bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A CNN-Based Pan-Sharpening Method for Integrating Panchromatic and Multispectral Images Using Landsat 8
Authors: Li Zhiqiang , Cheng Chengqi
Published: November 2019

The increasing availability of sensors enables the combination of a high-spatial-resolution panchromatic image and a low-spatial-resolution multispectral image, which has become a hotspot in recent years for many applications. To address the spectral and spatial distortions that adversely affect the conventional methods, a pan-sharpening method based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture is proposed in this paper, where the low-spatial-resolution multispectral image is upgraded and integrated with the high-spatial-resolution panchromatic image to produce a new multispectral image with high spatial resolution. Based on the pyramid structure of the CNN architecture, the proposed method has high learning capacity to generate more representative and robust hierarchical features for construction tasks. Moreover, the highly nonlinear fusion process can be effectively simulated by stacking several linear filtering layers, which is suitable for learning the complex mapping relationship between a high-spatial-resolution panchromatic and low-spatial-resolution multispectral image. Both qualitative and quantitative experimental analyses were carried out on images captured from a Landsat 8 on-board operational land imager (LOI) sensor to demonstrate the method’s performance. The results regarding the sensitivity analysis of the involved parameters indicate the effects of parameters on the performance of our CNN-based pan-sharpening approach. Additionally, our CNN-based pan-sharpening approach outperforms other existing conventional pan-sharpening methods with a more promising fusion result for different landcovers, with differences in Erreur Relative Globale Adimensionnelle de Synthse (ERGAS), root-mean-squared error (RMSE), and spectral angle mapper (SAM) of 0.69, 0.0021, and 0.81 on average, respectively.
Going Deeper with Densely Connected Convolutional Neural Networks for Multispectral Pansharpening
Authors: Wang Dong , Li Ying , Ma Li , Bai Zongwen , Chan Jonathan
Published: November 2019

In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shown promising performance in the field of multispectral (MS) and panchromatic (PAN) image fusion (MS pansharpening). However, the small-scale data and the gradient vanishing problem have been preventing the existing CNN-based fusion approaches from leveraging deeper networks that potentially have better representation ability to characterize the complex nonlinear mapping relationship between the input (source) and the targeting (fused) images. In this paper, we introduce a very deep network with dense blocks and residual learning to tackle these problems. The proposed network takes advantage of dense connections in dense blocks that have connections for arbitrarily two convolution layers to facilitate gradient flow and implicit deep supervision during training. In addition, reusing feature maps can reduce the number of parameters, which is helpful for reducing overfitting that resulted from small-scale data. Residual learning is explored to reduce the difficulty for the model to generate the MS image with high spatial resolution. The proposed network is evaluated via experiments on three datasets, achieving competitive or superior performance, e.g. the spectral angle mapper (SAM) is decreased over 10% on GaoFen-2, when compared with other state-of-the-art methods.
Evaluation of Satellite-Based Algorithms to Retrieve Chlorophyll-a Concentration in the Canadian Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Authors: Clay Stephanie , Peña Angelica , DeTracey Brendan , Devred Emmanuel
Published: November 2019

Remote-sensing reflectance data collected by ocean colour satellites are processed using bio-optical algorithms to retrieve biogeochemical properties of the ocean. One such important property is the concentration of chlorophyll-a, an indicator of phytoplankton biomass that serves a multitude of purposes in various ocean science studies. Here, the performance of two generic chlorophyll-a algorithms (i.e., a band ratio one, Ocean Colour X (OCx), and a semi-analytical one, Garver–Siegel Maritorena (GSM)) was assessed against two large in situ datasets of chlorophyll-a concentration collected between 1999 and 2016 in the Northeast Pacific (NEP) and Northwest Atlantic (NWA) for three ocean colour sensors: Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). In addition, new regionally-tuned versions of these two algorithms are presented, which reduced the mean error (mg m−3) of chlorophyll-a concentration modelled by OCx in the NWA from −0.40, −0.58 and −0.45 to 0.037, −0.087 and −0.018 for MODIS, SeaWiFS, and VIIRS respectively, and −0.34 and −0.36 to −0.0055 and −0.17 for SeaWiFS and VIIRS in the NEP. An analysis of the uncertainties in chlorophyll-a concentration retrieval showed a strong seasonal pattern in the NWA, which could be attributed to changes in phytoplankton community composition, but no long-term trends were found for all sensors and regions. It was also found that removing the 443 nm waveband for the OCx algorithms significantly improved the results in the NWA. Overall, GSM performed better than the OCx algorithms in both regions for all three sensors but generated fewer chlorophyll-a retrievals than the OCx algorithms.
Change in the Recent Warming Trend of Sea Surface Temperature in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) over Decades (1982–2018)
Authors: Lee Eun-Young , Park Kyung-Ae
Published: November 2019

