 for daily SDU and 0.96 for monthly SDU also proved the high agreement with station data. As SDU is based on a stable and homogeneous climate data record of more than 30 years length, it is highly suitable for climate applications, such as trend estimates.
Projections onto Convex Sets Super-Resolution Reconstruction Based on Point Spread Function Estimation of Low-Resolution Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Fan Chong , Wu Chaoyun , Li Grand , Ma Jun
Published: May 2017

To solve the problem on inaccuracy when estimating the point spread function (PSF) of the ideal original image in traditional projection onto convex set (POCS) super-resolution (SR) reconstruction, this paper presents an improved POCS SR algorithm based on PSF estimation of low-resolution (LR) remote sensing images. The proposed algorithm can improve the spatial resolution of the image and benefit agricultural crop visual interpolation. The PSF of the highresolution (HR) image is unknown in reality. Therefore, analysis of the relationship between the PSF of the HR image and the PSF of the LR image is important to estimate the PSF of the HR image by using multiple LR images. In this study, the linear relationship between the PSFs of the HR and LR images can be proven. In addition, the novel slant knife-edge method is employed, which can improve the accuracy of the PSF estimation of LR images. Finally, the proposed method is applied to reconstruct airborne digital sensor 40 (ADS40) three-line array images and the overlapped areas of two adjacent GF-2 images by embedding the estimated PSF of the HR image to the original POCS SR algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed method yields higher quality of reconstructed images than that produced by the blind SR method and the bicubic interpolation method.
Synthesis of Graphene-Based Sensors and Application on Detecting SF6 Decomposing Products: A Review
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxing , Cui Hao , Gui Yingang
Published: May 2017

Graphene-based materials have aroused enormous focus on a wide range of engineering fields because of their unique structure. One of the most promising applications is gas adsorption and sensing. In electrical engineering, graphene-based sensors are also employed as detecting devices to estimate the operation status of gas insulated switchgear (GIS). This paper reviews the main synthesis methods of graphene, gas adsorption, and sensing mechanism of its based sensors, as well as their applications in detecting SF6 decomposing products, such as SO2, H2S, SO2F2, and SOF2, in GIS. Both theoretical and experimental researches on gas response of graphene-based sensors to these typical gases are summarized. Finally, the future research trend about graphene synthesis technique and relevant perspective are also given.
An Instrumented Glove to Assess Manual Dexterity in Simulation-Based Neurosurgical Education
Authors: Lemos Juan , Hernandez Alher , Soto-Romero Georges
Published: May 2017

The traditional neurosurgical apprenticeship scheme includes the assessment of trainee’s manual skills carried out by experienced surgeons. However, the introduction of surgical simulation technology presents a new paradigm where residents can refine surgical techniques on a simulator before putting them into practice in real patients. Unfortunately, in this new scheme, an experienced surgeon will not always be available to evaluate trainee’s performance. For this reason, it is necessary to develop automatic mechanisms to estimate metrics for assessing manual dexterity in a quantitative way. Authors have proposed some hardware-software approaches to evaluate manual dexterity on surgical simulators. This paper presents IGlove, a wearable device that uses inertial sensors embedded on an elastic glove to capture hand movements. Metrics to assess manual dexterity are estimated from sensors signals using data processing and information analysis algorithms. It has been designed to be used with a neurosurgical simulator called Daubara NS Trainer, but can be easily adapted to another benchtop- and manikin-based medical simulators. The system was tested with a sample of 14 volunteers who performed a test that was designed to simultaneously evaluate their fine motor skills and the IGlove’s functionalities. Metrics obtained by each of the participants are presented as results in this work; it is also shown how these metrics are used to automatically evaluate the level of manual dexterity of each volunteer.
Using Tri-Axial Accelerometry in Daily Elite Swim Training Practice
Authors: Ganzevles Sander , Vullings Rik , Beek Peter , Daanen Hein , Truijens Martin
Published: May 2017

