bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitively Characterizing the Chemical Composition of Tailored Bagasse Fiber and Its Effect on the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polylactic Acid-Based Composites
Authors: Hong Haoqun , Xiao Ruijing , Guo Quannan , Liu Hao , Zhang Haiyan
Published: September 2019

Natural fiber reinforced polymer-based composites have been growing into a type of green composites. The properties of natural fiber reinforced polymer-based composites are closely related to the structure of natural fibers. Bagasse fiber (BF) is one of the most used natural fibers for preparing natural fiber reinforced polymer-based composites. However, few examples of previous research touch on the quantitatively characterization of structure of BF and its effect on the properties of BF reinforced polymer-based composites. In this work, four kinds of BF including untreated BF (UBF), alkali treated BF (ABF), BF modified by silane coupling agent (SBF), and BF modified combining alkali treatment with silane coupling agent (ASBF) were prepared and melting blended with polylactic acid (PLA) to prepare PLA/BF composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetry (TGA) and mechanical properties testing were used to characterize and analyze the structure and properties of modified BF and its reinforced PLA-based composites. Results showed that the used methods changed the structure of BF and their bonding modes. The surface energies of UBF, ABF, SBF, and ASBF were 19.8 mJ/m2, 34.7 mJ/m2, 12.3 mJ/m2, and 21.6 mJ/m2, respectively. The O/C ratios of UBF, ABF, SBF and, ASBF are 0.48, 0.53, 0.47, and 0.51. Due to the synergistic effect of alkali treatment and silane coupling agent modification on the surface chemical properties, the content of silicon elements on the surface of ASBF (4.15%) was higher than that of ASBF (2.38%). However, due to the destroying of alkali treatment on the microstructure of BF, the alkali treatment had no prominently synergetic effect with coupling agent modification on the mechanical properties of PLA/BF composites. Alkali treatment removed the small molecular compounds from BF, decreased its thermal stability, and increased the crystalline region and crystallinity of cellulose. Meanwhile, alkali treatment made BF fibrillated and increased its contactable active area with the coupling agents, but destructed the nature structure of BF. The silane coupling agent played a more important role than alkali treatment did in improving the interfacial compatibility of PLA/BF composites.
A Novel Inherently Flame-Retardant Composite Based on Zinc Alginate/Nano-Cu2O
Authors: Xu Peng , Shao Peiyuan , Zhang Qing , Cheng Wen , Li Zichao , Li Qun
Published: September 2019

A novel flame-retardant composite material based on zinc alginate (ZnAlg) and nano-cuprous oxide (Cu2O) was prepared through a simple, eco-friendly freeze-drying process and a sol-gel method. The composites were characterized and their combustion and flammability behavior were tested. The composites had high thermal stability and achieved nearly non-flammability with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 58. The results show remarkable improvement of flame-retardant properties in the ZnAlg/Cu2O composites, compared to ZnAlg. Furthermore, the pyrolysis behavior was determined by pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and the flame-retardant mechanism was proposed based on the combined experimental results. The prepared composites show promising application prospects in building materials and the textile industry.
Selective Localization of Carbon Black in Bio-Based Poly (Lactic Acid)/Recycled High-Density Polyethylene Co-Continuous Blends to Design Electrical Conductive Composites with a Low Percolation Threshold
Authors: Lu Xiang , Kang Benhao , Shi Shengyu
Published: September 2019

The electrically conductive poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/carbon black (CB) composites with a fine co-continuous micro structure and selective localization of CB in the HDPE component were fabricated by one-step melt processing via a twin-screw extruder. Micromorphology analysis, electrical conductivity, thermal properties, thermal stability, and mechanical properties were investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicate that a co-continuous morphology is formed, and CB is selectively distributed in the HDPE component. With the introduction of CB, the phase size of the PLA component and the HDPE component in PLA/HDPE blends is reduced. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermos gravimetric analysis (TGA) results show that the introduction of CB promotes the crystallization behavior of the PLA and HDPE components, respectively, and improves the thermal stability of PLA70/30HDPE/CB composites. The electrically conductive percolation threshold of the PLA70/30HDPE/CB composites is around 5.0 wt %, and the electrical conductivity of PLA70/30HDPE/CB composites reaches 1.0 s/cm and 15 s/cm just at the 10 wt % and 15 wt % CB loading, respectively. Further, the tensile and impact tests show that the PLA70/30HDPE/CB composites have good mechanical properties. The excellent electrical conductivity and good mechanical properties offer the potential to broaden the application of PLA/HDPE/CB composites.
3D Bioprinting of the Sustained Drug Release Wound Dressing with Double-Crosslinked Hyaluronic-Acid-Based Hydrogels
Authors: Si Haopeng , Xing Tianlong , Ding Yulong , Zhang Hongbo , Yin Ruixue , Zhang Wenjun
Published: September 2019

Hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogels are widely used in biomedical applications due to their excellent biocompatibility. HA can be Ultraviolet (UV)-crosslinked by modification with methacrylic anhydride (HA-MA) and crosslinked by modification with 3,3′-dithiobis(propionylhydrazide) (DTP) (HA-SH) via click reaction. In the study presented in this paper, a 3D-bioprinted, double-crosslinked, hyaluronic-acid-based hydrogel for wound dressing was proposed. The hydrogel was produced by mixing HA-MA and HA-SH at different weight ratios. The rheological test showed that the storage modulus (G’) of the HA-SH/HA-MA hydrogel increased with the increase in the HA-MA content. The hydrogel had a high swelling ratio and a high controlled degradation rate. The in vitro degradation test showed that the hydrogel at the HA-SH/HA-MA ratio of 9:1 (S9M1) degraded by 89.91% ± 2.26% at 11 days. The rheological performance, drug release profile and the cytocompatibility of HA-SH/HA-MA hydrogels with loaded Nafcillin, which is an antibacterial drug, were evaluated. The wound dressing function of this hydrogel was evaluated by Live/Dead staining and CCK-8 assays. The foregoing results imply that the proposed HA-SH/HA-MA hydrogel has promise in wound repair applications.
Rice Husk Biochars Modified with Magnetized Iron Oxides and Nano Zero Valent Iron for Decolorization of Dyeing Wastewater
Authors: Trinh Bao-Son , Le Phung T. K. , Werner David , Phuong Nguyen H. , Luu Tran Le
Published: September 2019

This study investigated if biochar, a low-cost carbon-rich material, can be modified with reactive materials for decolorization of dyeing wastewater. Two types of rice husk biochars were produced by using different processes of gasification and pyrolysis in limited air condition. The biochars were first magnetized and then modified with nano-scale zero-valent iron (nZVI) to achieve the final products of magnetic-nZVI biochars. Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the efficiency of the modified biochars for reducing color of the reactive dyes yellow (RY145), red (RR195), and blue (RB19) from dyeing solutions. Results showed that color removal efficiency of the modified biochars was significantly enhanced, achieving the values of 100% for RY145 and RR195 and ≥65% for RB19, while the effectiveness of the original biochar was significantly lower. In addition, with increasing dose of the modified biochars, the color removal efficiency increased accordingly. In contrast, when the dose of nZVI was increased beyond a certain value then its color removal efficiency decreased accordingly. It is reported that the magnetic-nZVI rice husk biochars effectively removed the reactive dyes. The impregnation of nZVI particles on the biochar surface spatially separates the nZVI particles, prevents its aggregation and therefore enhances the decolorization efficiency.
The Impact of Authorized Remanufacturing on Sustainable Remanufacturing
Authors: Xia Xiqiang , Zhang Cuixia
Published: September 2019

Remanufacturing could effectively solve resource shortage and environment crisis and achieve sustainable development of the economy. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) could not only focus on its core business (i.e., producing new products), but also get profit from remanufacturing through the intellectual property rights. Based on the authorized remanufacturing, the game model between a manufacturer and a remanufacturer was constructed. Based on the game model, the impact of authorized remanufacturing on sustainable remanufacturing is analysed, and the coordination mechanism between manufacturer and remanufacturer is given. The main results are as follows: the OEM could increase its profit and change its unfavourable market competition status by authorizing remanufacturing; a franchise contract could make the sustainability supply chain optimized; when the ratio of the environment effect is greater than a certain threshold, centralized decision-making could not only increase the supply chain revenue, but also reduce the impact on the environment.
Spinoza, Sin as Debt, and the Sin of the Prophets
Authors: Green Keith
Published: September 2019

In Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, Margaret Atwood examines different forms of debt and their various interrelations. Her work invites, but does not provide, an account or philosophy of debt or its deep implication in Christian beliefs such as sin, satisfaction, and atonement. This paper aims to bring to light insights into the link between debt and some aspects of Christian belief, especially the ideas of sin and satisfaction. It draws upon another unlikely source-the Ethics and political treatises of Spinoza. Spinoza’s view at least implies that the idea that sin (understood as the voluntary actions of a free agent) creates a ‘debt’ that is ‘paid’ by punishment is a potentially dangerous ‘fiction.’ Spinoza intuits that the subsumption of the idea of debt into notions of retribution, vengeance, satisfaction, or atonement, are driven by ‘superstition,’ envy, and hatred, and through imitating others’ hateful ideas of oneself. The idea of ‘debt’ is an artefact of civil authority that can only assume affective, normative purchase through internalizing fear of the implicit threat of punishment inherent in law. I will seek, finally, to suggest an implicit critique in Spinoza of the imaginative subsumption of debt into the space of religio.
Sheng Ren in the Figurists’ Reinterpretation of the Yijing
Authors: Wei Sophie Ling-chia
Published: September 2019

