bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of Cardiopulmonary Activity and Related Abnormal Events Using Microsoft Kinect Sensor
Authors: Al-Naji Ali , Chahl Javaan
Published: March 2018

Monitoring of cardiopulmonary activity is a challenge when attempted under adverse conditions, including different sleeping postures, environmental settings, and an unclear region of interest (ROI). This study proposes an efficient remote imaging system based on a Microsoft Kinect v2 sensor for the observation of cardiopulmonary-signal-and-detection-related abnormal cardiopulmonary events (e.g., tachycardia, bradycardia, tachypnea, bradypnea, and central apnoea) in many possible sleeping postures within varying environmental settings including in total darkness and whether the subject is covered by a blanket or not. The proposed system extracts the signal from the abdominal-thoracic region where cardiopulmonary activity is most pronounced, using a real-time image sequence captured by Kinect v2 sensor. The proposed system shows promising results in any sleep posture, regardless of illumination conditions and unclear ROI even in the presence of a blanket, whilst being reliable, safe, and cost-effective.
Enhanced Moisture-Reactive Hydrophilic-PTFE-Based Flexible Humidity Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring
Authors: Park Heekyeong , Lee Sungho , Jeong Seok , Jung Ui , Park Kidong , Lee Min , Kim Sunkook , Lee Joonhyung
Published: March 2018

Flexible sensors connected to cell phones are a promising technology that can aid in continuously monitoring signals in our daily lives, such as an individual’s health status and information from buildings, farms, and industry. Among such signals, real-time humidity monitoring is crucial to a comfortable life, as human bodies, plants, and industrial environments require appropriate humidity to be maintained. We propose a hydrophilic polytetrafluoroethylene (H-PTFE)-based flexible humidity sensor integrated with readout circuitry, wireless communication, and a mobile battery. To enhance its sensitivity, linearity, and reliability, treatment with sodium hydroxide implements additional hydroxyl (OH) groups, which further enhance the sensitivity, create a strong linearity with respect to variations in relative humidity, and produce a relatively free hysteresis. Furthermore, to create robust mechanical stability, cyclic upward bending was performed for up to 3000 cycles. The overall electrical and mechanical results demonstrate that the flexible real-time H-PTFE humidity sensor system is suitable for applications such as wearable smart devices.
An Energy-Efficient Algorithm for Wearable Electrocardiogram Signal Processing in Ubiquitous Healthcare Applications
Authors: Sodhro Ali , Sangaiah Arun , Sodhro Gul , Lohano Sonia , Pirbhulal Sandeep
Published: March 2018

Rapid progress and emerging trends in miniaturized medical devices have enabled the un-obtrusive monitoring of physiological signals and daily activities of everyone’s life in a prominent and pervasive manner. Due to the power-constrained nature of conventional wearable sensor devices during ubiquitous sensing (US), energy-efficiency has become one of the highly demanding and debatable issues in healthcare. This paper develops a single chip-based wearable wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system by adopting analog front end (AFE) chip model ADS1292R from Texas Instruments. The developed chip collects real-time ECG data with two adopted channels for continuous monitoring of human heart activity. Then, these two channels and the AFE are built into a right leg drive right leg drive (RLD) driver circuit with lead-off detection and medical graded test signal. Human ECG data was collected at 60 beats per minute (BPM) to 120 BPM with 60 Hz noise and considered throughout the experimental set-up. Moreover, notch filter (cutoff frequency 60 Hz), high-pass filter (cutoff frequency 0.67 Hz), and low-pass filter (cutoff frequency 100 Hz) with cut-off frequencies of 60 Hz, 0.67 Hz, and 100 Hz, respectively, were designed with bilinear transformation for rectifying the power-line noise and artifacts while extracting real-time ECG signals. Finally, a transmission power control-based energy-efficient (ETPC) algorithm is proposed, implemented on the hardware and then compared with the several conventional TPC methods. Experimental results reveal that our developed chip collects real-time ECG data efficiently, and the proposed ETPC algorithm achieves higher energy savings of 35.5% with a slightly larger packet loss ratio (PLR) as compared to conventional TPC (e.g., constant TPC, Gao’s, and Xiao’s methods).
Simultaneous Deployment and Tracking Multi-Robot Strategies with Connectivity Maintenance
Authors: Tardós Javier , Aragues Rosario , Sagüés Carlos , Rubio Carlos
Published: March 2018