Background: Coaches in elite swimming carefully design the training programs of their swimmers and are keen on achieving strict adherence to those programs by their athletes. At present, coaches usually monitor the compliance of their swimmers to the training program with a stopwatch. However, this measurement clearly limits the monitoring possibilities and is subject to human error. Therefore, the present study was designed to examine the reliability and practical usefulness of tri-axial accelerometers for monitoring lap time, stroke count and stroke rate in swimming. Methods: In the first part of the study, a 1200 m warm-up swimming routine was measured in 13 elite swimmers using tri-axial accelerometers and synchronized video recordings. Reliability was determined using the typical error of measurement (TEM) as well as a Bland-Altman analysis. In the second part, training compliance both within and between carefully prescribed training sessions was assessed in four swimmers in order to determine the practical usefulness of the adopted accelerometric approach. In these sessions, targets were set for lap time and stroke count by the coach. Results: The results indicated high reliability for lap time (TEM = 0.26 s, bias = 0.74 [0.56 0.91] with limits of agreement (LoA) from −1.20 [−1.50 −0.90] to 2.70 [2.40 3.00]), stroke count (TEM 0.73 strokes, bias = 0.46 [0.32 0.60] with LoA from −1.70 [−1.94 −1.46] to 2.60 [2.36 2.84]) and stroke rate (TEM 0.72 str∙min−1, bias = −0.13 [−0.20 −0.06] with LoA from −2.20 [−2.32 −2.08] to 1.90 [1.78 2.02]), while the results for the monitoring of training compliance demonstrated the practical usefulness of our approach in daily swimming training. Conclusions: The daily training of elite swimmers can be accurately and reliably monitored using tri-axial accelerometers. They provide the coach with more useful information to guide and control the training process than hand-clocked times.
Humidity Sensor Based on Bragg Gratings Developed on the End Facet of an Optical Fiber by Sputtering of One Single Material
Authors: Ascorbe Joaquin , Corres Jesus , Arregui Francisco , Matias Ignacio
Published: May 2017

The refractive index of sputtered indium oxide nanocoatings has been altered just by changing the sputtering parameters, such as pressure. These induced changes have been exploited for the generation of a grating on the end facet of an optical fiber towards the development of wavelength-modulated optical fiber humidity sensors. A theoretical analysis has also been performed in order to study the different parameters involved in the fabrication of this optical structure and how they would affect the sensitivity of these devices. Experimental and theoretical results are in good agreement. A sensitivity of 150 pm/%RH was obtained for relative humidity changes from 20% to 60%. This kind of humidity sensors shows a maximum hysteresis of 1.3% relative humidity.
Micro-Doppler Ambiguity Resolution for Wideband Terahertz Radar Using Intra-Pulse Interference
Authors: Yang Qi , Qin Yuliang , Deng Bin , Wang Hongqiang , You Peng
Published: May 2017

Micro-Doppler, induced by micro-motion of targets, is an important characteristic of target recognition once extracted via parameter estimation methods. However, micro-Doppler is usually too significant to result in ambiguity in the terahertz band because of its relatively high carrier frequency. Thus, a micro-Doppler ambiguity resolution method for wideband terahertz radar using intra-pulse interference is proposed in this paper. The micro-Doppler can be reduced several dozen times its true value to avoid ambiguity through intra-pulse interference processing. The effectiveness of this method is proved by experiments based on a 0.22 THz wideband radar system, and its high estimation precision and excellent noise immunity are verified by Monte Carlo simulation.
Canoe: An Autonomous Infrastructure-Free Indoor Navigation System
Authors: Dong Kai , Wu Wenjia , Ye Haibo , Yang Ming , Ling Zhen , Yu Wei
Published: May 2017