Long-term trends of sea surface temperature (SST) of the East Sea (Sea of Japan, EJS) were estimated by using 37-year-long satellite data, for the observation period from 1982 to 2018. Overall, the SST tended to increase with time, for all analyzed regions. However, the warming trend was steeper in the earlier decades since the 1980s and slowed down during the recent two decades. Based on the analysis of the occurrence of events with extreme SST (high in the summertime and low in the wintertime), a shift toward the more frequent occurrence of events with extremely high SST and the less frequent occurrence of events with extremely low SST has been observed. This supports the observations of the consistent warming of the EJS. However, seasonal trends revealed continuous SST warming in the summertime, but frequent extreme SST cooling in the wintertime, in recent decades. The observed reduction in the warming rates occurred more frequently in specific regions of the EJS, where the occurrence frequency of events with extremely low SST was unusually high in the recent decade. The recent tendency toward the SST cooling was distinctively connected with variations in the Arctic Oscillation index. This suggests that changes in the Arctic Ocean environment likely affect the recently observed SST changes in the EJS, as one of the marginal seas in the mid-latitude region far from the polar region.
A Colorimetric pH Sensor Based on Clitoria sp and Brassica sp for Monitoring of Food Spoilage Using Chromametry
Authors: Ahmad Noor Azizah , Yook Heng Lee , Salam Faridah , Mat Zaid Mohd Hazani , Abu Hanifah Sharina
Published: November 2019

A developed colorimetric pH sensor film based on edible materials for real-time monitoring of food freshness is described. The mixed natural dyes from edible plants Clitoria sp and Brassica sp were extracted and incorporated into ι-carrageenan film as a colorimetric pH sensor film for monitoring food spoilage and its freshness. The color changes of the developed colorimetric sensor film were measured with chromametry and UV-vis spectroscopy, respectively. Experimental results show that colorimetric pH sensor film demonstrated statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between CIE-L*a*b* coordinates color system indicated that the developed colorimetric sensor film was able to give a gradual change in color over a wide pH range. The color of the colorimetric sensor film also changes discretely and linearly with factors that contribute to food spoilage using shrimp and durian samples. Moreover, the developed colorimetric pH sensor film has the potential to be used as a safe, non-destructive testing and also a flexibly visual method for direct assessment of food freshness indicator during storage.
Asymmetric Encoder-Decoder Structured FCN Based LiDAR to Color Image Generation
Authors: Kim Hyun-Koo , Yoo Kook-Yeol , Park Ju H. , Jung Ho-Youl
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we propose a method of generating a color image from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) 3D reflection intensity. The proposed method is composed of two steps: projection of LiDAR 3D reflection intensity into 2D intensity, and color image generation from the projected intensity by using a fully convolutional network (FCN). The color image should be generated from a very sparse projected intensity image. For this reason, the FCN is designed to have an asymmetric network structure, i.e., the layer depth of the decoder in the FCN is deeper than that of the encoder. The well-known KITTI dataset for various scenarios is used for the proposed FCN training and performance evaluation. Performance of the asymmetric network structures are empirically analyzed for various depth combinations for the encoder and decoder. Through simulations, it is shown that the proposed method generates fairly good visual quality of images while maintaining almost the same color as the ground truth image. Moreover, the proposed FCN has much higher performance than conventional interpolation methods and generative adversarial network based Pix2Pix. One interesting result is that the proposed FCN produces shadow-free and daylight color images. This result is caused by the fact that the LiDAR sensor data is produced by the light reflection and is, therefore, not affected by sunlight and shadow.
A Single-Shot Non-Line-of-Sight Range-Finder
Authors: Brooks James , Faccio Daniele
Published: November 2019

The ability to locate a target around a corner is crucial in situations where it is impractical or unsafe to physically move around the obstruction. However, current techniques are limited to long acquisition times as they rely on single-photon counting for precise arrival time measurements. Here, we demonstrate a single-shot non-line-of-sight range-finding method operating at 10 Hz and capable of detecting a moving human target up to distances of 3 m around a corner. Due to the potential data acquisition speeds, this technique will find applications in search and rescue and autonomous vehicles.
Robust Interacting Multiple Model Filter Based on Student’s t-Distribution for Heavy-Tailed Measurement Noises
Authors: Li Dong , Sun Jie
Published: November 2019