Multi-robot teams composed of ground and aerial vehicles have gained attention during the last few years. We present a scenario where both types of robots must monitor the same area from different view points. In this paper, we propose two Lloyd-based tracking strategies to allow the ground robots (agents) to follow the aerial ones (targets), keeping the connectivity between the agents. The first strategy establishes density functions on the environment so that the targets acquire more importance than other zones, while the second one iteratively modifies the virtual limits of the working area depending on the positions of the targets. We consider the connectivity maintenance due to the fact that coverage tasks tend to spread the agents as much as possible, which is addressed by restricting their motions so that they keep the links of a minimum spanning tree of the communication graph. We provide a thorough parametric study of the performance of the proposed strategies under several simulated scenarios. In addition, the methods are implemented and tested using realistic robotic simulation environments and real experiments.
A Study on the Impact of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Chain Length and Other Applied Side-Chains on the NO2 Sensing Properties of Conducting Graft Copolymers
Authors: Procek Marcin , Kepska Kinga , Stolarczyk Agnieszka
Published: March 2018

The detection and concentration measurements of low concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are important because of its negative effects on human health and its application in many fields of industry and safety systems. In our approach, conducting graft copolymers based on the poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) conducting polymer and other side-chains, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dodec-1-en, grafted on a poly(methylhydrosiloxane) backbone, were investigated. The grafts containing PEG (PEGSil) and dodec-1-en (DodecSil) in two variants, namely, fractions with shorter (hexane fraction -H) and longer (chloroform fraction -CH) side-chains of P3HT, were tested as receptor structures in NO2 gas sensors. Their responses to NO2, within the concentration range of 1–20 ppm, were investigated in an nitrogen atmosphere at different operating temperatures—room temperature (RT) = 25 °C, 50 °C, and 100 °C. The results indicated that both of the copolymers with PEG side-chains had higher responses to NO2 than the materials with dodec-1-en side-chains. Furthermore, the results indicated that, in both cases, H fractions were more sensitive than CH fractions. The highest response to 1 ppm of NO2, from the investigated graft copolymers, had PEGSil H, which indicated a response of 1330% at RT and 1980% at 100 °C. The calculated lower-limit of the detection of this material is lower than 300 ppb of NO2 at 100 °C. This research indicated that graft copolymers of P3HT had great potential for low temperature NO2 sensing, and that the proper choice of other side-chains in graft copolymers can improve their gas sensing properties.
The Portrayal of Families across Generations in Disney Animated Films
Authors: Zurcher Jessica , Webb Sarah , Robinson Tom
Published: March 2018

Disney animated films continue to serve as an influential form of media that shapes children’s development of beliefs about the world surrounding them, including the construct of the family. However, a census analysis as to how Disney animated films represent depictions of families has yet to be conducted. To fill this gap, we assessed the qualities of family demographics, structure, and function in a census analysis of 85 Disney animated films from the years 1937–2018. Results indicated that single parent families (41.3%) was the most predominantly represented family structure, followed by nuclear (25%) and guardian (19.2%). We also observed that the first depiction of a non-Caucasian family was presented in the 1990s, with a growing number of ethnically diverse families since that time. However, minimal interactions between families of differing ethnicities are noted. Overall, over 75% of all Disney animated films depicted warm and supportive familial interactions, with 78.8% of the films illustrating a positive relationship between the protagonist and his/her family. Analysis and implications are offered for parents and educators who wish to further understand the content Disney animated films offer in depicting families.
Multi-Objective Flexible Flow Shop Scheduling Problem Considering Variable Processing Time due to Renewable Energy
Authors: Wu Xiuli , Shen Xianli , Cui Qi
Published: March 2018

Renewable energy is an alternative to non-renewable energy to reduce the carbon footprint of manufacturing systems. Finding out how to make an alternative energy-efficient scheduling solution when renewable and non-renewable energy drives production is of great importance. In this paper, a multi-objective flexible flow shop scheduling problem that considers variable processing time due to renewable energy (MFFSP-VPTRE) is studied. First, the optimization model of the MFFSP-VPTRE is formulated considering the periodicity of renewable energy and the limitations of energy storage capacity. Then, a hybrid non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm with variable local search (HNSGA-II) is proposed to solve the MFFSP-VPTRE. An operation and machine-based encoding method is employed. A low-carbon scheduling algorithm is presented. Besides the crossover and mutation, a variable local search is used to improve the offspring’s Pareto set. The offspring and the parents are combined and those that dominate more are selected to continue evolving. Finally, two groups of experiments are carried out. The results show that the low-carbon scheduling algorithm can effectively reduce the carbon footprint under the premise of makespan optimization and the HNSGA-II outperforms the traditional NSGA-II and can solve the MFFSP-VPTRE effectively and efficiently.
Measurement of Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and Health Risk Assessment of Cooking-Generated Particles in the Kitchen and Living Rooms of Apartment Houses
Authors: Kim Hyungkeun , Kang Kyungmo , Kim Taeyeon
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this study was to measure the concentration of cooking-generated particles and to assess the health risk of the occupants. Numerous particulates are released from the kitchen when people are cooking, and diffused to other spaces in house, which would adverse the health of occupants. Sufficient ventilation is needed to decrease the PM2.5 concentration. To analyze the PM2.5 concentration, field measurements were performed on a cooking condition. A case study was performed based on the ventilation type including natural and mechanical ventilation. Three cases were designed: single-sided natural ventilation, cross-ventilation, and mechanical ventilation. The PM2.5 concentration was measured for 30 min, with a cooking time of 16 min. According to the analysis, the PM2.5 concentration increased 3.8 times more than the 24 h standard (50 µg/m3). The PM2.5 concentration in the living room was slightly greater than that in the kitchen. The particulate matter also rapidly diffused to other spaces. Moreover, the health risk increased by up to 30.8% more than in the base scenario. Therefore, additional ventilation strategies are needed to alleviate the diffusion of cooking particles.
Life Cycle Cost Assessment of Preventive Strategies Applied to Prestressed Concrete Bridges Exposed to Chlorides
Authors: Navarro Ignacio , Yepes Víctor , Martí José
Published: March 2018