The development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has accelerated research in indoor navigation systems, a majority of which rely on adequate wireless signals and sources. Nonetheless, deploying such a system requires periodic site-survey, which is time consuming and labor intensive. To address this issue, in this paper we present Canoe, an indoor navigation system that considers shopping mall scenarios. In our system, we do not assume any prior knowledge, such as floor-plan or the shop locations, access point placement or power settings, historical RSS measurements or fingerprints, etc. Instead, Canoe requires only that the shop owners collect and publish RSS values at the entrances of their shops and can direct a consumer to any of these shops by comparing the observed RSS values. The locations of the consumers and the shops are estimated using maximum likelihood estimation. In doing this, the direction of the target shop relative to the current orientation of the consumer can be precisely computed, such that the direction that a consumer should move can be determined. We have conducted extensive simulations using a real-world dataset. Our experiments in a real shopping mall demonstrate that if 50% of the shops publish their RSS values, Canoe can precisely navigate a consumer within 30 s, with an error rate below 9%.
Perception on the Risk of the Sonora River Pollution
Authors: Aragonés Juan , Tapia-Fonllem César , Poggio Lucía , Fraijo-Sing Blanca
Published: May 2017

This study applies the “psychometric paradigm” of risk perception to the heavy mineral spill in the Sonora River (Mexico). A total of 241 inhabitants of the polluted area with a mean age of 46.3 years participated in the study, completing an interview questionnaire at the onset of the disaster. The results allow us to establish a profile of the 18 characteristics comprising the model and a multiple regression analysis shows that some characteristics of the dimensions of dread risk and unknown risk explain a percentage of the magnitude of the perceived risk. In addition, the behaviors recommended by the authorities were classified by the participants according to their estimated usefulness. Significant differences were observed. Avoiding contact with the water was considered the most effective, followed by recommendations on the use of the water, with actions related to the environment and how to avoid pollution being considered the least effective. In sum, the strategy deployed allows us to observe how the victims perceive the disaster and organize the behaviors proposed by the authorities.
Surplus, Scarcity and Soil Fertility in Pre-Industrial Austrian Agriculture—The Sustainability Costs of Inequality
Authors: Gizicki-Neundlinger Michael , Güldner and
Published: May 2017

This paper takes a Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) perspective to integrate important aspects of social inequality into Socio-Ecological Metabolism (SEM) research. SEM has dealt with biophysical features of pre-industrial agricultural systems from a largely apolitical perspective, neglecting social relations and conditions of peasant production and reproduction. One of the politically and economically most important manorial systems in Early Modern Austria (Grundherrschaft Grafenegg) serves as a case study to reconstruct the unequal distribution of central resources between ruling landlords and subjected peasants. We show that peasant land use systems generated small surpluses only, whereas landlords enjoyed significant economies of scale. Furthermore, we explore what these conditions of landlord surplus and peasant scarcity implied for their respective agro-ecological sustainability. Finally, we argue that within pre-industrial agrarian systems sustainability costs of inequality were severely limiting margins for agricultural intensification and growth of peasant economies.
Systems Thinking for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment: A Review of Recent Developments, Applications, and Future Perspectives
Authors: Onat Nuri , Kucukvar Murat , Halog Anthony , Cloutier Scott
Published: May 2017