Christian missions to China have sought to make their message more acceptable to their Chinese audience by expressing, in translations of Christian texts, Christian terms and concepts in language borrowed from China’s indigenous Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist traditions. The Jesuits were especially renowned for their accommodation policy. Interestingly, when the Jesuit Figurists arrived in China in the early Qing dynasty, they conducted exhaustive studies on the Chinese classics, studies in which they identified Tian and Di of Chinese culture with God or Deus in Latin; their descriptions of Jesus and Adam were decorated with “chinoiserie” through their association with the Yijing and Chinese mystical legends. Each Figurist, in investigating Figurism and interpreting the Yijing, had his own identity, focus, and trajectory. The Figurist use of sheng ren was employed in this paper to distinguish each signature approach and how they explained the image of Jesus and prelapsarian Adam using the ethical emotions and virtues of a sheng ren 聖人 in their reinterpretation of the Yijing and the Dao. This also led to the European people aspiring for a more in-depth understanding and more discussion of the Yijing and the Dao.
Catholic Social Teaching, Theology, and Sociology: Exploring the Common Ground
Authors: Ballano Vivencio
Published: September 2019

Drawing on some secondary literature and using sociological perspectives, in this paper, I trace the fundamental conflict and differences between sociology and theology as academic disciplines and draw some implications on why the contributions of sociological inquiries and their empirical assessments of society and human behavior are seldom used in literature and learning materials on Catholic social teaching (CST)—a body of moral principles based on papal, conciliar, and other official Church documents on the Christian faith and social concerns. I argue that despite methodological and theoretical differences, sociology and CST’s moral theology can share a common ground in dealing with the social order: the moral theologizing of CST begins where sociologizing ends. Sociology is a necessary tool to reformulate CST’s Christian message to the constantly changing historical and social contexts and provide empirical illustrations to its moral teachings.
Examination of Short Supply Chains Based on Circular Economy and Sustainability Aspects
Authors: Kiss Konrád , Ruszkai Csaba , Takács-György Katalin
Published: September 2019

The sustainability of global food chains and intense agricultural production has become questionable. At the same time, the consumers’ interest in short supply chains (SSCs) and direct sales from producers has increased. SSCs are connected to sustainability by researchers. Their (supposed) positive sustainability attributes are based mostly on extensive production methods and short transport distances. However, from other points of view, the economic and environmental sustainability of the short chains is questionable. Our research aims to cast light on the SSCs’ role in circular economy and sustainability. By deep literature review and content analysis, we determine the sustainability aspects of short (local) chains and their effects related to economy and environment. Short supply chains are connected most widely to circularity and sustainability by the subjects of environmental burden (transport, production method, emission), health, food quality, consumers’ behavior, producer-consumer relationships, and local economy. According to our experience, these factors cannot be generalised across all kinds of short chains. Their circular economic and sustainability features are dependent on their spatial location, type, and individual attitudes of the involved consumers and producers.
A Hierarchical Classification Framework of Satellite Multispectral/Hyperspectral Images for Mapping Coastal Wetlands
Authors: Jiao Leilei , Sun Weiwei , Yang Gang , Ren Guangbo , Liu Yinnian
Published: September 2019

Mapping different land cover types with satellite remote sensing data is significant for restoring and protecting natural resources and ecological services in coastal wetlands. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical classification framework (HCF) that implements two levels of classification scheme to identify different land cover types of coastal wetlands. The first level utilizes the designed decision tree to roughly group land covers into four rough classes and the second level combines multiple features (i.e., spectral feature, texture feature and geometric feature) of each class to distinguish different subtypes of land covers in each rough class. Two groups of classification experiments on Landsat and Sentinel multispectral data and China Gaofen (GF)-5 hyperspectral data are carried out in order to testify the classification behaviors of two famous coastal wetlands of China, that is, Yellow River Estuary and Yancheng coastal wetland. Experimental results on Landsat data show that the proposed HCF performs better than support vector machine and random forest in classifying land covers of coastal wetlands. Moreover, HCF is suitable for both multispectral data and hyperspectral data and the GF-5 data is superior to Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 multispectral data in obtaining fine classification results of coastal wetlands.
Toward Quantifying Oil Contamination in Vegetated Areas Using Very High Spatial and Spectral Resolution Imagery
Authors: Lassalle Guillaume , Elger Arnaud , Credoz Anthony , Hédacq Rémy , Bertoni Georges , Dubucq Dominique , Fabre Sophie
Published: September 2019

