bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on S-N Curve and Fatigue Limit of Drill Pipe in Offshore Short-Radius Sidetracking Process
Authors: Sun Yufei , Peng Xianbo , Bi Gang
Published: August 2024

To evaluate the fatigue reliability of different types of drill pipes during an offshore short-radius sidetracking process, the fatigue life and limit of G105, S135, and V150 steel and a new titanium alloy drill pipe were studied in air, high-temperature conditions, drilling fluid, and drilling fluid containing H2S. First, the chemical composition, microstructure, and tensile properties of four kinds of drill pipe materials were tested. Secondly, the fitting effects of different S-N models were evaluated and identified, a fatigue test of four kinds of drill pipe under different environments (air, high temperature, drilling fluid, and H2S drilling fluid) was carried out, and the S-N curves and fatigue limits of different drill pipes under different environments were obtained. Finally, the fatigue sensitivity of drill pipes to different factors was studied, and the potential corrosion fatigue mechanism was explained. The research results show that the fatigue life of a drill pipe in a non-corrosive environment (air and high temperature) is mainly related to steel grade, and the fatigue life of a titanium alloy drill pipe is better than that of a steel drill pipe in a corrosive environment. The dense passivation film on the surface of a titanium alloy drill pipe is an important reason for its better corrosion fatigue life than that of a steel drill pipe. This study provides important data support for selecting drill pipes in offshore short-radius sidetracking.
RUL Prediction of Rolling Bearings Based on Multi-Information Fusion and Autoencoder Modeling
Authors: Guan Peng , Zhang Tianrui , Zhou Lianhong
Published: August 2024

As an important part of industrial equipment, the safe and stable operation of rolling bearings is an important guarantee for the performance of mechanical equipment. Aiming at the problem that it is difficult to characterize the running state of rolling bearings, this paper mainly analyzes and processes the vibration signals of rolling bearings, extracts and fuses multi-information entropy, and monitors the running state of rolling bearings and predicts the remaining useful life prediction (RUL) through test verification. Firstly, in view of the difficulty in characterizing the bearings running state characteristics, a rolling bearings running state monitoring method based on multi-information entropy fusion and denoising autoencoder (DAE) was proposed to extract the multi-entropy index features of vibration signals to improve the accuracy of feature extraction, and to solve the problem of not obvious information representation of a single feature indicator and missing information in the feature screening process. Secondly, in view of the problems of low prediction accuracy and poor robustness and generalization in traditional RUL models, a rolling bearings RUL model combining convolutional autoencoder (CAE) and bidirectional long short-term memory network (BiLSTM) was proposed. The introduction of convolution operation made CAE have the feature of weight sharing, reducing the complexity of the model. Finally, the XJTU-SY data set was used to verify the constructed model. The results show that the condition monitoring model established in this paper can accurately evaluate the running state of the rolling bearing and accurately locate the failure time. At the same time, the residual life prediction model can realize the residual life prediction of most data sets, and has good accuracy and robustness.
Skin Factor Test Experiment of the Combined Structure of Blind and Screen Pipes
Authors: Zhang Yongtao , Qin Shili , Cao Bobo , Yan Xingtao , Zuo Kun , Cheng Wei , Zhai Xiaopeng
Published: August 2024

During the drilling process of horizontal wells in offshore oil fields, when encountering highly clayey shale or sandy shale sections, a common practice is to use a combination of blank pipes and screen pipes in the completion column to isolate high clay content layers. This helps prevent significant clay blockage in the screen pipes or wellbore, thereby reducing production loss. However, when blank pipes cannot effectively isolate clayey or sandy shale sections, the migration of clay content can lead to screen pipe blockage, adversely affecting production capacity. Given the current lack of evaluation methods for the impact of combined blank and screen pipe completion columns on production capacity, an experiment was designed to evaluate the skin factor of the completion column with a combination of blank and screen pipes. Through the calculation of the skin factor, the variation patterns of the skin factor for completion columns with blank and screen pipes under different conditions were obtained. These findings were then applied to a production evaluation. The research results revealed the following: (1) As the proportion of blind pipes increases, the skin factor of the combination of blind pipes and screen pipes in the completion tubing also increases. Excessive blind pipe ratios reduce production capacity. (2) In cases where the annular space is not completely filled, the influence of the blind pipe proportion on production capacity can be negligible. However, when the annular space is 100% filled, a higher proportion of blind pipes and silt content results in a larger skin factor, which leads to reduced production. In the application of the XH horizontal well case study, using the calculated model for the skin factor of the combination of blind pipes and screen pipes in the completion tubing established in this paper, it was determined that when the annular space was not completely blocked and 20 m of blind pipes were not placed in the designated position, the impact on the production index was 0.73%. However, when the blind pipes were not placed in the designated position for 100 m, the impact on the production index reached 1.47%. The method developed in this paper provides theoretical guidance for the optimization of completion tubing in mudstone and sandy mudstone sections and for production evaluation.
Circularity: Understanding the Environmental Tradeoffs of Additive Manufacturing with Waste Plastics
Authors: Bilal Eesha , Glazer Yael R. , Sassaman Doug M. , Seepersad Carolyn C. , Webber Michael E.
Published: August 2024