This paper applies Life Cycle Assessment methodology to aid in the decision making to select the preventive measure against chloride corrosion in concrete structures that works best for the socio-economic context of the structure. The assumed model combines the concepts of Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Social Life Cycle Analysis to assess the impacts on users derived from the maintenance activities associated with each alternative analyzed in terms of economic costs. The model has been applied to a prestressed concrete bridge to obtain a preventive measure that can reduce the total costs incurred over the period of analysis by up to 58.5% compared to the cost of the current solution.
Measuring Baseline Agriculture-Related Sustainable Development Goals Index for Southern Africa
Authors: Nhemachena Charles , Matchaya Greenwell , Nhemachena Charity , Karuaihe Selma , Muchara Binganidzo , Nhlengethwa Sibusiso
Published: March 2018

Sustainable development has become the main focus of the global development agenda as presented in the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, for countries to assess progress, they need to have reliable baseline indicators. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to develop a composite baseline index of the agriculture-related SDGs in Southern Africa to guide progress reporting. The paper identified eight of the SDG indicators related to the agriculture sector. The paper relies on data for indicators from five SDGs (SDGs 1, 2, 6, 7 and 15). Applying the arithmetic mean method of aggregation, an agriculture-related SDG composite index for Southern Africa between zero (0 = poor performance) and 100 (best possible performance) was computed for thirteen countries that had data on all identified indicators. The results show that the best performing countries (Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa) in the assessment recorded high scores in SDGs 1, 2 and 7. The three countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Madagascar) that performed poorly on both SDG 1 and 2 also had the least scores on the overall agriculture-related SDG composite index. The water stress indicator for SDG 6 recorded the worst performance among most countries in the region. Possible approaches to improve the contribution of agriculture to SDGs may include investing more resources in priority areas for each agriculture-related SDG depending on baseline country conditions. The implementation, monitoring and evaluation of regional and continental commitments in the agriculture sector and the SDGs are critical for achievement of the targets at the national and local levels. While the methods employed are well-grounded in literature, data unavailability for some of the SDGs in some countries presented a limitation to the study, and future efforts should focus on collecting data for the other SDGs in order to permit a wider application.
Calibration of a Field-Scale Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Model with Field Placement of Best Management Practices in Alger Creek, Michigan
Authors: Merriman Katherine , Russell Amy , Rachol Cynthia , Daggupati Prasad , Srinivasan Raghavan , Hayhurst Brett , Stuntebeck Todd
Published: March 2018

Subwatersheds within the Great Lakes “Priority Watersheds” were targeted by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to determine the effectiveness of the various best management practices (BMPs) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service National Conservation Planning (NCP) Database. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is created for Alger Creek, a 50 km2 tributary watershed to the Saginaw River in Michigan. Monthly calibration yielded very good Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) ratings for flow, sediment, total phosphorus (TP), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), and total nitrogen (TN) (0.90, 0.79, 0.87, 0.88, and 0.77, respectively), and satisfactory NSE rating for nitrate (0.51). Two-year validation results in at least satisfactory NSE ratings for flow, sediment, TP, DRP, and TN (0.83, 0.54, 0.73, 0.53, and 0.60, respectively), and unsatisfactory NSE rating for nitrate (0.28). The model estimates the effect of BMPs at the field and watershed scales. At the field-scale, the most effective single practice at reducing sediment, TP, and DRP is no-tillage followed by cover crops (CC); CC are the most effective single practice at reducing nitrate. The most effective BMP combinations include filter strips, which can have a sizable effect on reducing sediment and phosphorus loads. At the watershed scale, model results indicate current NCP BMPs result in minimal sediment and nutrient reductions (<10%).
Solar Radiation Distribution inside a Greenhouse Prototypal with Photovoltaic Mobile Plant and Effects on Flower Growth
Authors: Colantoni Andrea , Monarca Danilo , Marucci Alvaro , Cecchini Massimo , Zambon Ilaria , Di Battista Federico , Maccario Diego , Saporito Maria , Beruto Margherita
Published: March 2018