Tracking the environmental impacts of production, use, and disposal of products (e.g., goods, and services) have been an important issue in the global economy. Although Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a widely applied method to track these environmental impacts and support policies, it has certain limitations and an isolated way of evaluating the environmental impacts with no consideration of social and economic impacts and mechanisms. To overcome the limits of current LCA, three mechanisms have been proposed in the literature: (1) broadening the indicators by including social and economic indicators in addition to the environmental impacts; (2) broadening the scope of analysis from product-level assessment to national and global levels; (3) deepening the assessment by inclusion of more mechanisms to account for interrelations among the system elements, uncertainty analysis, stakeholder involvement, etc. With these developments, LCA has been evolving into a new framework called Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA). Practical application of LCSA requires integration of various methods, tools, and disciplines. In this study, a comprehensive literature review is conducted to investigate recent developments, current challenges, and future perspectives in the LCSA literature. According to the review, a high number (40%) of LCSA studies are from the environmental science discipline, while contributions from other disciplines such as economics (3%) and social sciences (9%) are very low. On broadening the scope of analysis, 58% of the studies are product-level works, while 37% quantified the impacts at national level and achieved an economy-wide analysis, and only 5% of the studies were able to quantify the global impacts of products using LCSA framework. Furthermore, current applications of LCSA have not considered the rebound effects, feedback mechanisms, and interrelations of the system of interest sufficiently. To address these challenges, we present a complete discussion about the overarching role of systems thinking to bring tools, methods and disciplines together, and provide practical examples from the earlier studies that have employed various system-based methods. We discuss the importance of integrated system-based methods for advancement of LCSA framework in the following directions: (1) regional and global level LCSA models using multi-region input-output analysis that is capable of quantitatively capturing macro-level social, environmental, and economic impacts; (2) dealing with uncertainties in LCSA during multi-criteria decision-making process and expert judgments in weighting of LCSA indicators; and (3) integration of system dynamics modeling to reveal complex interconnections, dependencies, and causal relationships between sustainability indicators.
Interrelations of Ecosystem Services and Rural Population Wellbeing in an Ecologically-Fragile Area in North China
Authors: Yan Yan , Zhao Chunli , Quan Yuan , Lu Huiting , Rong Yi , Wu Gang
Published: May 2017

Ecosystem services (ES) are indispensable contributors to rural population wellbeing (RPWB). Understanding the relationship between ES and RPWB is important to human welfare and conserving ecosystem services. Ecologically-vulnerable areas are widely distributed in China and are concentrated with impoverished people. This study explored the relations of ES and RPWB in an ecologically-fragile area, and provided some recommendations for regional improvement. We developed an evaluation framework, analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of services and RPWB, and examined their relations. Results showed that: (1) the level of RPWB in an ecologically-vulnerable area was lower than that in the downstream region; however, the wellbeing gap between regions has narrowed over time; (2) Regions with a higher ecosystem service capacity had higher levels of rural population wellbeing, and vice versa; (3) In addition to the food supply, other ES indicators were closely associated with RPWB in the region. Specifically, the net income and living space were closely related to food supply, while rural-urban income ratio and water environment were more relevant to the other services. Lastly, it is important to address environment and poverty issues simultaneously.
Urban Heat Island and Overheating Characteristics in Sydney, Australia. An Analysis of Multiyear Measurements
Authors: Santamouris Mat , Haddad Shamila , Fiorito Francesco , Osmond Paul , Ding Lan , Prasad Deo , Zhai Xiaoqiang , Wang Ruzhu
Published: May 2017

It has become increasingly important to study the urban heat island phenomenon due to the adverse effects on summertime cooling energy demand, air and water quality and most importantly, heat-related illness and mortality. The present article analyses the magnitude and the characteristics of the urban heat island in Sydney, Australia. Climatic data from six meteorological stations distributed around the greater Sydney region and covering a period of 10 years are used. It is found that both strong urban heat island (UHI) and oasis phenomena are developed. The average maximum magnitude of the phenomena may exceed 6 K. The intensity and the characteristics of the phenomena are strongly influenced by the synoptic weather conditions and in particular the development of the sea breeze and the westerly winds from the desert area. The magnitude of the urban heat island varies between 0 and 11°C, as a function of the prevailing weather conditions. The urban heat island mainly develops during the warm summer season while the oasis phenomenon is stronger during the winter and intermediate seasons. Using data from an extended network of stations the distribution of Cooling Degree Days in the greater Sydney area is calculated. It is found that because of the intense development of the UHI, Cooling Degree Days in Western Sydney are about three times higher than in the Eastern coastal zone. The present study will help us to better design and implement urban mitigation strategies to counterbalance the impact of the urban heat island in the city.
Measuring the Changes of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Caused by the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Authors: Akahori Hirokazu , Sawauchi Daisuke , Yamamoto Yasutaka
Published: May 2017