This paper examines the emissions tradeoffs of additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing) using plastic waste in fused granular fabrication (FGF) versus traditional fused filament fabrication (FFF) and injection molding (IM). A ‘cradle-to-gate’ life cycle assessment (LCA) was utilized to compare these methods, built in OpenLCA v1.11.0 with the Ecoinvent v3.9.1 database. Different scenarios were used to evaluate the impacts of varying transportation and material inputs, highlighting critical emission contributors in manufacturing plastic goods. FGF with waste plastic can significantly reduce climate impact by 82.1% relative to FFF and 70.6% relative to IM for a specified unit product. Even with varied transportation and materials, FGF is a lower CO2-equivalent emitting method. Utilizing FGF with waste plastic as a manufacturing method could reduce emissions and divert plastic from landfills and the environment, thereby contributing to a circular plastic economy.
Beauty Is the Gravitas Amoris: A Trinitarian Correlation of Beauty and Love
Authors: Luke Sean
Published: August 2024

There have been many attempts to give a precise definition of beauty. In this article, I join a tradition of trinitarian reflection on beauty and attempt to add further clarity to a trinitarian definition of beauty. Beauty, in my construal, is the gravitas amoris of the triune being of love—it is, in other words, the objective attractional “force” or “weightiness” exerted by triune love on the soul by which one, if she yields to triune love, experiences the bliss and delight of triune love and is thereby drawn into deifying union. This article will proceed as follows: First, I will survey the relationship between beauty and love found in the classic philosophical tradition represented by Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus. Then, I will survey this beauty–love relation in Christian thought from Augustine, Aquinas, Ficino, Edwards, and von Hildebrand. These figures will provide supporting evidence for my construal of beauty. I then turn to the constructive task. I argue that there is an abductive fit between the features of beauty and the nature of the Trinity. In light of this fit and the sources of traditional thought above, beauty is best thought of as the gravitas amoris—the weighty impression of God’s triune love in created things that draws one into the triune life and is experienced as delight when perceived. I conclude by answering objections and reflecting on how this account reframes the transcendentals and coordinates the experience of beauty with Christian love.
Josiah Royce, William James, and the Social Renewal of the “Sick Soul”: Exploring the Communal Dimension of Religious Experience
Authors: Ceragioli Michael Andrew
Published: August 2024

In The Sources of Religious Insight, Josiah Royce assesses William James’ pragmatic evaluation of exalted, private religious experience, advanced in The Varieties of Religious Experience as inadequate to encompass the full range of religious experience. Among other contributions, Royce adds social and communal experience to James’ individualistic appraisal. Rather than tacking on to the familiar contemporary critical conversation about the Jamesian restriction to private experience, I argue that James and Royce are helpfully brought together through an understanding of religious conversion: James’ foundational predicament of the “sick soul” returned to health through religious conversion gains depth and coherence through the attention Royce gives to overcoming alienation through communal participation. In our time of dislocation and self-preoccupation, drawing together these two seminal models of religious experience provides an instructive account of the individual’s transformation by way of communal renewal.
The Relevancy of Religious Literacy in Social Studies Curricula: Quebec’s CCQ as a Case Study
Authors: Chan W. Y. Alice , Hirsch Sivane , Tiflati Hicham
Published: August 2024

This article explores Quebec’s recent transition from the “Ethics and Religious Culture” (ERC) program to the “Culture and Citizenship in Quebec” (CCQ) program, emphasizing the role of religious literacy in secular societies. We investigate the rationale behind the shift, and examine the ERC’s focus on fostering understanding of diverse religious and ethical perspectives as well as CCQ’s broader mandate to integrate cultural and civic education and its aim at the development of a shared and common public Quebecois culture. The case study highlights the pedagogical and societal implications of this change, discussing how the CCQ program aims to enhance civic engagement, cultural awareness, and social cohesion. Furthermore, the article identifies opportunities for educators to address pressing global challenges, such as polarization, reconciliation, and the climate crisis, within the new curriculum framework. By promoting critical thinking, inclusivity, and active citizenship, fostering religious literacy in such programs presents a unique opportunity for educators and youth to contribute to a more resilient and harmonious society.
Saving Sanctity: The Roman Inquisition and the Initial Prosecution of Girolamo Cardano
Authors: Tarrant Neil
Published: August 2024

The impact of the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Reform movement on the ecclesiastical censorship of science, philosophy and magic has been an enduring theme in the historiography of early modern Italy. In this paper, I consider how the Church’s desire to defend the truth of miracles from Protestant criticisms on the one hand and their efforts to centralise the process of verifying miracles on the other affected the investigation of philosophical works. Taking the case of Girolamo Cardano, whose works were the subject of intensive investigation by the Catholic Church from the 1570s, I examine the issues that censors flagged as points of concern. One recurring theme was the fact that his accounts of the cosmos appeared to offer natural explanations for miracles and the actions of the martyrs. Although the intellectual problems raised by Cardano’s work were far from new, I suggest that the events of the sixteenth century raised their salience with Church authorities.
An Efficient Knowledge Distillation-Based Detection Method for Infrared Small Targets
Authors: Tang Wenjuan , Dai Qun , Hao Fan
Published: August 2024