The diffusion of renewable energy requires the search for new technologies useful for obtaining good energy and production efficiency. Even if the latter is not always easy to obtain, the integration of photovoltaic panels on the roof of greenhouses intended for floriculture can represent an alternative. The present paper evaluates climatic conditions inside a greenhouse, in which 20% of its roof surface has been replaced with mobile photovoltaic (PV) panels. The PV system implemented in this study can vary the light energy collection surface in relation to the degree of insolation. The aim is to observe the shading effects of the PV system on the growth of several varieties of flowers (iberis, mini-cyclamens and petunias) to ensure the use of solar energy as an income integration deriving from floricultural production. In fact, in agronomic terms, it has ensured: (i) to be able to shade the underlying environment in most lighting conditions; and (ii) to let through more light when it is required for the needs of crop plants or in cloudy weather. Results have described the distribution of solar radiation, variability of temperature and humidity and lighting in a solar year and the observed outcomes on floristic production.
Mapping Ecosystem Service Bundles to Detect Distinct Types of Multifunctionality within the Diverse Landscape of the Yangtze River Basin, China
Authors: Kong Lingqiao , Zheng Hua , Xiao Yi , Ouyang Zhiyun , Li Cong , Zhang Jingjing , Huang Binbin
Published: March 2018

The tradeoffs and synergies of ecosystem services are widely discussed and recognized. However, explicit information for understanding and managing the complex relationships of multiple ecosystem services at regional scales is still lacking, which often leads to the degradation of important ecosystem services due to one ecosystem service being enhanced over another. We assessed the biodiversity and the production of nine ESs (ecosystem services) across 779 counties in the Yangtze River Basin, the largest basin in China. Then, we mapped the distribution of ES for each county and used correlations and “partitioning around medoids” clustering analysis to assess the existence of ES bundles. We found five distinct types of bundles of ecosystem services spatially agglomerated in the landscape, which could be mainly explained by land use, slope and altitude gradients. Our results also show landscape-scale tradeoffs between provisioning and almost all regulating services (and biodiversity), and synergies among almost all regulating services (and biodiversity). Mapping ecosystem service bundles can identify areas in a landscape where ecosystem management has produced exceptionally desirable or undesirable sets of ecosystem services, and can also provide explicit, tailored information on landscape planning for ecosystem service conservation and the design of payment policies for ecosystem services within diverse landscapes at watershed scales.
Comprehensive Evaluation for Operating Efficiency of Electricity Retail Companies Based on the Improved TOPSIS Method and LSSVM Optimized by Modified Ant Colony Algorithm from the View of Sustainable Development
Authors: Niu Dongxiao , Li Si , Dai Shuyu
Published: March 2018

The electricity market of China is currently in the process of a new institutional reform. Diversified electricity retail entities are gradually being established with the opening of the marketing electricity side. In the face of a complex market environment and fierce competition, the operating efficiency can directly reflect the current market position and development of electricity retail companies. TOPSIS method can make full use of the information of original data, calculate the distance between evaluated objects and the ideal solutions and get the relative proximity, which is generally used in the overall department and comprehensive evaluation of the benefits. Least squares support vector machine (LSSVM), with high convergence precision, helps save the training time of algorithm by solving linear equations and is used to predict the comprehensive evaluation value. Considering the ultimate goal of sustainable development, a comprehensive evaluation model on operating efficiency of electricity retail companies based on the improved TOPSIS method and LSSVM optimized by modified ant colony algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, from the view of sustainable development, an operating efficiency evaluation indicator system is constructed. Secondly, the entropy weight method is applied to empower the indicators objectively. After that, based on the improved TOPSIS method, the reverse problem in the evaluation process is eliminated. According to the relative proximity between the evaluated objects and the absolute ideal solutions, the scores of comprehensive evaluation for operating efficiency can then be ranked. Finally, the LSSVM optimized by modified ant colony algorithm is introduced to realize the simplified expert scoring process and fast calculation in the comprehensive evaluation process, and its improved learning and generalization ability can be used in the comprehensive evaluation of similar projects. The example analysis proves that the comprehensive evaluation model proposed in this paper can provide scientific and effective evaluation results of the operating efficiency of electricity retail companies.
A Hybrid of Multi-Objective Optimization and System Dynamics Simulation for Straw-to-Electricity Supply Chain Management under the Belt and Road Initiatives
Authors: Liu Yiyun , Zhao Rui , Wu Kuo-Jui , Huang Tao , Chiu Anthony , Cai Chenyi
Published: March 2018