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is one of the proposed mega-free trade agreements. While several previous studies have measured the economic impact of the trade liberalization resulting from the TPP, the TPP may have not only a very large economic impact, but also a significant environmental impact, such as changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate over TPP and GHG emissions by asking the following question: Will the TPP increase or decrease GHG emissions? We estimate the potential impact on GHG emissions changes caused by the TPP using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model, and the GTAP CO2 and non-CO2 emissions databases. Our results suggest that the TPP is likely to increase the total amount of GHG emissions in the 12 TPP member countries, as well as global emissions. The main reason for increasing TPP member and global GHG emissions is non-CO2 emissions growth in Australia and the US.
Effect of Entry into Socially Responsible Investment Index on Cost of Equity and Firm Value
Authors: Eom Kijung , Nam Giseok
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of a company’s incorporation into the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) index on its cost of equity (COE) and corporate value. The study collected and analyzed data about the four-year long changes of the component stocks of the Korea Exchange (KRX) SRI index from September 2010 to September 2013 to verify the correlation between the incorporation of the SRI index and the cost of equity or corporate value by using the Price-Earnings Growth (PEG), Modified PEG (MPEG) and Gode and Mohanram (GM) models for estimation of the implied costs of equity capital, as well as Tobin’s Q ratio. The analysis results failed to show any significant relation between the incorporation of the SRI index and the cost of equity capital. Also, no statistically significant correlation between the incorporation of the SRI index and corporate value was observed. However, at an early phase of introduction of the SRI index, the included companies revealed a negative correlation with the cost of equity. However, after changing the listed stocks, they showed a positive correlation with the cost of equity capital. All in all, this can be ascribed to a mixed presence of optimistic and pessimistic investors about CSR activities, or there is a possibility that the KRX SRI index might not correctly reflect the CSR activities of companies.
Integrating Social Values and Ecosystem Services in Systematic Conservation Planning: A Case Study in Datuan Watershed
Authors: Lin Yu-Pin , Lin Wei-Chih , Li Hsin-Yi , Wang Yung-Chieh , Hsu Chih-Chen , Lien Wan-Yu , Anthony Johnathen , Petway Joy R.
Published: May 2017

Systematic conservation planning (SCP) deals with a delicate interplay of competing interests and has far-reaching impacts for all stakeholders and systems involved. While SCP has traditionally attempted to conserve ecosystem services that benefit ecological systems, public perceptions of conservation initiatives influence their ultimate feasibility and sustainability. In an attempt to balance ecological integrity, social utility, and urban development, this study develops a framework that applies four popular models to represent these competing factors, including two ecosystem services models—InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs) for biophysical services (BpS), and SolVES (Social Values for Ecosystem Services) for social values (SV); a land use and land cover (LULC) suitability model; and Zonation for delimiting high priority areas. We also analyze a number of conservation scenarios that consider varying levels of urban development. While BpS are distributed with considerable spatial variability, SV spatially overlap. Approximately 6% of the area was identified as having both high BpS and SV, whereas a further 24.5% of the area was identified as either high BpS low SV or vise-versa. Urban development scenarios affected the conservation area selection drastically. These results indicate tradeoffs and potential synergies between development, SV, and BpS. Our findings suggest that the information provided by the proposed framework can assist in finding solutions to social-ecological planning complexities that serve multiple stakeholders.
Optimum Returns from Greenhouse Vegetables under Water Quality and Risk Constraints in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Fathelrahman Eihab , Gheblawi Mohamed , Muhammad Safdar , Dunn Emily , Ascough James C. , Green Timothy
Published: May 2017