In maneuvering target tracking applications, the performance of the traditional interacting multiple model (IMM) filter deteriorates seriously under heavy-tailed measurement noises which are induced by outliers. A robust IMM filter utilizing Student’s t-distribution is proposed to handle the heavy-tailed measurement noises in this paper. The measurement noises are treated as Student’s t-distribution, whose degrees of freedom (dof) and scale matrix are assumed to be governed by gamma and inverse Wishart distributions, respectively. The mixing distributions of the target state, dof, and scale matrix are achieved through the interacting strategy of IMM filter. These mixing distributions are used for the initialization of time prediction. The posterior distributions of the target state, dof, and scale matrix conditioned on each mode are obtained by employing variational Bayesian approach. Then, the target state, dof, and scale matrix parameters are jointly estimated. A variational method is also given to estimate the mode probability. The unscented transform is utilized to solve the nonlinear estimation problem. Simulation results show that the proposed filter improves the estimation accuracy of target state and mode probability over existing filters under heavy-tailed measurement noises.
Detection of Structural Vibration with High-Rate Precise Point Positioning: Case Study Results Based on 100 Hz Multi-GNSS Observables and Shake-Table Simulation
Authors: Paziewski Jacek , Sieradzki Rafal , Baryla Radoslaw
Published: November 2019

This contribution presents and assesses the methodology aiming at the characterization of the structural vibrations with high-rate GNSS measurements. As commonly employed precise point positioning (PPP) based on ionosphere-free linear combination of undifferenced signals may not meet the high requirements in terms of displacement precision, a modified processing strategy has been proposed. The algorithms were implemented in the own-developed GNSS processing software and validated using the designed experiment. For this purpose, we have set up a field experiment taking advantage of the prototype shake-table, which simulated the dynamic horizontal displacements of the GNSS antenna. The device ensured a periodic motion of the antenna with modifiable characteristics, namely amplitude and frequency. In this experiment, we have set the amplitudes from 1.5 to 9 mm and the frequency to 3.80 Hz. As a dataset, we have used 100 Hz GPS, Galileo, and BDS measurements. The results confirmed a high applicability of the enhanced PPP processing strategy for precise displacement detection. Specifically, it was feasible to obtain the dynamic displacements with precision at the level of millimeters. The differences between the PPP-derived amplitude and the true amplitude of the simulated displacements were in the range of 0.5–1.3 mm, whereas the difference between the detected and benchmark frequency did not exceed 0.026 Hz. Hence, the proposed methodology allows meeting the specific demands of structural displacement monitoring.
THz Water Transmittance and Leaf Surface Area: An Effective Nondestructive Method for Determining Leaf Water Content
Authors: Pagano Mario , Baldacci Lorenzo , Ottomaniello Andrea , de Dato Giovanbattista , Chianucci Francesco , Masini Luca , Carelli Giorgio , Toncelli Alessandra , Storchi Paolo , Tredicucci Alessandro , Corona Piermaria
Published: November 2019

Water availability is a major limiting factor in plant productivity and plays a key role in plant species distribution over a given area. New technologies, such as terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz-QCLs) have proven to be non-invasive, effective, and accurate tools for measuring and monitoring leaf water content. This study explores the feasibility of using an advanced THz-QCL device for measuring the absolute leaf water content in Corylus avellana L., Laurus nobilis L., Ostrya carpinifolia Scop., Quercus ilex L., Quercus suber L., and Vitis vinifera L. (cv. Sangiovese). A recently proposed, simple spectroscopic technique was used, consisting in determining the transmission of the THz light beam through the leaf combined with a photographic measurement of the leaf area. A significant correlation was found between the product of the leaf optical depth (τ) and the leaf surface area (LA) with the leaf water mass (Mw) for all the studied species (Pearson’s r test, p ≤ 0.05). In all cases, the best fit regression line, in the graphs of τLA as a function of Mw, displayed R2 values always greater than 0.85. The method proposed can be combined with water stress indices of plants in order to gain a better understanding of the leaf water management processes or to indirectly monitor the kinetics of leaf invasion by pathogenic bacteria, possibly leading to the development of specific models to study and fight them.
Development of Unmanned Excavator Vehicle System for Performing Dangerous Construction Work
Authors: Lee Joosung , Kim Byeol , Sun Dongik , Han Changsoo , Ahn Yonghan
Published: November 2019

Of all the machinery and equipment used on construction sites, excavators are responsible for the greatest number of fatal accidents. Excavation is an inherently risky process due to imprecise work processes and the unstable external environment on most work sites. The resulting accidents cause serious injuries that threaten the lives of not only the excavator pilots but also those working around them. In this study, we propose a mechanical device that is capable of operating the excavator remotely from a nearby safe location such as a site office. To ensure worker safety and at the same time boost the productivity of excavation operations, data from 3D scanners, cameras, and sensors were combined to create a detailed 3D picture of the area surrounding the excavation site to guide a remotely operated excavating system. Rather than modifying the excavator itself, a removable manipulator was mounted on the joystick in the excavator’s cockpit. Our proposed system was tested on a standard commercial excavator to verify its performance for a real-world excavation task.
Robot Assistance in Dynamic Smart Environments—A Hierarchical Continual Planning in the Now Framework
Authors: Harman Helen , Chintamani Keshav , Simoens Pieter
Published: November 2019