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provides immense opportunities for agro-waste utilization among countries situated along the routes. However, there is a lack of design of motivational mechanisms to put it into managerial practice. This study uses agro-straw as the typical agro-waste to structure a hybrid of multi-objective optimization and system dynamics simulation for optimizing the structure of straw-to-electricity supply chain and designing motivational mechanisms to enhance its sustainability. Since existing studies on the design of motivation mechanisms mainly stressed static motivation, two different dynamic subsidy mechanisms are devised in this study to facilitate the stable collaboration among stakeholders involved in the supply chain. A case study is provided to demonstrate the hybrid method. Discussion about the limitations of the study lays the foundation for further improvement.
Community Based Programs Sustainability. A Multidimensional Analysis of Sustainability Factors
Authors: Ceptureanu Sebastian , Ceptureanu Eduard , Luchian Cristian , Luchian Iuliana
Published: March 2018

Ensuring community based program sustainability is critical for the targeted communities. When such a program is no longer sustainable, its impact decreases, leading to unmet expectations, affecting the community as a whole. As such, scrutinizing sustainability factors for community based programs proves essential. This paper analyses those factors by reviewing the literature, questioning 188 individuals from community based organizations and other non-profits and providing a ranking for the most important of them. The factors were divided into 3 categories: related to program itself, related to host (implementing) organisation and related to the community where the program is operationalized. For data analysis several statistical tests were used, leading to a ranking of the most important 22 factors for community based programs sustainability.
A Study on the Interrelations of Decision-Making Factors of Information System (IS) Upgrades for Sustainable Business Using Interpretive Structural Modeling and MICMAC Analysis
Authors: Kim Dosung , Kim Yonghee , Lee Namyong
Published: March 2018

An information system (IS) upgrade is an essential way to enhance the competitiveness of an organization. Specifically, the decision making processes surrounding IS upgrades is one of the most important parts of an organization’s competitiveness in regard to business sustainability. Previous research studies on IS upgrade decisions have focused on implementing a more efficient decision-making system by determining when IS upgrades should be performed based on the cost factor, from the perspective of both users and experts. However, if the decision making of an IS upgrade is delayed or not performed accurately due to the limitations of a specific business environment, such as a job, position, or cost, an organization can lose its business competitiveness. In this context, the present study determines the main factors involved in decision making processes surrounding IS upgrades, and analyzes the interrelations among these factors in an organization with regard to users, managers, and experts. The interpretive structural modeling (ISM) method is used as an analytical tool to analyze the characteristics and interrelations of factors based on a real system model called the User-Centered Training System (UCTS). Based on the results, the present study provides a deeper insight into decision-making factors and directional models, and allows for a more efficient management of the decision-making problem of an IS upgrade caused by differences in the business environment between each layer (i.e., users, managers, and experts). Specifically, according to our results, users are more likely to think about the positive effects and benefits they could have on their work, rather than about organizational benefits. By contrast, managers reason that IS upgrades should have a positive impact on the overall organizational goals and benefits. Finally, experts think that an IS upgrade should benefit both the organization and users. Taken together, the results of the present study are meaningful in that they clearly show the interrelationships between the decision-making factors on each of the levels.
Promoting the Use of Reusable Coffee Cups through Environmental Messaging, the Provision of Alternatives and Financial Incentives
Authors: Poortinga Wouter , Whitaker Louise
Published: March 2018

It is estimated that 2.5–10 bn disposable coffee cups are used every year in the U.K. Most of these cups end up in landfill or as litter, as the majority of poly-coated paper cups are not recyclable or not recycled. Here, we report on a field experiment that was conducted at twelve university and business sites to examine whether the use of reusable cups can be promoted through easily implementable measures. The study found that both environmental messaging and the provision of alternatives increased the use of reusable cups. While a charge on disposable cups increased their use as well, a discount on reusable cups did not. The effects for the individual measures were modest, but additive, meaning that the greatest behavioural change was achieved with a combination of measures. None of the measures negatively impacted the total number of hot drink sales. One university continued with the charge after the experiment had finished and distributed more reusable cups for free among their students. This boosted the use of reusable cups up to 33.7% across three cafés. This shows that a charge in combination with the provision of alternatives can increase the use of reusable cups substantially in the long term.
Influence of the Farmer’s Livelihood Assets on Livelihood Strategies in the Western Mountainous Area, China
Authors: Liu Zhifei , Chen Qianru , Xie Hualin
Published: March 2018