Recent remote sensing studies have suggested exploiting vegetation optical properties for assessing oil contamination, especially total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in vegetated areas. Methods based on the tracking of alterations in leaf biochemistry have been proposed for detecting and quantifying TPH under controlled and field conditions. In this study, we expand their use to airborne imagery, in order to monitor oil contamination at a larger scale. Airborne hyperspectral images with very high spatial and spectral resolutions were acquired over an industrial site with oil-contamination (mud pits) and control sites both colonized by Rubus fruticosus L. The method of oil detection exploiting 14 vegetation indices succeeded in classifying the sites in the case of high TPH contamination (overall accuracy ≥ 91.8%). Two methods, based on either the PROSAIL (PROSPECT + SAIL) radiative transfer model or elastic net multiple regression, were also developed for quantifying TPH. Both methods were tested on reflectance measurements in the field, at leaf and canopy scales, and on the image, and achieved accurate predictions of TPH concentrations (RMSE ≤ 3.28 g/kg−1 and RPD ≥ 1.90). The methods were validated on additional sites and open up promising perspectives of operational application for oil and gas companies, with the emergence of new hyperspectral satellite sensors.
Ground Deformations Controlled by Hidden Faults: Multi-Frequency and Multitemporal InSAR Techniques for Urban Hazard Monitoring
Authors: Murgia Federica , Bignami Christian , Brunori Carlo Alberto , Tolomei Cristiano , Pizzimenti Luca
Published: September 2019

This work focuses on the study of land subsidence processes by means of multi-temporal and multi-frequency InSAR techniques. Specifically, we retrieve the long-term evolution (2003–2018) of the creeping phenomenon producing ground fissuring in the Ciudad Guzmán (Jalisco state, Mexico) urban area. The city is located on the northern side of the Volcan de Colima area, one of the most active Mexican volcanoes. On September 21 2012, Ciudad Guzmán was struck by ground fissures of about 1.5 km of length, causing the deformation of the roads and the propagation of fissures in adjacent buildings. The field surveys showed that fissures follow the escarpments produced during the central Mexico September 19 1985 Mw 8.1 earthquake. We extended the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) interferometric monitoring starting with the multi-temporal analysis of ENVISAT and COSMO-SkyMed datasets, allowing the monitoring of the observed subsidence phenomena affecting the Mexican city. We processed a new stack of Sentinel-1 TOPSAR acquisition mode images along both descending and ascending paths and spanning the 2016–2018 temporal period. The resulting long-term trend observed by satellites, together with data from volcanic bulletin and in situ surveys, seems to suggest that the subsidence is due to the exploitation of the aquifers and that the spatial arrangement of ground deformation is controlled by the position of buried faults.
Characterization of Wind Turbine Wakes with Nacelle-Mounted Doppler LiDARs and Model Validation in the Presence of Wind Veer
Authors: Brugger Peter , Fuertes Fernando Carbajo , Vahidzadeh Mohsen , Markfort Corey D. , Porté-Agel Fernando
Published: September 2019

Accurate prediction of wind turbine wakes is important for more efficient design and operation of wind parks. Volumetric wake measurements of nacelle-mounted Doppler lidars are used to characterize the wake of a full-scale wind turbine and to validate an analytical wake model that incorporates the effect of wind veer. Both, measurements and model prediction, show an elliptical and tilted spanwise cross-section of the wake in the presence of wind veer. The error between model and measurements is reduced compared to a model without the effect of wind veer. The characterization of the downwind velocity deficit development and wake growth is robust. The wake tilt angle can only be determined for elliptical wakes.
3D Coseismic Deformation Field and Source Parameters of the 2017 Iran-Iraq Mw7.3 Earthquake Inferred from DInSAR and MAI Measurements
Authors: Wang Zhiheng , Zhang Rui , Liu Yuxin
Published: September 2019

The coseismic slip on the main fault related to the 2017 Iran-Iraq Mw7.3 earthquake has been investigated by previous studies using DInSAR (differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar) ground deformation measurements. However, DInSAR observation is not sensitive to the ground deformation in the along-track (AT) direction. Therefore, only the one-dimensional (1D) DInSAR coseismic deformation field measurements, derived in the LOS (line-of-sight) direction of radar, was applied in source parameters estimation. To further improve the accuracy of the fault slip inversion, the 3D (three-dimensional) coseismic deformation fields were reconstructed in the first place, by a combined use of the DInSAR and MAI (multiple aperture InSAR) measurements. Subsequently, the LOS and 3D deformation data sets were used as the constraint respectively, to perform a two-step inversion scheme to find an optimal geometry and slip distribution on the main fault. The comparative analysis indicated that the 3D coseismic deformation data sets improved the inversion-accuracy by 30%. Besides, the fault invention results revealed a deep dislocation on a NNW trending fault (the strike is 352.63°) extending about 60 km, along the fault dips 14.76° to the ENE. The estimated seismic moment is 8.44 × 1019 Nm (Mw7.3), which is close to the solution provided by USGS (United States Geological Survey). The slip distributed at the depth between 12 and 18 km, and the peak slip of 6.53 m appears at the depth of 14.5 km left near the epicenter. Considering the geological structure in the earthquake region and fault source-parameters, it comes to a preliminary conclusion that the ZMFF (the Zagros Mountain Front fault) should be responsible for the earthquake. In general, this paper demonstrated the superiority of using the 3D coseismic deformation fields on source parameters estimation.
Synergistic Modern Global 1 Km Cropland Dataset Derived from Multi-Sets of Land Cover Products
Authors: Zhang Chengpeng , Ye Yu , Fang Xiuqi , Li Hansunbai , Wei Xueqiong
Published: September 2019