Infrared small-target detection is now commonly used in maritime surveillance, flight guidance, and other fields. However, extracting small targets from complex backgrounds remains a challenging task due to the small-target scale and complex imaging environment. Many studies are based on designing model structures to enhance the precision of target detection, and the number of Params and FLOPs has been significantly augmented. In this work, a knowledge distillation-based detection method (KDD) is proposed to overcome this challenge. KDD employs the small-target labeling information provided by a large-scale teacher model to refine the training process of students, thereby improving the performance and becoming lightweight. Specifically, we added efficient local attention (ELA), which can accurately identify areas of interest while avoiding dimensionality reduction. In addition, we also added the group aggregation bridge (GAB) module to connect low-level and high-level features for the fusion of different feature scales. Furthermore, a feature fusion loss was introduced to enhance the precision of target detection. Extensive evaluations have demonstrated that KDD performs better compared to several methods, achieving extremely low Params and FLOPs, as well as higher FPS.
Estimating Maize Crop Height and Aboveground Biomass Using Multi-Source Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Remote Sensing and Optuna-Optimized Ensemble Learning Algorithms
Authors: Li Yafeng , Li Changchun , Cheng Qian , Duan Fuyi , Zhai Weiguang , Li Zongpeng , Mao Bohan , Ding Fan , Kuang Xiaohui , Chen Zhen
Published: August 2024

Accurately assessing maize crop height (CH) and aboveground biomass (AGB) is crucial for understanding crop growth and light-use efficiency. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing, with its flexibility and high spatiotemporal resolution, has been widely applied in crop phenotyping studies. Traditional canopy height models (CHMs) are significantly influenced by image resolution and meteorological factors. In contrast, the accumulated incremental height (AIH) extracted from point cloud data offers a more accurate estimation of CH. In this study, vegetation indices and structural features were extracted from optical imagery, nadir and oblique photography, and LiDAR point cloud data. Optuna-optimized models, including random forest regression (RFR), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), and support vector regression (SVR), were employed to estimate maize AGB. Results show that AIH99 has higher accuracy in estimating CH. LiDAR demonstrated the highest accuracy, while oblique photography and nadir photography point clouds were slightly less accurate. Fusion of multi-source data achieved higher estimation accuracy than single-sensor data. Embedding structural features can mitigate spectral saturation, with R2 ranging from 0.704 to 0.939 and RMSE ranging from 0.338 to 1.899 t/hm2. During the entire growth cycle, the R2 for LightGBM and RFR were 0.887 and 0.878, with an RMSE of 1.75 and 1.76 t/hm2. LightGBM and RFR also performed well across different growth stages, while SVR showed the poorest performance. As the amount of nitrogen application gradually decreases, the accumulation and accumulation rate of AGB also gradually decrease. This high-throughput crop-phenotyping analysis method offers advantages, such as speed and high accuracy, providing valuable references for precision agriculture management in maize fields.
Multi-Task Environmental Perception Methods for Autonomous Driving
Authors: Liu Ri , Yang Shubin , Tang Wansha , Yuan Jie , Chan Qiqing , Yang Yunchuan
Published: August 2024

In autonomous driving, environmental perception technology often encounters challenges such as false positives, missed detections, and low accuracy, particularly in detecting small objects and complex scenarios. Existing algorithms frequently suffer from issues like feature redundancy, insufficient contextual interaction, and inadequate information fusion, making it difficult to perform multi-task detection and segmentation efficiently. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an end-to-end multi-task environmental perception model named YOLO-Mg, designed to simultaneously perform traffic object detection, lane line detection, and drivable area segmentation. First, a multi-stage gated aggregation network (MogaNet) is employed during the feature extraction process to enhance contextual interaction by improving diversity in the channel dimension, thereby compensating for the limitations of feed-forward neural networks in contextual understanding. Second, to further improve the model’s accuracy in detecting objects of various scales, a restructured weighted bidirectional feature pyramid network (BiFPN) is introduced, optimizing cross-level information fusion and enabling the model to handle object detection at different scales more accurately. Finally, the model is equipped with one detection head and two segmentation heads to achieve efficient multi-task environmental perception, ensuring the simultaneous execution of multiple tasks. The experimental results on the BDD100K dataset demonstrate that the model achieves a mean average precision (mAP50) of 81.4% in object detection, an Intersection over Union (IoU) of 28.9% in lane detection, and a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 92.6% in drivable area segmentation. The tests conducted in real-world scenarios show that the model performs effectively, significantly enhancing environmental perception in autonomous driving and laying a solid foundation for safer and more reliable autonomous driving systems.
Development of a Bitterness Sensor Using Partially Dissociated Amine Compounds
Authors: Guo Yuyang , Wu Xiao , Ikezaki Hidekazu , Toko Kiyoshi
Published: August 2024