By coupling a robot to a smart environment, the robot can sense state beyond the perception range of its onboard sensors and gain greater actuation capabilities. Nevertheless, incorporating the states and actions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices into the robot’s onboard planner increases the computational load, and thus can delay the execution of a task. Moreover, tasks may be frequently replanned due to the unanticipated actions of humans. Our framework aims to mitigate these inadequacies. In this paper, we propose a continual planning framework, which incorporates the sensing and actuation capabilities of IoT devices into a robot’s state estimation, task planing and task execution. The robot’s onboard task planner queries a cloud-based framework for actuators, capable of the actions the robot cannot execute. Once generated, the plan is sent to the cloud back-end, which will inform the robot if any IoT device reports a state change affecting its plan. Moreover, a Hierarchical Continual Planning in the Now approach was developed in which tasks are split-up into subtasks. To delay the planning of actions that will not be promptly executed, and thus to reduce the frequency of replanning, the first subtask is planned and executed before the subsequent subtask is. Only information relevant to the current (sub)task is provided to the task planner. We apply our framework to a smart home and office scenario in which the robot is tasked with carrying out a human’s requests. A prototype implementation in a smart home, and simulator-based evaluation results, are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework.
Safety Issues in the Seismic Design of Secondary Frameless Glass Structures
Authors: Bedon Chiara , Amadio Claudio , Noè Salvatore
Published: November 2019

Glass is largely used in buildings, in the form of an innovative and versatile material. Both for novel and existing constructions, secondary glass systems are frequently realized to interact with primary components of different materials. In most cases, the structural challenge deriving from the intrinsic brittleness and vulnerability of glass is efficiently controlled via laminated (LG) multi-layer sections. However, further potential risks for people should be properly minimized, like for example, in the presence of extreme loads. This is the case of seismic regions, where dedicated calculation methods are required to accommodate displacement and resistance demands, but design specifications are rarely provided by existing standards for earthquake resistant buildings. Even more attention is needed for frameless glass systems in which the bracing members (i.e., continuous frames, cable-nets, etc.) are reduced to a minimum, in favour of metal point connections (i.e., bolts and mechanical fixings, friction clamps, etc.). This paper aims at discussing the current design requirements for the seismic performance assessment of these relatively simple but challenging structural solutions, with careful consideration for the Italian scenario, where a practical support for design can be found in the CNR-DT 210/2013 technical document. Based on a case-study system, major issues, open questions and uncertainties or critical aspects for the seismic analysis and design of secondary frameless glass assemblies are thus emphasized.
Quantifying the Distribution and Diversity of Fish Species Along Elevational Gradients in the Weihe River Basin, Northwest China
Authors: Cheng Dandong , Zhao Xiaotian , Song Jinxi , Sun Haotian , Wang Shaoqing , Bai Haifeng , Li Qi
Published: November 2019

In this study, species compositions, distributions, and diversity patterns of fish assemblages were investigated at 50 sampling sites in the Weihe River and its two largest tributaries, the Jinghe River and the Beiluo River, under high- and low-flow conditions in 2017. For every condition tested and in the all rivers tested, Cyprinidae was the richest family, containing 17 of the 39 identified fish species. Carassius auratus was the most common species, accounting for 11.3% of the total individuals. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), and similarity percentage analysis (SIMPER) revealed that fish species composition differed significantly among rivers (p < 0.05), with dissimilar species assemblages found in the different rivers. Variation was influenced by a combined effect of habitat conditions, environmental factors, and human impact. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) identified variables explaining the variation in fish species (p < 0.05), and elevation contributed the most under both flow conditions. Alpha diversity decreased with increasing elevation within rivers as a result of changing environmental conditions, especially for wetted width. Alpha and beta diversities of rivers increased with increasing drainage area, which is related to habitat heterogeneity. The decrease in alpha diversity and the increase in beta diversity with increasing elevation can be explained by variations in habitat and geographic features.
Identifying Nature–Community Nexuses for Sustainably Managing Social and Ecological Systems: A Case Study of the Qianjiangyuan National Park Pilot Area
Authors: Wei Yu , He Siyuan , Li Gang , Chen Xutu , Shi Linlu , Lei Guangchun , Su Yang
Published: November 2019

Designing policies for the sustainable development of social-ecological systems with complex human–land relations requires integrated management and nexus thinking; China’s national parks are typical social-ecological systems. Ecosystem services and community livelihood are two essential components of sustainable management in the nature–community nexus (NCN). This study focuses on the Qianjiangyuan National Park Pilot Area in eastern China. Following a systems approach and integrating qualitative (causal analysis and systems but dynamic methods) and quantitative (InVEST model, Spearman’s correlation analysis, regression analysis, and multiple correspondence analysis) methods, we developed two causal mechanisms linking livelihood assets and ecosystem services, and verified them by exploring multi-dimensional linkages and revealing two types of NCNs. Results showed that the proportions of cropland and orchard areas have significant negative correlations with water and soil retention services, respectively, while forests significantly benefit both services. A positive NCN exists in areas where water and soil retention services perform well and the local community develops vibrantly with a considerable proportion of young, highly educated, or high-income (especially the income from secondary industries) residents. A negative NCN is seen in areas where the water and soil retention services values are low; a great many households do not have substantial income from secondary and tertiary industries, and few households have vast forest areas. These results can be used as scientific evidence for optimizing institutional arrangements and contributing to sustainable and harmonious development of national parks in China.
Does China’s Pollution Levy Standards Reform Promote Green Growth?
Authors: Tu Zhengge , Zhou Tao , Zhang Ning
Published: November 2019