Greenhouses have been used in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to produce vegetables that contribute toward UAE food security, including offering fresh vegetable produce in the off-season. However, to manage such greenhouses, farmers face both technical and environmental limitations (i.e., high water scarcity), as well as vegetable market price instability. The objective of this study is to explore tradeoffs between returns (i.e., gross margin) of selected vegetables (tomato, pepper, and cucumber), risk (deviation from gross margin means), and an environmental constraint (water salinity) using a unique target MOTAD (minimization of total absolute deviations) approach to support UAE farmer decision-making processes. The optimal target MOTAD solution included all three vegetables and no corner solution. The results showed tradeoffs between returns and risks, and confirmed that product diversification reduces overall risk. The analysis was consistent with farmer perceptions based on a survey of 78 producers in the region. The search for the optimal mix of vegetable production under UAE greenhouse conditions revealed that reduction in tomato production should be offset by an increase in cucumber production while maintaining a constant level of pepper production. In other words, risk is reduced as cucumber production increases due to the high level of tomato and lettuce price volatility as the alternative to cucumber. The results also demonstrated the importance of the water salinity environmental constraint, as it was found to have a positive marginal value in the optimal vegetable mix solution (i.e., important factor). Thus the optimal solution was highly sensitive to changes in the crop water salinity constraint. The study results also demonstrate that the target MOTAD approach is a suitable optimization methodology. As a practical approach, a decision-maker in the UAE can consider gross margin (total revenue-variable costs) maximization with risk and water quality constraints to find the optimal vegetable product mix under greenhouse conditions.
Assessment of Land-Cover/Land-Use Change and Landscape Patterns in the Two National Nature Reserves of Ebinur Lake Watershed, Xinjiang, China
Authors: Zhang Fei , Kung Hsiang-te , Johnson Verner
Published: May 2017

Land-cover and land-use change (LCLUC) alters landscape patterns and affects regional ecosystems. The objective of this study was to examine LCLUC and landscape patterns in Ebinur Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve (ELWNNR) and Ganjia Lake Haloxylon Forest National Nature Reserve (GLHFNNR), two biodiversity-rich national nature reserves in the Ebinur Lake Watershed (ELW), Xinjiang, China. Landsat satellite images from 1972, 1998, 2007 and 2013 were used to calculate the dynamics of a land-cover and land-use (LCLU) transition matrix and landscape pattern index using ENVI 5.1 and FRAGSTATS 3.3. The results showed drastic land use modifications have occurred in ELWNNR during the past four decades. Between 1972 and 1998, 1998 and 2007, and 2007 and 2013, approximately 251.50 km2 (7.93%), 122.70 km2 (3.87%), and 195.40 km2 (6.16%) of wetland were turned into salinized land. In GLHFNNR both low and medium density Haloxylon forest area declined while high density Haloxylon forest area increased. This contribution presents a method for characterizing LCLUC using one or more cross-tabulation matrices based on Sankey diagrams, demonstrating the depiction of flows of energy or materials through ecosystem network. The ecological landscape index displayed that a unique landscape patches have shrunk in size, scattered, and fragmented. It becomes a more diverse landscape. Human activities like farming were negatively correlated with the landscape diversity of wetlands. Furthermore, evidence of degraded wetlands caused by air temperature and annual precipitation, was also observed. We conclude that national and regional policies related to agriculture and water use have significantly contributed to the extensive changes; the ELWNNR and GLHFNNR are highly susceptible to LCLUC in the surrounding Ebinur Lake Watershed.
Using Analytic Hierarchy Process to Examine the Success Factors of Autonomous Landscape Development in Rural Communities
Authors: Liang Ta-Ching , Peng Szu-Hsien
Published: May 2017