This study focused on developing an advanced bitterness sensor designed to minimize interference from common anions such as nitrate (NO3−) and iodide (I−) by incorporating partially dissociated amine compounds into the sensor membrane. The conventional bitter sensor (C00) uses fully dissociated quaternary ammonium salt tetradecyl ammonium bromide (TDAB), which typically exhibits high responses to these anions, leading to inaccurate bitterness assessments. To address this issue, we explored the use of three partially dissociated amines—oleylamine (OAm), dioctadecylamine (DODA), and tridodecylamine (TDA)—as lipids in the membrane components. We fabricated sensor membranes and tested their ion selectivity, interference resistance to anion, and sensitivity to iso-alpha acids (IAAs), representative bitter compounds in beer. The results showed that the membranes with partially dissociated amines significantly reduced anion interference. Notably, the sensitivity of the TDA membrane to IAAs was 80.4 mV/dec in concentration, exceeding the 68.5 mV/dec of the TDAB membrane. This enhanced sensitivity, coupled with reduced anion interference, reveals a novel property of partially dissociated lipids in taste sensors, distinguishing them from fully dissociated lipids. These findings pave the way for the development of sensors that can accurately assess a bitter taste and have potential applications in the food and beverage industry.
BA-CLM: A Globally Consistent 3D LiDAR Mapping Based on Bundle Adjustment Cost Factors
Authors: Shi Bohan , Lin Wanbiao , Ouyang Wenlan , Shen Chenyu , Sun Siyang , Sun Yan , Sun Lei
Published: August 2024

Constructing a globally consistent high-precision map is essential for the application of mobile robots. Existing optimization-based mapping methods typically constrain robot states in pose space during the graph optimization process, without directly optimizing the structure of the scene, thereby causing the map to be inconsistent. To address the above issues, this paper presents a three-dimensional (3D) LiDAR mapping framework (i.e., BA-CLM) based on LiDAR bundle adjustment (LBA) cost factors. We propose a multivariate LBA cost factor, which is built from a multi-resolution voxel map, to uniformly constrain the robot poses within a submap. The framework proposed in this paper applies the LBA cost factors for both local and global map optimization. Experimental results on several public 3D LiDAR datasets and a self-collected 32-line LiDAR dataset demonstrate that the proposed method achieves accurate trajectory estimation and consistent mapping.
Virtual Needle Insertion with Enhanced Haptic Feedback for Guidance and Needle–Tissue Interaction Forces
Authors: Selim Mostafa , Dresscher Douwe , Abayazid Momen
Published: August 2024

Interventional radiologists mainly rely on visual feedback via imaging modalities to steer a needle toward a tumor during biopsy and ablation procedures. In the case of CT-guided procedures, there is a risk of exposure to hazardous X-ray-based ionizing radiation. Therefore, CT scans are usually not used continuously, which increases the chances of a misplacement of the needle and the need for reinsertion, leading to more tissue trauma. Interventionalists also encounter haptic feedback via needle–tissue interaction forces while steering a needle. These forces are useful but insufficient to clearly perceive and identify deep-tissue structures such as tumors. The objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of enhanced force feedback for sensing interaction forces and guiding the needle when applied individually and simultaneously during a virtual CT-guided needle insertion task. We also compared the enhanced haptic feedback to enhanced visual feedback. We hypothesized that enhancing the haptic feedback limits the time needed to reach the target accurately and reduces the number of CT scans, as the interventionalist depends more on real-time enhanced haptic feedback. To test the hypothesis, a simulation environment was developed to virtually steer a needle in five degrees of freedom (DoF) to reach a tumor target embedded in a liver model. Twelve participants performed in the experiment with different feedback conditions where we measured their performance in terms of the following: targeting accuracy, trajectory tracking, number of CT scans required, and the time needed to finish the task. The results suggest that the combination of enhanced haptic feedback for guidance and sensing needle–tissue interaction forces significantly reduce the number of scans and the duration required to finish the task by 32.1% and 46.9%, respectively, when compared to nonenhanced haptic feedback. The other feedback modalities significantly reduced the duration to finish the task by around 30% compared to nonenhanced haptic feedback.
Comparative Analysis of Adaptation Behaviors of Different Types of Drivers to Steer-by-Wire Systems
Authors: Chen Chen , Jin Liqiang , Zheng Hongyu , Zong Changfu
Published: August 2024

As one of the advanced automotive chassis technologies, the steer-by-wire system offers a high level of precision, responsiveness, and controllability in the driving experience. It can also adjust and optimize parameters to adapt to the preferences of different drivers. However, when faced with the steer-by-wire system, both experienced drivers and novice drivers are in the novice stage, exhibiting learning or adaptation behaviors when using this steering system. In this paper, a small-scale pilot evaluation was conducted by means of a questionnaire survey and driving-simulator experiment, and the learning behavior and adaptability of four experienced and four novice drivers to the steer-by-wire system were analyzed when using the traditional steering system. The study found that experienced drivers show significant changes in their adaptation to the steering system, mainly due to their habitual driving with traditional steering systems. In contrast, novice drivers show no significant changes in their adaptation to the steering system, which is attributed to their lack of driving experience and skills, resulting in less sensitivity to changes in the steering system. Additionally, the study found that novice drivers under the steer-by-wire system grasp control over speed and steering-wheel angle more quickly. This research provides a reference for improving drivers’ learning and adaptation abilities to the steer-by-wire system and optimizing the design of the steer-by-wire system.
WD-1D-VGG19-FEA: An Efficient Wood Defect Elastic Modulus Predictive Model
Authors: Pan Shen , Chang Zhanyuan
Published: August 2024