Estimating the impact of environmental taxes on economic output is of great theoretical value for promoting green growth in China. Using a dataset of 232 cities from 2004 to 2014, this paper investigates the effect of pollution levy standards reform (PSR) on green total factor productivity (GTFP). We employ directional distance functions (DDF) computed by data envelopment analysis (DEA) to derive GTFP based on the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) productivity index. Then, we investigate the impacts of PSR on China’s GTFP using Difference-in-Differences (DID) estimation. The results reveal that PSR has an inhibitory effect on GTFP, via the mechanism of technological change. Furthermore, PSR has heterogeneous impacts on different city types. The results indicate that PSR statistically significantly reduces GTFP in key environmental protection cities (KEPCs), large cities, and eastern cities, but that it has less impact on non-KEPCs, small/medium cities, megacities, and cities in central areas.
Changes in Traditional Activities of Industrial Area toward Sustainable Tourism Development
Authors: Nedeljković Knežević Milena , Petrović Marko D. , Nedeljković Slađana , Mijatov Maja , Radovanović Milan M. , Gajić Mirjana , Škoda Miroslav
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential for restructuring industrial areas toward tourism development within local communities, with a special emphasis on the socio-cultural determinants of residents, as well as their attitudes regarding the sustainable development of tourism. The research is also oriented toward the interests of local communities with respect to entrepreneurial activities in the field of tourism within regions relying on traditional industries, in this case, one of the largest open-pit mining surfaces in Europe (near the Serbian town of Lazarevac). The survey was conducted on a sample of 273 respondents. The research results point to the residents’ attitudes regarding the acceptability of tourism development options, as well as their attitudes toward tourism development, with the aim of providing the conditions for a successful transition from a typical heavy industrial setting toward sustainable tourism development.
Servant Leadership Style and High-Performance Work System Practices: Pathway to a Sustainable Jordanian Airline Industry
Authors: Alafeshat Rawan , Tanova Cem
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine how servant leadership (SL) and high-performance work systems (HPWS) practices enable organizational performance, as shown by employee retention and employee satisfaction. Data was obtained from 300 full time employees in a private airline company in Jordan. The data was collected in three rounds, each separated by one-week time-lag. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed relationships and revealed that both servant leadership and HPWS practices were positively linked with employee satisfaction and retention, which were used as indicators of organizational sustainability. In order to understand how servant leadership and HPWS influence employee satisfaction and retention, we investigated the mediating role of employee engagement and discovered that it serves as a critical mechanism. The study affirmed that, in line with studies carried out in the west, servant leadership is also an effective leadership characteristic in the context of Jordan. Furthermore, the study helps to clarify the reason that servant leadership and HPWS lead to positive outcomes, due to the fact that these improve the engagement of employees. Thus, we understand that the increases in employee retention and satisfaction are due to the enhanced engagement of employees, and we show that engagement can be improved both by servant leadership and the application of HPWS in organizations. Consequently, the effectiveness and sustainability of the airline companies in Jordan will need to focus on primarily improving employee engagement.
The Use of Sholl and Kolmogorov Complexity Analysis in Researching on the Sustainable Development of Creative Economies in the Development Region of Bucharest‒Ilfov, Romania
Authors: Gruia Karina Andreea , Dobrea Razvan-Cătălin , Simion Cezar-Petre , Dima Cristina , Grecu Alexandra , Hudea Oana Simona , Marin Marian , Andronache Ion , Peptenatu Daniel
Published: November 2019

Nowadays, creative economies stand as a relevant indicator of the sustainable development of local and regional ones. The study aims to highlight the spatial behaviour of creative economies in the Bucharest‒Ilfov Development Region, the most dynamic and complex regional economy in Romania. In order to assess the spatial dynamics of creative economies in the region, an economic database was created, at the level of the territorial administrative unit, for the two economic indicators considered important for the study, number of employees and turnover, under the auspices of the Classification of National Economy Activities (NACE). The establishment of creative economies was made following the Government Decision no. 859 of 2014, with 66 codes for this sector. Annual cartographic models were developed for each indicator in QGIS (a free and open–source cross–platform desktop geographic information system application that supports viewing, editing, and analysis of geospatial data), for the period 2000–2016. For a relevant analysis of spatial behaviour, we used Sholl and Kolmogorov complexity, which highlighted specific patterns of spatial dynamics that help us to understand the role of creative economies in the sustainable development of regional economies. The results highlighted the role of accessibility corridors in the development of the regional economy.
Long-Term Comparison of Attraction of Flying Insects to Streetlights after the Transition from Traditional Light Sources to Light-Emitting Diodes in Urban and Peri-Urban Settings
Authors: van Grunsven Roy H. A. , Becker Julia , Peter Stephanie , Heller Stefan , Hölker Franz
Published: November 2019