The livelihood strategies of farm households depend on the conditions of their assets, and farm households cope with risks and shocks through portfolios consisting of different types of assets. Thus, discussing the relationship between the livelihood assets and the livelihood strategies of farm households helps in understanding their livelihood conditions and in formulating reasonable poverty reduction policies. Taking Zunyi City, which is located in a western, mountainous area of China, as the study region and using the framework of sustainability analysis, this study first tries to establish the mechanism of the influence of farm household livelihood assets on livelihood strategies, then evaluates different farm household livelihood assets by establishing an evaluation index system for them, and finally conducts an empirical analysis on the influence of farm household livelihood assets on livelihood strategies using a multinomial logit model. The research results indicate the following: (1) natural assets and material assets have a significant negative influence on farm households’ choice of livelihood strategies, that is, the more natural assets and material assets that farm households own, the more likely they are to choose livelihood strategies involving engaging in agricultural production; (2) Manpower assets and financial assets have a significant positive influence on farm households’ choice of livelihood strategy, namely, the more manpower assets and financial assets that farm households own, the more likely they are to choose livelihood strategies involving engaging in non-agricultural production; (3) Social assets have no significant influence on farm households’ choice of livelihood strategy.
Change of the Extractability of Cadmium Added to Different Soils: Aging Effect and Modeling
Authors: Zhang Xi , Zeng Saiqi , Chen Shibao , Ma Yibing
Published: March 2018

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is known to be a chelating agent and has been widely used for estimating the total extractable metals in soil. The effect of aging on EDTA-extractable cadmium (Cd) was investigated in five different soils at three Cd concentrations incubated for 180 days. The EDTA-extractable Cd rapidly decreased after incubated during 30–60 days, followed by slow processes, and for 90 days the EDTA-extractable Cd tended to be stable. The decrease in EDTA-extractable Cd may be due to precipitation/nucleation processes, diffusion of Cd into the micropores/mesopores, and occlusion within organic matter in soils. A semi-mechanistic model to predict the extractability of Cd during incubation, based on processes of Cd precipitation/nucleation, diffusion, and occlusion within organic matter, was developed and calibrated. The results showed that the processes of micropore/mesopore diffusion were predominant processes affecting the extractability of Cd added to soils, and were slow. However, the proportions of the processes of precipitation/nucleation and occlusion within organic matter to the non-EDTA-extractable Cd added to soils were only 0.03–21.0% and 0.41–6.95%, respectively. The measured EDTA-extractable Cd from incubated soils were in good agreement with those predicted by the semi-mechanistic model (R2 = 0.829). The results also indicated that soil pH, organic matter, and incubation time were the most important factors affecting Cd aging.
The Flexible Acceleration Mechanism of China’s Capital Adjustment with the Goal of Consumption-Driven Sustainable Growth
Authors: Su Peng , Jiang Xiaochun , Sun Wei
Published: March 2018

China has had an investment-led growth pattern that is unsustainable. It is struggling to shift to a consumption-driven economy, and capital adjustment is crucial to the transition. In response, the principal objective of this study is to analyze the internal market mechanism of China’s capital adjustment. Due to the imperfections of the market, we use the flexible acceleration model, which we put in an IS (Investment – Saving equation)–LM (Liquidity preference – Money supply equation) framework in order to reflect the guiding role of demand. The results show that the flexible acceleration model fits China’s investment well, and the demand-oriented market mechanism of capital adjustment has been formed; however, China’s market adjustment ability is not strong. The adjustment coefficient is only 0.22, and shows a decreasing trend. So, in the capital optimization process, relying on the market alone is not realistic. Furthermore, the calculated replacement rate is up to 0.429, which indicates that China’s capital is less efficient, and there are duplicated assets, idle assets, and wasted investments. The error correction model’s results show that the impact of the interest rate on the investments is not significant in the short term, so the existence of invalid capital is more likely to stem from the soft budget constraints, which require attention.
A Comparative Analysis of the Environmental Benefits of Drone-Based Delivery Services in Urban and Rural Areas
Authors: Park Jiyoon , Kim Solhee , Suh Kyo
Published: March 2018

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV, drones) used as delivery vehicles have received increasing attention due to their mobility and accessibility to remote areas. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the environmental impacts of drone versus motorcycle delivery and to compare the expected environmental improvements due to drone delivery in urban and rural areas. In addition, the potential environmental contributions of electric motorcycles were assessed to determine the effects of introducing this new type of vehicle. Changes in the national electricity generation plan were also examined. The results showed that global warming potential (GWP) per 1 km delivery by drone was one-sixth that of motorcycle delivery, and the particulates produced by drone delivery were half that of motorcycle delivery. The actual environmental impact reduction in consideration of the delivery distance was 13 times higher in a rural area than in an urban area. Increasing the use of environmentally friendly electricity systems, such as solar and wind power, would further enhance the environmental effects of a drone delivery system.
Using the Ecosystem Services Framework for Policy Impact Analysis: An Application to the Assessment of the Common Agricultural Policy 2014–2020 in the Province of Ferrara (Italy)
Authors: Chatzinikolaou Parthena , Viaggi Davide , Raggi Meri
Published: March 2018