As a mature non-destructive testing technology, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy can effectively identify and distinguish the structural characteristics of wood. The Wood Defect One-Dimensional Visual Geometry Group 19-Finite Element Analysis (WD-1D-VGG19-FEA) algorithm is used in this study. 1D-VGG19 classifies the near-infrared spectroscopy data to determine the knot area, fiber deviation area, transition area, and net wood area of the solid wood board surface and generates a two-dimensional image of the board surface through inversion. Then, the nonlinear three-dimensional model of wood with defects was established by using the inverse image, and the finite element analysis was carried out to predict the elastic modulus of wood. In the experiment, 270 points were selected from each of the four regions of the wood, totaling 1080 sets of near-infrared data, and the 1D-VGG19 model was used for classification. The results showed that the identification accuracy of the knot area was 95.1%, the fiber deviation area was 92.7%, the transition area was 90.2%, the net wood area was 100%, and the average accuracy was 94.5%. The error range of the elastic modulus prediction of the three-dimensional model established by the VGG19 classification model in the finite element analysis is between 2% and 10%, the root mean square error (RMSE) is about 598. 2, and the coefficient of determination (R2) is 0. 91. This study shows that the combination of the VGG19 algorithm and finite element analysis can accurately describe the nonlinear defect morphology of wood, thus establishing a more accurate prediction model of wood mechanical properties to maximize the use of wood mechanical properties.
The Effect of Dimple Insole Design on the Plantar Temperature and Pressure in People with Diabetes and in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Zequera Martha , Almenar-Arasanz Alejandro J. , Alfaro-Santafé Javier , Allan David , Anaya Andrés , Cubides Mauricio , Rodríguez Natalia , Salazar Cesar , Naemi Roozbeh
Published: August 2024

An increase in plantar pressure and skin temperature is commonly associated with an increased risk of diabetic foot ulcers. However, the effect of insoles in reducing plantar temperature has not been commonly studied. The aim was to assess the effect of walking in insoles with different features on plantar temperature. Twenty-six (F/M:18/8) participants—13 with diabetes and 13 healthy, aged 55.67 ± 9.58 years—participated in this study. Skin temperature at seven plantar regions was measured using a thermal camera and reported as the difference between the temperature after walking with an insole for 20 m versus the baseline temperature. The mixed analyses of variance indicated substantial main effects for the Insole Condition, for both the right [Wilks’ Lambda = 0.790, F(14, 492) = 4.393, p < 0.01, partial eta squared = 0.111] and left feet [Wilks’ Lambda = 0.890, F(14, 492) = 2.103, p < 0.011, partial eta squared = 0.056]. The 2.5 mm-tall dimple insole was shown to be significantly more effective at reducing the temperature in the hallux and third met head regions compared to the 4 mm-tall dimple insole. The insoles showed to be significantly more effective in the diabetes group versus the healthy group, with large effect size for the right [Wilks’ Lambda = 0.662, F(14, 492) = 8.037, p < 0.000, Partial eta-squared = 0.186] and left feet [Wilks’ Lambda = 0.739, F(14, 492) = 5.727, p < 0.000, Partial eta-squared = 0.140]. This can have important practical implications for designing insoles with a view to decrease foot complications in people with diabetes.
Synthesis and Catalytic Activity of Novel Complexes Based on Cyano-Substituted Phthalocyanines as Promising Drug Conversion Agents
Authors: Erzunov Dmitry , Tonkova Svetlana , Sarvin Ilya , Vashurin Arthur
Published: August 2024

This paper presents the results of obtaining new cobalt and zinc complexes based on dicyanophenoxy-substituted carboxypthalocyanine. The original method of synthesis and isolation of the compound is shown; its spectroscopic and photophysical characteristics are studied. Studies show the absence of aggregation processes in organic media for solutions of complexes in working concentration ranges. This shows the possibility of the practical application of structures as catalysts. The high catalytic activity of cobalt complexes with dicyanophenoxy-substituted carboxyphthalocyanine ligand in the conversion reaction of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate to disulfiram, which is an active component of drugs for the treatment of alcohol dependence, is determined.
Soil Microbial Biomass and Microarthropod Community Responses to Conventional and Biodegradable Plastics
Authors: Santini Giorgia , Zizolfi Monica , Santorufo Lucia , Memoli Valeria , D’Ascoli Rosaria , Maisto Giulia
Published: August 2024