The quality of global cropland products could affect our understanding of the impacts of cropland reclamation on global changes. With the advancement of remote sensing technology, several global land cover products and synergistic datasets have been developed in recent decades. However, there are still some disagreements among the global cropland datasets. In this paper, we proposed a new synergistic method that integrates the reliability of spatial distribution and cropland fraction on a pixel scale, and developed a modern (around 2000 C.E.) fractional cropland dataset with a 1 km × 1 km spatial resolution on the basis of the spatial consistency of cropland reclamation intensity derived from multi-sets of global land cover products. The main conclusions are shown as follows: (1) The accuracy of spatial distribution assessed by validation samples in this synergistic dataset reaches 87.6%, and the dataset also has a moderate amount of cropland pixels when compared with other products. (2) The reliability of cropland fraction on the pixel scale had been highly improved, and most cropland pixel has a higher fraction (over 90%) in this dataset. The “L” shape of the histogram of pixel numbers with different reclamation intensities is reasonable because it is consistent with the up-scaling results derived from satellite-derived products with high spatial resolutions and the expert knowledge on cultivation. (3) The cropland areas in this non-calibrated result are generally closer to that of FAOSTAT on scales from global to national when compared to other non-calibrated synergistic datasets and original satellite-derived products. (4) The reliability of the synergistic result developed by this method might be decreased to some degree in the regions with high discrepancies among the original multi-sets of cropland datasets.
TCQG—Software-Defined Transmission Control Scheme in 5G Networks from Queuing Game Perspective
Authors: Guo Chao , Gong Cheng , Guo Juan , Xu Haitao , Zhang Long
Published: September 2019

The efficient processing and forwarding of big data is one of the key problems and challenges facing the next generation wireless communication network. Using a software definition method to virtualize the network can improve the efficiency of network operation and reduce the cost of network operation and maintenance. A software-defined transmission control scheme was presented to solve the excessive controller flow problem for 5G networks. Based on the queuing game theory, a system model was built due to the competition among the requests of the switch. The transmission control platform was in charge of resource allocation. It got maximum social welfare under a profit-maximizing fee. In this model, the optimal queue length was calculated and discussed in a first-come-first-served and last-come-first-served with preemption discipline. The optimal queue length was obtained and the optimal admission fee was calculated. Then, the single switch single controller transmission control model was extended to the multi-switches single controller model. As a result, the social welfare of the system containing the controller’s profit and switch surplus reaches the maximum.
The Potential of Utilizing Air Temperature Datasets from Non-Professional Meteorological Stations in Brno and Surrounding Area
Authors: Dejmal Karel , Kolar Petr , Novotny Josef , Roubalova Alena
Published: September 2019

An increasing number of individuals and institutions own or operate meteorological stations, but the resulting data are not yet commonly used in the Czech Republic. One of the main difficulties is the heterogeneity of measuring systems that puts in question the quality of outcoming data. Only after a thorough quality control of recorded data is it possible to proceed with for example a specific survey of variability of a chosen meteorological parameter in an urban or suburban region. The most commonly researched element in the given environment is air temperature. In the first phase, this paper focuses on the quality of data provided by amateur and institutional stations. The following analyses consequently work with already amended time series. Due to the nature of analyzed data and their potential use in the future it is opportune to assess the appropriateness of chronological and possibly spatial interpolation of missing values. The evaluation of seasonal variability of air temperature in the scale of Brno city and surrounding area in 2015–2017 demonstrates, that the enrichment of network of standard (professional) stations with new stations may significantly refine or even revise the current state of knowledge, for example in the case of urban heat island phenomena. A cluster analysis was applied in order to assess the impact of localization circumstances (station environment, exposition, etc.) as well as typological classification of the set of meteorological stations.
Correlation Analysis and Verification of Railway Crossing Condition Monitoring
Authors: Liu X. , Markine V. L.
Published: September 2019

This paper presents a correlation analysis of the structural dynamic responses and weather conditions of a railway crossing. Prior to that, the condition monitoring of the crossing as well as the indicators for crossing condition assessment are briefly introduced. In the correlation analysis, strong correlations are found between acceleration responses with irregular contact ratios and the fatigue area. The correlation results between the dynamic responses and weather variables indicate the influence of weather on the performance of the crossing, which is verified using a numerical vehicle-crossing model developed using the multi-body system (MBS) method. The combined correlation and simulation results also indicate degraded track conditions of the monitored crossing. In the condition monitoring of railway crossings, the findings of this study can be applied to data measurement simplification and regression, as well as to assessing the conditions of railway crossings.
Improving Imaging Quality of Real-time Fourier Single-pixel Imaging via Deep Learning
Authors: Rizvi Saad , Cao Jie , Zhang Kaiyu , Hao Qun
Published: September 2019