The objective of this study is to test a methodology for the classification of areas according to the provision of ecosystem services and for the evaluation of the effects of different agricultural policy scenarios. The evaluation focuses on the different categories of Ecosystem Services (ES) and applies a set of indicators available from secondary data sources. Two scenarios were compared, represented by the pre-2014 CAP and the CAP 2014–2020, based on the measures of the RDP 2014–2020 focused on enhancing ecosystems. The approach was implemented under two weighting solutions. First, we assumed that all indicators have equal weight. As a further step, the framework was integrated with a weighting procedure in order to account for the different importance of the various ES indicators. All municipalities offer a significant number of provisioning and cultural services, mainly connected to recreational opportunities. The indicators with higher importance in the area represent provisioning, supporting and regulating services, while cultural services have received less attention. Comparing the results of the simulation of different policy scenarios, there are no significant differences since the CAP 2014–2020 does not provide for measures likely to affect substantially the overall production of ecosystem services. While this result is plausible, the study confirms the limitations of available secondary data in providing a full account of ecosystem services provision and of their variations as a result of policy.
Biophysical and Socioeconomic State and Links of Deltaic Areas Vulnerable to Climate Change: Volta (Ghana), Mahanadi (India) and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (India and Bangladesh)
Authors: Cazcarro Ignacio , Arto Iñaki , Hazra Somnath , Bhattacharya Rabindra Nath , Osei-Wusu Adjei Prince , Ofori-Danson Patrick K. , Asenso Joseph K. , Amponsah Samuel K. , Khondker Bazlul , Raihan Selim , Hossen Zubayer
Published: March 2018

We examine the similarities and differences of specific deltaic areas in parallel, under the project DEltas, vulnerability and Climate Change: Migration and Adaptation (DECCMA). The main reason for studying Deltas is their potential vulnerability to climate change and sea level rise, which generates important challenges for livelihoods. We provide insights into the current socioeconomic and biophysical states of the Volta Delta (Ghana), Mahanadi Delta (India) and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (India and Bangladesh). Hybrid methods of input-output (IO) construction are used to develop environmentally extended IO models for comparing the economic characteristics of these delta regions with the rest of the country. The main sources of data for regionalization were country level census data, statistics and economic surveys and data on consumption, trade, agricultural production and fishing harvests. The Leontief demand-driven model is used to analyze land use in the agricultural sector of the Delta and to track the links with final demand. In addition, the Hypothetical Extraction Method is used to evaluate the importance of the hypothetical disappearance of a sector (e.g., agriculture). The results show that, in the case of the Indian deltas, more than 60% of the cropland and pasture land is devoted to satisfying demands from regions outside the delta. While in the case of the Bangladeshi and Ghanaian deltas, close to 70% of the area harvested is linked to internal demand. The results also indicate that the services, trade and transportation sectors represent 50% of the GDP in the deltas. Still, agriculture, an activity directly exposed to climate change, plays a relevant role in the deltas’ economies—we have estimated that the complete disappearance of this activity would entail GDP losses ranging from 18 to 32%.
Migrants’ Role in Enhancing the Economic Development of Host Countries: Empirical Evidence from Europe
Authors: Noja Graţiela Georgiana , Cristea Simona Mirela , Yüksel Atila , Pânzaru Ciprian , Drăcea Raluca Mihaela
Published: March 2018

This research examines several modellers of immigration flows deployed within the European Union (EU), as well as their economic consequences upon the most targeted ten migrant receiving countries. The paper’s aim is to identify specific ways in which migrants can contribute to host countries’ sustainable development through positive spillover upon natives, labour market performance, and the overall economic activity. A set of methods and macro-econometric models, based on country fixed effects, spatial analysis, and structural equations modelling, was applied on a balanced panel formed by ten EU host economies. We analysed distinctly the labour and humanitarian (asylum seekers) migration flows, considered throughout two separate time periods, namely 2000–2015 and 2000–2019 (2019 being the deadline for Brexit negotiations). The results highlight that the immigration flows were mainly shaped by labour market outcomes, while the primary positive immigration impact was induced upon the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and employment levels, both for natives and the foreign population.
Cost-Sharing Contracts for Energy Saving and Emissions Reduction of a Supply Chain under the Conditions of Government Subsidies and a Carbon Tax
Authors: Yi Yuyin , Li Jinxi
Published: March 2018