Plastic mulch is a commonly employed technique in agriculture to enhance crop production. Given the persistence of plastic residues in soil, bioplastics offer a potential alternative. Unfortunately, little is known about the medium-term consequences of both plastic and bioplastic mulches on soil properties. This study aimed to assess the medium-term consequences of plastic and bioplastic mulches and their replacement on soil properties. To this aim, the impact of conventional plastic (polyethylene, CP) and biodegradable plastic (BP) mulches on soil’s abiotic (pH, water content, total and organic carbon and total nitrogen contents) and biotic (microbial biomass, microbial respiration, enzymatic activities and microarthropod communities) properties after 2 years of exposure (T1) and after 3 (T2) and 6 (T3) months of mulch replacement was investigated. Moreover, uncovered soils were assessed as a control. The results highlighted that the samples were more significantly impacted by exposure time to mulches than by the different kinds of mulches. The replacement of both mulches (T2 and T3) decreased the content of C and increased the microbial biomass and activities; moreover, the mulch replacement changed the microarthropod community composition with a decrease of Collembola and an increase of Oribatida and Gamasida, especially in soils covered by biodegradable plastic mulches. Further investigations are needed to better understand the long-term impact of mulches on soil biota in order to prove the potential ecological implications of transitioning to sustainable alternatives.
Availability of Recycled Phosphorus on Biochar Reacted with Wastewater to Support Growth of Lactuca sativa
Authors: Laxmisagara Sagar Kavya , Strawn Daniel G. , Crump Alex R. , Baker Martin , Möller Gregory
Published: August 2024

The use of biochar in water resource and recovery facilities (WRRF) shows promise for recovery of phosphorus (P) to use as a biochar-based fertilizer (BBF) that can replace conventional fertilizers, promote carbon sequestration, and improve soil quality. In this study, biochar was recovered after being dosed into secondary-treated discharge from a municipal WRRF. The value of the recovered biochar as a BBF was tested in a lettuce (Lactuca sativa) growth trial. The BBF was compared to an inorganic fertilizer, raw biochar, and controls that had either only nitrogen (N) fertilizer or no amendment. The ability of the treatments to support plant growth was determined by measuring plant height, biomass, leaf tissue total N and P concentration, and plant quality. Plant quality for the Fe-modified biochar used in the WRRF was 9.05 (±0.44) on a 10-point scale compared to 9.61 (±0.46) for the inorganic fertilizer treatment and 2.22 (±0.82) for the untreated control. Plant tissue P concentrations were 6.28 (±0.83), 9.88 (±0.90), 15.46 (±2.54), and 6.36 (±1.91) g plant−1 for the raw biochar, Fe-modified biochar used in the WRRF, inorganic fertilizer, and no amendment treatments, respectively. Soil P availability and P uptake amount in the leaves indicated that the BBF released P more slowly than the inorganic P fertilizer; however, it was sufficiently available for uptake to support plant growth to maturity. Results from these experiments show that Fe-modified biochar used in WRRF can supply adequate P to plants. The slow release will reduce P leaching into surface waters.
Validity and Reliability of Wearable Technology Devices during Simulated Pickleball Game Play
Authors: Navalta James , Carrier Bryson , Blank Matahn , Zarei Setareh , Davis Dustin , Craig Micah , Perez Olivia , Baca Jacob , Sweder Thea , Carballo Tashari , Bovell Jamaal
Published: August 2024

Pickleball is a popular sport. Also popular is wearable technology usage. Because the validity and reliability of wearable technology during pickleball is unknown, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the ability of common devices to return heart rate and estimated energy expenditure during pickleball activity. Twenty adult participants were outfitted with a portable metabolic unit and heart rate monitor (criterion measures). Experimental devices were a Garmin Instinct, Polar Vantage M2, Polar OH1, and Polar Verity Sense. Participants played simulated pickleball for 10 min. Validity measures included mean absolute percent error (MAPE) and Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC), whereas reliability measures included coefficient of variation (CV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The heart rate returned lower than 10% MAPE across all devices (Instinct = 5.73–6.32%, Verity Sense = 2.92–2.97%, OH1 = 3.39–3.45%) and greater than 0.85 CCC (Instinct = 0.85–0.88, Verity Sense = 0.96–0.96, OH1 = 0.93–0.94). The CV was below 10% (Instinct = 9.30%, Verity Sense = 2.68%, OH1 = 5.01%), and ICC was above 0.7 (Instinct = 0.77, Verity Sense = 0.98, OH1 = 0.91). The energy expenditure MAPE was greater than 10% (Instinct = 27.67–28.08%, Vantage M2 = 18.87–23.38%) with CCC lower than 0.7 (Instinct = 0.47–0.49, Vantage M2 = 0.62–0.63). Reliability thresholds were met in the Vantage M2 (CV = 6%, ICC = 0.98) but not in the Instinct (CV = 15%, ICC = 0.86). The Instinct was neither valid nor reliable for estimated energy expenditure, while the Polar Vantage M2 was reliable but not valid. All devices returned valid and reliable heart rates during pickleball.
Evaluation of a Greenhouse Ecosystem to Treat Craft Beverage Wastewater
Authors: Allison Carley E. , Safferman Steven I.
Published: August 2024