The absence of comprehensive plans has resulted in disordered rural development and construction and a mix of new and old buildings in rural communities. Disorganized and blighted spaces have become rural landscape obstacles. After the Rural Rejuvenation Act was passed, rural construction has been guided with plans, and the government expects to enhance surroundings and expand policies through autonomous community development to create a good rural landscape. Through a literature review, this study aims to establish key success factors in autonomous landscape development of rural communities, covering 8 criteria and 28 sub-criteria. A questionnaire survey was conducted among national rural communities, experts, and scholars. The analytic hierarchy process reveals that manpower input has the highest importance, thereby indicating that the improvement of autonomous community development would double with the guidance of community cadres and the participation of artists and experts.
Eco-Innovation Drivers in Value-Creating Networks: A Case Study of Ship Retrofitting Services
Authors: Hermann Roberto , Wigger Karin
Published: May 2017

Previous studies discuss how regulatory, technological and market drivers increasingly challenge manufacturing industries to adopt eco-innovations. However, the understanding of the process by which eco-innovations are developed and commercialized as a result of these drivers is not yet well established, in particular because these drivers are perceived differently by the end-users and their suppliers. In this paper, we address the following research question: How do eco-innovation drivers shape processes in value-creating networks? To answer this question, we carried out a case study purposely selected to understand how eco-innovation drivers, such as regulation, market pull and technology, interact and affect the eco-innovation decisions in a given industry. We analyzed the processes in an eco-innovation initiative about retrofitting old ships, contextualized in the maritime equipment and supply industry. The paper makes two novel contributions: First, we develop a framework that can support supply-network eco-innovation initiatives to deal with changes at the regulatory, market and technology levels. The framework includes elements, such as value co-creation to explore technological opportunities emerging from the interaction of the drivers or value proposition development to align multiple actors’ interests in the network and agree on shared expectations to exploit the opportunities. Second, we contribute to the emerging research area on eco-innovation processes by highlighting the lesser-known role of value-creating network dynamics. Value-creating networks can be a platform for the development of more radical eco-innovations if actors in the networks can align their value creation and capture objectives.
New Disulfide-Stabilized Fold Provides Sea Anemone Peptide to Exhibit Both Antimicrobial and TRPA1 Potentiating Properties
Authors: Logashina Yulia A. , Solstad Runar Gjerp , Mineev Konstantin S. , Korolkova Yuliya V. , Mosharova Irina V. , Dyachenko Igor A. , Palikov Victor A. , Palikova Yulia A. , Murashev Arkadii N. , Arseniev Alexander S. , Kozlov Sergey A. , Stensvåg Klara , Haug Tor , Andreev Yaroslav A.
Published: May 2017

A novel bioactive peptide named τ-AnmTx Ueq 12-1 (short name Ueq 12-1) was isolated and characterized from the sea anemone Urticina eques. Ueq 12-1 is unique among the variety of known sea anemone peptides in terms of its primary and spatial structure. It consists of 45 amino acids including 10 cysteine residues with an unusual distribution and represents a new group of sea anemone peptides. The 3D structure of Ueq 12-1, determined by NMR spectroscopy, represents a new disulfide-stabilized fold partly similar to the defensin-like fold. Ueq 12-1 showed the dual activity of both a moderate antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and a potentiating activity on the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1). Ueq 12-1 is a unique peptide potentiator of the TRPA1 receptor that produces analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo. The antinociceptive properties allow us to consider Ueq 12-1 as a potential analgesic drug lead with antibacterial properties.
Flood Loss Models and Risk Analysis for Private Households in Can Tho City, Vietnam
Authors: Chinh Do , Dung Nguyen , Gain Animesh , Kreibich Heidi
Published: May 2017