Fourier single pixel imaging (FSPI) is well known for reconstructing high quality images but only at the cost of long imaging time. For real-time applications, FSPI relies on under-sampled reconstructions, failing to provide high quality images. In order to improve imaging quality of real-time FSPI, a fast image reconstruction framework based on deep learning (DL) is proposed. More specifically, a deep convolutional autoencoder network with symmetric skip connection architecture for real time 96 × 96 imaging at very low sampling rates (5–8%) is employed. The network is trained on a large image set and is able to reconstruct diverse images unseen during training. The promising experimental results show that the proposed FSPI coupled with DL (termed DL-FSPI) outperforms conventional FSPI in terms of image quality at very low sampling rates.
Feasibility Analysis of LTE-Based UAS Navigation in Deep Urban Areas and DSRC Augmentation
Authors: Kim Euiho , Shin Yujin
Published: September 2019

The current autonomous navigation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) heavily depends on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). However, in challenging environments, such as deep urban areas, GNSS signals can be easily interrupted, so that UAS may lose navigation capability at any instant. For urban positioning and navigation, Long Term Evolution (LTE) has been considered a promising signal of opportunity due to its dense network in urban areas, and there has recently been great advancement in LTE positioning technology. However, the current LTE positioning accuracy is found to be insufficient for safe UAS navigation in deep urban areas. This paper evaluates the positioning performance of the current network of LTE base stations in a selected deep urban area and investigates the effectiveness of LTE augmentations using dedicated short range communication (DSRC) transceivers through the optimization of the ground LTE/DSRC network and cooperative positioning among UAS. The analysis results based on simulation using an urban canyon model and signal line of sight propagations show that the addition of four or five DSRC transceivers to the existing LTE base station network could provide better than 4–6 m horizontal positioning accuracy (95%) in the selected urban canyon at a position of 150 ft above the ground, while a dense LTE network alone may result in a 15–20 m horizontal positioning error. Additionally, the simulation results of cooperative positioning with inter-UAS ranging measurements in the DSRC augmented LTE network were shown to provide horizontal positioning accuracy better than 1 m in most flight space, assuming negligible time-synchronization errors in inter-UAS ranging measurements.
Massive Automatic Identification System Sensor Trajectory Data-Based Multi-Layer Linkage Network Dynamics of Maritime Transport along 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road
Authors: Yu Hongchu , Fang Zhixiang , Lu Feng , Murray Alan T. , Zhao Zhiyuan , Xu Yang , Yang Xiping
Published: September 2019

Automatic Identification System (AIS) data could support ship movement analysis, and maritime network construction and dynamic analysis. This study examines the global maritime network dynamics from multi-layers (bulk, container, and tanker) and multidimensional (e.g., point, link, and network) structure perspectives. A spatial-temporal framework is introduced to construct and analyze the global maritime transportation network dynamics by means of big trajectory data. Transport capacity and stability are exploited to infer spatial-temporal dynamics of system nodes and links. Maritime network structure changes and traffic flow dynamics grouping are then possible to extract. This enables the global maritime network between 2013 and 2016 to be investigated, and the differences between the countries along the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road and other countries, as well as the differences between before and after included by 21st-century Maritime Silk Road to be revealed. Study results indicate that certain countries, such as China, Singapore, Republic of Korea, Australia, and United Arab Emirates, build new corresponding shipping relationships with some ports of countries along the Silk Road and these new linkages carry significant traffic flow. The shipping dynamics exhibit interesting geographical and spatial variations. This study is meaningful to policy formulation, such as cooperation and reorientation among international ports, evaluating the adaptability of a changing traffic flow and navigation environment, and integration of the maritime economy and transportation systems.
The Use of UAVs for Performing Safety-Related Tasks at Post-Disaster and Non-Critical Construction Sites
Authors: Calantropio Alessio
Published: September 2019

Thanks to the wide diffusion of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), geomatics solutions have actively contributed to the field of safety enhancement and disaster risk reduction, supporting rapid mapping and documentation activities of the damages that have occurred to heritage buildings after natural disasters (such as earthquakes) where, in this scenario it is even more important to plan and execute disaster assessment and response operations in safe conditions. In fact, the planning and execution of technical countermeasures in a seismic emergency response involve higher risks for the safety of the operators as compared with responses related to the activities performed at non-critical construction sites. After an analysis of the state of the art, this study aims to underline the possibilities offered by the use of UAVs for performing safety-related tasks, both at post-disaster and non-critical construction sites. First, a survey has been conducted concerning the main user expectations and characteristics that an ideal UAV platform should have in order to perform safety-related tasks at construction sites that are created following the initial emergency phases. The answers that were obtained have been compared with similar studies retrieved from the literature validating previously conducted research. The legislative context is also considered, as it is an important factor that influences the applicability of these platforms and technology. Along with a method for assessing and mitigating the intrinsic risk of using an UAV, the results of a survey submitted to experts in the field of safety at construction sites is also discussed, intending to identify requirements of the ideal platform and the related user expectations. The results are reported, together with a summary of considerations on the use of these strategies in the analyzed contexts.
‘I Respect You but I Am Not Willing to Be You’: Critical Reflections of Western Teaching of Social Work to Students in China—What Can be Learned Both Ways?
Authors: Gallagher Hilary , Yang Liuqing , Liang Jianqiang
Published: September 2019