An aerated greenhouse ecosystem, often referred to as a Living Machine®, is a technology for biological wastewater treatment within a greenhouse structure that uses plants with their roots submerged in the wastewater. This system has a small footprint relative to traditional onsite wastewater treatment systems and constructed wetland, can treat high-strength wastewater, and can provide a high level of treatment to allow for reuse for purposes such as irrigation, toilet flushing, and landscape irrigation. Synthetic and actual craft beverage wastewaters (wastewater from wineries, breweries, and cideries) were examined for their treatability in bench-scale greenhouse ecosystems. The tested wastewater was high strength with chemical oxygen demands (COD) concentrations of 1120 to 15,000 mg/L, total nitrogen (TN) concentrations of 3 to 45 mg/L, and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations of 2.3 to 90 mg/L. The COD, TN, and TP concentrations after treatment ranged from below 125 to 560 mg/L, 1.5 to 15 mg/L, and below 0.25 to 7.8 mg/L, respectively. The results confirm the ability of the aerated greenhouse ecosystem to be a viable treatment system for craft beverage wastewater and it is estimated to require 54 and 26% lower hydraulic retention time than an aerobic lagoon and a low temperature, constructed wetland, respectively, the types of systems that would likely be used for this type of wastewater for onsite locations.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Single-Use Plastic Bags in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Alteneiji Shahad M. , Mathew Betty T. , Mohammed Hafsa A. , Abu-Elsaoud Abdelghafar M. , El-Tarabily Khaled A. , Al Raish Seham M.
Published: August 2024

Due to their widespread misuse and inadequate waste management, single-use plastic bags represent the global plastic pollution crisis and ecosystem degradation. Comprehensive research on population knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding single-use plastic bags is lacking in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aims to fill this gap by assessing the KAP levels among the UAE population and determining the relationships between these variables. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire from previous studies was used in a cross-sectional study, and the questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms. The UAE University Research Ethics Committee approved the study (ERSC_2024_4377). Non-probability sampling and G*power statistical analysis version 3.1.9.6 determined 385 UAE residents aged 18 years and older. The findings were verified through face-to-face interviews and Cronbach’s alpha tests. KAP variable associations were assessed using Chi-square tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and a structural equation model with SPSS version 29.0. This test was chosen for robust categorical and continuous data. The study included 84.7% female, and 15.3% male participants aged 18 to 65 years, primarily aged 18 to 25 years, with most holding bachelor’s degrees (47.6%), and were students (51.4%), employed (33.1%), or unemployed (12.2%). The results indicated a favourable inclination towards sustainability, with mean ± standard deviation (SD) for seven knowledge questions (3.89 ± 0.7), seven attitude questions (3.99 ± 0.7), and five practice questions (3.42 ± 0.8) exceeding the midpoint. The correlation test showed that total knowledge was positively correlated with practice (r = 0.399; p < 0.001) indicating the increasing knowledge regarding single-use plastic bags associated with increasing sustainable practices and attitudes (r = 0.648; p < 0.001). There was also a significant correlation between the total attitude and practice (r = 0.487; p < 0.001). The findings suggest targeted educational and policy interventions to promote sustainable behaviour.
Trends in Emissions from Road Traffic in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas
Authors: Xu Yinuo , Weng Dawei , Wang Shuo , Ge Qiuyu , Hu Xisheng , Wang Zhanyong , Zhang Lanyi
Published: August 2024

The process of urbanization has facilitated the exponential growth in demand for road traffic, consequently leading to substantial emissions of CO2 and pollutants. However, with the development of urbanization and the expansion of the road network, the distribution and emission characteristics of CO2 and pollutant emissions are still unclear. In this study, a bottom-up approach was initially employed to develop high-resolution emission inventories for CO2 and pollutant emissions (NOx, CO, and HC) from primary, secondary, trunk, and tertiary roads in rapidly urbanizing regions of China based on localized emission factor data. Subsequently, the standard road length method was utilized to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of CO2 emissions and pollutant emissions across different road networks while exploring their spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Finally, the influence of elevation and surface vegetation cover on traffic-related CO2 and pollutant emissions was taken into consideration. The results indicated that CO2, CO, HC, and NOx emissions increased significantly in 2020 compared to those in 2017 on trunk roads, and the distribution of CO2 and pollutant emissions in Fuzhou was uneven; in 2017, areas of high emissions were predominantly concentrated in the central regions with low vegetation coverage levels and low topography but expanded significantly in 2020. This study enhances our comprehension of the spatiotemporal variations in carbon and pollutant emissions resulting from regional road network expansion, offering valuable insights and case studies for regions worldwide undergoing similar infrastructure development.
Financial and ESG Analysis of the Beer Sector Pre- and Post-COVID-19 in Italy and Spain
Authors: Arimany-Serrat Núria , Sgorla Andrey Felipe
Published: August 2024