Among the different light sources used for street lighting, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are likely to dominate the world market in the coming years. At the same time, the spectral composition of nocturnal illumination is changing. Europe and many other areas worldwide have implemented bans on energy-inefficient lamps, such as the still very common mercury vapor lamps. However, the impact of artificial light on insects is mostly tested with light-traps or flight-intercept traps that are used for short periods only. By comparing the numbers of insects attracted by street lamps before and after replacing mercury vapor light sources (MV) with light emitting diodes, we assessed the impact in more typical (urban and peri-urban) settings over several years. We found that LED attracted approximately half of the number of insects compared to MV lights. Furthermore, most insect groups are less drawn by LED than by MV, while Hymenoptera are less attracted by MV than by LED. Thus, the composition of the attracted communities differed between the light sources, which may impact ecosystem processes and functions. In green peri-urban settings more insects are attracted than in an urban setting, but the relative difference between the light sources is the same.
Electrical Power Characteristics and Economic Analysis of Distributed Generation System Using Renewable Energy: Applied to Iron and Steel Plants
Authors: Shin Hee-Kwan , Cho Jae-Min , Lee Eul-Bum
Published: November 2019

The intention of this paper is to respond to the increase in electric power demand and global environmental issues in iron and steel plants. In particular, the authors studied the characteristics of the power flow from a distributed generation (DG) system connected to the electrical power system of a steel plant. In addition, the authors carried out an economic analysis of the DG system by calculating the capital investment cost that could convert the profit of the DG into a certain profit. The research was conducted based on the power system configuration and basic data of a steel plant in operation in Korea. To analyze the unconnected DG of the power system, a transmission voltage target was set, and the voltage characteristics of 22.9 and 6.6 kV systems were analyzed. The authors analyzed the connected DG system in terms of the effect of link location, power factor, and output power by case. The authors also studied the power loss variation in the output power of a DG system. Various simulations with MATLAB software and NPV (Net Present Value) and IRR (Internal Rate of Return) methods were run in an economic analysis to compare the case of not introducing an energy storage system (ESS), and the case of introducing an ESS in terms of comprehensive energy utilization. The results of the economic analysis indicated that the scenario with ESS is more economically advantageous, resulting from the peak power reduction effect and the evasion cost due to the elimination of the power generation operation of the peak load. Developed countries have established best available technology (BAT) standards and developed related practices to apply them to industrial plants, actively preparing for environmental issues in the future. In Korea and in some other countries, the application of distributed generation in conjunction with the steel plant sector will be effective for improving energy efficiency and responding to environmental issues.
A Review of Chemicals to Produce Activated Carbon from Agricultural Waste Biomass
Authors: Ukanwa Kalu , Patchigolla Kumar , Sakrabani Ruben , Anthony Edward , Mandavgane Sachin
Published: November 2019

The choice of activating agent for the thermochemical production of high-grade activated carbon (AC) from agricultural residues and wastes, such as feedstock, requires innovative methods. Overcoming energy losses, and using the best techniques to minimise secondary contamination and improve adsorptivity, are critical. Here, we review the importance and influence of activating agents on agricultural waste: how they react and compare conventional and microwave processes. In particular, adsorbent pore characteristics, surface chemistry interactions and production modes were compared with traditional methods. It was concluded that there are no best activating agents; rather, each agent reacts uniquely with a precursor, and the optimum choice depends on the target adsorbent. Natural chemicals can also be as effective as inorganic activating agents, and offer the advantages that they are usually safe, and readily available. The use of a microwave, as an innovative pyrolysis approach, can enhance the activation process within a duration of 1–4 h and temperature of 500–1200 °C, after which the yield and efficiency decline rapidly due to molecular breakdown. This study also examines the biomass milling process requirements; the influence of the dielectric properties, along with the effect of washing; and experimental setup challenges. The microwave setup system, biomass feed rate, product delivery, inert gas flow rate, reactor design and recovery lines are all important factors in the microwave activation process, and contribute to the overall efficiency of AC preparation. However, a major issue is a lack of large-scale industrial demonstration units for microwave technology.
Ventilation as an Indispensable Tool for Healthy Constructions: Comparison of Alicante’s Urban Railway Tunnels
Authors: Rizo-Maestre Carlos , Echarri-Iribarren Víctor , Galiano-Garrigós Antonio
Published: November 2019