Staff from a Western University annually travel to China to teach social work students at a Chinese University, providing a rich opportunity to share ideas and knowledge about values and practices in social work. One common point of tension that arises each year is how to teach critical reflection whilst considering differences between Eastern and Western ways of knowing and doing. This article is based on email conversations between one Australian lecturer and one Chinese student, containing their discussions on not just critical reflection but also of various key social work topics in China such as social worker’s salary, social work as a profession and using empathy. The student questioned social work in an authentic and practical manner; while the lecturer responded with examples and reflections as a role model of critical reflective thinking and practice in the Chinese context. While such letters of exchange only reflect the particular points of view of the lecturer and the student, much can still be learned about current issues and debates in both countries. The insights given raise many questions about the implications and benefits for sensitively teaching social work across East/West contexts whilst trying to develop anti-colonial social work educational approaches.
The Runoff Evolution and the Differences Analysis of the Causes of Runoff Change in Different Regions: A Case of the Weihe River Basin, Northern China
Authors: Li Shuoyang , Yang Guiyu , Wang Hao
Published: September 2019

The runoff levels of the major hydrological stations in the Weihe river basin (WRB) have been found to present decreasing trends. However, the conspicuous spatial differences in the hydro-meteorological conditions have led to variations in the rainfall–runoff pattern in each of the sub-basin areas. The aims of this research study were to reveal the main factors contributing to the runoff changes in the different regions—and it has significance in the water resources rational allocation and protection in the different regions. Three statistical methods were used to analyze the law of precipitation and runoffs of five hydrological stations. The SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model was used to reconstruct the runoff in the impact period. The effects of climate change and human activity on runoff were separated by comparing measured runoff and reconstructed runoff. The results show that the closer the proximity to the downstream hydrological station, the more the runoff decreased. In the tributaries and upstream hydrological stations (Zhuanhtou (ZT), Zhangjiashan (ZJS), and Linjiacun (LJC)), from 1970 to 2016, the dominant factor of the runoff reduction was determined to be climate change, and accounted for 148.2%, 98.9%, and 90.5%, respectively. In the hydrological stations of middle and lower reaches (Xianyang (XY) and Huaxian (HX)), the contributions of the climate change to the runoff reduction were 49.7% and 44.3%, respectively, and the impacts of human activity accounted for 50.3% and 55.7%. The impacts of human activity on the runoff reduction were slightly greater than that of the climate change. Due to the different leading factors affecting runoff change in the basin, in response to future climate change, for tributaries and upstream areas, land use should be rationally planned to achieve the optimal balance of water volume in each part of the basin, which is of great significance to the protection and utilization of water resources. As for the middle and downstream regions, reasonable planning should also be focused on the amount of water withdraw, water resource allocations, and water conservancy project construction. According to the factors affecting runoff, corresponding strategies are proposed for different regions, which have important research significance for the protection and sustainable development of watershed water resources.
Does CSR Action Provide Insurance-Like Protection to Tax-Avoiding Firms? Evidence from China
Authors: Li Wei , Lu Yuan , Li Weining
Published: September 2019

Based on a risk management perspective on corporate social responsibility (CSR), this study examines whether firms engaging in tax avoidance can benefit from CSR. We posit that CSR engagement can provide insurance-like protection for firm value by reducing the reputation risk of tax avoidance. Moreover, the extent to which CSR functions as insurance is largely dependent on a firm’s communication strategy. In this study, a fixed-effect panel regression model is applied to examine the moderating effect of CSR engagement and greenwashing on the relationship between tax avoidance and firm value for listed Chinese firms. We find that a greenwashing strategy, i.e., a CSR communication strategy with aggressive symbolic actions and little to no substantive actions, generates negative capital and leads to a negative impact of tax avoidance on firm value. The findings are robust when considering deferred tax expenses and conducting a subgroup analysis. These findings advance our understanding of the relationship between tax avoidance, CSR and financial performance. They also help corporate executives select an effective CSR strategy for risk management purposes.
Risk of Dependence on Sport in Relation to Body Dissatisfaction and Motivation
Authors: Tornero-Quiñones Inmaculada , Sáez-Padilla Jesús , Castillo Viera Estefanía , García Ferrete Juan José , Sierra Robles Ángela
Published: September 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of dependency on physical exercise in individual sportspeople and the relationship with body dissatisfaction and motivation. Two hundred and twenty-five triathletes, swimmers, cyclists, and athletics competitors aged 18 to 63 years old took part in the study, of which 145 were men (M = 35.57 ± 10.46 years) and 80 were women (M = 32.83 ± 10.31 years). The EDS-R (Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised) was used to study dependency on exercising, the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was used to study body dissatisfaction, the Behaviour Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3) was used to determine the participants’ motivation and the BIAQ was used to analyse conducts of avoidance to body image. The obtained results show that 8.5% of the subjects have a risk of dependency on exercise and 18.2% tend to have corporal dissatisfaction, without meaningful differences in the kind of sport they practiced. However, there were important differences concerning the dependency on physical exercise (15% vs. 4.8%) and body dissatisfaction (31.1% vs. 11%) in relation to sex, with the higher percentages referring to women. Introjected regulation and the conduct of food restriction were predictor variables of the dependency on exercise and corporal dissatisfaction. Also, the number and duration of sessions; the age of the participants; the integrated, introjected, and external regulations surrounding social activities; and eating restraints could all predict dependence on physical exercise (DPE).
Regional Impacts of Climate and Land Cover on Ecosystem Water Retention Services in the Upper Yangtze River Basin
Authors: Xu Pei , Guo Yingman , Fu Bin
Published: September 2019