To study the cooperation of upstream and downstream enterprises of a supply chain in energy saving and emissions reduction, we establish a Stackelberg game model. The retailer moves first to decide a cost-sharing contract, then the manufacturer determines the energy-saving level, carbon-emission level, and wholesale price successively. In the end, the retailer determines the retail price. As a regulation, the government provides subsidies for energy-saving products, while imposing a carbon tax on the carbon emitted. The results show that (1) both the energy-saving cost-sharing (ECS) and the carbon emissions reduction cost-sharing (CCS) contracts are not the dominant strategy of the two parties by which they can facilitate energy savings and emissions reductions; (2) compared with single cost-sharing contracts, the bivariate cost-sharing (BCS) contract for energy saving and emissions reduction is superior, although it still cannot realise prefect coordination of the supply chain; (3) government subsidy and carbon tax policies can promote the cooperation of both the upstream and downstream enterprises of the supply chain—a subsidy policy can always drive energy saving and emissions reductions, while a carbon tax policy does not always exert positive effects, as it depends on the initial level of pollution and the level of carbon tax; and (4) the subsidy policy reduces the coordination efficiency of the supply chain, while the influences of carbon tax policy upon the coordination efficiency relies on the initial carbon-emission level.
Integrated Supply Network Maturity Model: Water Scarcity Perspective
Authors: Yatskovskaya Ekaterina , Srai Jagjit , Kumar Mukesh
Published: March 2018

Today’s supply chains (SCs) are more than ever prone to disruptions caused by natural and man-made events with water scarcity identified as one of the highest impact events among these. Leading businesses, understanding that natural resource scarcity (NRS) has become a critical supply chain risk factor, extensively incorporate sustainable water management programmes into their corporate social responsibility and environmental management agenda. The question of how industries can efficiently evaluate the progress of these water scarcity mitigation practices, however, remains open. In order to address this question, the present study proposes a conceptual maturity model. The model is rooted in strategies for water scarcity mitigation using a framework developed by Yatskovskaya and Srai and develops an extensive literature review of recent publications on maturity frameworks in the fields of sustainability and operations management. In order to test the proposed proposed, model an exploratory case study with a leading pharmaceutical company was conducted. The proposed maturity model presents an evaluation tool that allows systematic assessment and visualisation of organisational routines and practices relevant to sustainable manufacturing in the context of water scarcity. This model was designed to help illustrate mitigation capabilities evolution over time, where future state desired capabilities were considered through alternative supply network (SN) configurations, network structure, process flow, product architecture, and supply partnerships.
Enabling Symmetric Collaboration in Public Spaces through 3D Mobile Interaction
Authors: Machuca Mayra , Chinthammit Winyu , Huang Weidong , Wasinger Rainer , Duh Henry
Published: March 2018

Collaboration has been common in workplaces in various engineering settings and in our daily activities. However, how to effectively engage collaborators with collaborative tasks has long been an issue due to various situational and technical constraints. The research in this paper addresses the issue in a specific scenario, which is how to enable users to interact with public information from their own perspective. We describe a 3D mobile interaction technique that allows users to collaborate with other people by creating a symmetric and collaborative ambience. This in turn can increase their engagement with public displays. In order to better understand the benefits and limitations of this technique, we conducted a usability study with a total of 40 participants. The results indicate that the 3D mobile interaction technique promotes collaboration between users and also improves their engagement with the public displays.
A Review on Nano-Scale Precipitation in Steels
Authors: Kong Hao , Liu Chain
Published: March 2018

Nano-scale precipitation strengthened steels have drawn increasing attention from the materials community recently due to their excellent mechanical behaviors at room temperature, high specific strength to weight ratio, superior radiation resistivity, good weldability, and many more to mention. With the advent of technology, such as synchrotron X-ray, atom probe tomography (APT), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), probing precipitates down to the atomic level has been made possible. In this paper, various nano-scale precipitate strengthened steels are compiled with the aim to identify the effects of size and number density of precipitates on the mechanical properties. Besides, the strengthening mechanisms, slip systems, and dislocation-precipitate interactions are reviewed. Moreover, the nucleation and stability of precipitates are also discussed. Finally, the challenges and future directions of the nano-scale precipitate strengthened steels are explored.
Design of Stripping Columns Applied to Drinking Water to Minimize Carcinogenic Risk from Trihalomethanes (THMs)
Authors: Canosa Joel , Martí Vicenç
Published: March 2018

The aim of this study is the application of a software tool to the design of stripping columns to calculate the removal of trihalomethanes (THMs) from drinking water. The tool also allows calculating the rough capital cost of the column and the decrease in carcinogenic risk indeces associated with the elimination of THMs and, thus, the investment to save a human life. The design of stripping columns includes the determination, among other factors, of the height (HOG), the theoretical number of plates (NOG), and the section (S) of the columns based on the study of pressure drop. These results have been compared with THM stripping literature values, showing that simulation is sufficiently conservative. Three case studies were chosen to apply the developed software. The first case study was representative of small-scale application to a community in Córdoba (Spain) where chloroform is predominant and has a low concentration. The second case study was of an intermediate scale in a region in Venezuela, and the third case study was representative of large-scale treatment of water in the Barcelona metropolitan region (Spain). Results showed that case studies with larger scale and higher initial risk offer the best capital investment to decrease the risk.