The majority of scientific agencies in the field of medicine and health, including the World Health Organization, consider radon gas a very harmful element for humans. This element, in its gaseous state, is radioactive and is present in almost all land in which buildings are implanted, especially in granitic soils, which present higher levels of radon gas. Nongranitic soils have traditionally been considered to have low radon levels. In addition to the contributions made by this article, it is very relevant that there are many countries, including Spain, in which the technical codes for their construction regulations do not include the maximum radon dose that a building can hold so that it is not harmful to humans nor do they hold the measures necessary to remedy excessive accumulation. The main objective of this research is to demonstrate the need for ventilation in buried works. To do this, a comparison is made between two railway tunnels in the urban fabric of the city of Alicante: one of them is in operation (Benacantil Mount) and the other is in the excavation phase (Serra Grossa). When underground railway installations are planned, they are equipped with large air ventilation systems due to the pollutants generated by ground exposure. These mechanical systems consist of suction turbines that expel the air to the outside. Research shows that radon gas is an indicator of an area’s air quality. In addition, ventilation in railway tunnels (mechanical and natural) allows for air renewal and improves the air quality.
Scheduling Sustainable Homecare with Urban Transport and Different Skilled Nurses Using an Approximate Algorithm
Authors: Ros-McDonnell Lorenzo , Szander Norina , de-la-Fuente-Aragón María Victoria , Vodopivec Robert
Published: November 2019

The essential characteristics that distinguish homecare services from other routing and scheduling problems are relatively few patients being spread out over a large urban area, long transport times and several different services being provided. The approach that the authors present herein was developed to solve planning homecare services according to the criterion of increasing social sustainability and incorporating environmentally sustainable transport systems. The objective of this paper is to present a tool to plan the daily work carried out by a homecare service with assigned patients with specific care requirements. It relies on the resources of nurses with different qualifications by assuming costs that depend on both offering the service and the different chosen transport modes. The algorithm manages several priority rules by ensuring that homecare provider goals and standards are met. The developed algorithm was tested according to the weekly homecare schedule of a group of nurses in a medium-sized European city and was successfully used during validation to improve homecare planning decisions. The results, therefore, are not generalisable but its modular structure ensures its applicability to different cases. The algorithm provides a patient-centred visiting plan and improves transport allocation by offering nurses a better route assignment by considering the required variables and each nurse’s daily workload.
The Corporate Sustainability Strategy in Organisations: A Systematic Review and Future Directions
Authors: Rodrigues Margarida , Franco Mário
Published: November 2019

The corporate sustainability strategy in organisations is a current topic and set in Agenda 2030 for sustainability, and so this study aims to map the literature on the subject through a bibliometric analysis. From 97 documents identified and analyzed, the results obtained show the fragmentation and hiatus between the planning of a global strategy and inclusion therein of a sustainable strategy. Furthermore, these results provide the construction of a framework as an auxiliary tool for managers of different organisations to implement a sustainable strategy, this being the main contribution of the study. In addition, the theoretical contribution of this study is to obtain evidence that the resources and market position of organisations is crucial to the successful implementation of this type of strategy, in which the resource-based view and competitive advantage proved to be appropriate to support the same. The contribution to the practice showed the importance of having full involvement and commitment of all stakeholders in this implementation, so that the organisations acquire the so ambitious internal and external legitimacy. Finally, some limitations, indications for future research are draw.
Eurocity: From Political Construction to Local Demand… Or Vice-Versa?
Authors: González Gómez Teresa , Domínguez-Gómez J. Andrés , Pinto Hugo
Published: November 2019

This study presents a diagnostic analysis of the concept of the Eurocity. It aims to compare the initial intentions of the concept with its actual results from the perspective of a sustainable local development approach, particularly assessing the attention given to local governance and its potential for boosting this development paradigm. To this end, a range of internal documents and press reports of the Guadiana Eurocity were analyzed, and 15 in-depth interviews and one focus group were conducted with the main stakeholders involved in implementing local development policy in order to uncover the cognitive structure of their collective discourse and the potentials and expectations of the Eurocity. The results showed that the Guadiana Eurocity seemed to be the cross-border and European integration entity with the most legitimacy among these municipalities for carrying out sustainable local development strategies. Its structure and closeness to residents’ daily lives, however, were not sufficient guarantees of its success.
Are Consumers’ Egg Preferences Influenced by Animal-Welfare Conditions and Environmental Impacts?
Authors: Rahmani Djamel , Kallas Zein , Pappa Maria , Gil José Maria
Published: November 2019