Water retention is an important factor in ecosystem services, owing to its relationships with climate and land-cover change; however, quantifying the independent and combined impacts of these variables remains a challenge. We use scenario analysis and the InVEST model to assess individual or combined impacts of climate and land cover on water retention in the Upper Yangtze River Basin. Water retention decreased from 1986 to 2015 at a rate of 2.97 mm/10a in response to increasing precipitation (3.94 mm/10a) and potential evapotranspiration (16.47 mm/10a). The rate of water retention change showed regional variability (from 68 to −18 mm/a), with some eastern regions experiencing an increase and most other regions experiencing a decrease. Farmland showed the highest decrease (10,772 km2), with land mainly converted into forest (58.17%) and shrub land (21.13%) from 2000 to 2015. The impact of climate change (−12.02 mm) on water retention generally was greater than the impact of land cover change (−4.14 mm), at the basin scale. Among 22 climate zones, 77.27% primarily were impacted by climate change; 22.73% primarily were impacted by land cover change. Our results demonstrate that both individualistic and integrated approaches toward climate and vegetation management is necessary to mitigate the impacts of climate change on water resources.
Linking Emissions Trading Schemes: Economic Valuation of a Joint China–Japan–Korea Carbon Market
Authors: Ma Zhongyu , Cai Songfeng , Ye Weifeng , Gu Alun
Published: September 2019

Linking carbon emissions trading systems across countries has become an important tool for global emission reduction. The three high-emission Asian countries, China, Japan, and South Korea (ROK), all have initiated carbon trading and published ambitious Intended Nationally Determined Contribution targets. Since 2016, the three countries have discussed establishing a long-term unified market for carbon emissions trading, and have sought a scheme for such exchange. This study aimed to investigate whether linking the carbon emissions trading systems of these three countries could potentially achieve more ambitious emission reduction targets. A dynamic energy-environmental version of the Global Trade Analysis Project model was used to simulate carbon market linkages across the three countries. The results indicated that a linked China–Japan–ROK carbon market would be highly cost-effective, have positive economic benefits for all three countries, and improve the carbon market’s liquidity and transaction scale. Under a scenario with no carbon market linking, the economic losses in China, Japan, and ROK would be $51.55 billion, $13.55 billion, and $74.19 billion, respectively. Meanwhile, with carbon trading linking, the losses would be reduced to $47.08 billion, $5.37 billion, and $9.10 billion, respectively. Therefore, a joint China–Japan–ROK carbon market could greatly promote the adoption of market-based tools for emission reduction.
The Evolution and Growth Patterns of the Road Network in a Medium-Sized Developing City: A Historical Investigation of Changchun, China, from 1912 to 2017
Authors: Wang Shiguang , Yu Dexin , Kwan Mei-Po , Zhou Huxing , Li Yongxing , Miao Hongzhi
Published: September 2019

Understanding the evolution and growth patterns of urban road networks helps to design an efficient and sustainable transport network. The paper proposed a general study framework and analytical workflow based on network theory that could be applied to almost any city to analyze the temporal evolution of road networks. The main tasks follow three steps: vector road network drawing, topology graph generation, and measure classification. Considering data availability and the limitations of existing studies, we took Changchun, China, a middle-sized developing city that is seldom reported in existing studies, as the study area. The research results of Changchun (1912–2017) show the road networks sprawled and densified over time, and the evolution patterns depend on the historical periods and urban planning modes. The evolution of network scales exhibits significant correlation; the population in the city is well correlated with the total road length and car ownership. Each network index also presents specific rules. All road networks are small-world networks, and the arterial roads have been consistent over time; however, the core area changes within the adjacent range but is generally far from the old city. More importantly, we found the correlation between structure and function of the urban road networks in terms of the temporal evolution. However, the temporal evolution pattern shows the correlation varies over time or planning modes, which had not been reported