Vietnam has a long history and experience with floods. Flood risk is expected to increase further due to climatic, land use and other global changes. Can Tho City, the cultural and economic center of the Mekong delta in Vietnam, is at high risk of flooding. To improve flood risk analyses for Vietnam, this study presents novel multi-variable flood loss models for residential buildings and contents and demonstrates their application in a flood risk assessment for the inner city of Can Tho. Cross-validation reveals that decision tree based loss models using the three input variables water depth, flood duration and floor space of building are more appropriate for estimating building and contents loss in comparison with depth–damage functions. The flood risk assessment reveals a median expected annual flood damage to private households of US$3340 thousand for the inner city of Can Tho. This is approximately 2.5% of the total annual income of households in the study area. For damage reduction improved flood risk management is required for the Mekong Delta, based on reliable damage and risk analyses.
RIVICE—A Non-Proprietary, Open-Source, One-Dimensional River-Ice Model
Authors: Lindenschmidt Karl-Erich
Published: May 2017

Currently, no river ice models are available that are free and open source software (FOSS), which can be a hindrance to advancement in the field of modelling river ice processes. This paper introduces a non-proprietary (conditional), open-source option to the scientific and engineering community, the River Ice Model (RIVICE). RIVICE is a one-dimensional, fully-dynamic wave model that mimics key river ice processes such as ice generation, ice transport, ice cover progression (shoving, submergence and juxtapositioning) and ice jam formation, details of which are highlighted in the text. Three ice jam events at Fort McMurray, Alberta, along the Athabasca River, are used as case studies to illustrate the steps of model setup, model calibration and results interpretation. A local sensitivity analysis reveals the varying effects of parameter and boundary conditions on backwater flood levels as a function of the location of ice jam lodgment along the river reach and the location along the ice jam cover. Some limitations of the model and suggestions for future research and model development conclude the paper.
Changes of Reference Evapotranspiration and Its Relationship to Dry/Wet Conditions Based on the Aridity Index in the Songnen Grassland, Northeast China
Authors: Ma Qiyun , Zhang Jiquan , Sun Caiyun , Guo Enliang , Zhang Feng , Wang Mengmeng
Published: May 2017

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) plays an important role in regional dry/wet conditions. Based on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United (FAO) Penman-Monteith method and daily climate variables, ET0 was calculated for 21 stations in and around the Songnen Grassland, northeast China, during 1960–2014. The temporal and spatial variations of ET0 and precipitation (P) were analyzed in the annual, seasonal, and growing season (from April to October) time series using the Mann-Kendall test, Sen’s slope estimator, and linear regression coupled with a break trend analysis. A sensitivity analysis was used to detect the key climate parameter contributing to ET0 change. By linear regression analysis on the relationship between ET0, P, and the aridity index (AI), the role of ET0 in determining regional wet/dry conditions was analyzed. Results show a higher ET0 in the southwest and a lower ET0 in the northeast, but P was opposite to that of ET0. Evident decreasing trends of ET0 in the annual, seasonal, and growing season time series were detected in almost the entire region by the trend analysis methods. For the entire region, the decreasing trend of ET0 can be linked to the relative humidity and maximum air temperature. The positive contribution of increasing temperature to ET0 was offset by the effect of the significantly decreasing relative humidity, wind speed, and sunshine duration at the 0.05 level during 1960–2014. In addition, the value of ET0 was higher in drought years and lower in wet years.
Prediction of Iron Release during Riverbank Filtration
Authors: Grischek Thomas , Paufler Sebastian
Published: May 2017

At many sites, anoxic conditions and dissolution of iron and manganese are already present, or are likely to develop during riverbank filtration (RBF). A prediction of iron and manganese mobilization during riverbank filtration is required to evaluate the need for further water treatment. Different methods have been tested at RBF sites in Germany: water and sediment analysis, batch and column experiments using river water, sequential extraction, and the mass balance approach. At these sites, a “wash out” effect was observed, resulting in a gradual decrease in iron concentrations between the riverbank and the abstraction well over two decades. Hydrogeochemical exchange processes in the aquifer can cause a long-term release of iron and manganese even if the organics concentration in the river water is low. Contrary to common expectations, high iron concentrations are often dominated by the portion of landside groundwater, whereas iron concentrations in bank filtrate often undergo a long-term decline.