We conducted a labelled discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for fresh hens’ eggs produced via different production systems (caged, barn, free range, or organic). We estimated purchase intentions and WTP for different possible reductions (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water use in the egg production systems. Data were collected using an online open-ended questionnaire completed by a representative sample of 1045 Spanish egg consumers. The results of a random parameter logit (RPL) model showed heterogeneous preferences for different types of eggs with higher marginal utility and WTP for a production system ensuring higher animal welfare level, such as free-range eggs. However, consumers showed a lower preference for organic eggs at the actual market prices since they were unwilling to pay for this category of eggs. Moreover, there were positive marginal WTPs for reductions in GHG emissions and water use, but only for significant reductions (20% or 30%) with respect to the current situation. Potential buyers for free-range eggs were identified to be persons under 40 years old, persons with a monthly income of more than €1500, and persons who were pro-environment. Our findings provide producers, sellers and policy makers with useful information that may guide them in the development of successful communication and pricing strategies.
Coordinated Control Strategy for Multi-Line Bus Bunching in Common Corridors
Authors: Zhou Xuemei , Wang Yehan , Ji Xiangfeng , Cottrill Caitlin
Published: November 2019

Improving the sharing rate of public transportation is an important content for the sustainable development of urban transportation. However, bus bunching, a common phenomenon during transit operation, makes negative effects on reliability and service level of the bus system. In most urban centers in China, many bus lines usually serve in a corridor. Different buses may interact with each other in the corridor, which may aggravate the bus bunching. However, previous studies on bus bunching focused on single bus service. In addition, with the popularization of bus data acquisition and the maturity of data processing methods, the accuracy of bus bunching research meets more opportunities. In this paper, we proposed a holding strategy based on two-bus cooperative control. A simulation was carried out after preliminarily processing and analyzing the bus operation data of Foshan, Guangdong City. In the simulation, we compared the performance of three different scenarios, which are before control strategy, under the strategy for a single bus line and under the coordinated strategy for multiple bus lines. We contrastively analyze the results of the two strategies from different aspects. The results show that in aspects, such as holding a frequency, holding time, the total running time and the influence on the other bus line, the cooperative holding strategy manifests better. It illustrates that it is meaningful to do such a research on the effect of corridor service on bus bunching and add this effect into traditional holding strategy to build a multi-bus cooperative control strategy. The results have important theoretical significance for enriching and completing existing theory and methods of transit system and practical value for improving the service level and attractiveness of buses, increasing the share rate of public transportation, and thus, promoting the sustainable development of cities.
Seasonality and Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture in Kenya: Evidence from Mixed-Methods Research in Rural Lake Naivasha Basin
Authors: Sassi Maria
Published: November 2019

This study investigates the impact of seasonality within the debate on nutrition-sensitive agriculture focusing on rural Lake Naivasha Basin in Kenya, which presents an interesting case study of the food system in East Africa. Seasonality shapes food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa, dominated by a rain-fed system; however, lack of monthly data hampers understanding. Using mixed methods, this study constructs a monthly dataset of a representative sample of households from February 2018 to January 2019. A fixed-effects analysis highlights the association between three pathways from agriculture to nutrition while controlling for the hunger and harvesting seasons by crop. Supported by qualitative information from focus groups, the results suggest that seasonality is an important dimension of the agriculture–nutrition link and promote understanding of the complexity of the pathways suggested by the literature, including the association between crops and dietary diversity, with relevant policy implications.
Exploring the Effectiveness of Multifunctional Cultivated Land Protection Linking Supply to Demand in Value Engineering Theory: Evidence from Wuhan Metropolitan Area
Authors: Zhang Siyu , Hu Weiyan , Huang Liejia , Du Hongjie
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of multifunctional cultivated land protection based on the value engineering theory. The study area is the Wuhan Metropolitan Area. Entropy method, comprehensive index method, opportunity cost method and most suitable regional method were employed. The coefficients for importance of functions, for costs, and for values in production, social and ecological of cultivated land were measured. Significant spatial differences in the effectiveness of multifunctional cultivated land protection were found. According to the effectiveness of multifunctional cultivated land protection, the study area can be divided into the following three regions: the “most suitable region”, where the functions of cultivated land and their costs are matched in most parts of the study area; the “optimization region for functional structure”, mostly located in the Jianghan Plain, where the structure of multifunctional cultivated land needs further optimization; and the “improvement region for functional level”, including the mountainous areas, such as Yingshan and Wuxue in the East, and the municipal districts, such as Wuhan and Ezhou, where the potential for improving level of multifunctional cultivated land is relatively large. The article contributes to firstly introducing value engineering theory into the research of cultivated land protection, linking demand to supply of functions of cultivated land. We suggest that different policies might be implemented to optimize the spatial layout of cultivated land protection, and to manifest and coordinate multiple functions of cultivated land. It is vital to improve the use efficiency of funds for multifunctional cultivated land protection, and in the end to realize effective protection of cultivated land in quantity, quality and ecology at a lower cost in a sustainable way.