This study compares the analysis of the financial statements of the brewing sector in Italy and Spain due to its growth in both Mediterranean countries and its relationship with other sectors of activity of great importance in these countries. The web transparency of the sustainability indicators of the brewing sector in both countries is also analyzed, following the new regulatory framework, EU Directive 2022/2426, on sustainability information, in order to analyze, in an integrated way, the financial and sustainability information which they report for a sustainable development of the sector, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal. The methodology used involved compositional data, which are reliable at an accounting and statistical level; such data allow us to value the financial health of the sector and its relationship with the web exploration of the communication of its environmental, social, and corporate governance indicators. The results indicate a solvency of the sector in the short term, with poor margins, especially in the pandemic, which recovered in 2021 due to the sector’s resilience. On the other hand, there is a clear need to study the costs and margins of the sector in depth to improve the quality of the beers and to project the sector. The web analysis reveals acceptable transparency at the environmental level and poor transparency at the social and corporate governance level, with differences between the two countries and the population under study.
Enhancement in Dewatering Efficiency of Disrupted Sludge through Ultrasonication and Re-Flocculation—Sustainable Sludge Management
Authors: Azadi Juya , Yamauchi Kenji , Matsubara Kento , Katagiri Nobuyuki
Published: August 2024

The solids in sewage sludge are primarily composed of organic matter and offer new possibilities for sustainable sludge management, if considered as a stable biomass source in terms of quantity and quality. Reducing the volume of sludge with an extremely high moisture content is challenging, and enhanced dewatering through mechanical treatment is crucial from an environmental and sustainability perspective because it alleviates the reliance on thermal treatment. This study employed ultrasonication to enhance the dewatering efficiency of activated sludge. The disruption of sludge induced by ultrasonication notably facilitated the elimination of intracellular water during mechanical expression. Additionally, the ultrasonicated sludge was verified to be re-flocculated by introducing inorganic electrolytes such as Ca2+ (divalent cations), Al3+ (trivalent cations), and polyferric sulfate. Conversely, no re-flocculation of disrupted sludge was observed upon applying organic polymer flocculant. Under optimized conditions, the sludge re-flocculation progressed to form large flocs, leading to a decreased suspended solids (SS) value from 1423 to 73 mg/L and reduction in capillary suction time (CST) from over 2000 to 18 s. Following pretreatment, the moisture content of the mechanically expressed cake at 500 kPa decreased significantly from 76 wt% (untreated sludge) to less than 60 wt% (treated sludge) due to the elimination of intracellular water.
Environmental Awareness and Walking Behavior to the Grocery Store
Authors: Yu Chia-Yuan
Published: August 2024

The relationship between environmental awareness and actionable change is complex. While extensive literature examines the links between green ideology and eco-friendly behavior, few studies focus on how green ideology influences transportation choices and the built environment. This study investigates the relationship between environmental awareness and walking behavior, addressing three research questions aimed at: identifying socio-demographic characteristics linked to a high level of environmental awareness; exploring how environmental awareness affects perceptions of walkability; and determining whether individuals committed to community environmentalism are more likely to walk to the grocery store. The findings reveal that higher income is associated with considerations of local air quality, noise, and the importance of positive environmental transportation choices. Car ownership negatively impacts the willingness to adjust routes or travel time to minimize environmental impact. Environmentally aware individuals perceive the grocery store as closer, feel safer walking, view sidewalks as more available and in a better condition, and notice more tree shading. Those who consider air quality and noise levels in their walking decisions are more likely to notice tree shading. Individuals committed to community environmentalism are significantly more likely to walk to the grocery store, underscoring the crucial role of environmental values in shaping transportation behaviors and walkability perceptions.
Sustainability: Is It a Strategic Management Research Fashion?
Authors: Sedovs Edgars , Volkova Tatjana
Published: August 2024

This article aims to identify the relationship between sustainability and strategic management to determine whether sustainability can be considered a strategic management research fashion. This involves a bibliometric analysis of recent academic literature from 2021 to 2023 to identify the latest academic research, key trends, collaboration and keyword networks within this relationship. The analysis was conducted using two datasets from the Scopus database. These datasets focus on English-language journal articles on business, management and accounting. The first covers academic research on strategic management, while the second expands to sustainability and sustainable development. The results show that strategic management research focusing on sustainability has recently grown faster (24.70%) and with higher funding frequency (22.4%) than the whole strategic management research field (14.30% and 17.5%, respectively). Furthermore, the geographical analysis of co-authorship identified articles from 88 countries, suggesting a broad interest in this relationship. Notably, the strategic management network mapping revealed a unique, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability cluster. Moreover, extended mapping revealed four clusters: strategic and innovation-driven sustainability, operational corporate sustainability, crisis management and environmental economics, and sustainable supply chain and resource management. The thematic analysis further highlights well-developed sustainability and strategic management research topics like digitalisation, circular economy, sustainable supply chain management, sustainable development goals, industry 4.0, COVID-19, environmental sustainability, etc. that are contributing to the progress of sustainability and strategic management research. The results thus confirm the rapid growth and widespread coverage of research on sustainability and strategic management, highlighting sustainability as a strategic management research fashion.